"Welcome back to Riga, my lord," one by one, the nobles greeted Leland and his wife. They were surprised to see the duke again in Livstad after he was said to move back to Frisia five years ago.
They respected him because Duke Romanov was known for his massive wealth and big influence. Many of the nobles who greeted the couple were the people who had owed something to Duke Romanov.
They had great respect for the man, who they considered a generous and helpful person. They didn't know that Duke Romanov actually never cared about helping them.
He only did it to gain more influence and made people indebted to him. He would collect what they owed him when the time came.
***
The party became more lively after Leland's and Sophie's arrival. The Romanov family became the talk of the people.
The noblemen praised Duchess Romanov's beauty while the noblewomen secretly gossiped about Duke Romanov's appearance that always seemed shrouded in mystery.
Those who had met him in the past were still wondering about how bad did his face become disfigured that he had to cover most of it when going out in public.
Seeing how much his wife was like a goddess and seemed so in love with him, the women asked themselves if the scary duke was so great in bed. Perhaps, he was like a sex god, that a woman so beautiful like Sophia Romanov was willing to marry him?
"If there is no love between them, just money, I am sure she wouldn't be all smiles and so devoted like she is now," one of the ladies whispered to her friends. "So, it's either she really loves him, or she is such a great actress."
"Yeah, from what I heard, the duke is badly disfigured because of lycan attacks. I can only imagine how scary he must look underneath that mask," another one chimed in. "One of my cousins died after he was attacked by a lycan and you should see his face.. he was barely recognizable. Even his wife vomited and passed out when she saw him."
"That sounds horrible!"
"It WAS horrible."
"Ugh... I am not sure if there is real love between them. We know Duke Ariam Romanov is very wealthy. Money talks."
"Well, maybe he is great in bed?" Another lady chuckled. "Just look. He actually looks so hot. I can almost feel all his muscles just by looking at him. He seems really strong."
The women pressed their lips and stifled their laughter. They secretly stole glances at the man they were gossiping about.
It was true, of all the men present in the ballroom that evening, Duke Romanov's physique stood out among the rest. He was tall and burly. His shoulders were broad and his arms were big and toned. His whole body looked chiseled to perfection.
If they could forget about the fact that he was disfigured, the mask actually made him look sexier because it added the mysterious vibe that made girls go crazy with their wild fantasies.
"I agree. He must be great in bed. They can do the deed in darkness. As long as the duchess doesn't have to see her husband's face, if he is a sex god, she could just pretend he looks good and focus on his other good points."
The girls laughed again. And then, they noticed the two boys who came with the Romanov couple.
"Wait.. are those their sons?" One of the girls tilted her chin toward Luciel and Jan who appeared from behind their father's body. "Whooaaa!! Look at them! Twins!"
"They are so handsome!"
"They don't look exactly the same, but they are so similar. Probably paternal twins. How could young boys look so handsome already? It's a sin to look that cute!"
"They don't look like the duchess, though."
"Hm... that only means they take after their father."
"Whoaaa... if they do take after their father, that means Duke Ariam Romanov is actually really handsome!"
"Ahh... now I understand why his wife is in love with him. They might have known each other before he was disfigured and she had seen how good-looking he actually was."
"That makes total sense."
"The duke has white hair though," someone commented. "The boys have black hair."
"Maybe they take after their grandfather in the hair department? It's possible."
"Ah, you are right. Why didn't I think of that?"
While the younger noblewomen were gossiping about Leland and his family, the older ladies were talking to Sophie, trying to build a good connection with the duke's wife.
Luciel and Jan received a lot of praise for their handsome faces from these older ladies. While waiting for the royal family to officially open the party, the guests mingled and had some small talk over wine and delicious snacks provided by the many servants.
Luciel and Jan were surrounded by mothers who became their instant fans. The boys were so adorable that those women felt compelled to hug and pinch their cheeks. They could never have enough for these boys.
All the attention and giggles made Jan and Luciel feel uncomfortable. Soon, they started to feel annoyed.
They were so tempted to bite the women's hands, but they remembered about the biting ban given to them by their mother.
They could only puff out their cheeks and showed a sullen expression, but that expression only made the mothers think they were so cute and adorable.
"Oh, my god... Your sons are so handsome, Lady Romanov," one Countess said. "Let's be in laws! I have a young daughter at home. She is so pretty. I am sure my daughter and one of your sons will look good together."
Sophie couldn't help but laugh at that. "Thank you for your kind words, Lady Morose. Luciel and Jan are still very young. Let's not talk about betrothal at this age."
"You are right, we have to wait until they are old enough," another one commented. "We are willing to wait... hehehe... My husband and I have two daughters, and they are both very beautiful! We will wait."
Sophie pressed her lips and stifled her laughter. She always thought her sons were so handsome, but she realized all mothers were biased.
So, seeing so many women around her showing their admiration for Luciel and Jan and wanting them to be their sons-in-law, Sophie felt validated.
Ahhh... Nic must be so proud of his sons. Thinking of this made Sophie's heart filled with warmth.
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