The Voiceless Duchess - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Translator: Yonnee

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“For you to have suddenly dashed toward the Nordvant manor, I thought that you were truly attempting to climb over the wall, sir. Of course, that in itself is a problem. But then, you started speaking to the wall and raised your head…”

When Carlisle stared at him, Michael shrugged with an audacious attitude.

“Well, we’re in front of a cemetery, of all places. It felt like you might have gotten bewitched by ghosts. Only when you took the Lady’s hand did I finally see that someone was actually standing there!”

Carlisle cast a glance at the mansion’s wall, raised an eyebrow, and clenched his fist, appearing deep in thought.

“…Or perhaps, was the lady actually a ghost?” Michael added.

“It was Lady Lohengrin.”

Carlisle muttered softly, ‘I don’t know why she was alone in such a place, however.’

Then, Michael asked with a shocked voice.

“L…Lady Lohengrin? Margrave Nordvant’s daughter?”

“For me to fail to recognize such a remarkable beauty would put a blemish on my reputation as Bern’s libertine.”

Carlisle nonchalantly replied, stomping on the withered daffodil.

Frowning, Michael recounted the recent events. Carlisle had taken her hand, and then…

He couldn’t help but express his exasperation.

“Are you out of your right mind, sir? We can’t even set a final trial date because of Margrave Nordvant, and yet, why are you now causing such a commotion with the Margrave’s treasured daughter! Even if you had acted as decently as you could have, it wouldn’t have been enough!”

“Why should I?”

Of course, Carlisle couldn’t care less. He turned around the wall and headed toward the front of the Nordvant manor.

“Why do I have to make an effort to look good? The father and uncle are both such uppity, narrow-minded people anyway. I doubt the daughter would be any different. I’d be fortunate not to be insulted.”

“……”

“Even if I had been polite, it wouldn’t leave a good impression. I’d rather play true to my role as a player than listen to offensive words for nothing.”

“Unfortunately, she can’t speak.”

“Does she have to speak to make a point?”

Carlisle pointed to the corner of his eye with his index finger. Michael countered once again.

“Well, it seemed like she just wanted to leave in a hurry… But in the end, didn’t you provoke her first?”

“True. It was just a little prank.”

Having been merely spouting nonsense all this time, Carlisle affirmed with a fresh tone.

Michael, who had stopped following him, let out a deep sigh as if he’d lost all hope.

“What a terrible habit.”

“Oh?”

Carlisle chuckled and looked around inside the Nordvant manor’s main gate, remembering the woman’s face from earlier.

As he recalled that pallid face, his first thoughts were why she was here and her visibly deteriorating complexion.

Until that point, he might have been willing to escort her to the main gate. After all, it’s true that he had to win over Nordvant, as Moyer mentioned before.

Then…

Carlisle unconsciously ran his tongue over his lips.

She was a woman he had seen only a handful of times, and each time, her gaze would carry such a dull, unfeeling look.

She tended to sit in the corner of banquet halls like a doll, her lips sealed tight, observing people with a vacant gaze, her thoughts a mystery to all. That was it.

People who were surrounded by numerous praises, people who misbehaved while intoxicated, people who were involved with raucous disputes at card games, and even people in the midst of the incident where Julien heard rumors and yelled at the Duke.

None of those things created ripples in the deep, purple lakes contained within her eyes.

Looking at those lifeless eyes sometimes brought life to a small spark of curiosity inside him.

Would her eyes look the same once they’re on me?

Ironically, he had never made eye contact with the woman. The esteemed daughter of House Nordvant had never attended any social gatherings. Not like Carlisle himself could not set foot in such places.

At most, all he could do was answer Julien’s summons and soon scuttle away like a rat. Even then, after delivering what the man wanted, he had to retreat into the shadows again.

Only after the war had ended and he had received his title could he enter and leave through the main gates of any establishment or noble mansion without shame. However, that was the time that the woman began to withdraw from social activities.

In the end, there were plenty of other things that occupied his mind and required his attention. The small curiosity he held back then, unable to find an answer, was quickly laid to rest.

Just as immediately that Carlisle recognized the woman, he also quickly sensed that she had recognized him. In an instant, the curiosity that he had forgotten about suddenly emerged anew.

How does she see me?

He unknowingly stared intently, lest he miss anything. In that moment, he could discern several emotions flickering in those eyes.

Confusion, curiosity, wariness.

And, faint disdain.

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