Chapter 308

She should send word under the pretext that she had developed a new dessert.

‘Come to think of it, will Marquis Belmore be attending this year’s winter charity event?’

She knew he was the sort who attended important events, but variables could arise anywhere, so there was no telling what would happen.

‘For now, I’ll send gifts to House Belmore and House Lambert first…’

She would deliver them to the others in the capital.

Sweet desserts paired very well with clean tea or coffee, so she thought they would suit people’s tastes regardless of age.

She hoped they would suit her parents’ and grandfather’s tastes as well.

Nina rose from her seat with a satisfied smile.

Resolving to give the kitchen staff a generous bonus.

* * *

Rebecca’s lips twisted grotesquely.

Though she was hasty by nature, she had endured.

There were problems scattered all around her that stirred up her insides, but she had felt the need to steady her mind in order to resolve them one by one.

But…

Crash!

The vase that left Rebecca’s hand struck the dressing table and shattered into pieces.

“……!”

The maid who had brought the ‘letter’ staggered backward, her face pale with shock.

In the mirror cracked all over like a spiderweb, Rebecca’s face was twisted like an evil spirit.

Rebecca, her shoulders heaving, sat down in the chair.

“How dare those damned wretches…”

Was it because she had been busily moving about, attending social events and hosting tea parties?

Thanks to that, Rebecca had been enduring the layers of anger and frustration piled up inside her rather well.

No matter how her influence was no longer what it used to be, it was nothing compared to the disgrace of Nina Bayern.

But the story she had heard at the dinner party she had just attended provoked her fury.

“They say Duchess Bayern escorted Marquis Belmore at House Lambert’s charity party?”

“If I’d known Marquis Belmore would attend, I would have forced myself to go that day no matter what…”

“Exactly. She’s not someone you can easily see just anywhere.”

“…But are we really alright like this? Lately, the rumors about House Nord haven’t been good…”

“They said they were holding their sponsored painter’s exhibition at the Conwell Gallery, but there’s still no news at all…”

How could those people, who had visited House Nord instead of House Lambert’s charity party, of all places, say such outrageous things?

Deeply wounded in her pride, Rebecca sat there pretending not to hear their whispers, but she couldn’t endure it for long and left.

It was only some rumors.

Even Nina Bayern had overcome them, so what was there that she herself couldn’t overcome?

Rebecca tried to comfort herself and steady her mind.

There was still no news at all from House Azelot, and Count Conwell hadn’t replied about the gallery rental schedule either.

But lawsuits originally took a long time to prepare.

She had also received a report that they had succeeded in burning all traces of Emil’s past.

Slowly, but surely, things were proceeding according to her plan.

…At least, that was what she had thought.

But the letter the maid brought shattered her reason.

The news from House Azelot that the family court investigator had been replaced, leaving it uncertain whether the lawsuit would proceed.

‘And…’

Then there was Count Conwell’s letter, saying that although he wanted to arrange the rental as soon as possible, it would be better to schedule it for after the New Year Festival.

“……!”

Rebecca let out a scream that seemed to scrape her vocal cords and began hurling things.

She had intended to promote Emil before the fervor from Henry’s exhibition died down.

With that in mind, she had gone around boastfully spreading word here and there about Emil’s exhibition.

But Count Conwell was delaying the gallery rental schedule under a plausible pretext.

‘If it’s impossible to hold the exhibition within this year…’

The winter charity event.

That day, it was obvious that people at the Imperial Palace would point fingers behind her back and call her incompetent.

Rebecca bit down on her nails with an anxious expression.

Judging from the way that stupid Count Azelot had worded things, it seemed the lawsuit had failed as well.

Really, nothing was going right.

After spending a long while lost in thought, gnawing at her blameless nails, Rebecca ordered the maid.

“…Bring me writing paper.”

She couldn’t just sit quietly and wait like this.

If she went up to the capital, it was obvious she would be compared to Nina Bayern and relegated to the sidelines.

‘No. Absolutely not. Anything but that…….’

Her relationship with her husband had reached the worst possible state, and everything was a complete mess.

Meanwhile, Nina Bayern had even formed a new connection with Marquis Belmore, and everything was going well for her, wasn’t it?

‘…Absolutely not. I can’t be the only one who ends up a laughingstock.’

The winter charity event was hosted by the Imperial Family, but her grandfather’s hand would surely reach it.

Because in order to decide the event’s details, approval from the Ministry of Finance was essential.

So she would use the event as an opportunity to brand that woman with a disgrace she could never erase.

A vicious malice bloomed once more in Rebecca’s eyes.

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