Chapter 81: Wicked Schemes
Adeline turned her attention to the Duke who was standing stiffly across the room. She didn’t miss the dissatisfaction on his face. He clearly didn’t like them being here and Adeline had every intention of using that to her advantage.
Adeline smirked. The Duke noticed her gaze on him and quickly hid his discontentment.
He looked like he was about to say something but Adeline beat him to it.
"Your Grace," she began, her voice light and friendly, "Thank you for receiving us on such short notice. Dimitri and I are looking forward to our stay in this marvelous estate."
As she spoke, she kept her eyes on the Duke, carefully observing every shift in his expression. She ignored the slight fidgeting from Dimitri at her side, knowing he must have been wondering what she was planning.
He knew her well enough to sense that she was up to something, and she was counting on him to play along for now.
"My father, the Western Marquess, suggested that I study etiquette under the guidance of your wife, the Duchess." She turned towards Dimitri and smiled, "She even insisted that I bring my distant cousin here, Dimitri, along with me."
Her eyes quickly darted towards the Duke, she was hoping he took her words as intended.
The Duke’s eyes narrowed slightly as he processed her words, glancing between the two of them. His expression grew thoughtful, and Adeline could almost see the misunderstanding take root.
"So... This young man," he said slowly, gesturing to Dimitri, "Is your cousin, Lady Adeline?"
Adeline smiled brightly as if she hadn’t come up with a devious plan right away, "Yes, Your Grace," she replied smoothly, holding back a mischievous smile.