Decided To Become A Bad Wife

Chapter 41

Susan, who had rushed out to greet Ailen, looked like a badly bruised apple. Her flushed cheeks contrasted sharply with the awkward, twisted smile on her face, which looked as if she had bitten into sand.

The maid standing before Susan repeatedly bowed her head in apology, as if failing to bring Ailen had been her fault.

“I-I’m sorry, my lady.”

“Did Ailen tell you to inform me she would come directly to Roman’s Tailor?”

“Yes… Yes, my lady. She also mentioned that an important guest had arrived at the Count’s residence, so she might be slightly delayed.”

The fact that Ailen had said this meant she intended to introduce someone to Susan openly. Seeing Susan’s growing agitation, I quickly grabbed her hand to calm her.

*‘How dare she send back the carriage I sent? Who could possibly be more important to her than me…?’*

As expected, Ailen lacked subtlety. There were countless excuses she could have used, but she chose to relay her message verbatim, provoking Susan’s anger.

I needed to prepare the groundwork in advance, ensuring that their first meeting began as something fateful.

“It seems Miss Ailen plans to introduce you to someone important, my lady.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Startled, she turned to me, and I whispered into her ear.

“I mentioned before that Miss Ailen might secretly be in a relationship, didn’t I?”

“If she had such a secret, then…”

“You’re right. And today, she intends to share that secret with you first.”

“…”

Susan’s green eyes, which had been trembling with anger, sank heavily. While the idea of her friend confiding a secret brought relief, the thought that Ailen might have started dating before her sparked unease.

“Let’s go, my lady. We should go and congratulate Miss Ailen on her relationship.”

I affectionately linked arms with Susan, and she muttered as she hesitantly followed me.

“Y-Yes, we should.”

It had only been a week since I left the dreary duchy after getting married, and I eagerly looked out the window, feigning interest in the sights of the capital. My actual motive, however, was to avoid Susan’s face, which alternated between red and pale.

The other reason was to stop her from spiraling into unnecessary thoughts.

‘What if Aileen really does have a lover?’

‘Should I force myself to congratulate her? I don’t think I’ll be able to say the words…’

‘My sister-in-law’s intuition could be wrong. No, it must be wrong. How many times has she even met Ailen to come up with such nonsense?’

Exhausted by Susan’s endless cycle of worry, I grabbed her hand and steered the conversation.

“My lady, what’s that vibrant brick-lined street over there?”

“Sister-in-law, are you seriously asking because you don’t know?”

“Yes, my lady.”

“That’s Bayton Guild.”

“The hub of the Edmond Merchant Association, Bayton Guild?”

“That’s right. Don’t tell me… this is your first time seeing it?”

“Yes…”

In my past life, I had never set foot outside the duchy. I had only ever heard of the Bayton Guild in passing and knew it was owned by the Edmond Merchant Association.

Attending my brother’s funeral hadn’t even been an option for me. How could I have ever dared to dream of going out?

“…It’s truly magnificent.”

Without realizing it, I let out an exclamation, and Susan’s expression brightened once again.

“When you say it like that, Sister-in-law, you really sound like such a country bumpkin.”

“You’re not wrong. After all, it’s only been a week since I arrived in the capital.”

“That’s true, now that you mention it. Haha.”

If this lightened Susan’s mood, then it was a relief. Soon enough, I would fade completely from her thoughts.

“Welcome, Duchess Edmond. Lady Edmond.”

The staff of Roman’s Tailor welcomed us warmly. They seemed pleased enough by the mere fact that the Duke of Edmond had not accompanied us.

Despite their efforts to win Susan’s favor by presenting her with the finest fabrics and accessories, it seemed insufficient to shake her distracted state.

“Where is Lady Edmond?”

“She is in the Diamond Room on the second floor, Lady Blanche.”

It seemed my effort to accompany Susan as a porter paid off, as the tailor’s staff quickly recognized Ailen and guided her to the second floor.

While selecting her dress, Susan kept glancing toward the door. When she finally saw Ailen enter with a man, she gripped my hand tightly.

‘What do I do now? Ailen really came with a man.’

Fearing Susan might start crying, I quickly stepped forward to warmly greet Ailen.

“Welcome, Miss Ailen. And who might this gentleman be?”

The man she had brought was more impressive than I had expected. He was tall and carried an air of masculinity with his pale complexion contrasting sharply against his dark hair. Though his slightly drooping eyes gave him a somber appearance, the deep purple hue of his irises was undeniably captivating.

“Duchess, hello. This is Marquis Eden. Marquis, please greet the Duchess of Edmond first,” Ailen said with a bright smile as she subtly stepped aside to present him.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Duchess Edmond. I am Elliott Eden, Marquis of Eden.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Marquis.”

As he politely kissed the back of my hand, his gaze unmistakably shifted toward Susan. Not wanting to be outdone by Ailen, I quickly stepped aside, pulling Susan forward.

“And this is Lady Susan Edmond, the sister of the Duke of Edmond.”

“It is an honor to meet you, Lady Edmond.”

“…It’s a pleasure to meet you, Marquis Eden.”

His kiss on Susan’s hand seemed almost indecently lingering, and her flushed cheeks were quite the sight. It seemed I wouldn’t have to make much effort to pair the two. Susan’s eyes were already full of Elliott.

Exchanging a brief glance with Ailen, I gestured for the tailor’s staff to approach.

“Has the work on my dress begun yet?”

“Yes, Duchess.”

“There’s a fabric I’d like to review. Could you show it to me for a moment?”

“Of course, Duchess. Would you follow me, please?”

“Miss Ailen, why don’t you come with me?”

“Yes, Duchess.”

Hoping that the now-empty Diamond Room would be ablaze with sparks of love, I quietly exited with Ailen.

—

Among the many establishments on Bayton Guild Street, Finn’s accessory shop was particularly close to Roman’s Tailor. From his office, Stefan had been watching the Edmond family carriage arrive through the window. He then shifted to another window for a view of the Diamond Room, opera glasses in hand.

“Since Lady Susan couldn’t get her dress fitted yesterday, I thought I’d arrange a fitting for tomorrow at Roman’s Tailor,” Rachel had requested.

At her request, Stefan had reserved the Diamond Room early that morning, sending Finn to ensure it was ready and giving the head tailor, Gray, the day off—all without Rachel’s knowledge.

Stefan’s philosophy was simple: nip any irritants in the bud, even when he knew his feelings toward Rachel were rooted in possessiveness.

As Rachel entered the Diamond Room, she busily tended to Susan as if she were deeply sorry for her missing her fitting. In truth, Susan had stormed out of frustration over her brother’s jealousy, but Rachel played the part perfectly.

Watching from afar, Stefan’s mood soured at Susan’s sulky demeanor.

‘Here her sister-in-law is taking such good care of her, yet she doesn’t even look grateful. Tsk…’

As Stefan furrowed his brow, Ailen entered the Diamond Room.

‘Who’s the man accompanying Lady Blanche?’

With his sharp memory for faces, Stefan never forgot anyone he had been introduced to—a skill that had proven essential in business.

‘I’ve never seen him around the capital before…’

A creeping sense of unease began to gnaw at Stefan, and then, the stranger knelt before Rachel, not to kiss her hand but to look up at her with fiery eyes.

Stefan had seen enough. Tossing his opera glasses aside, he stormed out of his office. Another person to deal with had just been added to his list, following that pesky tailor.

As Stefan made his way to Roman’s Tailor, Rachel and Ailen stepped out of the room, their timing almost too perfect to be coincidental.

“D-Duke, what brings you here?”

“Everything you requested has been prepared, Your Grace…”

Startled by Stefan’s furious demeanor, the tailor’s staff tried desperately to placate him, but none could stop him.

Taking long strides up the stairs, Stefan flung open the door to the Diamond Room and roared:

“Who the hell are you?”