Chapter 3.9

Ariana was leisurely sipping tea at the mansion, winding down for the day. Although today was the day of the Imperial Banquet, Ariana had never attended it since marrying Rowen. She always used her poor health as an excuse to avoid participating, ensuring that all the prestige of the Astaroth Earl’s family was directed toward her husband.  

After Rowen inherited the title of Earl following their marriage, the couple had once attended the birthday banquet of a Marquis. Though they attended together, people spoke only to Ariana, as if Rowen wasn’t even there. Discussions about the management, trends, and plans of the Earl’s family were directed solely at Ariana whenever the two were present. People naturally regarded Ariana as the representative of the Astaroth Earl’s family.  

Following that experience, Ariana decided to refrain from external activities until Rowen firmly established himself as an Earl. She had faithfully adhered to this resolution for the past five years.  

However, her absence from this year’s Imperial Banquet wasn’t to bolster her husband’s reputation. She knew that a troublesome incident involving Rowen would unfold at today’s banquet, and if she were present, she’d inevitably have to deal with it alongside him.  

‘Let him figure it out on his own.’  

Ariana chuckled as she recalled Madame Green, who had snatched the invitation from her. The woman had been smug, unaware that the invitation held no real significance. Her triumphant expression was surely now drenched in tears.  

At that moment, distant commotion began to reach her ears. The noise grew louder, steadily approaching her room. Thump, thump. The sound of footsteps filled with anger made her set her teacup down on its saucer.  

“Why are you back so early on the day of the Imperial Banquet…”  

Smack!  

Just as she rose to turn toward the uninvited guest, a powerful blow sent her head spinning. Caught off guard, Ariana staggered and collapsed onto the floor.  

“My lady!”  

Helen and Gwen, who had hurriedly followed Rowen, fearing he might cause trouble, cried out in shock. They couldn’t believe their eyes. How could anyone dare lay a hand on the esteemed lady of the Earl’s family? Someone who had never been struck by anyone her entire life!  

Ariana gestured to Helen, who looked ready to rush to her aid, signaling her not to approach. Attempting to calm Rowen down might only worsen his anger. After all, people tend to grow even angrier when someone sides against them during a fit of rage.  

Covering her stinging cheek, Ariana slowly stood up. Her legs wobbled from the shock, nearly causing her to fall again, but she managed to steady herself by gripping the table.  

“What’s the meaning of this?”  

Rowen glared, his voice seething with fury. Ariana responded calmly.  

“What do you mean?”  

“You did this on purpose, didn’t you?”  

“What exactly are you accusing me of doing on purpose?”  

“The Imperial Banquet! You tricked my mother into thinking she could attend by giving her the invitation! You humiliated my family on purpose!”  

Rowen’s voice echoed loudly, so much so that it seemed it might wake every servant who had retired for the night.  

“Lower your voice.”  

“Lower my voice?!”  

“Go ahead and keep shouting if you want everyone to know about your mother’s ridiculous actions.”  

Rowen flinched, clearly not having considered that possibility.  

“…My mother and Flory are imprisoned in the Imperial Palace. They tried to enter the banquet with the invitation and were charged with impersonating nobles! They said you gave them the invitation!”  

Though still angry, his voice had noticeably softened. Ariana let out a dry laugh and sat back down.  

“That’s correct. I gave it to her.”  

“So you admit you did it on purpose!”  

“But I never said the invitation would grant her entry to the Imperial Banquet, did I? I assumed she wanted it as a keepsake because it looked fancy.”  

“Ha! Do you think that’s a valid excuse? She’s been able to attend every other party with just an invitation, so naturally she assumed…”  

“Surely not.”  

Ariana massaged her temples, as if dealing with a headache, and looked at Rowen.  

“Are you seriously saying your mother didn’t know that attendance at the Imperial Banquet is restricted to those listed in the Nobles’ Yearbook? That she didn’t know this basic ‘common knowledge’?”  

Rowen clenched his teeth, unable to respond. His jaw was so tense that it protruded visibly.  

If he admitted Ariana was right, it would mean his mother was an ignorant commoner. If he denied it, he’d have no grounds to criticize Ariana. Either way, Ariana would win. Rowen lacked the refined wit necessary for noble discourse.  

His fists clenched tightly, trembling with frustration, but he couldn’t find the words to respond. He simply didn’t know what to say.  

Ariana seemed to see right through his thoughts.  

“Did you come here just to vent your anger?”  

“Vent my anger? You set a trap for me!”  

Rowen slammed his hands on the table with a loud bang.  

“This is about accountability!”  

“Did I force your mother to take the invitation and push her to attend the banquet? If not, how is this my responsibility?”  

Ariana took a sip of her tea. It had gone cold during their argument, but the coolness helped soothe her burning frustration.  

“If I were you, I’d spend less time yelling at me and more time figuring out how to salvage my reputation.”  

“And how am I supposed to salvage my reputation in this situation?!”  

“If your own brain can’t come up with an answer, borrow someone else’s.”  

Ariana clicked her tongue in disdain.  

“Why don’t you discuss the matter with Camio and figure out how to resolve it? You’ve slapped me, so your anger should be satisfied by now.”  

Rowen stared at Ariana’s calm face, which didn’t even look at him as she spoke. Her cheek, where he had struck her, was flushed red and swollen. Her pale and delicate skin made the mark stand out even more.  

Biting his lip, Rowen turned and stormed out of the room. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to give Helen a command.  

“Call the doctor and treat her quietly.”  

***

“It looks like it will bruise.”  

The doctor sighed deeply. Helen had urgently summoned him late at night, and he was shocked to find the lady’s face in such a state.  

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t go out much anyway. If I need to, I can cover it with makeup.”  

Despite the pain from her swollen cheek, Ariana replied with a smile. The doctor, who had served the Astaroth family for generations and watched Ariana grow up, shook his head in disbelief. The mischievous young lady had grown into a mischievous noblewoman. Truly, as the saying goes, ‘Like father, like son.’  

“You shouldn’t take injuries so lightly. You’re responsible for the future of the Earl’s family…”  

At the mention of the Earl’s family’s future, Ariana, who had maintained a cheerful demeanor throughout the treatment, frowned for the first time.  

“Gwen. Could you step outside for a moment?”

Ariana dismissed Gwen, who had been attending to her. The girl bowed deeply and left, sensing that something important was about to be discussed. Once the door closed, Ariana turned to the doctor and asked seriously,  

“You’re aware that Alena is pregnant, aren’t you?”  

“…Yes.”  

The doctor nodded heavily. Though everyone tried to keep it quiet, those working for the Astaroth household all knew. For now, the rumors were confined within the estate, but it wouldn’t be long before they spread outside.  

“The Earl says he must register Alena’s child under my name, using my supposed infertility as the reason.”  

“What?”  

“Do you think the Earl has any grounds to make such a claim?”  

“What on earth…?”  

The doctor’s eyes widened in disbelief, as if he had just heard the most absurd thing in the world.  

“It’s true that your health isn’t ideal for conceiving a child, but infertility? That’s an entirely different matter.”  

“The Earl seemed quite convinced.”  

“How could the Earl be so certain of something I, who have been monitoring your health, have never even considered?”  

The doctor thumped his chest in frustration and assured her,  

“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you. In fact, I even…”  

He trailed off, hesitating. When Ariana tilted her head, puzzled, he reluctantly continued.  

“To be honest, I’ve always suspected the Earl might be the one with the issue… but seeing that Alena is pregnant, I suppose my concerns were unfounded.”  

“What do you mean by that?”  

After their marriage, the family doctor had also been keeping an eye on Rowen’s health. Whenever minor issues arose, Ariana was informed. However, this was the first time she had heard anything like this.  

“Well, it’s not normal for a healthy couple to try for years without conceiving. That’s why I started looking into potential causes.”  

“And you found suspicious signs in Rowen?”  

“Yes. But since it’s such a delicate matter, I thought it best not to say anything until I was certain…”  

“A year ago, Rowen brought in a personal doctor, saying he’d handle his health on his own.”  

“Exactly. Since then, I haven’t been able to monitor him, which has been troubling. But now that the Earl has fathered a child, it seems there was no issue after all.”  

The doctor looked uneasy as he spoke, but Ariana offered him a reassuring smile to ease his concern.  

“That’s not what I’m curious about. For the Earl to be so convinced I’m infertile, there must be some basis for it.”  

The doctor caught on to what Ariana was implying.  

“Surely you’re not suspecting me…”  

“No! If that were the case, the Earl replacing you with another doctor wouldn’t make sense, would it?”  

“Then who are you suspecting…?”  

The doctor tilted his head, puzzled. This time, it was Ariana who hesitated before broaching the sensitive topic.  

“Baras. He was close to Alena, wasn’t he?”  

“He was, but…”  

Hearing his son’s name, the doctor’s expression grew serious.  

“Are you suspecting him?”  

“It’s never good to have an enemy among those close to you. I just want to be sure. Can you look into it for me?”  

The doctor’s eyes trembled slightly. Investigating his own son was no easy task. But…  

“I’ll do it.”  

The doctor nodded firmly, his face resolute.