To You, So Noble and Vulgar (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 11
Long ago, people used to pour tea onto saucers to cool it before drinking, but that custom vanished long ago. Nowadays, doing so would only make one a laughingstock.
Ariana, who up to this point had never learned such a thing nor had any chance to learn it, believed Victoria’s words completely.
At her first garden party, Ariana, terribly nervous, poured her tea onto the saucer and drank it noisily, making a spectacle of herself and suffering humiliation in front of all the assembled nobles.
The noble ladies and young misses harshly criticized Ariana, the second daughter, for her lack of manners, and Rachel feigned embarrassment as she said,
-“That child insists she’s of Duke Dongje’s bloodline and thus acts however she pleases. No matter how many tutors we assign her, she refuses to learn. It must be my fault for being inadequate.”
Beside her, Victoria spoke to Ariana with a pleading expression, as if about to cry.
-“Sister, please just bear with it a little today, at least. Normally, I’d gladly accept it all—but just for today, okay?”
In an instant, Ariana was branded as someone who flaunted her Dongje bloodline to act selfishly and mistreat her younger sister, yet she couldn’t even offer an explanation that it wasn’t true.
Unable to endure the cold, condemning stares directed at her, her face flushed red before she burst into tears.
-“She’s already sixteen, yet she throws tantrums and cries like that. Honestly, how should one even teach her…?”
-“It’s not Mother’s fault. Ariana claims she’s the Princess of Dongryeong and does exactly as she pleases. If Ariana won’t listen to Mother, what can Mother possibly do?”
Helena seized the opportunity as well.
In no time, the three women had painted Ariana as a tyrant of House Bronte.
In that moment, with no one on her side, Ariana could do nothing but cry.
‘How foolish. There are so many things I could’ve done, even without anyone on my side.’
After learning from Victoria the proper etiquette for drinking hot tea, Ariana left the room with all expression wiped from her face.
As she walked down the corridor, Ariana stared out the window at the large greenhouse visible in the distance.
Servants were tirelessly decorating the greenhouse where tomorrow’s party would be held.
Helena and Victoria were surely looking forward to tomorrow’s party immensely.
A faint smile tugged at Ariana’s lips.
‘I’m looking forward to it too—tomorrow’s party.’
+++
On an unusually cold afternoon in February of the year Ratan 210,
carriages carrying nobles gathered toward Duke Bronte’s manor in Westin City of Westerly.
Among them were several particularly lavish carriages—all belonging to nobles from the capital of the Cameria Empire.
Isaac, perched in a tree near the mansion’s main gate and watching the carriages arrive, remarked,
“Rachel’s desperate to build good connections for her daughters. She must’ve spent a considerable fortune.”
Cyrus observed the figures alighting from the carriages.
Some among them likely had deep ties to Marquis Westerly—perhaps even played a hand in that incident from the past.
Isaac turned to Cyrus with a playful glint in his eyes.
“If you showed up at that party, everyone’s expressions would be worth seeing. What do you say—any interest in attending?”
“Are you asking me to go through that tedious trouble just for your amusement?”
“Come on—it’s for your friend. Women would swoon at the sight of you. Bronte’s eldest daughter might even collapse foaming at the mouth.”
Isaac knew Helena admired Cyrus so deeply that she’d hung his portrait in her own room.
Cyrus replied coldly.
“I truly have no desire to see it.”
“By the way, I saw maids carrying a great many things toward the second daughter’s room under the eldest daughter’s orders. Aren’t you going to check it out?”
Cyrus frowned.
“Why should I go there?”
“You want to help that girl, don’t you?”
“Me?”
Cyrus’s eyes turned icy cold.
“Yes, you.”
“I might use her someday, but I have no intention of playing nursemaid.”
“Ah.”
Isaac gave him a disbelieving look, but Cyrus ignored it.
While the two men took in the faces of the arriving nobles, Ariana was being dressed up by maids.
“Miss Helena said to give this to you as a gift… I suppose.”
Speaking in a tone neither familiar nor respectful, the maids brusquely dumped the box filled with dresses and jewelry they’d brought into Ariana’s small room.
Without asking Ariana’s permission, they began moving about.
They roughly combed her hair with the brush they’d brought, changed her clothes, and applied makeup.
Ariana stood quietly before the mirror, letting them do as they pleased.
She watched with quiet amusement as her reflection in the mirror gradually transformed.
They braided her abundant sky-blue hair into childish pigtails, darkened her naturally fair complexion with a deeper-toned powder, drew her eyebrows too thickly, reddened the corners of her eyes, and heavily applied pink rouge to her cheeks.
When the makeup was finished, her face looked garish and unsophisticated, far too heavily made-up for her age.
The dress was a gaudy yellow gown even a child wouldn’t wear—completely covering her neck and arms, and with an overly wide petticoat underneath that made her look like a little girl desperately trying to appear stylish.
‘Though they’re Helena’s maids, Victoria must be the one who ordered this.’
Victoria had always been like this.
She always kept herself one step removed, using others to shield herself from any unforeseen consequences. Despite her youth, she already knew how to manipulate those around her.
This time too, if Ariana’s appearance caused trouble, Victoria would surely retreat, claiming, “It was Helena’s maids who did it.” Of course, nothing Ariana had ever done had actually caused problems before.
Once the maids finished the makeup, they reached for the jewelry.
“I’ll do it myself.”
Ariana, who hadn’t spoken a word until then, finally opened her mouth—and the maids flinched.
Sending them a cold stare, Ariana repeated firmly,
“I’ll handle it myself. You may leave.”
The maids were flustered. Though Ariana was indeed the second daughter, she’d never once spoken to servants in such a tone before.
Ariana, who had always used polite speech even with servants out of excessive caution, had suddenly changed—leaving the maids offended by her abrupt shift in demeanor.
“Miss Victoria entrusted this task to us.”
“I believe you’re Miss Helena’s maids.”
At Ariana’s pointed remark, the maids exchanged uneasy glances.
“Both Miss Helena and Miss Victoria gave us instructions together. We’re short on time—please let us quickly put on this necklace…”
“How impolite. I already said I’ll do it myself—how many times must I repeat my words before you listen?”
Ariana’s calm voice froze the air.
Only then did the maids remember that Ariana, too, was a noble daughter of House Bronte.
Since everyone in House Bronte mistreated Ariana—and since Ariana never protested such treatment—the servants had naturally come to disregard her, assuming she was someone they could treat however they pleased.
But the Ariana standing before them now was different. Despite her tacky hairstyle and childish dress, an indescribable aura emanated from her.
An aura of dignity that not even Helena or Victoria possessed—and that even Rachel, daughter of Marquis Westerly and Duchess Bronte herself, lacked.
It was the poise Ariana had painstakingly cultivated in her past life, shedding blood and tears to become a “useful” person.
Overwhelmed by an instinctive urge to bow their heads, the maids couldn’t even swallow.
Ariana stared at them coldly and said,
“Must I call someone to have you beaten before you’ll obey me?”
“N-no! But, my lady, Miss Victoria instructed us to bring you immediately…”
Though the maid’s attitude had changed, Ariana’s expression remained stern.
“Do you think I don’t know the way to the garden?”
“It’s not that…”
“I’ll go on my own. You may leave now.”
Exchanging glances, the maids exited Ariana’s room.
Ariana knew they’d be waiting in the corridor, but she didn’t hurry.
After checking her reflection in the mirror, Ariana gave a faint smirk, removed the dress, and used its fine fabric—tacky though it was—to wipe off her makeup.
She changed back into her original, shabby maid’s dress and inspected the jewelry box.
Though outdated, it was filled with expensive pieces. Helena and Victoria wouldn’t even remember what jewelry they’d placed inside.
Ariana selected a few of the most valuable-looking items and tucked them deep into her desk drawer.
Before leaving the room, Ariana examined herself once more in the mirror.
‘I must succeed. I need to firmly imprint my current situation onto that person’s mind. This is the last thing I can do within this mansion.’
Ariana needed someone attending today’s party to become aware of her plight.
Juliana Loventa, Duchess of the Empire.
The Loventa family maintained close ties with Duke Dongje and held considerable influence within the Empire—so much so that even Rachel dared not treat Duchess Loventa carelessly.
Of course, even if the duchess learned of Ariana’s situation, there was no guarantee she’d inform Duke Dongje—and even if she did, the duke would hardly come to Ariana’s rescue.
Still, it might create a tiny thread connecting Ariana to Dongryeong. At the very least, when standing before Duke Dongje, he wouldn’t suspect Ariana had come under Westerly’s orders.
But that was merely a side benefit—the real goal was different.
‘Today, I’ll lay the foundation to escape this mansion.’
She needed to make Rachel realize she could no longer keep Ariana hidden away.
‘I mustn’t end up trapped here again, forced into marriage with that dreadful man.’
This was a crucial moment.
Her actions today would alter the future. This might be the last chance Ariana had to act with foreknowledge.
Thus, she absolutely had to seize this opportunity.
As expected, the maids were waiting for Ariana in the corridor.
Seeing her emerge in her original state—after all their hour-long efforts—they stared wide-eyed in shock.
“Oh, my lady… why are you like this…?”
Ignoring the maid’s question, Ariana began walking.
The maids hurriedly followed behind her.
“My lady, you can’t go out looking like this!”
“I’ve always looked like this—what’s wrong with it?”
“Even so… many distinguished guests are attending today. If you go out like this, it’ll be disastrous!”
Ariana didn’t slow her pace.
One maid grabbed Ariana’s arm.
“My lady!”
Ariana stopped and turned to face her. Her icy blue eyes moved from the maid’s face down to the hand clutching her arm.
“Do you dare lay hands on me so carelessly?”
Her cold voice struck like a blade.
Startled by the heavy authority in that voice, the maid immediately released her grip.
Ariana stared at her silently and said,
“You’d best relearn how to treat your mistress.”
The maid’s face twisted in resentment.
“And while you’re at it, learn how to control your expressions in front of your mistress.”
The maids didn’t try to stop Ariana again as she resumed walking. Though flustered by Ariana’s sudden boldness—so unlike her usual subservience—they were also irritated.
Watching Ariana’s haughty retreating figure, the maids thought to themselves,
‘Hmph—go ahead and embarrass yourself thoroughly in that state.’
Male lead first thought she played hard to get, only to realize she
really disliked him
Short intro:
What she can’t stand the most is the streets full of effeminate men, especially that so-called top beauty whom she avoids at all costs.
Shen Yaoxing looks at Jiang Mingyue, who keeps approaching her with coy shyness.
Shen Yaoxing: Bro, don’t be like this, I’m really about to throw up!
She fears nothing in heaven or earth, except for him getting close to her.
*
At first he thought she was just using the trick of feigning indifference to attract his attention. Later, he learned that she truly despised him.
This dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Mingyue, and he vowed to make her, like everyone else, fall at his feet in worship!
***
Synopsis:
Before transmigrating, Shen Yaoxing only wanted to find a reliable man to spend her life with. Who knew that after transmigrating, she would become a reliable woman herself…
A forced misandrist, highly skilled, and reliable female lead
vs.
An initially aloof and arrogant, later morbid, obsessed male lead
_____
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I finally found the chapter corresponding to chapter 42 of the manhwa!
Here’s a mother who refutes the “instinctive motherhood” notion.