Chapter 76

Chapter 76

“Du, Duchess…?”

Anriche, who got up from her seat calmly, smiled brightly.

“Now that it’s like this, let’s take a look at her face.”

***

Viscountess Ivan stood at the front door, holding her quarters.

‘No matter what, I used to be the tutor for the Lady of this family, I can’t believe I’m being neglected in this way…!’

It wasn’t like this before.

Every time she visited, at least a maid would come and greet her…

However, now…

“Viscountess Ivan.”

At the sound of a voice calling out to her, Viscountess Ivan raised her head in a flash. There, Mrs. Tornian was staring at her with a cold face.

“I think I had already told you. The Tornian has no intention of hiring Viscountess Ivan anymore.”

“But, Madam—!”

Viscountess Ivan hastily approached Mrs. Tornian before opening her mouth again, “I have no idea why I was fired. I…!”

As she continued her remarks, she paused and stopped her feet. It was because a beautiful woman appeared behind Mrs. Tornian’s back.

A friendly greeting sounded.

“Long time no see.”

In an instant, Viscountess Ivan opened her eyes wide.

Sure enough, the woman in front of her…

“Duc, Duchess of Valois?!”

Because it was Anriche…!

Anriche pushed up the tip of her lips at an angle.

“How are you?”

What do you mean, how are you?!

Hearing Anriche’s elegant greeting, Viscountess Ivan clenched her fists tightly. She had lost all her jobs and even her livelihood has become unclear, though to just say greetings so comfortably like this—!

‘Wait a moment…’

In an instant, Viscountess Ivan felt a creep passing, brushing her spine.

A notice of dismissal was sent from all the families that had hired her. The Londini family and the Tornian family, who were engaged together, invited Duchess Valois to their townhouse. And, Anriche’s attitude, who did not have any doubts about the current situation.

‘…No way?’

Viscountess Ivan stared at Anriche with a questioning face.

Anriche nodded her head casually as if knowing what was she thinking about.

“Yes. I’ve worked with other families.”

“Oh my God, Duchess Valois…!”

A shrill scream rang out.

“No matter how bad the relationship between the Duchess and me is, isn’t this too much?!”

Not having enough, Viscountess Ivan pointed at Anriche.

“You threaten a person’s livelihood with private feelings!”

Nevertheless, Anriche did not raise an eyebrow at her words. She only tilted her head again and muttered back.

“Well, someone is so sensible?”

A calm voice, like an awl, lodged in the Viscountess’ ear.

“Aren’t you trying to get Liliana into trouble by impelling the child you taught from behind?”

…How, how did she know that?!

Viscountess Ivan widened her eyes.

Meanwhile, Anriche was still speaking her words.

“Did you think you could do something like that and get away with nothing?”

“That, but…!”

Viscountess Ivan asked, pulling her lips till blood flowed. An intense sense of crisis engulfed her whole body.

‘It can’t be like this…’

Viscountess Ivan knew instinctively… That Anriche was sincerely trying to dispose of her.

“Aren’t I the teacher who once taught the Duchess!”

Thus, Viscountess Ivan, with her most mournful voice, begged Anriche, “Besides, for a short time, I also taught Lady Aberyt!”

“Because of that relationship, I have overlooked my eyes away from being a tutor in another family until now.”

Anriche gently shook her head.

“And now, it seems I have paid enough for that relationship.”

“Du, Duchess!”

“Stop and go back to your family.”

At the resolute command, Viscountess Ivan stiffened her body.

“It would be better not to think about coming up to the Capital again.”

“Duchess, please—!”

“Did you say I was threatening your livelihood with personal feelings?”

Still, Anriche continued to smile brightly like a flower in full bloom as she added her words.

“Then, how does it feel to have more than a livelihood threatened?”

“…Yes?”

“What can Valois do to Ivan? If you can take more, you might want to experience it yourself.”

Uttering so, her smile grew a little darker.

“It’s okay if you don’t follow my advice.”

“….”

“….”

The ice-cold silence passed. Mrs. Tornian swallowed a gulp. Even though she was watching from the side, her spine was eerie as though the blades had been pushed right under her neck. So, how would the party, Viscountess Ivan, feel?

‘What is this… It’s like a mouse standing in front of a beast.’

Viscountess Ivan now was trembling like an aspen. Her face was so blue that she felt sorry for the Viscountess, although she knew what she had done.

“Of course, the choice is with Viscountess Ivan.”

Anriche concluded her words in a tone as light as feathers. After she heard those words, Viscountess Ivan’s reaction was actually obvious.

…She ran away, out of the townhouse.

And so, things were sorted out.

“Excuse me, the Duchess.”

At the careful call, Anriche gently raised an eyebrow to Mrs. Tornian at her call.

“I have one question, may I ask?”

“Yes, feel free to speak.”

“In the orphanage building, you bought that time. How do you plan to use it?”

“Oh, that?”

Anriche folded her eyes mischievously.

“That is…”

***

“This is a lie!”

Zenith clenched her teeth and threw the newspaper she was looking at.

Flap!

The newspaper fell to the floor, and the front page was exposed. The provocative headline, ‘Baron Londini family is down!’ was the first thing that caught her eye. Below that, the process of Baron Londini family losing everything was recorded in detail.

Not only the Duchy of Valois, who accused Baron Londini’s family, but also the Emperor had no mercy.

They had set up the imperial law, and the newspapers were busy praising the Imperial Family and the Duke family.

“I, I now… What should I do?”

Thick tears fell from Zenith’s eyes.

After all, there was nothing left for her now. Both her parents were taken to prison, and the Tornian family sent her a letter of engagement dissolution. What was more, even Viscountess Ivan was rumored to return to the country.

‘Liliana, because of that girl…!’

She sharply clenched her teeth. How many people suffer because of that one girl!

Zenith then put her hand on the forehead.

“Ouch…”

Her head was aching terribly.

Her neck and lips were dry, as if all the moisture had been squeezed out of her body. Maybe, it was because she cried out too much. However, there was no way for her to have headache medicine or drinking water in the plain mansion that even the users had completely fled.

Eventually, she went out.

Contrary to her poor mood, the weather was very sunny. Zenith, who entered her treatment center, licked her dry lips.

“…Give me a headache pill, please.”

The clerk glanced up and down her pale face and messy entrance. Then, frowning his brow as if seeing something dirty, he hurriedly placed the headache pill on the checkout counter.

“The other guests are offended, so please leave immediately.”

“….”

Zenith gripped the glass bottle with the headache medicine.

It was the first time…

Without letting the maid out, she herself bought stuff from the shop. Also, instead of calling a doctor, she even went to a treatment center used by lowly commoners.

‘Originally, Liliana, that girl did these errands!’

Zenith clenched her teeth and walked faster. Suddenly, she could hear the conversations of the people sitting in the square.

“Did you hear? I heard that the Londini Orphanage is reopening this time.”

…What?

Zenith, frozen in place, listened to it as if possessed.

“No, it’s not Londini anymore.”

“Oh, the Duchy of Valois changed the name while running the orphanage?”

“That’s right. The new name is…”

The person, who seemed to have been thinking for a moment, exclaimed, “Oh right…! It’s called Aberyt!”

Zenith felt her eyes dizzy for a moment.

The Londini Orphanage had now been converted into the Aberyt Orphanage.

That meant…

‘It’s almost as if Liliana that girl took everything from Londini…!’

The social prestige that Londini had built up by caring for the orphans, the wealth they had earned through the orphanage… It all fell into Liliana’s grasp!

“Lies!”

Her breath was choked.

As Zenith scratched her neck violently with her hand, her face was pale blue with no trace of blood.

“Gasp, huh—!”

Her head spun.

Zenith, who was gasping for breath, tumbled down on the spot. Immediately, people’s eyes turned to her.

“Hello, miss!”

“Wake up!”

From afar, the voice calling out to her was faintly heard.

‘How can this be? How!’

In the midst of immense rage, Zenith lost her consciousness.

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