Chapter 11

“…My friend works at the Nord Duchy’s residence, and she said that when the Duchess heard our lady was thrown out of the Duke’s bedroom at night, she was so pleased that she gave the servants gold coins.”

“The rumor has already spread that far?”

“With several witnesses, of course it’s spread. She’s single-handedly bringing disgrace to all women.”

“Not having consummated the marriage for two years, what wouldn’t you do? If it were me, I’d go crazy too. Imagine how desperate she must have been… Ack!”

The maids, who had been chatting excitedly while climbing the stairs, were startled into silence when they saw Nina standing with a cold expression.

“M-Madam…”

Duchess Rebecca Nord.

The granddaughter of Marquis Crewe—the Minister of Finance—and the eldest daughter of the Wessler Dukedom.

Although now the Duchess of Nord through an arranged marriage, she was once famously infatuated with Ash D. Bayern.

Perhaps because of this, she eagerly spread and exaggerated any rumor about Nina’s unhappy marriage.

If the events of that night had reached the Nord Duchess’s ears, the news would soon be all over high society.

‘Damn…’

Thinking about the Nord Duchess made Nina grit her teeth.

“…You were thrown out of the bedroom, weren’t you? At this rate, Duke Bayern might bring a concubine into the house soon.”

“Oh my, do you really think he’d go that far? Duchess Nord, you’re overreacting.”

“They’ve been sleeping in separate rooms for two years. If he doesn’t want to pass the family on to his nephew, he might take a concubine. Honestly, the Duchess’s condition is quite concerning. What if the child inherits her madness?”

A large charity event hosted by the imperial family.

That day, upon hearing such slander, she completely lost it and attacked Duchess Nord, pulling her hair and causing a scene.

‘Because of that incident, I fell out of favor with the royal family, and the Nord Duchess grew even bolder.’

…Should she just throw the divorce papers and disappear?

Thinking about the future where the Nord Duchess would constantly provoke her made her want to escape.

As long as she didn’t interfere, there shouldn’t be any issues with securing guardianship…

‘No, get a grip!’

What was the reason for strategizing a safe divorce?

It was to avoid a disastrous ending for her entire family a year later.

At the very least, she shouldn’t provoke her husband’s wrath.

‘These people have gotten bold because I’ve been cooped up in my room…’

Nina, struggling to compose herself, spoke in a chilly voice.

“…Should I thank you for understanding my situation?”

“Madam, I’ll call the soldiers immediately and have these people arrested for insulting a noble! Should I fetch the soldiers now?”

Marsha, fuming with clenched fists as if she would storm out at any moment, caused the maids to tremble like aspen leaves, pleading for forgiveness.

“M-Madam, we’ve committed a grave sin!”

“We’re sorry, please forgive us just this once!”

Nina glared at them coldly and said,

“Marsha, go fetch the head maid.”

“What? Not the soldiers right away?”

“Do as I say first.”

“If you insist, Madam…”

Marsha glared at the trembling maids and quickly ran downstairs.

Shortly after, Marsha returned with the head maid.

“What’s the matter?”

The head maid, with brown hair and brown eyes, was in her mid-50s.

Melanie, under the protection of Duke Bayern, had always been at odds with Nina and was one of the few in the household who disliked her as much as her husband did.

Called by Marsha, Melanie stood on the second-floor stairs, raising her eyebrows as she looked at Nina.

Her gaze questioned what trouble Nina had caused this time.

The certainty in her sharp eyes that the problem lay with Nina only worsened Nina’s already bad mood.

“Head maid, what is the usual punishment for a maid who speaks out of turn?”

The sharp gaze that had been fixed on Nina shifted to the maids.

“Depending on the severity, they are usually put on probation or have their pay docked. In serious cases, they can be fired or sued based on confidentiality agreements.”

“What if they make statements that defame their employers?”

Did Melanie realize what the maids had been gossiping about?

She sighed softly before replying.

“…Are you considering charging them with the crime of insulting a noble? If you wish to take it to court, I’ll have to report the details to the Duke.”

“I’m a person who knows shame. I have no intention of reporting what I heard to my husband, which is why I called you.”

Melanie took great pride in her role as head maid of the Bayern household.

Despite their strained relationship, she was not one to let personal feelings affect her work.

• Author
• Recent Posts

mikan

Latest posts by mikan (see all)