Chapter 107
[ Rumors spread about the ‘heinous villainess.’ ]
[ The number of people agreeing with the reputation of the ‘heinous villainess’ increases. (32 → 35) ]
[ Source of rumor: Dolly ]
The sun had not yet risen, but Dolly was already awake.
Before Dolly came to her room, Odette quickly sat up, intending to leave.
After checking that Karl seemed to be asleep, Odette quietly left the infirmary.
She was in such a hurry to leave that she didn’t notice Karl’s faint, sinister smile.
Nor did she realize that under Karl’s bed lay the shards of glass he had smashed and hidden himself.
The fourth day on Athena Island dawned.
Excited about today’s event, Dolly hurried straight to Odette’s room at the first sign of morning.
“Madam Becker? I’m here, so please switch with me now.”
“Good. ……I was tired anyway, so you came just in time.”
“Nothing happened, right?”
“The young lady slept the whole time. Of course nothing happened.”
Becker, who had dozed off by accident the day before, had woken in shock. That was why she had kept her eyes wide open all night, tense as she watched over Odette.
‘How could anything have happened? She was asleep when I dozed off, and still asleep when I woke up.’
Dolly smiled and said,
“Madam Becker, I’ll take care of watching the young lady late into the night today.”
“Hm? Why? Won’t it be hard for you if we don’t switch midway?”
“I just feel especially good today. Please take a proper rest.”
“Oh my. Is that really all right?”
It was a welcome offer. Becker had been so stressed about monitoring Odette that for days her body had felt achy and her digestion sluggish.
“Of course. I’ll guard the young lady for the rest of the day.”
‘For this day, I cut my sleep short and forced myself to stay awake—just to spread those rumors about her!’
Dolly smirked inwardly as she looked at Odette sleeping soundly, completely oblivious.
She had no idea what kind of disgrace awaited her today.
[ ▶ An ignorant young lady with nothing in her head (18 people) ]
[ Rumors spread about the ‘ignorant young lady with nothing in her head.’ ]
[ The number of people agreeing with the reputation of the ‘ignorant young lady with nothing in her head’ increases. (18 → 23) ]
[ Source of rumor: Dolly ]
How can she flap her mouth so tirelessly?
I gave a dry laugh at the notification that rang out the moment I opened my eyes.
Seeing her obsessively spread rumors of me being a brainless fool, I was certain which event she had chosen.
The ‘Salon of Athena Island.’
‘……Quite refined for Dolly. Compared to the cruel tricks she used to torment me in my past life, at least.’
According to schedule, the salon was held today. That was why I had spent the previous days relaxing and sleeping comfortably in my room.
‘And thanks to being separated from Father and Fernand, I could finally eat to my heart’s content.’
The milk, bread, and vegetables on this island were exceptionally delicious. The picturesque scenery only whetted my appetite more.
Just then, Dolly spoke to me.
“Young Lady, you’re awake? Today I’ll attend to you all day long.”
It was actually a relief for me not to have the bothersome Madam Becker hanging around. Still, I put on a reluctant expression. Dolly, misreading it, looked even more thrilled.
“Today I’ll take you out for a walk. Hurry and get up. I’ll call the palace maids to dress you up.”
She then pulled the bell rope. Almost as if Dolly had instructed them beforehand, the maids wordlessly came, poured scented oils on me, and began to massage me.
Then followed bathing, makeup, dressing me in a gown, and even curling my hair prettily with heated irons.
Watching Dolly’s reflection in the mirror, I thought:
‘She must know Father would have her head if word of this reached him.’
Seeing her so confident only meant she had already prepared a way to make sure it wouldn’t reach him.
‘How kind of her. Finding me all the loopholes I need.’
I curled my lips upward. So long as Father didn’t find out, this would give me more freedom to act as I pleased.
‘But a salon, huh……’
That alone won’t satisfy her.
‘She’ll surely try something more vulgar, in her style.’
Only then would I feel no guilt giving her the exact same treatment in return.
With that thought, I let myself enjoy Dolly’s preparations.
For royalty and prominent nobles, aside from the first day’s hunting competition, the whole week on the island was spent touring Athena Island.
It was basically like politicians doing publicity tours during election season.
Saying things like, “This cream is exquisite,” “What a beautiful garden,” “This farm’s milk is heavenly,”—all to make the commoners feel honored that such noble people would enjoy their simple fare.
Athena Island was the farthest from the capital, but these tours served as a performance, showing that the Emperor was close to his subjects.
Meanwhile, other nobles had leisure time—except on the fourth day, when the ‘Salon of Athena Island’ was held.
In the Barcheha Empire, salons were a flourishing culture. They were gatherings where people freely discussed sensitive topics like politics, economics, international affairs, and theology.
The host of a salon decided the subject and format: a lecture, an exhibition, a literary circle, or a tea party.
Among them, the Salon of Athena Island was famous for showcasing the young intellectuals who would one day lead Barcheha.
Unlike other salons, usually hosted by older gentlemen or ladies, Athena’s was hosted by minor nobles around the age of twenty.
So if you hosted or made an impressive statement here, you would instantly be noticed as the new rising star of society—and even as a future leader of Barcheha.
That was why Dolly had chosen the salon. To her, it was the perfect stage to disgrace Odette.
The perfect place to expose Odette’s supposed ignorance.
‘The Count will surely be busy touring Athena with His Majesty, given his fame and popularity with the commoners.’
And Fernand? He had drunk himself senseless the night before, so he would sleep right through the salon.
Although the Count had strictly ordered not to let Odette attend the salon, Dolly refused to obey.
‘The humiliation in the conservatory must be repaid!’
How much effort had she already poured into it?
She had sought out the noble ladies who disliked Odette most—those with real influence.
And by sheer luck, the host of this year’s Athena Salon fit her requirements perfectly.
Lady Karin Anete von Brentano, daughter of a duke.
Renowned as the most cultured and learned of her generation of minor nobles, chosen as this year’s salon host.
The moment Dolly confirmed this, she contacted Brentano’s maid immediately.
‘Young Lady, did you think you could humiliate me and walk away unscathed?’
Dolly didn’t dislike Odette simply because her mistress commanded it. Even without that, she had always despised Odette—an orphan pretending at nobility.
That adoption was a legal and recognized procedure in the Empire didn’t matter to Dolly.
What mattered was that Odette had once been from an orphanage.
‘It’s one thing for someone born above me to be treated better. But someone born lower than me, more wretched than me, treated higher than me?’
It filled her with envy. And the more envious she was, the more unjust it seemed.
So her hatred wasn’t directed at the Empire that legalized adoption, nor the noble who had chosen to adopt. It was directed at Odette.
A girl who had become noble through what Dolly considered an “illegitimate” method.
It was easier to hate the weak than the strong.
“Young Lady, you’re all ready. Let’s head out for your walk now.”
Pretending to guide her on a walk, Dolly instead led Odette straight toward the salon.
‘That idiot who can’t even read—let’s see her utterly humiliated.’
International affairs? Economics? Could she possibly know anything? Dolly only hoped Odette didn’t mistake the salon for some sort of eating party.
“Dolly, where are we?”
At the entrance of the Hall of Wisdom—the salon’s venue—Odette’s voice called her. But Dolly ignored it and instead gave Odette’s name to the doorman.
She had already made sure Odette’s name was on the guest list.
The doors to the Hall of Wisdom opened. The high ceilings, adorned with magnificent frescoes, exuded an overwhelming elegance.
Tables and sofas were arranged throughout, resembling a coffee house.
The nobles, engaged in discussions on their chosen topics, all turned their eyes immediately upon Odette.
Upon the brightest flower of society—who had never once attended such a gathering before.
