Madeleine sat in the living room, frowning.
Why did Cornelia summon me here?
Well, it was good to be at the Duchy headquarters.
Neither Eric nor the old lady bothered to answer her letters.
But on the other hand, she was worried that this might also be a trap.
Surely you didn't summon me here just to mess with me again like last time?
Madeleine becomes the subject of gossip due to the incident at the jewelry store.
Among them, the worst rumors were…
After such rumors spread, letters written in disguise began arriving at the Marquis of Argen's mansion.
Messages full of obscene words.
When Madeleine's father, the Marquis of Argen, found out about this, he was furious.
Madeleine was trying hard to keep a low profile and avoid adding fuel to the fire.
In my heart, I want to tear that evil crow to shreds now, but if I do, I might be misunderstood.
If nothing else, it was almost certain now that Madeleine didn't like Cornelia.
So she was hoping to use this tea time to put some rumors to rest.
First, I need to change people's perceptions.
I make it seem as if Cornelia and I don't have a bad relationship, and that I treat her well.
Then, later, I would turn it around to make it seem like she was plotting against me.
While Madeleine was thinking, the door opened, and someone entered.
Madeleine, who had been expecting Cornelia, widened her eyes.
Oh my God, summoning the Grand Lady to join me...
The Grand Madame had shown her displeasure by ignoring Madeleine's letters for the past few days.
But Madeleine was not necessarily satisfied with the grande dame's behavior.
If only she had corrected it by saying that she liked the ruby necklace, and blamed Cornelia for the mistake, and claimed that he had acted out of anger, she might have gotten some sympathy, and the rumors would not have spread so widely.
If that woman hadn't been so focused on her pride, things wouldn't have turned out this way.
Frankly, Madeline despised the foolishness of the grande dame, who couldn't even fathom the situation.
If Eric's mother wasn't such a bossy old woman.
But instead of showing her displeasure towards the grande dame, Madeleine chose to smile.
After all…
That woman must also feel like burying the crow because of that damned rumor.
As they say, the enemy of your enemy is your friend.
In Madeleine's mind, the grande dame was a companion sailing in the same boat.
I welcomed her warmly.
“It's been a long time, Grand Madam!
Have you been okay?”
The Grand Madame frowned at Madeleine's kind greeting.
This malicious woman has ignored me for a long time and used me, but now that she needs me, she is acting so friendly!
In her heart, she wanted to slap Madeline in the face.
But…
Actually, I was planning on using this woman too, but if she comes to me so nicely, it's actually easier.
The eldest lady answered immediately.
“Yes, it's been a long time.”
Gradually, a shadow fell on the eldest lady's face.
“I haven't been feeling well lately because of my headache.
And you?”
At that, Madeline nodded.
“I'm the same way.
I acted with Cornelia's best interest in mind, but misunderstandings occurred...”
The eldest lady laughed inwardly.
Misunderstandings?
You did it on purpose.
However, on the outside, she maintained a sympathetic expression and responded to Madeleine's words.
“Yes, I was very upset by the misunderstandings myself.
So, since we met like this, shouldn’t we clear up that child’s misunderstandings?”
Realizing the implication, Madeleine smiled wryly.
“Oh my God, so you were thinking the same thing as me?”
I nodded enthusiastically.
“Yes, of course, I was thinking the same thing!”
When the expected positive response came, the eldest lady nodded along.
At that moment, Madeline smiled and said, “That’s why I think it would be so nice if we could be there for Cornelia when she’s going through a difficult time.”
The eldest lady's smile deepened.
On the surface, it sounded like the nicest thing she'd ever heard from a friend, but to her social ears, it sounded like that.
To make Cornelia suffer.
As I expected, she was thinking the same thing as me.
Madeleine continued.
“But lately, I haven't been able to see Cornelia, so I'm not sure how to support her.
Perhaps, Grand Madam, you have some ideas?”
The eldest lady frowned slightly.
The question meant whether she had any evil plans in mind.
How calculated could this woman be?
What made me think such behavior was attractive in the first place...
Restraining her desire to mock, the eldest lady finally spoke.
“Well, after all, I'm that child's mother-in-law, right?
I felt really sorry for her suffering with her pregnant body.”
Madeline smiled wryly.
Oh fun, twisting her words to say she can't stand being crowed while flaunting her pregnancy.
In general, pregnant women are treated with care.
However, the eldest lady's intention behind her words was most likely the opposite.
So, does she intend to torture her pregnant daughter-in-law?
There were many ways for noblewomen to torture their pregnant daughters-in-law.
They can force them to eat foods they don't like, give them tasteless tonics, or make them feel physically uncomfortable by making them do tasks.
No matter how much she hated her daughter-in-law, she had to torture her within reason, since she was carrying a potential heir.
Surely you wouldn't stoop to such petty acts?
But what followed exceeded Madeleine's meager imagination.
“So, to ease her burden even a little, I specially prepared some good tea for pregnant women.”
Excitement sparkled in Madeline's green eyes as she listened to those words.
Wow, is this woman really crazy?
Madeleine, usually an elegant noblewoman who refrained from using insults even in her thoughts, couldn't help but feel the urge to curse this time.
How could she even think about getting rid of her grandson?
Of course, this was a concocted plan by the Grand Madame, who knew that Eric was not her son, but to Madeleine, who was not aware of this, the Grand Madame's madness seemed simply unbearable.
Yeah, that's fine with me if I go out like that.
It will make it much easier for me to become the Duchess of Brant later.
For a moment, Madeleine's lips curved down, and her expression turned cold.
“But...there's a problem.”
Now she looked worried.
“However, are you sure about the effectiveness of this tea?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Well, I'm afraid it won't suit Cornelia's body.
If that happens, the misunderstandings might deepen.”
Realizing the implication of her question, the eldest lady raised one corner of her lips.
Ah, tea.
She's probably wondering how I plan to deal with the consequences if things go wrong, whether the baby doesn't die permanently or even if it does, given the tea's evidence.
Although she might not know much, the eldest lady could at least answer this.
"Don't worry about it.
The chemist who made this tea assured me that it is a particularly good potion that only interacts with the fetus."
On the surface, it will appear full of beneficial ingredients for the body, resembling medicine.
However, it was actually a poison that only worked on the fetus.
If taken for about four days, even a healthy fetus will become fragile enough to be aborted from small shocks such as the vibrations of a carriage.
“Moreover, the chemist said that the more the mother moves, the better it is for the fetus.
The effects begin to appear after four days.”
Madeleine's eyes widened.
This means that the more the mother moves during those four days, the more dangerous it is for the fetus, right?
Then Madeleine understood the grand lady's words.
“I noticed that she has been going shopping lately.
It would be nice if you could accompany Cornelia and go shopping together downtown.”
Upon hearing the Grand Madame's suggestion, Madeleine smiled brightly.
What if I accompanied Cornelia shopping and miscarried the baby in the bustling city center?
In the eyes of the audience, it will look like Cornelia lost her child while wandering.
With this, I can send that crow away…!
Madeleine's thoughts were interrupted.
“Oh my god, were you two actually arguing?”
Without any warning, Cornelia's voice echoed through the room, causing both the Grand Lady and Madeleine to cough toward the doorway.
Wearing an empire dress, with her hair elegantly styled, Cornelia gracefully entered the room.