It was a nonsense. The Duke of Theses was the oldest family since the founding of the country, and it exerted enormous influence on society as a whole. The Duke alone could not grow that much. As he believed that the role of the branch and the family surrounding the Duke was significant, he had to take care of his own shares.
To be honest, he didn't think that way.
The whole family, from the in-laws to the eight branches, lived on one of the Duke of Theses's. Since it was a work that was not easy, he didn't give it away unconditionally, but if it didn't bother him too much, he would let it go over moderately.
For example, sneaking into various business rights, or building up prestige in front of the aristocracy by relying on the name of a Duke, are tantamount to tolerated rights. For them to continue to enjoy such rights, the position of the Duchess was more important than anything else.
'...I don't dare to put such a blank slate on the Duchess of Theses.'
In fact, she was a woman he didn't like from the beginning. They thought that Lady O'Hara was an only child of Count O'Hara, so she was an "immature and ignorant flower," but Evangeline was too clever. In the eyes of others, they would only see a pretty face, but Count Lian had a different idea.
'My eyes can never be deceived.'
Her calm and calm eyes showed a personality as good as that of the Duke of Theses. At first glance, she seemed to give what she had without hesitation, but she was a woman who sometimes drew a clear line between people and herself. It was ridiculous to try to imitate the previous Duchess in the same way that she had only been in the Duchy for less than two years.
However, the situation has changed now.
All the money that had made her worthy of care disappeared, and the previous Duchess passed away. Fortunately or unluckily, Count Lian, no matter how blind he was, did not turn around to confront the Duke of Theses directly.
If so, it would be ruined.
If he touched the scary guy wrongly, he didn't have to see what the end would be. However, he cannot leave the woman who has sucked up all the bitter water and left her alone. In the end, Count Lian chose a very simple and obvious way.
It is to borrow someone else's hand.
"...What's going on here, Count?"
"Your Highness."
Even that majestic work has to be done with the help of someone who has nothing to do with it. In that sense, Princess Bellona was the most suitable person in the world.
"You acted like you would never come back, but it's a big deal."
"No way. It wasn't that I didn't come, but that I couldn't come. Because I don't have any shame..."
"Do you even know that?"
"Of course. But what could I do? Honestly, who else was more suitable for the position of Duchess of Theses than Your Highness at that time?"
"...Hmph."
The Princess's snort didn't seem to dislike it at all. That's right. Count Lian, who had found the right number, hummed inwardly.
The current Emperor's only sister, Princess Bellona, was fond of the Duke of Theses.
At first glance, she was a quiet and beautiful woman, but inside, she was as hot as lava in a volcano. Once photographed, she demonstrated her ability to win things and people to the end. It was already a famous anecdote in social circles that she followed the Duke of Theses to every event where he appeared, and even hung up on his brother, the Emperor, with tears.
Unfortunately, the Emperor was as rational as the Duke of Theses, and he was disgusted with annoying things. However, he did not forget that the support of Deccarno, the head of the nobles, was essential for consolidating the imperial power when he had just ascended the throne. If he were forced to marry, the aftermath would shake the Emperor's position.
He hated to admit it, but the Duke of Theses was in such a position in the current Velice Empire.
In the end, the Emperor personally attended Evangeline's engagement ceremony and raised a cup of congratulations. That night, his only sister died, so he didn't care if she made a fuss. The Emperor snorted and ignored it. However, surprisingly, the Princess's feelings for the Duke of Theses surpassed those of her brother, the Emperor.
Angered, she decided to marry a man who was better than the Duke, and she got engaged to the Prince of Liechten, who came on a congratulatory delegation. It was three days after the two met. The Emperor, who was dumbfounded by his sister's engagement, said that it was a good thing and gladly gave her a large dowry. He would have thought that it would be better to send her away to Liechten because his head would hurt if he had to keep her.
And she returned to her home country exactly three months later.
She became an even more terrifying married woman with a perverse resentment.
"Honestly, I don't think you two have come such a long way to make things happen."
"...Ah, so the rumor is it true?"
Even though she had already bought all the newspapers published in Loark, Bellona's green eyes sparkled quite innocently. She was also infinitely pure, only as far as the Duke of Theses was concerned.
"Oh my God, how could it be? All of that happened to the noble Duke."
"How could you have such a kind heart, Your Highness, the Princess?"
"When I think of the hurt that he must have inflicted on his heart, I feel sorry for the Duke."
Bellona, who was full of tears, pressed her handkerchief to the corner of her eye. Intuitively, she guessed what Count Lian was trying to tell her.
"...By the way, why did Count Lian come to visit me...."
"Of course, the Princess should heal the Duke's empty heart, right?"
"Oh my. How could it be?"
She covered the corners of her mouth in embarrassment. Under her trembling eyelashes, her eyes were very meaningful, as if she was asking him to continue.
"But how could you throw Miss O'Hara away? Then the Duke might hear something bad."
"That's what I mean. I had no choice but to put up with it because of people's attention and marry such a woman... Phew."
Count Lian's sigh was quite plausible. He did not miss Bellona, whose eyes twinkled at the sound of the Duke's marriage. Now the time has come to present the main point.
"So, it would be different if both sides of O'Hara decided to break the marriage, not the Duke."
"What? I don't know what you mean."
"That's right. If Miss O'Hara decides to marry first, there will be no problem with His Excellency's prestige and reputation. She said she would step down on her own, but who dares to say anything?"
"But would Miss O'Hara want to back down so easily? No one knows how much they were aiming for the Duke from the beginning..."
His eyes, which he couldn't say anything bad about in the face of a Princess, widened. She believed that it was Evangeline's fault that she broke up the marriage.
If such a woman had not resorted to all kinds of tricks to become the Duchess in the first place, the Duke would have become the most noble man in the empire, her man.
"Shr won't fall away easily. She is a woman who has a strong attachment to noble things."
"Aren't you proud of the subject?"
"...What?"
She opened her ears wide to Count Lian's meaningful words. The words that appealed to her two years ago have become even sweeter.
"Who knows? If her pride is hurt unbearably, she might back down in anger."
***
Bellona was not a woman who dragged out time. As soon as she heard that the Duke had gone out, she immediately sent the imperial carriage to the Duke of Theses, and as a result, the Princess was able to face the Duke's lover within a day.
"Oh no. Your face is very bad, Young Lady."
"Thank you for your attention, Your Highness, the Princess."
Evangeline bowed her head with a courtesy bow. Even if she doesn't look in the mirror, she knows what she looks like now. She was called out without having time to dress up, so at least she wasn't dressed for the gorgeous tea room of the Imperial Palace.
"I invited you too suddenly, didn't I? I should have made an appointment beforehand."
"No, Your Highness."
"I didn't think I would have any promises. I don't go out."
Bellona smiled and raised the teacup. She reminded Evangeline of her as if she were overpowering the steamer, but Evangeline was calm. Except for the fact that she was less decorated than usual, her face was neat, and it was hard to find any traces of what she had been through recently.
'Pretending to be okay.'
Her informal elegance made Bellona nervous. It would be interesting to have some signs of nervousness or disintegration, but for Evangeline, the snow was as calm as a lake on a winter night.
"Still, I was glad that the Duke called me when he wasn't there. Thanks to that, I was able to come out like this."
"...I see."
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