Seraphie had a slight acquaintance with Peonia, thanks to a brief introduction by Orkis after the forced succession trial. But what Seraphie needed wasn’t just a passing acquaintance; she needed a connection close enough to discuss magic without hesitation.
Maybe today, I could plant the seed of that connection.
She had won the cursed forced succession trial; surely, she could forge a proper friendship. Seraphie was confident.
“And the lady beside you is…” Seraphie greeted the woman next to Peonia as well. “You must be Lady Mars, right?”
Lunie, who had been nervously glancing around, was startled. “You know me?”
“Of course,” Seraphie feigned nonchalance as if it was obvious. “When Sir Iris was helping me, he mentioned several times that he had a beautiful fiancée.”
“How embarrassing, really…!” Though she complained about her fiancé being so boastful, Lunie’s face softened into a shy smile.
They were the most genuine couple in the original story.
In the original story, filled with conflicts over stealing each other’s men and even leading to war, Carl and Lunie were the only ones who had a normal, healthy relationship. And Lunie was Peonia’s close friend. There was no reason not to build a connection.
“No wonder Sir Iris bragged about you so much.”
“D-Did he really?” Lunie shyly tucked her pink hair behind her ear. Her rosy cheeks were as endearing as her hair color.
How adorable.
But Lunie was not just a simple, cute lady.
“I tried to visit the shop run by Lady Mars a few times, but it was closed.”
“You tried to visit my shop?”
“It was under construction, though.” Seraphie put on a disappointed expression.
“Countess…!” Lunie covered her own mouth with both hands. “You know about my shop…!” Her voice, brimming with joy, echoed so loudly it could have pierced the boutique’s ceiling.
Seraphie found herself glancing up at the ceiling, which, fortunately, was still intact. But her ears were a bit sore.
“When will it be reopened?”
“S-Soon! Please come by then!”
“Of course.”
“Oh gosh, I can’t believe Countess Vallidus will visit my shop!”
Once again, with a high-pitched voice, Lunie grabbed Seraphie’s hand, tears of joy welling up in her eyes.
…Huh? Is her visit really something to be this happy about?
Seraphie, unable to comprehend Lunie’s reaction, quickly turned to Peonia, her eyes pleading for an explanation.
“It probably doesn’t feel real to you yet.” Peonia smiled lightly at the sight of her excited friend and the bewildered Seraphie. “But now,” Pulling her excited friend closer, Peonia spoke. The slightly upward curve of her lips was just like her brother’s. “Who could ever dare look down on Countess?”
“Duke Felicia seems to still look down on me, though.” Seraphie quickly responded.
“Let’s set my father aside,” Peonia drew a firm line. “The only one in the empire who can control him is my mother.”
“Then I should stay on the duchess’s good side.”
Peonia kindly offered some valuable advice, “In that case, refer to her as ‘Dame’ rather than ‘Duchess.’ She prefers that.”
Seraphie couldn’t help but smile slightly. “But…” Her smile faded as she brought up something that had been bothering her. “There’s something I’m curious about.”
The Land Abandoned by God. The divine treasures found there. Seraphie knew they were valuable, bringing wealth and fame. That’s why she had put so much effort into finding the land before the trial. But she had no real sense of just how valuable they were.
“How significant have I become?”
In the original story, the protagonist, Lillie, made a fortune through The Land Abandoned by God and the divine treasures. But it seemed like there was more to it. Lunie’s reaction earlier and Peonia’s words earlier suggested something unusual. However, recalling how the noble ladies gossiped about her in the boutique, it seemed like that wasn’t the case either.
“…”
“…”
Peonia and Lunie’s expressions turned awkward as if they had just heard something absurd.
“…That,” Peonia said seriously, “You’ll soon realize it to the point of being overwhelmed.”
And Seraphie quickly understood what she meant.
* * *
It was a few days later.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning, Master!”
Seraphie was in a great mood as she was greeted by the loyal employees.
Being noble certainly has its perks. But still, her desire to return to her original world was still strong.
“Where would you like your breakfast to be served?”
“We’ve also prepared the newspapers you requested.”
“Master, the outfit you ordered has arrived!”
“Look at this. The gardeners brought flowers!”
The devotion, kindness, and sincere care of her employees, who attended to her every morning, were incredibly comforting.
Indeed, people need power and money. Though, this wasn’t how she wanted to learn that lesson.
Sipping fragrant tea with bittersweet feelings, Seraphie admired the vibrant garden outside the window. Just then, small birds fluttered down to the water basin near the window. Drinking tea after breakfast while enjoying the view of the garden—this was Seraphie’s favorite moment.
“Master.”
While watching the little birds bathe,
“The letters have arrived.”
The butler approached with an overflowing silver tray of letters. Seraphie’s peaceful moment ended just like that.
“…Again?”
Seraphie frowned as she put down her teacup. Sensing her displeasure, the butler also looked uneasy.
“The number of letters keeps increasing day by day.” Seraphie’s expression wasn’t bright as she glanced at the tray. “And I told you not to bring letters during breakfast.”
“But your breakfast is over, isn’t it?” the butler pointed to the clean plates on the table.
“…You’re too good at your job,” Seraphie, having nothing more to say, sighed briefly and walked past the butler. “There’s nothing attractive about a man who only works well.”
“I was quite famous in my youth,” the butler replied skillfully.
“Hmph, who would believe that?”
The bickering between the master and the butler had become a new routine at the Vallidus mansion.
Seraphie entered her study and sat down. “Is that all the letters?”
“That’s everything that came this morning.” Seraphie’s voice was filled with exhaustion as she muttered.
I’m so busy that I could die. Damned nobles.
Sitting at her desk, Seraphie waved the butler away. The butler bowed politely and left, and Seraphie, now alone, sighed deeply as she picked up the top letter. It was an invitation from a noble family she had never heard of.
“Trash.”
She tossed it into the wastepaper basket beside her desk. Several letters met the same fate, while only a few remained on the desk.
“Oh.”
Seraphie’s hand paused as she was sorting through the letters.
“They sent another one.”
With a frustrated sigh, she ran a hand through her hair. Her fingers caught on the white pearl accessory that Marine had carefully placed there, but she didn’t have the time to worry about that.
I’m getting sick of this. Fame, my foot.
Seraphie painfully realized the meaning behind what Peonia had said not long ago.
My reputation is just an empty shell. She had made a significant impression on the nobles, but without any real achievements, she was still looked down upon.
A young noble who had abandoned her father but whose skills were still in question. An inexperienced noble who owned The Land Abandoned by God yet needed the support of a ducal family.
Seraphie, who had yet to demonstrate any outstanding abilities, was a tempting prey for the nobles, and the flood of letters she received daily was proof of that. Everyone was trying to create ties with her to gain some advantage. Especially…
A marriage proposal? Seriously? In her hand was a yellow envelope sealed with a rose crest.
Seraphie was receiving daily marriage proposals from someone she didn’t even know. Compared to this, invitations to tea parties and other gatherings seemed modest. Ever since she won the forced succession trial, she had been receiving these letters daily, to the point where just seeing them was driving her crazy.
Baron Katio. He was one of the Crown Prince’s close aides.
* * *
On the night Seraphie returned from the trial, the butler brought her a yellow letter before she went to bed.
“Which family sent this?”
“Judging by the seal, it’s likely from the Katio family.”
“…They want to marry me?”
Both Seraphie, who read the letter, and the butler, who heard its contents, frowned deeply.
“Should I use this as kindling?”
“It would be perfect for that.”
Of course, Seraphie didn’t forget to write a polite reply, filled with insincere humility about focusing on her family and personal shortcomings. But even before and after she sent her reply, the Katio family continued to send her proposals.
If marriage was too much, how about an engagement?
What does our son lack?
We’ll support you in many ways.
The increasingly persistent letters became Seraphie’s biggest headache. But the name of the family sounded strangely familiar, so she reluctantly looked up the information she had written about the original story. And as expected,
They’re the cronies of the crown prince!
In the original story, the Crown Prince had three extremely loyal friends; one of them was from this family.
“…Sigh.”
With a complicated sigh, Seraphie left the office. This ridiculous situation only hinted at the difficult path she had ahead of her.
This won’t do.
She needed to use the original story to buy time and gather high-quality information, but she couldn’t afford to be held back by these damned marriage proposals.
It’s putting the cart before the horse.
TL/N: It’s an idiom that means to do things in the wrong order. Basically, it’s saying that Seraphie focused too much on the marriage proposals instead of returning to her original world.
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