HSYR 28

Chapter 28

It could not be helped.

A vast forest of monsters divided the southern and northern regions of the Cardia Empire, and high society was likewise split—southern society and northern society were entirely different worlds.

Perhaps because of that divide, women of the south tended to exclude women who came from the north.

Overcoming that prejudice was the first task given to Meriel after she became the Duchess of Lucel.

Fortunately, Meriel possessed a weapon: her status. She made full use of it and was in the process of building a relationship with Countess Bryce, the queen of southern high society.

But the Countess of Ishfern…?

According to what the women said, Burwood was a territory large in name only—most of it was unusable land occupied by monsters, making it a poor domain.

Moreover, it was said that Count Ishfern was a man indifferent to the management of both his lands and his castle, and that the count’s residence was now little better than a wasteland.

And upon arriving and seeing it with her own eyes, Ishfern Castle proved to be even more miserable than she had expected.

Selma Roderick, herself a famous figure in southern society, burst out laughing.

“Considering that a mansion’s garden reflects its mistress’s face… the new Countess of Ishfern must be a very charming woman. I can hardly keep my mouth shut!”

“Ohohoho!”

“Hohohoho!”

Amid the boisterous laughter of the women, Meriel reluctantly laughed along with them.

But her mouth tasted bitter.

If Linus weren’t a duke, I’d be the one being treated like this.

Once that thought crossed her mind, even forcing a smile became difficult.

As her expression gradually stiffened, Countess Bryce spoke to her in an exaggeratedly concerned voice.

“My, Duchess Lucel. You don’t look well.”

“…I’m sorry. I think I’m feeling motion sickness—rather late.”

“The road up here was dreadful. My goodness, even the only road leading to the castle is in that condition.”

“So the duchess’s nausea is the fault of the Countess of Ishfern, then. We should certainly hold her responsible.”

“Oh my, is that how it works? Hohoho!”

Meriel forced a smile.

Since no one had yet come out to receive them, the party waited in their carriages in front of the castle.

Countess Bryce tapped on the carriage window with the tip of her fan. A young page’s face appeared between the shutters.

She said sharply, “Why is this taking so long? When are we supposed to step out of the carriage? Do you intend to tire the duchess any further?”

The page looked flustered.

“The butler said he is preparing to receive the guests and will be out shortly, milady.”

At that, Selma Roderick let out an irritated laugh.

“Judging by the state of this castle, it’s hard to imagine when those preparations will ever be finished.”

“They wouldn’t dare turn us away after the Duchess of Lucel has come all this way, would they?”

“If they did, the Countess of Ishfern would never again have a place in southern society.”

“Oh my, how frightening!”

Meriel realized it again.

If it were not for her presence, the Countess of Ishfern could have refused to admit guests into the castle using any excuse she wished.

But she could never dare do that to a duchess.

The poor Countess of Ishfern would have no choice but to admit guests into a castle that was utterly unprepared.

In the end, these women would uncover everything the countess wished to hide.

And the Countess of Ishfern’s humiliation would become their amusement, spreading far and wide through southern society, leaving her unable to hold her head up for a long time.

And cruelly enough, the one using her status as a weapon to torment the Countess of Ishfern would be Meriel herself.

This was a trap prepared by the veterans of society for newcomers from the north.

Meriel closed her eyes slowly.

How did I end up being pushed onto a stage like this and given such a detestable role?

To Meriel, life was a succession of stages. And she considered herself a fairly good actress.

She had faithfully played the role of the brilliant daughter in her natal family, the House of Estrella. Thanks to that, she became the mistress of the Ducal House of Lucel, one of the Empire’s six great ducal families.

Now she played the role of a young but wise mistress on the stage of House Lucel, and that of a high-ranking duchess in southern society.

Her perfect life was coming together in just that way.

Of course, events like this sometimes arose, as though to test her qualities.

Today, her role seemed to be that of a powerful accomplice to ostracism.

Naturally, she had no intention of avoiding it. When people join forces to push someone outside the circle, those inside the circle bind together most tightly.

Meriel slowly opened her eyes and spoke.

“…They’re taking an awfully long time to prepare.”

At her voice—tight, as if braced for conflict—Countess Bryce narrowed her eyes and smiled.

Those inside the circle had clasped hands.

Countess Bryce struck the carriage door with her fan and shouted, “Tell them we will not wait any longer for the duchess!”

At that moment—

The carriage door flew open.

Like everyone else, Helena had her first memory. She was probably five or six years old.

She was surrounded by noblewomen—most likely relatives of the House of Winston or ladies close to the family.

But who they were was not important.

What mattered was what they were whispering.

How could she abandon such a young daughter…

They say there was an affair, don’t they?

You never should have brought a dancer into the family.

They were speaking ill of Sandra right in front of Helena.

She couldn’t remember exactly what she had been thinking at the time, but she vividly remembered how it felt.

It was unfair and heartbreaking. She wanted to spring to her feet and run away.

But her pride was too strong to run away crying.

She swallowed the sob forcing its way up her throat. As if turning off a faucet, she shut off her tears, gently lowering her eyelids just as they were about to well up.

Then she corrected the shape of her mouth, which was about to break into sobs, and smiled.

At least in that moment, that smile was very effective at silencing those who had been slandering her mother in front of Sandra’s daughter.

That was when Helena realized it.

If tears could be a weapon, then a smile could be one too.

And so Helena Winston smiled.

“It is an honor to meet the noble ladies of the south.”

As she spoke, Helena looked like a red rose blooming fresh and vivid beneath the blazing midsummer sun.

“But it seems there has been some misunderstanding. As you can see, the House of Ishfern is not yet prepared to receive guests.”

The rose-like woman smiled like the sun.

Before that dazzling smile, Countess Bryce somehow seemed to shrink, like a candle before the sun.

The diminished countess muttered resentfully, “Are you saying you intend to drive away a duchess who has come all this way, like an uninvited guest? You don’t seem very worried about what comes after.”

Just then, through the wide-open gates of the castle, there came screams from the workers and a thunderous crash, as though something enormous had come crashing down, nearly bringing the castle with it.

It was the sound of a chandelier falling, but to the noblewomen who didn’t know that, it sounded as though the castle itself were collapsing.

And the commotion was enough to break the resolve of the ladies who had intended to force their way inside.

After the noise subsided, Helena continued speaking in a calm voice, utterly unconcerned with the chaos inside the castle.

“Of course, I understand this is discourteous. But I truly wish to form a sincere and friendly relationship with you.”

Helena Winston descended the steps one by one, her vividly red dress fluttering.

There was not the slightest trace of worry about future consequences, nor any sign of shame over the hideous state of the castle. She stood proudly.

She smiled brightly, meeting the eyes of every woman present. No one managed to endure that intense gaze and radiant smile.

Some felt burdened by it; others, feeling guilty for reasons they could not name, avoided her eyes.

And so Meriel Lucel fell for her at first sight.

An interesting person.

Helena met Meriel’s gaze as well.

Meriel thought,

I consider myself a fairly good actress—but you are truly a prima donna.

Meeting Meriel’s eyes, Helena said,

“After all, I wouldn’t want to welcome people who might become dear friends while things are so unprepared.”

At her sides, the butler and the head attendant of House Ishfern stepped forward.

The butler spoke. “There is a villa belonging to the House of Gliss about an hour away. We will prepare it so that the duchess may rest there.”

The young head attendant added smartly, “We have also prepared light refreshments for the journey. Please do not refuse.”

In the next moment, Meriel realized that everything depended on her actions.

Now then… what should I do?