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Chapter 04
Hanna had definitely been trembling in fear in front of Lucienne until quite recently.
But today was different.
Hanna didn’t even bother hiding the tone and expression that said she was extremely proud of the person she served, and Lucienne sensed danger.
No! At this rate, I’ll be respected instead of getting divorced!
Being respected would take her farther away from divorce.
And the farther she got from divorce, the more likely she was to encounter Hanana, the administrative secretary.
Of course, Hanana wouldn’t die now either. Lucienne had no intention of harming her.
But when she thought about it, leaving her alone would also be strange.
No matter how much love there was between them—or rather, even though there was none, and Paelo showed no reaction—Hanana had indeed tried to seduce a married man.
Even if I turn a blind eye to it again, the heroine will come here through some other development.
Either way, if Lucienne stayed here, she was bound to get tangled up with the original story.
And she absolutely wanted none of that.
The reporter trying to publicize her good deeds was only getting in the way.
“What good deed?”
Lucienne snorted and waved her hand coldly.
“What are you going to do about it? Do I really have to give an interview about something like that? Throw them out immediately.”
This should make Hanna realize that Lucienne’s nasty personality hadn’t changed at all.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
But Hanna simply smiled brightly and walked out as though nothing had happened.
Rather bewildered, Lucienne stood up.
“What is wrong with her?”
She became curious about what Hanna would say to the reporter.
The private waiting room for visitors was located past Paelo’s guest reception room and study.
Two knights and Chamberlain Igor were guarding the entrance to Paelo’s guest reception room.
It seemed Paelo was receiving an important guest inside.
When they saw Lucienne, they politely bowed their heads.
Lucienne ignored their greetings and carefully opened the door to the study right next to the reception room.
Tall bookshelves stood in a neat row along the walls.
A large desk was positioned near the window, and a thick carpet covered the floor.
After carefully closing the door so it wouldn’t make a sound, Lucienne crept toward the wall separating the study from the private waiting room and pressed her ear against it.
As she concentrated on what was happening on the other side, she soon heard Hanna’s voice.
“Her Grace says that such behavior is only natural for a Grand Duchess, so there is no reason for it to be considered a heartwarming story. Naturally, there is no need for an interview either. So please return home.”
What? When did I ever say that?
The reporter seemed just as bewildered.
“Is that really what she said?”
“Are you suggesting that I am lying?”
“No, that’s not what I meant… But isn’t this different from how you have behaved until now?”
“That is true. However, isn’t there a significant cultural difference between the Demon Kingdom and us? I imagine Her Grace must have had a difficult time adapting to the Holy Empire.”
Hanna confidently added,
“If you know who the master of this territory is, I am sure you, as a reporter, will know how to write an appropriate article concerning Her Grace.”
Is that… media control?
Lucienne couldn’t help sighing.
But she couldn’t exactly interrupt in the middle of it.
There was nothing she could do.
Shaking her head, Lucienne straightened up, feeling frustrated and uncomfortable, as though something were stuck in her chest.
At this rate, when am I ever going to get divorced?
Overcome with irritation, Lucienne lightly slapped the bookshelf behind her with her hand.
Why does everything keep going wrong?!
That was when it happened.
The bookshelf, pushed by Lucienne’s strength, began to tilt.
THUD!
The bookshelf toppled into the next one, which in turn began falling in the opposite direction.
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
The bookshelves began collapsing one after another, like a row of dominoes.
Oh, no!
Lucienne’s pupils shook violently as she watched.
She had forgotten that she was much stronger than an ordinary human.
She should have controlled her strength.
“Graaagh!”
A deep scream came from beyond the bookshelves.
While Lucienne was spying on the private waiting room from the study, Paelo was meeting Marquis Delas from the capital in the guest reception room.
After taking a sip of tea out of courtesy, Marquis Delas presented Paelo with a well-sealed letter covered in gold leaf.
The seal stamped onto the gold-leaf letter belonged to the Empress Dowager.
Paelo could guess what it contained without even opening it.
It was undoubtedly a handwritten invitation asking him to attend her upcoming birthday celebration with his wife.
Every year, he had politely refused in a roundabout way so as not to offend her, but another invitation had arrived.
This was especially persistent this year.
It was already the third invitation, and she had even sent one of her own close associates in person.
She’s strangely persistent.
Paelo thought of the Empress Dowager.
She was quite old, old enough to be his grandmother.
Yet from the very first time she had seen Paelo, she had been unable to take her eyes off him.
“It’s almost the Empress Dowager’s birthday.”
Paelo spoke quietly as he opened the letter.
As expected, it contained exactly what he had anticipated, so there was nothing to think about.
The Demon invasion was being held back by highly capable soldiers, so traveling to the capital itself was not particularly concerning.
However, traveling back and forth between the capital and the north, as well as staying there, would take a considerable amount of time.
Above all, the looks and attention he received whenever he attended an imperial event were bothersome.
His hearing was exceptionally sharp, allowing him to hear even the whispers of people nearby.
He particularly hated hearing people gossiping about his bloodline.
That was why, after attending a couple of imperial events, he stopped participating altogether.
The Emperor also knew that gossip about Paelo’s bloodline spread whenever he appeared in the Imperial Palace.
He disliked those rumors as well, so he understood why Paelo no longer came to the palace.
Instead, he merely told Paelo that he appreciated all the hard work he did guarding the border.
“I clearly conveyed that I was grateful for the invitation but would be unable to attend.”
Despite Paelo calmly shaking his head even after Marquis Delas had personally come to him, the Marquis pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat from his brow.
“Grand Duke Ronater, I know you are busy with the war against the demons, but please reconsider this time. The Empress Dowager is getting on in years and growing weaker by the day, and she very much wishes to see you…”
“The reason she wants to see me is because, according to the rumors, I resemble His Majesty the Former Emperor’s husband. It could easily cause unnecessary misunderstandings, and it would not be appropriate.”
“She will only look at you from a distance. So you won’t have to meet her face-to-face. She will be more than satisfied if you simply attend and grace the occasion with your presence.”
That was when it happened.
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
A series of loud crashes rang out from the study next door.
“Graaagh!”
A man’s brief scream could also be heard.
Paelo abruptly rose from his seat and left the reception room.
Marquis Delas followed behind him.
The door to the study and the door to the private waiting room were both wide open.
One of the knights guarding the doors politely bowed his head and reported the situation.
“Your Highness, Her Grace the Grand Duchess entered the study, and a commotion broke out. Chamberlain Igor and Sir Jode are checking on it. Also, there was a reporter in the private waiting room, and just now, Ms. Hanna entered the study with her.”
Paelo and Marquis Delas also entered the study.
Every bookshelf had fallen toward the guest reception room.
And at the very end of the fallen bookshelves, an unfamiliar man was trapped underneath them.
Standing nearby were Igor, Paelo’s close aide and knight Sir Jode, a reporter holding a pen and notebook, the maid Hanna, and Lucienne, who was nervously rolling her eyes around.
“Ah, well, that…”
At Paelo’s gaze, a storm erupted inside Lucienne’s mind.
It was so quiet that I thought nobody was here. Who would have guessed someone was actually using the study?
The man suffering beneath the bookshelves seemed to have broken something.
Lucienne was genuinely sorry for accidentally hurting him.
She was about to bow her head and apologize when she suddenly realized something.
Wait. If I shamelessly play this off, he’ll be completely fed up with me and want a divorce, right?
It was a truly unfortunate accident, but there was no way to undo it now.
She could secretly visit the victim later, apologize, and compensate him for the damages.
For now, it would be better to take advantage of the situation.
They say even a cow’s careless step can catch a frog.
Lucienne raised her chin proudly toward Paelo.
“Yes. I did it. I did it on purpose because I couldn’t stand looking at him.”
The reporter began scribbling something in his notebook.
Seeing that, Lucienne imagined the newspaper headline that would appear next.
“Shocking! Grand Duchess Deliberately Injures a Man…” Maybe something like that?
Public opinion would surely be thrown into an uproar, saying that such a wicked woman was unfit to be a Grand Duchess.
Then Paelo will want a divorce.
Lucienne deliberately glanced down at the injured man.
He really did look like he was in pain.
I’m so, so sorry for hurting you! Once I get my alimony, I’ll give you some serious financial compensation!
While bowing deeply to the man in her heart and apologizing profusely, Lucienne gave her all to playing the ultimate villainess.
“You’re not dead, so what’s the problem? I’ll leave the rest to you. I’m leaving now.”
