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With the imperial conference just ten days away, Isabelle was steadily gaining the things that the Duchess of Cardiago should have.
Her closet was jam-packed with enough dresses that she could change twice a day during the entire conference, and there were also accessories and shoes prepared to suit her stature as the duchess.
Count Gray had tutored her and she could now recite the names of the nobles from the top of her head.
Riggs had only one thing to worry about now.
‘I’ll be away, but I wish Isabelle could be by my side.’
No matter how good their relationship was, there were many cases where the men and the women would have to be separated.
Isabelle wasn’t so foolish that she would let herself be tricked or ridiculed while he wouldn’t be there, but Riggs at least wanted someone skilled with social interactions to be there to assist her.
Good thing the perfect person for the job existed.
‘Lady Celeste.’
The young lady of the Celeste County, a family of knights that was known as Cardiago’s shield for many generations.
They followed Duke Cardiago to his territory and served the Duchy as a vassal.
About a year ago, Lady Celeste was separated from her parents and continued her studies at the capital, but it was rumored that she had returned to the Duchy.
‘They weren’t my uncle’s informants, and it’s a family with moderate skills. It’d be okay if Isabelle takes a liking to her.’
In fact, when Riggs drove out his uncle, he tried to select a person from the Celeste family for a key position since his parents had trusted them.
But something small happened back then that offended him.
‘Why did you have to touch Isabelle.’
During the festival while he was with Isabelle, he heard Count Celeste’s drunken soldiers threatening her.
Riggs could still clearly remember what happened at that time.
“So Celeste’s dogs don’t recognize their owner, hm?”
“Huuk…!”
When he grabbed their necks with his infernoš, the soldiers ran away without looking back.
Because of that, Count Celeste hadn’t been able to secure a foothold ever since Riggs took over the Duchy.
As usual, the soldiers were guarding the borders and it was enough that they were sent to maintain the village’s security.
They were punished appropriately later, so it was now time to use the forgotten Celeste again. Of course, only if Isabelle wanted to.
* * *
“Madam, would you like to see this? His Highness asked me to bring this to you. He said he wanted to know if you’d like to go.”
Rosa presented Isabelle with an invitation, it’s title written in a large script—‘Count Gray’s Tea Tasting’.
“Count Gray doesn’t really like having his mansion empty because he has no children, so the tea tasting event is a kind of party that Count Gray holds for young noble lords and ladies.”
“Then it’s a place where most young aristocrats gather, right?”
“Yes. His Highness is asking the Madam out on a date.”
Rosa explained enthusiastically, though she herself thought that Isabelle would say no.
Wasn’t she already being overworked with the imperial conference?
Rosa also understood that she would want to rest a little.
“Please tell him that we’ll attend.”
“Yes, of course. It’s better not to… Pardon?”
Rosa’s eyes widened, reconfirming Isabelle’s answer.
However, Isabelle’s decision remained the same.
“I was actually going to ask my husband to organize a dinner. It’ll be weird if I introduce myself to the Duchy’s vassals at an event where guests from other regions are also attending.”
“Ah…”
“I feel like it would be best to meet the nobles under the Cardiago Duchy’s rule before I greet other guests. Memorizing only the names and the roles of their families wouldn’t be very helpful to me in practice.”
Once the conference attendees arrive, the castle would be too hectic.
If she couldn’t learn who’s who and what kind of nature and personality they had through experience, she’d inevitably face inconveniences.
‘It’s impossible for me to meet all the nobles in a short period of time and come to understand their nature. So I have no choice but to have someone else by my side, a person who’s good at socializing.’
The Madame of a Ducal domain, the Duchess, would have to enter high society, and for that, she needed a lady-in-waiting.
She knew that Riggs would attach the right person to her side, but she wanted to find someone she liked at the tea tasting event.
“The event is scheduled on the day after tomorrow. I learned that it’s polite to let people know whether they’ll attend a party or not a few days prior. Rosa, can you hurry and tell him of my decision?”
“Yes, yes!”
Rosa, who had been standing there somewhat in a daze, left the room.
‘I thought that the Madam would be different because she was chosen by His Highness, but… It’s just as expected.’
In her mind, she thought that the duchess was smarter and more meticulous.
“Hmm…”
Now left alone, Isabelle groaned quietly as she pressed on her forehead, hard.
She had a headache whenever she thought about the approaching imperial conference.
She wasn’t worried about being unfamiliar with the social circles or the nobles she’d never met before, or the inevitable atmosphere that would be sensitive to rank and peerage.
There’s only one thing she was worried about.
‘There will be people coming from Pilsburg, too.’
She tried not to show it, but it was difficult for her to accept the surname of Pilsburg. If the goddess hadn’t descended, Isabelle would have pretended not to know until the end.
‘Both Riggs and Goddess Isis said that I’m a Pilsburg. It must be true because the terrene forces confirmed the authenticity of the inheritance stone.’
Isabelle Pilsburg.
A direct descendant of the Pilsburg Imperial Family.
It was an unfamiliar name for her. She was used to just having a name without a surname.
The fact that she had a name that belonged to a family made her emotional in many ways.
‘Family.’
Even if Riggs and the saintesses had been with her for a long time, there was always a feeling of distance with them because they didn’t share the same blood.
When she was in the temple, she saw how people forgave and embraced each other no matter what crime was committed as long as they had the same blood, even if that transgression was enough to make people sever their ties for life.
They would share their joy and take on each other’s burdens while they were together.
That was what a family was to Isabelle.
In her mind, she knew that the man named Roiqan Pilsburg, who would be attending the conference, had sent people to threaten her. Twice.
But once she faced a person who she was connected to by even a little blood, would she be able to stay steadfast without any agitation?
‘…I can’t help but be shaken up.’
She hadn’t lived a long time in this world, but this was probably natural because she wanted to have someone she was connected to by blood all her life.
It’s the same Pilsburg that sent people to kill her, so of course she wouldn’t side with them, but she was sure that she would waver.
That’s why she needed to make countermeasures to hold her back, even if she would get shaken.
‘I don’t want to face relatives like this.’
Isabelle gripped the hem of her dress tightly underneath the desk.
It wouldn’t be possible to prevent everything that could happen to her during the conference in advance, but she at least wanted to do her best to prepare for it.
And another thing.
‘Apart from Riggs as an individual, I don’t know anything about him.’
Count Gray taught Isabelle only about people surrounding Cardiago.
He didn’t mention anything about the past or the deeds of Ephelix Cardiago, the head of the household.
Isabelle saw Count Gray’s expression subtly stiffening, as if trying to hide something, when she mentioned Riggs’ uncle, ‘Vis Cardiago.’²
‘Other people know about Cardiago and Riggs more than I do.’
Even as she thought so, Isabelle was somehow angry.
How could they know Riggs better than she did? It was clear that she didn’t want to admit it even though she could see the truth.
* * *
On the day of Count Gray’s tea tasting event, a forlorn cry echoed throughout the Cardiago Castle.
“Impure subordinates of Cardiago. Why is it that my Isabelle is attending a party that I, that child’s god, cannot go to with her?”
Throwing a tantrum like a child, Isis was caught by the reapers.
This was because the reapers had announced that there was no place for the goddess in the carriage.
“If Goddess Isis follows, the Madam will be in much trouble.”
“Cardiago’s reaper, you serve an impure master. Unlike you all, my Isabelle is a child who knows purity. What about me would cause trouble to that child.”
“First of all, the way the goddess talks is…”
As if they were on the verge of falling, tears brimmed Isis’ eyes.
She sincerely wanted to stay by Isabelle’s side.
While she was in the mortal realm, she wanted to see what a party was where humans gathered to share love and laughter.
The reapers were very troubled.
The Cardiago domain worshipped the power of the underworld and treated the goddess as though she was a leftover meal, but first of all, the inferno that was being wielded was something separate from the goddess.
The Isis in front of them was neither all powerful nor widely worshipped.
So there was no choice but to make an excuse and say it was the carriage.
“Goddess Isis. There are no more seats in the carriage. In the future, we will definitely make it so that the goddess has a place.”
“If I had a little more divine power, this humiliation would be…”
Isis had used her divine power to descend to the mortal realm, so the power she was left with was closer that of a devout priest’s rather than a god’s.
If she had her godly powers, she could attend the tea tasting event with Isabelle by teleporting, but it was too much for her to do that right now.
The best way to go was to restrain the goddess here.
“But those guys are following Isabelle to the party.”
Isis was pointing towards Rosa, who was the servant closest to Isabelle.
“Rosa is Madam Isabelle’s exclusive maid. Isn’t she wearing a maid’s uniform?”
“……”
This caught the benevolent goddess Isis’ eye.
Approaching Rosa with an elegant stride, she spoke in a gentle tone.
“Diligent reaper, Rosa.”
Rosa was a reaper who had never been near a temple.
However, Isis had the unique aura of a goddess, so Rosa answered automatically without realizing it.
“…Yes?”
“Your god needs your clothes. I shall take your divine tribute.”
“But I’ll be assisting the Madam…”
“Leave it up to me. I will protect my Isabelle. I’ve confirmed your true heart towards her, and that is enough.”
“…..?”
Isis pointed one finger to wield a small amount of divine power.
The reapers around them were taken aback and immediately hid behind the columns.
Soon, she was dressed as a completely ordinary maid.
There was a subtle glow to her that couldn’t be hidden even by the clothes, but this was the best that could be done.
After seeing her reflection in a mirror, Isis was satisfied.
With this much, she’ll be able to watch Isabelle up close as she would enjoy the party.
Just in time, the Duke and Duchess of Cardiago came out.
Riggs was dressed in a uniform and was looking at Isabelle with such saccharine eyes, but as he turned, he was shocked to see Isis.
“…..?”
“Goddess Isis?”
“My Isabelle. Didn’t I say I was a god only for you?”
To Riggs’ ears, those words sounded like a curse.