# 38 -
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“Of course. Please wait just a moment.”
Seret smiled as she responded to Lydia's request to see the wedding ring, then got up from her seat and left the reception room.
She could have asked Hanna to bring it for her, but she felt that being in the same room with Lydia was taking her breath away.
She used that as an excuse to go and get him herself.
As soon as she came out into the corridor, Hannah, who was waiting outside, rushed to her.
“Miss.”
“Hannah.”
"Are you well?"
Hannah studied Seret's face with worried eyes.
Hannah never liked Lydia. She said her smile was fake, and the way she stared at her miss from head to toe was disgusting.
When Seret noticed this, her love for Hana grew even more.
As I expected, Hannah knows how to recognize people well.
“Of course I'm fine.”
Seret answered as she headed towards the stairs.
“If Miss Elliot is being rude, don't stay silent. Answer her immediately, miss.”
Hannah said as she followed her.
“Do you think this is appropriate?”
Seret replied with a slight smile.
“Of course! She may be the Emperor’s daughter, but she is not a real princess. You are the one who will become Duchess of Frecktwister.”
Hannah lowered her voice as she said this.
“How bold you are.”
Seret laughed as she entered her room.
Although she scolded her lightly, her heart was filled with slight warmth. Having someone on her side so frank was a huge relief to her.
As soon as she entered the room, she opened the drawer and took out the small box containing the wedding ring. Hannah opened her eyes in surprise.
“What do you intend to do with the ring, miss?”
“Lydia asked to see him.”
“And you're actually going to show it to him?”
Hannah narrowed her eyes.
Her features clearly said: What am I going to do with my naive miss?
Seret smiled weakly.
I'm not as naive as you think, Hannah.
“She asked to see it, so I'll show it to her.”
She wanted to leave Lydia the stage to say whatever nonsense she wanted.
Phildia, in her eyes, was essential to a perfect divorce.
Seret opened the box, checked the sparkle of the ruby, and then left the room.
“She may be trying to provoke you, so don’t be silent.”
"Good."
Seret was really curious.
What will Lydia say when she sees the ring?
Would you be surprised that it's not a diamond? Or will she repeat her nonsense about “fake marriage”?
Looks like I have a lot to write in my diary tonight.
Seret entered the reception room, quietly concealing her excitement.
Lydia looked up at her with a look as sharp as a razor.
Her face was like a freshly opened rose, but her eyes were sharper than her thorns.
"This is it."
Siret sat across from her and opened the box to show her the ring.
“How beautiful!”
Lydia sighed in admiration as she stared at the ring. Then, without any hesitation, she took it out and put it on her finger.
This should have been my ring.
That idea made her wear it quite easily, without feeling any embarrassment.
For Lydia, this was completely normal.
But Seret's smile declined.
Here's a woman bold enough to try on another woman's wedding ring.
“It's very beautiful, but... is this really a wedding ring?”
Lydia asked with a surprised face, raising her hand to examine the ring from different angles.
Siret knew exactly what Lidya was going to say, so she had an innocent look on her face as she replied: “Yes, Yuan said he wanted sapphire blue, so we chose it.”
"Understood."
A gentle smile appeared on Lydia's lips, she seemed happy.
Oh, she must be happy because Yuan's choice of sapphire means that this marriage is fake.
Seret smiled back.
But this marriage is not only fake for him, but for me as well.
She was about to say it, but she held it together.
“Sapphire… what an elegant choice.”
Instead of speaking her heart, Seret played the role of the naive fiancée perfectly.
“Oh, Seret.”
Lydia looked at her with a face full of pity.
Seret could hear her inner laughter, as if to say: What an idiot you are.
She barely stifled her laughter.
"Why? Is something wrong?"
Siret's eyes widened and her eyelids fluttered innocently.
“No, absolutely nothing.”
Lydia said, but her face still had that same look—the look of pity for a woman whose husband didn't love her.
Seret remembered that look well from her previous life.
Lydia had always looked at her that way—half pity, half condescension.
And every time, Seret shrank more, felt jealous, and hated her because she knew that Yuan's love was not for her.
“Tell me, Lydia. It's okay.”
“I don't want to cause any misunderstanding.”
Lydia said as she took off the ring and put it in the box.
“Then there is something really strange. My mother died early, and my only brother is not married. I don’t know anything about marriage. Tell me, Lydia, we are friends, right?”
Serert begged her with a face full of hope and sincerity.
Come on, stop hesitating. You're dying to say it, aren't you, Lydia?
Seret stared at her steadily until Lydia sighed and gave up.
“Okay, I'll say it. I was just... a little worried, that's all.”
“Worried? In what way?”
“Seret...”
Lydia held her hand with a sad look.
Siret suppressed the desire to withdraw her hand and looked at her.
“When His Highness said he wanted a sapphire wedding ring, didn’t Lady Oxenbury say anything?”
“She asked me if I was sure, and I told her yes.”
“Well...how do I say it...Seret, wedding rings should be diamonds. Rubies, sort of...”
“But rubies are also beautiful. They are of the finest quality, and their price is no less than diamonds.”
Sereret said with an innocent face.
“No, it's not a matter of price.”
Lydia sighed deeply, looking at her with feigned sorrow.
"If the wedding ring is not a diamond, people will start to doubt the sincerity of the marriage. Any other stone implies that the marriage is not real."
"What? What do you mean?"
Seret asked with a surprised face.
“If the upper class knew that this was your wedding ring, you would become an object of ridicule.”
"truly?"
Seret showed a sad expression. She tried to get a little teary eyed, but she couldn't.
“It is impossible for Yuan not to know this.”
Lydia muttered as she watched her.
"So what was he thinking when he chose the ruby? What does this ring even mean?"
Seret looked at the ring with a feigned brokenness.
“Liyuan’s every action has a reason. He did not choose the sapphire in vain.”
“Should I ask him?”
“Of course, confront him. When he returns this evening, show him the ring and ask him yourself.”
“I'm afraid to ask him.”
Seret murmured sadly.
“Poor Siret.”
Lydia said in a pitying tone, but the joy on her face was clear and unmistakable.
Seret pretended not to notice, taking on a sadder expression.
Then an idea occurred to her: it would be better for everyone to see her sad.
Miss soon-to-be Duchess cries after talking to her fiancé's first love.
She wanted this scene to be imprinted on the minds of all the servants.
It is said that the Duke's relationship with his wife was fractured from the beginning due to his first love.
“Sorry, Lydia, I can’t calm down. I have to go now. Forgive me, and come back safely.”
Seret said in a trembling voice, took the ring and quickly left the room.
She covered her mouth and started making soft crying sounds as she headed towards her room.
"Miss! What's wrong with you?"
Hannah shouted, following her anxiously.
Hannah was not alone, as all the servants she passed looked at her with surprise.
While she was climbing the stairs while continuing to pretend to be crying, she saw Lydia's maid, Anita, whispering with one of the Frecktwister maids.
As soon as they saw her, they were confused and quickly moved away, then bowed in greeting and disappeared.
What is this? It's suspicious.
Seret looked at them worriedly.
“Miss, what's wrong?”
Hannah asked with a worried face.
Seret regained her focus, returned to her act, and ran to her room while continuing to cry.
“Miss!”
Hannah shouted as she rushed after her.
As soon as Seret entered her room and closed the door, she immediately stopped acting.
Acting is not as easy as I thought.
She thought to herself as she opened the drawer and hummed a soft tune.
“Miss?”
Hannah said in surprise as she looked at her.
"Hannah, how did I do? Did I look sad?"
Seret asked with a sly smile as she put the ring in the drawer.
“You were pretending?”
"Yes."
Seret smiled weakly.
Since Hannah nailed the scene, her acting must not have been bad.
At that moment a knock was heard at the door, and Mrs. Oxenbury's maid entered.
“Mrs. Oxenbury asks to see you for a moment.”
"Good."
The news has already reached my aunt.
At least her crying wasn't in vain.
She hid the satisfaction that appeared on her face, and answered calmly.
After the maid left, Seret pretended to yawn several times.
Soon, small tears gathered at the edges of her eyes.
Before she could dry herself, she hurried steadily toward Mrs. Oxenbury's room.
***
“Seret.”
"my paternal aunt."
Sirett approached Mrs. Oxenbury with a look of sadness on her face.
“Oh dear, what happened?”
The aunt asked her gently, observing her features.
"nothing."
Seret answered in a weak voice.
"I heard you were crying as you came up the stairs. They said Miss Elliot was here. Did you quarrel?"
“Of course not. Lydia is a very good friend.”
Siret shook her head, then continued:
“We were just talking, and suddenly I remembered my late mother. Lydia lost her mother at a young age, too.”
“How sad. It seems that everyone has known grief so young. Even Yuan lost his mother early.”
said Mrs. Oxenbury, with a sad look.
True, Yuan also lost his mother.
Syrett remembered hearing that the late Duchess died when he was eight.
In a fleeting moment, Seret felt pity for him.
When she lost her mother, at least Jeremy was by her side.
But she quickly shook herself, shocked at herself.
Are you crazy? How can I pity the man who killed me?
“Nothing saddens a child more than losing his mother.”
said Mrs. Oxenbury softly.
"correct."
Her words brought to Seret's mind the image of the child she had given birth to.
Her child also lost his mother early. What a poor man.
Her face was filled with deep sadness—
A sadness that will never be erased.