I Seducing the Black-Hearted Duke Wasn't Me - Chapter 27

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 27
“That’s odd. I thought you had no outside engagements today.”
“W-what are you suddenly talking about?”
“Well, you’ve been checking the time constantly since earlier.”
Lora. Her intuition was absolutely uncanny.
“Surely it’s not a date…….”
“A date. Yeah.”
“Ah, yes. As I thought…… wait, what?!”
Ah, I should’ve just kept my mouth shut.
Since she’d find out anyway the moment I left, I figured honesty was the better approach.
Lora’s eyes went wide as saucers.
But only for a moment. Her face soon clouded with confusion.
“Well…… I hate to ask, but who is it, if I may…….”
“Who else would it be? It’s obvious.”
At the implication that there was only one person it could be, Lora visibly relaxed.
Wait—she didn’t think I was seeing some other man, did she?
‘Things are already messy enough with Valentine Youngsik’s fraud scheme. If I’m seen spending time with another man, it’ll just fan the flames all over again.’
In that sense, today’s date might actually be a blessing.
‘Besides, I need to hear the full story myself.’
“In any case, I’ve already arranged everything. I moved up my afternoon schedule so it’s all done.”
“Goodness, and here you are, spending intimate time with your fiancé—work is work! Surely you can push the rest aside~”
Lora laughed like a gossipy matron, her whole face beaming.
Well, well. She’s certainly more excited now that she knows it’s Leon Obsidian.
“Then I’ll let the head chef know you’ll be taking lunch out…… wait! Surely you’re not planning to go in that outfit?”
At those words, I glanced down at myself.
As always, I was dressed in a simple dress—the kind I usually wore when conducting business outside.
Though admittedly, the color was rather dull now, and it lacked all the frills and trinkets it once had. The design was utterly basic and plain, if that was a fault at all.
“Absolutely not. Come here! A date with the Grand Duke in that state of dress? As head maid of Jaheret, I simply cannot allow it!”
“But I’m telling you, I don’t mind—”
“You do mind! This is a matter of our house’s honor!”
All this fuss over one dress.
“The dresses you brought back in such quantities—finally they’ll see their purpose!”
Good heavens.
One of the things the foreigner had done during that week when I’d lost consciousness: “raided an entire wardrobe.”
I couldn’t even bring myself to peek inside the dress room after that day—I’d kept the door firmly shut and averted my eyes.
“Now then, my lady. Today, you and I are finally opening that door!”
Oh no. I really didn’t want to set foot in there.
* * *
“My goodness. That was all a lie? How could she tell such a lie! So you really did lose your ring after all?”
“Exactly! Someone picked it up and pawned it, and Valentine Youngsik bought it at the pawnshop. Then she had the nerve to run this whole scheme, claiming the Duke had proposed to her!”
“Oh my. Oh my.”
Everyone gathered in the Tea Salon wore grave expressions as they gossiped.
Today’s topic was, without question, Valentine Youngsik’s fraud scheme.
“Wait, but what about Oscar? The Countess appeared at the charity gala and spoke of becoming family, of her sister’s betrayal…….”
“True. So the Countess was in on it the whole time, wasn’t she?”
“Indeed. The Countess is currently under investigation for being complicit in the fraud——”
Of course she is.
People’s interest, as always, gravitated toward what caused the greatest impact.
More scandalous than Valentine Youngsik’s already-tarnished downfall was the fall of Oscar the Countess—once held as the paragon and exemplar of noble ladies.
They couldn’t believe someone with such a demure face could orchestrate such a scheme, and tongues wagged freely.
“I’ve heard rumors that the Countess harbored considerable inferiority toward you. Revelations keep surfacing.”
“I saw it too. Back at the Academy, they say the Countess incited bullying against you? How could she do such things with that face of hers…….”
Before long, the rumors had traced backward through time, dragging up old transgressions.
‘And they have no idea the subject of their gossip is sitting right here nearby.’
With a wry smile, I took a sip of tea.
The corner seat where I sat wasn’t easily visible if one didn’t pay close attention, but surely people would notice someone was there.
Given my appearance, however, no one seemed to have identified me.
‘Well, it is quite different from my usual look.’
I sighed quietly to myself and examined my outfit again.
What had seemed light and comfortable when I’d left my seat had certainly transformed.
To anyone’s eye, I looked like a typical aristocratic young lady out for an outing.
The billowing white chemise dress and wide-brimmed hat saw to that, rather than any sharp-cut coat.
Large wave-patterned lace ran from my shoulders down to my chest, tickling my skin, while crimson ribbons were knotted at my narrow waist and elbows.
And why did the sleeves have to hang so loosely? If I picked up a fountain pen like this, I’d certainly end up with ink stains all over them.
In short, a thoroughly impractical outfit.
An outfit I was enduring right now.
All to meet Leon Obsidian.
“This feels like I’m wasting my time…”
There was something almost amusing about sitting here dressed like this.
That was when I was lost in self-mockery.
Ding.
The clear ring of a doorbell sounded, and the shop erupted in an instant.
I could tell who’d arrived without even looking, judging by the atmosphere alone. I drew a deep breath.
And sure enough.
“My goodness, I’m not seeing things, am I? Aren’t you the Grand Duke?”
“In heaven’s name! It really is Duke Bernstein. What brings the Duke all the way here?”
“Oh, it matters not. To think the day has come when I behold him in person…!”
The guests in the salon held their breath and began hurling compliments.
Some among them even found themselves gasping for air, overcome with excitement.
He strode in with practiced ease, as though their stares were nothing new, his eyes sweeping the room—until his gaze landed sharply on the corner where I sat.
Then came a radiant smile.
Like a great hound swishing its tail, he bounded toward me—only to stop short just before me.
His lake-blue eyes grew even wider.
“Erna.”
……
“Are you unwell?”
“My head’s starting to ache, so sit down and spare me any nonsense.”
First, I wiped that peculiar smile from his face.
* * *
“What’s the occasion? Why did you go to all this trouble?”
“Stop pestering me. This is all Lora’s doing. When I said I was going to meet you, she got so excited she just had to dress me up.”
His remark—suggesting that anyone watching would think he was the one going on a date—only made Leon laugh brighter.
The man’s face shone even without moving, and that cool smile made him all the more dazzling.
What is this? I seem to like him even more today.
“So this is your taste, then?”
“No, not quite. But the fact that you’re putting up with such ‘uncomfortable’ things for my sake—that makes me happy.”
So he enjoys my suffering.
“Still, next time you don’t need to do this much. Frankly, I’d be happy to see you in a frock coat or a poet shirt just the same.”
He offered what he clearly thought was a reassuring answer—that clothes didn’t matter.
Well, that does make me feel better about this uncomfortable getup.
So then.
“Let’s get to the matter at hand.”
“Just like that? You do realize today is our date, don’t you?”
“I do. Look around. The whole salon’s in an uproar because of it.”
I gestured to the side, noting how someone’s theatrical entrance had set the place ablaze with excitement.
Just as I said, the ladies clustered in small groups had enormous hearts floating in their eyes at Leon Obsidian’s sudden appearance.
Some were even shocked to notice me at all.
“My, is that the Marquess Jaheret? I had no idea.”
“Neither did I. Still, once you dress her up like that, she’s rather…”
I’d rather not hear their assessment. After all, any woman pales in comparison to the man standing before me.
I lowered my voice and asked.
“How exactly did you get the ring back? Ah, I’ve already gone through the news articles, so skip the parts everyone knows.”
The ring, supposedly evidence of a proposal, turned out to be lost property. And it was confirmed that this report had actually been filed with the Security Authority quite some time ago.
But there was a problem with that.
“I never filed any such report.”
Yes. That was it.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————