Chapter 12

Countess Valliman (1)

It wasn’t until Lily left the suite that she realized she’d been staying at the Frasis Hotel—one of the Empire’s most luxurious establishments, reserved only for those with immense wealth, noble birth, and high reputation.

And if they’d stayed in the top-floor suite? That meant the man she’d spent the night with was not just of noble blood, but from a family of at least count rank, possibly higher—and incredibly rich.

She had spent the night with him, and even asked him to make her his mistress?

She must have gone mad. Completely insane.

“Haa…”

Lily let out a deep sigh that came from the pit of her stomach, realizing how utterly foolish she had been. It bothered her even more that he’d left so suddenly that morning, before she could clear up anything that had happened the night before.

“Everything will be fine… right?”

A man of such status—someone who could afford a suite at the Frasis—would never stoop so low as to keep a penniless viscount’s wife as his mistress.

No, it would be fine. It had to be fine.

Trying to soothe her anxiety, Lily descended the stairs. There was an elevator, but it required calling a hotel staff member, and she didn’t want to bump into anyone.

By the time she reached the lower floors, her legs ached. She took a breath and pulled open the door to the first-floor lobby.

“Good morning, my lady.”

“Ah!”

The unexpected greeting made her jump. A man stood there in a crisp uniform—clearly one of the hotel staff.

“Are you checking out, my lady?”

“Ah, yes. I’m leaving now.”

“Then allow me to prepare a carriage for you.”

“A carriage?”

“Yes, my lady. It’s my duty to ensure our guests travel safely to their destination.”

As expected of a top-class hotel—the service was impeccable.

Lily let out a small sigh of relief. She hadn’t even had enough money left to hire a public carriage, and she’d been worrying about how to get back to the Benjamin estate. This solved everything.

“Then I’ll gladly accept.”

“Of course, my lady. Please, follow me.”

The man escorted her courteously through the back hall to where a carriage was waiting.

When she climbed in, she sank into the plush seat and let out a quiet gasp.

“This is… amazing.”

So this was what a real luxury carriage felt like.

“Where to, my lady?” the coachman asked.

Lily’s admiration faded instantly. Her green eyes lost their sparkle as she lowered them to the soft carpeted floor.

There was only one possible destination—the Benjamin Viscounty.

It was the only place she could return to… and the one place she wanted to escape from most.

“…My lady?” the driver prompted gently.

Lily closed her eyes, took a breath, and looked toward the small window connecting to the driver’s seat.

“To… the Benjamin estate.”

Riding the horse Dillon had brought, Harold returned to the Maximilian ducal estate.

The moment he stepped inside, the duchess caught him.

“Harold! What on earth happened last night? You disappeared in the middle of your own celebration banquet! And then you stayed out overnight without a word! I understand you’re grown now, but you should still tell your mother where you’re going.”

“I’m sorry, Mother,” Harold said, wearing a perfectly contrite expression. “I ran into Liam and a few other friends I hadn’t seen in ages. I was so happy to see them that I drank too much, and before I knew it… well, I’m truly sorry.”

The duchess sighed and touched his cheek gently.

“Even so… leaving your own party halfway through. Really, Harold.”

“I heard Father was looking for me,” Harold said quickly, steering the conversation away from her scolding.

“Oh, right. He’s in his study. Come with me.”

That she wanted to accompany him meant she was involved in whatever this was.

That couldn’t be good.

Suppressing his unease, Harold followed her down the hall.

The carriage from the hotel dropped Lily off at the gates of the Benjamin estate. She stood for a moment, staring up at the grand house.

She hadn’t wanted to come back. But she had nowhere else to go.

For her mother’s sake—her mother who was still unwell—she had to return. But the thought made her sick to her stomach.

And after what had happened before—and now having stayed out all night—Samantha would definitely be furious.

Frederick or Brian could disappear for days and she’d never scold them, but if Lily came home late by even an hour, Samantha would rage at her for “running around irresponsibly.” No explanation ever satisfied her.

And now—an overnight absence.

Lily clenched her fists. She just hoped Samantha wouldn’t drag her mother into her anger again. That was the one thing Lily could never tolerate.

“Lady Lily?”

The guard at the gate looked at her curiously. “Are you all right?”

To Lily, it sounded like a demand to hurry up and go inside.

Right. Go in. There’s no other choice.

Summoning what little courage she had, Lily began walking. The path to the mansion wasn’t long—five minutes at most—but it felt endless. By the time she reached the front door, nearly fifteen minutes had passed.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, and stepped inside.

“Welcome home, my lady. We’re so glad you returned safely.”

“We were worried when you didn’t come back last night.”

Lily blinked. The servants—who normally ignored her completely—were welcoming her?

She glanced around, confused, and noticed several unfamiliar faces gathered behind the staff. They weren’t from the Benjamin household.

“Who are those people?”

The servants exchanged uneasy looks. Finally, one of the maids who often attended her spoke up.

“They’re here with the Countess Valliman, my lady.”

Countess Valliman.

The woman who had spent Lily’s wedding night with her husband in her place.

If that woman was here, then there was only one reason: she had come to see Frederick.

Lily’s face twisted in disgust.

If they wanted to roll around together, they could’ve gone to a hotel. Doing it here, in her own home, was beyond insulting.

But she wasn’t angry—just weary.

It was exactly the kind of thing Frederick would do.

Normally, it was the hostess’s duty to greet guests, but Lily had no desire to treat the Countess as one.

And in any case, the real mistress of this house was Samantha, not her.

Lily decided to slip quietly to her room and rest, but the maid suddenly spoke up, panicked.

“Th-the Countess said she came to see you, my lady.”

Lily froze on the stairs and slowly turned her head.

“…She came to see me? Not my husband?”

“Yes, my lady. The master is currently out.”

“And since you weren’t home either, the Madam has been entertaining the Countess in your stead.”

“So please, my lady, would you go to the parlor?”

The servants urged her as though it were a matter of life and death—meaning Samantha was probably struggling to handle the Countess.

Lily could imagine it easily. Samantha, born a commoner, would be flustered trying to entertain a noblewoman like Countess Valliman.

The thought made Lily smirk.

Part of her wanted to let Samantha stew a little longer. And truthfully, Lily herself didn’t want to see that woman at all.

She stood there, unmoving, while the servants fidgeted anxiously.

“My lady…”

Their pleading eyes meant nothing to her.

These were the same people who’d poured cold water in her washbasin and yanked her hair too hard when brushing it. And now they wanted her help? How laughable.

And the Countess’s unannounced visit—without so much as a message beforehand—was an insult in itself.

Anyone else, she might have excused. But that woman? No.

Still, ignoring her wasn’t an option. The Countess outranked her. Pretending not to be home was the only excuse she could’ve used—and she’d already lost that chance.

If I’d known this would happen, I’d have stayed at the hotel longer, she thought bitterly. I shouldn’t have rushed back.

Aloud, she said, “I can’t meet the Countess like this. My appearance is hardly suitable for a guest of her rank. I’ll change first.”

“B-but my lady, that might keep the Countess waiting too long—”

“It can’t be helped,” Lily said evenly. “If she had made an appointment, I would have been prepared. Since she didn’t, she’ll simply have to wait.”

It was the only revenge she could take—keeping both Samantha and Countess Valliman waiting as long as possible.