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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: An Unwelcome Visit
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The salon hosted by the Duchy of Claudius was an artistic event steeped in history.
While not an official competition, having one's work featured in the salon signified that the Duchy saw potential in the artist.
In fact, the Duchy of Claudius was known to select a few artists for patronage.
Many nobles also attended as patrons and observers.
This offered a significant advantage to the artists.
After all, making a good impression on the nobility could only help their future artistic careers.
With a bit of luck, they might even find a new patron, even if they weren't chosen by the ducal family.
I knew that this very salon had launched the careers of a great many famous artists…
‘Shouldn’t she be swamped with preparations for the salon right about now?’
Could I really just drop by for a visit?
Or was this some kind of unspoken pressure, a summons to help with the preparations?
As I was puzzling over this.
“Um, my lady.”
Amy called to me cautiously.
Snapping back to my senses, I turned around.
“Yes? What is it?”
For a moment, an ominous feeling crept down my spine.
‘This is… a bad feeling.’
And for good reason—Amy wore a deeply troubled expression.
I knew that look all too well.
It was the same look she’d had that time Gregory and Serapina barged into the townhouse without any notice.
Amy opened her mouth.
“Lady Lopes has come to visit.”
Of course.
My face crumpled in annoyance.
‘Seriously, why is she so damn persistent?!’
But Amy wasn’t finished.
“But… Baroness Bentner is with her.”
“What?!”
I was horrified.
Because Baroness Bentner was…
‘Gregory’s aunt!’
* * *
A moment later.
I descended to the drawing room, unable to hide my sullen expression.
“Aunt, thank you so much for coming with me.”
Serapina was speaking sweetly to the stern-looking, middle-aged noblewoman seated beside her.
They were so close, anyone would have mistaken them for mother and daughter.
“If it weren’t for you, Aunt, I wouldn’t have had the courage to come here alone.”
“Nonsense. To think that girl, Lalitt, was so rude to Gregory.”
The middle-aged noblewoman offered Serapina a magnanimous smile.
“If it weren’t for you, we would never have been able to correct such insolence.”
“A-Aunt…”
“So, really, I should be the one thanking you.”
…Did I really have to listen to such creative nonsense first thing in the morning?
For context, the reason Serapina was calling Gregory’s aunt ‘Aunt’ was because of this exchange:
“If she’s my aunt, then she’s your aunt too, Sera!”
“Really? Is it truly alright for me to call you Aunt?”
“Please do. I’m so happy to have gained such a pretty niece.”
That was the title decided upon after that infuriating exchange.
For the record, Baroness Bentner had tried to play the role of my mother-in-law in every conceivable way, even though I wasn’t even married…
‘Still, her intentions are so transparent, it’s almost laughable.’
I narrowed my eyes at Serapina.
Since I kept refusing her visits, she must have brought someone along who would be difficult to turn away.
Just then, Serapina glanced over.
The moment our eyes met, she flashed a triumphant smile.
‘No matter what you do, everyone else is on my side.’
…It was as if she were saying just that.
“Lari!”
Serapina called out, feigning delight.
“Good morning. Aunt mentioned it had been a while since she’d seen you, so I brought her along. And…”
“Serapina.”
Cutting her off as she began to ramble, I spoke coolly.
“Showing up without any notice. How many times has it been now? Isn’t that incredibly rude?”
Hearing my words, Serapina’s eyes widened as if she’d suffered a terrible shock.
Her shoulders slumped as she lowered her lashes.
She looked so frail that anyone who didn’t know the situation would think I was persecuting her.
“Are you rebuking Sera right now?”
Instantly, Baroness Bentner jumped into the conversation.
“I heard from Sera. You dared to send our Gregory a notice of annulment?”
Her fierce eyes glinted from between wrinkled lids.
“And on top of that, you publicly shamed him in front of everyone?”
Well, to be precise, the one who shamed him was the Duchess.
The way she couldn’t say a single word to the Duchess, yet came here to hound me, was laughable.
“Don’t tell me you’re acting so arrogant just because you’ve become slightly acquainted with the Duchess?”
Shaking her head, the Baroness spoke in a condescending tone, as if addressing a clueless child.
“Men don’t like it when you’re so stiff. There’s a reason Gregory dislikes you.”
Oh, just what I’d expect from Gregory’s aunt.
Every time she opened her mouth, a new variety of nonsense came pouring out…
“A woman should be sweet and pretty, like Serapina. Don’t you agree?”
But I had no intention of quietly listening to that nonsense any longer.
I replied sardonically.
“In that case, you should arrange for Gregory to be engaged to Serapina.”
“…Have you quite finished?”
The Baroness’s face hardened.
Meanwhile, Serapina flinched, her shoulders tensing.
“L-Lari. You really…”
Tears rolled down her lovely cheeks as she protested.
“Gregor and I are just good friends. You know that, don’t you?”
Her voice trembled and trailed off, as if she’d heard something truly unspeakable.
“How could you slander our friendship like that…”
The old me probably would have fallen for that expression completely.
I might have even backtracked, saying my words were too harsh and profusely apologizing to her.
But now…
“No matter how close you were, Gregory always cared for you far more than he ever did for me, his fiancée.”
“That’s just because we’re childhood friends…!”
“I was your childhood friend, too.”
Facing a rarely speechless Serapina, I shrugged and retorted.
“But you two just used me as a third wheel in your relationship. You never once respected me, did you?”
My thoughts drifted to the Duchess.
The Duchess, a woman of the highest standing in the Empire, had shown courtesy even to me, a minor noble she had never even met.
And then…
“What’s the big deal about pouring a cup of tea? Why the sudden self-deprecation?”
And those words that had struck me to the core.
Recalling that moment, I steeled myself once more.
‘I won’t let Serapina and Gregory disrespect me any longer.’
But just then.
“You, Lalitt!”
The Baroness bellowed at me.
“Hasn’t Serapina saved your life! How can you be so thankless and ungrateful?!”
Well, it was a familiar pattern.
First, they use someone else to make me feel guilty.
And Serapina…
“It’s alright, Aunt.”
“Sera.”
“Lari is just saying that because she’s angry. She doesn’t really mean it.”
And just like that, she never failed to play the part of the kind one.
“My dear, how can you be so kind…”
Baroness Bentner couldn’t hide her look of pity.
Wiping her tears, Serapina gazed at me with sorrowful eyes.
“But Lari, I hope you’ll think carefully.”
“About what?”
“Honestly… there’s no way the Duchess is treating you sincerely, is there?”
Serapina continued in a soft voice.
“I’m really saying this for your own good. No matter how cold you are to me, you’re still so precious to me…”
“Aha, so.”
I asked Serapina, my voice laced with a sigh.
“The only person who truly cares about me is you?”
