A Battlefield Of Flowers (5)

The glass conservatory was a feast of flowers. It was the same whether seen with the eyes or smelled with the nose. Overwhelmed by the sight before me, I stiffened completely. Noblewomen in beautiful dresses of every color, adorned with scented oils, fans, and silk shoes, were paying their respects to me.

Kaltz whispered beside me.

“My lady, you must go in.”

Only then did I come to my senses. Holding my head straight, I immediately headed toward the hostess, the Duchess of Mülze.

Stay calm. You have practiced for this moment for weeks.

“Thank you for inviting me, Duchess of Mülze.”

Although I was terribly nervous, fortunately, my voice did not come out too strangely.

The splendid-looking Duchess bowed deeply to me.

“It is an honor to welcome Your Highness to my salon. Would you grant me the honor of introducing you?”

As Madam Sermona had expected, she was a neutral noblewoman and seemed willing to act as my debutante hostess. Feeling relieved, I nodded.

She took my hand and introduced me to the ladies once again.

“Her Highness Amarion Mort, Grand Duchess of Mort. As she has personally graced my salon with her presence, I hope you will all enjoy a pleasant time together.”

“Greetings. I am Amarion Mort.”

When I greeted everyone, numerous ladies smiled and offered compliments one by one. They welcomed me, called me beautiful, and said my dress was perfect. Most of it was probably empty praise given with the relationships between our houses in mind, but it did not feel unpleasant.

When I met their friendly gazes, my tension abruptly eased. Even though Kaltz had already left for the place where the knights were meant to remain, it was not as frightening as I had expected. I remembered the people at the residence repeatedly encouraging me, saying that I would be fine because I was the Grand Duchess. For some reason, my spirits lifted as though I really could do well.

Just then, one lady suddenly covered her mouth with her fan and smiled.

“I heard His Grace the Grand Duke cherishes Your Highness greatly. It seems that is truly the case.”

Another lady opened her fan with smiling eyes.

“How could he not cherish her? She is an important person to His Grace, after all.”

Then another lady held her fan near her lips.

“We thought he would treasure you like a single flower. We never imagined he would allow us to see you.”

Laughter followed.

As I listened to their words, my smile slowly disappeared.

Something about this was strange.

What Madam Sermona had taken particular care to teach me was how to recognize insults. She said insults in high society were delivered in such subtle ways that those unfamiliar with the rules often failed to notice them at all. Though she had reassured me that I probably would not need such knowledge, she had carefully taught me every method of insult.

And those memories now told me clearly.

These women had no intention of accepting me as a member of their salon. No, at this point, I was fortunate they had not driven me out.

Flustered, I tightly clutched the hem of my skirt.

I was meeting these noblewomen for the first time. What reason could they possibly have to show me such hostility? I was even the wife of the Empire’s greatest hero.

They smiled like a pack of wolves with a small rabbit before them.

“To receive one’s husband’s love is a woman’s virtue.”

“Of course. Especially when it was such an unexpected marriage…….”

“It is not uncommon for love to bloom after a sudden meeting.”

“Besides, is the Grand Duke not a knight? It truly sounds like an old tale.”

I tried to understand their words.

An unexpected marriage. A sudden meeting. A husband’s love.

I abruptly realized it.

These were all phrases used to mock a lowborn mistress who had somehow entered a noble household.

My expression immediately hardened. No matter how great the difference in our status, I could not understand why I, his lawful wife, had to hear such things.

Perhaps taking pity on me as I bit my lip, one lady graciously brought it up while fluttering her fan.

“Well, the Grand Duke originally had a fiancée.”

What…… did she mean?

“A fiancée?”

“Oh my, I have misspoken before Your Highness.”

The lady lifted and lowered the hem of her skirt as though teasing me.

At the same time, someone approached through the waves of countless dresses. She was a noble lady who perfectly suited the glass conservatory.

She had soft chestnut-brown hair, large blue eyes, and long eyelashes like a deer’s that fluttered whenever she blinked. The young lady with an exceptionally lovely face bent her knees and greeted me.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness the Grand Duchess. My name is Nanael Welch.”

I stared at her blankly.

I had already heard her name. According to Madam Sermona, she was the daughter of the ducal House of Welch, which, like Mort, was famous for its knight order. She was also currently the most celebrated flower of Imperial high society. Leading her family’s knights through the capital’s parties, she was already being courted by countless noble heirs and knights.

Madam Sermona had been unusually businesslike when speaking of her, and even Kaltz, who would normally have become excited over such gossip, had remained quiet, so the explanation had ended there.

Could it possibly mean…… that?

I forced the thoughts rising in my mind away and struggled to return her greeting.

“Greetings. I am Amarion Mort.”

She smiled brightly and covered her mouth with one white hand. At first glance, her smile was radiant enough to make one believe she was truly pleased to meet me. But her eyes were different. Looking at me with eyes that did not smile, she spoke like an oriole.

“The tiara in your hair is truly beautiful. Of course, it cannot compare to Your Highness’s hair.”

That was about me being from the north…….

I squeezed my eyes shut.

“Thank y—…….”

“From which house did Your Highness come? I would love to hear about your homeland!”

Nanael Welch took my hand with excessive familiarity.

I wanted to pull away, but I could not summon the courage. A small voice escaped me with difficulty.

“I was born into a count’s family in the northern kingdom…….”

The friends standing beside the young lady interrupted me before I could continue.

“You are being far too familiar with Her Highness, Nanael. You must observe proper manners.”

“Am I? Forgive me, Your Highness. This girl is poorly educated and often makes mistakes.”

Nanael lifted and lowered the hem of her skirt with an exceedingly lively manner. Her friends laughed softly.

“Still, I understand why she is pleased. We heard that His Grace the Grand Duke’s illness has been improving thanks to Your Highness.”

“Oh my, illness? It is improper for someone outside the house to discuss its master’s private affairs.”

Nanael warned her in a sharp voice. I blankly watched the farce unfolding before me.

Nanael Welch was behaving as though she were the mistress of the Grand Ducal House. Yet not one person pointed it out. About half the noblewomen merely remained silent, while the rest did not bother hiding their ridicule toward me. My sensitive ears caught fragments of their whispers.

“How could a woman be so shameless?”

“Would she ever have been able to come to the Empire if not for His Grace’s famous insomnia?”

“She should have continued making medicine or practicing magic or whatever it was she did. How dare she come to a place like this…….”

My heart sank.

The realization washed over me.

These people knew. They knew that I had been sold here to put Victor to sleep.

I did not know how I managed to remain there.

The subtle mockery continued, and even the moderate noblewomen, including the Duchess of Mülze, did not readily step forward to stop it. In the end, I stayed only long enough not to be considered rude before fleeing the salon.

Sir Kaltz followed and joked that I must have been very nervous, but I only nodded silently. Perhaps thinking I was exhausted, Kaltz did not speak to me any further.

While I remained silent, my thoughts branched in darker directions.

The insults had certainly been painful, but in truth…… they were not entirely wrong.

I was the daughter of a count, but my family held that title only because we guarded the border. The rank of count was little more than an empty title granted so that a certain number of knights could remain permanently stationed there.

Naturally, I had barely visited the capital, and I had never even made my debut. With monsters swarming just beyond the castle, visiting the residences of other nobles was unthinkable. I knew more mercenary captains than noblewomen.

It had been absurd from the beginning for a woman like me to marry a Grand Duke of such lofty status.

Perhaps it would have made sense for a qualified lady like Miss Welch…….

Everything I wore creaked awkwardly around me. It felt as though everyone was saying that I did not belong in that position.

Completely intimidated in the end, I spoke to no one at the second tea party. There were still some who approached me, perhaps because the rumors had not yet spread, but someone had once said that words during the social season traveled faster than a wyvern’s wings. Before long, they too would learn about the insults I had suffered earlier and the reason behind them.

The thought made me want to return to the Grand Ducal residence immediately and bury myself in bed. I even wanted to complain to Victor that I had come home early because it had been too difficult.

But that would truly make me seem…… like a mistress.

With my throat tight, I stepped down from the splendid carriage. Beneath the darkening sky, countless lights welcomed the guests gathering for the ball.

The ball, held at a detached palace on the outskirts of the capital, was far larger than the previous two gatherings. Moreover, male nobles were also present, making the atmosphere even livelier.

At least Kaltz was with me this time, so it should be better. Reassured, I took his hand and entered the hall.

But that reassurance did not last even a few minutes. Nanael Welch was laughing in the middle of the ballroom, surrounded by countless people. Afraid that our eyes might meet, I hurriedly turned toward Kaltz.

He asked in confusion,

“What is wrong, my lady?”