Chapter 3.2
And a few days later, rumors circulated that Lilith had scratched Melina’s face, saying “How dare you injure our madam’s face?”
It was another story entirely that Mrs. Jena held her forehead at Lilith’s behavior of boldly shouting “Then shall I go find Her Majesty the Empress?” to Melina, who was crying that she hadn’t done it.
Since then, the Empress never summoned me. Of course, that didn’t mean her anger toward her had completely subsided.
In that regard, I fully supported Rubellian’s plan to overthrow the Colica ducal house.
And furthermore, it would be even better if we could say farewell to the final boss, the Emperor, from this world entirely…… Hmm, but didn’t I originally say I would twist the original story? Why do I seem to be strangely cheering on Rubellian’s actions lately?
Rachel was still in the underground dungeon. I wanted to visit her, but there was no way I could easily meet such an important figure, so I decided to wait until the saintess ceremony.
Sitting on the bed deep in thought, I asked Rubellian, who was drying my hair with a towel:
“But Rubellian, what have you been doing lately?”
“I think I’ve been home most of the time.”
Rubellian answered my question as if wondering why I was asking such a thing. At that, I pouted.
“You seem busy for just staying home.”
“I’ll reduce my work starting tomorrow.”
“Uh…… is that something you can just reduce like that?”
“No.”
“What.”
“Aren’t you whining for me to play with you right now?”
At Rubellian’s words, I whipped my head around. Who do you think I am, a little kid? Somehow feeling like I was being treated strangely, I glared at him, when Rubellian suddenly smiled and lowered his head slightly.
For a moment, something felt strange, and as I unconsciously pulled my head back, I lost my balance and fell backward with a thud.
The moment the bed mattress touched my back, my body involuntarily stiffened. Wait, what is this strange position? I swallowed hard, unable to hide my confusion.
“Wh-when did I whine?”
“Just now.”
“I wasn’t whining, I was just asking.”
“Why did you ask?”
“Well…… just because?”
I stared at Rubellian, who had propped his arm beside me.
Why does this man suddenly look so sexy? Ah, no. He was always sexy. I just got used to seeing him too much……
“Just, asking what I’m doing?”
…Guess I was mistaken. Nothing actually happened. No wonder everyone warns about honey traps.
With my mind already malfunctioning and drifting away hazily, I blinked. This is strange. This position is strange.
In the end, I tried to grab the bed sheet and sit up. No, I tried to sit up. If only this man hadn’t lowered his body.
“Could you move aside a bit?”
“Does it bother you?”
“No, it’s not bothersome but……”
“I’ll move if you’re uncomfortable.”
“No, it’s not that either but……”
For some reason, looking at his bright red eyes, my face-obsessed nature is acting up again in this situation…… This shouldn’t happen, a person isn’t all about looks.
This person is the mastermind, he’s very cruel, very very cruel…… B-but since he’s more of a mastermind behind the scenes, isn’t that kind of okay? I mean, when you actually listen to him, he does make sense… and honestly, he seems like a decent human being at the core.
But why am I making excuses here right now?
“Rubellian?”
“Yes.”
In the end, unable to overcome the longing in my heart—no, this is a bit much. Unable to overcome the voice in my heart, I called Rubellian softly.
The way he subtly responds is really…… Ah, this is driving me crazy.
“Come to think of it, if I’m fully prepared in the future, I think I might have children after all.”
“……”
At my words, Rubellian’s face took on a strange expression. An unexpected look flashed across his face, which had just been smiling until now.
“Didn’t you say you didn’t want to have children with me?”
“That’s because I’m not ready yet. Honestly, the future is unstable because of what you’re trying to do.”
What if I suddenly have a child and then “Oh my, they say your daddy is a traitor.” What would that lead to?
Even in the worst-case scenario, both mom and dad might disappear, so how would a child survive alone in this harsh world?
Thinking about that, I continued:
“That’s why I don’t like it. If I have a child, I’ll definitely prepare everything before having one.”
“……I thought you didn’t want to have children with me.”
“……With you? Who else would I have children with besides you?”
What kind of television drama is this? Suddenly it’s Love and War? No, weren’t we married?
Blinking at his random words, I frowned.
But absurdly enough, just from my brief words, Rubellian let out a deep sigh as if he’d just been through a full-on psychological battle.
Hmm, a sigh of relief.
“Just asking just in case, did you think something like, I hate you so I’ll have children with another man?”
“……”
“No, how do you see me? No matter how much I made a fuss about not wanting to get married, this is a different matter.”
“I thought you found me terribly detestable.”
What’s with this timid statement?
I let out a hollow laugh at his words, then suddenly became solemn as I reflected on my history of trying not to marry him. Setting aside acting and everything else, it wasn’t something to do in front of the person you’re going to marry.
I met Rubellian’s eyes. Did he really think I liked the Crown Prince? I said no so many times. I chose my words carefully and slowly opened my mouth.
“No, it wasn’t you I hated. I hated the situation.”
It was true. If I had hated the person, would I have played around so carelessly? I would have just killed him right away and run away.
Because I understood Rubellian’s revenge to some extent, I rejected marriage, and on the other hand, I couldn’t persuade him not to take revenge.
“I just hated the situation. Things not going my way. And…… as you know, just, just because I was anxious.”
“Anxious?”
“Anyway, I hated getting married, but I didn’t hate you.”
“Then why did you propose to the Crown Prince?”
“That…… haah…… I guess I was a bit crazy then. I was blinded by the Crown Princess position.”
“Hmm……”
Rather than a tragic heroine who loved the Crown Prince but couldn’t be with him, it’s better to just be materialistic. Thinking so and sighing inwardly, Rubellian suddenly smiled brightly.
For a moment, I was breathless.
Wow, that’s bad for the heart. No, why are you smiling? Don’t smile. Just keep frowning!
“Eve, thank you.”
“Wh-what for? For aiming for the Crown Princess position?”
“For…… not hating me.”
“……Why are you being like this? Making people feel touched.”
I stumbled backward in confusion. But since I was lying on the bed, that wasn’t possible. I blinked and shook my head.
“B-but I still don’t want to have children yet. Since I don’t know what the future will bring. Especially you!”
“What about me?”
“Because of what you’re trying to do now……”
“But you keep saying ‘what you’re trying to do,’ do you even know what that is? How do you know what I’m trying to do?”
Isn’t it obviously revenge? It’s because of revenge that I’m being so careful even after getting married, groveling to protect Rachel.
But somehow it seemed like what Rubellian was talking about wasn’t that. So I unconsciously shook my head in confusion, when suddenly Rubellian slightly lowered the arm he had propped beside me. Soon he was propping himself up on his elbow, looking down at me.
“Rubellian? What are you doing right now……”
If I didn’t catch on by now, I’d be an embarrassment to every civil service exam passer in my past life, so let’s say I noticed. Huk, I did notice but…… this is……
“Mm.”
The moment I unconsciously closed my eyes, something sweet enveloped me. As soft lips overlapped, a large hand cupped my head.
The warm touch gently stroked the back of my head, then pushed my hair aside and enveloped me even more deeply.
“Hmm……”
My breathing became labored. As my shoulders hunched up, gentle hands soothingly stroked my waist, and the hand that had been well-behaved until just now slowly traveled down my waist.
“Ah- wa-wait a moment.”
Look at this man. Why is one hand so fast? Pleasant…… hmm, my true feelings seem to have slipped out. This won’t do. It’s a bit troublesome to skip straight to the first step like this already. And I didn’t even wear proper underwear today…… ahem.
At my whispered words as I pulled away, Rubellian frowned slightly. For some reason he seemed subtly disappointed, but why are you disappointed here? Right now I’m the most upset about randomly putting on underwear.
“……Do you dislike it?”
“That’s not it—but just because something feels good, does that mean we have to do it? Humans are supposed to be rational animals… Ugh, what am I even saying right now?”
I let out a deep sigh. This isn’t right. This isn’t it.
“No. Wh-what if I get pregnant……”
Ah, that was a really good reason. It seems like a very realistic reason that doesn’t suit romance fantasy at all, but anyway, I’m not the female lead so it doesn’t matter.
Regardless of how he took my reasoning, Rubellian gave a serious nod.
“Right.”
“If I could do the work and you could give birth, I might consider it.”
“……”
“I guess this era’s medical technology isn’t sufficient?”
“I’d like to do that for you too, but that seems quite impossible.”
At my words, Rubellian gave a small, resigned shake of his head. But then he smiled softly and rested his forehead against mine.
“Haven’t I given you enough of my trust? Enough that you should be able to trust me, at least enough to have a child?”
“I think you’re misunderstanding something right now, but we’ve known each other for a few months, and we’ve been married for just over ten days, right? And no matter how upright you are, if I’m not ready, then I’m not ready.”
Looking at Rubellian’s disappointed face, I chuckled, when suddenly he lowered his head again and whispered:
“Well then, setting that aside, only until that time.”
Having finished speaking, Rubellian kissed me again.
At the soft feeling that followed, parting my lips, I couldn’t help but smile softly.
Ah, really, being the mastermind feels like such a waste.
* * *
“It’s my first time meeting you, Madam.”
In an extremely quiet room.
I blinked, having a personal study for the first time in this world. Actually, I’d had it for quite a while, but I just hadn’t used it much since I had no need for it.
But today, suddenly following Lilith who led me to the study, a man I’d never seen before was greeting me.
When I awkwardly returned the greeting, the man’s lips curved up.
“Madam, I’m Bill, responsible for the ducal house’s finances.”
“Ah, I see.”
At his words, I nodded. I’d never seen him before, but anyway, since he said he was in charge of finances, he must be an important retainer.
“But what’s the matter?”
“Actually, managing the ducal house’s finances is the mistress’s responsibility.”
“……Really?”
I wasn’t aware of that. After an awkward nod, Bill began to speak with a serious tone.
“Actually, we should have handed over the ledger management to Madam upon marriage, but……”
“But?”
“The fact is, we were somewhat doubtful since Madam didn’t receive formal education.”
“Hmm. Well, yeah. Even I wouldn’t trust someone who never studied. But why suddenly?”
At my words, Bill seemed to ponder for a moment, then continued while pushing up his glasses:
“Actually, we’re still not very trusting. After all, you’re a commoner who didn’t receive education, and being a woman, you’re obviously weak at calculations.”
“……”
“However, since ledger management is the mistress’s responsibility, even though your abilities may be lacking, we thought it was proper to entrust it to Madam.”
“So?”
“I think we need to provide some education and then conduct a test.”
At Bill’s words, I let out a hollow laugh. Right, well. I understand being untrustworthy for not having learned, but that reason about being a woman isn’t very trustworthy.
No, before that. Whatever you think inside, why do you say it so boldly in front of me?
I rolled my eyes for a moment, then asked Bill:
“Sir, are you perhaps the duchess?”
“……Pardon?”
“No, you said ledger management is the mistress’s responsibility while also not trusting me, and even saying a retainer would test the duchess’s abilities, so I thought perhaps you were the duchess, not me.”
What kind of situation is this, like a new employee going to the CEO and saying “Boss! Please show your leadership to see if I can trust you with my work!”
“You laid out, in detail, just how hopeless I am right in front of me. And even someone entrusted with managing finances chooses to judge based on gender and status rather than facts.”
“Madam, I’m sorry, but I had no intention of criticizing you. I was excessively honest.”
“Don’t try to disguise your lack of refinement by pretending to tell the truth. Your words weren’t honest, they were just rude.”
I looked down at Bill, who immediately lowered his tail.
If I were really a commoner born here, if I were someone with class consciousness thoroughly ingrained in my body, I would have lowered my tail. In this world, being born a commoner is itself an original sin.
But even so, saying to a duchess “You’re a commoner and uneducated, so I’ll test you a bit”…… Wow—this bastard is quite vicious, isn’t he?
If I bow down and go along here, what comes back is mockery, and if I pretend to be noble and sternly scold him, what comes back is still mockery.
Why? Because I’m of commoner origin.
What exactly is this worldview? What is this about a duchess being disrespected like this? What terrible crime is being a commoner? This is a bit too much.
I hardened my face and said coldly:
“Anyway, if you’re going to entrust it, entrust it nicely, and if you can’t trust me, take it away.”
“B-but Madam. Internal affairs are directly connected to the mistress’s duty and dignity.”
“But you were going to give something directly connected to duty and dignity through a test? Then if I fail the test, I have no dignity?”
“That’s not what I meant……”
“Oh dear, if your dignity is going to crumble that easily, you’re better off without it. Go ahead and toss it.”
I was quite annoyed by his lofty and condescending attitude.
The aspect of a power holder steeped in elitism and privilege consciousness.
Others might not know, but how could I not? It was a face I saw almost daily just before dying.
At my attitude, Bill seemed to hesitate for a moment, then opened his mouth:
“Then, I’ll teach you, Madam. About ledger management problems—”
“Aren’t you worried that I’m a commoner, a woman, and didn’t receive education?”
“I held prejudices against Madam before even teaching you. I’m sorry.”
I smiled broadly, and soon I took the ledger from his hands. Anyway, in the long term, it was better for me to manage the ducal house’s ledgers.
“Then I’ll apologize too. I didn’t intend to deliberately crush you with the position of duchess. But at least if I hadn’t been a duchess of commoner origin, you wouldn’t have said such things in front of me.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll be careful from now on.”
“Ah, and if you say such things in front of me again—”
“……”
“I’ll show you why I’m a terrible hybrid.”
And two days later, I laid down—no, didn’t throw but nicely set down—ledgers more perfect than what Bill had been doing in front of his face.
* * *
