Chapter 14 Chapter 14 "Wait and see for yourself at tonight's banquet..."

With a "clang", the teacup broke into pieces.

Edmund's eyes were red and he angrily smashed everything in his sight.

Money and dignity were shattered at the same time.

Louisa sat by the side, dressing, looking relaxed. She even asked the maid to wait a moment, as if she was not surprised by the scene before her.

The anger gradually dissipated, and the reflection of the silent and depressed man was in the dressing mirror. Louisa tried on the earrings while motioning the maid to leave.

"Ed, I've said countless times that anger doesn't solve anything."

"But it gives me a momentary pleasure." Edmund laughed at himself.

"Oh, don't be so, dear." Louisa's voice softened and she came forward to hug Edmund. "It's just a lost hunt."

"But I want to defeat Hein! Even just once!" Edmund's eyes burned with anger, and his fists clenched. "I hate him! I hate him so much that I want to tear him apart!"

"Don't be impatient, Ed." Louisa stroked his face and soothed him softly, "Victory won by force can only maintain temporary glory. Only when you inherit the title will the entire Chalvis and even the Principality of Ceylon pay tribute to you."

"Thank you for your comfort, my dear." Edmund kissed the back of her hand, his eyes filled with guilt. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lost my composure in front of you. If that incident hadn't happened, you should have married Hein and become a legitimate duchess, instead of following me down this wrong path."

"No, no! Ed." Louisa hugged him and they shared a long kiss. "I never regret marrying you."

The couple was affectionate for a moment, and suddenly remembered their biggest worry.

"Speaking of which, this Miss Norman is a bit beyond my expectations." Louisa seemed to be thinking. "At first, it was Sir Jarvis who said that the Norman family's daughter was dull and stupid and made a fool of herself at the Earl of Claren's social ball. Now it seems that she is not completely useless."

"More than that?" Edmund sneered. "That loser Andrew told me that all the betrothal gifts brought from the Duke's Mansion were kept by this girl."

"It seems we were careless." Louisa said slowly, "If I hadn't seen her humble background, I would never have given her the opportunity to set foot in Chalveys."

"It's not too late to make amends now." He paused, a sinister flash in his eyes, and hugged Louisa softly, "Do you remember how the four unlucky fiancées disappeared?"

"No, not yet."

Edmund stared into his wife's eyes: "What do you want to do?"

"She's just the daughter of a ruined baron. There are plenty of opportunities for her to embarrass herself." Louisa chuckled, her eyes flickering slightly. "As long as Grandmother doesn't trust her, the stewardship will remain in my hands. We will still be the uncrowned kings of Chalveys."

Edmund raised an eyebrow: "Have you already started?"

Louisa spun around in front of the full-length mirror, waving her fan gracefully.

"Wait and see what's to come at the banquet tonight."

-

At the same time.

"Thanks."

Isabel took the dress and accessories from the maid.

Emily followed upstairs, dismissed the maid, and helped Isabel change her clothes.

She did not act immediately, but put her knowledge into practice and checked it carefully first.

Isabel showed appreciation: "You learn quickly, Emily."

Emily smirked and became more attentive, even sniffing like a hound.

"This is queer!" murmured Emily. "I thought there would be some nettles or some dizzy stuff hidden in it, but there's nothing!"

Isabel looked at the gorgeous silk dress on the hanger, thoughtfully.

"Are we being too suspicious?" Emily wondered.

Isabel casually picked up the folding fan on the tray and waved it gently, chuckling, "Such a perfect opportunity, how could she miss it? If it were me, I would definitely only tamper with my personal belongings, otherwise it would be easy to hurt others. So... what is it?"

Clothes? Shoes? Jewelry?

Ice-blue eyes glided across the light.

Suddenly, I smelled a faint fragrance at the tip of my nose.

If you don't smell it carefully, you really can't detect it because it blends into the ordinary fragrance, covering up its own special taste.

Isabel paused, then slowly lowered her eyes to look at the fan in her hand.

-

The dinner is about to begin.

The main castle of Chalves is magnificent. On the dome of the hall, the murals from a hundred years ago are still exquisite, and the weight of history and the luxury of the nobility are overwhelming.

The servants wore uniforms and moved silently and in an orderly manner.

The long marble dining table was adorned with a riot of roses and hydrangeas, interspersed with intricate crystal candlesticks. A seasoned Ceylonese butler arranged the silverware according to aristocratic etiquette: centering the plate, with the fork on the left and the knife on the right, blades facing inward and tines pointing upward. Dessert spoons were to be placed horizontally, handles facing right. All guests were to follow this protocol.

If a barbarian accidentally enters the heavenly palace, he can be identified by his dining etiquette.

Strangely, no one ever questioned why they used a ruler to measure the distance between the cutlery to within a few centimeters. It seemed as if the more precise the number, the more unshakable their status in the aristocratic circle.

This forces everyone to use all their skills to deal with the simple task of eating.

At seven o'clock sharp, guests arrived one after another.

Violet changed into a dark gold evening gown with a matching silk shawl.

Heinrich changed his unruly afternoon attire and donned a formal black suit, a silver-chained pocket watch dangling from his chest, and an ebony cane in hand. He looked regal and imposing, a true duke.

The grandfather and grandson met in the hall. Heinrich bent his arm in greeting, and Violet took it. She raised an eyebrow as they walked, saying, "I hope your fiancée behaves well tonight. This is her first time attending a Charvis dinner, even though there aren't many people."

As he spoke, Heinrich looked up and happened to see Isabel slowly coming down the stairs.

Different from the low-key blue outfit she wore during the day, the light yellow crinoline dress brought by the maid had an intricate and delicate pattern, with lace and embroidery blending perfectly, making Isabel look radiant.

"Oh," Violet exclaimed calmly, "it looks good."

"Average." Heinrich commented indifferently.

But his eyes were fixed on the woman who was gradually approaching, and he did not look away until the ice-blue eyes looked at him.

"Lady Violet."

Isabel nodded to Violet, not caring about the Duke's comments. At this moment, she looked at Louisa, who had just entered, without noticing. And she did the same.

Across the crowd of guests, the two made eye contact and smiled at each other.

When Louisa saw Isabel covering her face with the folding fan, her smile became more sincere.

Soon, the guests began to take their seats.

To Isabelle's left was Heinrich, and to her right was Count Vincent, whom she had met during the day.

"Good evening, Miss Norman." Vincent winked playfully. "I'm afraid my head will be stiff on the left side tonight. I hope Hein doesn't mind."

Isabel smiled. "Anyone would be delighted by your humorous compliments. I think the Duke would be pleased to see his fiancée looking glamorous and popular."

Vincent was amused: "To be honest, you are slightly different from the rumors."

The servants began to serve the food, and the lively conversation continued.

Normally, neighbors would chat all night long as a courtesy. Fortunately, Heinrich was next door, so Isabelle didn't have to worry about him; she only had to deal with Vincent.

"Really? Suddenly you realize that country girls from Lawson County are quite decent?" Isabel chatted and laughed while paying attention to the food brought in by the servants.

Servant: "I'll hold the almond butter tart, you can help yourself."

"Thank you," Isabel said, raising her knife and fork.

At the same time, several vague gazes were fixed on her, as if trying to determine whether the knife and fork had slid across the plate and made a harsh sound.

Isabel seemed oblivious and continued to eat naturally, chatting with Vincent.

Until I saw her eat the food and her sight disappeared at the same time.

Obviously, some came from the "noble etiquette police" and some came from Louisa, who had ulterior motives across the table.

Seeing her eating the cream tart, Louisa smiled with satisfaction and finally ate her meal in peace.

Dinner was coming to an end and the dance was about to begin, so everyone gradually left.

Vincent left, and Isabel was about to get up. Suddenly, a man's cold snort came from her right: "Isn't my warning enough? The hunters have set the trap, and you don't check it out. Instead, you feast and chat with that idiot Vincent all night long?"

Isabel laughed inwardly and caught a glimpse of Louisa walking towards her from the corner of her eye.

"Ms. Norman, the first dance tonight should be started by you and Hein."

As soon as she finished speaking, Isabel frowned, cried out in pain, and fell on Heinrich's shoulder.

"Ah! It hurts!" She covered her abdomen.

Heinrich frowned suddenly: "Audrey?!"

The author has something to say:

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Isabel: I'm in so much pain, I was just pretending, only a fool would believe it.

Heinrich: ...

PS: I recommend everyone to watch British TV series. I am anxiously waiting for the Downton Abbey movie! The struggles of foreigners are so direct. Hahahahahahahahahaha. Maybe someone understands them. They suddenly kiss while chatting, suddenly make up while quarreling, and get their noses bent when they get angry. No one is injured in a fight. QVQ

This is the tone I set for the whole article. There is no profound conspiracy or intrigue, so I will tell you in advance~ If you mind, please don’t blame the character, it’s the author’s problem QAQ

Because this is a complete self-severing leg meat article~

The background music when I write is the theme song of Downton Abbey. I can see the cut shots and scenes in my mind hahahaha. I made a drama for myself.

Dear readers, please be kind when you feel like complaining. You can scold me, but don’t scold the protagonist. QAQ

I wish you all good fortune and good health!