NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 105
* * *
It was a little later, at Duke Glen’s mansion near the imperial palace.
“L-Lady Elard…?”
“Long time no see. Is Rosalli here?”
“T-That, d-did you make an appointment…? We hadn’t received any notice…”
“Do I need to give advance notice to meet Rosalli?”
“That, well, no… I-I’ll go fetch the lady! Please, head to the parlor!” The Glen’s butler, flustered by Selleana’s sudden appearance, hurriedly instructed the staff.
Look at this…
It had been less than a month since Selleana stayed overnight at Duke Glen’s mansion. Compared to then, their attitude towards her had noticeably changed. This also indicated a change in how they treated Rosalli.
“They’re treating me courteously as a guest, but it doesn’t seem like they’re honoring me as her guest as they used to.”
“Mi-Milady?”
“
Ah
, I was talking to my servant. Don’t mind it.”
Selleana pointed forward with the fan she was holding as if to say, ‘Just guide me.’ Unable to retort, the butler simply hastened his steps.
“Please wait a moment while we prepare some refreshments.”
“Thank you.”
The butler, visibly uneasy from Selleana’s sarcasm, quickly exited the parlor.
“Master of Tower, I’m sorry, but could you stand by the door for a moment?”
“Isn’t that my role for today?”
Today’s temporary servant, Rakrensius, smiled reassuringly at Selleana and took his place by the door.
Soon, the Glen servants came in with tea trays and cups in a line. Considering the rush, the tea spread was unexpectedly lavish, and three teacups were placed on the table.
“…Why are there three cups? Are you serving tea to my servant as well?”
“No, t-that’s not it…” The butler, supervising the servants, began sweating profusely again.
“May Orot’s blessings be upon this peaceful afternoon… It’s been a while, Lady Elard.”
“
Aah
… Lady Eirene?” Selleana raised an eyebrow at the unexpected intrusion.
Eirene Glen’s dress was familiar to Selleana—it was a work of Atelier Darmang, which was located in Rosalli’s building.
“Since you came to see my sister, I insisted on coming to greet you as a fellow lady. I begged my sister to bring me along. Right, Big Sis?” Eirene stepped aside, revealing Rosalli in a simple dress.
“Yes… I wanted to introduce Eirene to you.”
The usually lively and cynical Rosalli was nowhere to be seen, replaced by someone who seemed utterly intimidated.
This is ridiculous.
Selleana stood up abruptly and strode toward the two Glen ladies. Naturally, her destination was Rosalli.
“L-Lady…?”
“I didn’t call you. No matter if you’re a Glen and this is your house, you shouldn’t intrude without permission… Didn’t you learn that yet?”
Learned that yet, the words that triggered her complex made Eirene’s face flush red. Whether it mattered or not, Selleana grabbed Rosalli by the shoulders.
“Rosi.”
“…”
“Pack your things now. You have your own building. If you don’t want to stay there, come to my house.”
“Lea…”
“Who cares about Glen’s image when they treat you like this? You’ve already repaid your debt to Glen for benefiting from your marriage prospects.”
Selleana’s eyes blazed crimson as she looked down at Rosalli. Meeting her gaze with soft green eyes, Rosalli began to tear up.
“No… No. How could I do that? No matter how unrecognized I am, it’s my duty as a person to repay their kindness here…”
* * *
“What is this…?”
The next destination was the manager’s office at Benichi Salon. Doloret looked puzzled as she glanced at the document Selleana thrust at her.
“You said you weren’t working for a while.”
“It’s not that I wasn’t working.”
“Do you think it makes sense to reduce your work when you were just saying the other day that you needed to put in effort to maintain the monopoly?”
“…”
“I can’t see a future for Benichi with someone like you, so I’m selling my shares. Pay me the full amount in cash right now.”
“…Lea. It’s almost winter, so the tea salon is in the off-season. The salon has grown enough, so we should take care of the staff’s welfare…”
“Then what about the Benichi clothing store? Is there some grand reason why you haven’t announced any new products with winter approaching?”
“I don’t understand why you’re acting like this all of a sudden…”
“Why are you meeting Ulrich Hargen?”
Doloret stiffened, sensing this was the main issue.
On her desk today was a vase decorated with pink flowers, different from what Selleana had seen last time with Rakrensius. So, they have met again since then…
“Did you think I wouldn’t know? That you’ve been so distracted meeting him every day that you neglected your work?”
“Him? Lea.”
“You said you married your merchant group and that you’d choose your successor based on ability, not bloodline. If none of your nephews fit, you said you’d establish a scholarship foundation to train a successor…!”
“That’s what I thought, but…!”
“But?”
“Well. At some point, I started to think… that family is more important than success.”
Ha
, how ill-suited those words sounded. In the end, Selleana coldly laughed.
It made sense to think family was more important than success. Selleana somewhat agreed with that value. But for Doloret Benichi to say that now was definitely strange.
“…You’ve become the heroine of a childcare story,” Selleana muttered disdainfully.
* * *
“
Uh
, Lady Elard… why are you here…?”
“I’m here to see Miss Agnesia Merlin.”
Their next destination was the townhouse of Margrave Gotenfrid. The butler, momentarily stunned by the sudden appearance of a socialite, quickly ushered the guest into the parlor and rushed inside to report.
Doloret had gathered information through the guild that the returned Agnesia was taking bridal lessons in this townhouse.
“Will the priestess Agnesia… see us?”
“Nothing to lose by trying. At least we weren’t turned away at the door. Fortunately, we came before she headed to Gotenfrid territory.”
Agnesia appeared shortly after they settled in.
As expected.
She wore an indoor dress typical of noble ladies. It seemed she wasn’t in the mood for a cheerful tea party, as she didn’t bring even a single maid. Perhaps… it was because Agnesia was still considered a guest herself.
“Nesia. How have you been?”
“What brings you here?”
“Are you happy now?”
“…What?”
“Charlotina’s husband caused trouble again. Who knows when she’ll run off to Gotenfrid territory?”
Agnesia’s face turned cold. The mention of Margrave Gotenfrid’s childhood friend was, of course, her sore spot.
“You always said it, didn’t you? There’s no harm in not meeting me, but meeting men brings trouble.”
“…”
“I think this is about you…”
“What do you mean?”
Just then, a large shadow fell behind Agnesia. It seemed Margrave Karl Gotenfrid had rushed over upon hearing about Selleana’s visit.
“What kind of lowly trickery are you up to now?”
“Trickery? Didn’t Baron Merlin and Margrave conspire against Agnesia?”
“Lady Elard! Aren’t you being too harsh with your words?!”
It was the moment when Margrave Gotenfrid jumped up, protesting about the rumors of Baron Merlin exploiting Agnesia’s guilt to the point of ruining his health and finances.
“I’m sorry, Margrave.”
“Miss Agnesia.”
Agnesia, clutching Margrave’s arm, glanced up at him. “I’ll handle this…” With a submissive and gentle tone, she softly smiled at him.
“Sorry, Lea.” She turned to Selleana with those light blue eyes shining sadly. “I’d like you to leave. No, I hope you don’t come looking for me like this again.”
* * *
“Michi. Do you think that man respects you? He just wants to keep you in his palace like a flower to admire. You knew that…!”
“Lady! Aren’t you being too harsh with your words?!”
“Why are you acting like this now? Don’t you trust me? Do you really think I’ll lose to the imperial family? Sure, it’s scary now because a foreign prince is threatening you! But you belong to Elard!”
“Such rudeness, Lady…!”
* * *
Waaah, sob…!
Selleana couldn’t stop crying, burying her face in the pillow.
The place was Rakrensius’s quarters in the Magic Tower. The bed Selleana was lying on was Rakrensius’s. The pillow was his too.
“Those wicked girls…! They sold out the loyalty from their past lives…!”
After leaving Marderung’s safe house for the last time, Selleana burst into tears as soon as she got into the carriage.
Michi, shocked by Selleana’s sudden appearance, was taken to another room by Arthur Marderung and Thiel Orly. Selleana was then escorted out.
Unable to leave Selleana crying so heartbreakingly, Rakrensius brought her to his quarters. He initially intended to take her to the parlor or his office as usual, but he realized that he couldn’t show Selleana crying like that in front of others.
They moved using his magic. It wouldn’t be good for Elard’s carriage to be seen at the Magic Tower on a day like today.
“It’s so unfair. What is all this! Damn brute force…!”
Selleana cried loudly, shouting things that were hard for Rakrensius to understand. He wasn’t sure if he should console her or let her cry it out, so he just paced around.
[Hey, Rakrensius.]
His friend’s voice echoed in Rakrensius’s mind.
[Elard’s daughter… I think it would be better if she doesn’t return home tonight.]