Chapter 156 - It's Cleanup Time

 

After lunch, I lay idly in my bed. To anyone else, I probably looked carefree, but the neurons in my brain were firing at full speed. I recalled the similarities between the letters from Max and the crown prince—the handwriting was what made them alike. Still, I couldn’t do anything since Max wrote he wouldn’t come by for a while. ‘How irritating,’ I thought.

A headache emerged from the strange situation, prompting me to shift my attention. I turned to my messy desk, and realizing I had yet to open the other letter, I got out of bed. After removing the sealed wax with a small knife, I unfolded the letter which read:

Lady Floyen, I know the truth about your lover. If you do not wish a rumor to begin, please visit my estate in four days.

I couldn’t help but frown at the note. Crumpling the paper, I sighed. Was Viscount Mersha’s young lady one of my haters as well? It was undeniable that there were not many commoners with handsome faces like that of Max—and a fallen noble at that. Although I was doing my best to hide his identity, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was already a rumor circulating. To be honest, I would be thankful if somehow word about Max reached the crown prince.

I turned away from my desk to throw the note away. Then, a sense of déjà vu suddenly overcame me. Feeling like I’d witnessed a similar situation previously, I flattened the once soon-to-be trash letter and carefully studied it.

***

Spending her teatime in solidarity, Marchioness Hessen contemplated in silence.

‘There needs to be an alternative in case that girl decides to decline the invitation.’

The door opened, interrupting her meditation. “My lady, the young ladyship from the Floyen household has responded to Lady Mersha’s letter, asking for a date,” said the chief maid. The tip of the marchioness’ lips curled up as she listened to the report.

“As I thought! I knew there would be a reply as long as I mentioned a man.” She then turned cold-faced in an instant. “Looks like the girl is an easy one after all. I knew it from the time she began chasing my precious son around.”

Hessen’s ladyship had never been satisfied with Jubelian. The marchioness’ first impression of the duke’s daughter was that the girl was a halfwit who possessed no special talents. All she had was her ascribed status and a pretty face. Still, the noblewoman had allowed Jubelian to meet Mikhail because of her ridiculously obsequious behavior.

The unsophisticated lady would say things like, “Please—you needn’t be concerned about formalities, Your Ladyship. You are the mother of the man I love!”

“This is a small gift to demonstrate my sincerity toward you, so do not feel burdened by it. I am simply happy that you find it suitable.”

The marchioness had been disgusted with the ill-mannered Jubelian, for such a nature made it obvious that she grew up without a mother. The wicked lady, therefore, decided she would use this weakness to discipline the young lady and establish dominance in their relationship.

“I am deeply sorry—I was not aware,” the restless Jubelian would confess whenever she failed at her desperate attempts to read the room. Such an appearance was what the marchioness desired—a meek, obedient daughter-in-law.

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The lady’s expression relaxed as she recalled the past. She decided all that Jubelian needed was wise advice. Indeed, there was the humiliating rumor that she had been spending much time with a man of common origin, but such a thing did not matter.

‘After all, it is a fact that if a daughter-in-law wants to contribute to the family, she shall stay put at home and give birth to a healthy heir. However, I guess a little scolding during her learning process wouldn’t be so unreasonable.’

In no time, the lady was smiling.

***

The day I promised to visit Viscount Mersha’s estate arrived. According to customs, a nobleman or woman would be considered discourteous if he or she brought many servants and escorts while visiting another noble’s home. Therefore, I only decided to take Geraldine and Merilyn as my escort and maid, respectively. Once I got on the carriage, I glanced at the Floyen mansion through the window. I didn’t think my father was going to allow the outing, and therefore, I felt quite strange from my father’s permissiveness. But my attention quickly turned to a more urgent issue as the carriage began to move.

After a while, the transport finally arrived at the viscount’s estate located in the outskirts of the capital. The main building was only three stories tall, and there seemed to be no annexes. The whole house could be seen at a glance—it was a neat little mansion.

The carriage door opened, interrupting my appreciation of the building. Outside, I could see a man and a woman standing side by side.

“Welcome, Lady Floyen. We are pleased to have you visit,” the couple said. By the sight of them greeting me, I could tell they were the viscount and the viscountess. As a duke’s eldest daughter, I held the same social status as that of a count—but in reality, I was allowed to act as a part of the royal family. For this reason, I didn’t need to bow to them.

“Thank you for the cordial address, Lord and Lady Mersha.”

The pair lowered their heads. Once they saw that I had brought only one escort and a maid, they asked in shock, “Your Ladyship, is that knight your only escort?”

“Yes. There is no need for me to bring a group of men for a casual outing like this.”

The viscount and viscountess looked at each other in nervousness, then they finally replied, “To think the young lady of the Floyen household would place such trust in us—we are extremely honored.”

I scoffed quietly. Were they saying such things knowing that their daughter had threatened me?

“We will show you to the drawing room,” the couple said as they bowed again, interrupting my thoughts. I meekly followed the two with Merilyn behind me. When the door to the reception room opened, I was greeted by a familiar face.

Realizing my expectations had matched the reality perfectly, I chuckled softly. I had anticipated this situation—it was not the young lady of the Mersha family but the marchioness—Mikhail’s mother—who had sent the letter. It was a ploy to get my attention. In the original novel, the lady had used the same method to meet and ask Jubelian to stop chasing Mikhail around.

The noblewoman stared at me for a moment before offering a seat. “Sit down, child. You’ve come a long way.” Her voice was perfectly calm.

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