No Evil Lady in the World (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 3
Meiana’s eyes sharpened with intensity. Even if he were an arrogant and powerful noble whom others dared not look in the eye, Meiana was not the type to smile and brush off an insult right in front of her.
Just as she was about to retort, Lady Celine hurriedly waved her wrinkled hand, taking Meiana’s side.
“No way, Your Grace. This young lady isn’t like that. You can tell just by hearing her voice.”
“Of course, I don’t doubt your judgment, madam. I’m merely saying that these days, there are many cunning people, so it’s best to be cautious.”
The Duke’s voice was smooth and composed. Feeling the faint mockery in his tone, Meiana could no longer hold back and crossed her arms defiantly.
“You’re treating me like a lowly thief, but isn’t that a bit mutual?”
The Duke tilted his head, raising one eyebrow slightly.
“What do you mean by that?”
Meiana replied immediately.
“I mean… how do I know if you’re truly the Duke of Valterminster or just some fraud pretending to be him?”
The one flustered by her words was not the Duke but Lady Celine. Thinking the two might start a fight, the elderly lady nervously stepped between them.
“Oh, please, don’t do this. Your Grace, this young lady is truly a kind person. And this gentleman is indeed the Duke of Valterminster.”
“Grandmother, but…”
It was at that moment. The Duke abruptly raised his right hand and slipped off his leather glove. Meiana could guess his noble status just by glimpsing the condition of his fingers and the back of his hand. And then…
“Is this proof enough?”
The Duke extended his right hand toward Meiana. It was as if he expected her to kiss the back of his hand, but Meiana was too distracted by the ornate peridot ring encircling his middle finger to think that far.
The large peridot, big enough to nearly cover the man’s knuckle, was surrounded by a twisted design symbolizing a rope. Though not large, it was intricately inlaid with the finest diamonds.
Beneath the peridot, which gleamed an even deeper green in the dim room, was an engraved raven with a triangular head, symbolizing the Valterminster ducal family.
The Duke spoke again.
“Why no response? Don’t tell me you still don’t believe me even after seeing this?”
Meiana, her lips twitching with a momentarily displeased expression, deliberately turned away with a sulky look.
Meiana said.
“Even if you show me something like that, I’m just a country bumpkin. I wouldn’t know if it’s real or fake, or what kind of ring it is, and frankly, it’s none of my business.”
At that, the Duke let out an incredulous chuckle.
“From the way you speak, you’re hardly a country bumpkin—more like a refined lady from some noble house.”
Meiana wasn’t naive enough to miss the sarcasm. She snorted and glanced at the Duke’s ringed finger. The ornate ring didn’t quite match his attire. It was likely a ring symbolizing the Valterminster family.
If it truly was the ducal family’s ring, its authenticity wasn’t the issue. Meiana knew well enough that no one in the capital would dare impersonate the Duke of Valterminster so brazenly unless they had immense courage or were willing to risk their life.
Perhaps noticing the situation had calmed somewhat, Chals quickly rubbed his head against the Duke’s feet. Then, he sent Meiana a pleading look, as if urging her to reconcile with him.
‘Goodness, look at those eyes. How can he be so adorable and clever? Come to think of it, he reminds me a bit of Seondal.’
Meiana thought with an enchanted expression.
Seondal was the name of the first pet dog she and her family had taken in. In her previous life, of course. In the ordinary life before she died…
Lady Celine said.
“Now, now. Guests, please go to the living room. I’ll prepare some tea.”
“I’ll help you.”
“I’ll help.”
Meiana and the Duke answered at the same time, and she whipped her head around to glare at him. Her expression seemed to say, “What kind of unpleasant coincidence is this?” But for some reason, the Duke only looked at Meiana with an intrigued gaze.
“Both of you can wait in the living room. I can brew tea in no time. Isn’t that right, Chals? You know your grandmother can still manage that.”
At that, Chals barked—woof!—as if responding to Celine’s words.
Forced into the living room by Lady Celine, the two sat at opposite ends of an old sofa. After nearly coming to blows moments ago, sitting quietly felt so awkward it was almost unbearable.
The Duke glanced at Meiana.
“Where did you work, and what did you do?”
Meiana skillfully hid her irritation and answered rather politely.
“I was a live-in maid, Your Grace.”
“And you have nowhere to go. Were you dismissed?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The Duke’s lips twitched as if he were mocking her.
“You’re saying you really didn’t steal anything?”
“As I said before, I would never do something so despicable. Is it acceptable for the noble Duke of Valterminster to insult others so easily, even a wandering maid like me?”
Meiana’s demeanor clearly showed her anger. Yet the Duke didn’t offer any particular retort to her words.
Still, his gaze remained fixed on Meiana. As if he were observing something, or perhaps searching for something…
“Why is your cheek like that?”
Meiana quickly touched her cheek. She had thought the swelling had gone down, but it seemed it wasn’t entirely healed.
“Some things happened.”
The Duke raised one eyebrow slightly.
“Not a satisfying answer, but I’ll let it slide. Where did you work?”
“I worked for the Pobeck viscountcy, Your Grace.”
The Pobeck viscountcy. The Duke felt he could roughly guess what had happened. The viscount’s sordid behavior and his wife’s hysterical jealousy were so notorious among nobles they were hardly a secret.
The Duke said.
“So, what’s your plan now?”
Meiana didn’t respond. The Duke quickly grasped the true meaning behind her saying she had “nowhere to go.” It was clear she lacked not only a job but also the means to return to her hometown.
Still, it was worth confirming. The Duke thought.
“Are you going back to your hometown? You probably didn’t get a letter of recommendation, and even if you did, finding another live-in maid position nearby won’t be easy.”
Meiana answered.
“I can’t go back to my hometown. My parents are just poor farmers… and I have younger siblings to look after. Taking care of them must be hard enough for my parents.”
“Then you plan to wander the streets like this?”
“Of course not. For now… I’m thinking of looking around nearby once the rain stops tomorrow morning. It’ll be hard to get a job as a live-in maid for a noble family, but wealthy merchants have different standards. There’s bound to be someone who needs an extra hand urgently. If I’m lucky enough to get hired at a dressmaker’s, that’d be even better.”
The Duke stroked his chin, blinking slowly. His expression seemed to say, “I see,” or perhaps he was deeply pondering something.
“You said you have many siblings. Are you the eldest?”
“Yes, but…”
“Then you must have a lot of experience looking after children.”
This time, Meiana’s eyes blinked a couple of times. She soon replied.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“You spoke quite confidently about wanting to work at a dressmaker’s. Can you sew?”
Meiana nearly burst out laughing. Sewing was her greatest talent. She could complete decent-sized embroidery in just a day or two.
“I wish I could show you. In fact, I only became a live-in maid for the Pobeck viscountcy because the dressmaker’s shop I worked at closed down. If it had stayed open, I’d never have taken a maid’s job.”
The Duke fell silent for a moment. As he closed his mouth, a strange tension filled the air. The sound of rain continued outside. When thunder struck nearby, Chals, who had slipped into the living room, burrowed under Meiana’s feet.
The Duke, who had been quietly staring at the table, spoke.
“Very well. I’ll hire you.”
Meiana, who had been stroking Chals’ fur, snapped her head up. She couldn’t immediately process what she had just heard.
“Your Grace, what did you just…”
“We’ll discuss the details later.”
Meiana instantly understood why he said that. Lady Celine was entering the living room with freshly brewed tea.
The Duke stood up to take the tray. Not only that, he personally poured tea into Celine’s cup.
“Have some, madam.”
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
Their conversation seemed quite familiar. To Meiana, it was both incomprehensible and surreal. How could the kingdom’s most prominent noble form such a connection with a humble commoner? Why would he go so far as to fix a battered old gutter for her?
Meiana’s endless questions were soon answered by Lady Celine’s words.
“Your Grace, is our Liriya doing well there?”
Meiana pretended to sip her tea while glancing between the Duke and Lady Celine. Liriya—a woman’s name. It was undoubtedly the name of the granddaughter Lady Celine had mentioned earlier. She was likely employed at the Valterminster ducal estate…
“Of course. She’s doing well. She’s currently traveling with my brother.”
A puzzled expression briefly crossed Meiana’s face. The Duke seemed to notice but offered no further explanation.
Lady Celine said.
“I see… Knowing my dear Liriya is doing well puts my mind at ease. The ducal estate is so far away, and now that she’s married, it won’t be easy for her to visit me…”
“When she returns from her travels, I’ll have her visit you.”
The Duke patted the back of Celine’s hand a few times, as if to comfort her. Meanwhile, Meiana, still bewildered, kept mulling over what she had heard. No matter how many times she turned it over in her mind, there was only one conclusion.
‘The Duke’s brother… So, the Duke of Valterminster’s brother? And he married Lady Celine’s granddaughter? Good heavens, is that even possible?’
Male lead says he’s pregnant — and it’s female lead’s child
Something seems a bit off about this world.
Wang Zhao thought as she watched a pregnant man walking towards her…
Intro
Female lead finds herself in a world where the men who possess the ability to bear children.
As she navigates this unfamiliar reality, she is caught off guard by the sudden appearance of her boyfriend, who reveals that he is pregnant.
Is this truly her boyfriend?
Why can’t she recall any details about their time together?
She begins to doubt whether the child her boyfriend is carrying is even hers.
Is there a hidden reason behind her amnesia, or could it be a side effect of her sudden arrival in this strange new world?
Just when it seems the protagonist’s life couldn’t become any more entangled, her ex-boyfriend makes an unexpected appearance, raising questions about the protagonist’s past.
__________
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It was her who made that old lady blind?? What an awful person……or maybe not, but still she is really disgusting.
BOY DONT PLAY WITH ME. OMG NO WONDER THE CHILD IS BEHAVING LIKE LOOSE GOOSE
Very matured. Just blaming anyone but yourself on your inadequacy.