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IGF 12
“There is no need for an investigation. Rumors of a divorce and such have already swept through the social circles.”
Aiden tilted his head as if to prompt more. Jeffrey searched his memory and laid out the information he knew about Roselyn Bluebell. That she had been sent to a convent due to problematic behavior; that she was a beautiful, foolish temptress who had an affair with men immediately after marriage and was eventually divorced and kicked out without a single penny. That was the scandal and reputation Jeffrey had overheard regarding Roselyn.
“A beautiful, foolish temptress, is she?”
Aiden quietly repeated the last words, rubbing his chin with his thumb. She hadn't seemed like that, yet she was a woman who carried such rumors.
“I did a brief investigation once, and she is indeed a woman with some peculiar aspects.”
At Dylan's following words, Aiden's gaze shifted toward him. In response to the look that seemed to ask what he meant, Dylan continued.
“Countess Bluebell is on good terms with Wijena, and there was information that Roselyn Bluebell has been staying at Marquis Russell's estate since her divorce. I wondered if she might also be related to Wijena, so I looked into it roughly.”
“And?”
“Strangely, I got the feeling that while the rumors are rampant, there is no actual substance to them.”
The number of men she had supposedly seduced was enough to fill both hands, yet information on those men existed nowhere. Since she was said to be at the Marquess's estate, he thought her mother, Countess Bluebell, might be supporting her, but there was no mention of that either, which was equally puzzling. No matter how disgraceful her behavior was to have been cast out, to have severed ties this completely was unusual.
Furthermore, word had it that she was close with Violet Russell and was staying there, but he received the impression that her position was suspicious for a mere guest of the Marquess's daughter. Dylan conveyed the sense of incongruity he felt without reservation, but Aiden, whose mind was preoccupied with recalling the image of the woman in the garden while looking out the window, barely listened and leaned back, stretching his spine.
“Well, there's no smoke without fire.”
If she was the protagonist of such rampant rumors, she was practically a godsend to him now. He had gained a great harvest from an unexpected place. Praying that she was as greedy as the rumors suggested, Aiden turned his eyes away from the deep blue sky that resembled Roselyn's eyes.
In the banquet hall after Aiden's departure, Violet stood amidst the people who were becoming boisterous as intoxication set in, her eyes shimmering with malice. Breaking away from the young ladies chattering beside her with a mechanical smile, she first turned her head toward her close maids. The maids, who had been standing at a distance, hurried to catch up behind Violet.
“Where is Roselyn?”
“Ah, she might have been taking a walk; I saw her coming in from the garden earlier and heading up to her room. It seems she was in that corner of the garden she's always peeking at.”
The maid was puzzled by the young lady's sudden interest in Roselyn's movements, but she answered faithfully as she had seen.
“How did she look?”
“How did she look?”
The maid asked back, not understanding the question. At the maid's tilted head, Violet paused, then shook her head with a pretty smile.
“Nothing. Forget it.”
Recalling how Billion Crompter had entered looking pale and left as if fleeing before Aiden arrived, Violet bit her lip. She could roughly picture how things had played out without even hearing. The foolish Crompter, who couldn't even eat a single dish properly. Ignoring the fact that she had been able to subtly incite and send him to the garden precisely because he was so dull, she closed her eyes tightly and exhaled slowly to swallow her anger. Why on earth did he have to be there at that moment?
“My lady. Are you going up already? The banquet is still in full swing...”
The maids glanced toward the banquet hall, as if it were a waste to leave. Violet walked toward the stairs, speaking in a light tone as if it were no big deal. The maids, quickly clustering around her, lifted the back of her dress so she wouldn't step on it.
“Prince Aiden left early as well, and I'm just feeling a bit tired today.”
Noticing that her mood had sunk, the maids exchanged glances. Amy, who, thanks to being the most senior, had learned that something bad always happened if she bothered the young lady when she was in a low mood, was the first to raise her voice.
“The Prince is too much. To leave so quickly! Still, when I saw you dancing with him, you looked truly well-matched! You were such a beautiful couple.”
“...Do you think so?”
“Of course! When the Prince and you were dancing, I thought time had stopped. Everyone else was staring only at you!”
Only then did the stiffness around Violet's mouth soften slightly. Reading her satisfied expression, the maids began to compete in showering her with praise. They claimed she was the most beautiful person in the banquet hall and that Prince Aiden must have been entranced by her beautiful figure. At the maids' sweet talk, insisting that he must have left early due to unavoidable circumstances and that she shouldn't worry too much, her emerald eyes regained their warm light.
“I think I've become a bit sensitive because I've been moving busily since dawn. I'll just rest in the toilette room and then return to the banquet hall.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Amy let out a small sigh of relief. Violet gazed briefly toward the third floor where Roselyn's room was located before turning away.
Roselyn, who had woken up early since dawn, hurried to the kitchen before too many people gathered. Fearing the inevitable glares, she took a small deep breath and opened the kitchen door. Fortunately, perhaps because it was early morning, the only people there were a few kitchen maids and the head chef, Ashley.
Upon seeing Ashley, Roselyn's face relaxed in relief. As the most senior chef of the Marquess's household, Ashley was older and rarely in the kitchen, but she was one of the few people whose attitude toward Roselyn had not changed even after the scandals had swept through the estate. When Ashley was present, the other chefs and maids dared not bully Roselyn.
“Oh, it's Roselyn.”
“Hello, Chef Ashley.”
Unlike the maids who turned their eyes away and avoided her the moment they saw her, Chef Ashley, who was vigorously shaking a frying pan, met her eyes warmly and greeted her first. Facing the large, stern-looking middle-aged woman, Roselyn gave a shy smile, bowed her head, and hesitantly approached her.
“I was wondering if I could have breakfast in my room. May I take just one piece of bread?”
“Will a single scrap of bread be enough? Wait here a moment. I was making some practice paninis. Take this instead.”
On the frying pan, appetizingly grilled paninis and vegetables were emitting a savory aroma. Perhaps because she had fallen asleep early and missed dinner, her empty stomach roared at the delicious smell. As Roselyn unconsciously swallowed her saliva, Ashley's wrinkled eyes folded gently.
“Here it is. Eat well. Goodness, it feels like you're wasting away more and more.”
“Thank you.”
Taking the tray, Roselyn hesitantly expressed her gratitude. Feeling the warm concern for her within the blunt words, a surge of emotion welled up inside her.
“Are you alright?”
“What do you mean, 'alright'?”
“The rumors about me. You must have heard them, Ashley.”
At the face looking at her with tearful eyes, Ashley let out a deep sigh. How could the observer be alright when she had such pained eyes? She scratched the back of her neck, thought for a moment, and spoke as if it were nothing.
“I only believe what I see with my own eyes.”
“But...”
“At my age, one should know to believe what they've judged by seeing it themselves. If you let yourself be swayed by rumors, you've lived your life in vain. Don't you agree?”
What kind of temptress would freeze up and show such discomfort just by meeting the sly gazes of servants? Where in the world is there a foolish villainess who keeps her mouth shut and cannot say a word despite the worsening ostracization and exclusion?
It was the same just by seeing how Young Master Cesare had begun to follow Roselyn. No matter how much a villain pretended to be kind, they were bound to be filtered out in the eyes of a child. Ashley clicked her tongue and looked at Roselyn with pity.
She wanted to help, but there was no particular way, and knowing that in times like this, the only option was to wait for the rumors to die down, she only hoped that plenty of time would pass quickly. Ashley hoped that Roselyn wouldn't truly come to harm or go astray. It was heartbreaking to see a noblewoman undergoing such humiliation at an age when she should be blooming brilliantly.
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