Third Arc (Fallen Heart) - 22. The Wedding Celebration IV

Lady Belle stepped away from the crowd to an empty fainting couch to take a rest.

'They must be talking about me...' she thought in annoyance. Her hand held on the side of the couch before she sat down carefully. She kept her composure and tried her best to face all of this calmly, yet she couldn't hide her gloomy mood from her face. Especially after she heard the rumours.

Although faint, her ears could catch the noblewomen's conversation when she passed them earlier. No, not only them, but almost all the noblewomen in that room were talking about her, about how pitiful she was, about her failure to become the king's wife and about her wasted love. Even Angel refused to meet her, though she just wanted to say a few things to him yesterday, especially to make sure that this was just a political marriage and Angel did it for his kingdom, nothing more. That was why Rose would only become a concubine, a legal wife status based on contract. But... Why have they blessed their wedding in the blessing hall? Didn't they just need to sign a contract? Why did they have to make an oath to each other? That thought really bothered her.

Lady Belle's eyes swept around her, looking at the bustling hall. Her gaze caught several noblewomen who immediately looked away as soon as she saw them. Some were seen whispering to each other. Their eyes glanced at her in secret with pitying gazes. It made her mood worse. Since she, the daughter of a Duke, the closest woman to the king, yet the other nobles looked at her as if she was the most pathetic being in this world. Or maybe she was the one who thought highly of herself and thought she was a special woman in the king's heart.

No... Not her, but it was the nobles and the public who led her opinion and made her believe that she was a special person for His Majesty, yet now they pitied her for a rumour that didn't come from her.

'Those people... They were the ones who made up the rumours but now they're the ones laughing at me and giving me those condescending looks.' Her hands that were on top of her luxurious dress gripped it and created clear wrinkles there. It was all she could do to swallow her anger without showing it on her face. But slowly the discordant whispers around her were getting clearer in her ears. Likewise with the pitying gazes and cynical smiles from the people around her. Over time, she felt the whole room laughing at her and talking about her.

Nausea took over her stomach and her chest felt tight. Her gaze shifted from one noble group to another, trying to catch their disdainful gazes, but nothing. They just laughed, ate and drank as usual. She realized that what she felt didn't really exist. No one laughed at her, even if they talked about her, it was only passing whispers. After all, with her status, who would dare to laugh at her?

"May I accompany you, My Lady?" A young man's voice came from beside her.

Lady Belle turned to the origin of the voice. A brown-haired man bowed politely to her. One of the legs was slightly flexed backwards. A smile on his lips and his eyes looked at her confidently. Instead of his usual uniform, he wore a formal suit with a few accessories which made his appearance very different today. Lady Belle immediately recognized him as one of Angel's trusted assistants, Cley.

She frowned. Even though Cley was one of Angel's confidants. He hardly ever greeted her at parties like this. After all, that messy assistant looked completely different today.

Lady Bella was just about to ask, but his words were followed by a young woman's voice.

"Do you want some cake, My Lady?"

This time, Lady Belle turned to the woman, Claire, who was wearing matching dress and accessories with Cley, bowed at her slightly. The same smile on her lips. Her hand held out a plate of the finest cake slices with a small fork at the side. Seeing Angel's two trusted assistants suddenly approaches her for no reason, a wild guess crossed Lady Belle's head.

'Did His Majesty send them to tell me this marriage was just a political marriage? And the woman he loves is me?'