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Chapter 38.
Pleasure boats drifted slowly across the lake, which looked as though molten opal had been poured over its surface.
“What are you looking at, Roa?”
Having finished an entire bunch of grapes, Stella leaned forward and turned her head toward the direction I was gazing.
“Merina Ikel and Count Gurdon’s son, Violet?”
“Lady Clen likes the Gurdon heir. For reference, Merina Ikel and the Gurdon heir met alone at the Rose Garden on the day when the sun and moon were both in the sky.”
“What?”
Stella’s eyebrows shot up. Then, with great enthusiasm, she even grabbed the telescope to peer at the boat Merina was on.
“Stella, no matter how entertaining this is, spying on people who aren’t that far away is rude.”
“But Gades, it’s that woman. Merina Ikel!”
“That woman’s quite famous even in the duchy. Isn’t she the one who threw a tantrum demanding Lady Reviang’s jewels?”
“Yeah. She’s the one who’s always dying to devour Roa alive whenever she sees her. You have no idea how irritating she is.”
I gestured to the boatman to row closer toward where Merina was.
“I hope Violet grabs that wretched girl by the hair—oh! She did!”
Leaning on the boat and watching the distant swans, Lord Stein seemed intrigued too; he snatched the telescope from Stella.
“Gades, what on earth are you doing?”
“Oh, the man just pulled Merina Ikel into his arms. He’s stopping the woman who was about to attack her. Wow, the one attacking looks serious—like she’s trained in Eastern martial arts.”
Lord Stein ignored Stella’s protest and continued his live commentary.
Violet learning martial arts from the East was, of course, impossible—it just meant she’d lost her temper and was attacking Merina recklessly.
As our boat drew closer to Merina’s, a loud sound echoed.
Splash!
Unable to hold back, Violet had stood up, and Merina and the Gurdon heir stood up with her—causing the boat to capsize.
“Quick, go closer! Hurry!”
Surely, the Gurdon heir would save only Merina and head for shore, while Violet would nearly drown.
Violet was my excellent accomplice—she couldn’t die. And if I saved her, our bond would grow stronger.
“Lady Violet Clen!”
I reached out and caught Violet’s hand as she sank beneath the surface.
“My lady, stay conscious.”
“Puh—huff—”
With Lord Stein’s help, we managed to pull Violet onto the boat. I took out a handkerchief and wiped her face myself.
Looking toward the shore—just as I thought—the Gurdon heir had already carried Merina out of the water.
He was motioning to a servant, likely asking for a towel.
“Let’s go over there as well.”
We rescued the drenched maid and boatman too, and headed to shore.
Though the boat was made for six, it carried eight of us without issue.
“Lady Clen, it’s cold, but please hold on a bit longer.”
I ignored my own soaked dress and wrapped my arm around Violet’s trembling shoulders. Nearly drowned, she shivered as she leaned against me.
“You’re safe now, don’t worry.”
While Stella and Lord Stein looked at Violet with concern, our boat finally reached the shore.
The servant had brought plenty of towels, so even after setting aside some for Merina and the Gurdon heir, there were still extras left.
Wrapped in a large towel and sipping hot herbal tea, Violet’s trembling subsided. She looked around—and saw the Gurdon heir gently drying Merina’s hair.
Soon, the host of the party, Poni, arrived by boat along with several others.
“What on earth happened?”
Lifting her dress hem, Poni hurried over and gasped at the sight of the three soaked people.
“Oh my goodness!”
She immediately ordered thick robes and braziers to be brought.
Once the three had recovered somewhat, curiosity about the cause of the accident began to spread.
There’s always someone who can’t hold back their curiosity wherever you go.
Lady Kess—who had earlier asked me about my relationship with the Tower Master—hesitantly threw a pebble into the calm lake.
“How did the boat flip? Was there a problem with it?”
Saying there was a problem with the boat would stain the Pink family’s reputation, so Poni’s lips tightened.
“I don’t think so. We were nearby and saw what happened…”
As I trailed off, Lady Kess and the others turned their attention toward me.
“That’s right. There was nothing wrong with the boat—it was all because of that woman!”
The one who spoke in my stead was Violet Clen, who had regained her energy.
“Lady Ikel? What exactly happened?”
“Lady Clen, are you still saying such things? Why do you keep attacking Lady Ikel?”
“She insulted me first! She said I must have come without a partner—since no one would want to escort someone as unpopular as me!”
“But Lady Clen did come without a partner, didn’t she? And it’s true she isn’t exactly… well-liked among the gentlemen.”
The Gurdon heir stepped forward to defend Merina, and Violet’s fury flared.
Their remarks were of the sort most despised in high society.
Yes, there were unspoken lists of unpopular ladies and gentlemen—but even then, the polite response was to decline their invitations gracefully, not mock them.
“That’s the kind of talk one hears from men with no manners like you!”
Any affection Violet had for the Gurdon heir vanished at once, and she snapped back sharply.
Violet believed herself to be in no way inferior to Merina.
Besides, the Clen family was a better count’s house than the Ikel family—but because Merina’s sister became the Empress, she had been pushed aside.
“I’d rather attend alone than accept the escort of a man like you.”
There were quite a few ladies like Violet—and they seized this chance.
“Lord Gurdon, that was truly rude of you.”
“And Lady Ikel too! How could you say Lady Violet isn’t popular? Judging people by popularity—how vulgar.”
Once the momentum shifted, those who disliked Merina came out eagerly.
“How many men are you even seeing, Lady Ikel?”
“That’s right. Didn’t you attend a party with Lord Cassano? Then go to the opera with another gentleman? And after that…”
As her recent exploits were listed off, the crowd gasped in shock. Even the Gurdon heir, who had blindly defended her, looked startled.
“That’s not popularity—that’s shamelessness.”
Someone’s remark chilled the air. The Gurdon heir’s mouth opened, but he couldn’t bring himself to defend Merina anymore.
The Ikel family might be the Empress’s house, but that didn’t guarantee good standing in society.
If bad rumors spread, Merina’s position could easily crumble.
That’s how high society worked—you either devour, or are devoured.
“I… I didn’t mean…”
Merina blinked rapidly, her long lashes fluttering—but even that looked insincere to the gathered ladies.
“Everyone, don’t be too harsh on Lady Ikel.”
I stepped forward as if to ease the icy tension.
“I’m sure she didn’t mean any harm.”
The fact that I—who was rumored to have a bad relationship with Merina—spoke up for her drew looks of surprise and admiration.
Smiling brightly, I turned toward Merina, who sat frozen.
“To avoid further misunderstanding, I think Lady Ikel should make her position clear.”
“Pardon…?”
Merina blinked foolishly.
“You once told me you had feelings for Duke Lysianthus, but now you’ve been seeing Lord Gurdon. And at the diplomatic reception, weren’t you with His Highness the Crown Prince?”
Stella folded her arms and nodded, and several other ladies murmured in agreement.
“So—whom do you truly have feelings for? Or… could it be there’s another man?”
As the heroine of a reverse harem tale, Merina was destined to be entangled with multiple men.
By now, surely more than one had confessed to her—or she’d had a series of ‘coincidental’ meetings.
It was her fate to draw every man’s attention—and to secretly enjoy it.
“If that’s not the case,” I pressed, “then please make it clear right here.”
Taking advantage of that fact, I cornered her relentlessly, and with so many others agreeing with me, countless sharp gazes turned toward Merina.
Merina slowly blinked several times before finally speaking.
“Do I… really have to choose just one?”
