Chapter 12
She was overwhelmed by the sight before her and stiffened. Ladies in all kinds of beautiful dresses, with perfumes, fans and silk shoes were paying their respects to her.
Carls whispered in her ear.
“Ma’am, you must come in.”
Only then did she come to her senses, raise her head high, and turn towards the hostess, the Duchess of Moles.
“Be calm, you have been training for this moment for weeks.”
“Thank you for inviting me, Duchess Moles.”
Fortunately, her voice wasn't strange.
The gorgeous Duchess bowed deeply to her.
“It is an honor for you to visit my salon, Your Highness. May I have the honor of introducing Her Highness to the guests?”
As Somona had expected, the Duchess, a middle-of-the-road aristocrat, seemed willing to act as her debutante host.
She nodded her head in satisfaction.
The Duchess took her hand and presented it to the ladies.
“This is the Grand Duchess of Morty, Omarion. I hope you have a good time because you visited my salon.”
"Hello, I'm Omarion Morte."
Countless wives praised her, one after another.
“How good to see you, how beautiful you are, and your dress is perfect.” Most of them wanted to have a relationship with Morty's family, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
When I faced their friendly gazes, I felt at ease. Even though Carls had to leave her side, the party wasn't as scary as she thought.
She recalled the servants encouraging her many times, saying that she would be untouchable as the Grand Duchess.
For some reason, she was excited. She thought she could finally do something good and help Victor.
That was until a lady smiled and covered her mouth with a fan.
“I heard that His Highness the Grand Duke really cares about Her Highness, and it seems that he does.”
Another wife opened her admirer with a smile.
“How could he not? Her Highness is someone important to him.”
Another wife put a fan over her mouth.
“I thought he would cherish it like a flower... I didn't know he would show it to us.”
Their laughter continued.
As she listened to them, her smile slowly disappeared.
There was something wrong.
What Sumona taught her with special care was how to distinguish between insults.
Insults in the social world were done in a very subtle way, so it was not uncommon for them to go unnoticed. While I reassured her that it wouldn't be necessary, she was carefully taught every type of insult.
All of Sumona's lessons have been used. She knew one thing for sure.
They had no intention of accepting her as a member of the salon. No, at this point, it was lucky they didn't fire her.
She felt embarrassed and pulled up her skirt.
“It's the first time I've seen these ladies, so why do they need to be so hostile?”
“I am even the wife of the greatest hero in the empire.”
They laughed like a pack of hyenas.
“It is a virtue to be loved by your husband.”
“Of course. Especially if it is an unexpected marriage...”
“It is not uncommon for love to blossom after a sudden meeting.”
“Besides, isn’t the Grand Duchess a knight? It’s like an old fairy tale.”
I tried to understand them.
Unexpected marriage.
A sudden meeting.
Husband's love.
I realized everything at once.
They used this kind of insult to belittle low-ranking women who married into a noble family.
I immediately frowned. No matter how different their situation was, she couldn't understand why she and his wife had to hear this.
[*E/N: Victor and Omarion]
Another lady took it a step further.
“Well, the Grand Duke was actually a fiancée.”
What are you talking about?
“Oh my God. I made a mistake in front of Her Highness.”
The lady grabbed the hem of her skirt, mocking Omarion's actions earlier.
At the same time, someone approached through the crowd of cruel women. She was an aristocratic young woman who perfectly suited the greenhouse. She was beautiful, with warm red hair, big blue eyes, and long, deer-like eyelashes that fluttered with every blink. She bent her knees and greeted Omarion.
“It is nice to meet you, Your Highness. My name is Nanael Welsh.”
I looked at the woman in disbelief.
She already knew her name. According to Sumona's information, she was the daughter of a famous duke. She was also the most prominent social flower of the empire. She, who was from a family of knights, swept the party scene in the capital, and was said to be already being courted by several men.
Sumona was very like relaying this information, and Karls, who was usually passionate about this kind of topic, was quiet, so her story ended there.
She tried to disperse the intrusive thoughts that clouded her mind and received the lady with difficulty.
"Hello, I'm Omarion Morte."
Nanael smiled brightly and covered her mouth with her gloved hands. At first glance, it was a bright smile that made one think that she was truly happy to see them. But her eyes were not smiling.
“Your crown is very beautiful. Of course, it cannot be compared to your hair, Your Highness.”
“My hair is a characteristic of the North.”...
She closed her eyes tightly.
Thank you
“Your Highness, what family are you from? I want to hear your life story!”
Nanael took Omarion's hand in a friendly manner.
She wanted to get rid of him, but she couldn't gather the courage. Her little voice struggled to leave her mouth.
“Born to the Count of Al-Amari, in the northern part of the kingdom.”...
Her words were interrupted by Nanael's close friends, who gathered around them.
“Don't make her feel uncomfortable, Nanael. You have to keep your manners.”
“Is that true? I’m sorry, Your Highness. Women often make mistakes because of their short education.”
Nanael bowed in a very lively manner. Her friends laughed.
“But I still understand how happy you are. It is said that the Grand Duke’s illness is improving, thanks to you.”
“Oh my God. What do you mean by illness? It’s not polite for someone outside the family to talk about her work.”
Nanael scolded her friend in a sharp voice.
Omarion watched the clown play unfold candidly.
Nanael Welsh was posing as the Grand Duchy's hostess. But no one mentioned that. About half the ladies were silent, and the rest did not hide their mockery of Omarion. She could hear them whispering around her.
“How can a woman be so shameless?”
- “If it were not for the famous insomnia of the Grand Duke, would she have been able to visit the empire?”
“Whether it's making medicine or doing magic, you'll do whatever it takes to survive. How dare you.”
Her heart sank.
Realization hit her.
These people know.
“I am the woman who was sold to Victor to put him to sleep.”
***
She didn't know why she came here in such high spirits.
The subtle mockery continued, and neither the Duchess of Maules nor any other moderate noblewoman was willing to come forward and stop them. In the end, she couldn't stand their ridicule and left the salon.
Sir Carls, who followed her, joked that she was very nervous, and Omarion nodded without a word. Karls thought it was because she was tired, so he didn't say anything else.
During their silent carriage ride home, her mind was plagued with dark thoughts.
Their insults hurt, but… they weren't wrong.
She was the daughter of a count, but the reason her house was not so famous was because they lived in the north. The count was nothing more than a front to deploy more Imperial Knights to the North.
Of course, she had never been to the capital, so she did not make her debut.
Even if she left her estate, monsters were everywhere, so she never dreamed of visiting another noble palace.
She knew more mercenary leaders than noble ladies.
It was ridiculous for a woman like her to marry a grand duke.
She didn't know if she was as qualified as the little Welsh girl...
Everything she was wearing looked awkward. Everyone knew she wasn't right for the job.
***
Didn't talk to anyone
At the second tea party.
There were a few women who didn't know about the rumors, but it didn't last long. Gossip spread through the social season faster than a wyvern's wings, and sooner or later they would know why Omarion hated and avoided Morty.
She wanted to return to the Grand Duke's house and lock herself in the bedroom. She wanted to complain to Victor...
...Because it was hard.
But she wasn't really noble...
***
I exited the luxury carriage with a dry throat. Under the dark sky, the beautiful lights of the palace welcomed the guests who had gathered for the party.
The party was held at a palace outside the capital, and was much larger than the previous two meetings. In addition, men were allowed to attend, which made the atmosphere even more exciting.
But this time, it will be better because she has Carls. She confidently took his hand and entered.
But this confidence did not last.
In the middle of the dance floor, Nanael Welsh was smiling, surrounded by countless people.
She hurriedly turned to Karls to avoid eye contact with her.
Carls looked at her with a worried expression.
“What's wrong, ma'am?”
***
• End of chapter •
To be continued •••
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