Now This Family Belongs to My Mother Chapter 64

“Waiting… for someone…?” Maddux muttered blankly, his face soon twisting into a scowl. “Don’t tell me there’s another man? For a young lady to do something without telling the adults…!” He looked like he had found a perfect opportunity to make a fuss.

 

It was then.

 

“Sorry for being late, Epirosa!”

 

Someone approached us.

 

I turned to Maddux with a bright smile. “It’s alright. You came at just the right time, Marchioness Gent!”

 

Maddux stared at me with a look of disbelief, as if doubting his own ears. But when he saw Marchioness Gent standing beside me, he finally grasped the situation.

 

“Introduce yourself, Lord Maddux. This is Marchioness Gent, who will be my chaperone today.”

 

“Chaperone? I wasn’t informed about this…”

 

Marchioness Gent frowned as she watched Maddux mumbling stupidly to himself. “Who is this young man? I’ve never seen him before.”

 

“He’s Lord Maddux, a friend of Brother Nicholas.”

 

“Was he invited to the banquet?”

 

“Yes, that’s what I heard.”

 

“Then he should hurry along. What is he doing, standing around like this?” Marchioness Gent spoke curtly.

 

“B-But I was supposed to escort Lady Epirosa! But then Marchioness suddenly arrived, and, uh, I, I’m confused…” Maddux stammered, his words all over the place.

 

“I’m Epirosa’s chaperone today. You can enjoy the banquet on your own.” Marchioness Gent declared firmly.

 

“T-Then what about me…?”

 

“Does Epirosa have to take care of a grown man too? Handle it yourself.” Marchioness Gent clicked her tongue in disapproval. Then, turning to me, she smiled as if she were a completely different person. “Epirosa, I brought the marquisate’s carriage. Let’s ride together to the imperial palace. His Majesty is looking forward to us arriving together.”

 

At the mention of ‘His Majesty,’ Maddux’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out of his head.

 

“Yes, Marchioness.”

 

Marchioness Gent extended her hand to me. Without hesitation, I took it. Once inside the carriage, she shook her head in exasperation.

 

“Did they really try to make him your escort partner? Gale is truly useless.” She went on. “No wonder you secretly asked me to come. If I hadn’t agreed to be your chaperone in advance, who knows what kind of schemes those people would have come up with.”

 

Just as Marchioness Gent said, I had indeed made a request to her.

 

[Please be my chaperone for this imperial palace banquet.]

 

As soon as I sent the letter, her reply came back as if she had been waiting for it.

 

[I was actually planning to ask if I could be your chaperone. I’m glad we were thinking the same thing.]

 

I had one more favor to ask of Marchioness Gent. It was to come quietly on the day of the banquet without informing the Blanche family. This was to prevent the Gale family from interfering. Thanks to her, the Gale family’s plan to pair me with Maddux was completely shattered.

 

I bit my lip as I watched Stella approach Maddux. Stella, who seemed furious, had Maddux flustered and at a loss for words. It was only when Violet made her entrance that Stella left her spot to greet her.

 

Maddux let out a sigh of relief. But immediately after, Nicholas approached, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him off somewhere.

 

Serves you right.

 

As I turned my head, I suddenly felt a gaze directed at me. When I found the owner of that gaze, I was taken aback. Claude?

 

Even though he was caught staring at me, he didn’t look away. Instead, he smiled as if he was satisfied with something.

 

What is this about? I couldn’t think of any reason why he would look at me with such satisfaction. Even when I tried to turn my attention back to the conversation between the emperor and Marchioness Gent, that question lingered in my mind. Just then, the emperor’s voice came from above my head.

 

“Oh, Duke Clementi!”

 

I doubted my ears and looked up. Claude had somehow approached right in front of me. Seeing me startled, he winked.

 

“Is the duke the only one Your Majesty sees?”

 

At that moment, a sweet, lilting voice came from beside me. It was Violet. Only then did I grasp the situation.

 

Violet had brought her son over to the emperor. Stella was trailing behind them, toddling along. Meanwhile, Marchioness Gent frowned as soon as she saw Violet.

 

“So Marchioness Gent is here too. I was worried you wouldn’t come.”

 

Even in front of the visibly displeased marchioness, Violet remained shameless.

 

Violet is trying to say that even when you stand next to the emperor, you’re still lacking presence.

 

“Duchess Clementi, Marchioness Gent has been with me the entire time,” the emperor spoke as if he was unaware of the subtle tension between the two.

 

Though, of course, he’s just pretending not to notice. As someone with absolute power, he didn’t need to concern himself with such trivial matters. He treated Marchioness Gent well, but that didn’t mean he was willing to give up his concubine or their illegitimate child. That was the extent of the emperor’s guilt.

 

At that moment, Stella, who had been watching the situation carefully, quickly interjected. “Duchess Clementi, it’s not just Marchioness Gent here. Epirosa is here too.”

 

“Oh my, I didn’t realize.” Violet, fully aware, feigned ignorance and responded to Stella.

 

The emperor let out a hearty laugh, which was completely out of place in the atmosphere. “Duchess Clementi, you really need to pay more attention to others.”

 

“I’m sorry. But for me, there’s only Your Majesty.” Violet burst into a fit of laughter.

 

The emperor was about to join in when—Suddenly, Marchioness Gent laughed loudly. Her excessive laughter drew the attention of everyone around them. Sensing that something was off, Violet’s expression hardened.

 

“What is so amusing that you laugh so much?” The emperor asked Marchioness Gent.

 

“Because I find the duchess, who still acts like a little girl, just so adorable.”

 

“Duchess Clementi adorable?”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty. To truly excel in society, one must have the ability to treat others with equal respect and consideration. But the duchess is still clumsy, like a young girl. Isn’t that just so charming?”

 

Violet glared at Marchioness Gent. However, Marchioness Gent simply laughed heartily. The emperor, who had been glancing back and forth between the two, chose to follow the marchioness’s lead and laughed as well.

 

“The duchess is indeed quite adorable.”

 

When the emperor smiled at her as he spoke, Violet forced a smile in return. But she couldn’t hide the tension tightening her jaw.

 

An odd sense of tension filled the air.

 

“But Epirosa.”

 

The one to break the silence was, surprisingly, Stella.

 

“Where’s your escort partner? Maddux must be waiting. It’s not polite to leave your partner alone.” Stella wore an innocent expression, as if she knew nothing. Even though she had already heard everything from Maddux.

 

Sensing an opportunity, Violet chimed in. “Surely Marchioness Gent didn’t dismiss Lady Epirosa’s partner, right?”

 

Marchioness Gent shot a cold glare at Violet. But Violet, unfazed, raised the corners of her lips and continued. “An escort partner is usually chosen by the elders of the family. You’re not the type to meddle in the affairs of other families so thoughtlessly, are you?”

 

“Of course not, Duchess. An escort partner is practically an unspoken fiancé, after all.” Stella’s eyes gleamed wickedly as she looked at me. “Isn’t that right, Epirosa? You’ll be enjoying this banquet with your partner, Maddux, right?”

 

I could feel the weight of their gazes pressing down on me. The attention that had been focused on the tense exchange between Marchioness Gent and Violet now shifted to me.

 

An escort partner, chosen by the family elders, was essentially a future fiancé. Though there were more differing opinions on the matter these days, it was still a deeply rooted traditional belief. But could a young lady who hasn’t even debuted in society challenge that tradition head-on? If I openly defy tradition, a lot of people will start thinking poorly of me.

 

Stella would benefit no matter how I responded. If I rejected Maddux, my image would take a hit. If I didn’t reject Maddux, I’d end up being that pathetic guy’s woman.

 

You thought this through, Stella. I smirked. At that unexpected reaction, a crack appeared in Stella’s smile.

 

I shifted my gaze to Claude, who was standing slightly ahead of her. For some reason, his expression was a bit dark. Looking at him, I parted my lips. “Then, is Stella being the future fiancée of Duke Clementi?”