Chapter 2
Chloe’s gaze landed on a small circular table over Alice’s shoulder, a card neatly placed at its center. At the sight of the birch tree seal, she clenched her eyes shut.
The invitation to the Duke’s soirée was strikingly plain, lacking the formal pleasantries one would expect from the nobility. Instead, it simply stated the time and location of the event, along with the name of the invitee. The invitation exuded an air of insufferable confidence, as if the Duke believed no one in the kingdom would dare decline an invitation from House Thisse. The arrogance had irked her.
“He’s probably grown even more cruel…” Chloe muttered.
Alice lifted her head from Chloe’s lap. “What are you talking about?”
“Nothing,” Chloe replied quickly, shaking her head.
“Even without the rumors, I’ve never liked House Thisse.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, after the Duke’s army left the castle in complete disarray, you fell ill, remember? I had just returned home for the holidays, and the castle was in chaos. Father wouldn’t allow anyone near your room because you were so sick.”
Chester believed that Chloe, who had always been delicate, had contracted her illness from the wounded soldiers. Adding to their misfortune, a series of natural disasters that year had reduced crop yields to just a tenth of their usual bounty. That was how the inauspicious connection between the Verdiers and Duke Thisse had begun.
“Isn’t that why you were reluctant to attend the party? Because you thought becoming further involved with House Thisse might bring more trouble?” Alice strained her heavy eyelids to gaze at Chloe before continuing. “Don’t worry, Chloe. I’ll be the epitome of grace and decorum at the party, I promise. And while I’m at it, I’ll find a suitor who can rival the Duke in power and influence.”
Though Chloe was skeptical about the prospects, she could not suppress her smile. “I feel much better knowing you’re here with me, Alice.”
Alice continued to mumble bold declarations, proclaiming that she would astound their aunt with all the suitors calling at the house, until her words gradually faded and she drifted into slumber. Once Chloe was certain that Alice was soundly asleep, she carefully extricated herself from the bed.
A brisk breeze blew in through the slightly open window. Despite it being summer, Chloe was afraid that Alice might catch a chill. She closed the window, then stretched out her legs on a chair and began massaging her sore thighs. Her legs still ached from their long walk earlier. She contemplated calling for a maid to prepare a warm bath but decided against it, not wanting to cause unnecessary fuss.
“I mustn’t be afraid,” she murmured to herself.
Unlike Alice, Chloe had only left Verdier when she was so young that her memories were vague. It was only natural, then, that she had been on edge since two days before they reached Swane, though she tried her best to hide her unease from Alice.
Upon their arrival, their aunt had promptly examined their trunks and, noting their lack of suitable attire, insisted they visit the most renowned dressmakers in the city the following day. “Does your father have any intention of marrying you off?” Lady Talbot had scoffed.
The dress Alice had worn the previous year was still in pristine condition, but their aunt had dismissed it as hopelessly out of fashion. Thus, they had visited five different dressmakers in search of a suitable gown, eventually settling on one that had been custom-made for a young noblewoman who had fallen ill and could no longer attend the party. It had cost a small fortune.
“You may not be dancing, but since you will be accompanying Alice, you must at least look the part,” Aunt Talbot had insisted.
Chloe was initially hesitant to spend money on a dress, especially since she would not be dancing. However, she was persuaded by her aunt’s reminder that showing up in shabby attire would not only be a breach of etiquette to the host but also a disgrace to Alice. As she withdrew the gold coins from her purse, she tried to conceal the trembling of her hands.
“Now I see why your father sent you two here without an escort. He must be on the brink of financial ruin, so much so that even the cost of travel was a burden.”
Nothing escaped Lady Talbot’s discerning gaze. The Verdier estate had been plagued by an unrelenting series of natural disasters and crop failures. To add to their woes, the Viscount’s ill-fated investments had led to substantial losses. While Chloe was aware of these facts, she had believed that they could manage by tightening their belts. The true extent of her father’s hidden debts only came to light after the Duke’s invitation arrived.
“I should be grateful, shouldn’t I?” Chloe sighed as she stared at the invitation she had tried so hard to ignore. She remembered how Lady Talbot’s face had lit up when they arrived, having heard the news of their invitation. Over the past two days, Chloe had endured her aunt’s constant reminders of their good fortune in being invited to the Duke’s ball at Castle Rose.
Of course, Chloe had no intention of denying this fact. The Duke extending an invitation to a humble, penniless viscount who ruled over a small estate in the southwest of the kingdom was a benevolent gesture, a repayment for the hospitality they had shown him during the war.
Whether the Duke was aware of the incident Alice had been involved in the previous year remained unclear. However, the mere fact of their invitation was sure to enhance Alice’s reputation. Once word spread of her association with the Duke, it was bound to pique the interest of many nobles, greatly increasing the likelihood of Alice finding a suitable match at the party.
Chloe, however, was anxious. Instead of refreshing her, the scent of roses carried on the summer winds of Swane left her with a lingering sense of unease. She shut the window with a loud clack and locked it before turning around.
“Let me examine your leg. Is it hereditary?”
Her cane, which had been resting against the wall, clattered to the floor. Chloe bit her lip as she watched it roll away. Despite the passage of time, his frosty voice still echoed in her head.
“Allowing emotions to dictate your strategies will only lead to defeat, as will permitting your feelings to lead you into insubordination.”
“I am not a soldier, Your Grace. I do not fight wars.”
Chloe staggered to her feet. The Duke approached, his boots crushing the fallen petals from the basket of flowers she had dropped. He stooped to meet her gaze.
“Life itself is war. Especially for someone like you.”
“That may be, but that is still no reason for you to pry into my life.”
“Pry? I only wished to offer you advice. Your refusal to thank me tells me I’ve struck a nerve.”
The young Duke smirked at Chloe, who was staring back at him wide-eyed, struggling to hold back tears. His smile was exquisite, as if crafted by the gods themselves, but it was a cold beauty that she hoped never to encounter again. In that moment, Chloe came to understand what it meant to believe that the devil is beautiful.
Part 2. A Wintry Encounter
Three years earlier, the modest estate situated in the southwestern reaches of the kingdom had experienced a sudden flurry of activity. This was due to the arrival of the Royal Third Army, which had retreated from the war to regroup. Viscount Verdier, the lord of a small castle, had gladly opened the gates to welcome the soldiers and their commanders.
The soldiers, worn down by a war that had drawn on longer than anticipated, were on edge due to the series of setbacks they had suffered. The moans of the wounded echoed throughout the castle, and even the uninjured soldiers roamed about with half-crazed expressions, intimidating anyone who crossed their path. Castle Verdier was converted into a makeshift hospital and barracks, with the Viscount offering the soldiers all the sustenance and supplies he could provide.
The Viscount had two daughters. The younger one, Alice, was away studying at a convent in Swane, the capital. Chloe, the elder daughter, had been confined to the castle since childhood due to a physical disability. Now, she volunteered to aid her father in tending to the wounded.
Observing how she never shied away from dirty work, the injured soldiers often mistook her for a servant and made cruel remarks. When one of them referred to her as a cripple, Gilles, a servant assisting Chloe, seized him by the collar.
“Don’t, Gilles,” she said. “It’s not as though their words are entirely untrue.”
Her decision to intervene was not solely due to her understanding that the soldiers were on edge due to their physical discomfort. Her late mother had always taught her that the nobility had a duty to aid the destitute and the infirm. Raised with the virtues of a noble lady from a young age, she had mastered the ability to maintain her composure.
“Chloe, perhaps you should leave the wounded in the care of the servants,” her father suggested, his voice filled with concern.
Chloe agreed to his proposal, deeply pained by the sight of his distress each time he overheard the soldiers’ callous comments.
The army stayed at the castle for approximately a fortnight. In the last five days of their visit, Chloe remained in her bedchamber, engrossed in her books. It was difficult to concentrate, however, as the clamor of bustling soldiers outside was inescapable. Occasionally, their lewd jests or crude remarks about the enemy would drift into her room, causing her cheeks to flush. To drown out the noise, she drew the curtains and played the piano.
The night of her first encounter with Duke Thisse was unusually quiet. Normally, the barracks would be filled with the soldiers’ raucous laughter and banter until the fires they lit to ward off the night chill had completely burned out. Yet, on that day, an odd silence had fallen upon the soldiers since midday.
“Attention!”
As the sharp command sliced through the silence, Chloe, who had been reading by the window, looked up. Peeking out from behind her curtain, she spotted a figure emerging from the torchlit garden behind the castle.