Chapter: 07
Meanwhile, the young duchess stared quietly at me as I sank into thought.
“What are you doing? You’re not drinking your tea.”
In her usual indifferent tone, she urged me to have some.
“Ah, yes.”
Startled, I hurriedly took a sip.
It’s delicious.
Whenever we had tea before, we always drank whatever Seraphina and Gregory wanted.
How long had it been since I’d had tea that actually suited my own taste?
The young duchess, who had been carefully watching my expression, suddenly asked,
“So? How does it taste?”
“…It’s delicious.”
“Well, that’s all that matters.”
Replying curtly, she pushed a plate of madeleines toward me.
“That black tea tastes especially good with these madeleines.”
This time, I didn’t refuse. I immediately picked one up and took a bite.
The soft sweetness melted across my tongue, and a happy smile spread across my face.
“It’s delicious.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
A faint smile appeared on the young duchess’s lips…
Wait.
Did she just smile?
Startled, I stared at her with wide eyes.
But by then, her face had already returned to its usual expressionless state.
Hmm… I must have imagined it.
At that moment, a question suddenly crossed my mind.
She might be a little prickly, but she wasn’t nearly as awful as the infamous villainess everyone feared.
Was this really the woman who would torment Seraphina and end up locked away in a convent?
I mentally reviewed the original story once more.
The Young Duchess Claudius became consumed with jealousy over Seraphina, who monopolized her brother’s affection.
She harassed Seraphina.
And in the end, her own brother confined her to a convent.
But…
So far, the young duchess hadn’t harmed Seraphina even once.
Which meant…
Just like me, perhaps she only committed those terrible acts because she was destined to be the “villainess” of the original novel.
Seriously… what was so important about that ridiculous original story?
Just because the male and female leads needed an obstacle before they could fall in love…
Did that really justify sacrificing the Young Duchess Claudius as the villainess?
Of course not!
I frowned inwardly.
Even if this world revolved around Seraphina, there had to be a limit!
It was already infuriating enough that people were manipulated so easily simply because Seraphina was the heroine of this world.
And just to pave the way for her happy ending…
I became a doormat, while the young duchess became the villainess?
That’s completely unfair!
I ground my teeth silently.
Just then, the young duchess shot me a sidelong glance.
I quickly snapped back to reality and composed my expression.
Whew. That was close.
I almost lost my temper right in front of her.
“Come to think of it, Lady Ancy. You said you knew a way to restore my reputation, didn’t you?”
Although her tone remained as indifferent as ever…
There was a faint trace of anticipation she couldn’t quite hide.
“So? What is this method?”
For some reason…
Was it just my imagination, or did her eyes seem to sparkle ever so slightly?
“Well…”
I swallowed nervously.
I’m so nervous I could die.
What if she laughs and tells me to stop talking nonsense?
But before I could stop myself, my mouth had already moved.
“You become friends with me.”
The moment I said it, I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut.
My brain immediately began imagining every possible negative reaction.
“Ha. Lady Ancy and I becoming friends? What an ambitious dream.”
She might sneer like that.
Or worse—
“You requested a private audience with me just to say something so ridiculous?”
She might explode in anger.
Yet no matter how long I waited…
The furious outburst I had prepared myself for never came.
The young duchess remained silent.
Then…
“Friends?”
She simply asked the question calmly.
…She’s not angry?
Carefully, I opened my eyes.
At that exact moment, our gazes met.
Ah!
I reflexively stiffened.
With that expressionless face, she really did look like an Ice Queen who could freeze someone with a single glance.
“What’s with that reaction? Do you think I’m going to eat you or something?”
The young duchess scolded me in an indifferent voice.
I hurriedly shook my head.
“N-No. That’s not it…”
“Forget that. More importantly, I’d like to hear why becoming friends with you would solve my reputation problem.”
Hmm…
Sneaking a glance at her expression, I cautiously began.
“Well, the rumor currently circulating through high society about Your Grace is…”
“The rumor?”
The young duchess unconsciously swallowed.
Huh?
I blinked.
She always seemed so proud that I assumed she didn’t care about gossip concerning herself.
Apparently, she did care after all.
“Um… would it be alright if I answered honestly?”
If I repeated the rumors word for word, I might hurt her feelings.
Fortunately, the young duchess nodded without hesitation.
“Of course.”
Alright then.
I carefully continued.
“The rumor is… that you’re so arrogant you look down on everyone and refuse to associate with anyone.”
“W-What?! That’s—!”
For a moment, the young duchess raised her voice with an expression full of injustice.
Of course, remembering her dignity…
“…Never mind. It’s nothing.”
She quickly closed her mouth again.
What’s this?
She’s unexpectedly adorable.
She was far more human than the villainess I’d read about in the novel.
“This is just my opinion, but if people saw you getting along warmly with a friend… wouldn’t your reputation naturally improve?”
I spoke seriously.
“And if they see you treating someone like me—a lower-ranking noble—as an equal, they’ll probably start feeling more comfortable around you.”
“Hmm.”
“The idea is to soften the impression people have of you so they’ll find it easier to approach you.”
As I explained, I discreetly watched her reaction.
She still maintained her proud expression, but it was obvious she was slowly being persuaded.
Good.
I casually tossed out the bait.
“And besides… forgive me for saying this, but you don’t like Seraphina, do you?”
“Of course I don’t!”
The young duchess suddenly cried out with surprising enthusiasm.
“Lady Lopes is completely unbearable!”
Exactly! Every single word is absolutely correct!
I almost leaped to my feet and applauded her.
“There’s a limit to how much someone can manipulate other people!”
She continued indignantly.
“She’s always pretending to be kind and fragile while staying safely in the background, and every task she doesn’t want to do gets pushed onto someone else!”
Wow.
I can’t believe she understands Seraphina so perfectly!
I nodded vigorously.
“Exactly! I completely agree!”
“Right? Lady Ancy, you think so too, don’t you?!”
The young duchess beamed with excitement before suddenly returning to her usual composed expression.
“Then why were you so close to Lady Lopes until now?”
The question instantly left me speechless.
I couldn’t exactly explain that this world was the novel I’d read and that I had originally been written as Seraphina’s devoted attendant.
While I struggled to answer, the young duchess narrowed her eyes.
“To be honest, until now I thought your eyes must have been attached to the soles of your feet.”
Ouch, Your Grace.
My bones are shattering.
Her merciless remark left me mentally reeling.
“A-Anyway!”
I hastily changed the subject.
“From your perspective as well, becoming friends with me wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m Seraphina’s closest friend.”
I shrugged confidently.
“From now on, I intend to distance myself from Seraphina. When that happens, people will naturally wonder why our relationship fell apart.”
Lowering my voice conspiratorially, I asked her in return,
“…And won’t they also be curious why I chose to leave Seraphina… and come to you instead?”
