Gu Residence
When Eleanor got up the next morning, the pain in her right arm had improved a lot.
"Madam… Master went to Shen City today with Hannah."
Eleanor, who was eating breakfast, frowned. The maid behind her lowered her head quietly and carefully, afraid she would get angry. But unexpectedly, Eleanor just put down her utensils, wiped the corner of her mouth, and said softly, "Don't tell me this kind of news while I'm eating. It ruins my appetite."
The maid was stunned and quickly answered yes.
After finishing breakfast, Eleanor changed into a formal dress she hadn't worn for a long time with the help of her maid, put on light makeup, and got into the car heading to the Gu family.
Gu Residence
Melisa got dressed and followed behind the Gu family's madams into the hall.
For three generations, the Gu family had gradually withdrawn from the political circle of the southern region and no longer participated in military or government affairs. Bernard preferred literature, so most of the guests were people who loved the literary world.
Even if politics were discussed, it was only briefly mentioned. Bernard didn't mind, literary people of this era often spoke a few words about the state of the country. Many upper-class scholars and gentlemen from Anhai City had already gathered inside the venue.
Of course, besides the literary crowd, all the prominent nobles of Anhai City also came. Whether or not they understood poetry, they came to show respect for the Gu family's eldest son. As soon as the Gu family's ladies entered the venue, they were surrounded by compliments and praises from various guests.
But when it came to Melisa, the guests only raised their glasses for a polite toast or glanced at her, this rumored rustic bride who married into the family under the excuse of bringing good luck, then quickly turned away as if they hadn't seen her.
Holding her champagne glass, Melisa picked a quiet spot and sat alone, a little dazed by the lively scene in front of her.
Since entering the Gu family, these kinds of occasions were the hardest for her to get used to. Even after all these years, she still couldn't blend in with these people. She silently took a sip of champagne and looked toward the center of the hall, where Bernard was gracefully chatting with others, and a faint light returned to her dull eyes.
Recently, his attitude towards her seemed slightly better than before. He would sometimes call her into the room and talk to her a little. She was a bit lost in thought and didn't notice when someone suddenly bumped into her, followed by a full glass of red wine pouring from her head down to her feet.
"Ah, sorry, my hand slipped… Oh, you're… Oh, so you're the Gu family's good-luck little concubine. My apologies."
Though the woman apologized, her tone had no sincerity, only faint mockery and arrogance.
Melisa froze in place as the cold, stinging wine ran slowly down her face. She turned her head and saw a woman in a red brocade cheongsam looking her up and down with a proud and disdainful gaze.
Melisa's hand tightened around the wine glass. The commotion drew attention, and many people at the party turned to look. When they saw the woman and the drenched Melisa, whispers and different expressions spread among the crowd.
From the center of the hall, Bernard also turned to look. His gaze shifted between the woman and Melisa, finally landing on Melisa, and his brows slowly furrowed. His expression was unreadable, but the frown clearly showed some displeasure, as if annoyed the party had been disrupted.
If the woman's act had only embarrassed Melisa, then Bernard's gaze made her feel suffocated. Everyone's eyes were on them, but no one stepped forward to help Melisa, not even her husband. The Gu family's madams stood aside, either gloating or whispering in mock ridicule.
The woman in front still looked down on Melisa from above. Melisa took a soft breath. She felt like the wine had gotten into her eyes, stinging them badly.
In that silent moment, Melisa tried to lower her head, hide her embarrassment, and asked the maid to help her go change clothes. Then someone in the center of the hall suddenly let out a small gasp.
The woman in the cheongsam suddenly screamed. Melisa looked up and saw Eleanor standing beside her, holding an empty wine glass.
In front of her, the woman who had just acted so arrogant was now covering her soaked clothes in shock, eyes wide, staring at Eleanor with an expression of fear and anger but not daring to show it. Eleanor placed the empty glass on the table, walked back to Melisa's side, took out a handkerchief, and gently wiped the wine off her.
Her eyes swept coldly past the woman as she spoke casually, "The Gu family's wine glasses really aren't very good. They slip from the hand too easily, don't you think?"
The woman trembled all over. It was unclear if she was shaking from anger or the chill of the wine.
But when Eleanor's eyes swept over her, she quickly adjusted her stiff face and forced a smile. "Y-Yes… Madam, you're right. These glasses really are easy to slip."