***
***
“M-My Lady! You can’t go in!”
The butler walked after Diana, limping along on his sore leg in a panic.
“Ha, that bug is a pain.”
Diana opened the front door, shaking her head lightly in annoyance.
Smack
“No farther than here.”
The door was quickly and firmly shut by the butler, who’d rushed after her.
“My Lady, please don’t do anything more rude than this.”
“Hey, I’m Diana Avery. You dare say that I’m rude?”
Diana opened her eyes wide in disbelief.
“Move out of the way.”
However, the butler had no intention of backing down.He was face to face with Diana with his back firmly against the door.
“How can you be so full of yourself without understanding your situation? You know it’s useless to cry to me about it later, right?”
“Please leave right now.”
Breathing heavily, Diana kicked the butler in the shin once more.
“Ugh!”
“Yes, that’s right. Don’t you dare disobey my order.”
Diana smacked the butler on the head with the fan she held in her hand as he shrank back in pain. She hit him repeatedly.
After smacking the butler on the head until she was satisfied, Diana finally turned back.
***
The coachman rushed down from his seat and opened the door of the carriage in a hurry when he saw Diana hurrying away from the Duke of Oates’ residence.
“My Lady, where do you want to go?”
“Don’t you know? Go home now.”
The coachman nodded silently at Diana’s fierce tone. He seemed to be familiar with her anger.
“D*mn it. Stupid things keep getting in the way.”
The cool autumn wind blew, but Diana unfolded her fan as if it was hot. However, the wind from the fan wasn’t very cool as several of the spines were broken due to the blow to the butler’s head.
“How rude. Do you think a Duke is on the same level as me?”
That fact further aroused Diana’s annoyance.
“Ah, so father…”
Smack
Immediately throwing away the fan in anger, Diana opened the window of the carriage.
“Count Achille’s wife.”
Diana squinted her eyes as if she was contemplating something. She definitely saw her through the open front door.
“Why was she in the Oates’ residence?”
Countess Achille had opened her mouth as if she was surprised to see me, and she looked as if she’d been caught.
“Is Ian’s preference like that?”
Is that why he’s been turning down all of my requests?
“Why are they meeting at the Duke’s residence of all places, anyway? Does the Duke of Oates already know about this?”
Did Ian stop by the Duke of Oates residence every day to meet Countess Achille? Diana frowned slightly as if she had a headache.
“What are you doing, Ian?”
Diana, who’d been moaning in anger for a long time, suddenly raised her eyes and straightened her posture.
“Haha! You hid her away so that people wouldn’t notice. It’s not good to meet up with a married woman.”
Who knew that there would be a countess in the duke’s residence.
“The Duke of Oates gave up his mansion to gain favor with the emperor. Tsk, but you foolishly got caught by me.”
She laughed at the fact that she found out what that stupid Oates’ butler was trying to hide.
That’s why he tried so desperately to stop her.
“Isn’t Ian crazy?”
However, as soon as she realized that Ian had abandoned her, a flower of society, and chose the old Countess, she became angry again.
What does he like about that old woman? She couldn’t believe she was pushed aside for the Countess of Achille.
“It’s true that his background is crude, so his tastes are also crude. No matter how much of an emperor you become, there is nothing you can do about your identity. Haha, you’ve been so arrogant, and I’m curious how long you can keep acting like that.”
Diana thought about what to do with this fact that she’d found out. She could either blackmail Ian with this fact and force him to meet with her, or she could humiliate him by leaking it to the social world.
Diana laughed as she thought about the important card in her hand.
***
“Anna!”
Diana had returned to the Duke of Avery’s residence, and called for Anna urgently as she opened the front door.
“Anna!”
She wondered what Anna would look like after she told her about this.
Tap Tap Tap
Anna hurried down the stairs at Diana’s call.
“Did you find anything, My Lady?”
“I have something to tell you, so just grab some tea and come upstairs.”
Diana said with a smile.
“I saw something very interesting today.”
“Yes, then I’ll pick up some refreshments, and go to your room.”
Anna blinked at Diana, who looked happy, and soon nodded.
“….”
She followed Diana up the stairs with her eyes, then she hurried along.
Light steps as if she was in a good mood. The young miss had returned from the red roofed mansion.
She’d expected her to be rejected, but how did she manage to get inside the mansion? Was the visit to the Duke of Oates’ residence granted?
Diana Avery.
Until a few years ago, the House of Avery held a great amount of power compared to the royal family. So, no one could do anything to the people of the Avery family, and Diana was an object of fear for everyone.
That was why Diana suddenly visited people without any notice.
The people she visited always welcomed her, so she didn’t feel the need to make an appointment or ask for permission from the other person.
But that was all in the past.
Duke Avery watched the situation step by step in the war between the Levskaya Empire and the Sienna Empire. He decided that the Levskaya Empire, which lacked a lot of manpower and goods to rebuild its capital, would not be able to defeat the Sienna Empire.
Rumor has it that there was a back door deal between the Duke of Avery and the Sienna Empire.
Contrary to the Duke’s prediction, the Levskaya Empire won the war, and the current emperor held the Duke of Avery responsible for his actions.
This led to the dissolution of the Knights of the House of Avery, and the honor of the Averys, which had been built up over decades, quickly collapsed to the ground.
The House of Avery no longer held it’s old reputation, but Diana didn’t seem to realize that. Even when the Knights were disbanded with much fussing and yelling, she enjoyed it and said that it was good.
It was fully understood that she didn’t realize her family’s situation yet, as she was only interested in luxury items such as dresses, accessories, teas, and jewelry that came from overseas. Their honor had been tarnished and their power had weakened, but the family’s wealth was still sufficient.
“I thought she’d be kicked out. How did she get into the Oates mansion?”
Anna tilted her head. Why was the Duke of Oates, who wasn’t another family member, not rude to the young lady.
“Hmm…”
However, Anna soon gave up her curiosity and hurried to bring the refreshments.
Knock Knock
“My Lady, I brought the tea.”
“Come in.”
Anna, who hid her expression before entering Lady Avery’s room, carefully walked in.
“Didn’t I tell you to just bring me tea?”
“You got something as a gift, and I thought it would go well with the tea.”
Diana shook her head.
“Anna, please just do what you’re told to do. Did you make me wait for this?”
Diana frowned while eating the snacks.
“I’m sorry.”
Anna bowed her head in apology, but she bit the flesh inside her mouth, recalling what happened before.
She was criticized in the past for bringing only tea in accordance with the order to bring only that, and asked if she had any thoughts of her own. It was unfair, but Anna bowed her head without saying much.
“Well, what’s done is done.”
Diana once again said, as she continued to eat the snacks.
Anna was annoyed and astounded by Diana, who kept eating the snacks, and didn’t reveal her emotions like she usually did.
“Do you know what I saw today?”
“No, what did you see?”
“Countess Achille was at the red mansion.”
“The red mansion?”
Anna tilted her head.
“If it’s the red mansion, then…”
“The Duke of Oates.”
Diana sighed at Anna, who only blinked as if she didn’t understand what she was saying.
“Stupid, you still don’t understand why Countess Achille was there?”
“I don’t know.”
“She’s meeting with Ian in secret! Ian has very particular tastes, doesn’t he?”
Diana said while she giggled.
“Isn’t it funny? That’s why he pushed me away like that.”
“His Majesty and Countess Achille were meeting?”
“Yeah, a married woman and him. Ian comes and goes to the mansion every day, right? It’s because of that.”
Despite Diana’s explanation, Anna simply couldn’t understand what she was talking about now.
“What should I do about this funny fact?”
Diana put down her teacup, and raised the corners of her mouth.
“How dare he make me feel insulted? Should I spread it to society and humiliate them? Or threaten him to meet with me?”
Diana nodded her head excitedly, if she stayed like this any longer she would start to hum.
“But why is His Majesty and the countess meeting at the Duke of Oates….”
His Majesty and Countess Achille were in a relationship? It didn’t make sense.
“The Duke of Oates must have dedicated his mansion to Ian to look good. Pfft, the duke has no pride.”
When Anna tilted her head, she frowned and opened her mouth.
“…I see. Have you talked to the countess, My Lady?”
“Sigh, the butler, who’s like a bug, wouldn’t let me go in.”
“Then how did you see the Countess of Achille?”
“I opened the front door, and she was standing right there. I caught her!”
Anna opened her mouth as if thinking about something for a moment.
“Why don’t you meet Countess Achille first?”
“Why should I?”
“I thought it would make it easier to decide what to do about this information.”
Diana squinted at Anna’s words for a moment as if thinking about something.
“….”
Anna quietly looked at Diana’s expression.
Attempting to intimidate the emperor or spread rumors with uncertain facts. Diana must not have given a second thought to the cleanup process after the initial event.
“Yeah, that sounds good too.”
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Finally, Diana nodded her head slightly.
Anna nodded, finally feeling relieved. She didn’t know whether Diana would be able to meet with Countess Achille, but it would have less of a ripple effect than spreading rumors in high society, or threatening the emperor directly.