Chapter 81
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A villainess locked away in a desolate tower—I had possessed her body. Chapter 81 The carriage I rode in was a luxurious conveyance drawn by eight well-maintained black horses, gleaming with polish. And just as it was common knowledge that expensive carriages required substantial maintenance costs, so too did those drawn by strong and sturdy horses. From the coachman to the carriage repairman, and even the stable master.... Why was I even bothering to calculate this? 'None of this will be billed to me, right?' The moment I stepped into the carriage heading toward the Ambrose Marquis Residence, that thought suddenly struck me. At first, I'd assumed the Blaire Grand Duke was supporting my stay in the Imperial Capital because it involved business related to his domain's people, but what if that wasn't the case? What if he was billing me for all of it—the wages for newly hired servants and chefs, the maintenance costs for the mansion in the Imperial Capital, transportation fees, everything? The thought made me anxious. 'I'm not the Blaire Grand Duke's lover. He doesn't care for me. There's no possibility he ever will.' If this wasn't an expression of affection toward a woman he loved, then all of it could potentially become a bill I'd have to pay. Reflexively trying to estimate the costs incurred in bringing them all here, I found myself squeezing my eyes shut. 'Please let this be classified as business expenses.' Since this was officially a business visit, surely it would be classified as business expenses... right? If the Blaire Grand Duke had any conscience, he would. This time, he wouldn't include lodging or meals in any charges. As I kept repeating this to myself—or rather, praying—I suddenly found myself arriving at the Ambrose Marquis Residence.
"You've come from the Blaire Grand Duke House. This way, please."
The maid I'd seen before when I came to meet Baroness Fabron led the way once again. And the moment I stepped into the tea party venue. 'This is... insane.' I was momentarily overwhelmed, my mouth falling open in a daze. It was because of the noble ladies engaged in cheerful conversation, who hadn't yet noticed my arrival. Dresses in every color imaginable filled the tea party space. High-pitched laughter, refined speech... and above all... there were far more people than I'd expected. It seemed there were at least over ten of them. 'Come to think of it, this was my first time at a social gathering like this....' All public social events were Lemeia's responsibility, while I was merely an administrator handling paperwork in the back rooms. And moreover, I'd never even been recognized as a princess in Salt. In other words, I had no experience with this whatsoever. 'This noble women's social gathering, composed of such diverse age groups from their twenties to fifties... there's no way I could be familiar with it!' Only now did the anxiety begin to creep in—the fear that I might be ostracized before I even properly entered. While I could handle straightforward business conversations that got straight to the point, could I immediately master the social etiquette of high society, where people smile while figuratively destroying each other? 'Well, this is my first time outside my home ground, but... let me try my best.' Even so, I steeled myself once more and gripped the hem of my dress tightly. I had far too much to gain here to give up prematurely. In the first place, I was the one who'd asked the Ambrose Marquise to arrange this gathering for my own purposes. Because.... 'I can't identify who my enemies are within the Blaire Grand Duke House.' I harbored suspicions about the Stefan Marquis House, yet I remained utterly ignorant of what they actually did or what history they carried. Certainly, the Blaire House's intelligence network had gathered various pieces of information, but the intimate secrets shared verbally among nobility were forever beyond my reach, no matter how hard I tried. And so the method I chose was none other than this social gathering. 'I can do this.' Requesting that the attendees of this gathering be selected from devoted readers of "Safety Guidelines of Goedam Duchy" was an arrangement made for my benefit. I believed that at minimum, these would be people who would look favorably upon me once I revealed myself as a comic book creator. Yes, using this shortcut was far better than stumbling about blindly.
"Ahem, ahem."
"You've finally arrived."
I deliberately made noise to announce my presence, and Embrose Marquise approached with visible delight. In truth, Embrose Marquise had been terribly busy with her distribution business, but she had specially arranged this gathering at my request. Of course, it wasn't merely because I had asked—if the Grand Duchy's business continued to face difficulties, the distribution commissions that would go to the Embrose Trading Company would also diminish, so her cooperation made perfect sense. Still, I was grateful to receive help in any form!
"Good afternoon, Marquise. Thank you so much for the invitation."
"Not at all, I was simply waiting for you. Hehe, come here."
After exchanging appropriate greetings before the others, Embrose Marquise rose from her seat and gently tapped her teacup with a spoon to draw attention.
"Allow me to introduce everyone. This young lady is a distant relative of Kaian Blaire, the Grand Duke, and one of the creators of "Safety Guidelines of Goedam Duchy"—Miss April Salt."
"My goodness."
Perhaps thanks to her dramatic introduction? I could clearly see curiosity blooming across the faces of the noblewomen and young ladies seated at each table.
"Miss April, please sit here."
"Oh, thank you so much, Marquise."
Being seated at the table of Embrose Marquise, the hostess of this tea party, signified that I was being positioned as an important figure. Once settled, I greeted them with a smile as though I had never been nervous at all.
"It's such an honor to finally meet in person those I've only heard about."
Now it was time to begin my earnest activities under the Marquise's active support. * * * "So the ending still hasn't been decided?"
"That's right, unfortunately... As you know, since each character has their own story to tell, it's impossible to predict where things will go."
"I thought the entire plot was already determined... but hearing the behind-the-scenes story makes it even more fascinating."
True to form as a fan club for the comic book, the conversation still flowed along similar lines. As expected, the fact that I was revealed to be a creator of "Safety Guidelines of Goedam Duchy" seemed to have softened the attitudes of these rather haughty noblewomen considerably.
"However, I do have one curious question."
The question came from Countess Cornelia, whose dark gray hair was loosely gathered up.
"The tumblers and thermos bottles are merchandise created by the "Safety Guidelines of Goedam Duchy" team for devoted readers, aren't they? Regarding the rumors that have been circulating lately, aren't you taking any countermeasures?"
And this question was both something I had anticipated and something I had been waiting for.
"How could we not?"
I shook my head with composure.
"We're addressing this matter more actively than any other issue. And our official statement is... scheduled to be posted on the very last page of this week's installment."
"Ah, so everything has already been decided then."
It seemed that everyone, including Embrose Marquise, was leaning in to listen, as though this had been a topic they were genuinely curious about.
"Yes, I don't have information I can share at this moment... but I'm certain you'll find it satisfactory."
The blood and tears I shed devising this method probably exceed a liter without difficulty. Regardless, whatever I begin, I must see through to completion myself. In this moment, I renewed my resolve to uncover the mastermind behind this conspiracy.
"Still, those of us working in comic book production alongside me grow disheartened daily, seeing articles disparaging tumblers and thermos bottles, which dampens our spirits considerably."
"Ah."
As I naturally shifted the conversation, Countess Cornelia was the first to respond.
"Elegance Young Lady's manner of speech is rather direct, isn't it?"
"She's always been someone who digs deep when she focuses on something."
"But how can we know if all of that truly stems from Elegance Young Lady's intentions? Hehehehe...."
Ah. At last, the roundabout rhetoric of High Society was beginning to emerge.
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