Did they think that the Duchess, known for her piety and compassion, would be flustered into forgiving them just because they kneeled in front of her?

“What’s going on?” Ian asked me. I didn’t answer and simply looked down at the two of them. Sensing my silence, Ian also started glaring at them. The other opera members were beginning to gather as well. Finally, Tina, now visibly frightened, glanced around and said in a trembling voice,

“Please forgive us. We didn’t realize you were the Duchess, and we were rude.”

This whole act wasn’t about truly seeking forgiveness from me. The important thing was that the opera members now knew the clumsy Anne they had been ridiculing was, in fact, the Duchess. They were scrambling to gain forgiveness, not out of genuine remorse, but because they realized their gossip was about to isolate them.

I couldn’t help but smirk. I could put on a show too, and quite well, I might add. In a gentle and sweet voice, I said, “I don’t know what you’re asking me to forgive. Any wrongs I knew of, I’ve already forgiven. Even when I had nothing, I forgave you. So why would it be hard for me to forgive you now? Why don’t you tell me what you did wrong? You need to know what you’re apologizing for if you want forgiveness.”

“…”

“It’s hard to say, isn’t it? Don’t worry, I’ll wait.”

Jules and Tina seemed shocked, as if they hadn’t expected me to respond like this. They were at a loss for words, just opening and closing their mouths soundlessly. Ian, sensing their hesitation, ordered Phillip, “Bring a chair.”

The memory of their previous encounter must have flashed before them, as both women started trembling uncontrollably. Phillip quickly fetched the chair.

“Sit down, Liv. You must be tired from standing,” Ian said.

“I’m fine…” I replied.

Ian smiled coldly. “I just don’t want to risk you fainting again. Who knows what I might do if that happens.”

Feeling a bit pressured, I took a seat. Ian, Phillip, and Sir Wayne stood behind me, their presence intimidating those around us. I hadn’t intended for this when I brought them along, but it turned out to be a fortuitous move. Jane draped a shawl over my shoulders and signaled Betty to step aside. Betty, who had been standing there dumbfounded, quietly moved to stand next to Jane. The director was now standing beside Betty as well.

Even after a long wait, there was no answer. But it wasn’t me who was getting frustrated—it was the others. The murmuring grew louder, and Jules started sniffling. She had seemed tougher at first, but it appeared she was actually a coward, while Tina was the one pulling the strings from behind. Seeing Tina caught in a trap of her own making, unable to say a word, I almost laughed.

“What are you doing? Confess your wrongs already!” The director, having lost his patience, shouted.

“If you won’t speak, I will! You stole the stage costumes and blamed Anne for it!”

Jules gasped, covering her mouth with both hands. I blinked in surprise. I hadn’t expected the director to remember that incident. He was fuming, his face red with anger as he yelled, “You wretched girls! Did you think I wouldn’t find out about you tormenting innocent people like that?”

So he ‘did’ know? That was unexpected. He must be acting this way now because he realized I was the Duchess and feared for his own position. His neck flushed as he shouted,

“You worthless scoundrels! I overlooked your behavior because I pitied you, but now you’ve blown everything out of proportion! You’re fired!”

“Director!” Tina cried out, looking at him in disbelief.

“You can’t do this! If I’m fired, I have nowhere to go. I’ll starve! I haven’t done anything so terrible that I deserve to starve to death!”

I was taken aback by Tina’s words. Was she seriously using her poverty to blackmail him? She had no problem taking the chorus part Betty had generously offered me when I couldn’t even land a minor role.

“Why should I keep you around? Tell me! Are you talented, or do you have good character? All you do is find people more unfortunate than you, bully them, and spread bad energy. I know it was you who drove Juliana away!”

Juliana? She was the girl who had taken Betty’s chorus spot instead of me. I remembered her well because she had cried, begging to perform even with a broken leg. I had stepped aside for her because she seemed more desperate than I was, but now I learned that Jules and Tina had bullied her out? I was shocked by how much worse they were than I had imagined.

“Is that true? Did you torment that poor girl?” Betty asked, her voice trembling with disbelief. Her eyes brimmed with tears, making her look like the heroine of a tragic drama. I almost felt like offering her a chair too.

“You told me she left because she was tired of being a minor character!” Betty continued.

Tina hesitated, stammering, “That… that’s true! She did say she’d rather work in a factory than stay here.”

“Now that she had become limp, which factory would take her in!” Betty cried, her voice full of despair. I sighed. While the nobles could receive proper treatment, splints, and rest even with a broken leg, commoners often couldn’t afford such care, leading to improperly healed bones. Juliana must have ended up like that.

“Anne saying she didn’t want to work with you was a lie too, wasn’t it? I didn’t know any better and…”

Betty buried her face in her hands and began to sob. Feeling uncomfortable sitting alone, I stood up and tried to console her. Between sobs, Betty apologized.

“I’m sorry, Anne. I should’ve listened to you back then…”

“It’s alright. It’s all in the past now. But you should stop crying. If your eyes swell up, it’ll ruin the afternoon performance.”

Sniffling, Betty tried to hold back her tears at my words.

“Jane, ask someone at the mansion to bring ice. Once it arrives, apply it to your eyes. As for me, I’ll be off. If I stay here too long, You’ll miss your rehearsal.”

Although I was just exhausted and wanted to go home, Betty seemed moved by my words.

“I couldn’t even stand up for you back then, and now you’re worried about my performance?”

“The show must go on. We’ve all worked hard to prepare, and every role is important. We can’t let something like this ruin it.”

I said this, thinking back to how nervous I used to be just to land a small part. I wasn’t sure why the director or the cast found it so touching. In any case, the atmosphere seemed to lighten, and it felt like the perfect time to leave.

“And I’d love for you to come to the party, not as a singer, but as my friend.”

“…What?”

Betty’s wide-eyed expression was adorable, and I smiled. I said goodbye and began descending the stairs when I suddenly heard a desperate voice.

“W-Wait a moment!”

I turned around. Tina was crawling toward me on her knees and, startled by Wayne’s scabbard, she threw herself face down in front of it. The room fell silent again.

“Duchess, please forgive me. I was wrong.”

“….”

“You said you’d forgive me…”

Did I? Now that she’d been fired, there was no need to worry about being ostracized, so why was she still begging for my forgiveness? Did she think I would throw her a lifeline? I put on an expression of pity. Hope began to light up Tina’s eyes. Did she still believe that because she was poor and pitiful, she deserved to be forgiven? Well, if she thought so…

“May the goddess forgive you.”

I never said ‘I’ would forgive her.

***

The draft of the divorce papers written by Theodore arrived. As expected of someone who graduated top of his class from the Cadia Empire Academy, it was a masterpiece. Though written in formal language, it was so solemn and sorrowful that even I felt like crying.

“Jane, look at this. He says he’s willing to give up his happiness as a man for the sake of the Empire’s history and future.”

“Let me see… ‘It is because I have been taught throughout my life that this is the duty of a noblewoman…’ Oh, I can’t read anymore.”

Though I don’t believe marriage is the key to a woman’s happiness, the judge reading this would probably think otherwise. I wrote a letter to Theodore saying the draft was fine as is and sent it with an invitation, along with my afternoon schedule. Suddenly, I heard hurried footsteps outside. When Jane opened the door quietly in response to a knock, Greta stood there with a grave expression.

“Greta? Are you off probation?”

“Something terrible has happened. The old woman from the apothecary has disappeared.”

“…”

“I went to see her this morning as soon as my probation ended because I had something to say, but her shop was already cleared out. It seems she had planned to flee that day we spoke.”

This was indeed bad news. Benjamin and I had been planning to entrust her with cultivating roscari and producing its medicine. She could have done a great service not just for me but for the Empire’s mages. I paused to think. It seemed my visit had made her anxious.

“It’s my fault.”

“Why do you always blame yourself?”

Greta snapped.

“I’m the one who scared her with my temper. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine!”

“Dame Greta, calm down.”

Jane intervened, and Greta quickly fell silent. She stood in the corner, looking regretful, while I paced the room in deep thought. Jane spoke in a measured tone.

“She might be caught at the checkpoint.”

I gave Jane a questioning look.

“Didn’t His Grace strengthen the capital’s checkpoints to find you? The official reason was to root out the remnants of the Bailey family, so the checks should still be in place. And since she’s a wizard, there’s a chance…”

“If she drank virus oil, she wouldn’t be caught.”

Jane bit her lip. I sighed.

“There’s nothing we can do. This isn’t anyone’s fault. If there’s anything to blame, it’s the Empire’s flawed history.”

Anyone overhearing this could accuse me of high treason, but no one did. I’ve really grown bold, talking like this in front of others. Greta, upset, said softly.

“You really need that medicine.”

“We can import it from Laran. It’s fine. The old woman was never a real option for me. It’s disappointing, but that’s all it is. So don’t even think about telling Ian to use the power of the Keppel family to track her down.”

Surprisingly, it wasn’t Greta who reacted, but Jane, who flinched. I stared at her silently, urging her to respond. She sighed and said:

“Yes, My Lady.”

TL NOTE: Visit and bookmark the story at dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and updates of its latest release.