Was this the best I could do?
I clicked my tongue inwardly, feeling something that might very well be Charlize Alzbeit’s own karma bleeding into this situation.
“Marriage is, after all, the happiest path for the Duchess-To-Be.”
The daughter of a Count narrowed her eyes into crescents, clasping her hands with a dreamy expression.
“Besides, as it is someone you have cherished so deeply and poured your affection into alone, he will surely understand your heart. I wish you blessings. You must be so happy.”
Malice dripped from every word.
The undertone was clear: *Duke Remut, who has ignored and disregarded you all this time, would never actually follow your lead now.*
……Well, she wasn’t entirely wrong.
Regardless, I was overwhelmed and incensed by the hostility directed at me, even though I hadn’t done a thing.
*The fiancé must have a past of being terribly tormented by Charlize.*
These people were parasites, clinging to Charlize and hoping for scraps of her wealth and power. Charlize had known this and turned a blind eye, so I had no intention of making an issue of it.
However.
*The one currently inside this shell is me.*
The smile vanished from my face.
Had this also been influenced by Charlize’s memories?
By the time I regained my senses, it was too late—my mouth had already betrayed me.
“I was planning to announce my marriage at the upcoming banquet as well.”
“……Pardon?”
The daughter of the Count, as well as the other delinquent noblewomen listening, were beyond surprised; they were shocked.
One young lady was so startled she couldn’t stop her hand from dropping the glass she was holding.
“My goodness! I can’t believe it—congratulations, Duchess-To-Be!”
“Finally……! Honestly, I have always thought that you and Duke Remut were a perfect match.”
The skill with which they flipped their allegiances was that of born sycophants, true turncoats through and through.
Of course, I felt the weight of the mistake I had committed while blinded by a moment of fury, and I wanted nothing more than to chase them all away.
“You must absolutely come to the marriage proposal party for the daughter of Count Rotaria!”
When someone pointedly mentioned the Count’s daughter, I smirked.
“I’ll consider it.”
The congratulations of these delinquent noblewomen no longer reached my ears; I was too preoccupied with the blunder I had made.
But I did not forget one important thing.
Even though I had lost my cool out of pure rage and made a mistake…….
“I am happy that you all congratulate me so warmly.”
I shifted my gaze to the daughter of the Count.
“And I had no idea that the daughter of Count Rotaria thought so highly of me.”
“Duchess-To-Be……?”
“So, I am looking forward to seeing what kind of gift the Count’s daughter, who thinks of me so much, will bring.”
“…….”
The Count’s daughter clamped her mouth shut like an oyster. Her face turned deathly pale in an instant.
“You didn’t think I wouldn’t be expecting anything, did you?”
I curved only my eyes, smiling.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
I will return your malice in kind.
Yes, this is the fight you chose. Let’s see how you handle the aftermath.
“Don’t disappoint me.”
* * *
After that, the noblewomen were busy congratulating me in a frenzy.
Some were so flushed that, having forgotten the alcohol they brought, they were busy clapping with abandon. Others were so eager to toast to my happiness that they tried to drink straight from the bottle.
In a word, it was chaos.
It was a strange feeling, seeing some filled with jealousy while others looked genuinely thrilled. These people were by no means good-natured, but they were certainly simple-minded.
Regardless, they went into a frenzy, claiming they knew there was a reason I was managing my health when there was no fat to lose—that there must have been something else going on.
*Chaos and a dance party?*
I put a stop to that dance.
Ultimately, I used the excuse of poor health to chase everyone away.
Once I had sent the group packing, I slumped right there in the drawing room. A deep, heavy sigh escaped me.
*……What did I just do?*
The realization hit me like a physical blow. I hadn’t even been drinking! How could I have made such a mistake just because I couldn’t control my temper for a second?
The malice directed at me had been vile, certainly, but was I really going to ruin the greater cause just because I couldn’t endure it? I couldn’t stop the wave of self-reproach.
“What have I actually done…….”
Everything had been going so well. I felt aggrieved. I had tried so hard since I woke up! I had done good deeds, only to be met with constant suspicion and vigilance. I had been working myself to the bone, and ever since I took over this body—both in appearance and in my own essence—I had even fixed the corrupted personality.
I had become normal!
But the moment I heard that noblewoman’s words, the condescending sneer in her tone, I was, to put it plainly, pissed off. I was trying so hard, and hearing that they expected me to attend someone else’s proposal party made me feel like a fool. Did they think they could toy with me?
*Aaaargh!*
Instead of smoothly resolving the situation, I had ruined everything because I couldn’t ignore a little malice. *If only I had held my tongue!* I wanted to cry just thinking about how I was going to handle this massive catastrophe.
A while later, when dinnertime arrived, the servants offered me a meal, but I had no appetite. I went to bed, but sleep would not come that night. I spent the rest of the night and the following day feeling like a half-dead ghost.
*……Am I actually going to die because of this?*
Not seeing the faces of those noblewomen was fine—I had already decided never to see them again, anyway. But I was deeply worried about whether they would spread rumors. Still, given the reputation of this villainess, I wondered if they would dare to speak recklessly, fearing they might incur my wrath.
*If rumors spread, they’ll know it was their doing.*
Charlize hadn’t cared if those delinquents gossiped about others, but she never tolerated them giggling over rumors about her. They would be well aware of the repercussions and the horrors that might follow.
So, would things be fine for now?
……That thought was my grave miscalculation.
It didn’t take long for me to find out.
* * *
The next day.
It was exactly two days after the group had broken in and been chased out. The designers arrived with the fitted clothes.
Not a single one was late, as if they all remembered the deadline perfectly. I was a bit surprised inwardly. *They kept to it like clockwork.*
And the clothes they brought were…….
*Incredible.*
They were all magnificent. Not only did I think they would look excellent on Askin, but they also complemented my own attire so perfectly that it was impossible to say which was superior.
*The clothes turned out wonderfully.*
Imagining him wearing them, everything seemed perfect. I smiled brightly as I examined the garments.
At that, the faces of the designers, who had been treading carefully, lit up in turn. They looked haggard, as if they had been through hell, but their expressions were now alight with the joy of a prisoner who had just escaped their cell.
One of the designers tentatively raised a hand and said joyfully:
“Y-Your Grace, we worked even harder when we heard it was for a proposal outfit!”
I paused for a moment.
……What?
But not seeming to notice my reaction, as one designer spoke, the others waited for a beat, watching my expression before they, too, began to speak eagerly.
“Congratulations, truly! To think you are finally getting married!”
“I-it is a blessing for the Empire! My sincerest congratulations!”
It felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck me, sending an electric current searing through my entire body.
……What is the meaning of this? I froze, my body turning to stone. I barely managed to pull myself together, pressing a hand over my mouth to stifle a gasp.
Masking my shock, I asked as calmly and elegantly as I could manage:
“Where did you hear that?”
“Ah, the rumor is already all over the Empire, Your Grace!”
“We heard the news and didn’t sleep a wink, working even harder to finish them!”
“We did our absolute best!”
Damn it! I’m ruined!
I cursed every god I could name under my breath.
Oh, heavens, is this how I die? My coin! My money! My fortune, worth an absolute fortune!
I turned away, desperate to maintain some semblance of composure.
Behind me, the designers remained oblivious, continuing to flatter me. They offered their congratulations and whispered eagerly, telling me to reach out whenever I was ready for the wedding attire. They clearly believed this was for formal wear, but that had nothing to do with me.
The words washed over me, meaningless.
“Get out. Now.”
“P-pardon…?”
“Right now!”
I hurriedly ushered the designers out. They retreated with their tails between their legs, their faces deathly pale, wondering what they had done wrong. I had no room in my heart to care.
Left alone, I bit down hard on my fingernails.
*It’s always the thing you least expect that catches you.*
To think those bratty young ladies would be the ones to spread such a rumor.
I could guess their motive. They might have spread it thoughtlessly, perhaps believing it a compliment rather than a slight.
Or… they might have spread it with the cynical thought: *If it’s a lie, then just go to hell.*
My eyes narrowed into slits.
*Has this rumor reached my fiancé’s ears yet?*
If it had, we were in deep trouble. It was obvious he would make a scene. Would it even be just a scene?
*I thought things were finally going well, especially since he sent a letter saying he would come here first this time.*
I had held onto the fragile hope that I could actually change something.
I buried my face in my hands.
Everything felt ruined.
I jerked my head up, clicking my tongue in frustration.
*My mouth! This wretched, treacherous mouth! It’s always my mouth that ruins everything!*
Yes, what’s done is done. Now, I have to find a way to clean up the mess.
I forced myself to think. When a catastrophe strikes, it is always more efficient to find a solution than to wallow in despair.
*First off, to catch a tiger… I have to head into the tiger’s den, don’t I?*
I prepared immediately and set off for the Remut Territory.
All the while, I struggled to keep my mind from conjuring the face of my fiancé, whose reaction was all too painfully predictable.