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Chapter 4
Two days later.
Yenika, the youngest daughter of Duke Cledius, boarded the carriage with a blank face.
“Oh dear, Miss……”
Her maid anxiously examined Yenika’s complexion.
Yenika Cledius. Who was she?
In the Oberyn Empire, called the ruler of the seas, there were three prestigious families.
The Ducal house of Cledius, which made the empire flourish as the Emperor’s aides.
The Ducal house of Segwed, which protected the sun as the Captains of the Imperial Guard.
The Ducal house of Arbiente, which guarded the continent as the masters of the West port Line.
In ancient times, the Imperial family feared the dukes, the founding contributors who held great power.
So they seated each heir close to the sun [the Emperor] to keep them in check, and this became a long-standing tradition.
So what worry could the youngest daughter of such a powerful house as Claudius possibly have?
‘Every time I think of Lady Blind, Youngae…’
Yenika was a gold-tier customer of Piazza Lux, visiting there daily.
But……
‘That was a long time ago now.’
A year ago, the boutique’s doors had closed.
“Good heavens!”
Then, after no news for a while, she heard that Mary had returned to Terarosa three days ago.
And even……
< Celebrity Mary Blinn’s Return! But…? >
Mary had an illegitimate child.
As soon as she heard the news, she rushed to the boutique. That was now.
‘Did she leave Terarosa because she found out she was pregnant?’
Yenika recalled the article, thinking it over.
‘They said they wouldn’t reveal the biological father, but…’
It must be the Colonel.
Although she’d heard they had broken up, he had been Mary’s long-time lover.
‘……Could that be why they broke up?’
Certainly, it was highly likely.
‘Even if Piazza Lux is famous, the Count’s family is subtly looked down upon.’
Above all, the other party was an Arbiente. It could have been sufficiently burdensome for Mary.
‘And I think I also heard that the Colonel is more cruel and cold-hearted than he appears. Yes, I think I heard he’s famously very scary among the demon race.’
If so….
Although she heard about the breakup just a few days ago, Mary must have broken up before leaving the capital.
Either she was afraid the man, famous as a demon, might harm the child, or she didn’t want to cause harm through a union of families, or she didn’t have the confidence to endure all those circumstances….
Well, for reasons like that.
‘……That’s straight out of a romance novel, isn’t it?’
Having finished her fairly logical deduction, Yenika’s mouth fell open.
It reminded her of the melodrama about an arrogant duke and a maid she’d read a few days ago. It ended with the duke desperately regretting and clinging to her.
‘Oh dear.’
Just as she imagined Mary looking fondly at a child resembling Lancel, they arrived at Piazza Lux.
There were already many young ladies who had arrived. Thinking she was late, Yenika hurriedly moved.
‘It seems Lady Blinn isn’t here yet.’
She felt relieved after confirming Mary wasn’t there.
“No, I’m telling you, I don’t know either.”
Just then, a familiar voice came from somewhere.
‘That person is….’
It was Chris Moore, Mary’s closest aide.
She’d heard he received a large severance payment before Mary left, and as if proving how much he’d played around, he had tan lines on his face in the shape of sunglasses.
“If you don’t know, Mr. Moore, who would!”
“Well, well, I also ran here shocked after reading the newspaper. No, I practically flew here.”
As the person closest to Mary here, he seemed to be constantly harassed by the young ladies.
‘What on earth is the situation that even her closest aide doesn’t know what’s going on yet?’
Yenika waited for Mary with an anxious heart.
The carriage heading to Piazza Lux rattled.
‘Congratulations to me for becoming the protagonist of the biggest scandal in history right after returning after a year.’
The first thing I did was seal the lips of the servants at the Count’s and Marchioness’s households.
“My daughter’s affairs must not leak anywhere. Don’t you dare think you’ll be safe if you speak of it. If you’re not confident, just don’t step outside the mansion.”
It was a rare moment when my usually gentle father became sharp.
Perhaps we had arrived just in time, as the carriage slowed down.
I lightly touched my green Ledingott and stepped out of the carriage….
“……”
I hesitated at the sight before me.
The boutique was packed with people.
Nobles are always thirsty for interesting news, so I had expected it, but I couldn’t help my body freezing.
‘Well, the boutique reopening probably has an effect too.’
I cleared my throat and slowly approached.
“Ah, Lady Blinn!”
The first person I made eye contact with was Yenika.
With the princess’s voice as the signal, the young ladies’ attention turned to me.
Um. I awkwardly lifted the corners of my mouth.
“Everyone, long time no….”
See.
Before I could even finish my sentence, the young ladies each threw out questions.
“Th, that, is it really true?”
“You left because you found out you were pregnant, right!”
“There’s a rumor it’s actually twins, but….”
……Where do I even start explaining this?
I was flustered, as the rumors seemed to have spread more creatively than I’d expected.
Rolling my eyes like that, I recalled the cover story I’d devised since yesterday. Ah, right, there was that cover story.
I slowly began to speak.
“It’s true I left after finding out I was pregnant. I stayed alone with my maid in Langhilden. At the time, I thought that was the only way to protect the child….”
“……”
“It’s complicated to say more. For now, I’m staying at the Count’s residence with the child.”
“Ah….”
As my explanation continued, the young ladies, who had been quiet, reacted one by one.
“I knew it!”
“How difficult it must have been for you….”
“But I’m glad you returned safely!”
Um.
What is this?
‘It doesn’t seem like everyone is disappointed in me.’
It wasn’t the reaction I expected, which was embarrassing, but also fortunate. There was no need to hear bad things on purpose.
“Yes, thank you all for your concern.”
I smiled hypocritically and fluttered my fan.
“I think I know why.”
Then, Yenika opened her mouth with a flushed face.
“It’s because Colonel Arbiente didn’t want the child, so you did that, my lady.”
Since everyone seemed to be falling for it, I nodded nonchalantly, then stopped.
What did she say?
I thought I heard a name that I couldn’t just let slide.
“Pardon?”
“I mean, you found out you were pregnant and asked the Colonel. What he would think if you had a child.”
“……Pardon?”
“But then the Colonel said he didn’t want a child. Without knowing you were already pregnant! And of all times, the West port Line hasn’t been able to return for almost a year….”
“……”
That sounds like the plot of one of those romance novels Martha reads.
Exasperated, I looked at Yenika in silence.
Then suddenly….
‘……Could it sound like that?’
I thought her story could be quite plausible.
After all, there wasn’t a soul in the capital who didn’t know I had dated him.
‘If I, having dated him, had a child, of course they’d think it was Lancel’s.’
The reason I was only now considering this possibility was that, from my perspective, it was completely absurd.
‘It’s not like a seagull brought the baby.’
Of course, it wasn’t like we only held hands and kissed our whole lives, but I had been chaste for over a year.
“Now I understand. Yes, I understand everything. So you, my lady, parted with the Colonel with tears in your eyes.”
In the midst of all this, Yenika added the icing on the cake.
Unintentionally, everything fit together perfectly like puzzle pieces.
For deceiving others, mixing a little lie with the truth is the best method, but….
“Um, that person isn’t the child’s father.”
Still, using my ex-boyfriend like this seemed a bit much.
“……Pardon?”
At that very moment, the atmosphere turned cold.
The young ladies, who had been moved by the realization of a romance novel come to life, widened their eyes.
“Then….?”
“……Well, that is….”
About that, nothing was decided yet. No matter how much I thought about it, there was no man I could use as an excuse.
Then suddenly, a good excuse came to mind.
I immediately gave a pale smile.
“It was just a one-night stand, so…… I can’t reveal him. I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t take an interest.”
“Ah……?”
The young ladies’ eyes widened into saucers, and then murmuring continued as if they were figuring out the situation.
Then Yenika, with an even more serious face, whispered to the other ladies.
“I still think it’s the Colonel’s child.”
The problem was, I heard that perfectly clearly.
“But she doesn’t want to make things difficult for the Colonel….”
“……”
“Let’s all pretend we don’t know.”
At Yenika’s words, the young ladies nodded with determined expressions.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Having concluded so willfully, Yenika looked at me again.
It was a pitiful expression, as if she understood everything anyway.
“We will respect your choice, my lady.”
“……”
What exactly are you respecting?
‘I clearly said it was a one-night stand.’
I was flustered.
It seemed the situation had turned out a little, no, very different from what I had expected.
‘But to say more now would be…’
