Chapter 29

It was a street just off the busy district.

We were on our way to retrieve a carriage left at the carriage depot when a carriage suddenly stopped in the middle of the road.

A jet-black carriage lavishly adorned with gold trim.

Even at a glance, it was clear it belonged to a high-ranking noble.

The black window opened, and three smooth-faced men looked at us and sneered.

“Could it be Alec?”

“Wondered where the Dukes had gone, turns out they were in such a grand place.”

“……”

What are those bastards doing here…?

I examined the three men’s faces.

They were Marquis Marcel Howard, Count Garrison Osborne, and Marquis Damian Wells.

They were all around Alec’s age and well-known in social circles.

If Alec was an extremely introverted recluse, they were the troublemakers who followed every trend and fashion, always surrounded by gossip.

Especially their wives, who were the queens and handmaidens of the social scene.

After giving them a once-over, I turned away with a faint sigh.

“Let’s just go, Alec.”

“It’s a shame to just leave.”

“……”

The door of the carriage swung open, and the three men jumped out.

They blocked our path, the strong scent of their perfume filling the air and making me frown at the pungent, artificial smell.

“Aren’t you glad to see us? I’ve been wondering how the Dukes of Brent have been doing.”

“Without Alec, the club’s been quite dull.”

Heh heh heh.

They exchanged glances and chuckled among themselves.

My violet eyes darkened to a deep purple.

The club they mentioned was a place where male nobles gathered to chat, drink, and play games.

Alec never went there willingly, only when he was forced.

Now they were saying they were bored because their target of ridicule was gone.

I smirked slightly.

“You must have a lot of free time, stopping your carriage just to greet us.”

Those arrogant nobles were gracious enough to halt their journey and acknowledge us, were they that glad to see us?

Eloise frowned, and Alec had been silently staring at them since earlier.

I found his behavior a bit strange.

Usually, Alec wouldn’t react to people’s taunts.

He would just lower his head, clasp his trembling hands tightly, and wait for the painful time to pass.

Otherwise, he would apologize, blaming himself.

Then, those who mocked him would quickly lose interest and leave.

If he didn’t even blame himself, they would become frustrated and resort to physical violence, slapping his cheek or poking his forehead with a finger.

Alec would endure all those unpleasant touches.

But now, Alec did not lower his eyes.

He stood calmly, with his broad shoulders and chest naturally spread, as if he was unaffected by their presence.

When I glanced up, his eyes showed no emotion.

That unfamiliar sight oddly made my heart race.

‘He’s not even flinching in front of those jerks…?’

* * *

[New character has been opened!]

[New character has been opened!]

[New character has been opened!]

Meanwhile, Alec was quickly reviewing the character list.

He wondered who the men harassing him were, and exclamation marks appeared above their heads.

It seemed that even when meeting characters he didn’t know, the character list would open.

Alec briefly reviewed the description of Marquis Marcel, who seemed to be their leader.

[Marcel Howard]

[Male, Age: 26]

[Marquis of the Howard family. Operates the largest textile factory in the empire, Howard Textiles.]

[The actual owner of Howard Textiles is Marcel’s younger brother, Langdon Howard, while Marcel serves as a patron and shadow ruler.]

[The patrons of the textile factory have formed an alliance called the ‘Holden Textile Union.’ Marcel, Count Garrison Osborne, and Marquis Damian Wells are the main members.]

[The Holden Textile Union monopolizes an enormous amount of textiles distributed within the empire.]

[However, they are facing severe criticism from the citizens of the empire for their unfair collusion, exploiting labor while significantly raising the prices of goods.]

So, they’re wicked employers.

It’s outrageous that the operators of the largest textile factory in the empire are these people.

One particular phrase stood out.

[They voluntarily pay large taxes to the emperor to maintain a favorable relationship.]

Since they pay so much to the tyrant, it seemed the tyrant and those around him turned a blind eye to their unjust deeds.

[Combat Ability: None]

However, being nobles who don’t engage in physical labor, their combat ability was nearly nonexistent.

Louise’s sarcastic remark seemed to amuse the men before them.

“What would you do without your wife, Alec? Isn’t your wife’s skirt too narrow?”

“We must give Alec credit for one thing, he sure is lucky with his wife. That’s why I respect you, Alec.”

“What’s the secret to keeping a wife who we thought would have run away by now?”

Heh heh heh.

The men exchanged glances and laughed among themselves again.

* * *

“Crazy bastards… Leave us alone and get lost.”

Eloise’s crude words made my eyes widen slightly.

Well, she was called the crazy bouquet of the social scene…

Despite having a brother whom everyone ridiculed, Eloise, along with Princess Annabelle, the emperor’s sister, was one of the top figures in the social scene.

This was due to her unique fashion sense and fiery sociability.

The men before us probably thought of her as a bad-tempered young lady they preferred to avoid.

Their faces turned icy, as if splashed with cold water.

“What a shame. I still have business with your brother.”

“Isn’t it you who despises Alec the most, Lady Eloise?”

Garrison grinned and sneered, following Marcel’s lead.

Eloise, with a still slightly trembling voice, retorted.

“When did I ever say I liked my brother, and you can go f*ck yourself.”

“……”

Their faces twisted further.

Their pride was wounded from being insulted by a girl ten years younger than them.

‘Eloise must be in a really bad mood…’

Though she had come out to have fun and lift her spirits, she was currently going through the worst time, with her family in ruins and her engagement broken.

Given that, it seemed she decided not to hold back when these annoying guys appeared before her.

However, the men were tall and well-built, being marquises and counts.

As commoners, we were no match for them in terms of status or strength.

Just as Eloise was about to say something more, I reached out and blocked her.

Alec flinched and looked at me curiously.

I no longer wanted to let these men just pass by.

For years, they had mocked my husband without ever facing any consequences.

While many nobles disregarded Alec, these men had been particularly cruel.

And it wasn’t just them.

Both men and women in the social scene had hurled all sorts of vile insults at Alec and me.

I remembered the things noble ladies had said to me and the events that had taken place early in our marriage.

“Duchess, I’m really curious, does the Duke… perform well in bed?”

“He can’t do anything else, so if he can’t do that either, what will you do? If there were rumors he was good at it, perhaps he wouldn’t have needed to find a bride from another country.”

“He probably can’t, right? Would you like me to introduce you to someone well-known for their prowess?”

“I’m offering you a special opportunity out of pity.”

By then, I had already gathered enough information about the noble ladies through my mother-in-law and Eloise.

In the social scene, information was vital to avoid being blindsided.

With a smooth smile, I raised the corners of my mouth slightly.

“Unfortunately, unlike you all, I don’t have to give up on my inadequate husband and actively seek out lovers.”

The noble ladies looked a bit dumbfounded by my words.

Most of them had lovers due to poor marital relationships.

It was laughable.

While Alec couldn’t engage in marital relations due to unknown reasons, the relationships of physically normal couples didn’t seem much better.TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up to the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories