CH 76

The capital was also noisy. The warm weather is completely different from the northern part.

Ophelia took off the shawl she was wearing and opened the window of the carriage. 

Hmm. 

She took a big breath. 

As always, there was a strong smell of people living. 

Ophelia looked back at Countess Cardel with a pleasant look.

“So, where are you planning to go?”

“Let’s go to a furniture store.”

Countess Cardel answered. 

“I think it would be good to change the atmosphere of the hall since we’ve held several balls.”

Ophelia’s eyes blinked.

Furniture would be quite expensive.

Moreover, the furniture that Countess Cardel wants would be even more expensive. 

If she buys all of this with the Duke of Ryzen’s money, Sylvester’s eyes will turn around. However, she was able to argue enough. 

‘I had no choice but to be close to Countess Cardel.’

Shouldn’t she say something like that? 

Hohoho. 

Ophelia smiled low in joy at the idea of screwing Sylvester. 

“Uhm, Madam?”

At this time, Jasmine carefully talked to her. 

“Just now— You’re smiling very brightly now.”

Jasmine said in a cold sweat.

“You’re not making a bad plan or something like that, are you?”

“I was just laughing.”

“Just—?”

Jasmine looked at Ophelia, expressing disbelief.

Was my smile that weird?

Ophelia stroked her chin and tilted her head.

“Anyway, you’re going to buy furniture, right?”

“Yes, Madam.”

“Then let’s go to the most expensive and best place in the capital.”

“Yes?”

Countess Cardel put her hands together with a puzzled expression on her face.

“There are places like that, but it doesn’t fit my budget, Madam. Shamefully.” 

“You don’t have enough budget?”

Ophelia frowned.

“I’m here. What do you mean?”

Countess Cardel’s eyes widened. Because Ophelia meant that she would buy everything! 

Can she get this kind of favor?

Countess Cardel asked in a slightly trembling voice.

“But, Madam. I can’t be indebted like this—” 

“Countess.”

Ophelia placed her hand on the back of Countess Cardel’s and slowly opened her mouth.

“It means a lot to me just that you came to my side.”

“….”

“So, let me do this for you.”

“O, oh my—”

Countess Cardel’s eyes filled with water. 

She was deeply moved. 

She can’t believe ‘that’ Ophelia has changed this much! Ah, how many times has she been beaten by Ophelia! After enduring that hardship, this sunny day comes!

She really couldn’t accept it without shedding tears.

“T, thank you so much, Madam.”

Countess Cardel answered with tears in her handkerchief. 

Ophelia smiled satisfactorily at the Countess.

“Uhm, Madam. You’re not making a really bad plan, are you—?”

She ignored Jasmine’s question.

*****

The furniture store that they arrived at was very large. 

At first glance, the dazzling thing looked expensive enough that even a rolling vase could only be bought with gold coins. 

‘This is it.’

‘Hoho,’ Ophelia went into the store with a smile.

“Welcome!”

As soon as they entered, there were four clerks who greeted them.

He first looked at Jasmine in front of him, then at Countess Cardel, then at Ophelia, and then his eyes grew bigger. 

“A, aren’t you the Duchess of Ryzen!”

The clerk was surprised and shouted at Ophelia.

“P, please wait a moment. I, I will bring my boss.”

Then he disappears into the back room.

Ophelia blinked blankly and said, scratching her cheek.

“Is my face this well known?”

“I guess.”

Jasmine replied.

“I heard that Madam has been to this store before.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. You came and made a mess— no, you made a little fuss.”

Oh, she doesn’t know what it is, but she is never curious about this. 

Ophelia shook her head.

“That was back then, and now is now, but I don’t know why the reaction is like that.”

“Maybe it was because you grabbed the clerk by the neck then?”

Countess Cardel said. 

“You get mad because the Clerk is daring to deal with Madam. Don’t you remember?”

“….”

Ophelia. 

You were the king of power abuse.

Ophelia sighed, covering her face with her hands.

“It doesn’t matter now. Whether it’s a clerk or anyone else, there’s no change in it.”

“It’s amazing that you changed your mind like that.”

Countess Cardel said with a look of surprise. 

“I’m really curious, Madam.”

She continued to talk.

“Why did you change so much?”

Countess Cardel seemed to be really purely curious. 

Ophelia remained silent about it. 

How should she say this? 

Should she say that she was struck by lightning and changed as Sylvester said?

“Well—”

Ophelia shrugged her shoulders up.

“I changed my mind. I’m older, and I can’t live like a child anymore, right?”

“I’ll have to follow your example so that I can change to a good side.”

Countess Cardel said, waving a fan. 

“Everyone should be aware of this change in Madam.”

“They’ll find out soon.”

Ophelia answered with confidence.

“Because I’ll make it like that.”

As they were talking like that, she could see the other ladies in the store whispering. Ophelia turned her head slightly toward them.

They were the people she saw at the hunting contest.

So, they’re the people who are on Fleur’s side.

Why are they here?

Ophelia was wondering.

She wants to ask—But she can’t, right? 

Ophelia tried to suppress her curiosity and put up with it. At this time, a person who appeared to be the boss rushed out.

“Oh, Ladies! Hello! Thank you so much for coming to our store! N, now, this way. I prepared simple tea and food.” 

The boss looked at Ophelia and guided them towards the tea table.

Jasmine, who had never been treated like this for the first time, looked at her, not knowing where to put herself, while Countess Cardel glanced at Ophelia. They seemed to see if she was satisfied with this kind of treatment.

However, Ophelia was fine.

Well, ‘the cookies look delicious.’

That’s all she’s thinking about.

“So, why are you here today? What are you going to buy?”

“It’s not for me to buy.”

Ophelia replied.

“I’m going to decorate the hall of Countess Cardel. I’d like you to introduce the furniture that suits it.” 

“Ah! I see! Then I’ll bring the catalogue!”

“Catalogue?”

Ophelia narrowed her forehead.

“Do we need that?”

She decided to do what she wanted to do at least once in her life.

She means, just like what Sylvester did in the past when they went to a dress shop.

“From here.”

She smiled and stretched her fingers.

“Until there.”

Ophelia’s reach was all of the furniture occupying the wall of the store.

She said with an indifferent look.

“Give me everything.”

The boss, Countess Cardel, and Jasmine opened their mouths.

“Oh—”

“Oh my.”

They didn’t seem to have a clue what to say. Then the boss, who came to his senses first, moved quickly. 

“I, I’ll prepare it right away!”

The boss runs out in a hurry.

He doesn’t seem to be the one to miss this good opportunity.

Ophelia was quite pleased with this quick development.

She smiled as she sip the tea served.

“Uhm, Madam.”

At this time, Countess Cardel carefully opened her mouth.

“I, is it okay? To me like this—”

“Countess.” Ophelia looked straight at her and said, “Please accept my favor. It also means apologizing for the bad things that happened in the past.”

“Madam—”

Countess Cardel was deeply moved.

And at the same time, she thought that she should be loyal to Ophelia in the future, and that she would not let anyone treat Ophelia carelessly. 

It was then. 

“How can you do this to me!”

The ladies who had stood so far approached each other and shouted.

“Right! This can’t happen!”

They said with their faces turning red. 

Ophelia looked up at them indifferently. What are they talking about? 

“What can’t be like this?”

Whoosh.

The atmosphere became chilly in an instant. The ladies were startled and shrugged their shoulders without realizing it.

Come to think of it, the woman in front of me was Ophelia Ryzen.

The most filthy woman in the Empire.

A woman who is second to none to evil!

Can they talk carelessly to Ophelia?

They wanted to, but they still felt like they had to speak for the Countess of Fleur. 

The ladies shouted with their eyes closed.

“You’re taking everything Countess Fleur had planned to buy!”