CH 39

Chapter 39 – Uncouth lady, get some sympathy

Unlike the baroness's slap that I received at the maid recruitment interview, my father's fist is quite strong.

Lord Nazel was very capable, so he may also excel in martial arts.

After being caught by the fist, my father, with a red face, snapped at Lord Nazel.

"Lord Nazelbert, I hope you will not interfere. This is a matter for the Evantail family!"

My father is making a big deal about it.

No, no, first of all, apologize to the person you tried to hit - Lord Nazel.

But Lord Nazel was calm. He is dealing with my father in a gentlemanly manner with a soft tone of voice.

"So, Agnes has nothing to do with it then? She has already been disowned by her parents and is now my wife. She has the right to leave her home, be free, and live happily ever after."

I was moved by Lord Nazel's words. But my father did not back down and continued to insist in a pissed-off manner.

"Even so, I was the guardian of this one. I cannot let this be a source of shame. This thing must listen to my orders!"

...... so now you're calling me "this"? Well, that's okay.

My father and mother love my brother, the heir to the family, but they think of me as nothing more than a political tool.

While I'm still moping, Lord Nazel tells my father in a quiet but icy tone of voice.

"You guys abandoned Agnes in the past, didn't you?"

"So what?"

Slightly furrowing his brow, Lord Nazel shook off his father's hand which had been caught, and continued his words in a cold and monotonous tone.

"Agnes was wandering around town in her party outfit, in tatters. She would have undoubtedly been in danger if she had remained there. It's not acceptable for someone like you, who turns your daughter out in the middle of the night with no clothes on, to try and pretend to be the guardian like it was nothing."

The father, who had been thrown a barrage of accusations, was unable to back down, and finally began to take offense.

"Shut up, you criminal! You don't tell me what to do! You stay out of the public eye!"

I don't think you should say such things out loud at a party hosted by the second prince, do you?

Lord Nazel was invited by His Highness Leonardo.

Lord Nazel, who is being told a lot of nonsense by my father, does not seem to flinch at all but continues to argue his point.

"Would you please stop insulting my dear wife?"

"What I do with our family's defective products is my business!"

Seeing my father ranting and raving, the light in Lord Nazel's eyes goes out.

―― eh? ..... eh?

What's the matter, Lord Nazel, aren't you getting very angry?

If a good-looking man gets mad, they seem completely unapproachable, huh?

Hiiii..... When I retreated, His Highness Leonardo was standing nearby. It seems he was concerned about the commotion and came this way.

"So you're telling me you're going to mercilessly beat Agnes as you did before?"

"It's part of my discipline!"

"I wasn't sure if I should tell you this, but something has been bothering me since before ....... When I took Agnes into custody, she had two large bruises on her cheeks. You have been violent with Agnes before, haven't you?"

Hearing Lord Nazel speak with a resolute attitude, the crowd erupts into a roar of excitement.

"I told you it's a matter of discipline! Don't talk to me about my family's policy, young man!"

While my mother was turning pale, my father continued to speak the truth without concern.

He often loses himself in anger.

"I only hit her then because she was ordered to marry a criminal!"

"It wasn't just the bruise on his cheek. The skin on Agnes' feet was peeling and bleeding because she had been wearing second-hand shoes that didn't fit her. You've also been using a corset on her since she was very young, of a type that has been discontinued as being unhealthy. I don't think the Evantail family's financial situation was that bad. Agnes wore only old, useless items."

Now my mother raised her voice.

"My family's finances are sound! We're not trying to save money! Agnes wears the most respectable attire, not those cheap outfits!"

"... can't stop yourself from talking, don't you?"

The nobles listening to their conversation began to get more restless.

"Did he, of all people, punch a woman in the face before marriage until he left a bruise?"

"But he was trying to hit her earlier, so I guess it's true. That's beyond the bounds of discipline."

"I thought the Evantails were being stingy with the cost of their outfits. If they are not hurting financially, why don't they at least buy her shoes?"

"This is abuse, right? Not only the violence but also not buying them proper clothing."

"Wasn't the corset...... that thing has been outlawed, the one that was bad for the bones? The doctors of the royal castle announced it more than ten years ago."

"Moreover, it's pitiful that at this stage of her life, she's forcing her disowned daughter to dress up as an Evantail family member. She is so beautiful after taking off her thick makeup."

.... It seems I am receiving a great deal of sympathy.

Realizing that he was at a disadvantage, my father complained to the other nobles, "Don't stare at me!" and tried to grab Lord Nazel, who he recognized as an enemy.

However, he was easily sidestepped and dived to the ground with the same momentum.

Unfortunately, there were several tea tables set up there, and not only the tables and chairs, but also the cream-filled cakes and the drinks in the glasses hit my father's entire body.

His pure white tights were stained with colorful juices.

And then the second prince looked down at my father in silence.