# 43 -
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“Lily, no.”
Eve returned after setting the dining room table, and fearfully hurried toward Seret and her little sister. She was afraid that Lily might soil Seret's dress with something dirty, so she quickly picked her up in her arms.
“Sorry, things are chaotic today, aren’t they?”
“But you look happy.”
Seret quickly wiped away her tears and smiled.
“It's hell... with little angels.”
Eve smiled tiredly, handed Lily to the maid, then led Seret and Hana into the dining room.
Her house was small, with no reception or tea room.
The two guests sat down and Eve prepared tea.
“No need for tea, Eve. Let's go out to lunch.”
"truly?"
Eve was very happy with the idea.
She said she was eagerly awaiting the day she would move into the Duke's house, and Seret laughed.
Eve was going to work as Seret's personal maid after the marriage, and Seret was happy about that. The more people she trusted, the better for her.
"Before we go out, I want to tell you something. There's a reason we're going out to lunch."
Seret said as she looked between Eve and Hannah.
"a reason?"
Eve asked her surprised.
Siret briefly recounted what happened yesterday, and Eve was astonished and her eyes widened.
"Oh, my God."
“Everything went well, thanks to Hannah.”
Seret looked at Hannah smiling, and Hannah smiled proudly.
“It ended peacefully, but I don’t want to leave it unanswered.”
“What are you going to do?”
Eve asked her,
Siret smiled softly at Eve's question.
“I will spread rumors.”
Yuan had ordered the servants to keep their mouths tight so that no words would leak out, but Seret had no intention of ending the matter there.
In her previous life, a rumor spread that Seret, blinded by envy, framed Lydia.
Because what happened was inside the duke's palace, the rumor reached even the residents of the province, and she ended up being labeled a jealous and fierce duchess, which was unfair to her.
This time, Siret decided to pay back the debt as she had done in her previous life.
The accumulation of such rumors will also be beneficial to her in the event of a divorce.
“Rumours?”
“If the words come out of Madame Barnes’ mouth, they will reach everyone before the wedding.”
Seret said with a smile.
“Are you going to have lunch with her?”
Hannah asked in surprise.
“Of course not, that would be too obvious. We have to let her accidentally overhear our conversation.”
Eve and Hanna exchanged puzzled looks, but followed Seret to Madame Barn's fashion store.
They waited outside until Madame Barn came out with the workers at lunchtime, and then he followed them from afar to the restaurant.
Madame Barn entered a small French restaurant, and after a while Séret entered with Hannah and Eve.
They found a table directly behind her, so they sat there.
After they ordered food, Seret began her act.
“Yesterday was very chaotic. There was a big problem at Fricktoster Palace.”
She raised her voice slightly as she spoke, especially at the name of the palace.
Hannah gave Sirett a quick glance to indicate that Madame Barn was listening.
"Mrs. Oxenbury was so surprised that she did not eat dinner. The servants did not stop talking."
Hannah said in a normal voice.
Hannah was acting brilliantly, but the problem was Eve.
“What… happened?”
She said nervously.
Hannah almost laughed at her strange performance, but Seret composed herself and continued speaking in a clear tone so that Barn would hear her.
"Miss tried to cover up for Miss Elliott and say that she had made a mistake, but that was not true. She had put her wedding ring in the drawer, and a maid saw Miss Elliott come out with the ring in her hand."
“Hanna, don’t talk like that. Lydya just made a mistake. She’s my friend.”
In a soft tone, Seret scolded her.
“You're too kind, Miss. Even Mrs. Oxenbury is worried about you.”
Hannah added to complete the scene.
Hannah noticed Madame Barn leaning her body back to hear better.
Then Eve said stammering.
“Wow… I never imagined that… the daughter of the Elliot family… could do something like this...”
Her sentences were so incoherent that Seret almost burst out laughing, so she bit her lip to pretend to be sad.
“It's true that it bothers me, because Lidya was Yuan's first love, but that's in the past, and I won't think about it too much.”
Seret said in a sad tone, and Hannah said with pretend concern.
“Miss, don't cry.”
Hannah said, looking at Seret with a worried face.
huh? Cry? Am I crying?
When Hannah spoke, Seret made a “aheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
“Seret, don’t…cry.”
Eve said.
Not only was her manner of speaking strange, but her voice was also out of tune, so Seret couldn't help but laugh.
She covered her face with both hands, trying to hold back her laughter. She looked like she was really crying.
“It's okay, miss...”
Hannah said in a sad voice as she consoled her.
Madame Barne rose, her face almost bursting with curiosity.
As she slowly gathered her things and her bag, she watched Seret out of the corner of her eye.
Syrette continued to act sad as she felt Madame Barne's gaze.
When all her companions left,
"Miss! They're all out," Hannah whispered in a low voice.
Then Seret lowered her hands and laughed loudly.
“Eve, your acting was too much.”
Siret said as she wiped away the tears of laughter that gathered in her eyes.
“This is my first time like this.”
Eve said, smiling nervously.
“Miss Eve, it was too much. You never get emotional.”
Hannah said with a sad face.
“Sorry, Hannah.”
Eve said with an apologetic face.
Seret looked at them and a smile appeared on her lips.
Now that it had reached Madam Barn's ear, it was only a matter of time before the rumor spread.
***
Reagan sat holding a cigarette, looking at the playing cards with a frown. Looks like he lost again. How does he lose like this every time?
“Did you hear the news?”
said Viscount Chesterfield, sitting beside him. His face was as excited as ever when he came up with a new rumor.
“What is it this time?”
Regan said as he put out his cigar.
“I don’t know if I should say this in the presence of His Highness the Grand Duke.”
“Since when do you consider my presence? The only person you consider is Yuan.”
The Viscount smiled.
“And who doesn’t care about Duke Freaktwister? Anyway… hear the news.”
“Speak quickly and do not procrastinate.”
“The flower of society committed a great scandal.”
“Lydia?” Regan said anxiously.
The Viscount nodded, and then began to tell the story quickly. No one around the table believed what he said. The Phildia they knew would never do such a thing.
“Where did you hear that?”
“At the racecourse. Mr. Hans said Miss Elliot stole the future Duchess's wedding ring.”
Reagan immediately stood up from his seat.
“Where? Are you going to meet her? Take me with you.”
said the Viscount, taking him by the arm.
He wanted to hear the whole story from Lydia's mouth, so he felt like he wouldn't believe it unless he heard it himself.
The story was so unbelievable.
Reagan released his arm from the Viscount's grip and quickly left the place.
For Lydia to touch the wedding ring?
Reagan couldn't sit still with worry.
He was worried about Lidya, because he knew how blind her love for Yuan was.
His thoughts were also occupied by Seret, the duke's fiancée, who had gone through the same thing.
Reagan headed straight to the Imperial Palace.
***
Lydia was in the tea room when Reagan arrived, her face red with anger and confusion.
It seems that the rumor that spread in the community has reached her ears as well.
So Reagan could ask her directly.
“Lidya, is it true that you touched their wedding ring?”
“My brother Reagan!”
Lydia screamed, her eyes shining with tears.
“I just wanted to check, there's no need for you to scream like that.”
Reagan said with a hard face.
“No, you don’t believe me, do you? Seret framed me.”
“Miss Enohater has no reason to do that.”
“Seret is jealous of me. She hates me because I was Yuan’s first love. Regan, I don’t want Seret to hate me. I want to have a good relationship with her, she will be Yuan’s wife.”
“Lidya, please. Yuan is not your toy. He is not someone you can get by crying or insisting.”
Regan said in a soothing tone.
If it weren't for Yuan's matter, Lidya would have been a girl like an angel.
But when it comes to Yuan, she doesn't give in one bit.
Since her childhood, she believed that Yuan was hers, so his marriage to another woman was a huge shock to her.
Reagan was not unable to understand her feelings, but he thought that time would make her give in, but her desire increased day by day, and that was what worried him.
She was a girl who would only know happiness by having Yuan, which is why Reagan found himself blaming Yuan.
If he had married Lydia, everyone would have been relieved—Lydia, and Seret too.
Lydia furrowed her eyebrows slightly, not liking Regan's look.
That look exuded pity.
“Brother, why are you looking at me like that?”
“Lydia.”
"Do you think I'm crazy? Because my grandmother on my mother's side was crazy? Do you think I'm like her?"
"I never thought about that. I'm just... worried about you."
“Don't worry, brother. In the end, I will be by Yuan's side.”
Lydia smiled brightly,
But Reagan clearly saw the evil shining in her eyes.
What can be done with this girl?
Reagan felt a headache throbbing in his head, and said nothing else.
He got up and left the tea room.
As he walked slowly through the corridors of the Imperial Palace, a cat walked at a calm pace in front of him.
Reagan stopped when he saw her.
Suddenly he remembered the cat he had once seen horribly dead.
That cat was particularly fond of Yuan.
Reagan's body trembled as he remembered her.
He knew exactly who had killed her, and why.
A cat died just because it was next to Yuan.
and Seret Enohater—the woman who would stand by his side.
Regan imagined Seret's bright face as she smiled,
His frozen face turned pale until it became colorless.