Chapter 30
āHow are they reacting?ā
Nina asked one morning, as the new uniforms from the tailor arrived.
She had instructed Melanie and the butler to distribute them to the staff and was eager to hear the response.
Has her reputation within the household improved even a little?
Marsha approached with an excited expression and whispered,
āTheyāre thrilled, saying itās like the sun rose in the west!ā
Just as she expected, they were pleased. Fabrics in this world were much less durable than modern ones.
The uniforms given upon employment couldnāt last long, so it was common for staff to spend their own money on repairs or replacements.
Naturally, they were happy to have their expenses covered.
āAnd what else?ā
āWell, Iām not sure if this is good or badā¦ā
Marsha hesitated, looking uncertain, and Nina waited anxiously.
āWhat is it?ā
āSome people are saying that since you hit your head, your personality seems to have changedā¦ that it was a good thing you got hurt.ā
ā…ā
Nina made a strange face, unsure whether to laugh or cry at the comment.
ā…Shall I tear their mouths apart for you?ā
āNo, itās fine. Itās not a big deal.ā
After all, it meant that there were people who believed she had changed. And everyone here already knew about her cracked skull from that day.
She wished they could forget about how she had cried and clung to her husband that night.
āBut thatās impossible, so thereās no helping itā¦ā
Nina gave a bitter smile at the embarrassing history that clung to her like a label.
āStill, it will get better with time.ā
Time makes people forget many things, just like celebrities who return smoothly after causing a scandal.
āBut are you really not attending Duke Granvilās birthday celebration?ā
āNo, Iām not.ā
Marsha tilted her head, puzzled as to why she wouldnāt attend the party of the Duke who was fond of her.
But Nina had her reasons.
…When her family fell.
She couldnāt receive any particular help from Duke Granvil, who was said to be her fatherās close friend.
Since House Taylor had incurred the Emperorās wrath and the fault was clear, taking their side rashly could endanger House Granvil as well. She understood this.
No matter how close a friend, one couldnāt stay on a sinking ship. He had to protect his own family too. She bore no grudge for that.
The problem was that the fact she had been rejected by her husband after asking for intimacy had already spread widely.
Her brother, Neville, two years younger than her.
āItās so terrible and shameful that youāre my sister.ā
Remembering those words from Neville at the Dukeās birthday celebration made it clear.
āI miss themā¦ā
Her grandfather, parents, and Neville.
But she couldnāt see her family yet.
āAt least not until Iāve redeemed myself a little…ā
And anyway, Duchess Granvil didnāt like her. While the Duke treated her like a niece, to the Duchess, she was just the unwanted daughter of her husbandās friend.
āThe Duke is leaving now,ā Marsha said, prompting Nina to look out the window.
A carriage was leaving the mansion.
āNo matter what the circumstancesā¦ His Grace didnāt even ask if you wanted to go with him before just leaving, Madam.ā
āMarsha, would you want to ask if I wanted to come?ā
Marsha pouted her lips and grumbled.
āDidnāt he refuse the divorce? He could at least ask you to go with him.ā
āThatās because youāre on my side, so you can say that.ā
From the start, his decision to reject the divorce and adopt his nephew was due to his distrust of her.
If they hadnāt married in the first place, none of this would have happened, so blaming herself for everything was easier.
As Marsha sighed in frustration, Nina gave a bitter smile.
āRight, I heard something from the maids earlier, Madam. There was an earthquake at dawn.ā
āAn earthquake?ā
āYes, they said the ground shook while they were cleaning the dining room fireplace.ā
āIs anyone hurt?ā
Nina asked, startled.
If the chandelier had broken during the quake, someone could have been injured.
But then she suddenly felt a sense of dĆ©jĆ vu and paused.
