There are voices that sound unpleasant just by hearing them.

And if they’re openly spouting offensive remarks, that makes it even worse.

As I slowly turned around, I saw a small procession entering the cramped courtyard.

A large, imposing brown horse stood at the front, with a man of equally impressive build sitting on its back.

His face with its sagging jowls glistened with oil, and his neatly trimmed mustache extended sharply on both sides of his face like arrows.

When the man grinned at me, his unpleasant mustache twitched.

“Oh, Miss.”

Marina grabbed my arm with trembling hands.

I didn’t need to ask who this person was. I could feel everyone present becoming extremely tense.

“Feldwell.”

I smiled, held my head high, and straightened my back.

Feldwell rode his horse right up to us but neither bowed in greeting nor dismounted.

The men following behind him did the same.

So, frustratingly, I had to look up at the fellow.

“Lord Feldwell.”

Even though the elderly couple, who could have been his parents, bowed deeply and lowered their heads, this arrogant man didn’t even glance at them.

“Well, well, what brings the noble Miss all the way here? You must have plenty to do at the castle.”

The man sneered in an oily voice.

So I put strength into my voice as well.

“Oh, I’ve been incredibly busy. Someone sent their minions over last night.”

“Their… what?”

Ah, perhaps they don’t use such expressions here?

“You must have heard? Your subordinates failed to burn down the castle, so don’t bother giving them any compensation.”

I deliberately spoke cheerfully.

I could feel Marina staring at me with her mouth wide open in shock.

“I’m not quite sure what you’re talking about.”

Feldwell feigned ignorance while putting on airs.

But judging by how his arrogant jowls turned red and trembled, I had caught him off guard.

“Anyway, let me give you some friendly advice—it would be best not to waste your time here. No one in the village welcomes you, so you should leave quickly.”

“I don’t care whether I’m welcome or not. I came here on business, so you should just go on your way. This isn’t your establishment.”

At my words, Feldwell’s face quickly turned crimson.

His goldfish-like eyes widened in surprise as if they might pop out.

Well, he must be quite shocked.

The Clarence from the diary I read would never have uttered such words.

She would have been a fragile, delicate noble lady who could only respond with dignity, but I’m a person from a completely different world.

I’ve lived a life where everyone bowed and scraped to my face, even if they talked behind my back.

If it’s about pretending to be arrogant to avoid being disrespected, I’m more confident than anyone.

A ‘vulgar bloodline from a 21st-century chaebol family’ won’t lose to a ’19th-century nouveau riche nobody.’

“Look here, Miss Philoraine.”

“Excuse me, it’s ‘Baron.'”

I corrected him gently.

“Mr. Feldwell, how old are you again? You don’t seem old enough to be confused about proper titles. You should keep your wits about you. Or perhaps you should ask Old Man Rosenthal for some medicine.”

After elegantly delivering this retort, I turned on my heel in front of the trembling Feldwell and took Old Man Rosenthal’s arm.

“Now, Old Man, shall we go inside? I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

While the completely dumbfounded Old Man Rosenthal staggered after me up the steps leading to the entrance, not a single breath could be heard from behind.

Mrs. Rosenthal, Marina, and even Feldwell’s subordinates were all staring at us with their mouths hanging open.

“S-stop right there!”

But Feldwell wasn’t going to take this lying down.

His gruff voice, seemingly forced up from his diaphragm, shouted urgently.

“Didn’t you hear me? We absolutely refuse to recognize you as a Baron! You’re the bloodline of the main culprit who ruined this village!”

I slowly turned around on the steps to look at Feldwell.

Now our eyes were almost level, but I was still frustrated by my disadvantageous position.

“Why don’t you ask Old Man Rosenthal how much money your father in the grave took from him?”

“What?”

When I glanced at him, Old Man Rosenthal quickly averted his gaze.

“Yes, it was no small sum.”

Feldwell’s voice, still mounted on his horse, grew triumphant.

“That’s how he skillfully extracted money from the villagers! He said he was just collecting rent and tenancy fees in advance for the next month or the month after, telling everyone not to worry. But he didn’t stop and kept taking money that way. Then he lost it all gambling. Right? Isn’t that so, Rosenthal?”

Feldwell addressed the elderly man, who could have been his father’s age, disrespectfully.

“You haven’t forgotten already, have you? It was your precious retirement fund! The money you’d been saving to buy that farm you had your eye on near the village, rather than this cabin at the edge of the forest. If I hadn’t lent you urgent living expenses, you would have starved to death by now!”

As Feldwell’s voice grew louder, I could feel the small elderly man beside me slumping more and more.

But I couldn’t even bring myself to look at him.

It felt like I had taken a direct punch to the chest.

“The people of Clairfield have decided to act together as members of the association! So if Old Man Rosenthal betrays us, the situation could become very difficult. This house might suddenly catch fire one day.”

Feldwell’s voice, having regained its composure, grew increasingly louder.

“And yet you still want to exploit the old man for your own greed, Miss Philoraine, you ungrateful wretch? You truly take after your father. Is everyone in that bloodline so shameless? Hahahahaha.”

While his disgusting laughter echoed throughout the small courtyard, I stumbled slowly down the steps.

There was no need to look into his eyes or turn to the elderly Rosenthal couple.

Putting on airs and fighting for pride is only possible when it doesn’t harm others.

I couldn’t further trouble the poor old man who had lost all his retirement savings to our family.

“Miss.”

“Let’s go, Marina.”

I quietly took Thunder’s reins and began to walk.

I didn’t want to mount the old, tired horse precariously in front of Feldwell.

I feared the horse might stagger or the worn saddle straps might break.

Right now, I just needed to make a graceful exit. This would be a long battle.

I was foolish to have taken it so lightly.

“But Miss, the medicine……”

“It’s fine. Let’s go now!”

When I spoke firmly, Marina quietly followed, holding Lightning’s reins.

Feldwell’s minions snickered as they made way for us.

Feldwell was also laughing loudly, his mustache fluttering.

“I’ll come back another time, Old Man Rosenthal. I think I was…… a bit hasty.”

I shouted this without even glancing at Feldwell and walked straight ahead, looking only forward.

I couldn’t even breathe as I walked out with my back straight, chin held high, and head raised proudly.

“Stop wasting your time and find yourself a suitable marriage partner! Well, at your age, which is practically finished, you’re in no position to be picky, so don’t act so high and mighty.”

Feldwell’s mockery made his minions burst into laughter.

Their snickering continued to reach our ears even after we had walked outside the fence.

We silently trudged along the narrow path, heading back to the forest we had passed through earlier.

Neither of us said anything.

Now I understood what Mrs. Rosenthal meant when she said they had “recently joined the association.”

That shameless man had apparently lent money at high interest to villagers who were in trouble because of the former Baron Philoraine, then forced them to join an “association” he had created.

A group that had no choice but to move according to his orders.

Of course, they would never sell anything to the castle and would be encouraged to rebel against us.

“Miss…… are you alright?”

“Well, it was expected, wasn’t it?”

“But to be insulted so openly to your face……”

“It’s my fault for coming out unprepared.”

“Prepared……?”

“Yes, preparation to confront that man.”

“But……”

Just as Marina was about to speak—

“Baron! Baron!”

A loud voice called from behind.