Mireyu had been on edge since morning. It was because Estelle was visiting Royam Mansion today.
‘What on earth are you planning?’
In the meantime, Mireyu secretly asked Hessen, listening to everything that happened with Estelle and trying to figure out Estelle’s intentions. But Estelle did nothing. However, Mireyu’s surroundings began to change little by little. Hessen, who said he did not talk much with Duchess Blanchett, praised Estelle.
‘Mireyu, you have a very good friend.’
Queen Isabella also did not recognize Mireyu’s feelings and only treated her more harshly.
‘I’m glad things worked out well. However, since she showed her good heart like this, there should be no more mistakes. Do you understand?’
Because of this, Mireyu couldn’t sleep easily every night. When she managed to fall asleep, she would wake up screaming from a nightmare. Mireyu bit her nails nervously. It’s a habit from her childhood that she barely gave up.
‘It can’t go on like this.’
As she walked, a flower pot got caught at Mireyu’s feet and broke with a loud noise. The maids around her were startled and ran to Mireyu.
“Oh my, Miss Mireyu. Are you okay?”
“Who put the flower pot in a place like this? You almost got hurt!”
Her maids looked surprised for a moment, but Mireyu, with her irritation rising, only made a fuss at the maids.
“Put it away quickly! Is it possible to properly serve guests like this? “If I behave like this again, I know I’ll be kicked out of this mansion!”
As Mireyu disappeared, her maids looked puzzled.
“Why was she like that? She wasn’t usually like that.”
Mireyu was a young lady who treated them kindly no matter what happened. That’s why they were very embarrassed by Mireyu’s new appearance.
“Is she feeling nervous because it’s before her wedding?”
“Well. Although it may be so. Do you know what else?”
The maid who was quietly cleaning up the broken flower pot whispered lowly.
“She used to be like that, but she might have been hiding it.”
“No way…”
“You can’t do anything until you get married. So you too be careful. Don’t be nearby without notice and see blood.”
And so, strange stories about Mireyu, who was as kind as an angel, began to emerge from Royam Mansion.
* * *
Royal Royam held a banquet to apologize to her. The entire Royam villa was decorated as a large banquet hall. Queen Isabella, who heard of her arrival, welcomed her graciously.
“Hello, Duchess Blanchett.”
“Hello, King Royam.”
Queen Isabella had a very strong impression, as her nickname, the Iron Queen, suggested.
‘It reminds me of Patricia.’
She looks very picky and strict like Patricia, but at the same time, she also gives off a hunter-like vibe like the Diana they saw before.
“It’s a small banquet, but it was prepared solely for Duchess Blanchett. I hope it will be a banquet that will please my lady.”
Despite being considered simple, the Royam banquet seemed to have been prepared with considerable effort.
‘Are you doing that because you’re thankful that I let it go so easily?’
But at that time, the Crown Prince of Hesse left in a very happy mood.
‘Hello, Duchess Blanchett. My name is Reuham, Crown Prince of Reuum of Hesse. I heard that you had a hard time because of your fiancé’s rudeness.’
The Crown Prince of Hesse came to the Blanchett family with a very polite face. He even handed them a list of compensation he thought they deserved.
‘Wouldn’t it be too much to strip Princess Diana of her knighthood?’
‘She has been rude to a knight, and she must take responsibility for it as well.’
‘It says that additional compensation will be given in addition to the compensation promised. What kind of compensation are you saying?’
‘…That’s literally it. Since we, the Kingdom of Royam, have decided to cover Baron Jutti’s compensation, please tell us what compensation Duchess Blanchett wishes for. However, I only ask that it be of a scale that the Kingdom of Royam can handle.’
Hessen had a very dark expression. He had the confidence that I would ask for a lot.
‘This is too much compensation.’
But she had no intention of doing so from the beginning.
‘What you’ve given me so far is enough. The more compensation I receive, the more worried I become.’
She deliberately pretended to care about Mireyu and received her compensation in moderation.
‘I’m afraid there will be unnecessary harm to Mireyu. What happened between the two became too much.’
‘Are you saying you will forgive Mireyu?’
‘Forgiveness, she never hated him or thought bad of him. I think there was a misunderstanding while we were apart for a while, but she is still my only friend.’
The reason she acted that way was simple. What was important to her now was not compensation from King Royam.
‘Rather…’
Her purpose was to completely uncover the truth of what Mireyu was doing, who was spreading evil rumors about her.
‘There’s definitely no way Mireyu did it alone. There must be someone behind her.’
Otherwise, it would be impossible to spread a rumor that would be believed by the entire imperial social community. Queen Isabella chatted with me a few times and then left to greet her other guests.
‘It looks like they invited a lot of people to make it more formal.’
As she walked around, looking at the other nobles walking around the banquet. As if it was a lie, she saw the person she was looking for in front. Mireyu was dressed up in a gorgeous purple dress. But her rich purple dress made Mireyu’s pale face look more like a corpse, as if she was having a nightmare.
“Ah, Mireyu.”
She smiled brightly and held Mireyu’s hand, which was as hard as stone. Mireyu greeted awkwardly.
“Hello, Duchess Blanchett.”
“Don’t call me that in a pitiful way.”
Looking at Mireyu’s awkward reaction, she drooped her eyebrows as if she was upset.
“Or are you really angry at me because of this?”
“…uh?”
“Sorry. I should have stopped John more strongly. After all, this is causing trouble in your marriage, right? Or something happened with your fiancé…”
Even if they pretended not to, the nobles around them were watching her and Mireyu closely.
‘It will be a very interesting sight.’
Mireyu looked at the nobles around her out of the corner of her eye and quickly answered.
“That’s not true, Estelle. There is nothing wrong with our marriage.”
“Really?”
“My relationship with Hessen is still good. The ceremony will proceed as scheduled. This is all thanks to you forgiving me.”
She looked closely at Mireyu’s face, who was trying to look as calm as possible. It seemed like she was trying to hide it with fancy makeup, but she could feel the fatigue that she couldn’t hide.
‘Are you afraid of what I might do?’
Now was the time to let them know what would happen. She hugged Mireyu as if she was moved. Her eyes also became red as if she was happy that the misunderstanding had been resolved. And then she whispered something into her ear.
“Then can I blow it up?”
As she whispered, she naturally raised her head. Then Mireyu, who ran into her, forced a bright smile and pretended not to have heard anything.
“What did you mean just now?”
“I don’t know?”
“My God. You didn’t hear. Now that I think about it, I think there are too many people here for two people to have a private conversation.”
The nobles who had been overhearing their conversation turned their gazes. But they were still focused on their voices.
Mireyu pressed her shoulder tightly and whispered lowly. Her face was still smiling.
“What are your intentions?”
“I just want to help you. It would be difficult if you misunderstood something like that.”
“What is the misunderstanding-”
“Then tell me everything?”
She raised her voice slightly enough for the other nobles to hear.
“You are actually the bastard son of Baron Jutti-”
“Ok, fine!”
Mireyu forcibly clapped her hands and raised her voice.
“Hessen’s study is right on the second floor. I think it would be perfect for the two of us to resolve any misunderstandings there. How is it?”
Mireyu’s hazelnut-colored eyes wavered. She rolled the corners of her eyes and smiled.
“I like it too.”
* * *
Mireyu hurriedly took Estelle and entered Hessen’s study.
Bang!
She closed the door roughly and after seeing that no one was there, she asked Estelle as if Mireyu was urging her.
“What do you want?”
But Estelle did not answer right away.
She asked, standing in front of the wine cabinet as she looked around Hesse’s study with an annoyingly leisurely pace.
“I guess your fiancé likes wine.”
Hessen’s hobby was collecting wine. So she often spent intimate moments drinking wine with Hessen. Estelle took out a wine from the wine cabinet and smiled brightly.
“There are just two wine glasses, and some good wine. How about we make a toast like this?”
“Stop talking nonsense and tell me your true feelings. Why do you keep threatening me with such nonsense?”
“Why are you so angry?”
Estelle tilted her head as if she couldn’t understand Mireyu’s reaction.
“Are you afraid that I might expose the story that you are an illegitimate child?”
“…”
“Don’t worry. If I had tried to expose it, I would have done it a long time ago. Why did I save it until now?”
Hearing her soft voice, Mireyu finally regained her composure.
“…That was it.”
Mireyu herself, who tried to ascertain what her purpose was, was foolish. If there was only one thing Estelle wanted, there would be only one thing.
“It looks like you’re trying to get revenge on me just because you caught one of my weaknesses, right?”
Estelle sat down on Hessen’s desk and looked at Mireyu.
Dreamy white-blonde hair that glows pink under the office lights, and delicate, sweet features. Estelle, looking at herself in silence, was as beautiful as a painstakingly crafted doll. At first glance she seemed like a real noblewoman.
‘It’s annoying.’
Mireyu hated Estelle from the moment she first met her. She was an adopted commoner, without the slightest trace of noble blood, and looked much more believable than Mireyu.
Standing in front of Estelle, Mireyu felt like she was her bridesmaid.
“So, are you feeling refreshed inside? To make fun of other people’s secrets?”
“…”
“You know how I feel because you’ve had a hard time too. What a big secret it is to be an illegitimate child. I understand that we are in the same situation.”
“Couldn’t you have passed on?”
Tears fell from Mireyu’s eyes as she felt wronged.
“Mireyu.”
But Estelle’s expression was not disturbed at all.
“Don’t be mistaken.”
“…”
“That would have worked before you sold me out and belittled me. Did you understand me that way, turning me into an evil woman who tormented you and even scarred you?”
“That…!”
Mireyu clenched the hem of her skirt with her fist.
“I couldn’t help it. What could I have done, being the illegitimate child of poor Baron Jutti?”
Baron Jutti enlisted his illegitimate daughter, Mireyu, for her marriage. So she had to marry into the best family possible to help her poor family. However, Mireyu did not have her outstanding beauty, her talents that made others notice, or her abilities that made her stand out. Estelle was such a great opportunity for Mireyu. If it weren’t for Estelle, Mireyu wouldn’t have been able to stand out like that.
“My parents care about me, but that’s only because they think I’ll get married well. So I will do whatever it takes…”
“So.”
Estelle slowly got up from her seat. One step at a time, Estelle walked towards Mireyu. Mireyu shook her shoulders.
‘Why?’
Estelle was thinner and shorter than Mireyu. However, as she stood in front of Estelle, she felt an unknown sense of fear. As if she was cornered.
“I need to understand you?”
“Well, but in the end, everything turned out well for you!”
Mireyu shouted, taking a step back from her.
“Blanchett… you married a duke, you’re a rich duchess, so you’re doing well. If you’re doing well like that, don’t you think you can let go of the past?”
The more she spoke, the more mortified Mireyu became. That girl was born with a pretty face without any effort and even married the Duke of Blanchett. She even seemed to easily capture Hessen’s heart, which Mireyu had been trying hard to achieve.
“There is only one thing I wish for! But why are you trying to take away even the last one?”
Estelle, who was quietly looking at Mireyu, suddenly smiled brightly.
“Okay, I heard you right. I will never reveal your secret.”
“You will expose it… No?”
“No, so don’t worry.”
Mireyu asked with a suspicious look in her eyes.
“Why?”
“Why would you do that?”
At that moment, she swung the wine Estelle was holding towards the wall.
Clink-!
Shards of wine were scattered on the office floor. Estelle’s white dress was stained with red wine here and there. After seeing her outfit with satisfaction, Estelle threw the wine she was holding on the floor and shook off her hands.
“You, you’re crazy! What is this all of a sudden in someone else’s house?”
“What’s new?”
Estelle, completely covered in red wine, smiled.
“I wasn’t this kind of person you were talking about?”
Mireyu blinked her eyes blankly. Estelle passed by Mireyu with her elegant smile on her face.
“So I’ll do as you said.”
“…”
“Like a Libertan villainess.”
And she suddenly opened the door. Several people who were enjoying the banquet came running to the noise of the glass breaking. Among them was Mireyu’s fiancé, the Crown Prince of Hesse.
Mireyu’s face brightened.
“Hessen-!”
But Estelle’s sad voice came first.
“Mireyu, how could you treat me-”
Estelle suddenly covered her face with her hands and her shoulders shook as if she were shedding tears. She stumbled as she walked through the crowd of people. Hessen asked as he held Estelle, who looked like she was about to collapse.
“Is something wrong?”
“Ah, Crown Prince.”
Estelle lowered her gentle eyes and her eyes filled with tears. There was great sadness in his large, sparkling navy blue eyes.
“Mi, Mireyu- no.”
She cried, wiping the wine off her hands as if she was ashamed of Estelle.
“Sorry. It’s all my fault.”
Estelle, who unknowingly squinted at Mireyu, covered her face. Hessen took out her handkerchief and wiped Estelle and she asked Mireyu.
“Mireyu. What is going on?”
Estelle was intoxicated with wine. And Mireyu, dressed decently. The perpetrator seemed obvious to anyone. Mireyu was so shocked that her immediate words did not come out. She knew everything about the situation, and even in her own eyes, Estelle seemed like the perfect victim. The red wine that splattered all over her body did not make Estelle ugly, but only made her more pitiful and beautiful.
If Mireyu feels this way, other people will do so as well.
“Hessen, this is all Estelle-”
“Mireyu. I understand you but…”
Estelle bowed her head, gratefully accepting the Hessian handkerchief.
“I think today is a bit difficult. Let’s talk again later.”
Estelle ran away in a pitiful manner, leaving Mireyu alone in that situation.
A smile appeared on Estelle’s lips as she ran away from Royam Mansion.
‘Did you think you were the only one capable of lying?’
Because of Mireyu, Estelle always had to explain things she didn’t do. She had to say something even if no one believed her.
‘Now it’s your turn.’
—————————————————————
Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
If you like my work please support me with Ko-fi or Patreon. Next post will be released on May, 24.
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