You Can't Catch the Wind - Chapter 59

“What’s so pitiful? She’s a woman who couldn’t read the situation and jumped into the Grand Duke’s bed out of greed to become the Grand Duchess.”

“I know. Every time she yelled at us, she’d say ‘Do you think you’ll be fine after treating the future Grand Duchess like this?’ It was so ridiculous.”

As one maid imitated Elize’s voice in a comical manner, the other maids burst into laughter.

“I wonder what she’d say if she knew that the Grand Duke has called in over ten women like this so far?”

“Wouldn’t she throw a fit? The woman who came last summer was quite something too.”

“Ah, that woman. She was quite pretty as well.”

“What good is being pretty? We all know that looks don’t matter for the Grand Duchess position. More importantly, Lady Riena? Is it certain that she, the daughter of the Marquis, will become the Grand Duchess?”

As Riena’s name was mentioned, Maya held her breath. Riena? Why was that woman’s name suddenly brought up?

“Of course. She’s the only lady who has been invited to the Grand Duke’s residence so far! Moreover, my friend in the main house told me that the Grand Duke ordered the complete renovation of the Grand Duchess’s room. And Lady Riena gave all the orders on what furniture to put in and what colors to use. That’s as good as decided. I heard they’ll announce the engagement at the first major social event when the autumn banquet season begins.”

With each word the maid uttered, Maya had to swallow the scream that threatened to escape.

The story that followed was even more shocking.

Every summer and winter, the Grand Duke would bring women he had chosen to this villa, away from prying eyes.

Then, after enjoying a pleasant season, he would send them off, almost as if selling them to his subordinates who had yet to find suitable women.

To do this, he only chooses women from powerless families, and only foolish women blinded by the position of Grand Duchess who would readily accept such a suspicious invitation.

Only after the maids finished gossiping and went to bed did Maya crawl out of the kitchen and rush straight to Elize.

Then she told her everything she had heard.

“Of course, the young lady was in an uproar… She said she would go to the Grand Duke’s residence immediately. When the coachmen refused her orders, she yelled at the Viscount to drive the carriage… After returning from the Grand Duke’s residence, she immediately packed her bags and came back here.”

“What did the Grand Duke say?”

“I don’t know. On the way back, she looked like she would kill me if I said even a word, so I kept my mouth shut. It’s fortunate that they at least provided a carriage. If not, the journey back would have been really difficult.”

Jena clicked her tongue at the words that seemed more concerned about the journey back than the insult her mistress had suffered.

Ael, who had been listening to their conversation, looked up.

So what will happen to Elize now?

In the renovated and neat room, Elize was grinding her teeth under the covers on the bed.

“I won’t let either of them get away with this…”

Crunch.

Elize’s nails, which she had always kept clean and beautiful, were now bitten and ragged, even bleeding, but she was too distracted to care about such things.

Elize remembered when she first heard the maids’ conversation from Maya.

At first, she thought Maya was talking nonsense. She had to. How could she be just a toy to be played with and discarded?

‘That’s absurd. Those maids must have been wagging their tongues to slander me!’

Here, she had tasted all sorts of luxuries she had never experienced at the Viscount’s residence.

The clothes she wore, the food she ate, the wine she drank, even the accessories she put on. Everything was lavish. They were all things befitting a Grand Duchess.

‘But…’

As she listened to Maya’s cries of “What will happen to our young lady?”, she remembered the strange things she had desperately tried to ignore.

The Grand Duke had never taken her to his residence, which was only an hour away by carriage.

He said he didn’t like people gossiping about their relationship, but couldn’t they at least pass by?

Nobles with titles are usually eager to show off their domains, but the Grand Duke had never taken her to any of his territories, let alone his residence.

‘What if the maids’ words are true?’

Should she summon them and demand proper answers?

If it was a lie, should she order them to be whipped and dismissed?

As Elize paced the room, unable to contain her anger, she came up with a simple solution.

‘I’ll know if I go to the Grand Duke’s residence.’

She could just go and check if Riena was really there, as the maids had said.

She immediately changed her clothes and headed to the stables. But the coachmen were reluctant to move.

They said they couldn’t move without the Grand Duke’s orders.

Eventually, an argument broke out, and Viscount Aradis came upon hearing the noise.

He wrestled with the coachmen and finally managed to snatch the reins.

Elize threatened the coachmen, saying she would accuse them of insulting her if they tried to stop her further, and then ordered the Viscount to drive the carriage.

After leaving the forest and asking passing farmers for directions, they found the Grand Duke’s residence, which seemed very busy.

When Elize got off and entered, the servants who came out thinking a guest had arrived were shocked to recognize her.

Seeing their expressions, Elize bit her lip.

They were the servants who had been at the summer villa until recently.

The very servants whose deft hands and quick movements had made her think she should keep them close when she became Grand Duchess.

“What are you all doing here?”

“Well, we’re following orders…”

“And where is the Grand Duke! Quickly, tell him I’m here!”

The servants looked at the shouting Elize, unsure of what to do.

Then, a voice Elize knew well came from the top of the stairs.

“What’s all this noise about?”

The person coming down the stairs saying those words was Riena.

“Oh my. If it isn’t Miss Elize. What brings you here? More importantly… Did my maids commit any rudeness towards you?”

Riena slowly descended the stairs.

With a face as confident as if she were declaring herself the mistress of the Grand Duke’s residence.

“What am I doing here? That’s what I should be asking. And your maids? These people are maids belonging to the Grand Duke’s household!”

Riena approached Elize, slowly tapping her fan on her palm, and let out a sigh as if in pity.

The look in her eyes as she gazed at Elize revealed undisguised triumph.

“That’s why I said they’re my maids. They work exceptionally well, so I told the Grand Duke I wanted to make them my personal maids, and he gladly agreed.”

“So by what right do you…!”

Slap!

The moment Elize pointed her finger at Riena, Riena unhesitatingly slapped Elize’s cheek.

Unprepared for the sudden violence, Elize fell down.

But none of the servants around moved to help her up or check on her.

They just stood still with their heads bowed, as if they had seen nothing.

“You, did you just hit me…? How dare…”

“There’s a limit to rudeness. How dare you address the Grand Duchess as ‘you’? If you speak so carelessly one more time, you’ll be whipped next time, so you’d better think before you speak.”

“Wh-What…”

The shock that made her head spin, along with the shame of being slapped by Riena in front of everyone, left Elize unable to move.

“Grand Duchess… How…”

“Why? Did you think you would become the Grand Duchess? Did you think that position was something a daughter from a fallen viscount family, one without even the dignity or prestige of a noble, could obtain just based on her face?”

“But the Grand Duke…”

“Yes, I heard. You thought the Grand Duke had chosen you as a plaything for a long summer. You probably didn’t know, but I knew about this even before you went to the summer villa. The Grand Duke sent me a letter. He said he wanted me to choose his summer plaything. So I chose you. Fortunately, the Grand Duke was very satisfied. So I was very happy too. A good wife should care about her husband’s pleasures, after all.”

Elize couldn’t make a sound at Riena’s words. She couldn’t believe this situation and everything Riena was saying.

The people who had served her devotedly until just a few days ago are now following Riena’s words.

And Riena says these are now her maids because she is the Grand Duchess. And above all, she calls her the Grand Duke’s summer plaything and even says she personally chose her.

‘This is… a dream.’