Chapter 9

I heard her cold, stern voice behind my back.

Oh, I’m dead.

I closed and opened my eyes, turned around and with a smile on my face I faced them.

“Mother… sister.”

Two pairs of bright eyes were staring at me. The two were already similar, but seeing them with the same expression was terrifying.

“What a day it is to be away from everyone for no reason. And was there something wrong with you?”

My mother had given me a kind smile this morning, but I didn’t see her anywhere anymore. Instead, she looked at me with straight shoulders and fierce eyes, with an elegant air around her. She deserved the title of Lady of Stone.

“I’m sorry…”

I put my hands in front of me, trying to look as obedient as possible. If I speak so carelessly to my mother, I’ll be in trouble.

I blinked slowly and looked at my mother and sister. It was my ace in the hole. Doing a reflective pose as a child.

My mother’s expression softened when she saw my face. She looked at me as if she were saying “she’s cute.”

At that moment, my mother slowly opened the fan she was holding. I heard the sound of the trees swaying gently.

Mother with the open fan shook it a couple of times.

“Ira… be chord, there are many people watching us. Don’t go anywhere, don’t say anything, stay away from people with unfavourable rumours.”

In the middle of the breeze, a low voice fell on my ears.

Not saying anything…

I shook my head.

“Yeah.”

I answered and my mother, satisfied with my answer, bent her eyes and folded her fan.

That’s when…

“Oh my God! Oh my God! Duchess Oh my God! What are you doing here?”

It was a high-pitched voice, which could be heard from a hundred meters away. A voice that seems to come from a dream, incredibly wild. It was the Viscountess Salende Jacques, who was the source of gossip of high society.

“Wow, how did she appear as soon as you finished telling Ira to be more careful?”

Bianca spoke with a tired look, but was able to quickly change her expression. Because the Viscountess Salende was like the supreme king of the field.

To a certain extent, it was said that all rumors first passed through the mouth of Mrs. Salende.

Of course, one could think that she was just another social figure, but the real passion of the Viscountess Salende was to spread rumors that she had heard and that perhaps, were not true.

She always tries to be the star in the rumors, by always staying close to people or questioning them.

Then, of course, the rumors of the Viscountess Salende were too accurate, which made people believe her, even though they thought she was very annoying.

But as more and more people got into trouble for the things she said, they started to turn away from the Viscountess Salende, but she never gave up and continued to spread rumors.

She also knew the calendar of all the events, so much so that the capital’s newspaper, the Pacific Times, had her as a special advisor to the upper class.

I mean, in short, she was the person we should be very careful of.

The only person who could deal with her, without giving her any information, was my mother. Who smiled and waved at the Viscountess Salende.

“Let’s finish this at the mansion.”

Of course, she didn’t forget to quickly whisper a few words to me before entering the battlefield…

“Yeah, we’re not done yet.”

Bianca looked at me seriously.

I rolled my eyes and meanwhile, the Viscountess Salende was very close.

Her chubby face was always so bright and when she was three steps away, my mother smiled softly at her.

“Viscountess Salende Jacques.”

“Oh, my God, lady! I greet Duchess Waldenbiston. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it… then, since the Marquise Dame was married… it’s been three years, hasn’t it?”

The Marquise Dame is my sister Bianca. Viscountess Salende Jacques looked at me as she said “three years”. In other words: “Have you been busy because your youngest daughter hasn’t married yet?”

Bianca raised her eyebrows and her gaze became fierce.

My mother stepped in front of my sister. Then, without any change of expression, she responded with a bright smile, as if she had received a great compliment.

“Is that so? I thought I constantly showed my face at official events at the Imperial Court. Today it is the same. By the way, I thought Viscountess Salende would be sleeping late today.”

It was time for my mother to say funny things, with her fan swinging. Bianca quickly relaxed her expression and took a step back. My sister was laughing, but she looked half dead.

“What does all this mean?”

Lennie leaned over to me and whispered. I shook my head silently and formed those words with my mouth:

<I’ll explain later.>

Originally, I would have been as baffled as Lennie, but now I can see what my mother was doing.

My mother discovered that Viscountess Salende was in some delicate trouble… and so she wasn’t going to be early.

For a moment, there was a gloomy atmosphere between my mother and the Viscountess Salende.

Lennie and I watched them in silence.

<I don’t think this is going to work out.>

Said Lennie, moving his mouth.

<Neither do I.>

I answered.

“Ho-ho, how can I be late for such a glorious occasion?”

Viscountess Salende, who seemed to hesitate, responded with indifference. It was a pseudonym in itself. No, I thought it was much more powerful than I had seen it.

But then there was no comment from my mother. It was a time when winners and losers were hidden.

“It’s a glorious place.”

My mother smiled softly again. But to my eyes, she looked like a tiger looking at her, biting the neck of a bear.

I respect her… How long would it take me to be like my mother?

“By the way!”

It was then. The Viscountess Salende shuddered again.

“Did you hear, madam? Baron Neymar’s youngest daughter is to marry the English writer Tohopen!”

That’s when I felt my mother’s smile wander for a moment.

“Marriage…?”

“Yes. I’m sure Madame already knows, but won’t the coronation change much today? I thought I’d be wasting my time because of the new Emperor’s wedding, but he said he would now.”

“…”

I rolled my eyes without even realizing it. I understood why Viscountess Salende had taken up this subject.

In fact, I know a little about Baron Neymar’s youngest daughter. She’s my age and we debuted at the same dance.

As soon as I remembered the debutante ball, I squeezed my hands unconsciously.

“If you meet at the debutante ball and then get married, isn’t this a classic example of a noble family marriage, seen for a long time?”

“…”

Without a change of expression, my mother gently fanned herself.

“The combination of the two houses, the count and the baron, I can’t wait to see them, so we have to move quickly, so there won’t be any problems in the future, right? How old is the bride when she’s nineteen? That’s what you said. Oh!”

The meaning now seems to be translated by itself. It was obvious that it meant something like this:

“Your youngest daughter, who so far is not married and doesn’t even have a boyfriend”

Mom took a deep breath for a moment. The little eyes of Viscountess Salende, who didn’t know if her attack had worked, shone with joy.

At the same time, she opened her fan with a shrill sound and swung it against her chin.

“If it’s not the children who are going to inherit the house, nineteen is not the right time. Right, dear?”

Now I was looking at Bianca and my mother without knowing it. This may look like not knowing how to speak in society without your parents.

That’s when my mother extended her fan again.

“You still don’t know. I think you should see the invitation first. “

As soon as he heard my mother’s answer, Viscountess Salende’s face was terribly ugly.

It was so obvious what my mother meant.

“You just got the invitation and you’re already talking about her, how tasteless.”

In front of Viscountess Salende, who could no longer keep a satisfied face, my mother smiled, looking straight into her eyes.

But my mother’s eyes were not smiling, and it was not only us, but all the nobles around us who were looking at us, who were breathless.

Viscountess Salende was obviously a dismissive and talkative person, but when I saw my mother’s face in front of her, she made me sympathize with her.

It was a very lethal outcome for the Viscountess Salende.

The choice would be for married families, but the outcome was obvious.

Even though my father is retiring now, we can still be a prestigious family that has existed for years and still enjoys power, or we are a family that allows itself to be scorned by some unpleasant words and deeds.

Obviously, no one would choose the second option.

My mother was too good. Although she had rarely witnessed a war that ended in such turmoil. She was well aware of that.

But now, I was almost afraid.