Chapter 55

Chapter 55

When I went back to the room, Blue had already disappeared.

‘He’s quite elusive.’

After I called Agwen to wash up and change my clothes leisurely, I went down to the first floor. However, for some reason, the mansion was in a commotion when I went down the stairs.

“Where is the Master?”

“We’ll have to tell the head maid, too.”

“I heard there were several carriages?”

“Should I clean the guest room?”

“Haven’t you seen the Master?”

‘…What’s going on?’

Lucy, the maid who saw me coming down the stairs, ran and explained the situation to me.

“Madam Elbas is waiting at the front door with several people. What should we do?”

“Madam Elbas?”

It seemed like my mother-in-law decided to come since the morning without any notice.

‘Ah, last night’s storm was like a foreshadowing of this?’

This storm was a storm that broke our daily lives. Needless to say, there was tension in the air.

‘Why is she here? To repay me for the disgrace I did to her last time? Or, because I got rid of all her limbs that were left in the mansion?’

I did not even have to think about what to do.

“I’ll look for Dimitri.”

As I uttered, I ran back and forth with the employees to find him.

Dimitri, who sometimes disappears for hours in the mansion, was nowhere to be seen. I ran towards the annex just in case, but he was still nowhere to be seen. There were only Coco and Sasha, who were in a chase with Blue.

“Blue! Long time no see.”

I greeted Blue warmly. Blue proudly passed me and headed somewhere. It was the place where there was a box containing cat toys.

“I want to play with you, but I can’t today. My mother-in-law is here, and I need to find Dimitri…”

The moment I finished my words, Blue suddenly jumped and sprinted somewhere.

‘Did it see a bird…?’

Turning to Coco and Sasha, I firmly told them to stay still and hide in the annex today before heading back to the main building again. In the meantime, it seems that someone found Dimitri and delivered the news. He was coming down the stairs with his hardened face.

“I’m sorry, Rowaine. I couldn’t leave her at the door so I told them to let the previous Duchess in. Just deal with them in moderation and ignore them.”

A look of annoyance was evident.

“I understand.”

We went out to the front door and waited for Madam Elbas’ carriage.

Soon, four carriages arrived one after another. Among them, Madame Elbas got off the splendid carriage with the seal of the Elbas family on it. Subsequently, people in modest clothes rushed down from the three carriages that followed.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been here.”

Madame Elbas glanced around the mansion once before turning towards Dimitri and me with sharp eyes.

“I came here because the incidents at the Blois’ mansion never stop. Oh, I heard that someone came from the Imperial Palace yesterday?”

Her stinging gaze swept over my whole body. It was the look that thought that the Emperor sent someone because of me.

“I want to hear more details.”

Dimitri and I did not panic.

It was expected that there would be rumors that the Royal Palace had sent someone to Blois since there were many eyes there. So, I had already agreed with the Emperor that one of the options when deciding on this year’s vacation destination was the territory of Blois, so that was why they sent people for a preliminary survey.

‘I didn’t know that I would use that excuse so soon.’

It seemed that Madam Elbas was not alone. The maids helped someone out of the carriage that the Madam had disembarked and brought her down carefully. She was an old woman with white hair.

Seeing the old woman made Dimitri’s complexion even worse.

“It’s been a while, grandmother.”

“That’s right, Dimitri. I came to see you personally because I thought you wouldn’t show your face even once until I died.”

The old lady glanced disapprovingly at Dimitri, then slowly scanned me up and down.

Dimitri whispered to me.

“She’s Madam Elbas’ mother, my paternal grandmother.”

The previous Duke and Duchess, who passed on their titles to their children, were stipulated by law to leave Blois and move to the Elbas estate. That was why Cayetana was called Madame Elbas in the sense that she was the previous Duchess who went to the Elbas estate.

However, when Cayetana went to the Elbas estate, Dimitri’s grandmother was still there. So, she became the predecessor of Madam Elbas and the title by which she was called…

“You can call me grandmother Rosanne.”

After reading my worried expression over her title, grandmother clicked her tongue and told me her own name.

“Of course, someone who doesn’t care if I’m alive or dead didn’t tell his wife the name of his grandmother.”

She then glanced at me once and grumbled.

“When a new person joins the family, you have to greet the elders of the family. If the husband didn’t know that, the wife should’ve taken care of it. Why do both of you behave like this? Tsk, tsk.”

‘Well, I thought Madam Elbas was the final boss of this family though there was a stronger boss…’

Dimitri spoke discontentedly.

“I didn’t go because I thought that seeing my face would only upset your heart. It’s for grandmother’s sake since you don’t like me.”

I opened my mouth wide.

…Was it okay to say something like that to your grandmother? It was a very unconventional remark for me, who was born in Korea and values ​​respect for adults above all else and ranked people according to age rather than ability.

“Have you finished talking? This mannerless boy. That’s why I can’t like you even if I want to.”

Dimitri pursed his lips as if to protest something more, but I hurriedly tugged his sleeve to stop it. This was not a matter of turning on an old lady with your face red with anger.

“I’m sorry, grandmother. I didn’t have time beforehand.”

Even though I became the Duchess, albeit by contract, I should have asked about his family relationship and memorized their name at least once since it was a matter of basic interest. Still, this might sound like an excuse, but…

‘I didn’t think there would be any more adults in Blois because the novel only focused on Mrs. Elbas.’

Dimitri frowned and glanced at me, not understanding why I was apologizing.

Meanwhile, Madam. Elbas, who had a face that seemed like no blood would come out even if I stabbed her, grabbed one of grandmother’s arms, which was supported by a maid.

“Let’s go in, mother. It’s been a while since you’ve ridden a carriage, so you’d better get some rest.”

“Yes. My back hurts.”

Grandmother Rosanne, who took a deep breath as if it was difficult, spoke as if notifying Dimitri.

“I’m going to stay for a few days, just so you know.”

“In this way without saying a word…!”

“Do I have to ask for permission when I come here? You haven’t seen my face for a long time, but you must have already forgotten that my name has ‘Blois’ after it!”

At the shrill voice of grandmother Rosanne, who spoke frightfully like a tiger, Dimitri tensed his body as he exposed his fangs.

He seemed surprised.

Although cats were naturally startled animals, it seemed to me that Dimitri was more irritated by grandmother than by Madam Elbas.

“I’ve lived here longer than you and contributed to raising Blois this much. And now, you’re frowning at the fact that I’m only staying here for a few days? This wicked man

“….”

Grandmother swung her cane as if she was going to hit Dimitri’s shin before clicking her tongue out and entering the mansion. When grandmother Rosanne and Madame Elbas entered, the people who had come with them glanced at us and followed them in as well.

Dimitri, who was looking at their backs, sighed and told me an unexpected fact.

“It was my grandmother who hated me more than anyone, but she stopped the vassals and Madam Elbas from opposing me to receive the title of the Duke.”

I didn’t even know about such a story. Hearing that, I understand a little why Dimitri is more nervous about Rosanne than with Madam Elbas.

‘She’s still in the forefront of power.’

Despite that, was the reason why there was not much weight in the novel because it was an issue with Madam Elbas? It was a matter that I had to wait to see. Regardless, I nodded my head back firmly to his words and replied.

“I see.”

“You have no idea what she’s thinking. Grandmother is unpredictable. Be careful, Madam.”

“Don’t worry too much.”

Even though I said so, to be honest, I was not very confident. Still, we could not keep grandmother Rosanne and Madam Elbas waiting, so I took a deep breath and headed to the drawing room with him.

“Prepare some refreshments, Lucy.”

As we entered the drawing room after asking the maid, grandmother Rosanne, who was sitting at the head of the table, offered the seats to us as if she was the master.

“Sit down, all of you.”

When we sat down, Madam Elbas spoke her words with a harsh voice while grandmother Rosanne was beside us like she was overseeing the conversation.

“Is it Lady Ramer?”

“It’s Rowaine.”

“Yes, Lady Rena. I’ll speak comfortably from now on.”

Dimitri, who was next to me, did not hide his displeasure with his arms crossed as if he had something to say. Madam Elbas started scolding me without giving him a glance.

“I heard that you’ve changed a large number of Blois’s employees.”

I thought she was going to bring up the last time I sat on her lap at Elbas’ mansion and played pranks on her, but she did not. Perhaps, Dimitri had made a good excuse for that.

I told the truth as it was.

“Yes, we have been dealing with some of the negligent employees for embezzlement.”

“Are you saying that because you can’t crack down on one of your employees, you’re replacing them as if you were going to change accessories?”

Although it was Madam Elbas herself who deliberately tamed the employees without cracking down on them, she shamelessly blamed me instead.

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