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Chapter 63
“Ah, no, I….”
“There’s no need to refuse.”
When I turned my gaze, I saw a girl frozen awkwardly and a man looming over her.
“Although Miss Lenore is excessively large in build, with a plain face, and utterly devoid of the charm a woman ought to have….”
Miss Lenore?
I had been stunned by his relentless way of speaking, but then I recalled the eldest daughter of the Rayeur family—the one Princess Irene had brought along—that I had glimpsed at the banquet.
‘Wait, is that guy seriously saying that to the eldest daughter of the Rayeur family?!’
To the eldest daughter of one of the three great houses of the Ramsus Empire?!
‘What the hell is this guy thinking? Is he the Crown Prince or something?’
My confusion was quickly resolved.
“That’s fine. The Artu Marquis family is capable of graciously accepting even a lady with that character.”
He had voluntarily revealed this himself.
‘…The Artu Marquis family? A lady of the house??’
Oh my god, that madman is none other than the spoiled son of the rotten Marquis Artu, the junior marquis!
‘No, this is even worse than dealing with the Crown Prince.’
Normally, if it were the Crown Prince, at least the ranks would match.
But this was some bat-like cad from a minor branch of a family aligned alternately with the new or old Godwin factions, all vying for the next Duke of Godwin.
‘And that junior marquis has a terrible reputation!’
After Penelope got into trouble and was dragged off, Amia had voluntarily fed me a string of rumors about the Artu family.
As the granddaughter of Count Redian, the second-in-command of the old Godwin faction, the quality of Amia’s intel was exceptional.
‘Three incidents where the noble lady was harmed and the family had to intervene, and countless crimes against ordinary citizens—harassment, assault, threats—so much that he even earned the late Duke’s ire…’
That was why even Norman Godwin didn’t nominate the junior marquis but chose Penelope instead. At least she had no public criminal record.
I muttered to myself, The Marquis Artu really failed at raising children… and flinched.
One child was dead, and the marquis himself had been killed.
Even recalling that the marquis’s daughter had almost killed me, and that the marquis himself had likely been an accomplice and instigator, the chill I felt did not dissipate.
There is an eerie unease that the dead leave behind for the living.
It makes one hesitate unconsciously, no matter what the dead’s family may have done.
‘…That bastard!’
And I realized immediately.
If even I, hostile to the Artu family, hesitate like this, how much more lenient will others be toward the junior marquis, those who are not his enemies?
‘And the late Duke couldn’t have done a thing.’
No matter what the Artu marquis did at this banquet, no matter that his daughter nearly attempted an assassination in her nature, the marquis and his daughter were dead.
Thus, all sins were effectively erased. In fact, this even garnered sympathy votes, benefiting the Artu family.
The sins departed with the dead.
The old Godwin faction would cautiously handle the Artu family like a persistent sore, and the junior marquis would inherit the Artu estate in a clean state.
No one could stop him, no one could touch him.
Now—this moment—is perfect for making a move.
Even if it’s utterly unreasonable!
“Now that I am the head of the family, I can choose my wife without any pressure from the household.”
For example, proposing to the eldest daughter of the Rayeur family, one of the three great houses of the Ramsus Empire.
The junior marquis Artu winked and offered Lenore a freshly picked flower from the garden.
“I wish to grant that glorious opportunity to Miss Lenore first.”
…Has that bastard really gone insane?!
Logically, I understood the situation, but emotionally, I was furious.
He was putting pressure on a woman by portraying himself as a pitiable figure.
‘Disgusting.’
The familiarity of the scenario made it even more infuriating.
A returning student hitting on a freshman might at least get called out or shamed in school, but the junior marquis Artu, orphaned and having lost his sister, couldn’t be touched.
“Junior Marquis, I’m sorry but…”
Even the eldest daughter of the Rayeur family hesitated due to the pressure of the situation, cautiously refusing…
“Ah, no need to apologize to the other women.”
Unfortunately, her opponent was too outrageous.
“In my eyes, Miss Lenore is more than sufficient.”
“…”
Has that insane bastard truly lost his mind?
If calculated rationally, Princess Irene appeared as an enemy to Harris (and indirectly to me).
So having them deal with someone like the junior marquis Artu, whom we can’t confront directly, isn’t entirely bad…
‘…Not entirely bad my ass! Just looking at him makes me want to smash him!’
I would destroy him!
The junior marquis Artu’s plan was simple.
‘Seduce the woman.’
His father had coaxed him before death.
For the sake of the objective, seduce the woman.
The only thing that changed was who he needed to seduce.
Of course, he mourned his father. The foolish sister was no longer a concern for dowry, which was fortunate.
Now, all of his mother’s inheritance was his.
‘But it’s not enough.’
To restore the Artu family, and to find the real culprit who killed his father and sister, he needed more wealth and power.
And in the junior marquis Artu’s eyes, the perfect noblewoman appeared.
‘The daughter of the Rayeur family…!’
The eldest daughter, the only one with an ordinary appearance in the otherwise handsome and beautiful Rayeur family.
Such women usually have severe complexes about their looks.
‘Yet her status is far too noble; few men would dare approach.’
Even if there were, they wouldn’t cross the Rayeur family’s defenses easily.
But now, he could.
Even the late Duke couldn’t act against him out of pity for his unfortunate family.
‘Now. This is the only chance!’
He had to seduce her.
If that failed, he could exploit her weak heart to coerce her into signing a marriage contract.
Even the Rayeur family couldn’t intervene if their daughter was married off, just as Godwin could not.
And as expected.
“Ah, Junior Marquis Artu. I’m sorry about your family, but this…”
Lenore, the Rayeur viscountess’s eldest daughter, stiffened and gently pushed the flower away.
She could not actively refuse.
Seeing this, the junior marquis Artu pressed even harder.
“Miss Lenore, now that we are close, don’t call me so stiffly.”
And he waved the flower in front of her.
“My hand is starting to hurt, please take the flower—”
“Miss Lenore finds Junior Marquis Artu uncomfortable!”
“Step back… gah!”
A maid stepped forward, insolently trying to intervene.
“A maid? Who do you think you are?”
The junior marquis Artu taught her a lesson.
Judging by her shocked face, he must have thought the subordinates weren’t up to par either.
‘Seriously, useless except for the family.’
Not even his type in face or body.
Just as he was about to protest, I shouted.
“Get lost, you idiot!”
“Eh?!”
I had thrown my glove and shouted at the same time.
“Who do you think you’re talking to? This is the Rayeur viscountess’s eldest daughter!”
Every absurd thing the junior marquis said made me furious, but this bothered me most.
‘You bastard…! Even as a slave-turned-marquis, I always said “sir” properly!’
Even I, who came from another world and succeeded in social ascension, respected the class system, yet this native of the kingdom did not? Infuriating!
“What kind of crazy woman is this…?!”
The junior marquis Artu’s eyes flared with murderous intent the moment he recognized me.
“I’m not a woman, I’m Baron Lian!”
Damn the Ramsus Empire… Even scum like this can be a noble?!
“Baron? A lowly woman pretending to be funny. How dare you—”
“You’re the one pretending to be high and mighty, Junior Marquis Artu!”
“That woman!”
The junior marquis picked up a glove, signaling he accepted a duel.
Normally a gentleman wouldn’t duel a lady, but since I threw the glove first, he felt justified.
And with his family killed, he probably wants to kill me too.
‘Fine by me.’
I felt the same. I can’t kill him, but I can castrate him.
Of course, then they’d say I wiped out the Artu line…
‘You have to take some insults if you want to live long!’
This lifetime, I plan to survive.
I glared fiercely at the junior marquis Artu.
“You fool, don’t think you can die peacefully! Even if you cry and beg—”
“Wait.”
Suddenly, an arm shot between me and the junior marquis.
“Are you seriously going to duel this small girl… no, Baron Lian?”
It was Lenore.
Her previously cautious expression was now hardened, her tone sharp.
“Miss Lenore, appearances can deceive. That cruel woman killed my entire family—”
“That’s nonsense! I didn’t think well of you, but I assumed at least some sense of chivalry—”
“Know what you’re talking about before interfering!”
The junior marquis Artu shouted.
“She caused the false deaths of my father and sister! I must avenge my wronged family—ugh!”
But his shout suddenly stopped.
“A poor soul who lost their family in an instant. Out of pity, I overlooked several insults.”
Smack.
The white leather glove struck the junior marquis Artu’s face.
“And yet you vent on the weak, with no interest in finding the real culprit!”
Lenore, her face cold, extended her bare hand toward the fallen maid.
“For the sake of my honor, I request a duel in place of Baron Lian.”
Uh, what?
I blinked, dumbfounded at how things had unexpectedly shifted.
“Bring me your sword!”
How did it come to this…?
“Ha, so confident just because you can handle a sword.”
The duel was to take place at the mansion’s training grounds.
“Even so, a woman winning against a man in a duel only happens in plays. Let’s see!”
Saying this, the junior marquis Artu ignored the real sword brought by a servant and wielded a wooden sword.
‘Well, for safety, that makes sense. But…’
Since Lenore had drawn her real sword, his gesture seemed unnecessary.
Respecting the weak and chivalry, Lenore silently swapped to a wooden sword as well.
“Do not regret it now; admit defeat if—”
“Are you ready? Let’s begin.”
“…You intend to fight dressed like that? It’s an insult to your opponent!”
“….”
Having changed into training clothes, Lenore no longer tolerated his nitpicking and raised her sword.
“W-wait… wait!”
