Chapter 65

“Mother, Mother! Are you listening to me?”

“Diana, is your lesson over?”

“It’s so tiring.”

“Still, to become the Grand Duchess, it’s something you must do. Everything must be perfect.”

“Brother, try being in my shoes!”

Ash, Lady Nordic’s proud son with fiery red hair and sharp eyes, clicked his tongue and said.

“Learn everything without complaining.”

Taking the letter Lady Nordic was reading, Ash read it with a pleased smile and said.

“Mother, since Lady Jasmine is not currently at the Grand Duke’s house, shouldn’t you go back there to take care of the household? I’ve returned from studying abroad, so I should greet the Grand Duke, and I think it would be good for Diana to see firsthand how the household is managed. As for a foreign lady, there’s no need to think of it as difficult. Just frame her and drive her out.”

Diana happily agreed with Ash’s words.

“Right, they’d trust a retainer family more than a foreign lady, wouldn’t they?”

“A foreign lady and a mage at that…”

Ash also knew well that mages were profitable. He thought of lending a hand when she was framed and driven out. If she’s beautiful, it might be nice to keep her as a wife, being a lady from another country, or if not, it could be fun to play with her like a courtesan. Assuming she’s beautiful.

“Yes, my proud son Ash. Let’s think about how to handle that lady at the Grand Duke’s house.”

The Grand Duke might fall in love with her beautiful daughter at first sight. Then it would be easier to drive Meia out.

“The Grand Duchess should be our Diana.”

Thinking of Diana and Theodore meeting eyes, Lady Nordic naturally felt happy.

A mere foreign lady. In Lady Nordic’s eyes, Diana was the best.

“It wouldn’t be bad for Diana, as the prospective Grand Duchess, to take charge of the household affairs in advance.”

“I’ll definitely seduce the Grand Duke. Mother, let’s go to the Florence Grand Ducal house together. Huh? If I become the Grand Duchess, I can manage the household budget as I please.”

If her daughter becomes the Grand Duchess, Lady Nordic could wield not only power but also wealth as she wished.

The thought made her smile.

“Yes. Diana, you must do your best to groom your face and figure before you go. And attend all your lessons; the Grand Duchess must be perfect in everything.”

Diana smiled brightly, like a fully bloomed rose, and said.

“I’m confident, Mother.”

All men flatter and fawn in front of her. She is tired of even hearing that she is beautiful.

There are men she likes, but compared to the Grand Duke of Florence, they’re insignificant.

“I’ll become the Grand Duchess, Mother.”

*

Theodore and Meia were having a light tea in the office while reading a letter from Lady Nordic that Venable had brought. After he finished reading, he handed the letter to Meia.

Meia put down the teacup she was drinking from to read the letter, placing the teaspoon inside. It meant she wouldn’t drink anymore.

Theodore also placed his teaspoon inside.

Venable quietly bowed, placed the teacups with teaspoons on a tray, bowed to both, and left the office.

Lady Nordic sent a letter expressing great concern about the household affairs of the Florence Grand Ducal house.

Additionally, she expressed a strong desire to introduce her son and beautiful daughter as a retainer.

“The letter clearly states that Lady Nordic is very dissatisfied with entrusting the household affairs to a foreign lady. She insists on coming to work despite being ill…”

Meia placed the read letter down.

“It’s fortunate the mice are coming on their own.”

“Of course. We laid bait that the mice would like, Grand Duke Theodore.”

However, what Meia was concerned about was something else. It was the beautiful daughter mentioned in Lady Nordic’s letter. People are naturally curious about beauty. A beautiful man? A beautiful woman? How beautiful must they be to be called beautiful? It was enough to arouse curiosity.

There is only one reason to appeal about a beautiful daughter to an unmarried Grand Duke.

“Have you ever met Lady Nordic’s daughter?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“What will you do if a mouse covets the cat’s place?”

“Even if a mouse sits in the cat’s place, it cannot become a cat. A mouse is just a mouse.”

“What if the mouse is very beautiful?”

“In the cat’s eyes, it’s just a mouse.”

Meia looked up at Theodore, who had come closer, and continued speaking while caressing his cheek.

“That’s right. No matter how beautiful a mouse is, in a cat’s eyes, it’s just a snack.”

Theodore rubbed his cheek against Meia’s hand and said.

“Cats are also loyal animals that kill mice and bring them to the ones they like.”

If unanimously selected by the retainers, even the daughter of a Viscount family could become the Grand Duchess.

It was obvious from the letter that Lady Nordic wanted to make her daughter the Grand Duchess.

The thought of a mouse coveting a predator’s place made him feel unpleasant and annoyed.

“It would be nice if they come soon. That mother mouse and her baby mice.”

They would surely see Meia as an enemy. They would try to frame her or pick a fight, but she had no intention of fighting. Does it make sense for a cat to fight a mouse?

Of course, it’s said that a cornered mouse bites the cat, but that’s the cat’s fault for getting bitten by a mouse.

Meia slightly curled her lips.

*

As soon as Lady Nordic received Theodore’s reply, she packed her bags, got on a carriage, and arrived at the Florence Grand Ducal house. Naturally, her beautiful daughter Diana and smart son Ash were with her.

At the gate of the magnificent Florence Grand Ducal house stood well-maintained armored knights.

As soon as they saw Lady Nordic, the knights greeted her.

“Lady Nordic, how are you?”

“Oh, Sir Chaser! And Sir Chapel.”

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Yes, of course. I’ve come to work hard at the Grand Duke’s house again. Here are my daughter and son.”

“They are as handsome and beautiful as you, Lady Nordic.”

“Oh, hohoho.”

“I’ll call for a carriage, so please ride in.”

“Thank you, Sir Chaser.”

From the entrance to the mansion, it takes about 30 minutes by carriage to reach the house.

It’s a wealthy family with such vast land and a huge mansion.

Diana, visiting the Grand Duke’s house for the first time, was mesmerized by the vast land and wealth before her eyes.

And once again, she was motivated to become the Grand Duchess.

“Brother, if I become the Grand Duchess, does all this become mine?”

Ash whispered quietly to Diana.

“Of course. Do you know how much money the Grand Duke’s house makes from trade?”

“I definitely know it’s a lot.”

“Everyone will envy you. Don’t forget this brother if you become the Grand Duchess. There’s no better ally than family.”

“Got it. Brother, make sure to drive out that female mage or lady.”

“Don’t worry. No woman has ever resisted this brother of yours.”

“Everyone, stay sharp.”

Diana and Ash nodded with determined expressions.

“Mother, the Grand Duke’s house is really big and grand.”

“Hehe, it’s where you’ll live from now on, so take a good look.”

“Yes!”

Diana stared happily at the scenery outside the carriage, lost in the imagination of becoming the Grand Duchess.

After about 30 minutes, the carriage stopped. A knock from the coachman was heard, and the door opened.

Diana was once again mesmerized by the grand height of the huge mansion.

“It’s amazing…”

“Diana, don’t say such rustic things.”

“Okay, brother.”

A maid passing by the entrance of the Grand Duke’s house confirmed the guests and asked them to wait a moment.

After a short time, the large door of the Grand Duke’s house opened, and Meia walked out.

Lady Nordic expected Venable or Hannah, at least Deputy Butler Kelvain, to come out. But a beautiful woman she had never seen before was walking out. The clothes and jewelry she wore made her look like a lady from a fairly affluent family.

“Which family’s lady might she be? Mother, she’s so beautiful.”

The woman with dawn-like silver hair was walking with the noble gait that Ash liked the most. The fact that the hem of her dress moved uniformly was due to her most noble walk.

Her white skin, vivid sapphire blue eyes, and lips like red fruit wine were enchanting and beautiful, making Ash’s heart begin to race.

Meia lifted her eyes and extended her right hand to Ash.

In a gesture as natural as a queen, Ash instinctively knelt on one knee, grabbed her hand, and kissed it, looking up as if he were a proud knight.

Seeing Meia’s bright smile, Ash’s face turned red in an instant.

“I am Ash of the Nordic family.”

“I received your greeting well, Young Master Nordic.”

Meia looked at Diana and Lady Nordic standing next to Ash with a smile.

It is not against etiquette for the eldest son or head of a family to kneel and kiss the right hand of an unmarried lady they do not know. However, the women of the same family present cannot treat the woman to whom the eldest son or head of the family knelt casually and cannot ask her name first.

Naturally, Diana was dumbfounded by Ash’s behavior.

“Brother, what are you doing!”

Realizing his mistake at Diana’s scream, Ash straightened his bent knee and began to watch Lady Nordic and his sister’s reactions. Ash broke out in a cold sweat from the action he did so naturally and unconsciously.

Because of his actions, Diana and his mother had to greet this silver-haired beauty first. Otherwise, he had to introduce them. Naturally, Ash chose the latter.

“This is Amanda of the Nordic family, our mother. And next to her is my younger sister, Diana of the Nordic family.”

Diana calmed her trembling hands and the hem of her dress…