Chapter 75

After a satisfying meal, the Lecashe party headed back to the marquis's castle.

They'd eaten well, so they focused on getting ready, and then made their way to the party hall together.

"Welcome."

The attendant at the entrance greeted them.

But almost immediately, he hesitated and asked something — his manner extremely careful.

"The two children behind you… how should I… announce them?"

He knew Lyssel Lecashe, Ether Lecashe, and Iberin Sherburn Lecashe, but he had no idea what to say about the two children at the back.

"Ah."

Iberin saw her opening.

They were the ones running their mouths about Kal and Rozelia being illegitimate, weren't they?

When the attendant heard Iberin's instructions, his face went white.

"Y-you really want me to call it out like that?"

When Iberin nodded, the attendant shouted from the doorway at the top of his lungs.

"Presenting Grand Duke Lyssel Lecashe, Grand Duchess Iberin Sherburn Lecashe, Young Master Ether Lecashe, and the children of their heart, Rozelia Garnet and Kal! Th-they are not illegitimate!"

Iberin must have liked that last bit, because she broke into a grin.

The doors opened in the same moment, and there were the nobles, staring blankly at the entrance with stunned looks on their faces.

A few of them clearly had something on their conscience — they couldn't quite meet Iberin's eyes.

The entrance was as loud as could be.

Iberin held her chin up like she was daring anyone to say a word.

Nobody dared move while everyone was gauging the room. That was when Lady Bilson came over.

"Brilliant, as always. Whose idea was that?"

The young lady had clearly known the nobles were carrying gossip around — she was laughing with a thoroughly satisfied look on her face.

"I worry I've gone and ruined the party you put together."

"Not at all. I love this kind of thing. Setting the record straight in one go means you don't have to wear yourself out explaining — it's wonderful. Why didn't I think of it?"

"Thank you for saying so."

"Honestly, the real problem is the ones who make this stuff up."

Lady Bilson wrinkled her nose and swept the room with her gaze.

With the party's host treating it as nothing, nobody else dared be the first to come over.

"Could I ask you something, though?"

"Go ahead."

"You called them children of your heart — what's the actual relationship? I'm just curious."

Iberin glanced at the kids.

There was personal history mixed in, so she was looking for something vague to say — but Rozelia got there first.

"I was an abused child."

"Oh…."

"I couldn't take it anymore and ran away — that's when I met the Grand Duke. I asked him to take me with him, and he did. At first I didn't even know he was Lecashe — I just begged for help. I only found out once I got to the territory."

Maybe because the nobles were silent, Rozelia's voice carried like a thunderclap.

There was no way anyone in the room had missed it.

"Oh dear — it's a bit awkward to say this in front of Lecashe themselves, but weren't you a little frightened once you found out?"

"No. It was actually better than the orphanage. Everyone treated me well."

"I see. Lecashe must mean a great deal to you, then."

Lady Bilson steered the conversation along with measured reactions.

Rozelia nodded eagerly and pressed herself into the space between Iberin and Lyssel.

She smiled like the memories still hurt, but she was happy now.

A cute little girl with pink hair smiling like that — the watching nobles looked moved despite themselves.

Knowing Rozelia's normally bold personality, there had to be some acting in it.

But somehow it didn't feel like a complete lie either. Why was that?

Iberin felt a small ache in her chest.

"I'm happy now!"

"As long as you're happy now, that's what matters."

Lady Bilson smiled and stroked Rozelia's hair.

Then her gaze shifted to Kal.

So did everyone else's.

Suddenly the focus of a roomful of strangers, Kal didn't open his mouth easily.

"Um, this child is —"

Iberin started, trying to smooth it over, when Kal spoke up in a calm, even voice.

"I was Marquis Civelli's hypnotism doll."

A sharp gasp went through the room, and the murmuring grew louder.

"As all of you know, Lady Iberin uncovered it — and rescued me."

Kal had testified in court, and a few of the nobles in the room had been there. When he spoke, faces started clicking into place for them.

The murmurs swelled.

"I'm grateful to them every single day. I won't be able to repay this debt in a lifetime."

That was Kal, through and through.

But somehow the mood was sliding somewhere strange.

This wasn't what Iberin had wanted at all.

Lady Bilson snapped her fan shut and exclaimed,

"That's so moving!"

She actually had tears welling up — she meant it.

Iberin wasn't sure how it had ended up here, but it wasn't a bad outcome.

The Grand Duke and Duchess of Lecashe have done something truly good.

And we didn't even know….

The lines drifted out from the buzz of nobles around them.

You're just going to take all that at face value?

A few of them stuck to denial right through, of course.

But nothing was ever going to convince those people anyway.

Just having the mood drop into something heavy from the moment they walked in — that nagged at her a little.

"Just how much do the Grand Duke and Duchess have to explain themselves before you'll believe it?"

Lady Bilson shot a knife-edge of a look at the ones still muttering. They flinched and shut up.

"We weren't there. You're free to gossip however you like, but show some restraint. Honestly — what do you think happens later?"

Whatever she'd started saying, she got herself worked up over it, and her expression knotted. Iberin reached out to soothe her.

"Lady Bilson, thank you for caring, but it's fine. This is your party — shouldn't you be enjoying it?"

"Hffh. Your Highness, you're really too kind. They're running their mouths and you're just going to let it slide?"

"Kind? Me? Not particularly. I'm the type who doesn't forget a grudge."

Iberin gave the loose-lipped nobles a faintly cold smile.

She could feel them — already cowed by Lady Bilson — flailing for what to do.

Iberin gave a small laugh.

"So it's all right. The day will come to pay it all back."

"Oh my, now I'm looking forward to that day."

Only then did Lady Bilson laugh, satisfied, and clap her hands.

A lively tune started up right after, and the atmosphere began to thaw.

While the music played, the ones who'd been running their mouths were all hauled out of the hall by the knights.

There was a small commotion in the process, but Lady Bilson didn't put up with any of it.

Only after she'd cleared out the people getting under her skin did she seem to find some peace.

"Lady Iberin, please relax and enjoy yourself tonight."

"Thank you for going to all that trouble."

"If you mean it, you'll have to promise to keep sending me eggs and Cheongyangs. I'll pay, of course."

"That much is no problem."

"Oh — and part of the fun of a charity party is spotting who's wearing what you put up. Lady Iberin, you…"

"…have rather a lot on."

Iberin let out an awkward laugh.

Lyssel had gone wild at the start, so she was strung with necklaces and earrings.

When her dresser had filled her in while she was getting ready, she'd nearly lost her mind.

Whatever she couldn't make work, she'd handed off to Rozelia.

"It suits you, though. The combination is lovely."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I think it's because you're beautiful, Lady Iberin."

"You look luminous tonight yourself."

As she said it, Lady Bilson was wearing the jewelry set Iberin had submitted.

The bidding war that had gone right down to the end — the winner had been Lady Bilson, it turned out.

When Iberin grinned, Lady Bilson smiled back and brought a hand gracefully to her cheek.

The eye naturally drew to the glittering sapphires.

"Is it thanks to these?"

The cheeky little wink that came with it was charming.

"You were beautiful before too."

"Oh — when you say it like that I don't know what to do with myself."

Lady Bilson stayed and talked for a while longer, then drifted off elsewhere.

As the host, there were plenty of people looking for her.

After she'd gone, Iberin turned to the kids with a worried face.

"…You all right?"

It had worked out in the end, but it had put them in a position to talk about old wounds out loud, on their own.

"I'm fine!"

"I'm fine. Honestly, telling the truth was better than being misunderstood as illegitimate."

"If you say so, then good…."

On top of that, Rozelia had had to mix in some lies, which weighed on Iberin's conscience even more.

Rozelia herself didn't seem to mind.

"By the way, this place is really nice."

Kal changed the subject.

He didn't like seeing Iberin guilty over nothing.

It came out of nowhere — she caught right away that Kal was looking out for her.

"Oh yeah? What do you like about it?"

"Huh?"

"If Kal likes it, we should buy one and put it in our hall too."

"Oh — oh, no. There's really no need…"

"Why not. What did you like?"

Watching Kal's flustered expression, Iberin chuckled.

Only then did he seem to catch on that she was teasing him. His face eased, and he pointed.

"I like that chandelier."

"Yeah? We'll buy one on the way back. I'll ask Lady Bilson."

"You're serious?"

"Yes. Of course."

"Come on."

Kal waved her off, laughing, but when she kept looking at him seriously, his eyes wavered, suddenly uncertain.

"Pff. I'm sorry, I was joking. But if you really liked it, I would buy it."

When she said that, he finally seemed to relax, and let out a long breath, mumbling that he'd actually believed her for a second.

That was when —

"Hello. Mind if I join the conversation?"