Marquis Amber, Kaiser, was well-mannered, handsome, and business-savvy. It was only natural that I, engaged to such a Kaiser, would be the envy of everyone.
That's what happened,
“I just don’t understand, Young Lady Winsley.”
“What do you mean?”
“Can you tell me why you rejected my proposal and decided to marry Grand Duke Dukezan?”
It must have been incomprehensible to him that I had unilaterally rejected the marriage proposal. He must have known that I was delighted to have accepted it.
But that was only possible in my previous life when I knew nothing about the nature of Kaiser.
He only hid his true nature until I became pregnant with his first child. Then, he acted as if he had put a restraint on me, as if I were now his absolute possession.
As if I belonged to him and shouldn't waste time on things like my parents' sorrow. As if he could lock me away and lash out at me at will... That's how he treated me.
At the sight of Kaiser, the anger I'd been hiding surged like a flood. But now was not the time to let it out.
I covered my mouth with the fan, then lifted it slightly. I smiled slantingly, my lips now fully exposed, and Kaiser's eyebrows twitched.
“You... are so stupid.”
"What?"
“It’s too ugly to see every day.”
Kaiser was overflowing with pride in his appearance. He was indeed quite handsome. But looking at Shuan, his brown hair neatly combed down, from the side, he didn't seem so handsome.
And even more so than my fiancé, whose face was only half exposed. Julian's mask was certainly scary, but his exposed face had strong, masculine features.
Isn't it because really good-looking people don't show up at parties and only guys like Kaiser wander around, so people can't recognize really good-looking people?
Suddenly, I felt sorry for most of the young ladies present.
“Young Master Eriant, who is here, is much more handsome than Marquis Amber.”
“Ha! What kind of bullying are you doing? You’re acting like this...”
"Me?"
Of course, I was pretty. Even when Kaiser treated me coldly, he'd start with, "You're just a pretty face." That comment was often followed by accusations that I was ungraceful, a poor housewife, or incapable of pleasing my husband. But that was how it started.
'A woman with a pretty face.'
The fiancée he had personally chosen, and now the one who had rejected him. Calling him ugly was like spitting in his own face for lacking discernment.
“Me what?”
Kaiser's face turned red and blue. It was so funny that I couldn't help but laugh.
He'd want to get angry at me, but there were plenty of eyes watching. He couldn't, because getting angry at a woman would ruin the honor he held so dear.
Even if the other person is his ex-fiancée, doesn't this seem like a love quarrel? Would a man with such rumors ever get married? I'm getting married soon, though.
“There’s a lot to say about marrying a monster.”
That was the only insult Kaiser could muster. He looked around at the crowd, feigning composure, and winked at his close friends.
“Does anyone know if the monster Grand Duke of the north really eats people?”
That ridiculous question caused some people to burst into exaggerated laughter.
“Of course he’ll eat it!”
“They say he even chews on the bones!”
“He keeps the hair as a trophy!”
Someone was talking as if they had been waiting for someone. I began to wonder if perhaps Kaiser had planted that person to insult me.
That was understandable, since the faces of those who were particularly noisy and sympathetic seemed familiar. They were all people who knew Kaiser.
As I crossed my arms and laughed at the ridiculous antics of the clown, Kaiser also looked at me and smiled with his teeth exposed.
Kaiser approached me, step by step, with an arrogant stride. Each time he did, the smell of his perfume was so strong it was almost nauseating.
“Aren’t you curious to know whether the beautiful Lady Winsley will climb into the monster Grand Duke’s bed or onto the table?”
Kaiser leaned down slightly and brought his face closer to mine, as if he were trying to tell me a secret.
“What do you like about Young Lady?”
I put my hand firmly on the face of the person who was spouting such dirty words.
Slap!
Kaiser staggered, eyes wide, as if he hadn't expected to be hit in the face, and so hard. I scoffed at Kaiser's wobbly knees, slowly removed his gloves, and threw them again with a bang.
Pak!
A white glove clung to his face. It clung there for a moment, then slowly drifted away, as if teasing Kaiser.
“What is this...”
Between Kaiser and me lay only the glove I'd thrown. For a moment, the crowd fell silent. No one dared to speak.
This was, so to speak, the climax of the party. Even if Grand Duke Dukezan remained in his domain, his fiancée could still run wild.
Grand Duke Dukezan was not someone anyone could laugh at. I'm here to make that clear.
“I challenge you to a duel on the honor of my fiancé, Kaiser Amber.”
I smiled and said to Kaiser, who had a bewildered expression.
“Right now.”
“Are you crazy?”
"I'm the eldest daughter of the Count of Winsley. You insult me and don't even consider a duel? You're as dull as you look."
I picked up the dropped glove and placed it on Kaiser's shoulder. It was funny how the glove seemed to comfort him. Everyone burst into laughter.
“I, I am not a knight...”
At those words, loud laughter erupted right next to me. I turned around to see Shuan holding onto the table and bursting into laughter. It was a stark contrast to his usual beaming smile.
“You always say that a gentleman should protect his lady, but you are not a knight, so you run away from a fight with a woman?”
"Yes! This is a fight too disadvantageous for Young Lady Winsley, so it's best not to engage in it."
Kaiser was so flustered that he didn't even realize that Shuan was laughing at him.
"You seem to have forgotten, but all descendants of the Count of Winsley learn swordsmanship. You haven't properly investigated my rumors, have you? This is a duel I challenged. Even if I lose, no one can blame you."
When I said that, there was no way for him to escape anymore.
I walked towards the Marchioness of Eriant and politely apologized for the turn of events, cautiously asking permission for my new amusement.
“Madam Eriant, would it be alright if I prepared some eye candy for the party?”
Instead of an apology, I asked for understanding. The Marchioness of Eriant was a woman who would do anything to ensure a successful party. It was because of this that she rose to the pinnacle of social standing and was able to make her own parties so successful.
The Marchioness of Eriant pressed the corners of her lips together and smiled a restrained, elegant smile.
“Of course. I’ll make room for you.”
At the direction of the Marchioness of Eriant, several tables were cleared. Two servants could be seen approaching, carrying several swords. And then, as if they had been waiting, the two servants approached, each holding a sword.
Kaiser's face turned pale. Marchioness Eriant, who was watching, smiled, as if she felt uneasy, and spoke to me.
“Duels are great, but they can also be a little scary.”
It means don't kill.
“I will show you how beautiful the swordsmanship of the Winsley family is.”
This means I won't kill him.
The Marchioness of Eriant seemed to like me.
Soon after, Kaiser chose his sword first. Next, I deliberately chose a similar one. It had the same weaknesses and strengths. It was a bit heavier, but more efficient to wield one-handed.
As I swung it twice in the air, Kaiser seemed tense and took a defensive stance. I chuckled and waved my hand.
"I wouldn't start without a signal? I just swung it."
Kaiser's face turned bright red with shame and anger.
He was just that kind of man. A man who was ashamed to fall for such provocation. The fact that my life was swayed by such a man made me even more ashamed and angry.
"If I lose, I won't come to the Marchioness's party again. But you can come even if you lose."
My unconventional proposal caused a buzz around me. The Marchioness of Eriant's party was special. The mere invitation was proof of one's position in the upper echelons of aristocratic society.
It was quite a fatal blow to someone who might one day become a Grand Duchess to be barred from attending the Marchioness of Eriant's social parties.
“But if I win, there’s a girl among your maids named ‘Marian’. Give her to me.”
Kaiser's face was flushed with embarrassment.
“Huh, Marian?”
“Yes. The ginger-haired girl.”
“...How could I possibly memorize the names of all the maids working in the mansion? But since it was the first time I was hearing their names, Young Lady must have misunderstood them.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. The Marquis of Amber definitely has a maid named Marian.”
My single questioning words caused whispers to start here and there.
“Is there really a maid named Marian or not?”
“Even if there is, how would Young Lady Winsley know about it?”
At that time, there was a voice that suddenly entered public opinion.
“Weren’t you two engaged in the past? You must have noticed something then.”
It was Shuan. He quickly realized what I was saying and acted quickly. I gave Shuan a quick nod. Shuan seemed even more amused and exclaimed.
“It’s something that would make you angry and break off the engagement.”
Something that would make them angry, break off the engagement, and start swearing at each other. Of all the things I could think of involving my maid, there was only one thing more outrageous.
“No way... You had a mistress before you got married?”
“His Excellency, the Marquis Kaiser, who is called a gentleman?”
When the young ladies began to whisper contemptuously, Kaiser's eyes rolled back.
Everyone knew about the government, but it was a major flaw that was not good for the unmarried nobles.
Kaiser, who had no talent for swordsmanship, swung his sword wildly like a beginner and rushed at me.
I quickly noticed it and bit my body. Kaiser chased after me like an idiot, and I twisted my body sharply to face him.
This time, it was me who swung my sword. My sword drew a large line in the air. It was so far away from Kaiser's body that everyone was puzzled. But now Kaiser screamed.
“Ahh! My, my, my, my, finger...”
Something dripped blood onto the floor. I pulled a handkerchief from my bosom and quickly covered it. Of course, I didn't return it.
Kaiser clutched tightly at the spot where his little finger had been. The sight of blood dripping from his hands was so unsightly that many screamed.
Kaiser, too, was at a loss, weeping in agony, almost to the point of death. He had no more will left to fight.
“With just one finger...”
It was so little compared to what I lost to him. I wanted to tear out his heart, but I couldn't let him die so easily. Until the moment I die, I will cut out every last bit of his flesh, killing him.
I laughed and stepped on his severed finger, making sure it would never be reattached.
“Please make sure to send Marian to our house. Understood, Your Excellency, the Marquis of Amber.”
It was only a matter of time before rumors spread that Young Lady Winsley would open her mouth at the slightest touch.
That's what happened,
“I just don’t understand, Young Lady Winsley.”
“What do you mean?”
“Can you tell me why you rejected my proposal and decided to marry Grand Duke Dukezan?”
It must have been incomprehensible to him that I had unilaterally rejected the marriage proposal. He must have known that I was delighted to have accepted it.
But that was only possible in my previous life when I knew nothing about the nature of Kaiser.
He only hid his true nature until I became pregnant with his first child. Then, he acted as if he had put a restraint on me, as if I were now his absolute possession.
As if I belonged to him and shouldn't waste time on things like my parents' sorrow. As if he could lock me away and lash out at me at will... That's how he treated me.
At the sight of Kaiser, the anger I'd been hiding surged like a flood. But now was not the time to let it out.
I covered my mouth with the fan, then lifted it slightly. I smiled slantingly, my lips now fully exposed, and Kaiser's eyebrows twitched.
“You... are so stupid.”
"What?"
“It’s too ugly to see every day.”
Kaiser was overflowing with pride in his appearance. He was indeed quite handsome. But looking at Shuan, his brown hair neatly combed down, from the side, he didn't seem so handsome.
And even more so than my fiancé, whose face was only half exposed. Julian's mask was certainly scary, but his exposed face had strong, masculine features.
Isn't it because really good-looking people don't show up at parties and only guys like Kaiser wander around, so people can't recognize really good-looking people?
Suddenly, I felt sorry for most of the young ladies present.
“Young Master Eriant, who is here, is much more handsome than Marquis Amber.”
“Ha! What kind of bullying are you doing? You’re acting like this...”
"Me?"
Of course, I was pretty. Even when Kaiser treated me coldly, he'd start with, "You're just a pretty face." That comment was often followed by accusations that I was ungraceful, a poor housewife, or incapable of pleasing my husband. But that was how it started.
'A woman with a pretty face.'
The fiancée he had personally chosen, and now the one who had rejected him. Calling him ugly was like spitting in his own face for lacking discernment.
“Me what?”
Kaiser's face turned red and blue. It was so funny that I couldn't help but laugh.
He'd want to get angry at me, but there were plenty of eyes watching. He couldn't, because getting angry at a woman would ruin the honor he held so dear.
Even if the other person is his ex-fiancée, doesn't this seem like a love quarrel? Would a man with such rumors ever get married? I'm getting married soon, though.
“There’s a lot to say about marrying a monster.”
That was the only insult Kaiser could muster. He looked around at the crowd, feigning composure, and winked at his close friends.
“Does anyone know if the monster Grand Duke of the north really eats people?”
That ridiculous question caused some people to burst into exaggerated laughter.
“Of course he’ll eat it!”
“They say he even chews on the bones!”
“He keeps the hair as a trophy!”
Someone was talking as if they had been waiting for someone. I began to wonder if perhaps Kaiser had planted that person to insult me.
That was understandable, since the faces of those who were particularly noisy and sympathetic seemed familiar. They were all people who knew Kaiser.
As I crossed my arms and laughed at the ridiculous antics of the clown, Kaiser also looked at me and smiled with his teeth exposed.
Kaiser approached me, step by step, with an arrogant stride. Each time he did, the smell of his perfume was so strong it was almost nauseating.
“Aren’t you curious to know whether the beautiful Lady Winsley will climb into the monster Grand Duke’s bed or onto the table?”
Kaiser leaned down slightly and brought his face closer to mine, as if he were trying to tell me a secret.
“What do you like about Young Lady?”
I put my hand firmly on the face of the person who was spouting such dirty words.
Slap!
Kaiser staggered, eyes wide, as if he hadn't expected to be hit in the face, and so hard. I scoffed at Kaiser's wobbly knees, slowly removed his gloves, and threw them again with a bang.
Pak!
A white glove clung to his face. It clung there for a moment, then slowly drifted away, as if teasing Kaiser.
“What is this...”
Between Kaiser and me lay only the glove I'd thrown. For a moment, the crowd fell silent. No one dared to speak.
This was, so to speak, the climax of the party. Even if Grand Duke Dukezan remained in his domain, his fiancée could still run wild.
Grand Duke Dukezan was not someone anyone could laugh at. I'm here to make that clear.
“I challenge you to a duel on the honor of my fiancé, Kaiser Amber.”
I smiled and said to Kaiser, who had a bewildered expression.
“Right now.”
“Are you crazy?”
"I'm the eldest daughter of the Count of Winsley. You insult me and don't even consider a duel? You're as dull as you look."
I picked up the dropped glove and placed it on Kaiser's shoulder. It was funny how the glove seemed to comfort him. Everyone burst into laughter.
“I, I am not a knight...”
At those words, loud laughter erupted right next to me. I turned around to see Shuan holding onto the table and bursting into laughter. It was a stark contrast to his usual beaming smile.
“You always say that a gentleman should protect his lady, but you are not a knight, so you run away from a fight with a woman?”
"Yes! This is a fight too disadvantageous for Young Lady Winsley, so it's best not to engage in it."
Kaiser was so flustered that he didn't even realize that Shuan was laughing at him.
"You seem to have forgotten, but all descendants of the Count of Winsley learn swordsmanship. You haven't properly investigated my rumors, have you? This is a duel I challenged. Even if I lose, no one can blame you."
When I said that, there was no way for him to escape anymore.
I walked towards the Marchioness of Eriant and politely apologized for the turn of events, cautiously asking permission for my new amusement.
“Madam Eriant, would it be alright if I prepared some eye candy for the party?”
Instead of an apology, I asked for understanding. The Marchioness of Eriant was a woman who would do anything to ensure a successful party. It was because of this that she rose to the pinnacle of social standing and was able to make her own parties so successful.
The Marchioness of Eriant pressed the corners of her lips together and smiled a restrained, elegant smile.
“Of course. I’ll make room for you.”
At the direction of the Marchioness of Eriant, several tables were cleared. Two servants could be seen approaching, carrying several swords. And then, as if they had been waiting, the two servants approached, each holding a sword.
Kaiser's face turned pale. Marchioness Eriant, who was watching, smiled, as if she felt uneasy, and spoke to me.
“Duels are great, but they can also be a little scary.”
It means don't kill.
“I will show you how beautiful the swordsmanship of the Winsley family is.”
This means I won't kill him.
The Marchioness of Eriant seemed to like me.
Soon after, Kaiser chose his sword first. Next, I deliberately chose a similar one. It had the same weaknesses and strengths. It was a bit heavier, but more efficient to wield one-handed.
As I swung it twice in the air, Kaiser seemed tense and took a defensive stance. I chuckled and waved my hand.
"I wouldn't start without a signal? I just swung it."
Kaiser's face turned bright red with shame and anger.
He was just that kind of man. A man who was ashamed to fall for such provocation. The fact that my life was swayed by such a man made me even more ashamed and angry.
"If I lose, I won't come to the Marchioness's party again. But you can come even if you lose."
My unconventional proposal caused a buzz around me. The Marchioness of Eriant's party was special. The mere invitation was proof of one's position in the upper echelons of aristocratic society.
It was quite a fatal blow to someone who might one day become a Grand Duchess to be barred from attending the Marchioness of Eriant's social parties.
“But if I win, there’s a girl among your maids named ‘Marian’. Give her to me.”
Kaiser's face was flushed with embarrassment.
“Huh, Marian?”
“Yes. The ginger-haired girl.”
“...How could I possibly memorize the names of all the maids working in the mansion? But since it was the first time I was hearing their names, Young Lady must have misunderstood them.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. The Marquis of Amber definitely has a maid named Marian.”
My single questioning words caused whispers to start here and there.
“Is there really a maid named Marian or not?”
“Even if there is, how would Young Lady Winsley know about it?”
At that time, there was a voice that suddenly entered public opinion.
“Weren’t you two engaged in the past? You must have noticed something then.”
It was Shuan. He quickly realized what I was saying and acted quickly. I gave Shuan a quick nod. Shuan seemed even more amused and exclaimed.
“It’s something that would make you angry and break off the engagement.”
Something that would make them angry, break off the engagement, and start swearing at each other. Of all the things I could think of involving my maid, there was only one thing more outrageous.
“No way... You had a mistress before you got married?”
“His Excellency, the Marquis Kaiser, who is called a gentleman?”
When the young ladies began to whisper contemptuously, Kaiser's eyes rolled back.
Everyone knew about the government, but it was a major flaw that was not good for the unmarried nobles.
Kaiser, who had no talent for swordsmanship, swung his sword wildly like a beginner and rushed at me.
I quickly noticed it and bit my body. Kaiser chased after me like an idiot, and I twisted my body sharply to face him.
This time, it was me who swung my sword. My sword drew a large line in the air. It was so far away from Kaiser's body that everyone was puzzled. But now Kaiser screamed.
“Ahh! My, my, my, my, finger...”
Something dripped blood onto the floor. I pulled a handkerchief from my bosom and quickly covered it. Of course, I didn't return it.
Kaiser clutched tightly at the spot where his little finger had been. The sight of blood dripping from his hands was so unsightly that many screamed.
Kaiser, too, was at a loss, weeping in agony, almost to the point of death. He had no more will left to fight.
“With just one finger...”
It was so little compared to what I lost to him. I wanted to tear out his heart, but I couldn't let him die so easily. Until the moment I die, I will cut out every last bit of his flesh, killing him.
I laughed and stepped on his severed finger, making sure it would never be reattached.
“Please make sure to send Marian to our house. Understood, Your Excellency, the Marquis of Amber.”
It was only a matter of time before rumors spread that Young Lady Winsley would open her mouth at the slightest touch.
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