MFAWW 24

Chapter 24

“Who did you say?”

“Lady Olette, the Count’s daughter, wishes to see you.”

“Why?”

“I’m not sure either. I told her I would schedule an appointment and asked her to come back later, but she insisted on seeing Lady Iris no matter what…”

The butler spoke with a rare look of discomfort. He was one of those who knew why Lady Bright had broken off her engagement. To the Bright household now, Lady Olette was practically a sworn enemy.

That being said, a mere butler couldn’t just kick out a Count’s daughter. The butler, unable to overcome Lady Olette’s stubborn insistence, had let her in and come to ask me what to do.

“I’ve shown her to the drawing room for now… What shall we do?”

“Hmm.”

What to do? My heart wants to kick her out right this instant and ask her what she thinks this place is, but since I don’t know what she’s plotting…

Like it or not, I have no choice.

“I’ll see her.”

“…! Lady Subrina!”

As I entered the drawing room, Lady Olette, who had been sitting on the sofa, brightened and stood up.

“Hello, Lady Olette.”

“It’s been a while! Have you been well?”

…Why is she acting so friendly? We’re not like that.

I’d already thought it was unusual for her to come to the Marquess’s residence, but it was uncomfortable seeing her smile and act affectionate despite everything that had happened.

“Shall I prepare some tea?”

The butler, who had followed me in, asked in a polite manner. He didn’t let his expression falter even in front of Lady Olette. I once again felt that the butler’s patience was remarkable.

“Instead of tea, do you have something cold?”

“Then shall I bring you some fruit juice?”

“That sounds good. Do you have orange?”

“Yes, we do.”

“Then I’ll have that.”

At the word “orange,” Lady Olette flinched. I pretended not to notice, clenching and unclenching my fist as I looked at her. When our eyes met, Lady Olette subtly averted her gaze.

“I’m amazing at squeezing orange juice, you know… How about it, Lady Olette? Do you like orange juice?”

“…I prefer tea.”

Lady Olette answered in a meek voice. Why does she look like that? Anyone would think I was bullying her.

“Alright, then. Butler, please bring tea for the lady.”

“Right away.”

When the butler left, the two of us were alone in the drawing room. I sat across from Lady Olette, keeping as much distance as possible.

“…”

“…”

As a heavy silence settled over the drawing room, Lady Olette showed signs of discomfort. She fidgeted with her hands, looking tense.

Whether Lady Olette was uncomfortable or not, I just sat silently. I didn’t want to exchange words with her if I could help it. In the meantime, the butler brought orange juice and black tea.

“Thanks.”

“I’ll be in the hallway. Please call me if anything happens.”

The butler placed the teacup in front of Lady Olette and quietly withdrew. As I drank the juice he’d brought, I felt a peculiar gaze on me.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I thought it last time too, but you really do look just like Lady Bright…”

Lady Olette murmured in an admiring voice. It seemed that having the black tea had eased her nerves somewhat. Her amber eyes, fixed on my face, moved as if examining me. My mood soured at that gaze, and my expression crumpled.

“What brings you here?”

Since I could only kick her out after the conversation was over, I decided to hear her out first. I set down my glass and leaned back into the plush sofa.

“If you have something to say, say it.”

When I shot Lady Olette a look that said “get on with it,” she made an “oh” face.

“Ah, well… I came to apologize for the other day.”

“Apologize?”

“Yes. I mistook Lady Subrina for someone else and was rude…”

Lady Olette rolled her eyes and mumbled in a small voice. After hesitating several times, she squeezed her eyes shut and shouted.

“I’m really sorry!”

“What exactly are you sorry for?”

“Huh?”

When I asked back with a bored expression, Lady Olette blinked. Her innocent look of ignorance was laughable.

For mistaking me for Lady Bright and mocking me? For harassing and slandering Lady Bright in high society? Or for committing adultery with Lady Bright’s fiancé?”

As I kindly pointed out each of her wrongdoings one by one, Lady Olette’s face gradually turned pale.

“Th-that’s… no! It’s a misunderstanding!”

“A misunderstanding? Which of those is a misunderstanding?”

They’re all undeniably true, aren’t they? When I tilted my head with a puzzled look, Lady Olette stammered.

“I never slandered her. And adultery, such a frightening word…”

“Ah, sorry. Not adultery, then—was it having an affair with someone who was already engaged? No, that’s not it either. Since they were betrothed, they were practically spouses, so it is adultery, isn’t it?”

After all, the most unpleasant thing is being cursed at with a smile. When I fired back with a beaming smile, Lady Olette went pale.

“I will not accept your apology.”

I rose from my seat as if to say there was nothing more to hear. I’d had a hunch, and as expected, it was all useless talk.

“I’d like you to leave now.”

“Wait, just a moment!”

As I gave her the dismissal, Lady Olette called out urgently.

“I-I saw it in the newspaper! That you’re making your Debutante this time!”

“Ah, that’s right. Thanks to someone, that’s how it turned out.”

This is all because of your father, you know? Thinking about it makes me angry again. If Count Olette, acting on the Empress’s orders, hadn’t done something pointless, I’d be training hard and preparing for the exams right now.

“I can help you!”

“What could you possibly help with?”

“With your Debutante!”

Why you? What are you plotting?

When I shot her a wary look, Lady Olette approached me with an urgent expression.

“You may not know this, Lady Subrina, but… well, before the Debutante, everyone usually attends garden parties and salons to build connections in advance. Since Lady Subrina doesn’t know anyone in the capital, I want to help you.”

Help? Heeelp? What is she even saying? For a moment, I thought I’d misheard.

“As you know, high society is a tough place. With the matter of Lady Bright, it’ll be hard for you to find your footing… I’ll help you.”

What, is she trying to show off her influence in high society now? Come to think of it, I think I heard she’s the “flower of high society” who leads the young ladies of her age. How lacking in talent must they be for an orange to be a flower?

“Why you?”

“Huh?”

“We’re not exactly on friendly terms, are we?”

I’d wondered why she came, and now I roughly understood. Lady Olette must have felt uneasy after seeing the article that I, who knows about her adultery with the Prince, was making my Debutante.

If I successfully entered high society and became close with people, the truth might leak out—that would be troublesome.

I’d like to commend her for charging in recklessly to solve the problem, but she couldn’t have chosen a worse target.

“I’ll handle my own affairs.”

“Lady Subrina, please don’t be like that…”

She’s really persistent. Just as I was about to snap in irritation, the Crown Prince’s words from a few days ago came to mind.

—

‘Pavel is currently confined to the palace.’

‘Confined?’

‘Yes. The Empress issued a confinement order. He can’t leave the palace until the Imperial Palace Ball. So you won’t have to worry about him bothering you.’

‘That’s a relief.’

‘And Lady Olette has also been banned from entering the palace.’

‘What? Really?’

‘Yes. That’s why Count Olette made his move this time. Since Pavel and Lady Olette aren’t officially engaged yet, they need to make a good impression on the Empress.’

—

If the Crown Prince’s words were true…

“Why, is it because Her Majesty the Empress is going to abandon you too?”

At my words, Lady Olette gasped as if struck in a weak spot.

“Wh-what are you talking about?”

“Well, she discarded my sister, who is both a Duke’s granddaughter and a Marquess’s daughter—discarding you, a mere Count’s daughter, would be even easier.”

The Empress had punished the two of them for their wrongdoing for her own son’s sake, not for Lady Olette’s. She had joined hands with Count Olette for political reasons and boarded the same ship, but given the Empress’s personality, there was no way she would take a liking to Lady Olette.

Lady Olette probably knew that the Empress didn’t favor her. And in that situation, she was banned from entering the palace, and she couldn’t even meet her only ally, the Second Prince.

Breaking an engagement is difficult, but breaking off an affair is easy. Since she wasn’t even formally engaged to the Prince, she could be discarded at any moment—her anxiety must have intensified.

Even so, coming to see me directly—should I call it courageous or shameless?

“Isn’t that going too far?”

Lady Olette grabbed her skirt as if she’d been severely insulted, trembling. Her face, which had seemed gentle just moments ago, turned vicious like a rotting, moldy orange.

“Do you think Her Majesty the Empress will leave you alone?!”

“Her Majesty will try to silence me too—whether by coaxing me or eliminating me, either way. But I won’t just take it lying down.”

I reached out toward Lady Olette with a bright smile. When I grabbed her shoulder, her amber eyes went wide.

“Wh—kyaa! Aaah!”

As I put strength into the hand gripping her shoulder, Lady Olette screamed loud enough to shake the drawing room.

“Wh-what do you think you’re doing?!”

“Oh, stop exaggerating. I just grabbed your shoulder.”

I held her shoulder so she couldn’t escape and brought my face close to hers.

“Hey, orange-head. Open your ears and listen carefully.”

I deliberately lowered my voice, and Lady Olette flinched, freezing up. Her frightened amber eyes shook violently.

“Since you’ve been looking down on my sister all this time, it seems you’ve taken me lightly too—but you’ve got the wrong person. Completely wrong.”

“Wh-what?”

“Arche may have taken it from you, but I won’t.”

A Duke’s granddaughter, a Marquess’s daughter—the precious jewel of a prestigious family, branded as a villainess, collectively scorned and mocked… How much fun must she have had? Despite behaving in a way close to insubordination, she was never reprimanded; instead, she was praised as the flower of high society, so her arrogance must have reached the sky.

But that doesn’t work on me.