I’m Not the One Who Seduced the Grand Duke Chapter 23

The upscale social club in the bustling heart of the capital.

Under the dim lantern light, the edges of dark blue velvet curtains draped down, enclosing a secretive space.

Inside, aristocratic men of all ages had gathered, from dignified noblemen to young masters who had only just entered high society.

Elegant on the outside, but inside, it was an exclusive social scene for men alone, where alcohol and gambling ran rampant.

“Have you heard the rumor? Apparently, Young Master Valentine received a marriage proposal from the Marquess of Zaherette.”

“What? Wasn’t that already called off? The Marquess is currently in a relationship with the Grand Duke.”

The men gathered around a poker table exchanged words in low voices as they exhaled cigar smoke.

“Well, apparently, he’s been wearing the head-of-house ring around lately.”

“Considering he even gave an interview about it, he clearly has no intention of giving up on the Marquess. Or perhaps he’s planning to squeeze a hefty amount of compensation out of her while he’s at it.”

The men clicked their tongues.

“By the way, is it really true that the Marquess proposed to him by giving him the head-of-house ring? I can’t bring myself to trust anything those Valentines say.”

“True. And I hear the youngest son of that family is practically a black sheep. His reputation isn’t exactly good either…… Ah, speaking of the devil. The man at the center of the rumors has arrived.”

The gentlemen all looked in one direction.

Far away, a group of young masters were crowded around a table.

And at the center of them was one particular man.

“Oh, I’m telling you, it’s true! Erna Zaherette gave me this ring and said—bam! Whew. You should’ve seen it yourselves!”

“Hey, I guess it really is true. This is definitely the Zaherette signet ring, isn’t it?”

“Have you ever seen me lie? I’m telling you, it’s true. Have you all been living under a rock?”

Gerold was surrounded by his companions, putting on airs to his heart’s content.

On his finger was a ring set with a ruby the size of a thumbnail, its red glow gleaming beneath delicate engravings of a family crest.

It was none other than the heirloom of House Zaherette.

“Hey! You see those eighteen-year-old whiskies on display over there? Bring out all of them. I’m in a good mood today, so drinks are on me!”

“Wow, he really is generous. Well, considering the wealth of the Marquess’s family, this is probably nothing.”

Flattery from acquaintances and attention from strangers.

Intoxicated by the attention he was receiving for the first time in his life, Gerold laughed smugly and continued to show off.

Some people clicked their tongues and frowned at how distasteful he was being, but what could they do about it?

‘Hmph. Once I marry into the Marquess’s family, these bastards will be crawling at my feet anyway.’

Gerold was already holding his head high as though he had become someone important.

It was then.

“Whoa, wait. Look over there. Why is that person here……?”

Suddenly, a commotion arose near the entrance, and at the appearance of someone, silence fell over the club.

Everyone’s gaze turned in the same direction.

Standing before them was a beautiful man who seemed completely out of place among the people who had come here for a night of indulgence.

Brilliant blond hair that gleamed as though it held sunlight even in the darkness, and a posture without a single flaw.

The most incongruous presence in the entire place.

A man who looked like a living statue!

“The Grand Duke of Bernstein? Why is the Grand Duke here?”

“My goodness!”

The appearance of such a famous figure caused the room to stir.

Everyone gathered here belonged to distinguished noble families, but Bernstein was on an entirely different level.

Overwhelmed by the aura emanating from him, people hovered around uncertainly.

Everyone except one man.

‘Well, well. What perfect timing!’

Gerold grinned and rose from his seat.

“Well, well. Who might this be? To meet our noble commander of the Holy Knights in a place like this. The world really has changed.”

“…….”

“Ah, come to think of it, you’re no longer a priest, are you? Haha. My apologies. I tend to forget things like that from time to time.”

Gerold approached Leon, speaking in a deliberately mocking tone. Then he even pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down.

The club, which had been filled with the lively atmosphere of a party, instantly became tense.

“You must be Young Master Valentine. I’ve heard quite a lot about you.”

“Really? Haha. I’m honored that the Grand Duke has heard of me. I do hope they were good rumors, though.”

“Well, I suppose you can tell for yourself if you consider your usual conduct.”

“…….”

At Leon’s words, the relaxed smile disappeared from Gerold’s face.

‘What? Why is he acting so confident? Could it be that he hasn’t heard the rumors?’

Gerold gave a thin smile.

“My reputation must be worse than I thought. You see, I’m actually the sort of person who can’t stand injustice, despite how I may appear. Because of that, I often end up getting dragged into unnecessary fights.”

He shamelessly added that was probably the reason.

“Still, I suppose that’s better than going around spreading disgraceful rumors about a woman who already belongs to someone else, isn’t it?”

As he said this, Gerold deliberately placed his hand on the table.

Leon’s gaze naturally fell to the red ring on his finger.

A moment of silence.

‘He recognized it. Of course. Even the Grand Duke can’t do anything about this, can he? The evidence is sitting right in front of him.’

Excited, Gerold flared his nostrils and nervously bounced one leg.

It was a rather undignified sight, but he didn’t seem to notice.

His sense of superiority came from the belief that the woman the Grand Duke had set his sights on belonged to him.

Gerold was intoxicated by the feeling that he had somehow risen above the Grand Duke.

“Hah.”

Of course, that didn’t last long.

Did he just laugh?

And not just laugh, either.

It was an unmistakable sneer, causing Gerold’s brow to furrow.

“Ah, come to think of it, I heard about it. Apparently, the Grand Duke has been very interested in my fiancée lately.”

“…….”

“I’m sorry, but I’d like you to stop now. No matter who you are, coveting a woman who already has a fiancé…… I’m worried it might tarnish the reputation of the Imperial Family.”

“…….”

“But please don’t be too disappointed. Aren’t you known as the most beautiful man in Orden, Your Grace? I’m sure you’ll be able to find a woman even more beautiful than Erna. Haha!”

Gerold encouraged him with an air of great condescension.

Yet the Grand Duke’s expression remained unmoved.

At the blue gaze that regarded him as though he were some fascinating creature, Gerold bit his lip.

What was this?

Surely the Grand Duke was supposed to be the one without any room to spare.

There was absolutely no reason for him to be losing.

And yet, for some reason, he felt strangely anxious.

“Gerold Valentine.”

“W-What?”

“Are you saying that the ring you are wearing right now is the heirloom of House Zaherette?”

“Ah, yes. Indeed. Well, you recognized it rather quickly.”

At Leon’s interest, Gerold promptly answered with another smug grin.

Of course. He’s pretending not to care, but deep down, he must be scared!

“Erna gave this to me when she proposed. She even kissed the back of my hand. The look in her eyes as she gazed at me was so affectionate……”

“…….”

“I kissed her as well and swore that we would be together for the rest of our lives. Of course, it was merely a private vow between the two of us, without any official notarization or witnesses.”

“If that is true…… this has become rather troublesome.”

There!

Leon let out a small sigh and murmured gravely.

Gerold’s lips curled upward again.

Yes. Give up just like that.

Hand Erna Zaherette over to me.

‘Then I’ll marry that woman, take over the Marquess’s family, and tell this story for the rest of my life.’

He was so excited about his future that he felt like he could go crazy.

He was grinning to himself as he spread the wings of his imagination when……

“Excuse us.”

The club doors opened, and a group of people in neat uniforms poured inside.

They were knights from the city guard.

“What’s the city guard doing here? This isn’t an illegal establishment!”

“We’re not here for an inspection, so please don’t worry. We received a report that Gerold Valentine is here, but…… Ah, there he is.”

“W-What? Why is the city guard looking for me?”

The club erupted into a commotion at the sudden turn of events.

Before long, everyone was holding their breath, eagerly anticipating how this story would unfold.

“Gerold Valentine, you are under arrest on suspicion of theft.”

“What, what? Theft?! What are you talking about? I’ve never stolen anything!”

“Take him out immediately!”

At the city guard captain’s command, the officers quickly subdued Gerold.

“You bastards have gone crazy! Let me go right now! You’re arresting an innocent man for no reason! And what, theft? Do I look insane?!”

“Indeed. Why would this fellow need to steal someone else’s belongings…… Something must be wrong.”

“But a report was definitely filed. As clearly stated in this report—”

The city guard captain held the arrest warrant up directly in front of Gerold’s eyes and said,

“We received a report that the signet ring, an heirloom of House Zaherette, had gone missing. It was subsequently confirmed that the Young Master was in possession of the item. Accordingly, you are being arrested on suspicion of stealing an heirloom belonging to the Marquess’s family.”