Chapter 9: The Ball Begins

In the gossip-loving Kingdom of Lahti, rumors about a noblewoman desiring ‘polyandry’ spread across the land overnight like wildfire.

Ordinary people naturally had no idea who exactly the woman in question was, but honestly, the story itself was simply too entertaining.

Men keeping multiple mistresses was hardly uncommon in this world.

But a young unmarried noblewoman doing the same thing?

Naturally people wondered what the men themselves thought about sharing one woman among so many of them.

“How shameless!”

The noblewomen likely pretended to be outraged on the surface.

Though ultimately, they would forgive anything so long as it remained entertaining.

Although Lady Yuliana had been taken in by the ducal house and had properly made her social debut, she had only ever attended tea parties and gatherings hosted among those close to the ducal family.

As a result, surprisingly few people had actually seen her in person.

However, for those who understood the situation, identifying the noblewoman supposedly longing for polyandry was laughably easy.

The rumors themselves were quite scandalous and could easily develop into a disgrace for the ducal house.

So for the moment, most people merely treated the story as half-believable gossip.

The second son of the ducal house had just gotten married, after all.

The ducal family would certainly attend the royal ball hosted by the royal family together.

And so everyone seemed to think:

Let’s verify things there.

As for me, I fully intended to play the role of the newlywed wife wholeheartedly supporting polyandry at this ball.

My husband’s affections being stolen away by some mysterious woman who had apparently lived with him forever?

Absolutely not.

Allowing others to pity me over that would be utterly unacceptable.

That wouldn’t be entertaining at all.

Lady Yuliana finally arrived escorted by my father- and mother-in-law.

And she looked incredibly happy.

Honestly, her complete inability to notice the sharpness of the surrounding gazes must surely be some sort of natural talent.

Since winters in the Kingdom of Lahti are unbearably long, many people marry during the spring.

Thus, by the time summer arrives, the royal family hosts a grand ball where newlywed couples gather to essentially announce:

‘We are living happily together.’

The event was famous for its abundance of blissful married couples.

At this party, newlyweds traditionally entered wearing one another’s colors.

Yet there was likely no couple here wearing less coordinated colors than us.

Lord Olivier at least wore a hazel-colored neckcloth, but it felt so obviously last-minute that it honestly made me laugh.

Still, seeing my husband again for the first time in twenty-five days…

Well, his face alone was handsome.

Only his face.

And perhaps his physique was impressive too, with his broad build and long legs.

As expected of someone skilled enough to serve as a royal guard, he moved with the smooth, muscular grace of a beast.

But that was all.

Seriously though.

Not gifting me a dress for this party?

His brain must genuinely be empty.

Honestly, it was so ridiculous I could laugh.

“Kastehelmi!”

“Kastehelmi, you came!”

“My goodness!”

My troublesome friends hurried over under the guise of greeting me, then exaggeratedly widened their eyes upon seeing my dress.

Naturally, we had arranged this beforehand, and the three of them performed wonderfully in their own unique ways.

“Kastehelmi…”

“That dress…”

“Isn’t it the one you already wore last year?!”

Lydia whispered that in a tiny voice, carefully ensuring nobody else would hear.

Honestly, she really was a kind girl.

However, standing beside me, Lord Olivier visibly stiffened.

Yes.

This dress had indeed been tailored last year.

I had even already worn it once to another ball.

The wife of Olivier Askam Lautavaara of the ducal house — even if only the second son — and a former royal guard…

Wearing a reused dress from the previous year at such a grand event?

In a kingdom as obsessed with gossip as Lahti, that was practically social suicide.

And then Lady Eveliina of the House of Valkeapa approached me.

The House of Valkeapa, naturally, was the rival ducal house to the Lautavaaras.

“Lady Kastehelmi!”

“My goodness!”

“How dreadful!”

Lady Eveliina exclaimed openly without even attempting to hide her shock, then grasped my hand.

“I understand that the railway project requires enormous funding, but surely this is going too far!”

Well yes, I was wearing a previously worn dress at a major public event.

Naturally the rival House of Valkeapa would never miss the opportunity to attack.

Thank you very much for publicly implying that the House of Lautavaara cannot even afford a proper dress for their new bride!

“Ah!”

“If only I had been born a man!”

“Then I could have taken Lady Kastehelmi as my wife myself!”

“Lady Eveliina, if you say that, then it’s all over!”

“I myself have often wished you had been born a man!”

The House of Valkeapa may have lost the battle over which port the railway would prioritize, but they actually had an appropriately aged child available for marriage.

Granted, it was a daughter.

Since my family belonged to the neutral faction, we could have married into either ducal house.

However, Lady Eveliina’s two older brothers were both over ten years older than her and already married.

And so the arrow ultimately landed on Lord Olivier.

Though honestly, I felt like I had drawn the worst possible lottery ticket.

“Lady Kastehelmi!”

“If you divorce, I shall gladly introduce you to one of the finest men among our retainers at any time!”

At Lady Eveliina’s words, Lord Olivier beside me suddenly moved as though stepping forward.

So I quickly moved first and spoke before he could.

“That won’t be necessary, Lady Eveliina!”

“I no longer care about my own future!”

And thus—

The tragic heroine was born!

“I support Lord Olivier and the others wholeheartedly!”

The important part was ‘the others.’

This was where I openly emphasized my support for polyandry!

Surely future generations would remember me as some noble martyr.

“So Lady Kastehelmi intends to give up having children of her own?”

Lady Kristina, thank you very much for the wonderfully suggestive question!

“It’s alright.”

“That part truly doesn’t matter.”

“No…”

“I can’t believe this!”

Lady Eveliina’s outraged reaction was naturally part of the prepared performance.

I had absolutely no intention of ever sharing a bed with Lord Olivier anyway.

Frankly speaking, the thought disgusted me.

And I certainly had no desire to bear his children.

However, if society later blamed me for that situation, it would become troublesome.

That was precisely why I deliberately declared everything publicly here at the ball.

Lord Olivier, one of the men occupying a ‘husband slot’ in Lady Yuliana’s polyandrous arrangement, was clearly preserving his chastity for the many-hearted Lady Yuliana.

Even though he had married me through what was practically royal command, he would never touch another woman.

After all, he never visited on the wedding night, nor afterward.

Our marriage was already entirely platonic.

And thus, as the bride of the ducal house, I could already foresee endless future pressure from nobles and relatives asking:

‘When will there be children?’

‘When will there be heirs?’

But now, if they asked such things, all I needed to do was act troubled and helpless.

Though honestly, even if Yu— ah, my mistake!

How terribly improper of me as a lady.

Even if Lady Yuliana became pregnant someday, this was polyandry we were talking about!

Naturally nobody would know which man fathered the child.

There would be no way to make such a child the heir to the ducal house.

And of course, people would then likely suggest:

‘Well then, let the decorative wife bear Lord Olivier’s child instead.’

But I fully intended to refuse to the bitter end!

Rumors about our unconsummated marriage were already quietly spreading regardless of attempts to suppress them.

So my plan was simple:

Remain in a platonic marriage until divorce.

Lady Yuliana becomes pregnant.

Nobody knows who the father is.

People demand the decorative wife bear an heir instead.

And at that point—

I intended to cause the greatest possible scandal.

Honestly, at this stage, I was beginning to consider destroying the House of Lautavaara entirely.

“I can’t bear this any longer!”

“Lady Kastehelmi, come with us!”

My dear friend Mariana declared that while pretending to tremble with righteous anger.

I took her hand and prepared to leave together with everyone else.

Lady Yuliana had already arrived anyway.

Surely there was no longer any need for me here.

Go on then.

Continue publicly advocating polyandry and socially destroy yourselves.

That was how I cursed them inwardly while smiling as I reached for Mariana’s hand.

And yet…

For some reason, Lord Olivier refused to release the hand he was escorting.

I had no idea why.

But he absolutely would not let go.