Duke's wife

Chapter 40

It's already been three hours since the party started.

Because of the Crown Prince who did not arrive until then, the party continued in an ambiguous state, neither beginning nor ending.

As a result, the aristocratic wives, who became bored, settled down one by one. They played cards, and enjoyed drinks and food while listening to the songs performed by the minstrels.

There was no longer the prospective Crown Prince, who sat among the piles of gifts in their minds, as they kept staring at the entrance with sharp eyes.

Some young ladies approached Marianne, tried talking to her, and offered food, but only a sharp rejection came back.

It was a time when a party that looked so friendly on the outside, but had an atmosphere of thin ice on the inside, continued. Grace, who was drinking only the water that Sally brought from the corner of the party, slowly looked around.

Now that the women drunk on wine went one by one to the salon in the corner of the party venue, and the rest of the people were absorbed into playing cards and music, it was the perfect time to sneak out.

Grace looked around once more and whispered to Sally, who sat next to her and blinked as if she were bored.

"...Sally."

"Yes, is there anything you want me to do?"

Sally then asked with her eyes shining as if she had been waiting. Grace shook her head and said.

"Sally, let's get out of here. Help me out."

"......What? Helping you? Are you dizzy?"

"No. It's not like that. .......Let's go out first."

Grace looked around and came out of the party with Sally's support.

And Grace, who arrived in front of a corner of the hallway where darkness descended and people couldn't reach, spoke, removing her leaning body from Sally.

"Sally, if anyone asks about my whereabouts tonight, tell them that I was drunk on wine alone and went to the bedroom first."

"...Huh? Oh, okay. I'll do that."

"Then let's change the coat you're wearing with me. Then take some of these and go up to the bedroom first and turn off all the lights in my bedroom. Pretending to be in a deep sleep, drunk on wine."

"What? Where are you going at this late hour?"

"I'm sorry. I have some work to do. I'll explain all the details later. Okay? ....If someone comes looking for me, Sally, please lie on my bed and pretend to be me. Please!"

"Ma-, ma'am!"

"Shh! Sorry! Then please!"

Grace took off all the jewelry and ornaments she was wearing and put on Sally's coat.

And she handed over a request to Sally, who still looked puzzled, bowed her head and quickly passed through the long hallway where darkness fell with a wary face.

It was difficult to rule out the possibility of encountering the people of his father, Duke Alberton, or Duke Alberton himself, in the hallway.

'...It would have been better if the Crown Prince was inside the party and caught their attention.'

But now that it's hard to expect such a situation, there was no other way than to be careful.

Grace bit her lower lip tightly to calm her pounding heart with tension. Then, she quickly ran through the hallway, silencing the sound of her footsteps. And after climbing the stairs of the main building, Grace arrived in front of Duke Alberton's study.