âDid you come alone? What of your husband?â (Katherine)
âHis Majesty called for him so I came first . He said heâd come later . â (Lucia)
âHeâs a busy person . â
âYes . â (Lucia)
Katherine smiled and looked at Lucia who was answering amiably with a strange look in her eyes . Whyâs she like this? Katherine was confused .
Katherine was used to people who outwardly bowed their head while they were uncomfortable inside . If a cultured n.o.blewoman was someone who spoke softly and in a roundabout way, then Katherine was not cultured in that sense . The n.o.blewomen were often hurt by Katherineâs blunt manner . However, there was no one that could say anything to Katherine . Even if she didnât fix it, it was not troubling enough to cause her problems . So Katherine didnât care whether others were uncomfortable or not . In any case, they were all the same in front of her, bowing their heads and smiling at everything .
âHer personality is quite mild . Very different from elder brother and I . â
Katherine was very curious about the d.u.c.h.ess of Taran who was a Princess . She didnât purposely avoid the d.u.c.h.ess but there hadnât been a chance to meet her . The both of them had different range of activities . Katherine never went to tea parties .
âThe flower of parties is the ballroom . â (TN: The highlight . )
A tea party where you sit quietly and drink tea in broad daylight did not suit Katherine at all . She thought that she would meet the d.u.c.h.ess yesterday and went with a prepared mind, only to hear that the ducal couple attended only the celebratory event and went back home . Today, she came with expectations that she would definitely meet the d.u.c.h.ess .
âIâll control the momentum . â
Katherine came with a determined mood . However, as soon as she saw the d.u.c.h.ess, her burning battle spirit faded away . It was not an opponent to fight . Her fighting spirit was gone .
âLetâs talk a little more . Shall we go somewhere quiet?â (Katherine)
âYes? Yes . â (Lucia)
Katherine walked ahead and when she turned back slightly, she saw the d.u.c.h.ess quietly following her . Katherine turned her head forward again and smiled slightly . The two of them walked a little further away then they reached a hallway that was scarce with people .
âMy shoes feel a little tight . â
Lucia frowned slightly . It wasnât obvious when she only took a few steps but now that she had walked a bit more, her foot felt uncomfortable .
âThis is my break room . Iâm the only one that uses it . â
It was a privilege that only Princess Katherine enjoyed . The break room was comfortably furnished on a smaller scale compared to the shared break room . In the middle, there was a large sofa where one could lay down and even the legs could fit on it . But the two of them could not sit comfortably because their dresses might get ruined so they perched slightly on the small sofa .
âDo you drink?â
âI canât drink much . â
âAlright . Non-alcoholic champagne it is . â
Katherine ordered the handmaid that followed her inside . After a while, the handmaid brought gla.s.ses and champagne . Katherine sent the handmaid away with a hand gesture and the two of them were left alone .
âYou stayed in the fief after getting married . Was there a lot to see in the north?â (Katherine)
âIt canât compare to the capital . It was a nice and quiet place . â (Lucia)
âIt canât compare to the capital . It was a nice and quiet place . â (Lucia)
âHow is the social circle in the north? Are b.a.l.l.s held often?â
âIâm not sure, Iâve never gone to one before . â
âWhy?â
âItâs not to my tastes . Iâm not a very active person . â
Katherine was a little disappointed . It would have been nice to see the d.u.c.h.ess at b.a.l.l.s more often . There were cases when a n.o.blewomanâs preference in social activities was very obvious and defined . There were people who only enjoyed the ballroom like Katherine, and there were people who only liked small and quiet meetings like a tea party . Although upon close scrutiny, one could tell that b.a.l.l.s were a big part of influencing the social circle .
âSo you arenât agreeable with this party then . â (Katherine)
âI canât not show up at all . â (Lucia)
âTrue . You canât do that . You are the d.u.c.h.ess after all . â
Katherineâs sharp words sounded cold . It was a tone that made one wonder if they had made her angry . She was a princess that was supported even if she didnât speak nicely . There was no need for her to fix it . Although her words were straightforward, she just had a lot of pride and compet.i.tive spirit but she wasnât a bad person . Lucia was envious of Katherineâs confidence because she didnât knowing how scary the world was and sometimes, she felt it was cute .
âWhat brand is your dress?â (Katherine)
âDesigner Antoine made it . â
âAntoine? Hmm . Itâs a little different from what she makesâŚI donât wear Antoine . Itâs not to my liking . â
âThe dress youâre wearing suits you very well . â
âThe dress youâre wearing suits you very well . â
Lucia laughed evasively . Katherine wasnât criticizing the dress she was wearing, it was just that she didnât like the brand so she said so . There was no malice but she said what she wanted to say as if she was thinking aloud . It was this particular manner of speaking that her sister-in-law, Queen Beth, hated very much .
âThe necklace is lovely . Excellent taste . Did you pick it yourself?â (Katherine)
âNo . I got it as a gift . â
âI believe the gifting person is the Duke?â
âYes . â
There was envy in Katherineâs eyes as she carefully looked at the necklace . She pestered her brother when she wanted to buy jewelry but she felt bad about it . She couldnât even think of getting an extravagant article like what the d.u.c.h.ess was wearing . Lucia knew how much Katherine loved jewelry, especially diamonds .
âIf you like it, I can lend you anytime . â
ââŚYouâll lend the necklace? I thought you said it was a gift . â
âThereâs no reason not to lend it because it was a gift . â
Katherine felt strange . After her mother pa.s.sed away, the only person that showed her unconditional favor was her brother . Her sister-in-law was not a bad person but their personalities didnât go along well . However, today, her half-sister that she was seeing for the first time was showing incomprehensible good will . If it was someone else, she would wonder what they were trying to get but the d.u.c.h.ess of Taran had nothing to get from Princess Katherine . Perhaps it was even the opposite .
Katherine liked the d.u.c.h.ess . She wanted to get close to her . It was the first time that Katherine had such a feeling towards another person .
ââŚItâs fine . Iâm not shameless to that extent . â (Katherine)
Katherine stared quietly at Lucia as she drained her c.o.c.ktail gla.s.s .
âTo be honest, I used to like His Grace the Duke of Taran a lot . â
Katherine stared quietly at Lucia as she drained her c.o.c.ktail gla.s.s .
âTo be honest, I used to like His Grace the Duke of Taran a lot . â
Lucia smiled . She knew . Katherineâs feelings towards the Duke of Taran was like a naĂŻve young miss who went from girl to woman with a small, cute first love . A part of the reason why the Katherine in her dream was so antagonist towards the d.u.c.h.ess of Taran was because of such delicate feelings .
âAlthough I know such words are impolite . â (Katherine)
âItâs alright . It didnât offend me . â
Katherine looked at Lucia for a while then she chuckled .
âYouâre an interesting person . Itâs my first time seeing someone like you, d.u.c.h.ess . How do I put this? You make one feel comfortable . Did the Duke kidnap you to his fief because he was attracted to that side of you?â
Hearing the rumor that she wished to forget, Lucia had an awkward expression as she fiddled with her empty gla.s.s .
âEveryone is curious about the Duke of Taran . Although theyâre curious, thereâs no one to ask . After all, there was no one in the Taran family that was active in the social circle . However, now, d.u.c.h.ess is here . Itâs going to get quite annoying in the future . â
âYesâŚâ
âAs a matter of fact, Iâm also curious . What type of person is he? You know the best since youâve lived together for more than a year . â
Lucia suddenly realized . She had been married to him for more than a year . She had absolutely no idea that her marriage with him would be so smooth . What type of person is he? It was a difficult question . She still didnât know him very well .
[How do you want me to kill them?]
Why did his scary words from last night sound so sweet to her? His curt manner of speaking was unchanged but listening to him, something in Luciaâs ear stopped working . Luciaâs heart pounded with a trivial phrase from him .
âHe is aâŚcaring person . â
< â="" realization="" â=""> (2).
.
âDid you come alone? What of your husband?â (Katherine).
âHis Majesty called for him so I came first . He said heâd come later . â (Lucia).
âHeâs a busy person . â.
âYes . â (Lucia).
Katherine smiled and looked at Lucia who was answering amiably with a strange look in her eyes . Whyâs she like this? Katherine was confused
Katherine was used to people who outwardly bowed their head while they were uncomfortable inside . If a cultured n.o.blewoman was someone who spoke softly and in a roundabout way, then Katherine was not cultured in that sense . The n.o.blewomen were often hurt by Katherineâs blunt manner . However, there was no one that could say anything to Katherine . Even if she didnât fix it, it was not troubling enough to cause her problems . So Katherine didnât care whether others were uncomfortable or not . In any case, they were all the same in front of her, bowing their heads and smiling at everything
âHer personality is quite mild . Very different from elder brother and I . â.
Katherine was very curious about the d.u.c.h.ess of Taran who was a Princess . She didnât purposely avoid the d.u.c.h.ess but there hadnât been a chance to meet her . The both of them had different range of activities . Katherine never went to tea parties
âThe flower of parties is the ballroom . â (TN: The highlight . ).
A tea party where you sit quietly and drink tea in broad daylight did not suit Katherine at all . She thought that she would meet the d.u.c.h.ess yesterday and went with a prepared mind, only to hear that the ducal couple attended only the celebratory event and went back home . Today, she came with expectations that she would definitely meet the d.u.c.h.ess
âIâll control the momentum . â.
Katherine came with a determined mood . However, as soon as she saw the d.u.c.h.ess, her burning battle spirit faded away . It was not an opponent to fight . Her fighting spirit was gone
âLetâs talk a little more . Shall we go somewhere quiet?â (Katherine).
âYes? Yes . â (Lucia).
Katherine walked ahead and when she turned back slightly, she saw the d.u.c.h.ess quietly following her . Katherine turned her head forward again and smiled slightly . The two of them walked a little further away then they reached a hallway that was scarce with people
âMy shoes feel a little tight . â.
Lucia frowned slightly . It wasnât obvious when she only took a few steps but now that she had walked a bit more, her foot felt uncomfortable
âThis is my break room . Iâm the only one that uses it . â.
It was a privilege that only Princess Katherine enjoyed . The break room was comfortably furnished on a smaller scale compared to the shared break room . In the middle, there was a large sofa where one could lay down and even the legs could fit on it . But the two of them could not sit comfortably because their dresses might get ruined so they perched slightly on the small sofa
âDo you drink?â.
âI canât drink much . â.
âAlright . Non-alcoholic champagne it is . â.
Katherine ordered the handmaid that followed her inside . After a while, the handmaid brought gla.s.ses and champagne . Katherine sent the handmaid away with a hand gesture and the two of them were left alone
âYou stayed in the fief after getting married . Was there a lot to see in the north?â (Katherine).
âIt canât compare to the capital . It was a nice and quiet place . â (Lucia).
âHow is the social circle in the north? Are b.a.l.l.s held often?â.
âIâm not sure, Iâve never gone to one before . â.
âWhy?â.
âItâs not to my tastes . Iâm not a very active person . â.
Katherine was a little disappointed . It would have been nice to see the d.u.c.h.ess at b.a.l.l.s more often . There were cases when a n.o.blewomanâs preference in social activities was very obvious and defined . There were people who only enjoyed the ballroom like Katherine, and there were people who only liked small and quiet meetings like a tea party . Although upon close scrutiny, one could tell that b.a.l.l.s were a big part of influencing the social circle
âSo you arenât agreeable with this party then . â (Katherine).
âI canât not show up at all . â (Lucia).
âTrue . You canât do that . You are the d.u.c.h.ess after all . â.
Katherineâs sharp words sounded cold . It was a tone that made one wonder if they had made her angry . She was a princess that was supported even if she didnât speak nicely . There was no need for her to fix it . Although her words were straightforward, she just had a lot of pride and compet.i.tive spirit but she wasnât a bad person . Lucia was envious of Katherineâs confidence because she didnât knowing how scary the world was and sometimes, she felt it was cute
âWhat brand is your dress?â (Katherine).
âDesigner Antoine made it . â.
âAntoine? Hmm . Itâs a little different from what she makesâŚI donât wear Antoine . Itâs not to my liking . â.
âThe dress youâre wearing suits you very well . â.
Lucia laughed evasively . Katherine wasnât criticizing the dress she was wearing, it was just that she didnât like the brand so she said so . There was no malice but she said what she wanted to say as if she was thinking aloud . It was this particular manner of speaking that her sister-in-law, Queen Beth, hated very much
âThe necklace is lovely . Excellent taste . Did you pick it yourself?â (Katherine).
âNo . I got it as a gift . â.
âI believe the gifting person is the Duke?â.
âYes . â.
There was envy in Katherineâs eyes as she carefully looked at the necklace . She pestered her brother when she wanted to buy jewelry but she felt bad about it . She couldnât even think of getting an extravagant article like what the d.u.c.h.ess was wearing . Lucia knew how much Katherine loved jewelry, especially diamonds
âIf you like it, I can lend you anytime . â.
ââŚYouâll lend the necklace? I thought you said it was a gift . â.
âThereâs no reason not to lend it because it was a gift . â.
Katherine felt strange . After her mother pa.s.sed away, the only person that showed her unconditional favor was her brother . Her sister-in-law was not a bad person but their personalities didnât go along well . However, today, her half-sister that she was seeing for the first time was showing incomprehensible good will . If it was someone else, she would wonder what they were trying to get but the d.u.c.h.ess of Taran had nothing to get from Princess Katherine . Perhaps it was even the opposite
Katherine liked the d.u.c.h.ess . She wanted to get close to her . It was the first time that Katherine had such a feeling towards another person
ââŚItâs fine . Iâm not shameless to that extent . â (Katherine).
Katherine stared quietly at Lucia as she drained her c.o.c.ktail gla.s.s
âTo be honest, I used to like His Grace the Duke of Taran a lot . â.
Lucia smiled . She knew . Katherineâs feelings towards the Duke of Taran was like a naĂŻve young miss who went from girl to woman with a small, cute first love . A part of the reason why the Katherine in her dream was so antagonist towards the d.u.c.h.ess of Taran was because of such delicate feelings
âAlthough I know such words are impolite . â (Katherine).
âItâs alright . It didnât offend me . â.
Katherine looked at Lucia for a while then she chuckled
âYouâre an interesting person . Itâs my first time seeing someone like you, d.u.c.h.ess . How do I put this? You make one feel comfortable . Did the Duke kidnap you to his fief because he was attracted to that side of you?â.
Hearing the rumor that she wished to forget, Lucia had an awkward expression as she fiddled with her empty gla.s.s
âEveryone is curious about the Duke of Taran . Although theyâre curious, thereâs no one to ask . After all, there was no one in the Taran family that was active in the social circle . However, now, d.u.c.h.ess is here . Itâs going to get quite annoying in the future . â.
âYesâŚâ.
âAs a matter of fact, Iâm also curious . What type of person is he? You know the best since youâve lived together for more than a year . â.
Lucia suddenly realized . She had been married to him for more than a year . She had absolutely no idea that her marriage with him would be so smooth . What type of person is he? It was a difficult question . She still didnât know him very well
[How do you want me to kill them?].
Why did his scary words from last night sound so sweet to her? His curt manner of speaking was unchanged but listening to him, something in Luciaâs ear stopped working . Luciaâs heart pounded with a trivial phrase from him