Chapter 60
As I was led into the mansion by the Baroness, I quickly scanned my surroundings. I had worried that Persis might be here, just as the queen was accompanied by the princess, but fortunately, that was not the case.
After all, everyone in the world knows that Persis is the Baroness’s son, but openly displaying that is another matter. No matter how much she bore the king’s child, the Baroness could never be treated as the king’s woman in public.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am that the lady has come to this humble place.”
At the baroness’s words, I briefly looked around the reception room filled with expensive decorations. Does she really think this place is humble? To my eyes, it looks even more splendid than the Duke’s residence!
TL Note: Hello Everyone. I am moving this Novel to the another site. Future updates will be posted here.
“No, it’s truly a magnificent mansion.”
“I hesitate to say this, but this mansion has many items that are far more valuable and precious than those in the royal palace. His Majesty cherishes me so much that whenever something good comes along, he always gives it to me first.”
I chose not to point out that she had just referred to this place as a “humble location” and instead smiled brightly.
“Oh, I see.”
“His Majesty values me and Prince Persis the most, not the Queen or the Princess. This is a fact that everyone in the world knows.”
Soon, her boasting began in earnest.
Half of it was about how long she had enjoyed the king’s favor, and the other half was about how Persis was the king’s only son and a beloved figure.
“Everyone knows this except for Her Majesty the Queen and the Princess. They even scheme to take our Persis’s position. Can you believe it? The king’s son is right there, and the princess behaves like this? If she were born a woman, she should be looking for a good match instead of daring to covet that position!”
Moreover, she had no filter in her speech. To say such things so casually in front of me was astonishing.
Suddenly, I understood why Persis had spoken so harshly to his mother at the debutante ball.
The Baroness was emotional, self-centered, and stuck in a childish mindset. It was hard to believe she was 40 years old.
Yes, dealing with a mother like that must have been quite a hardship for you.
“I can’t tell you how ruthlessly those two women have tormented Persis and me.”
“Oh dear.”
I decided to just go along with her. It seemed like the better option.
“They call me vulgar and insult Persis as a bastard. The cruel words they use to trample over people are just…”
“Ah…”
“They even resorted to violence against Persis.”
Wait, violence is a serious issue, though?
“Violence?”
“When Persis was about 7 years old, he had bruises all over his face. Even when I asked who did it, he refused to tell me. Who could have done that? It must have been the Queen or the Princess. So, His Majesty must have kept quiet about it too. You can’t imagine how upset I was that day.”
“…”
“It’s painful enough that I can’t raise my own son, but how do you think I felt having to entrust him to someone worse than an animal? It truly brought me to tears.”
The Baroness sniffled, squeezing out tears.
I sipped my tea in silence. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that the person worse than an animal was right in front of her.
“And that’s not all. Her Majesty the Queen has always looked down on me. It’s not the first time she’s deliberately ignored me at banquets. How can a person be so cruel and cold? I really don’t understand why Her Majesty despises me and Persis so much. Is love a crime?”
As the conversation continued, I felt my spirit draining more and more. She was a formidable opponent in a different sense than the princess. At least I could have a conversation with the princess, but the baroness only spoke about herself.
Baron Kaz seemed accustomed to his wife’s behavior and made a suitable excuse to leave at the right moment. Honestly, I wanted to suggest that he take me with him.
Once Baron Kaz left and it was just the two of us, the Baroness began to speak about what she really wanted to say.
“That day, Persis and the lady looked so good together. The sight of them dancing was so beautiful and radiant!”
It seemed the Baroness hadn’t noticed how hard we had both tried to trip each other.
Suddenly, the Baroness grabbed my hand tightly.
“I decided that day. A couple that looks so good together must be bound by a good fate!”
And I too made a resolution. I would reveal that I was the one who struck her precious son, the one worse than an animal, and escape from here.
“Baroness, I appreciate your words, but the Prince dislikes me.”
“Dislikes you? That’s a huge misunderstanding on the Princess’s part. Persis couldn’t take his eyes off you throughout the banquet.”
“I felt like he was glaring at me disapprovingly during the banquet, and it turns out that was true.”
I let out a sigh with a sad expression.
“When I was young, I must have offended the Prince in some way, and it seems that incident left a deep scar in his heart. It’s all my fault.”
“Something from your childhood?”
“Actually, I struck the Prince’s jaw with my fist.”
“……”
The baroness’s mouth slowly opened in shock.
“The scar on the prince’s face from when he was young must have been left by me.”
“Y-you did that?”
“Yes, it’s embarrassing to admit, but I have a somewhat violent tendency. You’ve heard the rumors about me, right?”
“But those rumors are all false…”
I calmly shook my head.
“No, that’s not true. Regardless of anything else, it’s a fact that I am very violent. You saw it that day, Baroness. I can knock down a man.”
“Well, that person was at fault first…”
“That day, I was in the mood to hit anyone, and unfortunately, he was the one who got caught. Strangely enough, I’ve had difficulty controlling my anger since I was young. I have this intense urge to hit, smash, and destroy something. Like this!”
I slammed my fist down on the table. The Baroness jumped in surprise, flinching.
“In fact, those rumors don’t even reflect a fraction of the truth.”
“…What?”
“Because of me, countless people have been ruined. How could my parents have sent only me here otherwise? They couldn’t bear to watch it happening right beside them.”
“……”
“How could someone like me lead a normal married life? Prince Persis is truly a good person. He should marry a kind-hearted and gentle lady. That’s the only way he’ll be happy.”
I smiled contentedly at the completely frozen Baroness.
“I really enjoyed the tea you served today. I hope we can have more wonderful gatherings like this in the future.”
With a light heart, I got up from my seat. Regardless of anything else, it seemed clear that she loved her son, so I thought the idea of taking me as a daughter-in-law would have completely vanished.
However, that thought of mine was nothing but an illusion.
That evening, Baroness Kaz sent me a gift through a servant.
Inside the box was a necklace made of an enormous blue diamond. It looked like it could easily be worth the price of a small estate.
Along with it was a note that said Persis needed a strong woman like me.
“Wow, this looks incredibly expensive but is so gaudy and lacks any elegance whatsoever… Anyway, this is definitely a necklace that Lady Ar would never wear.”
Bell, who knew my tastes perfectly, critiqued it with her sharp tongue as soon as she saw the necklace.
As Bel said, this was completely opposite to my preferences. I do like jewelry, but I absolutely detest pieces that are obviously meant to show off.
Moreover, trying to win me over with mere gold was a foolish choice from someone who knew nothing about me. The princess’s proposal was at least tempting.
“Are you going to accept this?”
“Are you crazy? I’m going to send it right back.”
I nervously closed the lid.
“Is this saying that even if the son is beaten by his wife, he will never give up the throne?”
I crossed my arms and fell deep into thought about how I could avoid getting entangled with Persis any further.
