Rumors in high society spread faster than feet.
Of course, it was faster than a galloping horse carrying a person, and it inflated faster than a balloon.
<A Dangerous Encounter Between Marquis Garen Wilbreed and the Modest Princess of the Bellion Family!>
<Rumors of discord between the Marquis and Marchioness Walbreed: Will it come true?>
<A couple in crisis, a dangerous affair.>
Roselyn let out a hollow laugh as she looked at the various headlines of different newspapers.
Whether they saw the newspaper or not, someone from the Fluer boutique sent a letter personally this morning.
It was the kind of content where he absolutely never opened his mouth.
Roselyn didn't exactly think that Fluer had spoken up either.
It’s just that there were a lot of people on that street that day, and it’s likely just that one of them was a loose talker.
In fact, it was probably the dozens of dresses that arrived yesterday that gave them the confidence to use such provocative words.
A large carriage would have been needed to deliver dozens of dresses.
Naturally, many people must have witnessed it during the moving process.
The carriage that departed from the trendy Fleur Boutique arrived at, of all places, the Duke of Bellion's mansion.
And Roselyn Bellion, who had secretly visited the boutique with Garen Wilbreed about a week ago.
It seemed that all of these factors combined eventually created a sordid rumor.
And she had just been invited to dinner today for that very reason.
'...I'm going crazy.'
That day, she was so furious that she just let herself spend money at the boutique however she pleased.
She never thought it would get this big.
'No, maybe it's actually for the best.'
If a rumor of an affair arises like this, it would be easier to make an excuse to break off the engagement.
“Because I had something to say.”
Roselyn muttered softly with a tired expression.
'That side must be having problems too.'
From the looks of it, it seems like he was making quite an effort to mend his relationship with the Marchioness.
"It's none of my business."
Because Garen Wilbreed's misfortune was actually her joy.
Roselyn headed to the garden where today's formal dinner was to be held, in an even more cheerful mood.
When she left the room and walked leisurely to the garden, most of them had already arrived.
Those already seated around the table turned their heads to look at her.
"Good afternoon, Your Excellency the Duke. Thank you for the invitation."
Roselyn greeted him politely and straightened her back.
Duke Bellion seemed to glance at her bluish dress, then nodded.
“Sit down.”
There was also a man she was seeing for the first time today. His hair, a mix of silver and black, was an enigmatic color.
And just like Duke Bellion, his eyes were different colors.
With his ear piercings and cocky appearance, you could tell who he was without him having to say anything.
This was exactly the second time Roselyn had seen his face, too.
'...It’s surprising that the scoundrel, who hardly ever came home, is acting like this.'
The unruly second son of the Duke of Bellion.
Roselyn's second uncle.
Ian Bellion.
"What? It's a bit less gloomy today."
A cocky voice asked sneeringly.
Roselyn glanced at him and sat down.
Although the Duchy of Bellion was famous for the Duke's boisterous personality and for not being particularly noble to begin with, Ian Bellion was a person who was especially distinct from the norm.
A man who makes you wonder how such a person could have been born into the Bellion family.
A genius at pranks whose mind works better than anyone else in the world.
A small child with a large body.
Crazy drinker.
What a mess.
He had a great many descriptors.
In a sense, Ian Bellion was very similar to Roselyn.
'And die.'
He could not escape the imperial family's purge.
This is because Ian Bellion was involved in an incident from which he could never escape.
Aegis was absent, and by the time the purge began, the Duke's health had started to deteriorate, and Lady Carmel- things were going on both inside and out, and he was completely overwhelmed.
Roselyn slowly shifted her gaze from Ian to her father, then to the Duke, and finally to Aegis, who was sitting next to him.
'Now that I've kicked Carmel out, it should be fine.'
As Roselyn met the Duke's eyes, she smiled faintly out of habit.
The Duke paused and cleared his throat.
“Eat first.”
Roselyn inwardly shook her head at the Duke's sense of style, who was wearing a flashy floral suit today.
The dining table was quiet.
No. It was quiet.
If only Roselyn's father, Cherty Bellion, hadn't suddenly opened his mouth when the meal was about halfway through.
"Roselyn, I disagree."
At the unexpected remark, Roselyn, who had finished her meal and was just wetting her lips with wine, looked up.
Cherty was looking at Roselyn with gloomy, depressed eyes.
The jeweled earring hanging from the ear dangled.
"What on earth are you lacking that you would date a married man?"
"..."
Roselyn's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Anyway, I'm against it. I mean..."
"If you saw the newspaper, that is not the kind of relationship I have with Garen."
“...Garen?”
Cherty's voice trembled slightly as he held onto Roselyn's words.
"It is Marquis Garen. I only know him because we happened to meet, and he is different from what is being rumored."
"Yeah, Garen is a man whose true intentions are inscrutable. I wonder what on earth you were thinking dating a man like that."
Roselyn lightly raised her hand, interrupting Cherty with a slightly tired expression.
"I did not meet Marquis Garen for that reason, nor are we in that kind of relationship, Father"
"... What?"
At Roselyn's somewhat harsh words, Cherty's eyes widened and trembled slightly.
Roselyn's eyes narrowed at that subtle gaze.
"And even if you don't say anything, I haven't forgotten my position. You don't really need to go out of your way to send a letter and flowers."
Roselyn, who was slowly reaching her limit with the flower gifts that hadn't ended for over two weeks, spoke honestly.
Cherty froze like a statue.
"...What do you mean by 'your way'?"
"I'm talking about the notes you send every day."
Roselyn said with a tired face.
She didn't know what kind of harassment it was, but she could no longer bear to look at the flowers sent every day or the short notes with messages written on them.
"They say it’s a flower found everywhere, a cheap one, or one they picked up on the way."
Roselyn didn't even like strong scents.
"I know I am not pleasing in your eyes, Father. I already know that I am not in a position to accept such things."
It was like that in the past too.
Her father did not love her.
It seemed that at least that proposition did not change in any world line.
Roselyn's father was endlessly indifferent to everything, and whenever she made a request, he would harden his mouth and harshly refuse.
He didn't even let her come near.
There were times when she hoped he would at least hug her once, but whenever she approached him, he would recoil in horror and run away.
So Roselyn had already learned resignation.
Just because the world has changed, she had no intention of trying to change the relationship like in any other novel.
This is because Roselyn has erased him from her heart, just as her father erased her from his heart a long time ago.
So she decided to make her position clear.
It was something she couldn't say before.
"You might not believe it, but I am grateful just for the fact that my father raised me this far."
This was sincere.
"It is something to be grateful for that you have raised an illegitimate child like me all this time. I wouldn't shamelessly ask for anything more."
Roselyn smiled slightly.
No sooner had she finished speaking than Duke Bellion, Aegis, and even Ian's gazes turned simultaneously toward Cherty.
Cherty was staring at Roselyn's profile, who was frozen like a statue and wouldn't even meet his gaze.
The gaping lips were pitiful, and the trembling pupils were quite pitiful.
"It is just a pity that I am not outstanding enough to meet my father's standards."
Cherty licked his lips.
He wanted to tell her that wasn't the case.
You're not an illegitimate child.
It doesn't matter if you're not great.
But no voice came out.
It was when he, who had been gaping, barely managed to bring one of the countless words swirling in his head to the tip of his tongue.
It was Roselyn who broke the silence once again.
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