Episode 14
Riya breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped shamelessly onto the carriage.
There was no one in the carriage at the time.
Riya looked into the eyes of the young lady in front of her as she flipped through the flyer, which had become wet and crumpled due to the rain.
It was such a depressing time.
‘I would not have started my book in that publishing house if I had known this was how I could publish it.’
“My name is Clara, and I’m the Duke of Declair’s youngest daughter.”
Clara smiled and held out her handkerchief.
Riya took a deep breath and wiped her wet face with the rose-scented handkerchief.
Riya quickly came to her senses and introduced herself after observing Clara’s beautiful eyes that were unlike hers.
“Oh, I’m Seir Brian’s second wife.”
For some reason, she was hesitant to reveal her identity as Seir’s wife, despite the fact that she is only the second wife. Clara, on the other hand, looked stunned and quickly rose to her feet.
“I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you. Princess Riya Lisburn, please accept my greetings.”
Riya was speechless in front of Clara, who knelt in front of her.
“Lady, why are you doing this? In any case, I’m only Seir-second nim’s wife. But how did you find out what my name was?”
“How could I have been so oblivious? The imperial families are well-known in social circles.”
Clara responded politely with a broad smile, as if she were bragging.
“Moreover, even if you are not a member of the Imperial Family, you have a higher status than we do, Princess. And….”
Clara spoke in hushed tones, her face flushed.
“I heard Prince Yucal Brian was staying there for a while…”
Riya’s mind raced with calculations in response to those words.
‘Hmm, my intuition told me that the woman in social circles clearly admires Yucal.’
“Then… Lady Clara, since I owe you today, would you come to the castle to see me if I invited you?”
“What?”
Clara’s eyes grew to the size of a bell.
She couldn’t believe she’d been invited to Brian Princes’ castle, which was off-limits to the public.
“Really? Really?”
She was overjoyed and grabbed Riya’s arm.
“Of course, ho-ho-ho. I’ll take you on a tour of the castle myself.”
Riya tried to catch Clara’s attention by touching the flyer with both of her hands as they spoke.
Clara’s gaze was drawn downward, as expected.
“Oh, my goodness. What exactly is this?”
“Ho-ho-ho, I heard a friend is making his debut as a novelist. So I went around trying to sell a few of these.”
“Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!”
Clara was taken aback and grabbed Riya’s hand.
“Does this make sense? Princess, you’re such a precious and noble person, but you’re out on your own trying to sell your friend’s books. I feel like an angel has descended from the sky.”
Riya frowned at Clara’s childish rhetoric, but she smiled on the outside.
“Would you like to try reading it? Can I ask you to promote the story if you think it’s good?”
“Of course! Without a doubt.”
Clara took the flyer as if she were stealing it, looked at the contents, and screamed before Riya had finished speaking.
“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!” Oh my goodness!”
She quickly covered her eyes with both hands, as if she had seen something she couldn’t see.
The flyer’s introduction to the book was too stark and obscene.
Clara’s face turned red, and her voice sounded as if she was about to cry.
“There was such a thing as a profanity book in the world. I’d only heard of it, but I didn’t expect it to really exist. Oh no, this is a disaster.”
Riya mentally yelled ten times.
‘This unlucky b*tch.’
“Hohoho, my old friend isn’t originally this racy, but she’s in a difficult situation, so she forced herself to write a novel to make money.”
“But who is going to read these racy novels? It’s far too filthy.”
Riya looked at Clara, who was crying and saying she saw something she couldn’t see, and she wanted to cry with her.
‘Yeah, a gold spoon like you won’t understand how it feels to have your life threatened and no money.’
But this is the only option for Riya. To save her life, she needs to sell her novel quickly and make a hit.
“Anyway, I’m concerned. The novel has been published, but I doubt it will be successful.”
Clara, who was watching Riya’s worried and concerned expression, lit up her eyes and grabbed her hand.
She appeared adamant about not squandering the opportunity in front of her.
“Don’t worry, Riya. I also want to help those who want to help others. Like my good friend, Lady Sophia.”
“What? Lady Sophia, did you just say that? Lady Sophia, the novelist who became famous, is your friend?”
Riya jumped up and down, shouting “hurray!” inside.
“Yes, she is a close friend of mine. She did, in fact, write a novel as a hobby, but someone supported my friend. As a result, rumors about her books spread throughout society, and her books have sold well since then.”
“Who supported her?”
Riya’s eyes welled up with tears as she realized she might finally be able to survive.
“The Duke of Ray Schdeval.”
“Ray Schdeval?”
“He is the public face of social circles. According to what I’ve heard, he not only assists others in entering society, but he also arranges meetings with the imperial family. In society, no one is as broad-feet as him.”
Clara gripped Riya’s hand tightly and didn’t let go as she spoke.
Because she finally established a relationship with the imperial family, which was said to be difficult.
That is why she will not miss it.
She wished she could get a better look at Yucal.
Meanwhile, Riya was deliberating in her mind.
The Duke of Ray Schdeval, the face of society.
‘Does that mean my book has a chance of becoming a best-seller if it goes through him?’
“Where does he live, Clara?”
* * * * *****
The sound of glass breaking could be heard from the Duke of Schdeval’s picturesque castle.
“Ah! Duke, please accept my apologies.”
The young maid knelt on the floor and started pledging.
Ray, dressed in a dazzling white top and white pants, stood tall and red-faced, staring at the maid beneath his feet.
“Obviously, I told you to bring me orange tea, but you dare to bring me apple tea!”
Ray had a flawless appearance, with his long, wavy blonde hair neatly tied with a white handkerchief.
He was as smooth and perfect as a smooth porcelain doll, with clear and transparent skin and tightly closed red lips.
However, despite his spotless, transparent appearance, he was irritated.
He looked as if he wanted to whip the maid in front of him right away.
Ray Schdeval.
He had a so-called dual personality.
When he goes out, he has a great appearance, witty conversation, and a lively personality, but when he gets home, he never lets anyone be disrupted him or make a mistake.
He possessed a low level of mental fortitude that could not withstand any level of irritation or nervousness that arose in him.
The maid jumped in as soon as Ray roared.
“Duke, please accept my apologies. I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
The older maid pledged with her hands clasped together and a pale face.
The little maid who had just entered the room was trembling with fear.
“Get her out immediately, hit her 100 times, and lock her in the cellar.”
He turned around, threw the glass against the wall, broke it, and went into the bedroom, unable to control his rage.
“I’m going to take a nap from now on, so don’t wake me up. You’ll all be done if I hear something.”
Meanwhile, exactly ten minutes after Ray entered the bedroom, there was a commotion in front of the Duke of Schdeval’s castle gate.
“What’s the deal? I stated that I am a member of the imperial family. Why don’t you trust me?”
Riya screamed angrily.
The gatekeeper, standing by the door, shook his head as if it were impossible and replied with a stubborn look.
“Even if the Emperor arrives right now, we won’t be able to wake the Duke of Schdeval from his nap. I apologize.”
“Ah, what the…!”
Riya was nervous and agitated because it was almost time for her to return home.
Her damned husband had set the time for his wives to return home at 6 p.m., so she had to be on time.
There were minor penalties for violating time, but she couldn’t confirm them one by one. It will be over if a ban on going out is imposed.
Isn’t this a country where men and women face severe discrimination?
“Because our lives are collateral, we can’t open the door, so please understand and come back.”
The gatekeeper politely bowed and turned around.
Riya Lisburn, embarrassed, circled the vast castle, looking for any openings.
She discovered a hole, but it was so small that a cat could barely fit through it.
“What should I do?”
Riya, who was stamping her feet and holding a flyer, eventually picked up a large stone.
Then she knelt and began smacking down the hole’s entrance.
A wild cat on its way to jump over the hole tilted its head and fled.
“Hmph, do you think I’m going to be easily defeated? You damn script, you’re announcing my death, but I don’t die easily. Do you get it?”
Riya gradually widened the hole with stones while mumbling loudly to herself.
Fortunately, the wall wasn’t too hard, so it didn’t take long for the hole to widen enough for her to fit through.
She squeaked through the gap, but her dress was ruined.
Clara’s words came to mind as she ran gently, imitating a wild cat.
“Duke Ray Sudeval is more discriminating against appearance. You are still attractive, but you must dress more attractively and cleanly in order to receive points.”
Riya couldn’t help but sigh as she looked down at the muddy water-stained hem of her dress.
Isn’t it an emergency right now?
In any case, she needed to find the Duke’s room first.
In retrospect, the owner, Seir, stayed in the most sunny and wide-windowed room in Seir’s castle.
‘So the Duke’s Room must be in that position either.’
She looked around and discovered a large window with beautifully fluttering white lace curtains.
“That’s right. It’s got to be right there!”
Meanwhile, Ray sat up on the bed, his wrist covering his eyes.
He couldn’t sleep because he suffered from severe insomnia.
He was about to lie down to catch his breath after an excessive diet to keep his body in shape when he heard a bird knocking on the window.
But isn’t the sound of birds too loud?
Ray, who jumped up tossing pillows in a loud voice, was startled and terrified to see something clinging to the window.
“……!”
Something with a human face was peering through the window.
Only after getting close did he notice a woman beckoning him to let her in.
“Do beggars also cling to windows and beg nowadays? Crazy.”
When Ray attempted to summon his servants, Riya, who had barely opened the window, crept inside.
“Ugh!”
Ray, taken aback, grabbed his nose, blocked it, and took a step back. Because a horrible, wretched woman, covered in dust and mud all over her, managed to come in, sighing in relief and brightly smiling at him.
“Sigh, I just walked in. Are you Ray Shcdeval?”
Riya smiled triumphantly as she pointed a finger at him.
Ray, who had been standing back from her uncleanliness, shook his head and said.
“Oh, my God, how could you address me in such a way? Don’t tell me you’ve come to see me. Crazy!”
“Sure. I came to see you, of course. Wow, you’re much more beautiful than I expected. You also have a great body. I’ll think you’re a girl if I look at you improperly. Hahaha”.
Ray couldn’t take it any longer, so he drew a sword from the wall and pointed it at her.
“You crazy woman, die!”
He, who was still angry because of lack of sleep, lost his temper easily.
When Ray pointed his sword at her neck and yelled angrily, Riya, surprised, waved her arms and shouted with her arms.
“Are you insane?” This guy is pointing a sword at me. You must continue to listen to people until the end. Do you have any idea who I am? Riya Lisburn, I’m Prince Seir Brian’s wife!”
Ray, who was surprised, quickly lowered the sword, as expected.
“What? But you’re not Madam Elijah, the wife of Prince Seir Brian. Then that means you’re…”
Rey, who had been thinking for a while, took his sword away and smiled contemptuously, as if he remembered it now.
“… hmm, the concubine. Riya Lisburn.”
Riya blushed and felt embarrassed by his reaction this time.
“Isn’t a concubine a wife too? You are indeed a ruthless human being.”
Ray, on the other hand, averted his gaze.
He was adamant about ignoring her completely.
“Stop there, and please go away. I’m aware of rumors that Prince Seir Brian’s concubine is in an unusual state of mind, so I’ll overlook this unwelcome home invasion.”
“What!?”
Riya, who was enraged by his words, blushed and ran to Ray.