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Chapter 09
Lady Yurein and the duchy maids gathered in one place to dress me up. They brought out carefully selected items from what had been brought from the Hezest Ducal House, and it felt a bit overwhelming.
No, why are they going this far?
Lady Yurein said with a solemn expression.
“The styles popular in the south are not like this. It may be due to the different climate compared to the capital. Still, I have selected dresses that seem most suitable among them. And shoes as well. As for jewelry, with His Grace’s permission, we carefully chose pieces passed down through the Bereiden ducal family.”
Ugh.
I thought I was going blind. The moment Lady Yurein opened the jewelry box, a dazzling light assaulted my eyes.
Oh my goodness… there really are jewels like that in the world.
I never thought I would see something like that in my lifetime.
And I have to wear that around my neck? I thought only celebrities did that!
“…Isn’t this a bit too much, Lady?”
“Not at all. In fact, you have not held a wedding ceremony and began your life in the south as the Duchess. Wearing the jewels passed down through Bereiden’s generations will clearly establish your position as the Duchess.”
In other words, it was about proving I was the acknowledged Duchess of the Duke. She was speaking indirectly, but it basically meant I alone lacked authority.
“…What if the chain breaks while I’m wearing it? Or if I lose it?”
I had even prepared several scenarios for dealing with the Countess of Yotley. But the moment I stood in front of those jewels, all that courage disappeared. Lady Yurein probably wanted me to overwhelm the villains with them, but instead I felt overwhelmed myself.
Ugh, eye contact again. It’s blinding!
“It is not crafted so poorly that it would break easily. In any case, if such a thing were to happen, it would be the fault of the craftsman—or it would mean the piece was too old. You do not need to worry about anything, Duchess.”
How can I not worry… it’s probably more expensive than my entire body.
Still, I agreed with the idea that I needed something to prove my position as Duchess. Even the memory of the nanny’s insubordination made that clear.
They look down on me.
“Alright. Let’s do this!”
“…Duchess.”
Be brave. They said they wouldn’t hold me responsible even if I lost it.
It usually takes over three hours to do a bride’s makeup on her wedding day. It felt like I spent that long getting ready today.
The extravagant dress I wore, decorated with many ornaments, had its accessories replaced with Bereiden’s jewels instead of Hezest’s.
“The Hezest family tends to use green gemstones, but Bereiden uses blue ones. Since the south has already begun to accept you, I recommend wearing blue.”
I followed Lady Yurein’s advice and finished preparations. And around my neck hung that extravagant necklace.
Wow, it’s heavy too.
“The Countess of Yotley has a strong position in southern high society. She has lived as a southern noble for a long time. I hear her sons are also running businesses lately.”
Those same businesses that kept failing over and over—apparently funded by stolen money embezzled by the nanny.
They’ve been draining Bereiden dry for a long time.
“The gathering today is the Southern Ladies’ Society meeting. By coincidence, it is being held at the Countess of Yotley’s estate. Important figures in southern high society will attend. Gaining their recognition is your first step.”
Lady Yurein taught me only the essentials.
“How do I earn their recognition?”
“Showing compassion toward the war orphans of the south would be best.”
Lady Yurein was clearly experienced here. She had learned many techniques from serving previous duchesses.
“The Countess of Yotley may bring it up first, or she may not. If she does, ask to meet the nanny directly.”
“The nanny’s name?”
“Diane. She comes from a fallen noble family, so you may emphasize that. She does not belong in either Bereiden or as a nanny. Especially a family ruined by gambling. However, if the Countess does not bring it up first…”
By then, Lady Yurein would no longer be by my side. It was now the real test.
The Countess of Yotley clicked her tongue inwardly in irritation. She had never expected Roana to attend today’s Southern Ladies’ Society gathering.
And to personally come and announce her attendance, no less.
Roana had recently become a frequent topic in high society. The Hezest bloodline who had never even had a wedding ceremony and was trapped in Bereiden Castle.
Some even placed bets on when she would be expelled. Others hoped for conflict between Hezest and Bereiden.
The noble ladies often spoke about Roana’s miserable situation.
“She really should have been born into a better family. Hezest? That vicious bloodline doesn’t change.”
“Of course she’ll be discarded! I’m surprised she hasn’t been kicked out already. It must be Bereiden’s mercy.”
“If it were me, I would’ve thrown her out already.”
And now, that very subject had appeared.
Normally it would have been amusing, but the problem was Diane, who had been expelled recently. She was currently staying at the Countess’s estate.
She had been told to wait for her fate to be decided, but five days had passed with no word. It could mean they were covering it up—or forgiving her.
Most likely, it was thanks to the Countess’s long-standing contributions to the duchy.
And Diane, who cried and ranted every day, had become nothing but a nuisance.
“This is clearly a conspiracy, Aunt! What did I even do? That amount of money is nothing in Bereiden! Please send me back! That Duchess—get rid of her! Aunt, you liked me better when I was at the duchy, didn’t you?”
Her whining grew worse by the day. It was exhausting.
Honestly, the best option would be to let this pass quietly—but why keep stirring things up? Had she developed some kind of delusion from living in the duchy?
In any case, Roana’s visit was unwelcome.
“To come all the way to such a humble place. I never expected you would accept the invitation, Duchess.”
“So you’re not asking me to leave right away, I assume?”
A soft reply came. Her face wore a gentle smile with no visible hostility. Thanks to Diane’s constant insults, the Countess had no useful information about Roana.
A thief who stole Hayden.
The daughter of Hezest who would ruin Bereiden.
Dirty Hezest.
That was all she had heard.
Still, the Countess was also curious about Bereiden’s intentions in bringing the daughter of Hezest into southern society.
‘Hezest’s daughter in the southern ladies’ circle? So the young Duke is inexperienced after all.’
Her evaluation of Cheres Bereiden dropped further. The young Duke, who had suddenly inherited the title after his brother’s death, did not seem frightening at all.
And such a man was now tolerating Hezest’s daughter.
Roana was no threat whatsoever.
