In the dim dawn, Madame Magadha entered a dark alley with her wide-brimmed hat pulled down low.
A dirty back alley with trash and debris strewn everywhere.
If it were an ordinary noblewoman, she would have been terrified and run away, but Madame Magadha simply kicked away the trash that was in her way with an annoyed expression.
Born as the daughter of a courtier and raised in a brothel, this kind of scenery was quite familiar to her.
She was almost on the verge of following her mother's path due to her outstanding beauty, but by chance, she met the Duke and successfully turned her life around.
Of course, because of her low status, she could not become a formal wife, and because of the previous Duke's disapproval, she had to live in hiding in the annex even after the young Duchess died.
Although she was able to move into the main house after the death of the previous Duchess, she was still unable to act as the mistress due to the previous Duke's will that delegated all authority over the Veloce family to Shayne.
But it was clear that her life had turned 180 degrees, as she, a commoner, was now living in the Duchess's quarters and enjoying luxuries she could not have even dreamed of in the past.
“His Excellency the Duke?”
“So that’s why you came here to complain?”
Chiesa asked with a deep sigh.
“No, that’s not it. I just wanted to know how things are going... As you know, I don’t have any connections to find out about things like that. Even the people I used to work with have all quit. I was wondering if you might know something.”
Chiesa's face darkened even more as Madame Magadha looked at her with tearful eyes.
“I heard something from the guests who came yesterday...”
“Really? What is he saying? Our Duke, he's going to be released soon? Huh?”
Chiesa hesitated for a moment at Madame Magadha's urgent question, then spoke with a sigh in his voice.
“Magatha, your rope is useless now.”
"What?"
“It’s a rotten rope.”
She clicked her tongue as if to ask what was going on, and then blurted out something shocking.
“The Duke of Veloce will not escape severe punishment.”
Dump.
Madam Magadha's body collapsed to the floor.
“Heavy punishment? That’s ridiculous...”
But the shock didn't end there.
“And the same goes for you, Magadha.”
"What?"
“His Excellency has admitted it all. You and your daughter were also involved in the crime.”
“What, what are you talking about? Melina and I were involved in some crime!”
“Murder of the Duke’s legitimate heir.”
“...!”
“Assisting in the impersonation of a Duke.”
“...!”
“And then there was the accident of the late Duchess.”
“...!”
“That’s your fault, Magadha.”
Madam Magadha's mouth dropped open as she heard the uncommitted crimes pouring out of her friend's mouth.
A dirty back alley with trash and debris strewn everywhere.
If it were an ordinary noblewoman, she would have been terrified and run away, but Madame Magadha simply kicked away the trash that was in her way with an annoyed expression.
Born as the daughter of a courtier and raised in a brothel, this kind of scenery was quite familiar to her.
She was almost on the verge of following her mother's path due to her outstanding beauty, but by chance, she met the Duke and successfully turned her life around.
Of course, because of her low status, she could not become a formal wife, and because of the previous Duke's disapproval, she had to live in hiding in the annex even after the young Duchess died.
Although she was able to move into the main house after the death of the previous Duchess, she was still unable to act as the mistress due to the previous Duke's will that delegated all authority over the Veloce family to Shayne.
But it was clear that her life had turned 180 degrees, as she, a commoner, was now living in the Duchess's quarters and enjoying luxuries she could not have even dreamed of in the past.
'I swore I would never come here again...'
She looked around the dirty alley with weary eyes and sighed deeply.
'Well, there's nothing I can do about it now.'
Since the Duke's arrest, her daily life has been a series of chaos.
Just understanding how this happened made my head explode, but the voices of those demanding punishment for the Duke could be heard inside the Duke's residence, adding to the anxiety.
Even the gangsters kicked the front door and swore at her, so she had to leave the Duke's residence and take refuge in the house she used to live in.
In the meantime, the Duke who had been taken to the detention center was so frustrated that there was no news of him.
'If you want to find out how things are going, you need connections.'
Although she entered high society with the Duke's support, no high-ranking noble was willing to deal with her, who was nothing more than a government official.
Although she managed to build a friendship with a few lower-ranking nobles who had their eyes on her background, she lost contact with them after the incident.
To make matters worse, all the employees had quit, so there was no one to come out and ask about the news.
'There is only one way out, given this situation.'
Madam Magadha, who was walking quickly, soon stopped in front of a building and knocked on the door.
“Who is it?”
Not long after, a thick male voice seemed to come from inside, and then the door opened.
A man of short stature, stocky build, and an unkempt beard was holding a long broom in his hand as if he were cleaning.
The man's hazy eyes scanned her entire body.
He looked closely at her body, which was completely revealed thanks to the deep plunging chest area and the tight-fitting dress, and soon made a troubled expression.
“I see you’re here for an interview. But what should I do? It’s not business hours right now. Come back later in the afternoon.”
It seems that he mistook her for a courtesan who had come for an interview.
She wanted to die right away but now was not the time.
She suppressed her surging anger and spoke with dignity, recalling the noble ladies she usually saw at parties.
“Go and fetch Chiesa. Tell him that Magadha has come to see her.”
Chiesa, her friend who grew up in the brothel with her, had worked as a courtesan and was now working as a madam at a high-class bar.
“Oh, are you an acquaintance of Madame’s? Oh, please excuse me.”
The man scratched the back of his head as if he had made a mistake, then told her to wait a moment and went inside.
Madam Magadha looked at the firmly closed door again and bit her fingernails nervously.
Chiesa was a madam at a brothel, and because of the nature of her job, she knew many high-ranking nobles, so she would be able to find out about the Duke's business without much difficulty.
Still, the reason she was so restless was because of something that happened three years ago.
As usual, she visited a dress shop to spend the Duke's money on extravagance, and by chance, she ran into Chiesa.
“Oh my, who is this? Isn’t it Magadha?”
“...”
“Wow, you’ve changed so much. You’ve become a real lady. I guess you still receive a lot of His Excellency’s love?”
It had been 15 years since they last met since he had become the Duke's wife.
Since they had been close friends since childhood, Chiesa seemed very happy to see her, but she was not.
She was now the Duke's woman.
The fact that she was friendly with the madam of the brothel did not help her reputation at all.
Madam Magadha coldly shook off Chiesa's friendly embrace and whispered softly.
“Hey, don’t you get what I’m saying? Who the hell are you touching?”
“...What, what did you say?”
“Ha, Chiesa. I am a woman favored by the one and only Duke of this empire. I am not someone that a madam from Cortisan, who sells her body and smiles to all kinds of men, can pretend to know. Do you understand?”
Then she looked her up and down as if she was mocking her for her stupid face and left the shop.
Chiesa looked very hurt, but she didn't care.
At that time, Chiesa was someone she didn't need at all.
'If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have said such things.'
It was at that moment that Madam Magadha let out a deep sigh.
“Who came looking for me?”
The door that had been closed for a moment opened again and a woman appeared.
The woman, with her pitch-black hair and contrasting white skin, looked slightly disheveled as if she was in the middle of a deep sleep.
She glanced at Madame Magadha with indifferent eyes, then opened her eyes wide in surprise.
“Oh my, who is this? It’s really Magadha. How did the lady of His Excellency the Duke come to visit a madam from Courtesan who sells her body and smiles?”
There was a lot of mockery in her voice as she repeated exactly what she had said three years ago.
Madam Magadha, whose pride was hurt by her, pursed her lips.
But in the current situation, there was nothing to be gained by showing off one's pride.
She barely suppressed her anger and grabbed Chiesa's hand.
“It’s been a while, Chiesa. How have you been?”
“I’ve been well, Madam Magadha. But would you please let go of this hand? I’m afraid that a lowly prostitute’s hand will defile your noble lady’s hand.”
“Oh my, are you still upset about that incident?”
“What do you mean, you squealer? How can I be the one to complain to Madam? You are a noble being that I cannot even dare to look at.”
This girl is for real!
Madam Magadha's brow furrowed at the sarcastic tone.
If it were normal, she would have gotten angry and said, “What are you doing being so narrow-minded at your age?”
But given the circumstances, she mustered up a little more patience.
“I’m really sorry about that time, Chiesa. You know, I’ve had a complex about my origins ever since I was little.”
“...”
“I thought I was finally starting to improve my fortunes after meeting His Excellency, but as you know, that world is a bit cold. High-ranking ladies don’t even treat me like a human being, and in high society, they point fingers at me and call me a fake government.”
She caressed Chiesa's hand with a sullen face.
“If it had been discovered that I was Cortisan’s daughter in that situation, I would have been completely buried in that world. That’s why I deliberately acted cold-hearted.”
Chiesa's expression softened slightly as she pleaded with tears in her eyes.
'You've been so weak-hearted since you were young, and I guess you're still the same now.'
Madame Magadha, not wanting to miss this opportunity, hugged Chiesa tightly.
“But I shouldn’t have done that to you, my only friend. I guess I was really crazy. I’m sorry, Chiesa...”
“Yes, yes. Yes, let’s just let this go.”
Finally, Chiesa, who had completely let go, grumbled and released Madame Magadha's hand from around her waist.
“So why did you suddenly come to see me?”
“Why? It’s because he ignores us...”
She looked around the dirty alley with weary eyes and sighed deeply.
'Well, there's nothing I can do about it now.'
Since the Duke's arrest, her daily life has been a series of chaos.
Just understanding how this happened made my head explode, but the voices of those demanding punishment for the Duke could be heard inside the Duke's residence, adding to the anxiety.
Even the gangsters kicked the front door and swore at her, so she had to leave the Duke's residence and take refuge in the house she used to live in.
In the meantime, the Duke who had been taken to the detention center was so frustrated that there was no news of him.
'If you want to find out how things are going, you need connections.'
Although she entered high society with the Duke's support, no high-ranking noble was willing to deal with her, who was nothing more than a government official.
Although she managed to build a friendship with a few lower-ranking nobles who had their eyes on her background, she lost contact with them after the incident.
To make matters worse, all the employees had quit, so there was no one to come out and ask about the news.
'There is only one way out, given this situation.'
Madam Magadha, who was walking quickly, soon stopped in front of a building and knocked on the door.
“Who is it?”
Not long after, a thick male voice seemed to come from inside, and then the door opened.
A man of short stature, stocky build, and an unkempt beard was holding a long broom in his hand as if he were cleaning.
The man's hazy eyes scanned her entire body.
He looked closely at her body, which was completely revealed thanks to the deep plunging chest area and the tight-fitting dress, and soon made a troubled expression.
“I see you’re here for an interview. But what should I do? It’s not business hours right now. Come back later in the afternoon.”
It seems that he mistook her for a courtesan who had come for an interview.
'How dare he treat anyone like a prostitute? He's got eyes like that!'
She suppressed her surging anger and spoke with dignity, recalling the noble ladies she usually saw at parties.
“Go and fetch Chiesa. Tell him that Magadha has come to see her.”
Chiesa, her friend who grew up in the brothel with her, had worked as a courtesan and was now working as a madam at a high-class bar.
“Oh, are you an acquaintance of Madame’s? Oh, please excuse me.”
The man scratched the back of his head as if he had made a mistake, then told her to wait a moment and went inside.
Madam Magadha looked at the firmly closed door again and bit her fingernails nervously.
Chiesa was a madam at a brothel, and because of the nature of her job, she knew many high-ranking nobles, so she would be able to find out about the Duke's business without much difficulty.
Still, the reason she was so restless was because of something that happened three years ago.
As usual, she visited a dress shop to spend the Duke's money on extravagance, and by chance, she ran into Chiesa.
“Oh my, who is this? Isn’t it Magadha?”
“...”
“Wow, you’ve changed so much. You’ve become a real lady. I guess you still receive a lot of His Excellency’s love?”
It had been 15 years since they last met since he had become the Duke's wife.
Since they had been close friends since childhood, Chiesa seemed very happy to see her, but she was not.
She was now the Duke's woman.
The fact that she was friendly with the madam of the brothel did not help her reputation at all.
Madam Magadha coldly shook off Chiesa's friendly embrace and whispered softly.
“Hey, don’t you get what I’m saying? Who the hell are you touching?”
“...What, what did you say?”
“Ha, Chiesa. I am a woman favored by the one and only Duke of this empire. I am not someone that a madam from Cortisan, who sells her body and smiles to all kinds of men, can pretend to know. Do you understand?”
Then she looked her up and down as if she was mocking her for her stupid face and left the shop.
Chiesa looked very hurt, but she didn't care.
At that time, Chiesa was someone she didn't need at all.
'If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have said such things.'
It was at that moment that Madam Magadha let out a deep sigh.
“Who came looking for me?”
The door that had been closed for a moment opened again and a woman appeared.
The woman, with her pitch-black hair and contrasting white skin, looked slightly disheveled as if she was in the middle of a deep sleep.
She glanced at Madame Magadha with indifferent eyes, then opened her eyes wide in surprise.
“Oh my, who is this? It’s really Magadha. How did the lady of His Excellency the Duke come to visit a madam from Courtesan who sells her body and smiles?”
There was a lot of mockery in her voice as she repeated exactly what she had said three years ago.
Madam Magadha, whose pride was hurt by her, pursed her lips.
But in the current situation, there was nothing to be gained by showing off one's pride.
She barely suppressed her anger and grabbed Chiesa's hand.
“It’s been a while, Chiesa. How have you been?”
“I’ve been well, Madam Magadha. But would you please let go of this hand? I’m afraid that a lowly prostitute’s hand will defile your noble lady’s hand.”
“Oh my, are you still upset about that incident?”
“What do you mean, you squealer? How can I be the one to complain to Madam? You are a noble being that I cannot even dare to look at.”
This girl is for real!
Madam Magadha's brow furrowed at the sarcastic tone.
If it were normal, she would have gotten angry and said, “What are you doing being so narrow-minded at your age?”
But given the circumstances, she mustered up a little more patience.
“I’m really sorry about that time, Chiesa. You know, I’ve had a complex about my origins ever since I was little.”
“...”
“I thought I was finally starting to improve my fortunes after meeting His Excellency, but as you know, that world is a bit cold. High-ranking ladies don’t even treat me like a human being, and in high society, they point fingers at me and call me a fake government.”
She caressed Chiesa's hand with a sullen face.
“If it had been discovered that I was Cortisan’s daughter in that situation, I would have been completely buried in that world. That’s why I deliberately acted cold-hearted.”
Chiesa's expression softened slightly as she pleaded with tears in her eyes.
'You've been so weak-hearted since you were young, and I guess you're still the same now.'
Madame Magadha, not wanting to miss this opportunity, hugged Chiesa tightly.
“But I shouldn’t have done that to you, my only friend. I guess I was really crazy. I’m sorry, Chiesa...”
“Yes, yes. Yes, let’s just let this go.”
Finally, Chiesa, who had completely let go, grumbled and released Madame Magadha's hand from around her waist.
“So why did you suddenly come to see me?”
“Why? It’s because he ignores us...”
“His Excellency the Duke?”
“Yeah, you know, the one where we got ignored. God, how surprised I am. Our Duke is a bastard and a murderer, can you believe that?”
Chiesa asked with a deep sigh.
“No, that’s not it. I just wanted to know how things are going... As you know, I don’t have any connections to find out about things like that. Even the people I used to work with have all quit. I was wondering if you might know something.”
Chiesa's face darkened even more as Madame Magadha looked at her with tearful eyes.
“I heard something from the guests who came yesterday...”
“Really? What is he saying? Our Duke, he's going to be released soon? Huh?”
Chiesa hesitated for a moment at Madame Magadha's urgent question, then spoke with a sigh in his voice.
“Magatha, your rope is useless now.”
"What?"
“It’s a rotten rope.”
She clicked her tongue as if to ask what was going on, and then blurted out something shocking.
“The Duke of Veloce will not escape severe punishment.”
Dump.
Madam Magadha's body collapsed to the floor.
“Heavy punishment? That’s ridiculous...”
But the shock didn't end there.
“And the same goes for you, Magadha.”
"What?"
“His Excellency has admitted it all. You and your daughter were also involved in the crime.”
“What, what are you talking about? Melina and I were involved in some crime!”
“Murder of the Duke’s legitimate heir.”
“...!”
“Assisting in the impersonation of a Duke.”
“...!”
“And then there was the accident of the late Duchess.”
“...!”
“That’s your fault, Magadha.”
Madam Magadha's mouth dropped open as she heard the uncommitted crimes pouring out of her friend's mouth.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment