Chapter 78
72. A Wise Adult
Clifford did not interfere with the preparations for the hunting festival.
On the contrary, he made things easier for Senelia by readily providing most of the resources she needed.
But not once did Senelia feel grateful for Clifford’s behavior.
The only reason he left her alone while she prepared for the festival was simple—
Because there was no need for him to meddle in that as well.
Clifford was skilled at adjusting his pace, and that applied equally to how he dealt with people.
He always handled Senelia just enough—not so little that she would be unscathed, but never enough to break her completely.
“His Grace seems quite busy these days,” remarked the Marchioness of Petricio.
Senelia, Duchess Elcheska, Countess Canolia, and the Marchioness of Petricio had gathered to select appropriate fabrics for the festival tents.
The fact that Senelia was put in charge of organizing the hunting festival was essentially confirmation that she would soon become the Grand Duchess.
Therefore, even though the three ladies outranked her, they addressed Senelia with honorifics.
“Well, it is the hunting festival after all,” Senelia replied calmly.
These days, Venerucia was the hardest person to find at the Afron estate.
Even after Clifford’s chaos, Senelia treated Venerucia no differently than usual.
Being Venerucia’s one and only person—
That was something she had given up on long ago. And so she was fine.
But in truth, it was Venerucia who avoided her.
That was why today, once again, he was not at the ducal residence but instead at the training grounds near the knights’ quarters, some distance away.
“His Grace must be busy drilling the ducal knights,” Senelia explained smoothly.
Back when she had pretended to be his lover, whenever something happened to Lucalina, Venerucia would often skip social gatherings.
At those times, Senelia had been forced to make countless excuses for him.
That experience was why she had become so adept at offering excuses now.
Of course, there was no way a lady as seasoned in social matters as the Duchess of Elcheska would fail to notice.
“Your Grace, you mustn’t be so indulgent,” the Duchess said with disapproval.
“After all the hardships you endure for the sake of the Imperial Family, it is unacceptable for His Grace to neglect you so.”
Every word that left the Duchess’s lips was perfectly reasonable.
In short, had it not been for Venerucia’s status as Grand Duke, Senelia would not have been burdened with such troublesome preparations in the first place.
Therefore, the least he could do was occasionally visit and encourage her.
“Indeed. That is what a husband ought to do,” the Countess of Canolia nodded firmly.
Both of these noblewomen were well-known for holding their husbands tightly under their control.
Watching them, the Marchioness of Petricio spoke gently, almost playfully.
“Of course, I am sure Your Grace knows best… But still, one cannot help but feel frustrated when it seems you are unaware of so much.”
Senelia was taken aback.
She had assumed these elderly noblewomen, who surely disapproved of her scandalous reputation, would not welcome her at all.
Yet they were speaking… differently.
The Marchioness continued.
“Think about it—how fervently His Grace gazes at you. For six whole years as his lover, so many noblemen admired you, yet none dared approach, did they?”
Senelia thought the Marchioness’s words were exaggerated.
Venerucia was an overwhelming man.
Handsome, powerful, and commanding—
Even if he had not glared at them, the other young lords would have been intimidated just by his presence.
“And that’s not all. Did he not drag innocent young ladies into scandals simply because they tried to catch your attention?”
The Duchess of Elcheska’s tone grew even sharper.
From her perspective, all of Venerucia’s foolish antics were plain to see.
“To be frank, were he not the Grand Duke, I would have scolded him as a pitiful man.”
Among the three, the Duchess of Elcheska was especially respected as a patron and chaperone for many young noble ladies.
That was why many noble youths feared her influence.
And truthfully, she did not sound as though she would hesitate to reprimand Venerucia even now.
“At some point, I realized His Grace had finally met his match. It was only ignorant fools who gossiped about Your Grace,” the Countess of Canolia added with a disapproving click of her tongue.
These prudent noblewomen knew their own era had passed. They did not try to step forward anymore.
But they never failed to advise their juniors not to make an enemy of Senelia Daphnen.
And indeed, they had been proven correct—
The much-contested position of Afron’s Grand Duchess now belonged to her.
Moreover, these wise women knew that Senelia’s tarnished reputation was not her fault, so they had no reason to dislike her as much as she feared.
But Senelia, unaware of their thoughts, could only be bewildered.
“…I thought the three of you disliked me,” she murmured.
She knew she would need to get along with these women if she was to fulfill her role as Grand Duchess.
But since they were notoriously strict in social circles, and she herself was infamous, she had assumed they would never welcome her. She had tried to avoid bothering them.
Yet if they did not oppose her… then she was grateful.
“The Daphnen family has always shunned power, but it has honor and history,” the Duchess of Elcheska said.
To her, judging a family only by its current power was foolish.
Power could rise and fall at any time.
“And despite being the Grand Duke’s lover, you have never lorded it over others nor dismissed the counsel of your elders,” the Countess of Canolia added.
Indeed, while preparing for the festival, Senelia had efficiently gathered and respected their opinions. She had never made unilateral decisions.
Such behavior endeared her to these upright noblewomen—women who were accustomed to respect but disliked flattery.
“Most of all, the foolishness lies with His Grace. Those who slander you do so only because they fear his power yet lack the courage to confront him, so instead they attack the weaker target—you,” the Marchioness of Petricio said bluntly.
To her, anyone who dared speak Senelia’s name while remaining silent about Venerucia’s share of the blame was simply worthless.
“To be honest… had you not seemed so reluctant to mingle with powerful people, I would have told my students to befriend you,” the Countess confessed.
Senelia’s expression faltered again.
She had deliberately avoided forming ties with powerful figures, knowing Clifford would surely be wary of it.
She had tried hard to hide her true intentions, but it seemed these women had seen through her easily.
“You must find it strange that we chatter so much despite having only just met you,” the Marchioness said with a warm smile.
She was the kindest of the three.
“It is because we don’t want you to be so intimidated.”
Her voice was endlessly gentle.
The Duchess of Elcheska cleared her throat to draw attention.
“When a young lady, young enough to be our granddaughter, constantly looks so timid, it makes us feel as though we are bullying a child,” she added.
Only then did Senelia realize that the three women were looking at her with warmth.
They were adults—
The kind who do not easily dislike children.
And to these elderly noblewomen, Senelia was indeed still a child.
…Is that why Ben insisted on these three?
When she and Venerucia had chosen which ladies would assist with the hunting festival, he had stubbornly chosen these particular women, all of whom were known to be stern.
Perhaps he had known that these wise women would never blindly oppose her.
The thought eased some of the tension that had kept Senelia rigid in their presence.
“So hold your head high and be more confident. With His Grace as well,” the Countess of Canolia advised, looking satisfied.
“His Grace likes you far more than you realize.”
Hiiing—
And as if on cue, the sound of Venerucia’s horse neighing echoed from outside the window.
