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Chapter 13
It was certainly true that it was better not to make unnecessary enemies of Grand Duke Cloud, the second male lead.
But Chloe had a temper of her own.
She wasn’t the type to just let it go after nearly having her mother insulted out of nowhere.
“At least I think I’ll last longer than you.”
“What, what?”
Even in front of the Imperial Consort, Chloe had ultimately failed to hold her tongue and ended up causing a huge scene.
If she couldn’t restrain herself even then, there was no way she could do so just because her opponent was the second male lead from the original story.
“My attitude simply comes from respecting Her Majesty’s authority. Naturally, Her Majesty’s authority will outlast yours, Grand Duke, won’t it?”
“What are you even—!”
“I’ve heard you well, Grand Duke, questioning Her Majesty’s authority.”
Chloe twisted Cloud’s words, framing them as an attack on the Imperial Consort’s authority, and pressed him relentlessly.
At her audacity, Cloud let out a hollow laugh as if he couldn’t believe it.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
“I was about to say the same thing.”
“What?”
Just as the two were growling at each other, the Imperial Consort entered the garden.
“Were you two having fun?”
Chloe instinctively bowed in greeting, but inwardly she was dumbfounded.
‘Having fun? Seriously?’
This was just a gathering of people with terrible personalities.
Maybe it was because she herself was the original villainess, but she really didn’t want to lose in a war of nerves against Cloud.
Why should she back down when she had done nothing wrong?
On top of that, Cloud, the original second male lead, also had an equally unpleasant personality.
As the Grand Duke and the princess both stood there with faces like they had swallowed something foul, the Imperial Consort looked between them with satisfaction, as if she couldn’t even see their expressions.
“I thought the princess was only intelligent, but she’s quite bold as well.”
“Huh.”
Did she possibly see and hear everything about her confrontation with Cloud?
She had twisted her words in front of Cloud, but she couldn’t possibly do the same in front of the Imperial Consort herself.
At that moment, Chloe looked troubled, while Cloud looked triumphant.
“And indeed, you seem perfectly suited to be my son’s wife.”
At those words, a proud smile spread across the Imperial Consort’s beautiful face.
Chloe froze at the sudden, blatant statement.
‘So that’s why she deliberately invited Cloud as a guide and told him to play in the garden.’
It meant the Imperial Consort had already chosen Chloe as Cloud’s fiancée.
Realizing this, Chloe quickly tried to fix her expression before her mouth dropped open.
Meanwhile, Cloud snapped back at the Imperial Consort, looking completely incredulous.
“You’re saying I have to be engaged to her? Are you serious?”
‘Nice!’
Cloud had a terrible personality, but for once, Chloe found herself wanting to support his attitude.
“Yes. You have also seen how wise the princess is.”
“Wise? She’s just rude.”
Seeing Cloud openly arguing with the Imperial Consort, Chloe briefly felt relieved.
But then—
“You need a wise wife with a good lineage. In the Empire of Lugeir, there is no better match than her.”
Chloe was the one who became flustered at those words.
“Pardon?”
I’m not really that wise, though?
She barely held back the urge to object immediately and replied instead.
“Engagement is a matter of great importance to a family. It is a union between two families, so it is not something a mere noble lady like myself can decide lightly.”
That was Chloe’s point.
It was not something she could decide, so they should not make the engagement a foregone conclusion.
“Also, as Her Majesty said, I am not even sure I am as wise as you claim.”
She didn’t want anything to do with Schuel, but honestly, Schuel was starting to look preferable.
The meeting of the original villainess and the original villainous second male lead?
Chloe was desperately trying to avoid this disastrous combination.
“What, is my son lacking in some way?”
“Grand Duke Cloud is far more outstanding than I am.”
At her evasive answer, Cloud snapped irritably.
“You were ignoring me just fine earlier.”
Chloe shot him a glare at his annoying remark, then continued speaking as if nothing had happened.
“Regardless, regarding the engagement, I believe this is something you should discuss with my father, not me.”
At her proper, textbook response, the beautiful Imperial Consort clicked her tongue in disappointment, but then said,
“You have a point. You may leave now.”
At the clear dismissal, Chloe did her best not to show her relief.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
She quickly turned and left the garden immediately, not even glancing at Cloud’s sulking face.
‘Finally, I’ve escaped!’
It had been a long, exhausting day. After that unpleasant encounter in the garden, it was already deep into the night.
“Chloe, are you alright? It’s so late.”
Her mother, the Duchess, who had been anxiously waiting for her daughter to return so late, rushed toward her as soon as she saw her.
Chloe fell into her mother’s warm embrace and, only then, finally let out a long breath as her tension eased.
“So many things happened…”
After returning home from the palace, fortunately, there were no further movements from the Imperial Consort.
Relieved, Chloe decided to focus on what she needed to do first.
‘There’s nothing I can do about the engagement issue even if I worry about it.’
She pushed those thoughts aside and moved on to something more important.
The first condition for making delicious food, as Chloe saw it:
‘Ingredients.’
Of course, there were many important factors like recipes and cooking skills.
But when she thought of all the foods she had eaten in her memories…
‘Ingredients come first.’
Fortunately, she had inherited fertile land.
So at least she had cleared one major hurdle.
Now it was time to overcome the next one. Chloe thought carefully.
‘It’s time to improve potatoes… potatoes!’
Potatoes were as essential as wheat and rice, so improving them was necessary.
Of course, it wouldn’t be easy.
There was no way this world had tools to accurately measure and analyze plant genetics.
So the only method was primitive: plant different types of potatoes, select the better ones, replant them, and vary the growing conditions.
‘But that would take decades.’
It meant endlessly cultivating potatoes and tasting them until a decent variety emerged.
It was a harsh environment, but fortunately, this world had magic.
She would need to use magic that accelerated plant growth as much as possible to maximize efficiency.
While Chloe was absorbed in improving potatoes, a commotion arose outside.
Wondering what was going on, she stepped into the hallway—and ran into the Duke who was just coming toward her room.
The Duke coughed awkwardly and spoke to her.
“From a branch family of our house, they say they greatly admire your abilities, Chloe, and want to learn from you. They were quite persistent, I must say.”
His face was filled with pride.
“They even sent an heir from the Letter Count family, and they say the child is quite capable and can help you. What do you think?”
This was something that did not exist in the original story.
The fact that the branch family highly valued Chloe’s abilities and wanted to learn from her skills meant she was now acting differently from the “foolish” villainess she used to be.
Chloe felt a bit of joy at that—and at the perfect timing, she was also about to start improving potatoes.
‘I need more help!’
With free manpower falling from the sky at such a busy moment, Chloe readily accepted.
“Does this mean cooperation with the branch family will become stronger through me? That’s great!”
The Duke felt proud at her happiness and, from behind him, pulled forward a young boy who had been hiding.
“Introduce yourself.”
“Ah, h-hello… Your Highness the Princess. I-I’m Pierre Letter. I’m ten years old.”
The small boy, pushed forward, introduced himself in a trembling voice.
Flax-colored hair and light green eyes. Soft, downward-slanting eyes.
His timid, trembling face made him look like a frightened little lamb.
‘Everyone in our household has such sharp features, but he looks gentle.’
