𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐: 𝐆𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐩-𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐫𝐬. 𝐃’𝐀𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐳𝐞𝐬

While talking with Hanna, we arrived at the D’Anjouzes residence. The butler was already standing at the entrance, seeing my carriage coming in.

“Hello. I’m sorry for coming without notice. I just had something I really needed to discuss with the lady of the house.”

Upon saying this, the butler led us inside and then disappeared into the depths of the mansion. Hanna and I waited in a room next to the entrance. Soon, the lady of the house came to greet us herself.

“Oh, Ellen. What on earth is the matter? A soon-to-be bride needing to discuss something?”

Countess D’Anjouzes hugged me, but she was restless, like a hunting dog that had caught the scent of its prey. We were then led to the reception room under the guidance of the lady, and tea was served.

“So? What happened?”

When asked, I bit my lip, hesitated a bit, and then started talking.

“I saw Samuel being unfaithful, even though our wedding is just around the corner.”

“Oh my! Who is the other woman?”

I covered my face with both hands in agony, and answered while looking down.

“She is the daughter of an old friend of my father. She’s a Baron’s daughter, and she was staying at our house only during the social season because she doesn’t have a house in the capital.”

“And then?”

“If it was just a momentary lapse of judgment, I understand that it’s my duty as a wife-to-be to endure it. . .”

“It’s not just a lapse of judgment?”

“It seems that the woman is pregnant.”

“Oh my!”

The lady, having obtained a big piece of gossip, let out a truly delighted voice. She had always disliked Samuel, after all.

“Yes, the son of the Colrain family has made such a blunder. It’s really something.”

I continued to talk while covering my face.

“If we had been married for a few years, I would reflect on what I lack, but he cheated on me during our engagement, got her pregnant, and on top of that, he said he would prepare a sunny room with our money and nurture their love.”

I pretended to cry, but real tears came out. Hot tears were born one after another, running down my cheeks and dripping down.

Oh, am I sad? I wiped my tears with my finger as if it was someone else’s business. Even Countess D’Anjouzes seemed to pity me, handing me a white handkerchief and moistening her own eyes.

“So, even though he’s being helped by your family’s money, he intends to support his mistress and child with that money.”

“Yes. But even if I complain about it, my father might still tell me to marry Samuel. My mother would probably be on my side, but my father and Samuel’s father have a long, long relationship. I’d rather die than jump into such a hell.”

I cried again as I said this. I wish all my memories of Samuel would flow out with my tears. I wanted to erase all such memories from my memory without leaving a single one. Five years of engagement. There are countless happy memories. But no matter how wonderful a glass is, if it breaks, it becomes a piece of glass that hurts me.

The lady thought for a while, and then said,

“I understand. You haven’t told your parents yet, have you? Then leave it to me. I’ll help you. All we need is for the news to reach someone who can stop your marriage.”

The lady enveloped my hands in hers, full of enthusiasm. I knew she would say that, thank you, Countess D’Anjouzes.

I thanked the enthusiastic lady and handed her a small can of homemade moisturizer as I left.

“Oh, how thoughtful. I was just thinking I needed to replenish it. It absorbs quickly and leaves the skin well moisturized.”

I managed to smile through my tear-streaked face and went home. I wonder if the lady would be surprised to know that the expensive moisturizer was made from the fat extracted from a shark’s innards.

・・・

『”𝔸𝕨𝕖𝕓𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤.𝕔𝕠𝕞” – 𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕒 𝕔𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖, 𝕡𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖, 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕚𝕟𝕕u𝕝𝕘𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕒 𝕔𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕤𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕤 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 “𝕕𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕪 𝕦𝕡𝕕𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤” 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕖𝕩𝕔𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕒𝕔𝕔𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕥𝕠 “𝕒𝕕𝕧𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕕 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤”.』

・・・

I had dinner brought to my room because I was “tired from adjusting the size of the dress.”

While waiting for the messenger of justice to visit my house, I spent time in the herb management room in the annex. When I opened the door, the scent of herbs wafted through the air.

There are always dozens of types of herbs drying there. Once they’ve lost about eighty percent of their moisture, I pluck the leaves and chop the stems. Depending on the herb, I also use the roots. After chopping, I dry them further for storage.

It is often more effective to use them raw, but many are not available depending on the season. That’s why we dry them and store them in large quantities.

In the next room, several employees are grinding the dried items into powder. The things they grind into powder are finally mixed with medicinal herbs known only to my mother and me. Of course, the ratio and contents are a secret between the two of us, and this is the secret to why the Bowen family’s medicine is said to be different from others.

In the back room, a variety of poisonous snakes, frogs, and insects are kept, and only my mother, my guard Stephan, and I have the keys to the room. Otou-sama probably has never entered because he is not good with these creatures.

It’s about time for dinner to end. I heard the sound of a carriage outside. It’s already here. The messenger of justice who will save me from hell.

When I peeked outside the window, the carriage was painted with the crest of my mother’s maiden family, the Marquis Bosfeld. It must be my uncle. When I opened the door of the room a little and listened carefully, I soon heard a rustling presence passing through the corridor. It must be the voices of my father and uncle talking, the low voices of two men, I can’t make out the content, but it seems quite serious.

Soon, my uncle hurried to the carriage, and the carriage left.

Considering that he first contacted my uncle, who is a person my father can’t stand up to, it’s just like Mrs. D’Anjouzes.

After a while, another carriage arrived. It’s the Colrain family’s carriage. I wonder if it’s Samuel himself. I wonder if it’s his father. It would be convenient if it’s both. Come on, if you’re going to come, come. I will never accept this situation without protest.

Soon, there was a knock on the door.

“Ojou-sama, Danna-sama and Oku-sama are calling for you.”

Hanna came to call me.

“I’ll be right there.”

I fixed my makeup, arranged my hair, changed into a modest but expensive dress, and straightened my back. Now, let’s start the battle.

I lifted my face and headed to the reception room, knocking on the door. “Come in,” said Otou-sama’s voice.

I opened the door, greeted them with my best smile. In the reception room were my father, mother, Samuel, Samuel’s father, and me.

“Good evening, Count Colrain-sama, Samuel-sama. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”