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Chapter 8
“…Your Highness, it has been a long time.”
“It has indeed been a long time, Lady Edberd.”
The last time they had met was the day Clora had seen her holding a knife to her own throat and threatening to die. So, it had been about two months since they last saw each other.
“I tried to break up with him, but he wouldn’t let me go.”
Clora was the person who had shown her just how pointless her desperate struggle had been.
Perhaps because so much time had passed.
She had once been consumed by jealousy and resentment toward Clora, but now she felt absolutely nothing.
“Since you’ve met, why don’t you have a little conversation? I’m sure there are many things you’d like to ask Lady Clora.”
Clora nervously grabbed the hem of the woman’s dress.
Well, who knew what a madwoman who had once become so obsessed with her lover that she was willing to risk her own life might do?
“I only came here because I had some business. I’ve finished what I came for, so I’ll be going now.”
There was no point staying any longer and making things uncomfortable for both of them.
She turned to the shop assistant.
“I’ll pay for everything now, so please load the goods into my carriage in their boxes.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Just as she finished paying and was about to leave—
“Going shopping yourself even though you’re being sent off to the North. Her Highness is certainly thrifty.”
Why did she keep picking a fight with someone who was quietly trying to leave?
Suppressing a sigh at how troublesome this was, she asked,
“I don’t know who you are, but judging by how much you’ve been talking, you seem to have something to say to me.”
“Hah…!”
The woman gave a disbelieving laugh.
Her attitude was unbelievably disrespectful toward a princess, but this sort of thing was nothing new to Lumiere.
“L-Lady Roselyn!”
Clora grabbed her arm in embarrassment, trying to stop her, but the woman gently brushed her hand away.
“My name is Roselyn of House Belleno. We’ve met several times, yet you don’t remember me. I’m deeply concerned about Your Highness’s health.”
Roselyn.
Was she the one who often stuck close to Clora and picked fights with her?
There had been so many people who treated her carelessly that Lumiere wasn’t certain.
Still, judging by how confidently she was picking a fight with her, this sort of thing must have been quite familiar to her.
‘It doesn’t matter who she is.’
What mattered was that if she let this slide, the imperial social circle would soon be filled with rumors that the princess had tucked her tail between her legs and run away.
“Very well. You said you’re Lady Belleno? I’ll give you a chance. Stop beating around the bush and say whatever you came here to say.”
“You should apologize to Lady Edberd before you leave.”
…Apologize?
“I feel sorry that Your Highness failed to win Duke Trovitan’s choice, but isn’t it only proper to apologize before leaving after tormenting an innocent person so terribly?”
Lumiere was speechless for a moment.
The person involved wasn’t even saying anything, yet this viscount’s daughter was standing there lecturing a princess.
She quietly called out to the nervous Clora.
“Lady Edberd.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
“Do I need to apologize to you?”
“…No.”
“Then do I need to ask for your forgiveness?”
“No. Your Highness, how could you…”
Clora answered in a trembling voice and lowered her head.
That was exactly the proper attitude for a noblewoman to show before a princess in a society ruled by social rank.
Lumiere turned her gaze away from Clora and asked,
“So she says I don’t. Then how do you intend to handle this situation?”
“Pardon…?”
“You dared to make a disrespectful lecture at a princess and undermine my authority. Don’t you think you should take responsibility for that?”
Before her regression, Lumiere had been completely broken after years of abuse and oppression by the imperial family.
Even when a mere maid looked down on her, or when she was treated like a flower on the wall at every party, she could only tremble helplessly.
Even the reason she had threatened Clora was because she had been absolutely terrified of marrying the Grand Duke.
…Even then, she probably wouldn’t have dared if Clora hadn’t seemed like an easy target.
Perhaps because Roselyn was so used to seeing the old Lumiere, who couldn’t even make a sound of protest and simply endured whatever others did to her, she hesitated for only a moment before recovering her arrogant attitude.
“Take responsibility? Anyone knows that the person who did something wrong should apologize.”
Well, Lumiere had never once received an apology from anyone until now.
She let out a small, incredulous laugh, but Roselyn continued.
“And yet you threaten me simply because I spoke the truth. I am deeply worried about the future of the Grand Duchy, where you are supposed to become the Grand Duchess.”
“The future of the Grand Duchy…”
How dare she talk about the future of the Grand Duchy in front of her?
There was no reason to listen any further.
“I suppose I need to teach you some manners.”
Before she had even finished speaking, Lumiere swung her hand hard.
Smack!
The sharp sound echoed through the boutique, and Roselyn’s face snapped to the side.
“D-Did you just hit me…?”
Roselyn stared at her in shock, clutching her cheek.
Lumiere calmly asked,
“Yes. Are you finally coming to your senses?”
“How dare you…!”
“How dare I?”
“I-I mean, that’s not what I…”
Had Roselyn secretly considered her beneath her simply because she was a princess who had been treated poorly in the imperial palace?
“Apparently, you need a more serious lesson.”
Lumiere couldn’t believe she was hearing someone say how dare you to her.
She slapped Roselyn across the cheek again.
Smack!
“Your Highness!”
Roselyn’s eyes became sharp with resentment after being struck again.
Even after being slapped twice, she wasn’t intimidated. Instead, she glared at Lumiere insolently.
“Let’s see how long you can keep looking at me like that.”
Lumiere swung her hand with even more force than before.
Smack! Smack!
Each time Roselyn’s head was knocked to the side, she stubbornly turned back and glared straight at Lumiere.
As if she wanted to challenge her in a battle of wills.
I absolutely have to break that arrogant attitude.
Just as Lumiere raised her stinging palm to strike her again—
“Y-Your Highness!”
Clora suddenly wrapped her arms around Roselyn and stepped between them.
“…What are you doing?”
Lumiere stopped her hand in midair and narrowed her eyes.
Clora had dared to interfere while a member of the imperial family was personally punishing someone.
That was not something a woman who had been lowering herself before Lumiere only moments ago should have done.
“Y-Your Highness. Lady Roselyn must have realized her mistake as well. So please, I beg you, forgive her here…”
She should have been begging on her knees, yet she was telling Lumiere to forgive Roselyn?
“Move.”
“Your Highness…”
“This is not something you should interfere with. So move aside.”
“But…”
“Can’t you hear me?”
Clora was hesitating, unable to decide what to do, when—
“What on earth are you doing?”
A man suddenly appeared and grabbed Lumiere firmly by the wrist.
“Duke Trovitan…?”
“Are you threatening my fiancée right now?”
‘Why is the Duke here…?’
Lumiere’s violet eyes trembled slightly.
Logan’s face was twisted with anger, as if he were furious to the very tips of his hair.
She stared blankly at him, then suddenly remembered that Clora was here.
The day after Lumiere had been sent away to the North.
These two had spent a pleasant time together here.
A hollow laugh escaped her.
Once again, she realized how foolish and pathetic her former self had been.
You foolish Lumiere…
What he gave you was nothing more than cheap pity. Why did you cling to him so desperately?
An inexplicable emptiness surged through her like a rising tide.
In a lowered voice, she said,
“…Duke, let go of my hand at once.”
“Didn’t I ask you if you were threatening my fiancée?”
“Didn’t I tell you too? Let go of my hand. Now.”
She coldly glared at him and twisted her wrist.
Logan tightened his grip even more and spoke through gritted teeth.
“Didn’t I clearly tell you back then to stay quiet? Yet how could you, even at the very end…!”
Just as pain shot through her wrist, as though it were being crushed, Lumiere frowned and let out a small groan.
“Take your hand off her.”
A large, dark figure, as deep and imposing as a shadow, suddenly grabbed Logan’s wrist with all his strength.
