A moment of silence passed.
But this silence was soon broken.
“Yes, it was strange, wasn’t it?
No matter how close the Duchess’s relationship with her cousin was, even if the Duke was her childhood friend, it would still be an exaggeration to continue mingling with her after his marriage.”
“Exactly.
And the fact that the Grand Lady invited her on purpose.
Is it possible that she wants to associate Duke Brant with the Marquis of Argens’ daughter, Lady Madeleine of Argens?”
"impossible!"
“But isn’t this strange?
She barely speaks to the Duchess, her daughter-in-law, and yet she keeps inviting the unmarried Lady Arjenne to the palace.”
There were families who married despite differences in status or wealth.
In such cases, after taking care of the necessary matters, the parents may abandon the current daughter-in-law before bringing in a new one.
“Oh my God, is this true?
Is the Grand Lady going to dismiss the princess like this...”
Although someone objected, doubt had crept into people's minds.
Then someone added fuel to the fire.
“Also, have you noticed the Duchess’s clothes?
They have certainly become more modest than before.”
“That's right!
The Grand Duchess is known for flaunting luxurious things everywhere, but when it comes to her daughter-in-law...”
"Tsk.
If she were a princess, she would have to throw away the necklace out of pride.
Why would you come to fix it?"
“By the way, there were rumors about the princess investing her dowry as well, right?”
As Ron, the manager and owner's sister, noticed the VIP room of the jewelry store, she sighed softly.
As a saleswoman dealing with noble guests, it was her duty to ensure that sensitive rumors did not spread widely within the jewelry store, and to maintain a balance between the factions to prevent conflicts.
However, with Cornelia's sudden exit, she did not have the opportunity to mediate this time.
While the women of the Pro-Empire faction chattered happily, while the aristocratic women remained silent with their facial expressions, the headmistress sighed again.
The situation is messy.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
After entering the car, I kept feeling pleasure rising inside me.
I wonder what kind of gossip is going on in the VIP lounge.
In fact, it was quite predictable the kind of discussions that were taking place.
Perhaps they were scolding the Grand Duchess, saying that she was exaggerated, and pitying her and mocking her at the same time.
“Although it is unpleasant, it is unavoidable.
This is what the Empress wants – a clear justification for the rebuke of the Ducal Brant family.”
What the Empress wanted was a strong pretext for the Imperial Family to impose control over the Ducal Brant family.
So, I set up a play to portray myself as a weak victim of many.
A tragic story of which I am the hero.
The mother-in-law not only interfered in their married life, but also tried to involve an unmarried lady to bond with her son.
Although she was known as the mother of the Duchess of Brant, and a prominent figure in the aristocratic circle, her actions were socially condemned.
The proof lies in the fact that she destroyed my necklace, as well as Madeleine's frequent visits to our house.
Why not experience some embarrassment?
When I started to smile sarcastically unconsciously, Janet's faint call brought me back to reality.
“Ma’am”
I covered my mouth at Janet's hidden plea.
I almost lost control of my expression.
After I calmed down, I looked at Janet.
“Why did you call me?”
In response, she let out a deep sigh before staring at me.
"Are you well?"
"What do you mean?"
“I know this is going too far, but I heard what you said in the jewelry store earlier.
I thought… you might be upset.”
I was silent for a moment.
Annoyed?
The moment I saw the torn necklace, a feeling of satisfaction and unease came over me.
It was because…
Seeing the torn necklace brought back flashbacks to my mind.
How stupid I was!
No matter how hard I tried, I was like a torn necklace that could not be hung around her neck...
While I laughed a short, bitter laugh, I looked at Janet as if she took pity on me and answered me.
“I'm fine; don't worry about me.”
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When I returned to the palace, it was my mother-in-law who welcomed me warmly.
“You, come here.”
Seeing her tense expression upon seeing me was my expected reaction.
She asked her softly: “Ma’am, why did you summon me?”
She replied with a wide smile and said, “I had to ask you why you made me wait.”
"Huh?
You were waiting for me?"
I pretended to be confused and spoke in a tone of disbelief.
“That's strange.
I clearly remember agreeing to come down to dinner, but I never said I would have dinner with you, ma'am.”
The eldest lady raised her voice, “Are you playing with me with words now?”
“I'm not playing with words.
It's impossible for me to do that.
I just wanted to clarify because it seems you misunderstood...”
“Shut your mouth!”
I laughed internally at her excitement.
She is very angry.
However, no matter who my mother-in-law is, I am still the Emperor's daughter.
So, even if she can't publicly insult me or raise her hand against me.
No matter what, all she could do was be secretly sarcastic and get angry.
I decided to provoke her, “Why?
I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Then, the eldest lady approached, her eyes shining with anger.
“What?
Are you going to act innocent after insulting me?”
Then Janet stepped in front of me, “Stand behind me, please.”
The eldest lady shouted at Janet, “You bastard, step aside!”
I also addressed Janet: “It's okay, step aside.”
But she insisted on her stance, “I can’t do it.”
Although Janet was considered a benefactor to my child, I did not completely trust her.
Although she was kind to me, she was still attached to Eric.
But when I saw her blocking my path, I felt a twinge in my chest.
No, she couldn't resist Eric's orders.
As for me, if I had only listened to the complaining tone and let my mother-in-law's barbed words flow in one ear and out the other, the matter would have been over quickly.
Honestly, I didn't understand why Janet was acting as if the grande dame was a dangerous armed robber.
The eldest lady will not hit me.
Rather, she will take her anger out on those around me, as she is doing now.
slap-!
The eldest lady, who slapped Janet on the cheek forcefully, clearly showed her anger, “You are such a slut!”
“How dare someone like you, who lives under my roof and receives a salary from me, stand in my way?”
From the moment Janet crossed my path, I expected what would happen, but seeing the anger on her face made me even more angry.
With a spiteful heart, I stared at her, “Ma’am, what does this mean?”
But the grand lady did not stop there.
She raised her hand again.
That hand was decorated with many rings.
Without thinking, I pushed Janet aside and stood in front of her, “Stop!”
But she paid no attention to me, but waved her arm as if aiming at Janet behind me.
It was clear that she intended to slap me under the guise of an accident.
Yes, you really want to hit me.
I was not weak; In fact, I was healthy, even exercising occasionally during my pregnancy.
So, a slap in the face won't do much harm.
In fact, if my face had been bruised, the Emperor would have been much happier.
Using my injury as an excuse would definitely give him a good reason to hold Duke Brant accountable.
Yes, I've gotten worse spankings from my mother.
All I had to do was grit my teeth and bear it.
Yes, if my face is hurt, the grand lady will receive more criticism.
This was an opportunity.
An opportunity to easily push her further into shame.
Although I could easily avoid it, I chose to resist the hand flying towards my cheek.
But the eldest lady's hand never reached me.
"What are you doing now?"
It was because Eric was holding her wrist.
His face looked strangely angry.
Honestly, I couldn't understand it.
Why does he behave like this towards my dear mother-in-law?
If there were any signs of disagreement between me and my mother-in-law, he would send me to my room.
If I tried to confront her, he would frown and say:
He always took my mother-in-law's side before my eyes; No matter what happened, he never stood up to her.
But now...
“I asked you what you are doing now, mom.”
In front of me, he was facing her.
At that moment, my heart beat hard.
You were never in my class.
So why now...
Eric looked at me with a stern look, and I was confused by his actions.
“Go to your room immediately.”
“But I have a responsibility in this situation too.”
Before I could react in my confusion, he spoke in a cold voice.
“No, you are not responsible.
My mother tried to hit my knight.”
I understood everything, so I was silent.
Oh, I get it.
That's why he was so angry.
He wasn't protecting me.
Rather, he was angry because my mother-in-law hurt his subordinate because of me.