Chapter 131…………………………………..
The news that the eldest of the Kerace family, Shebert, had broken off his engagement spread quickly.
It wasn’t just any noble family—it was the Kerace family—so the fallout was huge.
The retainers immediately lit up with determination to place their own daughters in the now-empty position.
However, the Duke of Kerace announced that he would not receive any guests at the mansion for the time being, leaving the retainers in despair.
Meanwhile, at the Fobua family, chaos erupted.
“Broken engagement! Who decided this?”
A maid, twisting her white hair, dropped her hairpin in shock at Olenia’s fury.
“What? They say it was done with mutual consent?”
Olenia clenched her lips tightly, thinking of her grandson, Shebert.
She had opposed the engagement from the start, and now, to think it was broken off…
Her wrinkled eyes narrowed.
She was certain this was a ploy by that boy.
“I wondered why you were so angry. I guess you’ve heard the rumors too, Mother.”
Rose had quietly stepped into the room and stood behind her, where she had been sitting in front of the mirror.
“I must meet Shebert immediately.”
“And what will you say when you meet him?”
“What do you mean ‘say’? Do you think mutual consent makes sense?”
“I agree. Shebert is not the type to obediently go along with agreements.”
“Exactly what I’m saying!”
Olenia glanced at her daughter in the mirror, then turned to face her.
“Then it must be that Maryann made some scheme.”
Rose tilted her lips into a small smile.
“Miss Delve is smart, but she’s not the type to plot something like this.”
“What? You were her tutor, and now you side with her instead of me?”
“Yes.”
Rose nodded obediently.
Olenia’s face immediately contorted.
“Rose!”
Olenia dismissed the maid with a gesture, then whispered softly.
“I opposed their engagement, so I approve of the breakup. But I cannot tolerate the losses Shebert must bear.”
“……”
In noble society, even the smallest flaw must not be revealed to others.
But this was the breaking of an engagement between a man and woman on the verge of marriage.
Olenia spoke.
“Soon, one side will receive sympathy, the other side criticism.”
Rose furrowed her brows.
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll see soon, Rose. The reason Shebert and that girl broke off their engagement is rather… amusing. Apparently, Ron is involved.”
A small chuckle rose at the corner of Olenia’s lips.
The thought of the scandal that would soon spread through high society somewhat calmed her anger.
“…Ron is involved?”
Rose, usually unshakable, couldn’t hide her shock this time.
Shebert, Ann, and Ron.
A scandal involving all three—this would cause a massive stir in noble circles.
“Mother, even if you are my mother, if you spread false rumors, I won’t forgive you.”
As Rose turned to leave, a voice came from behind.
“Whether it’s a false rumor or not, you’ll know when you confirm it yourself. Besides, those who need to know already do.”
Hurrying, Rose immediately wrote a letter to Ann to confirm the facts.
She also asked if there was anything she could do to help.
She worried for her son, Shebert, but also for Ann, who had been by her side for a long time.
Honestly, she worried more for Ann, who was like a daughter, than for her son, whom she saw only a few times a year.
‘That little one… I hope she isn’t upset.’
Still, could Ron Kerace really be involved?
Rose tilted her head, imagining Ann and Ron together, and then thought of her own son, Shebert.
‘I hope they all made decisions that make them happy.’
After sending the completed letter with a maid, Rose thought to herself.
That evening, she received two letters.
Ann’s letter apologized for not telling her sooner and confirmed that everything was true.
‘Ann really likes Ron? And Ron likes Ann…? My goodness.’
The surprising part was the second letter.
It was from Shebert, starting with, “To my beloved mother.”
Shebert wrote that it was he who suggested breaking off the engagement and that he had another lady in his heart.
‘…!’
Rose was so shocked she had to read the sentence over and over.
Finally, regaining her composure, she burned the letters by the lamplight.
‘Phew. Anyway, there’s only one conclusion.’
Ann, Shebert, and Ron—all had chosen according to their own hearts, and none regretted it.
Watching the flames flicker red, Rose couldn’t help but chuckle.
‘I thought they were still just children…’
She felt proud that they had grown up enough to seek their own happiness.
When she met them soon, she thought she would ruffle each of their heads lovingly.
Had this been a marriage and divorce, things would have been far more complicated.
But this was only a broken engagement.
Moreover, it had been done with mutual consent, so it was quickly resolved.
Of course, scandals would still spread through high society.
“Hmph.”
For a while, I couldn’t leave the Duke’s mansion.
I needed to meet Bianca and also the Crown Prince to convey Princess Hemel’s feelings.
But I couldn’t do that now.
Everyone’s attention was focused on me.
The Duke and the Kerace brothers repeatedly asked me not to go out for the time being.
“I have so much to do…”
So, I remained at the mansion without moving.
One strange thing was the attitude of the staff.
They must have heard the rumors, but as if by agreement, they never spoke of it.
Even when walking through the halls or the garden, I never heard any whispers.
Instead, they treated me extremely well.
They had always been good to me, but now they paid even more attention.
I learned the reason from the maid Britta.
“They don’t show it, but they feel sorry for you, Miss.”
“Huh? Why?”
“For not understanding your kind heart, Miss.”
“……”
For a moment, a pang touched my heart.
There were people who thought of me so deeply.
I vowed to someday repay this kindness greatly.
Protected in the mansion for a while, I could also learn about the outside world through other channels.
This was largely thanks to Britta.
Because of my recent troubles, the Duke of Kerace’s mansion had particularly strict security.
So Britta, who often ran errands outside, secretly received letters from Dubel agents.
“Miss! Leave it to me!”
I had always noticed that Britta loved doing secret tasks.
She was diligent in her missions.
Even when going to the market, she changed her hairstyle and clothes and drew a beauty mark on her face.
It was Britta’s own disguise.
“But Britta? Why the beauty mark?”
“Miss, my name is no longer Britta. I am Brito.”
“……?”
Anyway, thanks to her, I was able to safely receive information sent by the Dubel organization.
“What? A scandalous romance with the young master?”
According to a letter from Dubel’s leader Chenler, there was gossip in the “Selly Club,” a group of noble ladies in the capital, claiming I was vulgar.
“Thanks to them, I’ll live a long life.”
I tucked the letter into my chest.
I would have to tell Ron and Shebert about this when I met them.
Then, the “Selly Club” would soon be dismantled by Shebert or Ron.
Recently, the “Hade Club,” a group of sword-skilled young masters, had been destroyed.
They had said I was a crazy witch who seduced Kerace men and drank their blood.
When Shebert found out, he caused a scene.
Elsewhere, Ron had been active in handling matters.
Thanks to the vivid testimonies of those directly involved, the rumors would quickly die down.
“This is why it’s not just any Kerace family.”
I felt proud to be on the side of the strong again.
Another letter had been sent directly by Dubel’s leader.
I could still vividly recall Chenler and the agents shouting, “Goddess! Goddess!”
“They congratulated the Goddess for finding true love! And what is this? Ugh, I told you not to report these things!”
At some point, Chenler began informing me of all the organization’s dealings.
“I’m not curious about the profits from the Seleron incense!”
It was one of the items Dubel distributed illegally.
Assassins used this incense—it paralyzed the body.
When I had gone to my grandfather in the north, assassins had tried to use it.
“And why is the Memur incense selling so well?”
The letter said the Memur incense, which made people temporarily lose their memory, was also highly profitable.
Anyway, I skimmed the reports—they weren’t urgent compared to what was happening around me.
A few days later, countless letters suddenly arrived.
“What is all this?”
Britta picked out a letter and handed it to me.
“These are invitations. Club invitations, tea party invitations, and even a ball.”
“Huh? For me?”
I checked the contents—they were real.
[Miss Delve, we were captivated by your courage in fighting for love. Please join us in our gathering.]
“Fighting? Claiming? They’re captivated by me?”
After all the gossip, now they were inviting me.
It was such an abrupt turn of events.
I realized its meaning while talking with Shebert.
