Chapter 24
“How do you feel, Miss? Should we deliver it to the Count’s house in this condition?”
“Yes.”
Yulia, who had arrived at the jewelry store with Lucy, had made her decision without a second thought. She felt that there was no real need to worry about the ring’s design or which jewels to use. What difference would it make, after all, what dress she wore or what ring she wore for a marriage she had no choice in?
“Miss, since we’re out already, how about we visit the new tea shop?”
“A tea shop?”
“Yes! They have tea from the Ina region, famous for its black tea, with over twenty different kinds, all infused with various fragrances. Oh, and there’s a new candy shop too, selling lollipops the size of a child’s face! Let’s go see them too!”
Having quickly completed her task, Lucy suggested they take a look around the shopping district. While she was likely curious about the newly opened stores, it also seemed like she wanted to help Yulia, who appeared particularly down.
“Don’t you like black tea or candy?” Lucy asked, her tone gently urging Yulia to lift her spirits.
“I do like them,” Yulia replied quietly.
“Good! Then let’s go to the tea shop first. If we eat something sweet and drink tea afterward, we won’t enjoy the taste properly,” Lucy said cheerfully.
“Alright.”
Although Yulia truly felt like lying down in bed and staying home, she agreed to go along with Lucy’s suggestion.
Her father, who understood her moods, would look away in apology whenever he saw her sadness. As for the others, they seemed to assume her marriage was one of love and didn’t notice the weight of the reality she faced. In this situation, Lucy’s care for her was incredibly thoughtful.
Cayente might not have chosen the best for her in many ways, but he had chosen well when it came to the maid who stayed by her side.
“Miss! Smell this tea. It really smells like blueberries!”
“Really?”
In addition to her thoughtfulness, Lucy’s excitement about trying new teas and the experience of tasting them actually helped lift Yulia’s spirits. She especially liked the tea with a blend of peach and strawberry flavors, so much so that she used some of her pocket money to buy it.
“That’s not as small as they said it would be. It’s bigger than I expected.”
“But it still covers more than half of your face,” Lucy teased.
As Yulia opened her wallet to buy a lollipop for Lucy, she felt a slight relief, as if her usual mood was returning.
“I’m not eating this one,” Yulia said, holding up the oversized lollipop.
“Afraid to break it?”
“Not really, but this is the first gift you gave me. I want to keep it safe.”
“There’s no need to treasure such candy. Don’t worry, I can buy as many as you want. Enjoy it,” Lucy said, waving off Yulia’s sentiment.
“Well then, let’s share it on the carriage ride back, Miss,” Lucy suggested.
“Okay.”
Despite her efficiency in work, Lucy was still innocent in some ways, and it was cute how she was amazed by even the smallest things. Spending time with Lucy made Yulia feel like she was a child again, and she was able to laugh and talk freely for the first time in a while.
As they turned a corner near the carriage depot, Yulia’s mood shifted. The street seemed unusually noisy, with loud voices and a crowd gathering.
“What’s going on?”
“There seems to have been a fight. Miss, please follow me this way,” Lucy said quickly, trying to avoid any danger to Yulia by walking around the crowd toward the carriage depot.
Curiosity got the better of Yulia, and she turned her head slightly to see what was going on. At the center of the commotion stood someone familiar, and she couldn’t help but stop in her tracks.
“Daike? Daike!” Yulia called out.
It was indeed Daike, the butler of the baron’s household, standing there. Yulia immediately pushed her way through the crowd, realizing that the fight wasn’t just about a random scuffle—Daike had grabbed someone by the collar, and that someone was none other than Lord Mullen.
“Daike! Let go! What are you doing?” Yulia shouted.
As she moved forward to stop Daike, a woman standing next to Lord Mullen shouted at her.
“Ah, here comes the lady herself. Do something about this! We haven’t been making up things!”
“Making things up? Daike, what’s going on? What have you heard to make you act like this?” Yulia demanded.
“It’s a well-known rumor! Why are we the only ones being treated like this?” Daike’s voice was rising with anger.
“A rumor? Daike, let’s put this aside and talk, okay?”
Yulia asked, confused about the rumors that had made Daike so furious, but Daike wouldn’t listen. He continued to shout even louder.
“Is that what they’re saying? How dare they say such things about our lady! I’ll go after those who started this and teach them a lesson!”
Daike’s rage had taken over, and he didn’t seem to care about anything else. Lucy, fearing things would escalate further, quickly stepped back.
“I’ll go get help!” Lucy said urgently.
“Daike! Please!” Yulia pleaded, but Lucy was already rushing off.
Yulia, now focusing entirely on Daike, tried to reason with him.
“Daike, let’s calm down. Okay? The person you’re confronting… they’re a noble.”
For nearly two years, Yulia had seen Daike as someone who was always in control. Yet, today, he seemed almost unrecognizable in his fury.
“Lord Mullen, please forgive the rudeness of our butler. Daike, let go of him now. Please,” Yulia said with a pained voice.
When she finally managed to pull Daike’s hands off Mullen, the latter straightened his cravat, gritting his teeth in anger.
“How dare your butler do this! The Luper Barony truly is a disgrace. I almost fell for that innocent face and let my guard down… How dare he grab my collar? I’ll make sure he spends his life rotting in prison!”
“I apologize, Lord Mullen. There must have been a misunderstanding, but I will make sure our butler receives proper discipline so this never happens again.”
“Discipline? From such a family? And what misunderstanding? This man suddenly grabbed me by the collar!”
“Daike, why did you do this?” Yulia asked, bewildered.
“Miss…” Daike muttered, still too angry to speak fully.
As things began to settle down, the bystanders slowly dispersed, and the woman who had been standing next to Mullen whispered something in his ear, her eyes flashing with a mocking smile.
“I suppose it’s only natural for someone from such a family to get along with their butler, right?”
“Well, I’m glad that’s all it was. If that same skill that conquered Count Clue had been used on this butler, it would be a blessing in disguise.”
“Such a man!” she sneered.
“Daike!” Yulia said sharply.
Daike had tried to hide his feelings, but Yulia could overhear the “rumors” that had led to this confrontation.
“They say Count Clue went to visit the Laperos family on his first day back from La Roche?”
“I didn’t… I didn’t know Count Clue had even returned to the Empire,” Daike replied.
“That’s the rumor, at least. They say you used old connections to get close to Count Clue, and you seduced him into spending the night. You turned him into your own man using your extraordinary skills, despite him saying he wasn’t interested in women.”
Yulia’s heart sank. The gossip about her had turned into something far more hurtful than she could have imagined. Her hand tightened around the reins of control, but inside, everything was unraveling.
“Miss, don’t mind this. It’s just a silly rumor someone envious of you spread.”
Daike desperately tried to defend her, but Yulia wasn’t angry.
“If only that rumor were true, Daike,” Yulia whispered.
“Miss? What do you mean?”
If the rumor had been true, if she really had conquered Cayente’s heart in a week, she would have felt empowered, maybe even proud. But instead, Cayente remained indifferent, and the reality of her position only stung more.
“I wish it had been true.”
