Rubier had been worried that Avenne might cling to Victor and insist on marrying him after all.

So, when Avenne asked her to bring their father to Noctaven, Rubier felt as though her soul were leaving her body.

However, when Avenne explained that this was merely to obtain his approval for the marriage, Rubier felt a wave of relief.

Just in case, though, she insisted repeatedly that Victor truly loved her.

He loved her, so Avenne should stay there.

She mustn’t even entertain the thought of returning to Valleris.

‘I will marry Victor and succeed, no matter what. I will change this miserable life.’

At least Avenne seemed to understand her place and was quietly remaining at Noctaven.

“Rubier, what you need to do is simple. Firstly, you must get Father and Mother into the carriage somehow and send them here. Secondly, you must keep them blindfolded and deafened.”

“Keep them blind and deaf?”

“Father and Mother have stopped socializing recently, haven’t they? Make sure they remain cut off from outside information. Stop Father from reading his letters and prevent Mother from socializing with the other noblewomen.”

Avenne had assured her that everything would be resolved once the count arrived at Noctaven.

Cassian would persuade the count brilliantly, and the moment the Valleris family crossed into the North, their marriage would be as good as certain.

“As long as you fulfill your role properly, everything will unfold exactly as we wish.”

Avenne had emphasized that Rubier’s role was crucial to achieving their goal.

She had to prevent Count and Countess Valleris from communicating with anyone else. Then, at the appointed date and time, she had to place them both inside the carriage Avenne sent.

The moment Rubier returned to the Valleris estate, she sought out the head maid and issued an order.

“Send every letter addressed to Father directly to me. For the next few days, I will review the correspondence and write the replies myself.”

However, the head maid hesitated, looking visibly uncomfortable.

“I believe the countess could attend to that herself……”

“Mother is tired. Just send them to me.”

“……Yes, my lady.”

When Rubier repeated the order, the head maid nodded reluctantly.

She had only agreed because Rubier had insisted, and her manner made it clear that she was displeased with the request.

The head maid’s impudent attitude and utter disregard for Rubier’s feelings sent a sudden surge of rage through her.

Would she have behaved the same way if Avenne had given the same order?

No; the head maid would undoubtedly have looked at Avenne with affection.

Impressed by how considerate Avenne was towards her parents, she would gladly have handed over the letters and gone around the estate praising the eldest daughter’s devotion to her family.

But how did she treat Rubier? She deliberately showed her disapproval, treating Rubier as though she were an illegitimate child with no right to interfere in the county’s affairs.

Rubier was an official member of House Valleris, too.

She had even replaced Avenne, and yet that woman still dared to treat her this way!

Clenching her teeth, Rubier glared fiercely at the head maid’s retreating back.

Then her gaze lowered towards her own attire.

She wore a necklace adorned with an enormous jewel and an extravagant dress crafted from the finest silk.

Its appearance and value were in an entirely different league to anything Avenne possessed.

‘I will wear only beautiful and luxurious things for the rest of my life.’

Although everything originally belonged to Avenne Valleris, it would now all belong to Rubier.

From that day onward, Rubier followed Avenne’s instructions.

After examining every letter addressed to her father, she secretly removed any personal correspondence not related to his official duties.

This included letters asking after him, as well as those mentioning Avenne and Victor’s wedding, which was supposedly taking place in a month. There were invitations to afternoon tea. There were even letters from acquaintances recounting their recent travels and promising to send gifts soon.

Most were utterly ordinary, and Rubier could not understand why Avenne had ordered her to keep them from her parents.

The only remotely suspicious detail was that nearly everyone asked about the banquet in Noctaven at the end of their letters.

A banquet at Noctaven? This was the first Rubier had heard of it.

She also found it strange that they were asking Count Valleris about it.

‘Come to think of it, she said they would hold a banquet immediately after the wedding.’

Avenne did mention in passing that Cassian was planning to host a banquet soon.

Did he say that they intended to publicly cement the marriage so that no one could object to it?

If so, then Cassian truly seemed to have a decisive means of persuading the Count, which put Rubier’s mind at ease.

After sorting through the official correspondence, Rubier headed to the Count’s office.

She greeted the Count, who was sitting wearily in his chair, before placing the letters she had brought on his desk.

“Here are your letters. I replied to the simple ones on your behalf and left the others unanswered.”

“I see. Well done.”

Despite the small number of letters, the count appeared reluctant even to answer them.

After idly handling the bundle of correspondence with an indifferent expression, he looked at Rubier and asked,

“Are your lessons going well?”

“Yes. Madam Raina always praises me and says I am doing well.”

Rubier nodded with a radiant smile.

About a month earlier, on the day Rubier had entered the oath ceremony in Avenne’s place—

When Rubier offered to become Victor’s bride and help the count appoint him as heir, the count had said,

“House Maimont is not desperate enough to accept an illegitimate daughter as its daughter-in-law.”

“…….”

Victor, however, will be different. He’s an ambitious boy. He’ll do whatever it takes to acquire Valleris, even if that means marrying her illegitimate daughter. Strive to become at least half the woman Avenne is. Do your utmost to hide your humble origins.”

The Count promised to do everything in his power to help Rubier marry Victor, provided she did her utmost to emulate a proper noblewoman.

Although it would be a lie to say her pride had not been wounded, she could see his reasoning.

It was only then that Rubier resumed the education she had continually postponed because she found it tedious.

She spent more than half of each day at her desk, studying everything from bridal preparation and etiquette to the history of the empire.

Once she had acquired sufficient knowledge, she planned to enter high society for the first time, having avoided it ever since her debut.

“You will be looked down upon for being illegitimate. However, if you conduct yourself perfectly, that flaw will be overshadowed by the prestige of the Valleris family. Ultimately, the nobles will bow to the immense power of this family.”

The Count supported Rubier wholeheartedly, offering her endless encouragement and treating the stigma of her illegitimate birth as though it were no obstacle at all.

“No matter how hard you try, an illegitimate child will always be illegitimate. Your lowly blood will never change. So seize this marriage for yourself. Use your body as bait, seduce the man, and secure your position.”

Ironically, his attitude had changed considerably.

He was probably holding onto Rubier as a backup plan in case the worst happened.

In fact, Rubier had gradually begun to enjoy the privileges that had once belonged to Avenne.

While she had once been forced to sit at the far end of the table, she was now seated directly beside her father and across from her mother, confidently holding her fork.

Whereas she had once spent every family gathering watching everyone else cautiously, she now spoke more than anyone else, striving to fill the void left by Avenne.

Even the maids who had previously mistreated her because of her illegitimate birth were slowly beginning to change their attitudes.

Finally, she had obtained the ideal family and the power she had only ever dreamed of possessing.

How could she not become intoxicated by such sweetness?

“I will stop taking up your time now, Father. Thank you for seeing me. I am going to enjoy a quiet tea with Mother.”

“Yes. Your mother must be terribly lonely while maintaining her seclusion, so be sure to keep her company often.”

Rubier knew perfectly well that they, like Victor, were merely keeping her as their final option.

If Avenne ever returned, everything Rubier now held would vanish in an instant, like a midsummer night’s dream.

But that did not matter.

As long as Avenne never returned, Rubier could continue reigning at the very top of the hierarchy.

In the end, she would claim her place as the noble daughter of House Valleris and the wife of Victor Maimont—the man coveted by everyone.

Of that, Rubier had no doubt.