Chapter 14
An Invitation to the Ball
A lazy spring breeze drifted in.
It rustled Olivia Blanchet’s voluminous hair, contrasting sharply with the heightened atmosphere of the tennis court.
It was Olivia Blanchet’s match point.
Steadying her breath, she pressed her small foot firmly against the grass and bent her upper body. Without hesitation, she tossed the ball into the air and leapt toward the sky.
Strands of brown hair clung to her flushed cheeks and slender neck, shimmering.
Her blouse lifted slightly along her outstretched arm, revealing a glimpse of pale skin.
Edgar’s steps came to a halt as his gaze lingered on her smooth calves and delicate ankles peeking from beneath the skirt fluttering in the wind.
Bang!
As the ball was struck with a fierce scream, Edgar snapped back to his senses. The ball bounced across the net and rolled to a stop near his feet.
Olivia cheered, clenching her fist and letting out a victorious yell.
“Goril…la.”
The idle onlookers who had been watching the match with sweaty palms let their thoughts slip out.
In what world?
Standing motionless, Edgar let out a dry chuckle as he watched Olivia’s bright smile. Drops of sweat glistened on her forehead under the morning sun. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Edgar walked toward the net. Olivia approached from the other side.
“I won.”
Smiling across the net, Edgar extended his arm.
“Yes. I won,” Olivia replied.
Her breathless voice trembled as she firmly took his hand. He couldn’t tell if the sweetness in the air came from her breath or the scent of flowers.
“Congratulations.”
Edgar’s Adam’s apple moved slowly. As she caught her breath, the opening of her blouse fluttered, revealing a pale hint of cleavage. A breeze carried the subtle scent of rose soap.
“So, what’s your wish?”
With some effort, he lifted his gaze to her beautiful face.
“I’ll think about it. That’s alright, isn’t it?”
“As you please.”
Behind the smiling woman, the grand fountain erupted in a white spray. It was a loss that didn’t feel bitter.
*
After vigorous exercise, Olivia found joy in the refreshing chill of a cold drink.
As she sipped her iced coffee, savoring the bliss of a carefree life, a sudden voice shattered the peace.
“Take responsibility for me, Miss Blanchet.”
Olivia burst out laughing at the unexpected declaration.
The café was quiet on a weekday afternoon. The sound of rain mingled with soft piano music, creating a bittersweet harmony like petals falling in a storm.
“I’m serious. Let’s go to the Rose Ball together.”
Elaine’s face was resolute, as if retreat was not an option.
After the tennis match, Olivia had gone sightseeing in the city of Litton with Elaine. The central district, packed with department stores, luxury theaters, and high-end shops, was bustling with tourists.
They had ducked into a café to escape the sudden downpour while discussing the hair accessory Elaine planned to wear to the ball hosted by the Lancelot Hotel—when the topic shifted to Olivia’s attendance.
“I already declined,” Olivia said, spearing a large strawberry perched atop whipped cream with her fork.
“As long as you have an invitation, you can still go.”
“I don’t even have a dress.”
“You didn’t bring any?”
“No.”
“That’s a shame… Why?”
Elaine sighed, then fixed her gaze on Olivia.
“I know your situation, but Miss Blanchet—you have to come. I don’t have anyone else to go with now. Because of you.”
She emphasized that last part. For Elaine, this might be the last chance.
Her opulent lifestyle had been made possible by her husband. Choosing divorce meant giving that up.
Unless, like Olivia, she received a massive settlement—but few in Rondos could match Duke Johann Leopold’s wealth.
“…I’ll think about it.”
Olivia turned her gaze toward the window with a faint smile. Rain poured down from the gray-blue sky, thousands of needle-like droplets shattering as they hit the pavement.
The ball…
She wasn’t eager, but she couldn’t ignore Elaine being ostracized because of her.
If only she had kept her emotions in check. If only she hadn’t brought up the necklace. Olivia let out a silent sigh.
The raindrops striking the windowpane grew heavier.
It had rained that day too.
The pounding of rain brought back a nightmare. The day she had longed for had gone terribly wrong.
It was her first mission in the Major Crimes Unit, paired with her senior.
The early monsoon rains had begun, and a torrential downpour flooded the streets. The tragedy struck like a sudden squall.
“Watch out, Senior!”
Through the silvery strands of rain glinting in the dark, Jian’s body darted forward.
The assailant’s sharp blade pierced Jian’s abdominal muscles in an instant. Not even a scream escaped. She may have blacked out briefly.
“Han Jian! Han Jian!!!”
He shouted.
The raindrops falling on her cheeks no longer felt cold. She wanted to feel the warmth of the man she loved a little longer—but there was nothing.
Only her hearing remained to catch his voice, along with the distant wail of sirens.
I love you.
She moved her lips in that final moment—words she had never dared to say out loud.
Did he hear them?
She would never know.
That day became her last mission. She died protecting her senior. And now, she was alone in a world separate from his.
Are you doing well?
Olivia silently watched the rain outside.
Elaine quietly observed her friend, sensing an indescribable sorrow behind her calm expression.
She knew full well how cruel it was to invite Olivia—shunned by society—to a ball.
“Please make this ball special with Miss Blanchet.”
That letter from the hotel manager. The enclosed check.
There was no sender on the envelope. The signature on the check was unfamiliar, but Elaine instinctively knew.
Edgar Lanchester Lancelot.
Had she not seen him on the tennis court that morning, his name wouldn’t have crossed her mind.
Elaine had always planned to attend with Olivia—why pass up a diamond that had fallen into her lap?
Especially with an impending divorce, every penny mattered.
She found the marquess’s intentions suspicious, but she was no saint herself.
Still, she wasn’t a villain either. It was perfectly normal for a single man to show interest in a beautiful divorcée.
Elaine decided that was how she would think of it.
What could possibly go wrong?
And Olivia Blanchet, in her experience, was a kindhearted person at her core.
“Miss Blanchet?”
“…Yes? Ah.”
Olivia looked startled.
“Sorry, I was lost in thought. What did you say?”
“This might be the last time. If I get divorced, I won’t be able to live like this again.”
Elaine wore a melancholy expression, poking at Olivia’s guilt. The rain continued to pound the windows with no sign of letting up.
*
“Is something troubling you, miss?”
Anne asked gently. It was the first time her mistress had made a friend and gone out in town—but she returned with a low mood.
What could it be?
Anne grew nervous. Had something bad happened?
“I think I have to go to the ball after all.”
“So suddenly?”
Anne froze in surprise.
“Elaine’s in a tight spot because of me.”
“But… we don’t have a proper dress…”
The Rose Ball was on Friday. Today was Wednesday. There wasn’t enough time to have a dress made.
When they left Great Hill, Olivia hadn’t taken any of the extravagant gowns that had filled her dressing room. Now she regretted it deeply.
She even had summer dresses custom-made…
“!”
My goodness.
“Wait just a moment, miss.”
Anne stopped drying Olivia’s damp hair and rushed to the nightstand.
From the top drawer, she pulled out a small notebook. Flipping quickly to the marked page, she pointed to a note dated a few days ago.
“Gabrielle Boutique. Three dresses.”
Anne stared at the writing.
It was a reminder of the summer dresses they had ordered a month ago.
It had been a snowy March day beneath a steel-colored sky. The same day her mistress had fallen into the lake. After a heated discussion with her secretary, Diane Brook, Olivia had called the designer in anger.
As usual, she’d gotten drunk before Gabrielle Jeanne even arrived. Olivia couldn’t remember how many dresses she’d ordered.
“…I completely forgot.”
“Hmm? What?”
Anne blinked at Olivia in surprise, accidentally speaking aloud.
“Uh, I forgot… It’s my mother’s birthday.”
“Oh, I see.”
Olivia gave an apologetic smile.
“Let’s send her a gift, Anne.”
“…Yes, miss.”
Anne couldn’t bring herself to tell the truth. What would it do to Olivia to have remnants of her past fly back into her life like uninvited ghosts?
She hoped Olivia would stop thinking of Johann Leopold altogether. Loving the duke had destroyed her.
The current Olivia—divorced from him—wore a smile as if she’d always known happiness. Her smile made her more beautiful.
As with all first loves, it had been impulsive and inevitable. But it was just that—a first love.
Anne prayed that a more mature love, better suited for the woman Olivia had become, would find her someday.
Then, a fresh spring breeze blew through the wide-open window. A notebook page on the table fluttered and turned.
Anne’s face turned pale once again.
