CH 15

“How was it?”

Sure enough, my father asked me as soon as I returned to the mansion and come to the table.

His behavior was too easy to understand, I was really amazed.

I was curious to how utterly disappointed he would be if he found out I wouldn’t be able to enter the Grand Duke’s family…

Regardless, it couldn’t be helped. Thus, I lied.

“I was able to talk to His Highness properly.”

When I said that and smiled, my father misunderstood and nodded with satisfaction.

“Good, keep it up. Snatch His Highness’ heart and become his fiancée.”

My father’s words caused me to smile.

Even if I was lying, I couldn’t nod to his words.

However, my father seemed to take my smile as affirmation. He started drinking wine in good spirits. At the dining table, where my brother wasn’t present, my mother complained.

“Sagius is coming home late again today. Where’s his awareness as an heir to the Duke of Samaria?”

“I don’t think I understand him anymore. It seems that my brother’s mind is full of flower fields.”

As I drank the soup, my mother suddenly slammed her hand against the table.

“It’s because of that slutty baroness! Sagius has gone crazy because she is constantly latching herself to him!”

“…Isn’t it the opposite?”

I recalled my brother’s appearance at the academy recently. When she heard my answer, my mother glared at me.

“No, she’s the one leeching upon our Sagius! Our Sagius must’ve been deceived by her…”

“That, I can agree…”

“See?! Violet thinks so, too! Then, I have to wake Sagius up!”

“…How do you plan to do that?”

“I will look into Baroness Abazn! I’m sure something will come out!”

“…That Baron Abazn? He’s poor and only has a few territories. However, he seems to share an amiable bond with his wife. They’re also well-received by the lords.”

After saying that, I reached out for some bread. My mother grabbed my hand with a surprised expression.

“Violet! You’ve already checked!?”

“…Well, she keeps loitering around His Highness. By the way, there are rumors saying that Baroness Mia is an odd child. Before she enrolled in the academy, she rarely spent time with other ladies. That part of her seems to have not changed.”

“Then, what happened after she entered the academy?”

“In my opinion, she might have been suppressing her yearnings until she entered the academy. After all, she approached His Highness on the first day.”

As I answered, I managed to release my hand from my mother’s. As I grabbed the bread, I saw my mother staring furiously at my brother’s seat.

“As I thought…! She’s nothing but a whore…! She has Sagius wrapped around her little finger…!”

“Maybe, but I think my brother is at fault, too…”

When I said that, I was glared by both of my parents.

“No, Violet. Sagius is merely being deceived.”

“Yes, we have to come up with a way to wake Sagius before anything else can happen.”

“That’s a good idea.”

My parents kept refusing to see the truth. They still supported Sagius—saying that he’d still go to the office, that at the table, he wasn’t like that.

I was tired of that scene.

Because of them, my brother only became worse.

I was looking at my brother’s seat while thinking that. Suddenly, I recalled something.

Some rumors had spread within the academy regarding my brother’s recent conduct.

Because my brother didn’t return until late—just like today—rumors had spread that Baroness Abazn had started a physical relationship with my brother and the others.

Well, after a while, the rumors dissipated.

The students were too scared to spread rumors because the other parties were a duke and a crown prince.

Soon, a big incident would occur, casting the rumors into the depths of obscurity.

The fiancée of Count Brown Kayes, Countess Hilda Rustal, would be attacked by a thief on her way back from the academy to the mansion and die gruesomely in the woods.

By the way, the thief who attacked Countess Rustal would brilliantly be defeated by the unit commanded by Minerva. Because of that, she gained merit and the position of deputy leader.

Well, the reason why she attained that position in the first place was because of Count Rustal. As the former deputy leader, he committed suicide out of devastation from his daughter’s death.

When I thought about that, I recalled how suspicious Minerva was.

At that time, Minerva was fond of Count Kayes.

As I often heard from Minerva herself, her feelings transcended that of feelings one would have towards a brother-in-law.

Minerva was also a woman with a strong desire to rise.

She said she wanted to be a knight captain one day.

She wanted to acquire both her dreamed position and her beloved man…

…After thinking that, I took a sip of wine and smirked.

Fufu, unfortunately for you, I’ll crush every single one of your plans.

While thinking so, I savored the sautéed venison covered with blood-red sauce.