Chapter 167: Chapter Hundred And Sixty Six

Carson turned his attention to Allen and Damon.

"Let’s go inside," Carson said, tapping his cane on the stones. "The guests are waiting."

Allen quickly stepped forward. He respectfully offered his arm to assist the old Duke up the small stone stairs. Carson took his arm, and they began walking toward the bright ballroom.

Damon followed slowly behind them. He walked in absolute silence, his mind completely full of thoughts about his wife.

Inside the mansion, the grand ballroom was completely filled with hundreds of wealthy nobles. The crystal chandeliers glowed brightly. The music was cheerful and loud. People were drinking wine and laughing.

Damon stood near a large pillar at the edge of the ballroom. He was completely ignoring the party.

He kept looking toward the grand, curving staircase located at the far end of the room. He stared at the empty stairs.

He crossed his arms over his chest. He tapped his boot impatiently against the polished floor.

"Why does it take so long to change clothes?" Damon asked himself. His voice was full of deep, restless impatience. He wanted to see her.

Allen walked over to Damon’s side. Allen was holding a crystal glass of red wine in his hand. He smiled a polite, friendly smile at his cousin.

"Isn’t this exactly how women change clothes, Damon?" Allen joked softly, taking a small sip of his wine. He stood comfortably next to the General. "They need time for their hair, their makeup, and their jewels. Don’t worry about it. She will come down soon."

Damon did not answer. He just glared at the empty stairs.

A few minutes later, a soft, clear voice spoke from the top of the grand staircase.

"I’m done."

Damon’s head snapped up instantly.

Camilla stood at the very top of the stairs.

The dress Duke Carson had commissioned was completely, absolutely breathtaking. It was not a modest dress. It was made of incredibly fine, lightweight silk. The color was a deep, rich, sparkling midnight black, covered entirely in thousands of tiny, glittering silver beads that looked exactly like a starry night sky.

The dress fit her small figure perfectly. It had a very delicate, elegant neckline that showed off her collarbones and her smooth shoulders.

The skirt flowed beautifully down to the floor, catching the bright light of the chandeliers with every single tiny movement. Her red curly hair was pinned up elegantly, with a few soft curls framing her beautiful face.

She looked absolutely spectacular. She looked like a dark, beautiful queen.

Camilla placed her hand lightly on the wooden railing. She slowly climbed down the stairs, moving with effortless grace.

Damon and Allen looked up at her. They were completely mesmerized.

Damon’s heart gave a sudden violent thump against his ribs. His breath completely left his lungs. He stared at her, his eyes wide open. He had never seen her look so incredibly beautiful. The dark dress made her skin glow.

When she finally got to the foot of the stairs, she stopped walking. She looked directly at Damon.

Damon opened his mouth. He wanted to speak. He wanted to tell her she was magnificent. He tried to get the simple words "You look beautiful" out of his mouth.

But he was completely, utterly paralyzed.

His throat went totally dry. The words were completely stuck deep in his chest. His brain could not form a single sentence. He was entirely speechless.

While Damon was struggling to find his voice, Allen stepped forward.

Allen smiled his very polite, very handsome smile. He raised his wine glass slightly in a toast to her beauty.

"Sister-in-law," Allen complimented her smoothly, his voice clear and confident. "You look absolutely beautiful tonight. That dress is magnificent."

Camilla looked at Allen. She smiled a very warm, bright, genuine smile. She liked this polite young man.

Camilla thought to herself, her internal voice completely honest and highly appreciative.

"Allen Benson," Camilla thought in her mind, her eyes looking at his neat clothes and his kind smile. "He is not only very handsome, but he is also a much better version of Damon. He is polite, he knows how to speak to a woman, and he doesn’t just stand there acting nonchalantly."

Standing right beside Allen, Damon heard her thoughts perfectly clearly. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Damon completely stopped thinking. A possessive rage flooded straight into Damon’s brain.

She was comparing him to his cousin. And she thought his cousin was better.

Damon slowly turned his head. He glared directly at Allen. His dark brown eyes were completely black with pure murder. If looks were made of sharp steel, Allen would have been chopped into tiny pieces right on the ballroom floor.

Allen felt the sudden, freezing, terrifying drop in temperature. He felt the deadly glare hitting the side of his face.

Allen slowly turned his head and looked at Damon. He saw the General glaring at him with pure hatred.

Allen blinked his eyes in confusion. He took a tiny step backward, holding his wine glass defensively against his chest.

Allen asked himself , his voice full of genuine, panicked bewilderment.

"What did I do?"

He looked away from Camilla and began wondering what he did wrong.

Suddenly , the fast, cheerful music from the earlier part of the evening slowly died away. The musicians in the corner of the room changed their instruments. The conductor waved his baton and a slow elegant waltz melody began to rise, filling the massive room with a romantic rhythm.

At the change in the music, dozens of wealthy noblemen and beautiful ladies in colorful dresses stepped onto the polished floor. They formed perfect couples, ready to glide under the bright light of the crystal chandeliers.

Camilla did not want to stand in the middle of the crowd. She felt the intense weight of Damon’s eyes staring at her from across the floor, and she felt Allen’s curious gaze as well.

Without saying a single word, Camilla turned her back to the two cousin and stepped away. Her dress rustled softly with every single step she took.