Chapter 10 ….
The Fritillaria Duke’s Birthday Celebration — Part 1
“My apologies for imposing upon you like this, Lady Yuria.”
Inside the carriage, I bowed my head apologetically.
My brother and I sat side by side, while across from us sat Lady Yuria and her maid.
At my words, Lady Yuria lightly waved the fan in her hand and smiled as though it were nothing at all.
“It is no trouble whatsoever, Lady Luciana. Being able to assist such a lovely young lady in matters of love is quite enjoyable.”
Lady Yuria’s unexpected words made a startled “My…” slip from my lips before I fell speechless.
Lovely…? Me, the villainess?
At first, I wondered whether it was some indirect jab like the Crown Prince’s remarks had been, but Lady Yuria’s gaze and tone were gentle, carrying no trace of contempt toward me.
Could it be… that she truly accepted me without mocking me?
Hope naturally welled up inside me, and I stared intently at Lady Yuria.
Lady Yuria was a strikingly gallant woman with chocolate-colored hair and eyes.
As the daughter of the Viola March family, guardians of the northern territory bordering a neighboring kingdom, Lady Yuria had apparently received direct swordsmanship training from the March himself alongside her two older brothers. It seemed her dream was to become a female knight serving in the Royal Palace someday.
Perhaps because of that, even within her graceful ladylike movements, there was a sharp coolness mixed in.
With her narrow, refined eyes, Lady Yuria observed me with clear interest.
Waaah, Lady Yuria is so cool.
She’s cool even just sitting in a carriage seat.
This is exactly what people mean by a “handsome beauty.”
And having my slovenly brother sitting beside her only serves to make Lady Yuria look even more wonderful.
“Hold it right there, little sister. Just whose efforts do you think made it possible for you to visit the Fritillaria Ducal House today? A moment ago, you looked at me as though gazing upon a roadside pebble… no, a piece of trash. Should you not be showing more gratitude and praising your magnificent older brother?”
My brother—dressed in outrageously glittering clothes that probably weren’t sold anywhere on the market—voiced his complaint with dissatisfaction written across his face.
I bowed exaggeratedly and offered the praise he clearly desired.
“My, my, Brother. As expected of you. That unnecessarily dazzling face of yours, along with a social circle consisting entirely of women, are both things I could never hope to possess.”
“…Luciana, if you genuinely think that was praise, then your flattery skills are deeply flawed.”
“Oh ho ho, of course not. Perhaps it was too indirect for you to notice, but I was very clearly insulting you just now.”
As my brother and I exchanged our usual candid banter, Lady Yuria, seated across from us, laughed in amusement.
“You siblings of House Dianthus are quite close, aren’t you? I had the impression that your brother, Lord Safia, was somewhat frivolous, while Lady Luciana seemed cold and aloof, but meeting you in person gives an entirely different impression. Merely being able to witness how you two normally interact makes me glad I accepted this request.”
At Lady Yuria’s words, my heart skipped excitedly.
“Lady Yuria, your thoughtful choice of words is truly magnificent! Rather than frivolous, my brother is actually shallow-minded. He chases after three or four rabbits at once despite not even being popular, and ultimately fails to catch any of them. And as for me, instead of using such gentle phrasing as ‘aloof,’ you could plainly call me an arrogant, selfish, wicked noble lady—yet you choose kindness instead!”
“My, ahaha… Lady Luciana, you truly are such an amusing and adorable person. The Fritillaria Duke will surely be delighted to receive a visit from someone like you.”
“Not at all! I cannot thank you enough for granting me this opportunity to visit.”
I answered her words eagerly.
Those feelings were completely sincere.
In truth, without Lady Yuria’s connections, there was no possible way I could have attended the Fritillaria Duke’s birthday celebration.
The Fritillaria Duke and the Viola March were apparently close friends, and the Duke himself had served as godfather to all of the March family’s children.
Because of that, today’s celebration had originally been scheduled to include the March, Lady Yuria, and her two older brothers. However, trouble had suddenly erupted within the March territory, forcing the March and his sons to cancel their attendance.
It seemed the March still wished for Lady Yuria alone to attend, but she had felt uncomfortable participating by herself and had been just about to send her regrets to the ducal house—
when my brother’s message arrived.
In other words, my brother—who had somehow learned about the troubles occurring in the Viola March territory—had sent a message asking to accompany Lady Yuria to the Duke’s birthday celebration.
When I first heard that story, I had stared at my brother coldly.
What was this nonsense about his “magnificent gossip-gathering abilities”?!
His intelligence network was doing work several times more impressive than that!
However, I was gradually beginning to understand that even when doing proper work, my brother’s personal style was to behave outwardly like a fool.
And so, with a sigh, I swallowed the words I had wanted to say.
