Chapter 95
A Changed Marican
Penelope sat silently, staring at Marican, who looked utterly different from before.
Marican, unbothered by her sharp gaze, calmly took a seat across from her. Originally, she hadn’t intended to come down until Ruan returned. But she had finished her work early, and she disliked the thought of the house being noisy when he came home. So she had chosen to come to the drawing room sooner than planned.
When Penelope saw Marican enter without even a word of apology for her lateness, her temper snapped.
“Are you ignoring me because you’re the Duke’s wife now? Do you forget how I raised you? How dare you treat me like this?”
Raised me?
At those words, Marican couldn’t help but laugh.
She, too, wondered—just how had Penelope raised her?
Wasn’t this the same woman who had never bought her even a single new dress?
What exactly had Penelope done for her to speak with such confidence now?
Suppressing her anger, Marican looked her straight in the eye.
“I would like to know as well. Just how did the Baroness raise me? As far as I remember, while Father was alive, we were not wealthy, but we never lacked for anything. After he passed, would you care to enlighten me on how hard you struggled to raise me?”
At that, Penelope’s face flushed red.
“What? Are you questioning me—demanding that I explain myself? In such difficult circumstances, I raised you to be healthy and whole. Shouldn’t you be grateful for that?”
Healthy and whole?
That was all she could say?
The emptiness of it made Marican ache.
“Baroness, did you just say healthy and whole? If anyone heard you, they’d think I had been a sickly child with some grave condition. If you’ve nothing better than such wordplay, then there’s nothing more to say. You should leave.”
Penelope realized shouting would not resolve anything. Instead, she grabbed Marican’s arm and pleaded tearfully.
“Mer, just hear me out once. Your sister is in prison. I won’t scold you for sending her there—but please, release her. She only lashed out at you because she was hurt. You’re kind… surely you can forgive her?”
“Baroness, are you saying it was just because she was hurt? Perhaps you didn’t hear—your daughter came at me with a knife. Had Ruan not stopped her in time, I could have been gravely injured.”
Penelope faltered, then insisted,
“But nothing happened, did it? Didn’t I say so? She only acted out of hurt feelings. You should be able to understand that much.”
Nothing happened? Understand?
“Then let you be the one to understand. Ruan was ready to punish her for attempted regicide, and it was only because I intervened that she was merely imprisoned for a few days to reflect. I spared her life, Baroness. You should be the one showing understanding.”
Regicide?
Penelope’s face twisted. Does she truly believe she’s royalty of Allomande, or whatever kingdom it is?
Lucianne had told her about the events at the ball, and Penelope now looked at Marican with disdain.
“Just a few days? Luci won’t survive even one more. And you think you’ll be happy, betraying your own family like this?”
“Baroness,” Marican’s voice grew cold, “yesterday, your daughter declared before the entire nobility that she had no relation to me or to the Baron’s family. So don’t call me your daughter. Don’t call me family.”
“What? How dare you speak that way to the mother who bore and raised you? Ungrateful child! If you think prison is so trivial, then you go in her place!”
“No.”
“…What?”
Penelope stared as if she had misheard.
“Your daughter committed a crime. She is in prison because of her own actions. Why should I release her? No matter how much you insist, it will not change my answer. You should leave now.”
Marican’s expression was like ice as she turned away.
Penelope leapt up and hurled venom at her back.
“Wretched girl! You care nothing for your sister’s suffering. You’ve abandoned your family, and you think you’ll live happily? We’ll see how long that lasts!”
With a spit of contempt, Penelope stormed out of the drawing room.
***
That evening, when Ruan returned from work, Edward approached him.
“Was there some kind of trouble today?”
“The Baroness came to see Madam.”
“The Baroness? Tell me everything.”
After hearing the full account, Ruan’s expression hardened into a cold mask.
“I had planned to release her tomorrow. Now… she’ll remain in prison a few more days.”
***
“Luci! Are you all right?”
Contrary to her expectations of being released in a day or two, Lucianne remained in prison for an entire week.
Only after signing a written vow never to approach Marican again—and with Penelope acting as her guarantor—was she finally released.
“Mother, I’m fine. Really… thanks to Mer, I’ve had quite the experience.”
Mer… you dared to humiliate me like this?
Fine. For now, you may think you’ve won. But just wait. Everything you’ve done to me—I’ll repay it all.
Dusting off her soiled dress, Lucianne cast a long, venomous glare back at the Duke’s estate before leaving with Penelope for the Baron’s house.
***
By mid-December, the Duke’s household was in full preparation for winter.
Marican had purchased more magic powder than the previous year, ensuring even the servants’ quarters were warm with new stoves. Wood was stocked in greater supply as well.
“Madam, what’s all this?”
Clea looked at the mountain of goods the servants carried in behind Marican.
“Oh, those? They’re for the home party. Give them to Jang—he’ll know what to do.”
“Yes, Madam. Then everything is ready?”
“Almost. I still need to send a letter to Zelda, inviting her to join us. And to the palace as well…”
“The palace? Will members of the Imperial Family be attending?”
Before Marican could reply, Edward entered.
“Madam?”
“Oh, Ed. I was just about to call you. Bring me some stationery, will you?”
“Of course. But first—an imperial page has arrived with an invitation.”
“An invitation? From His Highness?”
“No, Madam. From His Majesty himself. You are summoned to the palace.”
“His Majesty?”
Marican’s brows knit in surprise.
“His Majesty invited me to the palace?”
She opened the envelope, its golden trim unmistakably imperial. Inside was a simple message, written in the Emperor’s own hand: One week from now, come to the palace for tea.
“…A week from now, then. Very well. Tell His Majesty I shall attend.”
“Yes, Madam.”
After the page left, Marican handed Edward another sealed letter.
“Send this invitation, and then fetch Clea for me.”
“Yes, Madam.”
His Majesty…
Marican tapped her pen against the desk, thoughtful.
At the ball, he did tell me to visit the palace someday. I thought it was only courtesy. But perhaps he truly meant it. Why does he wish to see me?
“Madam, did you call for me?”
Clea entered, breaking her thoughts.
“Clea, are all the preparations finished?”
“Yes, Madam. But… are you really going to do it?”
“Yes. I will. I’m nervous, but… I want to.”
A blush rose on Marican’s cheeks.
“Remarkable. Of all the noble ladies I’ve served, none have been as brave as you, Madam.”
“Don’t flatter me. Just be ready. I’ll rely on you all today.”
“Of course, Madam. Leave it to us.”
After Clea left, Marican hurried back to her room.
***
“Mother, surely you don’t expect me to marry this man?”
“Luci, you know how important reputation is among nobles. And you… you’ve been in prison. Families are hesitant to send proposals.”
“It wasn’t my fault I went to prison! And it was all a misunderstanding!”
Lucianne shredded the marriage contract Penelope handed her.
“I’m twenty-two! How can you tell me to marry a man twenty years older, who’s already been married and has children?”
“Because after what happened at the ball, your reputation plummeted. Many suitors withdrew their offers…”
“I’d rather stay single forever than marry a man like that! I was almost Crown Princess once. At the very least, I deserve a Count, not some widowed old man!”
Penelope sighed. “Then… perhaps we should wait until the rumors die down.”
This is all Marican’s fault.
If not for her…
“Fine. I’ll behave for now. In spring, when the balls begin again, I’ll find someone else.”
“That’s for the best.”
Suddenly—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“What’s that?”
Startled, Lucianne looked at Penelope as she cautiously opened the door.
“Who—who is it?”
“We are from the Duke of Canoluf’s estate.”
“From the Duke’s house? Did Mer send them?”
As Penelope opened the door, Ruan strode in with half a dozen men.
“D-Duke?”
Penelope staggered back in shock, while Lucianne stepped forward.
“Your Grace, what brings you to our humble house?”
“Indeed. Why did I have to come to this wretched place?”
“…What?”
“Baroness, do you recall the warning I gave you when we last met?”
“W-warning?”
“I told you—if you dared to touch my wife again, even the mercy I showed you would be taken back.”
Her face paled. “Surely not…”
“You not only begged my wife to release your daughter, who tried to kill her—you even dared to threaten her.”
Penelope gasped. “Mer said that? Don’t believe her, Your Grace. She lies so easily, twisting words to suit her convenience.”
Ruan’s eyes narrowed at her indifferent tone, as though Marican weren’t her own child.
“Baroness, I’ve long wondered… is the Duchess not truly your daughter?”
“What nonsense? Of course she’s my daughter!”
“Then why do you despise her so? Why treat your daughters so differently?”
“I never showed favoritism!”
“No favoritism? Then are you saying you treat my wife and your other daughter exactly the same?”
“I loved both of them. If Marican received poor treatment, it was only because she brought it on herself.”
“She brought it on herself?”
“Yes. Luci was always a darling child—smiling, sweet, easy to love. But Marican? She was different. Always distant, impossible to understand. So of course I could only treat her the way I did.”
Penelope spoke as though her words were perfectly reasonable.
