Brittany smiled faintly as she looked through the magazine the maid had brought her.
Alford had failed to take Lisi away from Kay, and Brittany had not expected that much in the first place. All she wanted was to plant the idea in Kay’s mind and in the minds of others that Lisi was a promiscuous woman.
The magazine that carried the article about Lisi was not particularly reliable. It specialized in stories about ghosts and vampires and other such things. But whenever a scandal involving a noble house appeared in its pages, people bought it eagerly to read. It would not take long for the article to spread far and wide.
“Iris will be thrown out soon enough. The Guardian Relic House will never tolerate a filthy and promiscuous woman.”
She had not yet heard anything about Iris holding a wedding ceremony with Kayvrant. It was obvious the Green family must be opposing it.
“Or perhaps Count Green acted on impulse when he took Iris and now regrets it. That girl is gloomy and dull anyway. All she has is a pretty face.”
Just imagining the day when Lisi would be cast out and crawl back to the ducal house filled Brittany with a shivering delight.
“My lady. Lady Mundis has come to visit.”
Brittany, who had been chuckling as she read the magazine, jumped to her feet at the maid’s words.
“Katrina? Let her in.”
Katrina, Brittany’s close friend of the same age, was the daughter of the Marquess Mundis and Brittany’s favorite companion. She was just stupid enough to be treated like a maid.
“Bryn, Bryn, Bryn! Have you seen this?”
Katrina was as noisy as ever. In her hand she held a magazine identical to the one Brittany had been reading.
Brittany casually hid her own magazine behind a cushion and asked with an innocent expression.
“What is that?”
“Look at this, look at this. I knew you would have no idea. Honestly, you are far too indifferent to the affairs of high society.”
Watching Katrina speak with a sympathetic tone, Brittany blinked as if she were completely naïve.
Katrina opened the magazine.
“This article!”
It was a short but striking piece printed on one page of the magazine.
[The Secret Private Life of a Certain Countess]
The magazine did not mention names, but throughout the article it repeatedly used expressions like “a sacred family,” “a family protected by the Holy Kingdom,” and “a family that guards sacred relics.” Anyone reading it would immediately realize it meant the Green family.
“This ‘flower of a certain ducal house known across the entire Elerond Continent’ must mean Iris, right? And the sacred family means the Green family.”
“Ah…”
“Is it true? Did Iris really marry Count Green? Count Green?”
“Yes…”
“What happened? Wasn’t she supposed to marry Baron Huchis? I heard Iris liked Baron Huchis so much she followed him around everywhere.”
“That is true. But… somehow…”
There was no way Brittany could admit that Kay himself had come to propose to Iris.
“Well, a count is better than a baron anyway… I heard Iris discovered some weakness of Count Green’s and blackmailed him into marrying her.”
“Really? What weakness?”
“I do not know that much either. And it might not even be true… it was just the sort of implication people were making.”
Whenever Brittany spoke with Katrina, she always added phrases like “it might not be true,” “I am not entirely sure,” or “it is just speculation.” That way she could escape responsibility later if trouble arose.
“Wow, that is unbelievable. Iris did not seem like that kind of person, but she is really frightening.”
“No, Iris is kind. It must just be a rumor.”
“How could it be? It was strange enough that Count Green suddenly asked Iris to marry him. And besides… how long has it been since she married him, yet she is already having an affair? Or wait, maybe it is not an affair. If she already had that sort of relationship with Baron Huchis before, then perhaps she is the one cheating on Count Green?”
“Oh no, it is not like that… Still… Baron Huchis seems very hurt. He came here not long ago and cried quite a lot.”
“I heard Baron Huchis has been staying at your estate… So he really cried?”
“Yes. I felt sorry for him. I even felt a bit guilty.”
“That makes sense. But something is strange.”
Katrina tilted her head, resting a finger against her chin.
“Why did Iris and Count Green not hold a wedding ceremony?”
“Hm… who knows.”
“Ah, maybe his family opposes it. I heard the old Count Green is extremely strict. And Lady Green’s personality is even worse.”
“That could be…”
“It is not just possible. It must be true. I saw Jeresien Green once at a tea party.”
“Jeresien Green… Count Green’s sister? I heard she rarely attends parties.”
“She seems to attend parties held by close friends sometimes. Anyway, I saw her once and she was terrifying. Very sharp tongued.”
“Really?”
Brittany nearly burst into laughter but barely held it back.
This was enough.
Katrina had many friends and loved to talk. She would embellish the story and spread it everywhere. Words spoken by the daughter of a marquess would sink far deeper into people’s minds than gossip from maids of the Green household.
+++
Wyvern Green, the old count who had long ago passed his title to his son, was sitting in a sunlit garden drinking tea with his wife, Hereina.
The elderly couple’s peaceful moment was shattered by an aide who hurried in.
“You should see this.”
What the aide brought was a newspaper. It was not one that Wyvern usually subscribed to.
Wyvern silently read the article the aide indicated, then handed the paper to Hereina.
After reading it carefully, Hereina spoke.
“Have we… ever opposed Kay’s marriage?”
“Not that I recall. Unless I have become senile.”
“That is what I thought. We cannot both have gone senile at the same time.”
Hereina folded the newspaper and returned it to the aide.
“Should we protest to the newspaper company?” the aide asked awkwardly.
“Protest? For what reason?”
Hereina asked calmly.
“Well… they printed such nonsense as if it were fact.”
“Leave it alone. Responding to rumors only makes people believe them.”
“But… many people already believe it is true.”
“The voices of those who believe it are simply louder. There are more people who do not.”
“That may be so, but I am worried. If the article printed here happens to be true…”
Hereina’s eyes turned cold, and the aide could not finish his sentence.
“I trust that our son is not the kind of child who would marry without even informing his parents. Do you not agree, dear?”
The aide thought to himself, If it is your son, he absolutely could do exactly that.
But of course he did not say such a thing aloud.
+++
Jen’s patience was slowly reaching its limit.
Kay, who had said he would return in a day or two, still had not come back. On top of that, an article about the Countess of Green having an affair had appeared in the newspaper.
Appearing in a newspaper was an entirely different matter from appearing in a magazine. Anyone could run a magazine, but newspapers could only be established with permission from the royal or imperial government or an official alliance. That made them far more credible.
What irritated Jen even more was the presence of Gillette Merdi, who had once been Kay’s personal maid but had now become Lisi’s personal maid.
With neither Kay nor Lisi present at the Green Count Estate, Gillette strutted around as if she were the lady of the house.
“What is everyone doing? The Count will be back by this evening at the latest. How can the cleaning look like this?”
Watching Gillette scold the maids was making Jen feel as though curses might slip out of his mouth, so he stepped outside into the garden.
At that moment Nathan passed by, spinning a pistol around his finger.
“Nathan. What exactly is that woman inside doing, acting like the lady of the house?”
“Seriously. How many times do I have to say it? Gillette Merdi. Sister in law’s personal maid.”
Nathan answered irritably, having already heard the same question seventeen times.
“You know that is not what I mean. Why are you letting her behave like that?”
“What am I supposed to do about it? She might look like that, but she is still sister in law’s maid. Should I just kick her in the rear?”
“You are good at kicking.”
“Even I do not go around kicking just anyone.”
“You used to try to kick my father when we were kids.”
“You kicked the old count too when you were little. You still do sometimes. Look at that, look at that. You are about to kick me again.”
Nathan quickly dodged Jen’s kick.
“Hey! The boss is here!”
Wallace shouted as he ran toward the front gate.
Jamie, Eugene, and the other people of the estate were already heading there to welcome the count and countess.
Jen grabbed Nathan’s sleeve just as he was about to run off.
“Hey, what?”
“Hide.”
“What?”
Jen dragged Nathan behind a tree in the garden.
“Let go, Jen. I need to go greet the boss and sister in law too.”
“Just stay still.”
“I seriously do not understand you.”
Jen wanted to see Lisi’s unadorned self. Many women tried to act graceful and charming in front of their husband’s family. The Flower of the Whitlow Ducal House. Even someone like Jen, who had no interest in high society, had heard that name.
He wanted to see with his own eyes how much of that reputation was true and what sort of delicate flower she really was.
Soon Kay and Lisi came into view.
What Jen noticed first was not Lisi’s face but the newspaper she was holding.
Suddenly Lisi stopped walking in the open space of the garden.
Those who had come to greet them looked at her curiously.
Aside from Kay’s shadow like attendants, few people looked at Lisi kindly. She had only recently married, yet rumors said she had already tarnished the honor of the master they revered and of the household itself.
Naturally Lisi would feel the mood contained in their gazes.
But she did not lower her head.
She did not avert her eyes.
With an elegant smile she looked slowly around at the employees and then lifted the newspaper slightly, giving it a small shake.
“I saw an interesting article.”
Several of the employees flinched.
Jen wondered how Lisi would try to explain the article.
“I.”
Lisi’s gaze stopped on Gillette.
“I believe the source of this article did not come from someone in our household.”
Having said that much, Lisi simply began walking again as if nothing had happened.
There was no explanation of the article’s contents.
But from her attitude alone, Jen understood.
“The article is false.”
Those present who were quick witted must have realized the same thing.
“And the article came from the mouth of someone in this household.”
It was not difficult to guess whose mouth it had come from.
At least Jen, watching from afar, knew clearly.
Only then did Jen properly take in Lisi’s face.
A small pale face, perfectly formed features, and light violet eyes as clear as gemstones.
Dressed in clothes like a young man and walking forward without hesitation, her confident figure engraved itself in Jen’s eyes.
Even the praise “Flower of the Whitlow Ducal House” was not enough.
She shone with a radiant light.
“…Seriously.”
After they had gone farther away, Jen finally spoke.
“Why would a woman like that marry someone like my brother?”
Nathan frowned and answered bluntly.
“How would I know?”