Britney smiled broadly as she looked at the magazine brought by her maid.
Alford had failed to snatch Rishi away from Kay’s hands, and Britney hadn’t really expected him to succeed anyway. She simply wanted to plant the idea of how promiscuous Rishi was into the minds of Kay and the public.
The magazine featuring the article about Rishi was a low-credibility publication that dealt with ghosts, vampires, and the like. However, since everyone would buy and read it once a scandal involving a noble family was published, it wouldn’t take long for the story to spread far and wide.
‘Iris will be kicked out soon. There’s no way the family of the Guardian of the Holy Relics would harbor such a dirty, loose girl.’
She hadn’t heard anything about Iris holding a wedding ceremony with Cavebrandt yet. It was clear that the Green family was opposing it.
‘Or perhaps Count Green snatched Iris up on an impulse and is already regretting it. That girl has a gloomy personality and is no fun at all. All she has going for her is a pretty face, right?’
The mere thought of Rishi being kicked out and crawling back to the Ducal estate was enough to give her a delightful shiver.
“Milady. Lady Mundis is here to see you.”
As Britney chuckled while reading the magazine, she jumped up at the maid’s words.
“Katrina is? Tell her to come in.”
Katrina, a friend of the same age as Britney, was the daughter of Marquis Mundis and was Britney’s favorite companion. She was just the right amount of dim-witted, making her perfect to treat like a servant.
“Brin, Brin, Brin! Did you see this?”
Katrina was being overly dramatic as usual. In her hands, she held the same magazine that Britney had been reading just moments ago. Britney discreetly hid the magazine behind a cushion and asked with an expression of complete ignorance.
“See what?”
“Look at this, look. I knew you wouldn’t know anything. Really, you’re always too indifferent to society affairs—that’s your problem.”
Seeing Katrina speak with such pity, Britney blinked her eyes, pretending to be innocent. Katrina opened the magazine.
“This article!”
It was a short but intense piece printed on one side of the magazine.
[The Secret Private Life of a Certain Countess]
The magazine didn’t mention real names, but the constant use of phrases like “Holy Family,” “Family blessed by the Holy Kingdom,” and “Family that guards the Holy Relics” made it clear to anyone that it was the Green family.
“This part, ‘The flower of a certain Ducal family that the entire Elrond continent knows’—it refers to Iris, right? And the ‘Holy Family’ must be the Green family.”
“Ah…….”
“Is it true? Did Iris really marry Count Green? *That* Count Green?”
“Umm…….”
“How can that be? Wasn’t she supposed to marry Viscount Huchis? I heard she liked Viscount Huchis so much that she followed him everywhere?”
“That is true. But… somehow… it just happened….”
She could never admit that Kay had come to find Iris himself to propose.
“Well, a Count is better than a Viscount, after all… and I heard that Iris got some dirt on Count Green and blackmailed him into marrying her.”
“Really? What’s Count Green’s weakness?”
“I don’t know that myself. No, well, this isn’t necessarily the truth… it was just the implication.”
Whenever she spoke with Katrina, Britney made sure to add, “This isn’t necessarily true. I don’t know for sure. It’s just speculation.” That way, she would have an exit strategy if things became problematic later.
“Gosh, how can she be like that? I never thought Iris was that kind of person. She’s truly a scary girl.”
“No, Iris is kind. It must just be a baseless rumor.”
“How could it be? It’s so strange that Count Green suddenly asked Iris to marry him. Besides… they haven’t been married for long, yet she’s already cheating? Wait, no. Since she had that kind of relationship with Viscount Huchis, does that mean she’s cheating on Count Green?”
“Oh, no. Cheating, what are you talking about… but still… I think Viscount Huchis was very hurt. He came by here a little while ago and cried a lot before leaving.”
“I did hear that Viscount Huchis was staying at your mansion… he cried a lot, huh.”
“Yes. It was heartbreaking. I felt sorry for him, too.”
“I bet. But it’s a bit strange.”
Katrina rested her index finger on her chin and tilted her head.
“Why haven’t Count Green and Iris held their wedding ceremony?”
“Hmm… who knows.”
“Ah, maybe the family is against it? They say the old Count Green has a really fastidious personality. Not to mention the old Countess.”
“That might be it….”
“It’s not just ‘might be,’ it’s certain. I saw Jeresien Green at a tea party a while ago.”
“Jeresien Green, you say? The Count’s sister? I heard she doesn’t go to parties often.”
“She seems to attend parties for close friends occasionally. Anyway, I saw her once, and she was terrifying. Truly prickly.”
“Is that so?”
Britney almost burst out laughing, but she barely managed to suppress it. This would do.
Katrina, who was talkative and had many friends, would add her own spice to this story and spread it everywhere. A story told by the daughter of a Marquis would be etched into people’s minds more deeply than anything whispered by the servants of the Green countship.
+++
Old Count Wyvern Green, who had long since passed his title to his son, was sitting in the sun-drenched garden, drinking tea with his wife, Heraina. The leisurely time of the elderly couple was shattered by the arrival of an aide in a hurry.
“You must see this.”
What the aide brought was a newspaper. It was not a paper that Wyvern usually subscribed to. Wyvern read the article the aide pointed to in silence, then handed the paper to Heraina. After reading through the article, Heraina spoke up.
“Have we ever… opposed Kay’s marriage?”
“If I haven’t gone senile and forgotten, I would say no.”
“I suppose so. It’s unlikely that both you and I have gone senile at the same time….”
Heraina folded the newspaper and returned it to the aide. The aide asked with a troubled look.
“Shall I lodge a protest with the newspaper company?”
“A protest? On what grounds?”
Heraina asked back, as if she didn’t understand the reasoning.
“Well… because they printed such baseless rumors as if they were facts.”
“Leave it be. Responding to rumors only makes them appear as the truth.”
“But… even now, people are beginning to believe it’s true.”
“The voices of those who believe are simply louder; there will be many more who do not.”
“That may be, but I am worried. If, by any chance, the article here is the truth….”
Because Heraina’s eyes turned cold, the aide could not finish his sentence.
“I trust that our son is not the kind of child to marry of his own accord without saying a word to his parents. Isn’t that right, dear?”
The aide thought, ‘If it’s your son, he is more than capable of doing exactly that,’ but he obviously kept those words to himself.
+++
Jen’s patience was slowly running thin.
Not only had Kay not returned when he was supposed to be back in a day or two, but an article about the Countess of Green’s affair had even made it into the newspapers.
Being published in a newspaper was a matter on a different level from being in a magazine. Unlike magazine companies that anyone could start and run, a newspaper company could only be established with the government’s permission, such as that of the royal family, the imperial family, or the coalition. In terms of credibility, it far surpassed any magazine.
What made Jen even more annoyed, already on the verge of exploding, was the presence of Gillette Merdi, who had supposedly been Kay’s exclusive maid and was now Rishi’s exclusive maid. With neither Kay nor Rishi at the Green countship, Gillette strutted around as if she were the lady of the house.
“What is everyone doing? The Count is supposed to return before this evening at the latest, and is this the state of the cleaning?”
Jen stepped out into the garden because she felt like spitting out insults if she kept watching Gillette scolding the maids. Just then, Nathan was passing by, spinning a gun on his finger.
“Nathan. What in the world is that woman in there acting like the lady of the house for?”
“Ha, seriously. How many times do I have to say it? Gillette Merdi. Sister-in-law’s exclusive maid!”
Nathan, who had already answered the same question for the 17th time, sounded annoyed.
Chapter 1
I replied with a mixed tone.
“You know that’s not what I meant. Why on earth are you letting her act like that?”
“Then what do you want me to do? Despite how she looks, she’s the Duchess’s maid—you want me to kick her in the backside?”
“You’re good at kicking, aren’t you?”
“Even if it is me, I don’t just go around kicking anyone, you know?”
“You even tried to kick my dad when you were little…”
“You used to kick the old Count when you were little too. You still do it now. Ah, look, look. You’re trying to kick again.”
Nathan nimbly dodged Jen’s kick.
“Hey, the Captain is coming!”
Just then, Wallace shouted as he ran toward the main gate.
Jamie, Eugene, and the other household staff were also heading toward the gate to welcome the Count and his wife.
Jen grabbed the sleeve of Nathan’s coat as he tried to run off.
“Hey, why?”
“Hide!”
“What?”
Jen dragged Nathan and hid their bodies between the garden trees.
“Let go, Jen. I’m going to go greet the Captain and the Duchess, too.”
“Just stay still, for once!”
“Ha, I really don’t get it!”
Jen wanted to see Rishi’s genuine self.
Because there were women who would act coy and pretend to be sweet whenever they were around their husband’s family.
The flower of the Witlow Duchy.
Jen wanted to quietly observe how real that reputation was—which had reached even her ears, despite her lack of interest in high society—and just how delicate a flower this protagonist truly was.
Soon, the figures of Kay and Rishi entered Jen’s sight.
She noticed the newspaper in Rishi’s hand before she noticed Rishi’s face.
Suddenly, Rishi stopped walking in the wide open space of the garden.
The people who had come out to meet them looked at her, wondering what was going on.
Aside from Kay’s shadows, there were few who looked at Rishi with kind eyes.
That was only natural; having been married for such a short time, she had already tarnished the reputation of the master and the house they held in such high regard, so they couldn’t possibly look upon her favorably.
Rishi must have certainly felt the atmosphere in the employees’ gazes.
However, Rishi did not bow her head, nor did she look away.
She scanned the employees with an elegant smile before holding up the newspaper and giving it a light shake.
“I read an interesting article.”
A few of the employees flinched.
Jen was curious about how Rishi would explain the article.
“I.”
Rishi’s gaze stopped at Gillette.
“Trust that the source of this article is not someone from our own household.”
Having said that much, Rishi started walking again as if nothing had happened.
There was no explanation regarding the content of the article.
But seeing her attitude, Jen could tell.
‘The article is a lie.’
Perhaps those present who were sharp-witted had also caught on.
‘And the article leaked from the mouth of someone within this house.’
It was easy to tell whose mouth it had leaked from.
At the very least, Jen, who was watching the scene from a distance, could clearly tell.
Only then did Jen properly take in Rishi’s face.
A fair, small face, perfectly set features, and clear, light purple eyes like jewels.
Her confident appearance as she walked slowly, dressed in masculine attire and staring straight ahead without a hint of hesitation, was etched into Jen’s eyes.
She exuded such a bright light that even the praise of being the flower of the Witlow Duchy felt insufficient.
“How on earth…”
Once they had moved further away, Jen opened her mouth.
“Why would a woman like that marry someone like my brother?”
Nathan frowned and retorted bluntly.
“How would I know that?”