Chapter 34
“Lady Bernadette.”
“Lady Easley, welcome.”
Failie Easley walked in with a gentle smile and handed Ecla a neatly wrapped box.
“A specially ordered cake from Weiss.”
“Thank you.”
“My lady, I’ll go prepare the cake and tea.”
After Ecla stepped out, Failie slowly removed her lace gloves and hat.
‘What is this, why did she come?’
Of course, if this were the original novel, Failie coming to visit me wouldn’t be anything unusual.
Especially around the time of St. Obenri’s Day—we used to meet up quite often to conspire together.
But things were different now.
‘Could it be because of that ridiculous rumor about me getting married?’
—That’s when she spoke.
“I came because I had something I was curious about, Lady Bernadette.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Of course, we had a bit of an unpleasant quarrel and a few tense moments in the past, but before that, we were rather good friends, weren’t we?”
“Yes, we were.”
“I’ll forget all the times you acted like someone with a hole in her head while you were close with Lady Almaz.”
“……”
“I’d like to go back to how we used to be.”
What the heck is going on here?
Still, I couldn’t outright say “no” to her face when she had brought a cake and came asking to make peace.
Even if I wasn’t the most patient person, I wasn’t as cruel and vicious as Liberata from the original novel.
“Sure, let’s do that.”
I answered with a light smile, and Failie pressed her lips together before giving a brief smile in return.
But that smile… Why did it feel so threatening?
Just then, Ecla returned with the cake and tea.
As I watched the steam rise from the cups, Failie cautiously began again.
“Oh, and…”
“Yes?”
“We’re friends now, so I hope we can speak honestly, right?”
“Haha, what is it that you want to say?”
“There’s a rumor going around that Lady Bernadette will soon marry His Grace the Grand Duke. Is it true?”
Ah, so this was what she really wanted to ask.
And actually, this was a golden opportunity.
Yes, this might be the final chance the heavens were giving me before St. Obenri’s Day.
If I denied it to Failie now, the rumor would spread like wildfire. I had already dropped hints to Ecla, so the timing was perfect.
But Failie wasn’t exactly the most trustworthy person, so I needed to craft my words carefully.
Still… would it be okay if the rumor shifted to say I had rejected the proposal?
Would it hurt Jaerach too much—
No! This isn’t the time to worry about Jaerach’s feelings!
I shook the hesitation from my mind.
“No, I honestly don’t know how that rumor started… but it’s not true.”
As I shook my head, Failie’s expression instantly brightened.
“I knew it! I figured it was just nonsense.”
Now I was sure—Failie had come just to find out whether I was truly marrying Jaerach.
With a noticeably lighter mood, she said,
“Why do such ridiculous rumors even start? You must have been so shocked, Lady Bernadette.”
She tilted her eyes downward as if genuinely concerned for me.
“Haha, I know. This place is full of rumors. I didn’t pay much attention.”
I dodged the question lightly and popped a bite of cake into my mouth.
“You might not care, but His Grace is the real issue.”
“……”
“And once a rumor like that starts, it’s not good for you.”
“?”
“Who would want to associate with a lady who had such rumors swirling around her? It’s… kind of dirty, isn’t it?”
Failie stared at me with pity and then brought her teacup to her lips.
What the hell is she even saying?
Honestly, I didn’t care much about marriage in this world. My only goal was to survive the day I was supposed to die and return home without fading away.
But hearing her say something so nasty right to my face made my blood boil.
‘No. Calm down. Hold it in.’
I wanted to retort, but I had to keep it in.
‘Blessed are the meek…’
The most satisfying thing to do right now would’ve been to say, “Oops, sorry. I actually am marrying the Grand Duke. Jealous? Shocked? Furious? Teehee!”
No, stop. Put that away, Liberata.
“Well, I suppose that’s possible.”
“So, from now on, you should be more careful not to let such rumors spread.”
“……”
“I told you once before, didn’t I?”
“Told me what?”
“No matter what others say, make sure you act properly in front of His Grace. He’s someone special.”
Ha. I need to stay quiet. Don’t say anything.
I just smiled with my lips and nodded.
“And this is something I’ll say only to you, Lady Bernadette.”
“?”
“I’ll likely be the one sitting beside His Grace someday.”
Ah, I should’ve held it in just a little longer.
But I’m terrible at holding back laughter when something’s truly funny.
“Pfft.”
I barely managed to suppress my laughter, but Failie’s face turned red and green with fury.
“Did you just laugh?”
“No, I just suddenly remembered something funny.”
“Something funny?”
“Yes, yes… I remembered a play I saw not long ago.”
I was about to mention the play, but—
Ah, that play was one I watched with Jaerach.
“Never mind. It’s nothing.”
I waved my hands and shoved another bite of cake into my mouth when—
“My lady.”
Ecla called out, and I turned to see the servants carrying in a mountain of boxes.
“?”
“I’m sorry to interrupt when you have a guest, but His Grace gave strict orders to confirm whether the gifts suited your taste.”
“Oh… Just set them down for now.”
As I stared at the stack of boxes in shock, Sir Orie appeared.
“Sir Orie.”
He bowed elegantly and spoke.
“His Grace instructed me to ensure everything was done properly this time. I understand the last batch of dresses didn’t fit well and caused quite a bit of trouble.”
Oh, dear god.
“Don’t tell me all of this is dresses?”
“No, though there are dresses among them.”
Sir Orie smiled warmly as he continued,
“There are dresses, shoes, accessories, and gloves. Please take your time to look through them. His Grace personally summoned people into the palace to select each item himself.”
“What?”
“Please don’t feel too pressured by the fact that the Grand Duke chose them himself. Just let us know if they suit your taste, and I’ll report back.”
I was already overwhelmed by the sheer scale of what was in front of me, but something worse was happening.
I turned at the chill I felt behind me—
“This… this is all…”
Failie, now pale as a sheet, was trembling.
“You’re saying all of this came from His Grace?”
I’m doomed.
There was no way to cover this up.
I closed my eyes tightly and rubbed my forehead when Failie’s cold voice cut in.
“Lady Bernadette, you’re truly shameless.”
“No, that’s not it—”
“To lie so brazenly to my face and make a fool of me…”
“It’s not what you think—”
Sweat began to trickle down my back.
God, I’m seriously losing my mind here!
Then, Failie grabbed the teacup from the table and flung its contents in my face.
SPLASH—
“A vulgar, foolish girl like you is too lowly—far too lowly!”
“……”
“I’ll make you regret making a fool of me! I won’t let this go!”
With that, she snatched up her gloves and stormed out.
Oh. My. God.
I stood there, stunned, not knowing what to do with myself.
“My lady!”
Ecla rushed over to wipe my face.
“It’s fine. Good thing the tea was cold.”
As I half-heartedly wiped my face with my sleeve, I finally saw Sir Orie’s shocked expression.
“Sir Orie, please… don’t tell His Grace what you just saw.”
He swallowed hard and nodded.
“Understood.”
“Please. Nothing good will come of this reaching his ears.”
“Very well.”
“And please tell him I loved everything.”
Perhaps because I said it with a face dripping in tea, Sir Orie quietly nodded and walked out without another word.
‘Ugh. Nothing good ever comes from making Failie angry.’
What I didn’t know at the time—
Was just how brutal the consequences of this day’s events would turn out to be.
