Serpina did her best to ease the atmosphere.
While inwardly sweating profusely, she tried her hardest not to show it outwardly.
Everything is difficult at first!
Thanks to her efforts, the tense atmosphere gradually began to relax.
“Excuse me, Lady Richter.”
Serpina turned her gaze with sparkling eyes at the young countess’s cautious call.
As their eyes met, the countess shyly asked a question.
“May I know the name of this tea? It’s really delicious.”
“Of course. This is a blend of linden and lavender.”
“Linden?”
“Yes. Linden is an herb that aids digestion. Lavender is good for calming the mind and body, and it also helps neutralize the scent of the herb.”
“Oh my. That’s fascinating. You seem to know a lot about tea.”
Although it was the countess speaking, the attention of the other ladies was focused on Serpina.
“Actually, I don’t know much about tea. Instead, I have a keen interest in herbs.”
“You’re interested in herbs?”
“Yes. I even grow them myself.”
Exclamations of admiration erupted from here and there at Serpina’s answer.
Well, a duchess who grows herbs.
It would be surprising.
And this was exactly the reaction Serpina had been hoping for.
Emphasizing extreme simplicity to reduce the distance.
The lofty Duchess Richter might seem somewhat difficult to approach, but a duchess who grows herbs would feel a bit more approachable, wouldn’t it?
Sure enough, questions began pouring in from all around on this interesting topic.
“That’s really impressive. Growing herbs yourself.”
“I’m embarrassed. It’s just a small hobby, that’s all.”
“Then, do you perhaps know of any herbs that are good for skin beauty? Your skin is so lovely, Lady Serpina… I was wondering if you had any secrets.”
“Oh my, you flatter me. As for herbs good for skin beauty…”
And so the conversation flowed without interruption for a while.
When the topic of skin beauty came up, questions about herbs that help with weight loss, improving stamina, or enhancing concentration naturally followed.
The most secretive, yet most intriguing topic was the talk of ‘herbs good for virility’.
The atmosphere that was initially unfamiliar and awkward was nowhere to be found before long.
Everyone started talking comfortably as if chatting with close friends.
Serpina, too, naturally blended into the atmosphere.
The chatter that started with herbs passed through various topics, eventually reaching the story of Count Vietsa.
“To be honest, it was really satisfying, wasn’t it? Whenever we happened to meet, he was so full of himself. He would often mock us, saying things like ‘You don’t know how to make money, so you all live like fools.'”
“Exactly. And in the end, it turned out he was lining his own pockets in such an absurd way. If it weren’t for the Duke, the North would have become even more chaotic.”
“Indeed, I’ve been reflecting a lot since that incident. I should have met with all of you sooner, carefully observing and listening to see if there were any problems…”
As Serpina murmured dejectedly, the startled ladies quickly comforted her.
“No, not at all. Just arranging this lovely gathering for us today is more than enough.”
“That’s right. Living in the North, I never thought I’d have the chance to attend such an occasion.”
“To be honest, I had some prejudices when I heard you were from the capital. But after meeting you like this, I regret how narrow-minded I was. Lady Serpina, you are truly an excellent duchess!”
No, wait a moment.
This is more heartwarming and touching than I expected.
Serpina felt her nose tingling for no reason. She even began to think that perhaps the blood of kindness and gentleness flowed through the North.
And that’s when it happened.
“Really, you’re completely different from that woman before!”
At the voice that suddenly burst out, gasps could be heard from here and there.
In the awkward silence that fell, even the person who spoke out closed their mouth with a “hup”.
It was clearly the expression of someone who had made a mistake.
Bewildered gazes busily scrutinized Serpina’s reaction.
What’s this? Why are they all suddenly acting like this?
Serpina tilted her head at the abrupt change in atmosphere.
It seemed that ‘that woman’ was the problem, but she had no idea what it meant.
After pondering for a moment, Serpina decided to just ask.
“I’m sorry, but who do you mean by ‘that woman’?”
At Serpina’s question, the face of the woman who had spoken turned pale.
“I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything…”
“No, I’m really just asking out of curiosity. Until I got married, I was a bit frail… so I stayed indoors all the time. Because of that, I don’t know anything about social news.”
“Ah. So that’s why you studied herbs.”
Well, that’s not exactly it, but…
“Oh my.”
“Goodness. Such a story…”
Those who took Serpina’s silence as affirmation let out sympathetic sighs.
The ladies exchanged glances and then nodded.
It was a silent signal to tell the story, since the poor duchess was curious.
After all, it wasn’t really a secret.
Those who should know already knew the story.
“Well, you see. Actually…”
[This is the timeline separator]“It was so enjoyable. Please invite us again next time.”
“Me too. I’d love to see you again.”
“I’ll make good use of the tea you gave us today.”
The tea party ended in the best possible atmosphere.
Those who had arrived cautious and tense left as if they had never been so, exuding regret at having to go.
Ah. I’m really proud.
It was an incredibly satisfying sight for the person who had planned the tea party.
If I can just keep this gathering going well, it will be helpful to Flora later on.
It felt like my tattered conscience had been restored.
But that night.
Despite having had such a satisfying day, I couldn’t easily fall asleep.
Even when I closed my eyes and tried, sleep wouldn’t come.
The story I had heard at the tea party kept circling endlessly in my mind.
The story that began with this secretive opening was about Dante’s older brother, who had been the previous duke.
Oscar Richter.
He had a fiancée to whom he was engaged to be married.
It was an engagement formed by their own will, unusually for someone of the Richter bloodline, rather than an introduction from the imperial family.
They had been childhood friends who frequently interacted from a young age, so their relationship was extremely good. People were certain they would lead a happy married life.
There were even expectations that her bright and lively nature would bring a new wind to the Richter ducal family.
So who could have possibly predicted?
That she would betray Oscar.
Julia, Oscar’s fiancée, demanded to break off the engagement just days before their wedding.
Despite Oscar’s desperate pleas, Julia coldly abandoned him and left.
Oscar became a wreck in an instant. The betrayal of his beloved left a shock far greater than he had imagined.
Nevertheless, Oscar couldn’t give up on Julia.
He believed and waited, thinking she would return someday.
But less than a month after Julia left.
A rumor that would turn the entire empire upside down began to spread.
It was that Julia, who had been the fiancée of Duke Richter, had become the lover of the First Prince.
Countless speculations followed the rumor.
‘Actually, the First Prince and this woman Julia have been lovers for a long time, I hear?’
‘The First Prince couldn’t stand by and watch his beloved woman about to marry the monster duke.’
‘That woman is ridiculous too. Then why did she agree to marry Duke Richter in the first place?’
‘Maybe she thought she couldn’t marry the First Prince, so she was going to marry just anyone?’
‘Wow. The First Prince and that woman. They must have really been in love.’
Although it was Julia who had betrayed him, Oscar became the villain.
Oscar lost his mind in the face of this cruel reality.
The moment he realized his wait had been in vain, he decided to give up everything.
Even his own life.
The ladies nodded with gloomy expressions at my question.
Fearing I might ruin the mood, I pretended to be nonchalant and moved on, but…
In truth, it was shocking.
Who would have thought that Dante and his brother had such a story?
…How difficult it must have been.
If she was his brother’s childhood friend and fiancée, Dante must have known her well too.
So Dante lost two people at once.
A person he was close to and his brother.
How great must that sense of betrayal and loss have been?
Now I understood why Dante had acted so stubbornly throughout the original story.
He must have been afraid.
Afraid of opening his heart and being betrayed. That must have been what he feared.
He probably already had a great deal of anxiety about people and love due to his brother’s incident, and then even the ‘me’ in the original story left him, seeing him as a monster.
Perhaps Dante truly thought of himself as a monster.
Maybe he distanced himself from Flora in the original story to protect his loved one from a monster.
______
In This Life, I Won’t Be Foolish To Lose You Again (Female-dominant)
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
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