Chapter 74

Chapter 62

Min-ha hardened her expression for a moment at her words.

It was not that she was offended by her words but that she was about to burst into laughter. Min-ha stared at her sarcastically as Vivian looked at her reaction with her triumphant expression. In her head, she picked out what she was going to say.

However, before she could even open her mouth, Min-ha heard the conversation between the two of them, and Grand Duchess Blaine, who was drinking her tea, spoke in a solemn voice.

“Vivian. What you said earlier was a big disrespect to the Duchess. Apologize.”

“Grand Duchess…!”

“As you said, a noble must know how to treat their subordinates well, though they must also know how to respect and be considerate as a superior. Even if she’s clumsy in that regard, the appearance of the Duchess, who wants to do it herself, is enough to set a model for these imperial nobles. What’s wrong with being rustic? Rather, His Majesty has even held onto me and complained that the nobles these days were only indulging in luxury and pleasure.”

“Oh, my God… His Majesty?”

“Yes. So, now that I see Duchess of Persen, she’d have been more respected by the people than the current Empress if the marriage that took place when the former Marquis of Florence was alive and when the Emperor was the Crown Prince. Of course, she must’ve been very fond by others.”

“…Oh my, that’s what happened.”

“Maybe if the Marquis of Florence had not been defeated in the war and fallen, the Duchess of Persen and I would have encountered each other in the palace as mistress. Huhu, then it might have been a little more worth arguing with than the current empress. Nonetheless, it would not have changed the outcome that her Majesty now favors me.”

“Oh my. Aren’t you overconfident, Grand Duchess?”

“But, you don’t know that, Grand Duchess. When the Duchess of Persen was a maiden of Florence, you know how many men’s hearts she stole?”

“That’s right, Madam Padget. Even after her marriage to the Duke of Persen, the rumors of her continued. Hoho, the Duke must have suffered a lot of heartache. Well, he did and couldn’t stand it, that’s why he’s filing for divorce.”

“Oh, it’s rude to say something like that, Madam Dorison and Madam Gestin. Do you mean no matter whom the Duchess’s going to marry, it sounds like she’s already shunned by the Duke of Persen?”

“Oh, of course! Oh, my God, I’m so silly! I’m sorry, Duchess Persen!”

“….”

Grand Duchess Blaine’s words, which at first pretended to embrace and praise Min-ha with her pleasant words, were quickly changed to sarcastic words about her current situation. Then, the wives in the salon jokingly laughed at Grand Dukess Blaine’s words as if they were waiting. No, to be precise, they were laughing at ‘Minase Persen.’

Min-ha laughed so hard that she felt the laughter that she had barely suppressed burst out when she saw them handing out apologies

‘It seems like they are having fun, really.’

What was the old proverb…? It is not the mother-in-law who beats you, but the sister-in-law who tries to stop her that is more hateful.*

[ T/N: Those who pretend to care, but in fact do harm and speak ill of you are more hateful. ]

In accordance with parents’ teachings to return good intentions with greater good intentions and to return all malice to good intentions, she has been able to overcome things that can be tolerated and endure things that are tolerable. Nonetheless, Min-ha was not stupid enough to put up with such blatant malice.

Even though they were reluctant to give her unwelcome glances, why did they insist and invite her to the tea party? Min-ha understood all of this, thinking that they wanted to pick on and devour her this way.

In addition, her anger intensified at them, who cowardly called her to a place where no one had her side and sarcastically teased her as they were.

‘…Am I going to be an idiot if I stay here? I don’t have to be patient, right?’

It was the way she had lived as ‘Kim Min-ha’ who returned good intentions with good intentions and bad intentions with good intentions… Although the person they are teasing and harassing now is ‘Minase Persen.’

If she was born into the former Royal Family, there were no people above and below her and she was a woman who had to endure with only arrogance and self-esteem as a nobleman, even in extreme situations… Would she have endured such a situation…?

And, most importantly, Seth, the person who would be most upset did say, ‘Do as you please.’

At that thought, Min-ha gained her courage, and she seemed to stand up for her cause to herself. Smiling coldly at the girls who were still chewing the refreshments excitedly, she then picked up the teacup in front of her and set it down deliberately and loudly.

Bang—!

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Then, the ladies who had been laughing loudly a while ago stopped laughing and turned to her. Min-ha opened her mouth slowly, staring at each of the faces of the ladies who were looking at her.

“I don’t know how everyone makes stories so interesting. I didn’t know my story would be such a fun story?”

“…Oh my, Duchess. Were you upset? I’m sorry. We were just saying that the appearance of the Duchess, which was different from the rumors, was very good.”

“Really? Then can I say to Madam Dorrison, ‘The dress you’re wearing is very beautiful. Would you be able to laugh if I told you that her chest and arms are exposed, and her waist tightened like a veiled pet pig’?”

“Duchess, Duchess Persen! What are you saying?! You’re being rude right now!”

“I’m just saying what Madam Dorrison just said. It’s not very different from what she said to me a little while ago? No, she was more rude than that… It’s not enough to mention my deceased father and gossip about my past. She even spoke ill of my husband, so I’m just giving back the same. If the level of the person who’s talking is low, shouldn’t I also be speaking at a lower level?”

“Oh, my God. How could you say such a thing…!”

“Why…? Did I say something I couldn’t? So, how do you, as the marquis, dare say to the Duchess and the former Imperial Family, gossip about me? Madam Padget, Madam. Dorrison, Madam Gestin.”

Min-ha remembered the names of the three people who actively responded to Grand Duchess Blaine’s words and supported her. Mentioning them one by one and laughing coldly, they just trembled, unable to respond with a bewildered and surprised expression on their faces.

Then, taking her gaze away from them and turning her head away to Grand Duchess Blaine, who looked at her with a firm expression on her face, and Vivian, Min-ha continued her words.

“And, from a while ago, the Grand Duchess and Young Lady had been very concerned, worried, and praised me for my outfit?”

“….”

“As a matter of fact, people have their own clothes that fit them, and there’s a style that suits them — just as not all fruits from the same tree are the same. It’s the same with nature. If you’re born as a different person, do you have to tighten your waist as others wear it, or raise your head high enough to break your neck? You couldn’t even sit on a chair without someone’s help, and it doesn’t even suit you. So, is there any reason to imitate that attire?”

“…What do you want to say?”

“The way I dress now isn’t because my husband treats me badly or because I don’t have money. It means that it’s a dress that thoroughly reflects the will of me, Minase Persen. I’m not dressed like that because everyone else does it or what they tell me to do.”

“…But, you’re too simple for that, Duchess Persen.”

“Right now, everyone will say it’s rustic or simple. However, if I, the former Imperial Family, who was once a socialite and now the Duchess of Persen, did it… One by one, people would follow, and wouldn’t it become a trend? Everyone here seems to be very interested in my every move. Although you’re pretending not to be, I’m sure the others would be, too.”

Min-ha smiled leisurely at Grand Duchess Blaine, who was trying to calmly respond to Min-ha, and snapped back.

At her words, the Grand Duchess’ expression wrinkled as if she had lost her temper in an instant. Vivian, who was beside her, also lost the smile on her face. Seeing the two of them exposing their candid faces without pretense, Min-ha felt a little relieved.

‘Yeah, this is more like them.’

With that thought in mind, she burst into laughter that she had been holding back. Their gazes staring at her became sharper. Nevertheless, Min-ha glanced back at those who no longer wanted to hide her enmity towards her.

“Then, I’ll just get up now. I’m so tired that I cannot sit for long.”

“….”

“If there is another occasion like this next time, it’d be an honor to invite me again. Tea was very good, of course.”

“….”

“Oh, and what you’ve said to me and what you’ve done… I’ll remember everything.”

Saying so, she got up from her seat as if she had no regrets. She did not forget to clean up the chair she was sitting on as well, looking at the servants like it was all right and smiling. After that, Min-ha walked to the door without hesitation, swung it open, and slammed it shut one last time before entering the hallway — ending the horrific tea party for her.

‘…I am sorry Seth, but I feel better now.’

In the quiet hallway without much publicity as the others were still at the party, she thought so as she quickly turned back her way.