Chapter 73

Seeing that, Meia began to speak to Theodore in a gentle voice.

“Grand Duke Theodore, it seems that the courteous Lady Nordic is envious of me.”

As soon as he saw Meia, he approached with a soft expression and kissed the back of her hand.

“What do you mean?”

“Grand Duke Theodore, you gifted me the dress for my coming-of-age ceremony. It seems Lady Diana was very envious upon hearing that.”

With just a few words from Meia, Diana became an immature girl envious of someone else’s gift.

“Lady Nordic, who loves Clairira’s dresses so much that she would wear one bought with a year’s worth of her mother’s salary, must have been envious of the gift I received.”

With each word from Meia, Diana felt humiliated. She regretted bringing up the topic of new dresses.

“But Lady Meia, why do you call Lady Nordic ‘courteous’?”

“Because she said she was courteous herself.”

Upon hearing this, Theodore’s eyes narrowed.

“She even asked me questions politely.”

“What questions did she ask?”

“She asked what kind of relationship we have, Grand Duke.”

Meia’s voice was light, but the words carried weight.

For an unmarried man to gift a dress to an unmarried woman for her coming-of-age ceremony implies they are either lovers or will become lovers. So, Diana asking Meia about her relationship with Theodore was rude. It was as if she was challenging the idea of them being a couple.

Of course, close friends might ask to confirm. But Meia and Diana were not close. And asking such a question in front of others made Theodore feel as if their relationship was being denied, leading to a sense of displeasure.

“Calling herself courteous while asking such questions?”

Diana began to feel dizzy. She didn’t expect Meia to openly target her like this.

Lady Nordic and Ash, who were seated, stood up and bowed to Theodore, apologizing.

“I’m sorry. My daughter was thoughtless.”

“My younger sister was short-sighted. Please forgive her.”

Meia looked at Ash and Lady Nordic and said,

“Why are you apologizing? It’s not something to apologize for, so you remained silent earlier, didn’t you?”

Theodore’s face showed anger. In the brief moment he was away, they had been rude, asking what kind of relationship they had, and hadn’t even apologized immediately!

Lady Nordic read Theodore’s expression and sensed that he was very angry.

“I’m sorry.”

They bowed their heads, and the dining room quickly became filled with a frozen atmosphere.

Meia watched them in silence.

Lady Nordic nudged Diana with her elbow. Reluctantly, she stood up, approached Meia, and bowed.

“Please forgive my rudeness, Lady Hatzbellua.”

Meia rose from her seat, approached the bowing Diana, and spoke softly.

“You were just envious, right? I don’t feel comfortable accepting your apology.”

Her demeanor was that of a superior graciously forgiving a subordinate.

Then Meia helped the bowed Diana stand up and whispered softly, so only she could hear,

“I told you, speak your questions with courtesy.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she stood up straight and smiled radiantly, appearing to be a benevolent noblewoman to anyone watching.

Diana’s face turned red with embarrassment, coloring her neck and ears.

Feeling humiliated, she froze in place. Her confidence was shattered by the sympathetic looks from the surrounding servants. Watching her, Meia arched her eyebrows seductively and lifted her red lips into a crooked, benevolent smile.

Diana couldn’t say a word until the end of dinner.

Returning to her room, Diana collapsed onto her bed and began to cry bitterly.

Having been outdone by Meia, she felt so ashamed that she wanted to flee the Grand Duke’s residence.

Had she ever felt so unjustly treated, resentful, and humiliated in her life?

Lady Nordic, who had followed her into the room, paced around, trying to comfort her.

“My dear, don’t cry.”

“Sob, Mother, do you know what that woman whispered to me at the end?”

“What did she say?”

“She said she’d kill me if I acted out.”

“What? Kill who?!”

She was furious that someone dared to say such things to her beloved daughter. Acting all benevolent and gracious in front of the servants, but secretly saying scary things to Diana while pretending to be innocent…

“That Lady Meia is a scary woman…”

“I don’t think I can become the Grand Duchess. They’re probably already dating… A dress gift, of all things!”

“Mother will take care of it. Trust me, our daughter will become the Grand Duchess.”

“Sob, Mother.”

“Ash, isn’t there a way to get rid of Lady Meia?”

Ash, who was beside them, looked at the mother and daughter sharply and said,

“This time, I definitely felt that Lady Meia is no ordinary person.”

She showed that even beautiful roses have thorns.

“It seems difficult to frame her. We’ll have to find another way.”

Hearing this, Diana buried her face in her pillow and sobbed even more sorrowfully.

Lady Nordic felt heartbroken seeing her daughter like that.

“They’re just lovers. If they break up, they’ll be strangers. Anyway, the retainers think of you as ‘Grand Duchess material.'”

She had given enough bribes to ensure that they supported Diana becoming the Grand Duchess.

“Even if everyone calls me the Grand Duchess, if the Grand Duke rejects me…”

If Theodore announced his marriage or engagement to Meia… They had to act before that happened.

“Don’t worry. No man will refuse a woman, Diana.”

At times like this, the answer is a ‘battle of bodies.’ A little aphrodisiac would do the trick.

Make the Grand Duke unable to distinguish between dreams and reality, then push Diana into his bed.

No seventeen-year-old man full of youthful vigor would refuse a beautifully n*ked woman.

If they consummated under the influence of the drug, Diana would become the Grand Duchess.

The gentle Grand Duke would have no choice but to take responsibility.

And Meia would leave in shock!

Having finished her thoughts, Lady Nordic gently comforted Diana.

“Diana, until you walk hand in hand into the wedding hall, you never know what will happen between a man and a woman.”

Lady Nordic’s words began to calm Diana’s anger.

“Yes, Mother.”

“We should meet with Baron Lakia. He can help.”

Baron Lakia was someone who could provide as much aphrodisiac as needed.

“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

“Lady Meia, she’s so amazing…”

“Seeing how she forgave the rude Lady Nordic makes me want to serve her.”

Agnita listened to the maids praising Meia and felt proud.

And she was also very angry.

She had left briefly because of something she had been instructed to do, and some insignificant girl named Diana or something had insulted her lady.

Her insides twisted, and the rising anger wouldn’t subside. Unless she hit a training dummy in the practice yard, this feeling wouldn’t easily go away.

At that moment, Agnita perked up her ears at the conversation of other maids.

“You know, do you think the Grand Duke and Lady Meia are dating?”

“I vote that they’re dating.”

“I’m sure she finally accepted the master’s heart after his efforts.”

“Don’t they suit each other perfectly?”

“What are you all talking about, who’s dating whom?”

Agnita asked with wide eyes.

“Agnita, you wouldn’t know because you weren’t there.”

“The Grand Duke is gifting a dress to Lady Meia for her coming-of-age day!”

“What?”

Hearing that, Agnita felt like she had been hit on the back of the head with a hammer.

“Isn’t it because they’re lovers that they’re exchanging dress gifts?”

“It seems like it’s only a matter of time before Lady Meia becomes the Grand Duchess.”

“Even though they didn’t say anything, seeing the master waiting for Lady Meia to come out while hiding in the hallway…”

Every morning, he would search for Meia upon waking, and before sleeping, he would guard her side before returning to his room. The servants felt sorry for him.

“I pretended not to know, and it was hard.”

“They say love is obtained after effort. It’s really great.”

Hearing the maids’ words, Agnita’s expression began to harden.

What on earth happened while I was away?

Lady Meia wasn’t someone to receive a dress gift so easily…

Agnita was stressed from not spending enough time with Meia because of Theodore, and hearing that the two were dating made her insides feel like they were about to explode with jealousy. If she didn’t drag Juan to the practice yard for a spar and take a cold shower immediately, her heart might burst.

“How dare the Grand Duke seduce my lady…!”

Hearing the sound of her grinding teeth, the maids looked at Agnita cautiously and each said a word.

“But our Grand Duke is capable, handsome, tall, and rich.”

“He would never cheat.”

“There’s no one to unnecessarily interfere between the couple.”

“Plus, he’s a younger man.”

“Right.”

The maids knew that Agnita was fanatically obsessed with and loyal to Meia.

A shadow flickered, and a dark-faced Juan appeared beside Agnita.

Grit.

He ground his teeth as soon as he appeared.

“Agnita.”