Chapter 120
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121.
"What amusing conversation are you two having?"
"Rebecca!"
At the sound of Rebecca's voice, Lily spun around quickly.
Though not quite as instantaneous as Lily's reaction, Julian greeted her with equal warmth and delight.
Lily rose swiftly from her seat and rushed toward Rebecca.
She buried her face in the folds of Rebecca's pale yellow dress.
"We were talking about the sea we're going to next week! You said it was Balaria Beach, right? Have you been there before, Rebecca?"
"I have. Julian took me."
"I'm the only one who hasn't been! How unfair!"
"That's not true. Livia and Helena haven't been there either. Balaria Beach isn't a place everyone can visit. You can only go with Julian's permission. I'd wager more people in the Empire haven't seen it than have."
"Really? It would be wonderful if we could all go together! I think Lia and Hena would love it too."
"Lia? Hena?"
"Yes. My sisters gave me permission to call them by the nicknames I created."
When I had invited my family to the Duke's Castle previously, Lily's two sisters had played together with her until they collapsed from exhaustion.
Though it hadn't been a particularly long time, they had grown remarkably close in that span.
Lily was such a cheerful child that one would never think she had been confined.
"Lily, stop bothering Rebecca and come here. You haven't finished all your cookies yet. You must eat everything you've touched."
Though Julian was indulgent with Lily in most matters, he was strict when it came to food.
Lily was surprisingly picky, and as a result, she was smaller than children her age.
Julian blamed himself for this and made earnest efforts to ensure she ate well.
Watching him shake the plate of cookies, Lily let out a small sigh.
"These days, I'm never not hungry. I absolutely hate feeling full."
Rebecca squeezed Lily's hand and whispered.
"I know. Julian seems to think we're starving."
"He does that to you too, Rebecca?"
"Of course. He insists I eat five meals a day. But what can we do? It's his only pleasure, so let's indulge him."
Rebecca winked, and Lily's cheeks flushed as she nodded in agreement.
There was something deeply satisfying about sharing the same understanding.
"Do you still have much work to do?"
Julian naturally offered Rebecca his shoulder as he spoke.
Rebecca understood the meaning behind the gesture, but she caught sight of Lily and kept her posture upright.
"I've grown accustomed to it now, so the Duke's Residence work isn't overwhelming anymore."
"Is there something else then?"
Julian withdrew his shoulder with visible disappointment.
Instead, he offered her cold milk and almond cookies with reduced sugar.
Rebecca bit into a cookie with a crisp snap as she spoke.
"It's the Lavonne Salon. It's not as popular as I expected."
"Really? I heard the Garden and Main Hall are already fully booked for the next six months."
"That's true for the Event Hall. But the other rooms are strangely unpopular. I'm certain the promotion was done properly. There were plenty of investors too."
"That's strange."
"The salon should be thriving enough to attract the retainers of House of Devon, but if things continue like this, there's no point in establishing it."
Julian gazed at Rebecca, who was lost in deep thought.
The Earl of Devonshire.
A name he had temporarily forgotten amid the sweetness of married life.
Lily, who had been quietly eavesdropping on their conversation, asked a question.
"Who is the Earl of Devonshire?"
Julian brushed away the crumbs clinging to Lily's lips as he answered.
"A demonic wretch who tormented Rebecca. Zeppelin Devonshire."
"He tormented Becky? How could anyone torment Becky?"
Lily's face filled with alarm as she nestled against Rebecca.
"To bully such a wonderful person—how despicable!"
Julian felt a brief pang of envy toward Lily, who could embrace Rebecca so freely.
Because Rebecca was so busy, they had scarcely any time to be close together.
Though I waited for her in the bedroom all day, she would fall asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.
Even when I offered to handle her work instead, Rebecca clung to her responsibilities with greedy determination.
Though she appeared exhausted, Rebecca seemed so genuinely happy while working that I couldn't bring myself to stop her.
Julian spoke with a bitter expression, his tone slightly mischievous.
"That's right. A wretched man. So if you meet Zeppelin Devonshire after Lily, you should kick him hard in the shin, yes?"
"Really?"
"Yes. But after you kick him in the shin, come running straight to me. No matter how he rages, I'll protect you."
When Julian playfully lifted the corners of his mouth, Lily mirrored a similar expression.
Rebecca was exasperated and shot back.
"You're teaching your sister such wonderful things, Duke of Johannes."
"And you kicked Zeppelin's... well, that's far worse than a shin kick."
"That was..."
"What did Becky kick?"
Lily's eyes sparkled with curiosity, forcing Rebecca to swallow her words.
Rebecca shot Julian a quiet glare.
Her expression was so endearing that Julian chuckled.
"What? What did Becky kick?"
"Something small and insignificant."
"What is it?"
A meaningless laugh escaped her. It certainly had been satisfying at the time.
Suddenly, Zeppelin's sinister threat came to mind.
"Oh, that's right. Julian, teach me some martial arts."
"Martial arts?"
"Yes. Last time, I realized how weak I truly am."
"That's a good idea. I've thought for some time that you needed to train. Delicate beauty being a virtue in this country—it's truly absurd."
Julian stretched languidly, then gently kneaded Rebecca's arm.
"What... what are you doing?"
"Checking how much muscle you have. As expected, there's nothing. How do you even walk around with just bones and skin?"
"Is that really so bad?"
"Yes. It's serious. Lily would be stronger than you."
"Surely I'm not weaker than a child."
"I'm telling you, it's true. Lily is incredibly strong. She's a natural when it comes to physical strength."
"That's right! I'm strong!"
Lily puffed out her chest proudly.
Even being generous, her height barely reached my waist, yet her small frame already possessed lean, defined muscle.
Yes, Lily was destined to become a legendary knight whose name would echo through history.
"My goodness, look at this weakness."
Julian shook Rebecca's arm with genuine concern.
The gesture wounded Rebecca's pride.
Rebecca irritably snatched her arm back from Julian's grasp.
"I can do it if I try! Let's start training right now!"
Her voice rose like a songbird's when she was angry. Even her nagging sounded like lyrics.
Rebecca had been showing herself more honestly to him lately. So the effect of sharing a marital bedroom was real after all.
Julian rose to his feet, suppressing the urge to laugh until his sides split.
"Very well. Shall we begin right now?"
"I want to join too! Becky, I can help you."
"But I have something to do today. Let's start tomorrow."
Julian, who had been contemplating which stance to teach first, narrowed his eyes.
He asked in a deflated voice.
"More business? You said today's work was finished."
"Don't worry. It's simple. Just one letter. A letter to save the Lavonne Salon."
Rebecca's eyes gleamed with determination.
Julian studied her carefully, then smiled faintly.
"You've thought of something."
"Yes. There was someone who looked unhappy at our wedding."
"Zeppelin?"
"No, he was already in hell. But she was walking into hell of her own accord."
"She?"
"Yes. Marchioness Petunia."
The forest of the Duke's Castle swayed in the wind.
Following the breeze, fully crimson autumn leaves scattered and drifted.
Rebecca's eyes sharpened with intensity.
* * *
Petunia stared intently at the single line of text at the end of the letter: "Rebecca Ophelia, Duchess."
Had it begun with "Dear," she would have written only her name as was customary, but Rebecca had meticulously inscribed her newly acquired title as well.
'Is she trying to show off?'
The letter written in gold ink on crimson stationery was excessively ornate, as if designed to intimidate the recipient.
The heavy rose perfume emanating from the paper made my nose wrinkle.
Despite its ostensibly courteous invitation to tea, the letter was unmistakably provocative.
Had it been an ordinary invitation, Petunia would have scoffed and refused Rebecca's request outright.
And at the tea party Rebecca didn't attend, she would have gleefully regaled everyone with tales of how desperately Rebecca had wanted to be there.
But a letter that amounted to a challenge changed everything.
Petunia chose to crush her opponent decisively rather than slink away with her tail between her legs.
She retrieved her signature lavender stationery.
It was dyed with a small amount of Demon's Claw.
Petunia examined her dwindling supply and hesitated for a moment about whether to use it.
Demon's Claw was already an expensive dye that most nobles couldn't afford, and its price had been skyrocketing recently.
A botanist who appeared like a comet had announced the hidden properties of Demon's Claw.
At first, no one believed that Demon's Claw was a panacea. Most dismissed it as nonsense.
But when Count Wagner consumed Demon's Claw, the results were astounding.
His chronic lower back pain vanished completely, and he moved about with the vigor of someone ten years younger.
After that, Demon's Claw became worth whatever price was asked.
Moreover, rumors quietly circulated that the botanist who discovered Demon's Claw's properties was backed by Duke Julian of Johannes.
Petunia ultimately set aside the lavender stationery and picked up sky-blue paper instead.
If that botanist truly had connections to the Duke of Johannes, Rebecca could have created far deeper purple stationery than this.
I didn't want to give her any reason to mock me.
Petunia wrote her response with careful deliberation.
On the surface, it read like correspondence between close acquaintances, but hidden within were her true intentions—accepting the challenge of a new rival.
After affixing the Langster Family seal, Petunia exhaled.
I hoped Rebecca would receive it and tremble with rage.
"Is there anything else I could do to get under Rebecca's skin...?"
The Marchioness who fled had returned.
E-book publication.
January 12, 2022
Author.
Long Night Sky
Publisher.
Desert Fox
Published by.
Woongjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd.
Submission received.
naver.me/54VzzLSn
Blog.
blog.naver.com/wj_fennecfox
Twitter.
@wjt_fennecfox
---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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