DLBA Chapter 15

I thought back to Yerena, whom I had seen at the palace not long ago.

Her sorrowful figure, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief, still lingered in my memory.
She probably resents me even now, believing I stole her man.
No—someone as angelic as her likely doesn’t resent me at all.
She must resent the circumstances that prevent her from becoming his wife.

“If it weren’t for the Empress, she and Ricardo would already be married.”

Now I understood why she and her family hated the Empress and wanted to make Ricardo the Emperor.
Even if it didn’t feel great to be the one who had come between them, I had no choice.

“I have to survive first. Just hold out until then. Once we divorce, I’ll leave without a second thought.”

With that promise to myself, I tried to let go of my guilt toward her.

The sun was high when the guests arrived at the mansion.
Their visit seemed like a completely natural event here.

“Lady Yerena, you’ve arrived!”
“Lady Yerena! You’re as beautiful as ever!”

Wherever Yerena walked, the people of the mansion greeted her warmly.
She returned their greetings with bright, gentle smiles, making the atmosphere around her glow.

It felt like they were all desperate to get in her good graces—as if she were the true mistress of the house.
Watching from a distance, I couldn’t help but feel bitter at the stark contrast to how I was treated like an unwelcome guest.

Eventually, the Marquess couple and Yerena reached the spot where Ricardo was waiting.

“We greet His Grace the Duke and the Duchess.”

The Marquess was a short, white-haired old man with a kind and gentle impression.
But there was something sharp lurking behind his long, narrow eyes.
His wife looked every bit the noblewoman, moving with a refined grace that made her seem like nobility down to her very bones.
Though her smile was elegant and practiced, it somehow made me feel like I was being looked down upon.

Yerena looked even more beautiful today than when I’d seen her before.
She gave me a slight bow when our eyes met.

“Congratulations on your marriage, Duchess.”

Her pale blue dress fluttered delicately, making her look as pure as could be.
Her golden hair flowed gently down to her waist.
She could’ve been the perfect model for a saintess in a novel.

Despite the smile on her face, there was a lingering sadness and gloom in her expression.
Once in a while, I felt a sharp chill in her gaze.
But whenever I looked up in surprise, she was just smiling gently again.

“Must be my imagination.”

After a brief exchange of greetings in the drawing room, we moved to the dining room for a luncheon.

“I’ve heard wonderful things about the Marquess. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Madam and Lady Yerena.
This is my first time in the capital, so I’m still learning. I hope to rely on your guidance in the future.”

I tried my best to mimic a proper duchess and initiate natural conversation.
Thankfully, it didn’t seem awkward or out of place.

“We’re pleased to hear that, Your Grace.”

The Marquess nodded with a smile, and his wife added politely,

“I hear the drought last year caused trouble in many estates—including your family’s.
I was told Her Majesty the Empress sent a good number of jewels to help.”

I choked on my water at her words.

Clearly, she meant to insult Baron Enrio and his wife for selling their daughter out for some jewels—but it was shockingly blunt.
Maybe that’s just how nobles are—wielding elegant words like daggers.

If I had really been Kayla, her words would’ve deeply offended me.
But they didn’t hurt at all.
Because frankly, they were true.

“Yes. Thanks to that, my parents were finally able to breathe a little easier.
They may be lords in name, but a humble baron household doesn’t have much to boast about.
Life was quite meager compared to the grandeur of the capital.”

This time, it was the Marquess couple’s turn to cough on their drinks.

I casually picked up a piece of veal and chewed it slowly,
remembering the pathetic sight of the baron couple bickering over jewelry and laughing inwardly.

Yerena slightly parted her lips in surprise at my composure,
and Ricardo pressed his lips together more tightly, as if trying not to show his discomfort.

The Marchioness wiped her lips with a napkin and spoke again.

“It must be difficult to quickly learn noble etiquette.
There are rules for every occasion, after all.
It must be exhausting to master them when you’re not used to such things.”

Her words instantly chilled the room.
The Marquess cleared his throat in embarrassment, and Yerena nearly dropped her fork.

I tried to smile as if unaffected, but I was honestly a bit surprised at the Marchioness’s blatant rudeness.

On the surface, it sounded like she was being considerate—
but in truth, she was pointedly reminding everyone that I had once been a maid who suddenly became a duchess.

“I heard you weren’t acknowledged as a daughter at first and had a difficult time.
Men who behave disgracefully outside the home never realize the pain they cause.”

Whether she hadn’t noticed the awkward atmosphere or was deliberately enjoying herself,
she continued cutting her meat and went on,

“No one chooses to be born the way they are.
Why should being illegitimate be a curse?
Why should innocent families be punished for it?
Don’t you all agree?”

She even looked around the table as if to gather support—like a noble crane scolding impure creatures.

I smiled softly and responded.

“I may be illegitimate, but my parents were kind enough to let me live with my younger sibling.
Thanks to that, I naturally learned noble customs and etiquette.
I appreciate your concern, Madam.”

The flicker in her eyes told me she hadn’t expected me to respond so directly.

“Then that is fortunate indeed.”

A faint twitch appeared at the corner of her lips despite her attempt to keep smiling.

I set down my fork and knife and wiped my mouth with a napkin before speaking again.

“Just as Her Majesty the Empress has generously accepted the Duke.”

The reaction to my words was stronger than I anticipated.
The Marchioness, who had been so composed while insulting me just moments ago, went pale.

Her eyes darted—not to me—but to Ricardo.
He calmly continued slicing his meat without reacting.

“I-I didn’t mean it like that!”

Now that I had shifted the target of her own words,
what she had said to me moments ago suddenly sounded like an insult to Ricardo as well—
as if she was criticizing him for not being of legitimate imperial blood.

The atmosphere instantly shifted.

The Marquess gave his wife a reproachful look of shock,
and Yerena looked back and forth between her mother and Ricardo nervously.

I calmly continued eating my meal as if nothing had happened.

“I apologize, Your Grace. My wife must have misunderstood your lady’s intentions.
I believe she was only trying to be kind, but it was thoughtless of her.”

The Marquess tried to step in and apologize, but Ricardo remained composed.

“No need to apologize. She didn’t say anything wrong.”

He spoke like it was nothing, and the room slowly returned to eating again.
But from that moment on, the Marquess’s family couldn’t hide their discomfort.

“The Duchess is a distant cousin of Her Majesty, is she not?
We’ll likely see you often at the palace.
Surely, Her Majesty is your only confidante in the capital?”

The Marquess spoke in a warm tone, as if showing concern,
but my hand froze on the fork.

Though his words seemed caring, they felt far more underhanded than what the Marchioness had said.
He knew how terrible the relationship between Ricardo and the Empress was, and he was purposely trying to drive a wedge.

As expected, Ricardo’s face, which had remained neutral, darkened slightly.
The mere mention of the Empress was like stepping on a landmine.

“So he is that sly old fox.”

I had thought of him only as Ricardo’s most loyal supporter in becoming Emperor,
but it turned out the Marquess had a manipulative side too.

I could understand it, though.
To him, I clearly looked like the Empress’s pawn.
To the Marquess’s family, I was the one person they could never accept.

Even while smiling at me, they must have been labeling me as the enemy.

But if they were going to insult me so openly, then things were different.

“Now that I’ve married into the Ducal House, I suppose I should rely more on His Grace than Her Majesty.”

I smiled as I replied, and immediately heard a clatter as someone set their utensils down forcefully beside me.

It was Ricardo.
The mere mention of the Empress had already soured his mood,
and my answer must have made it worse.