The soiree, where the gossip about a noblewoman who almost got expelled from high society due to a series of incidents had become mere chatter, was now coming to an end.
As Ludmila, having changed her dress, re-entered the banquet hall, the scattered gazes refracted and focused on her.
The noblewoman who had spilled wine earlier approached her first.
Falling out with Ludmila was tantamount to receiving a death sentence in high society.
For the noblewomen, the social scene was not just a place for socializing.
It was a place to exchange trite and old-fashioned stories while elevating the value of their families and themselves.
That value directly translated to the family’s influence.
From that perspective, Ludmila’s position in high society was quite substantial.
Ludmila’s expression and tone as she comforted the noblewoman who was struggling to string words together were as gentle and warm as the spring sunlight.
The noblewoman’s face, which had been filled with concern and deep sighs, brightened.
While everyone was marveling at Ludmila’s kindness, her inner state was quite different from her outward appearance, twisted and dried up.
As she placated the person before her with insincere words and expressions, she rolled her eyes searching for Kedilen.
Eventually, spotting Kedilen chatting among a group, Ludmila signaled the end of the conversation with the woman with a brief bow.
“Ah, my lady. You’ve arrived?”
Ludmila nodded briefly to Kedilen, who greeted her with a kind smile as she approached, and then faced the man standing right in front of her, who had served as the Speaker of the Lower House.
“It’s been a while, Speaker Bex.”
“It’s good to see you, Marchioness. The incident earlier was unfortunate.”
Purposely bringing up an issue that didn’t need to be mentioned meant he intended to find fault.
Even if they were the beloved and beautiful marquis couple, it didn’t mean they had no enemies.
The Imperial family and the old nobility were their very enemies.
Naturally, they wouldn’t welcome anyone who stirred up dust in the garden they had cultivated.
In that sense, Ludmila, despite being an illegitimate child, was undoubtedly a significant source of dust with her mixed imperial blood.
Before responding, Ludmila smiled slightly, lowering her gaze gently before rolling her eyes to the side.
As expected, despite her smiling face, cold, rigid eyes were fixed on her.
He must be angry that she had done something to be criticized for, even though it wasn’t her fault.
How hard would she be hit today? The thought that the inside of her cheeks might be torn to shreds made even a dry laugh impossible.
“It’s just trivial matters that happen at parties. I’m fine.”
“The Marchioness is always so merciful. Calm and noble. You’re more suited to be a saint than that woman the church is touting as one. What do you think, Marquis? Why don’t you have the Marchioness join the church? I think it would suit her well.”
There’s no need to use such complicated expressions to say she’s old-fashioned, trite, and uninteresting.
It was never fun to hear the same thing twice, let alone once.
“Haha, is that so? Thank you for your kind words. However, please forgive my selfishness in not wanting to be separated from my wife.”
“Ho ho-.”
Seeing Ludmila not reacting, Kedilen finally picked up the conversation.
As usual, at Kedilen’s words, spoken behind the mask of a loving husband, Speaker Bex burst into laughter.
He alternately looked at the marquis couple with dry eyes, moistened his lips with red wine, and then just slightly raised the corners of his mouth.
“By the way, it seems you two still haven’t had any news?”
The abrupt statement was as rude as gossipmongers in the marketplace using it to stir up curiosity.
“Pardon? That’s…”
“Children, I mean children.”
“Ah-.”
As Kedilen hastily bit into the question mark floating above his head, Speaker Bex answered plainly.
As a low sigh escaped, Speaker Bex rubbed his chin.
“It’s strange that such a harmonious couple hasn’t had news of a child for over three years. Everyone finds it puzzling.”
Ludmila suddenly wondered if that drink might be drugged. Although she had been flustered by this question before, it was still just as fresh now.
One of the taboos in aristocratic etiquette was asking about heirs.
It was one of the best examples that could easily lead to the strange misunderstanding that one was interested in that family.
To bring it up so directly.
No matter how poor the relationship between Speaker Bex, one of the old nobility, and Kedilen, this was too rude a question.
“Haha, is that so? It seems I’ve caused you concern. I suppose it’s because I value my time alone with my wife so preciously that we haven’t had any yet.”
“Even so, isn’t the matter of an heir important?”
“You make a valid point. We should give it more serious thought and start preparing now.”
“Hmm-.”
But such rude questions were no problem at all for Kedilen standing before him.
For him, the position of Minister of Commerce was a high office he couldn’t have even dreamed of in the past.
Nevertheless, most of the officials in both the upper and lower houses of the Imperial Parliament, which still had a firm grip on power, were old nobility.
While the position of Minister of Commerce was certainly a high one, he needed backing to support him.
Moreover, Parliament had the authority to appoint and dismiss ministers.
Knowing that his head could roll at any moment with just one word from them, Kedilen couldn’t say anything about the Speaker’s rude behavior.
Or rather, he didn’t need to. His pride was just one of the defense mechanisms that selectively activated only in front of his wife.
Once again tilting his glass, Speaker Bex alternately stared at the two before finally fixing his gaze on Ludmila’s body.
His eyes quickly rolled up and down, and then he opened his wine-stained lips.
“Could there be some problem with the Marchioness’s body?”
“Pardon?”
“…”
“My wife says it’s difficult to conceive if you’re too thin.”
“Well…”
At the question that once again crossed the line of common sense, Kedilen quickly scanned Ludmila’s body with surprised eyes.
Ludmila’s eye corners trembled slightly, having suddenly become a display mannequin between the two men.
Even though she was familiar with it having experienced it once before, the shame didn’t disappear.
As she endured the humiliation with a expressionless face and downturned lips, Speaker Bex’s voice shot out like a hook.
“She looks thin, but doesn’t seem to have any problems. Ah, could it be a congenital issue?”
“…”
“If that’s the case, please tell me. I know a good doctor in that field and can introduce you.”
It was certainly not spoken with good intentions. It was a blatant attempt to mock Ludmila and gain something.
Ludmila’s eyes reddened as she endured the humiliation.
Hearing hurtful words twice was not a particularly good experience.
Originally, if such words were spoken, it should have been the husband, not the person in question, who became the savior, pointing out the rudeness and demanding an apology.
“I’m grateful that Speaker Bex is thinking of us so much. I will certainly come to you personally to ask for help when the opportunity arises.”
However, the husband, blinded by power and success, merely glossed over his wife’s embarrassment and shame.
Speaker Bex watched this scene and curled his lips as if in disbelief.
To them, for whom honor and prestige were as valuable as life itself, Marquis Erdi was as good as dead.
Just money-grubbing scoundrels. This is why they’re despised. Speaker Bex clicked his tongue loud enough for all to hear, then immediately smiled.
“Then let me introduce you to someone I know very well…”
“It’s been a while, Speaker.”
The voice that cut off Speaker Bex, who was about to conclude the conversation after finding no meaning in the worthless provocation, was a dull tone far from aristocratic enunciation.
Just as the startled Speaker Bex was about to turn his head, an arm draped over his shoulder.
“Were you here?”
“You…!?”
Speaker Bex turned his head to confirm the identity of the owner of the sluggish voice that sounded half-submerged in water, and immediately wrinkled his face.
‘…Aden?’
Ludmila’s eyes wavered slightly at his sudden appearance.
Such a conversation hadn’t continued in her previous life.
As Ludmila’s red eyes rose clearly, startled by the development that differed from the flow she knew, Aden’s golden eyes, which had been looking at Speaker Bex, rolled towards her.
Ludmila flinched at the momentary encounter with the beast-like golden eyes.
“Are you here again, unable to control that nature of yours, tormenting the marquis couple? Your rough edges remain unchanged despite the passage of time.”
“When did you get here? Did you receive an invitation too?”
Instead of answering the complaint that burst out from beside him, Aden’s gaze returned to Speaker Bex.
Rather than answering, Aden opted to pull the man’s smooth lips refreshingly.
The Speaker gritted his teeth and roughly shook off Aden’s hand, then alternately examined Ludmila and Kedilen.
“The saying ‘birds of a feather flock together’ comes to mind.”
Speaker Bex, who had brushed off his shoulder where Aden’s arm had touched as if it was contaminated, twisted the corners of his mouth.
“This doesn’t seem to be a particularly good composition for an elegant conversation. Well then, have a good night.”
Speaker Bex, who had left the minimum courtesy forced out, retreated.
He muttered something as he moved away, but Ludmila didn’t bother to listen.
It was obviously going to be slander about her or Aden anyway.
Aden, who had been staring at Speaker Bex’s back, tracking his movements, gave a small sneer.
Unlike the fresh lightness Aden had shown just moments ago, the laughter that flowed from the corners of his mouth was incredibly heavy.
Was he originally this kind of person?
As she was recalling her not-so-long encounters with Aden, the golden eyes turned back once again.
Kedilen, who had failed to keep up with the rapidly changing situation, seemed to come to his senses at the eyes fixed on him and started with an “Ah-” exclamation.
“I apologize for the late greeting. Ke…”
“I’ve heard that Marquis Erdi is said to be so devoted to his wife that he would give her his own liver. But for a man who disregards his wife’s humiliation right before his eyes to be called devoted?”
“…Pardon?”
How many times had he repeated this today? A metallic sound burst from Kedilen’s mouth.
The golden eyes meeting Kedilen’s puzzled gaze narrowed slightly.
“Isn’t this truly a vulgar joke that makes the Marquis a laughingstock?”
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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