Wedding (3)

“The day of the opera night, we met in the waiting room, didn’t we? But Lady Octavia—your expression doesn’t look well.”

Alicia greeted her warmly and voiced concern.

“Lady Alicia. I don’t know how someone like me—the daughter of a mere baron—should conduct herself before such an exalted future Grand Duchess.”

Octavia’s voice was soft as silk.

Yet there was a peculiar sharpness in the words that lowered herself to the ground.

Excessive humility wasn’t polite.

It was a tactic—overstating her own weakness and pitifulness so that if the other party acted even slightly displeased, she could accuse them of being cruel.

She was forcing the other person to grant her consideration because she was “weak.”

When Alicia was young, she had often been bullied for being “arrogant” because she couldn’t bring herself to act friendly to people who pretended to be weak.

Of course, some people liked it when others flattened themselves and elevated them.

If someone enjoyed displaying power, they would be satisfied by that sort of talk.

But as a side effect, they were known as ill-natured, or their reputation soured quickly.

Josephina was that type, for instance.

“Lady Octavia. That makes it sound as though I’m oppressing you by flaunting my status.”

Alicia smiled as she criticized Octavia.

“…Th-that’s not the case, Lady Alicia. You misunderstand.”

Alicia remembered that Octavia had stayed by Josephina’s side for a long time.

Octavia admired power, and clung to it.

“I’ve been misunderstanding things a lot today.”

Alicia soothed Octavia with a smile.

“I heard about what happened with the Dvav sisters. They said it was their mistake. Are you feeling all right?”

Octavia lowered herself to the point of being servile.

It was startling.

To anyone who knew her future, it would have been downright chilling.

Alicia knew Octavia’s future.

Viscount Stebil.

If reality didn’t change, in seven years Octavia Given would be called Viscount Stebil.

She liked being called by her title more than her name.

That was why, even after seeing Octavia several times, Alicia hadn’t immediately recalled who she truly was.

In the first timeline, Octavia seized the Zephyr Clan circle after Josephina vanished.

Then, with wealth that appeared out of nowhere, she bought a title and became Viscount Stebil.

Much later, it became known that Octavia was cousins with Pierre Gique.

Once that was revealed, speculation ran rampant about Octavia and Josephina, and Pierre Gique.

People suspected Octavia might have been the one who connected her cousin Pierre Gique to Josephina.

From the time he sought permission from the imperial family for marriage, Pierre Gique had seemed like a different person after marrying.

During the period when he courted Josephina, Pierre Gique’s reputation was strangely good.

Pierre, known for Josephina’s notoriously foul temperament, soothed her moods well and behaved as though he loved every side of her.

But their marriage ended in tragedy.

Even during their courtship, many said someone must have fed Pierre Gique Josephina’s personal preferences.

Someone who knew Josephina well—Octavia—could have done it.

At that time, Octavia was the person who best knew how to cater to Josephina.

The colors Josephina liked, her food, her clothing, her books, her paintings, even her habits.

During the actual romance, Josephina had said Pierre Gique was the person who understood her most perfectly.

In the past, Alicia went one step further than public suspicion.

Octavia would have dressed up her cousin Pierre Gique and brought him to Josephina.

More likely than a formal introduction, she probably staged it to feel like fate.

Their first meeting was far too modest and “destined” for Lady Josephina.

Octavia was close to Josephina, and she knew Josephina’s schedule and daily routines better than anyone.

Making Pierre appear at the right moment like fate itself would have been easy.

Pierre Gique “coincidentally” helped Josephina when she was in trouble, and the two fell in love.

It was gratitude for help at a difficult moment—and the man was perfectly to her taste—so for Josephina it would have felt like true fated love.

Because Pierre Gique later shoved Josephina down the stairs and killed her, people even came to doubt the beginning of their story.

Alicia agreed with that suspicion.

Only, Josephina would have truly fallen and been injured from an “intended accident.”

Perhaps someone nearby had arranged for Josephina to be hurt, or had prepared a trap along the path she would take.

There were countless ways.

In the first timeline, the Emperor, devastated by losing Josephina, erased House Gique from the world.

It was around then that Octavia purchased a viscount title.

Right after House Gique collapsed.

House Gique’s assets were confiscated by the imperial family, but a noble’s wealth extended far beyond what appeared on the surface.

If Octavia had connected Pierre and Josephina, she would have grasped the situation faster than anyone.

And if she acted quickly, she might have secured a share—and used that wealth to buy her title.

In any case, these days, nothing would be going right for Octavia.

Unintentionally, Alicia had ruined every one of Octavia’s plans.

Alicia felt no particular guilt toward Octavia.

If, when Josephina had been hunted out of society, Octavia had continued pretending to be kind and even secured something small for her, she wouldn’t be in such difficulty now.

To Alicia, Octavia was someone who despaired over her own situation yet carried great ambition.

Power-oriented by nature, the type to seize any opportunity no matter what.

Right now, Octavia was suffering because she was too rash and too greedy, revealing her desire too openly.

Until she spoke with her directly, Alicia hadn’t thought Octavia was hostile toward Pierre Gique and Josephina.

But after speaking just now, she revised that view slightly.

Octavia wasn’t lowering herself merely because she was cautious by nature.

She seemed to harbor hostility toward Pierre Gique and Josephina.

Alicia, as an outsider, couldn’t know what story lay between the three.

But Octavia seemed to have a strong inferiority complex.

Given how she later preferred being called by her title rather than her name, Octavia now was lamenting her own station.

Even so, Octavia had many strengths.

She knew how to maintain smooth relationships with everyone.

She could blend appropriately with any group.

She read other people’s intentions well and didn’t cross lines.

Yet she seemed utterly unaware of her own merits.

“How is Viviana doing?”

Alicia’s voice was calm.

But she didn’t elevate Viviana by calling her “Lady.”

In noble society, the less close you were, the more carefully you observed etiquette.

And Octavia wasn’t someone Alicia was close to either—if Alicia’s tone became known, it could cause trouble.

“Viviana is a friend who doesn’t have good memories with you, Lady Alicia. Recently, many unfortunate things have happened to House Manners. Isn’t she in a pitiable situation? You should show magnanimity, my lady.”

Octavia gently pointed out Alicia’s fault.

“You really do have a knack for making words sound splendid.”

Alicia neither looked displeased nor showed any remorse at Octavia’s gentle reproach.

Instead, she suddenly praised Octavia.

“I apologize.”

Octavia wondered if what she said had been difficult to understand.

Or if there had been some problem with her words.

Alicia’s reaction had completely defied expectation—and the unexpected responses continued.

“Lady Octavia, which do you prefer: baroness or viscountess? Even if you’re a landless noble, doesn’t having a title make you feel a little better?”

Alicia spoke in a lowered voice.

If anyone else said it, it would sound like nonsense.

But because it was Alicia, Octavia could sense there was meaning behind it.

“……”

Octavia’s gaze paused for a moment in midair.

‘Which do you prefer, baroness or viscountess?’

There were rumors that the Grand Duke of Tessen, because he adored his betrothed Alicia, had granted every title Alicia asked for to Tessen’s vassals.

In fact, Daisy—once Alicia’s maid—had recently received the title Baroness of Ronoc.

People said Alicia was being reckless, trusting the Grand Duke of Tessen too much.

Some mocked it, saying, “What use is a noble with no land?”

But Octavia thought differently.

‘So what? As long as you were a noble, that was enough.’

Octavia would rather be a baroness herself than the daughter of a baron.

Even a title without land would do.

“Do you have an order for me, Lady Alicia?”

Octavia composed her expression and spoke respectfully.

Alicia found it impressive—this ability of Octavia’s, to seize another person’s intent so quickly.

But she offered no praise.

“I’d like to hear how Viviana treats the few friends she has left—just once, for the sake of her reputation.”

Alicia spoke in a cryptic way.

Octavia didn’t ask for a detailed explanation.

“I prefer viscountess.”

She stated what she wanted with elegance.

“Do you like working, Lady Octavia? If you handle this well, I’ll consider you for Acting Viscount of Gaeller. Count Juma said he needed capable people.”

Harry, who had gone to Gaeller, had become Count Juma.

More precisely, he had been designated the Count of Juma’s successor.

He was currently serving as both Acting Viscount of Gaeller and Acting Count of Juma.

“I’ve always wanted to try it.”

Octavia looked at Alicia with eyes that glittered.

Her face looked as though Alicia’s words were the sound of heaven.

“I hope we can become friends through this opportunity, Octavia. Call me comfortably too.”

“Being friends sounds wonderful, Alicia.”

The two of them gave each other gentle, virtuous smiles.

The world was abuzz over Alicia Rain’s marriage.

Queen Street—where the Grand Duke of Tessen had proposed to Alicia—was becoming a popular proposal spot for couples.

News about Alicia’s wedding preparations became the morning talk of the town.

The day before yesterday, all the ladies of Baden had made a commotion, saying Alicia had practically stripped every flower garden around Baden bare to buy flowers.

Yesterday, rumors spread that Alicia was preparing sapphire brooches as wedding favors, and high society went into an uproar.

What was so special about a royal wedding?

Opinions were divided over whether the Empress—whose due date was drawing near—should attend the wedding of the Grand Duke of Tessen and Alicia.

Everyone was in a frenzy, insisting the Empress would bear a son.

They raised their voices, saying good fortune kept arriving for the imperial family.

Viviana had no time to care about any of that.

These days, every day of her life was war.

Recently, she was afraid to open her eyes in the morning.

House Manners had suddenly lost its head.

Viviana still couldn’t believe it.

Her father had died.

Her father, who had entered the palace as usual, had been attacked by an unknown assailant and lost his life.

Because there were no visible external wounds, the bereaved family raised doubts, but the captain of the imperial guard concluded it was death by dagger.

The imperial family expressed deep sorrow over the chancellor’s accident.

They offered great help so the chancellor’s funeral could be held grandly.

Interest in the tragedy of the chancellor—found within the palace perimeter—didn’t last long.

The Emperor named Baron Berea as the new chancellor.

Everyone involved in political strife poured their attention onto the new chancellor.

Then another accident happened.

Christian, who had stepped out briefly, suffered a riding accident.

It had been only days since they buried his father.

Christian couldn’t even last two full days after the accident before he died.

Everything felt like a lie.

Was this what it felt like to have a vicious nightmare?

House Manners had no room to closely investigate the chancellor and heir’s accidents.

Relatives within the house raised their voices over the succession.

People they once considered family lunged like starving beasts for the marquis title and wealth.

Wretches.

The previous head of house, Raphaello Manners, had three children.

Maude Maynard—now Maude Manners, the Baroness of Goggins and one of the Emperor’s consorts.

Viviana Manners.

Christian Manners.

With Christian’s death, the line of succession was becoming complicated.

If Maude were unmarried, she would have become the Marquis of Manners.

Before her marriage, she often offered many good opinions and tended to stand at the center of the family.

The Marchioness of Manners was pushing Viviana to become the next Marquis of Manners.

Unlike Maude, Viviana had been more active outside, and the family was not favorable toward her.