“So, is it true that His Highness the Grand Duke is really getting married?”

Olsen asked, shaking her well-pinned brown hair as she made a fuss.

“It seems so. He said it very firmly.”

“His Highness the Grand Duke, really?”

Even after hearing Robin’s affirmative answer, Olsen repeated the same thing several times as if she couldn’t believe it.

It doesn’t make sense, His Highness the Grand Duke, with that woman of all people? No way!

“I’ve never heard of His Highness being involved with any particular woman, does this make sense?”

“I also thought it was false when it was just a rumor. But didn’t His Highness directly say with his own lips that he would marry the Countess soon? It was really… surprising.”

“No matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand. No, I thought His Highness would definitely get married at some point, but without any signs, and with Louisette of all people. It doesn’t make sense, unless His Highness has lost his mind.”

“Well, being blinded by love is also losing one’s mind.”

“Love, my foot. What man would love a woman like that? Such an arrogant and cold woman.”

“Why? Isn’t the Countess outwardly excellent? There’s no man in the world who would refuse a beautiful woman.”

“His Highness the Grand Duke is not someone who would be captivated by such superficial things. It can’t be love. It’s probably just a contract where they exchange necessary conditions with each other. I can’t understand it otherwise.”

“I don’t know. His Highness’s gaze towards Countess Louisette was really unusual.”

“But lady, why are you suddenly taking Countess Louisette’s side?”

Olsen, who had been subtly disparaging Celeste, openly expressed her disappointment when Robin didn’t agree with her.

“Side? I’m just talking about the truth I saw with my own eyes.”

Finishing her words, Robin hid her gaze in her teacup. Olsen, who had suddenly become a woman closing her eyes to the truth and slandering others out of jealousy, pressed her lips together with a reddened face.

“…Isn’t it hard to believe because it’s a marriage that leans too much to one side?”

Thekla, who had been quietly listening to the conversation between the two women, finally intervened. She couldn’t forget the humiliation she had suffered from Celeste on the first day of the banquet.

In fact, there was no humiliation, but she was engulfed in the delusion that she had been greatly attacked by Celeste just for being embarrassed in front of Layla Wessex and the like.

“I think Countess Louisette is good enough to be His Highness’s partner. That’s just my opinion.”

Robin smiled elegantly at the two women who were trying to find fault somehow. She was one of those who were present at the scene when Thekla picked a fight with Lady Wessex some time ago.

She knew that Thekla was overly jealous of Lady Wessex and picked unnecessary fights and made her life miserable whenever she saw her, but she couldn’t find a reason to stop it or agree with it, so she just pretended to be a bystander.

It was the same that day. Along with Thekla and others, she accidentally ran into Lady Layla on the way, and as expected, Thekla stopped to pick an unnecessary fight with Lady Layla.

She started tormenting Layla with all kinds of false arguments. For this tedious process of torment to end, Thekla’s satisfaction had to be achieved.

In other words, it meant that Lady Layla’s face had to turn ashen or she had to shed tears or somehow allow Thekla to gain satisfaction at the end of the harassment.

While watching them with a slightly bored mind, wondering when it would end, an unexpected person appeared.

Countess Louisette.

Her appearance was really unexpected. But what was even more surprising were the words she blurted out upon appearing.

〈What are you all doing?〉

A somewhat displeased and uncomfortable expression. A strangely cold face that seems indifferent at a glance but is actually filled with discomfort underneath was her trademark.

Arrogant and cold Countess Louisette. Like thorns blooming on a beautiful rose, her beautiful appearance and cold personality earned her the nickname of Black Rose. It’s unknown if she knows it herself, but in high society, the violet black rose clearly became a euphemism referring to Countess Louisette.

For some reason, that violet black rose didn’t just pass by but took Layla’s side. It was something unimaginable if it were her usual self.

Thekla also would have voluntarily taken on the role of Countess Louisette’s subordinate and tried to please her in the past, but she didn’t do that this time.

It seemed that their relationship had completely broken down since that incident two years ago. Thekla had added Countess Louisette to the list of people she would harass and make miserable whenever they met.

In Robin’s view, Thekla was not and could not be a match for Countess Louisette, but as if she was the only one who didn’t know that fact, she kept picking fights that were like tapping a rock with an egg, as if they were not even opponents.

Anyway, that day’s commotion brought an unexpected result. Thekla harassed Lady Wessex, Countess Louisette who appeared by chance took Lady Wessex’s side and made a remark to Thekla, and while Thekla was provoking her with excessive words, His Highness the Grand Duke appeared and announced the marriage news.

It was so surprising.

The bomb of ‘His Highness the Grand Duke’s marriage’ that exploded in a place where ten noble ladies and young ladies had gathered instantly exerted its influence throughout the capital.

They say His Highness the Grand Duke, the jewel of the imperial family, is marrying the violet black rose Countess Louisette. They say there’s already a child between them. This unprecedented huge scandal spread with endless repercussions.

“Excuse me, isn’t that Lady Wessex?”

Robin, who was lost in thought, spotted a familiar blonde young lady. Layla, who neatly braided her lush bright blonde hair to one side and let it hang forward, was wearing a calm dress with a proper mix of white and pink today.

“It seems she’s here on an errand for Lady Pulcheria.”

It added fuel to the fire. Thekla’s face crumpled relentlessly as she turned her head to confirm Layla following Robin’s gesture, and she seemed to be contemplating whether to pick another fight.

“It hasn’t been long since that commotion, it would be better for you to stay still today, Thekla.”

Olsen, who had always taken Thekla’s side, also dissuaded her, perhaps worried that Lady Pulcheria might appear this time if Thekla picked another fight with Layla.

“What business does Lady Pulcheria have at a dressmaker’s shop frequently visited by young noble ladies?”

Bubbling, Thekla barely suppressed the anger that was trying to boil over like lava inside.

“Oh, don’t you know? Lady Pulcheria is taking over all the popular dressmaker’s shops in Lahat these days.”

“Why?”

“Why? For the new niece-in-law she’s welcoming, of course.”

The new niece-in-law. Referring to Countess Louisette.

“Lady Pulcheria dotes on Countess Louisette? No way!”

There was no way Lady Pulcheria, who strictly judged people’s character with her upright personality, would dote on the arrogant Countess Louisette. Thekla’s sharp voice tore through the air as if it would rip.

“Why not? This is already the third time I’ve run into Layla, who has been on errands for Lady Pulcheria, at dressmaker’s shops in the past week.”

According to the rumors, as soon as Lady Pulcheria finished the banquet, she immediately began preparing for her nephew’s wedding. Everyone expected that she and Countess Louisette would be incompatible, but she overturned that expectation and began pouring out infinite affection for her niece-in-law as if to show off.

Those who knew Lady Pulcheria’s temperament were shocked, saying this absolutely made no sense, but the more they did so, the more she revealed her affection for Countess Louisette as if to show off.

“After His Highness the Grand Duke, even Lady Pulcheria… There must be some fatal charm to Countess Louisette.”

“Could it be that she used magic to captivate people? The Count’s family specializes in processing and using magic stones, right?”

“Magic, that’s a dangerous thing to say, Olsen. Although the Count’s family is in charge of magic stone mining, processing, and distribution from start to finish, isn’t there imperial supervision and intervention in the entire process? So no matter how much she’s the head of the family, the Countess can’t arbitrarily divert magic stones for personal use. If you say such things carelessly and it reaches the Countess’s ears, you’ll be in big trouble.”

At Robin’s sharp rebuke, Olsen pressed her lips together with a fake cough.

“Then I’ll be off, I’m busy.”

Robin got up from her seat to avoid getting caught up in the commotion, taking advantage of the break in the conversation.