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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: A Matter of Pride
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“How rude of you, Lady Ansi!”
“After Lady Lopes was so good to you, have you no gratitude?”
“Is being by the Duchess’s side so wonderful that you’d abandon a long-time friend?”
Hmm.
I narrowed my eyes, looking from one lady to the next as they strained their necks in anger.
Seeing them flare up as if on cue, I figured Serapina must have had a field day bad-mouthing me.
Complete with her signature pitiful act, of course.
“Ah…”
Meanwhile, Serapina wore a troubled expression, looking this way with an air of helplessness.
But.
‘This whole situation is part of Serapina’s plan, isn’t it?’
The proof was that Serapina was merely standing a step back.
She made no attempt to intervene.
Even that posture was so perfectly Serapina that…
‘Really, how ridiculous.’
I could have laughed out loud.
To cunningly manipulate those around her to attack someone else, while she herself puts on an innocent face as if she has nothing to do with it.
…It was exactly the same as when she spread malicious rumors about the Duchess.
At that moment, my eyes met Serapina’s.
Serapina’s lips moved slightly.
‘Lari.’
Her pretty lips curved into a gentle arc.
‘You see, you should have just quietly invited me to the Claudius salon.’
Flashing another coy smile, Serapina began to feign intervention, which only fanned the flames.
“Everyone, please stop.”
She even made her eyelashes tremble pitifully.
“I’m sure Lari didn’t mean to snub me on purpose.”
Oh, listen to her, deliberately choosing the word ‘snub’ right here.
Serapina let her shoulders slump for all to see.
‘How can she be so predictable?’
I clicked my tongue internally.
It was so tiresome I couldn’t even be bothered to yawn.
“I-I’m not sure, but perhaps I did something to wrong Lari…”
At that, the ladies turned to Serapina, their faces filled with pity.
“Goodness, Lady Lopes!”
“Are you alright?”
“Don’t be too heartbroken. It’s not your fault…”
The ladies, who had been comforting Serapina, shot me another glare.
Their gazes were quite fierce.
“Do you love power that much, Lady Ansi?”
“You must be so proud, getting special treatment for fawning all over the Duchess.”
“Seriously, she has no pride!”
Serapina listened to the uproar with a satisfied look, then shook her head as if she were frail.
“Everyone, please don’t. Lari must have her reasons…”
But Serapina couldn’t finish her sentence.
“That’s right.”
Because I cut her off and nodded breezily.
“Becoming friends with the Duchess is truly wonderful.”
To put it crudely, it’s a sweet deal.
With that declaration, I glanced around triumphantly.
The surroundings fell silent.
“…”
“…”
What, did they not expect me to answer so brazenly?
It seemed not only the ladies but Serapina herself were at a loss for words.
I could tell just by the way they were all glaring at me, their eyes and lips twitching.
But for some reason, the sight of the ladies hopping mad reminded me of a pack of angry chihuahuas…
“Pft.”
I couldn’t help but cover my mouth and let out a short laugh.
Instantly, the ladies’ faces turned beet red.
“Are—are you laughing at us?!”
“Just because the Duchess has been keeping you close lately, aren’t you being a little too arrogant?!”
Oh no, even the way they’re yapping looks so much like chihuahuas!
‘No, I have to stop laughing.’
Biting my lower lip to stifle my laughter, I spoke, my voice laced with amusement.
“My apologies, I didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just…”
I couldn’t very well tell them they looked like angry chihuahuas.
So I smoothly changed the subject.
“You’re all stating the obvious.”
“The—the obvious, you say?”
“You asked me, didn’t you? If I love power that much, and if I’m proud to be treated well for sucking up to the Duchess.”
At my blunt words, a few of the ladies flinched.
“How could I not?”
I lifted my chin proudly.
“First of all, is there anyone here who dislikes power?”
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, as they say.
“…”
“…”
Speechless, the ladies could only chew on their lips.
I placed a hand on my hip, wagged my index finger, and continued.
“However, there are a few things in your statements that need correcting.”
“Correcting… you say?”
“Of course. It’s not just the Duchess’s power that I like. I like everything else about her too.”
Do you have any idea how many good qualities our Duchess has?
I grinned and continued.
“I like her noble status, one of the highest in the Empire. I like her wealth. I like her incredible beauty…”
“La-Lady Ansi?”
“I like her straightforward personality, and the way she treats me so kindly. I like it all very much.”
I gave a shrug.
“I am very proud to be the Duchess’s friend.”
Faced with my confident demeanor, the ladies could only exchange glances.
No one dared to speak.
But just then.
“Well now, what’s all this?”
An elegant voice cut into the conversation.
Turning around, I saw the Duchess, her arms laden with rose seedlings, staring this way with a tilted gaze.
Hmm, I had heard there was a small stall in the coffee house that sold rose seedlings.
‘I can’t believe she already went and diligently bought some.’
My eyes glazed over.
My fighting spirit, which had been soaring moments ago, deflated like a punctured balloon. What a letdown.
Well, anyway.
I support the Duchess and her fruitful rose-related hobbies…
“I don’t see what the problem is.”
The Duchess, who had surveyed the ladies with narrowed eyes, took a step forward.
It seemed she had overheard our entire conversation.
*Click.*
In the quiet that had fallen, only the sound of the Duchess’s heels echoed clearly.
“So, Lady Ansi.”
The Duchess glanced at me from the corner of her eye, then lifted her chin and continued.
“Is proud of me, who has power, high status, a lot of money, and is dazzlingly beautiful, right?”
“…Yes, well.”
I mean, she wasn’t wrong.
I found myself answering hesitantly.
She was singing her own praises, but the truly remarkable thing was that it was all true…
“Lady Ansi wants to associate with a friend as distinguished, beautiful, and wonderful as myself. What’s the problem with that?”
The Duchess blinked her pretty eyes and asked again.
“If anything, I feel sorry for all of you. It seems you don’t know the first thing about the joys of friendship.”
“But, Your Grace!”
One of the ladies cried out resolutely.
“There’s no way Lady Ansi is dignified enough to be your friend!”
“Hmm?”
Hearing this, the Duchess arched an eyebrow.
The ladies chimed in together.
“Just look at how she’s completely cast aside and ignored Lady Lopes, who was her closest friend!”
“That’s right, Your Grace, you’re being deceived!”
“Ah, I see.”
A slow smile spread across the Duchess’s face.
It was a brilliant smile, like a rosebud bursting into full bloom.
But as I watched that smile…
‘Hah.’
I swallowed a dry lump in my throat.
‘The Duchess is furious.’
The Duchess’s smiles held various meanings.
Sometimes she smiled because she was genuinely happy, but she also had a habit of smiling even more brightly when she was displeased, just like now…
‘She crushes her opponents with a smile.’
Just like when she put Gregory in his place at the brunch café.
And my prediction was spot on.
The Duchess asked again, her voice dripping with ice.
“Are you saying I’m a fool who would be tricked by a few of Lady Ansi’s paltry words?”
