Chapter 26 : The Duchess’s Duel
Chapter 26
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‘…Oh my God.’
Gathering the hem of my dress, I slipped away to a quiet corner of the banquet hall. It was a tactical retreat—an excuse to make space for the noblemen and aristocrats eager to surround Johannes.
“I’ve finally lost my mind.”
I murmured under my breath, ensuring no one nearby could hear me.
Earlier, I’d acted on impulse, afraid that someone might see through the façade… and now?
“By the way, ladies.”
Soft whispers drifted from a cluster of noblewomen nearby. Their gazes darted toward me with thinly veiled amusement.
“Isn’t this the first time the royal family has failed to send an heir to a Schultz wedding?”
“I know, right? It’s as if they’ve finally cut ties with that family.”
“Still, to take a commoner as a duchess while war reparations remain unpaid and embezzled funds unaccounted for—”
“And to top it off, she wasn’t even formally invited to this very banquet. How far will they fall, honestly?”
“I’d say she’s the real winner here. She rose from nothing. Now, with billions under their name, even the tarnished Schultz legacy hasn’t dimmed Duke Johannes’s appeal.”
“Of course. There are still plenty of young ladies who swoon over him. So why choose a nobody with no name, no lineage, and no expectations?”
“Obviously—it’s a ploy. Public image.”
My steps halted.
‘They’re not even trying to be discreet?’
I pressed my lips together firmly.
I never expected the noble ladies to welcome me with open arms. Upper-class acceptance has never been freely given to someone of common birth.
But still…
To speak so loudly, so brazenly, as if daring me to overhear?
Their observations weren’t wrong. Just like before, I didn’t have the verbal dexterity or social training to verbally duel noble ladies raised on etiquette and manipulation.
But I had something else—something they wouldn’t expect.
“Good evening, ladies.”
I approached them head-on. The moment I did, a flurry of wide eyes scanned me from head to toe.
“…Duchess Schultz?”
“I couldn’t help but notice a rather riveting conversation.”
They exchanged glances, momentarily thrown off. Their eyes cooled.
“Ah, yes. Just a passing remark.”
They clearly hadn’t expected me to confront them but assumed they could still toy with me.
“I believe I overheard my husband’s name mentioned.”
Feigning innocence, I tilted my head slightly.
One lady—no, perhaps a noble daughter—replied with brittle sweetness:
“We were only noting that you likely didn’t require a dowry.”
“Oh?”
I blinked.
“The Schultz family’s foreign accounts surely contain tens of billions in… lost assets.”
My lips pressed into a firm line.
They didn’t flinch. They were saying this directly to my face—insulting my husband, our marriage, and the family I now represented.
“There can be only one reason the money remains unaccounted for.”
The lady in question swept her silky hair over one shoulder, tone gentle, eyes mocking. She reached for my hand.
“But don’t worry. It’s so well hidden, there’s no chance it’ll ever be found, right, Duchess?”
Her hand was soft and false. Her smile was blade-sharp.
They were waiting for a reaction—tears, fury, weakness.
But I was no child. I’d lived too much to fall for that.
“Well. I wouldn’t know, young lady.”
Brows furrowed.
“Playing coy? In that case, the Duke has made a tragic mistake in his choice of bride.”
Their meaning was clear. But so was their intent: to provoke, humiliate, disgrace.
Yet I could see right through them—and I had no intention of playing their game.
“But don’t worry, dear. We’ll help you adjust. Everyone struggles at first, don’t they?”
I smiled calmly.
To them, a commoner was ignorant and easy to manipulate. Perhaps it was time to shatter that illusion.
“I suppose so. I never had a formal education.”
Brows rose.
“But I do tend to remember what I’ve learned. I never forget.”
“Excuse me?”
“I recall someone mentioning that several noble families opened slush fund accounts in the neutral Chekov Kingdom. Interesting, isn’t it?”
Silence.
Their faces paled.
Sir Fret’s offhand comment echoed in my mind. Given the political climate, many nobles were indeed hiding wealth abroad.
“What a strange thing to say…” one woman murmured.
“You asked.”
The lady’s mouth twitched. Her smile strained.
Time to twist the blade.
“Surely your own families wouldn’t dream of such a thing? Slush funds are illegal, after all… although I hear it’s fairly common among the very rich.”
Their expressions stiffened.
They couldn’t confirm it—it was a crime. But to deny it outright would be to admit poverty.
“That—”
The instigator opened her mouth, but another woman quickly took her wrist.
“…Of course not. Such things are unthinkable. We’re examples to the people.”
“Oh, of course. I nearly misunderstood. Your words were just so casual.”
Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
“You speak dangerously, Duchess.”
“And yet you began the conversation. I merely followed.”
I smiled.
“The Schultz family’s overseas borrowing power is currently frozen, so even if there were assets in Chekov, they’d be impossible to extract.”
“Indeed.”
“So really, there’s nothing to worry about—unless you believe Docilia is too incompetent to enforce its own banking laws.”
Silence.
One more word would mean insulting the crown.
They exchanged stiff glances. Eventually, the ringleader offered a forced bow.
“…Apologies, Duchess.”
“Ah, we’ve taken too much of your time. You must be so busy.”
Busy? Everyone knew I was isolated—yet they still played at social games.
“Then,” one said, clearly eager to retreat.
They turned.
“Actually.”
I matched their steps.
They stopped.
“What now?”
Their sculpted brows lifted in annoyance, as if I—a commoner—had no right to speak.
“I was just wondering who you were. I don’t believe we’ve been formally introduced.”
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