Chapter 40

Vivian Alois.

From the Alois Marquistae, a prestigious house boasting a long history, and also a Major, she was a woman well known for her wide connections both as a soldier and in high society.

She liked to wear military uniforms tailored exactly to her figure with no attempt to hide her full body, and because of that, her popularity in society was remarkable for that distinct charm.

Vivian visited Glade Hills once every two days or so. The simple reason that she had done so since childhood was her excellent excuse. Since she had been entering and leaving the mansion without notice for over ten years, she was on good terms with everyone from the butler downward, and thanks to that, each time she came, she strode through the house like its owner and came and went from Carlisle’s office as she pleased.

Even after Yvonne entered this house, Carlisle left Vivian’s behavior alone, and that silently impressed on the servants that Vivian’s place was higher than Yvonne’s.

The servants who were consistently dry toward Yvonne were warm to Vivian, and Yvonne could only watch that like an outsider.

Just then, Harold came hurrying down the corridor, almost running, and spoke.

“Major Alois, when did you return?”

“Harold, it’s been a while.”

Vivian, returning each servant’s warm greeting with a smile, lightly embraced Harold.

“Major, really. Just call me what you always do.”

Emotion welled in Harold’s eyes, a man who usually kept a severe expression, at the familiar tone of the noble young lady whom he had cared for from childhood.

“Have you been well? I’ve been away for a while because I had to go to the Osmil negotiation district.”

“As for me, I have been well thanks to your concern, but hearing that you traveled such a long distance gives this old man much worry.”

“Oh, don’t worry. Who do you think I am? I handled it splendidly. But more importantly, where is Carlisle? Is he in the study?”

“He has already gone to work.”

“Already? That was early. Then I’ll wait in the study.”

“Ah. Well. Just a moment….”

Vivian, who had been about to head up the central staircase out of habit to go to Carlisle’s study, stopped short when she saw someone standing partway up the stairs.

Vivian’s eyes, taking in Yvonne, shook widely.

For just a moment, as if thinking she must have seen wrong, she blinked rapidly, then parted her lips in disbelief.

“Why are you here?”

Vivian’s eyes rose sharply, as if she had encountered someone who ought not to be here.

Yvonne came down the stairs calmly and met Vivian’s gaze.

Carlisle, who had been the object of Aerondo women’s admiration, had never been close with anyone, but Vivian was different.

The Polshared family had from olden times been a long-established military house, and before Carlisle inherited the family, the previous generation had also served as commander-in-chief supporting the Kingdom of Windfog, so there were many soldiers who still remembered his character and leadership.

And a place that had produced outstanding soldiers who had served the country no less than the Polshareds was the Alois Marquisate, but the one who inherited that family over the eldest son was Major Vivian Alois, who had achieved a remarkable promotion at the age of twenty-six.

Thus the two, who had visited each other often since childhood, came to be assigned to the same unit through military academy and saw each other often for work-related reasons. There had been times when Yvonne found it strange that Carlisle allowed Vivian so close, but she had forced herself to swallow that hurt, telling herself it was only because of the friendship they had shared since childhood.

Looking back, it was an utterly foolish thought.

“What is so strange about my being in my own home?”

“Well, of course you are….”

Vivian, who had gotten that far, noticed the maids and rearranged her expression, then put on the bright smile that had become part of her image as a confident modern woman.

“Yvonne. Since I’ve come after such a long time, shall we go riding together? Or tennis? Shooting wouldn’t be bad either.”

“……”

“Ah, but proposing something dangerous like shooting to a delicate woman, that was my mistake. Shall we do embroidery together instead, something suited to your level, Yvonne?”

Yvonne quietly looked at Vivian, who was smiling sweetly while subtly provoking her.

Vivian, one of Carlisle’s direct subordinates, was currently the chief overseer of supplies and entered both the ducal residence and Rein Kleint Company so often under the pretext of collaboration that it was nearly constant.

Because of that, Yvonne had to encounter Vivian almost every other day. At first, since she was her husband’s friend, Yvonne had wanted to get along with her. But Vivian was a person who hated her more than anyone.

‘A doll is prettiest when it stays quietly in one place, instead of wandering about uselessly.’

Vivian, who had been hostile toward Yvonne from their first meeting, behaved warmly on the surface, but revealed her true face when they were alone.

Every time Yvonne saw Vivian moving about the mansion as if she were the lady of the house here, despite the fact that Yvonne was unmistakably the lady of this house, her feelings became complicated. It upset her, but because Vivian was her husband’s friend, she had no choice but to endure it.

But now, she felt, what did it matter.

“No. I don’t particularly feel like it.”

“Why not. Between friends, while doing some embroidery…”

“No. You seem to have misunderstood what I said. I mean you are not my friend, Miss Vivian. I simply have no wish to do anything with someone who makes me uncomfortable.”

Gasp. From somewhere among the maids standing behind, came the sound of someone sharply drawing breath. Harold shot that maid a warning glance, then cleared his throat.

“Madam. Forgive me, but such words toward Miss Vivian are far too rude…”

“Butler.”

Yvonne cut off Harold’s words in a low voice.

“There is no need to say what is ‘forgive me’ if it need not be said. And hearing the word rude from a butler who does not even greet the lady of the house he serves in the morning is rather unpleasant.”

In an instant, a cold silence fell.

Harold, doubting his ears, blinked with a face that seemed to ask what exactly he had just heard. Yvonne gave a faint smile at the rare sight of the butler, normally so rigid as to seem beyond agitation in any matter, looking shaken.

“It means do it properly now.”

“Ah…yes…yes…. Good morning, Madam.”

Only after seeing the neck of the middle-aged gentleman, always impossibly stiff even before Yvonne, move slightly did Yvonne turn away.

“Since a guest has come, you should hurry and attend to her. Unlike me, the person you have waited for and longed for so eagerly has arrived.”

“……”

At the sight of Yvonne walking away after saying only what she wished, the servants looked utterly dumbfounded.

Has she lost her mind.

Even as Harold lifted his glasses, wondering whether he too had seen wrong, Vivian, whose face had flushed with humiliation, softened the gaze with which she had been glaring at Yvonne.

“The Duchess seems to be in a bad mood, but I’ll go after her, so everyone go back to your work.”

“Truly, Miss Vivian, your character is something to be admired. Madam really knows how to make people uncomfortable.”

Turning away from the butler and maid, who clicked their tongues at the Duchess’s rudeness, Vivian’s face hardened coldly.

* * *

Standing before the dining room, Yvonne let out a strained breath.

Just how many times had they done it.

Even walking this far made her legs ache faintly, as though no proper strength would go into them. The aftermath of the rather rough intimacy from last night still ran through her whole body.

It was the first time she had felt like this since the newlywed period. Just then, from behind her, the sharp click of pointed heels sounded again.

She tried to ignore it and go in as if she had not heard, but a strong hand caught her shoulder and turned her around.

As expected, it was Vivian.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“Weren’t you divorced? I clearly saw in the newspaper that you filed the papers…”

At the abrupt demand, Yvonne drew her brows together. It seemed Vivian had only heard the news that she had demanded a divorce and still did not know what had appeared noisily in yesterday’s paper.

Not that Yvonne had any intention of kindly explaining it, so she passed by Vivian and said,

“That’s how it turned out.”

“I’m not finished talking. What do you mean, that’s how it turned out?”

Vivian, catching Yvonne by the shoulder again as she tried to enter through the dining room door, pressed her once more.

“I’m asking why you crawled back in here again!”

Yvonne looked down at the hand gripping her wrist hard and frowned. So she was not merely a soldier in name; her grip was quite strong.

Yvonne was already in poor condition because the intimacy she had had after months had been rather rough, and her expression turned cold just as quickly. There was no need to tell the truth, so she answered vaguely.

“Because Carlisle said he needed an heir.”

“A-an heir?”

Clear shock spread across Vivian’s face. For a brief moment her expression twisted, then she lowered her voice.

“Are you insane? I explained it very clearly so you would understand.”

If by explanation she meant the words Vivian had spoken right to her face that night. The expression disappeared from Yvonne’s face as she gripped the hem of her skirt.

“So?”

“So? You…”

“That night, you said you were Carlisle’s hidden lover.”

Vivian, who had not expected Yvonne to say it so directly, flinched and looked around. Yvonne, not caring whether anyone heard, continued.

“So then should I divorce him? Whether you are a lover or a mistress, what does that have to do with me?”

At Yvonne’s cold return, so unlike her usual self that she never even put forward her own opinion, let alone properly argued back, Vivian flinched. But only for a moment. Letting out a disbelieving laugh, Vivian glared fiercely.

“So the crazy things you said were true. Calling Carlisle a violent husband, making unreasonable claims, and then backing down because you were scared of a lawsuit—how dare you come here!”

“Oh, the violence was referring to you.”

“What…did you say?”

Seeing that what crossed Vivian’s face at her flinch was not guilt but stunned disbelief, Yvonne’s face turned cold.

“You pushed me. In this house.”