Chapter 75
Lucy stood still and thought.
‘The Grand Madam is here?’
It wasn’t strange, in itself. This was the building for the duchesses.
But Gorgo had said as they passed.
‘The west wing is empty now.’
The Grand Madam clearly lived in another building now.
‘So she came all the way here on purpose.’
She had a reason to be here.
And Lucy was here for that reason too.
Lucy’s eyes moved to Clara.
“M-Miss.”
“…”
“It seems the Grand Madam is outside…”
Lucy blinked and asked.
“Should I go out and greet her?”
Clara’s answer came quick.
“Yes. I think that would be best, my lady.”
“…”
“If she finds out you were here and didn’t greet her, the Grand Madam’s mood may sour…”
The fact that her mood already sounded sour from the voice alone went unmentioned.
Lucy watched Clara for a moment, then nodded.
“Then let’s go out.”
“Yes, miss.”
Clara nodded at once.
And once outside, she saw her right away.
A stern noblewoman stood with her back to Lucy, gripping a fan.
‘That must be the Grand Madam.’
Lucy glanced at the people around her.
A number of guards and maids stood with their eyes fixed on one spot.
Following their gaze, she saw an old servant holding his cheek.
An old man in the clothes of a caretaker.
What he cared for became clear in the Grand Madam’s next words.
“Do you think you can neglect the west wing just because I am no longer here?”
It seemed the old man was the caretaker of this building.
The caretaker stammered, desperate.
“No, Grand Madam. That’s not…”
“If not, then how did this happen? You insolent thing.”
The Grand Madam snapped open her fan and spoke coldly to the guards.
“Take him away. He clearly thinks he can mock me, hiding behind the duke.”
The guards nodded and reached for the caretaker.
Haah.
Lucy sucked in a breath.
Then she called out, bright and loud.
“Oh my! Hello, Mother!”
Flintch.
Everyone started at the ringing, sunny voice.
‘Mother…?’
‘What did she just…’
The startled guards and maids raised their heads.
And their eyes met.
With a small, white squirrel… no, a woman, bounding over with a light step.
So bright and airy she looked almost unreal.
Even the Grand Madam, who’d been ready to rage, seemed thrown.
The woman came right up and sniffed at her.
“Mm! You smell wonderful. Did you visit the perfume market, Mother?”
The Grand Madam’s words tangled at the sudden boldness.
“What? This is not some cheap perfume market scent. It’s Madame Gomahova’s…”
“Oh my. Isn’t it Hobagoma, not Gomahova? Ho. Ba. Go. Ma.”
“…Hobagoma, Hobagoma, Hobagoma! To think it’s a limited Hobagoma!”
Lucy watched the Grand Madam fume, drawn in despite herself, and settled her churning stomach.
‘Ack, this is scary.’
Honestly, it had taken courage to run over here.
She was glad the Grand Madam had taken the bait.
Glad, too, that she knew the name, since it was a famous perfume designer in the story.
‘Don’t be scared.’
If you’re going to be shameless, be shameless to the end.
With that old rule in mind, Lucy took the Grand Madam’s arm.
The Grand Madam’s target was her, and she wanted to strike first before anyone else got dragged in.
“Anyway, I’m so glad to meet you like this.”
As everyone reeled again, Lucy looked the Grand Madam over, who stared at her in disbelief.
‘Do they look alike?’
She was certainly a beautiful noblewoman.
Even in middle age, her face was smooth without a line. The sharp catlike eyes and faded white-gold hair were like Edward’s.
But somehow…
‘They look alike, but not alike.’
It was a strange thing to think, but that was her honest impression.
Edward, for all his mean and willful ways, sometimes showed playfulness and ease.
The Grand Madam seemed made of pure spite. Grit and gall.
If Edward was ninety-nine parts mean and one part sweet, this woman was a hundred parts mean.
‘Well. She must take after her father, the former duke.’
Her assessment done, Lucy slid into flattery.
“But Mother, how is your skin so fine? Anyone would think you a young lady not yet debuted.”
“That would be the Goma… no, Hobagoma. Not just perfume, but the essence as well… You brazen thing!”
The Grand Madam’s lips had curled up before she knew it. The moment Lucy squeezed her arm, she snapped back with a shout.
And she was, in truth, thrown.
‘This mad thing…’
She hadn’t expected to get caught up like this.
Grind. The Grand Madam grit her teeth and shrieked.
“Get this filthy thing away from me at once!”
Before the guards could put their hands on her.
Lucy quickly released the arm and stepped back.
The Grand Madam shook her arm as if a bug had touched it.
“Tsk. I’m hurt. I was just so glad to see you.”
“You, how dare…”
“I’m the future duchess, set to be your successor. Please take good care of me.”
Bowing, Lucy spread her skirt to the sides.
The Grand Madam’s smile twisted, as if she’d found her mark at last.
“Ha! Even your curtsy is ruined. Of course. A low thing like you wouldn’t know manners.”
“…”
“I wondered what stray cat had crawled in and charmed my son. Dirty, small, mangy…”
“But Mother, honestly, I think I’m more of a hamster type than a cat?”
“Why, you thieving ham… no, you ill-mannered thing! Shut your mouth!”
The Grand Madam, nearly caught up again, flicked her fan in irritation.
Then she looked at Lucy with cold eyes, as if done playing.
“I can tell just by watching you. This is what happens when a rootless thing like you enters the ducal house.”
“What sort of thing?”
The Grand Madam, as if loath to explain, threw a look at the caretaker holding his cheek.
The caretaker, his eyes full of dismay, bowed to Lucy as well.
“I’m sorry. An important piece of jewelry kept in the west wing has gone missing.”
“Jewelry?”
“Yes. An heirloom passed down through the former duchesses.”
It was then.
Behind Lucy, Clara gasped.
“Oh my. Jewelry, you say…”
Then she clamped her mouth shut.
The Grand Madam glared at her.
“You know something?”
“Th-That is, Grand Madam.”
“Speak properly!”
Clara glanced at Lucy, then, as if forced by the sharp voice, opened her mouth.
“Well… I went to show the jewels to the future duchess, young lady Luciana…”
“…”
“They were all in their places then. At least, before I showed them to the lady…”
Swish.
The eyes of the Grand Madam, the maids, and the guards all pinned on Lucy at once.
Lucy let out a wry smile.
Now she understood.
What Clara had planned by bringing her here.
‘So it was this.’
It hadn’t been about a small injury.
‘She was going to frame me as a thief.’
And what mattered more. Clara had chosen to ignore her warning.
‘I didn’t expect much.’
Lucy swallowed the bitter smile.
“Then the culprit is clear.”
“Pardon?”
Even at Lucy’s baffled reply, the Grand Madam looked to her guards.
“Seize this presumptuous wench.”
“Yes, Grand Madam.”
The guards moved toward Lucy with cold faces.
“…What is the meaning of this!”
A shout rang out, and a large figure came pounding over to stand in front of Lucy.
It was Gorgo, who had been missing all this time.
