She didn’t know what he would say to her, whether he would actually come over and initiate a greeting, or if, perhaps, he was fond of her...
Imagining all that might happen next, Annie’s heartbeat also grew more and more frantic.
The father of the two sisters was a diplomat from F Country and a descendant of an ancient noble lineage. Their father always hoped that the two women could continue the family’s glory.
Annie had known since she had been sensible that she would never marry a common man. Though there were countless suitors around her, she had never taken a fancy to any man.
Only Huangfu Jue, ever since their dance a fortnight ago, had remained on her mind.
"Is he coming over?" she asked her sister Anna in a low voice.
Annie then pretended to look away unintentionally, her gaze falling on his face, and immediately showed an expression of surprise, smiling to greet him.
"Duke, long time no see."
As she greeted him, she extended her right hand, wanting to shake his.
My God, what would he say?
Her heart was nearly leaping out of her throat.
The man approached step by step and then... walked straight past her, not even sparing her a glance with the corner of his eye, let alone a handshake.
From being too excited to contain herself to feeling utterly dejected, it took Annie only two seconds.
She awkwardly retracted her hand hanging in mid-air, turning her face away in sadness and anger to see Huangfu Jue’s retreating figure, wanting to see who had captured his gaze.
Then, she saw someone—a woman.
She was a young black-haired woman, who seemed to be in her early twenties, but Annie was somewhat uncertain about the woman’s age.
Because the woman appeared quite young, barely over twenty, yet she possessed a composure that surpassed her years.
She wore a long peacock blue gown, a color of unmatched purity and opulence, a style of clothing Annie had never encountered in all her travels across Europe...
She had casually put up her hair, wearing no jewelry from head to toe, except for a ribbon tied in a bow on her right wrist.
Annie had always scorned such an attire, but at that moment, she had to admit, the ribbon in no way seemed vulgar. Fluttering gently with her movements, the ribbon undulated as if a beautiful blue butterfly had truly alighted on her wrist, seeming to outshine all the jeweled bracelets in the world.
She was so beautiful, ethereally and arrogantly beautiful...
Like a sprite existing outside the bounds of the gala, at the blink of an eye, she could disappear from everyone’s sight.
The woman looked vaguely familiar.
While Annie was recalling, Gan Yuan happened to turn her face in Annie’s direction.
Seeing Gan Yuan’s lightly made-up face, Annie immediately recognized who she was.
The hand at her side clenched fiercely, and Annie gritted her teeth in anger.
Damn woman, having previously embarrassed her in front of so many, was now competing with her for Huangfu Jue?!
Gan Yuan did not notice Annie. As soon as her gaze met Huangfu Jue’s, she quickened her pace.
She was fast, but the man was faster still.
His tall figure blocked her path as he frowned and questioned her.
"Where are you going?"
Was she avoiding him as if he were a plague?
She tried to walk around him, but he stepped to the right, blocking her again.
Gan Yuan frowned and lifted her face, "He is changing clothes; I am taking him home. If Mr. Huangfu doesn’t have any urgent matters, please let me pass."