Actually, I was the Real One

Even the ladies who were with them were watching the situation with shocked expressions.
They, too, seemed to expect Keira to reject the Princess’s invitation.

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Keira: “S-Sir Joseph.”

Keira hesitated, glancing back at Joseph.
She wanted to go over to the ladies, but she was worried about leaving her partner alone.

Sir Joseph was basically dragged to the ball at her request.
It tugged at her conscience to leave him unattended after letting him accompany her like that. 

Joseph looked at the hesitant lady and remembered what his subordinates had said.

“I think Her Ladyship wants to make friends, so if you want to be her partner for social events, just listen.”

Joseph wondered why they mentioned the thing about friends, but he didn’t think it was a made-up remark. 

Keira hesitated and kept glancing at the table across them.

Joseph guessed she wanted to join them. 

Joseph: “I’ll be resting in the lounge, so please go if you wish to join them.”

Keira: “…Sorry.”

Joseph: “Please don’t worry about it.
I’ll meet with my friends, as well.”

After deliberating, Keira got up from her seat and went to the Princess’s table.
She looked as if she’s going to war.

It was sad but somehow exciting.

Joseph desperately suppressed his laughter and cheered on Her Ladyship’s social awakening.

The capital’s aristocratic society heated up over who the son-in-law of the Parvis family would be.

When people gathered, they naturally talked about him.
There was even an article in the newspaper.

Keira handed an article about her social activities to Ludwig and left the room.
She meant that no one should interfere because everything was going as she intended.

Ludwig looked displeased, but she didn’t hold back, perhaps because of what he had said.

Whenever she remembered his sour look, she hummed. 

Rosé anxiously asked when she saw the excited Keira.

Rose: “But will you be alright?”

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Keira: “With what?”

Rose: “You said you didn’t really want to get married.”

Keira: “That’s true, but…”

Keira has already thought about how to deal with it.
No, not that she thought of it, but…

‘After a while, my marriage will no longer matter.’

How many days were left until Zeke’s birthday party? She tried to count the date through her fingers.

About a fortnight later, Cosette would appear. 

‘There’s not much time left.’

Keira was getting tired.

Before Cosette showed up, there was something she had to know.
She had to find out if she was really the Grand Duke’s flesh and blood.

With that in mind, Keira decided to visit her Great-Aunt over the weekend to seek advice. 

Just before leaving the mansion, Keira passed by the butler, Robert, and asked. 

Keira: “Have you heard from the Shore family?”

Robert: “No, I haven’t.”

Keira: “Hmm.”

Keira hoped he’d reach out.
Her face hardened when she recalled what had happened yesterday.

But to onlookers, it was easy to misunderstand the cause of that look.

‘Shore family? Why are you waiting for them to contact you?’

The only link was that Mrs.
Shore visited the mansion a few days ago to help prepare for the ball.

Robert nodded to himself.
There seemed to be more talks about preparing for the ball.

Robert: “When do you plan to return?”

Keira: “Not within the day.”

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Robert: “I won’t prepare your dinner, then.”

Keira: “I’m planning on staying for more than two years.
I’ll let you know in advance when I get back.”

Keira then left after Robert had seen her off. 

As soon as Her Ladyship disappeared, Robert turned around and almost jumped when he found the Lord standing by the staircase in the lobby. 

Since when have you been there? Robert didn’t even feel anyone arrive. 

What’s worse was Ludwig’s expression wasn’t good.

‘No, he usually looks angry, but…’

It looked more intense today.
Robert swallowed loudly and said.

Robert: “What can I do for you, Your Grace?”

Ludwig: “…she mentioned a family?”

Robert: “Pardon?”

Ludwig: “Waiting to hear from some family.”

‘Oh, can I tell you?’

Hearing Ludwig’s harsh tone, Robert felt at odds with himself.
However, as his faithful employee, he eventually spoke. 

Robert: “Her Ladyship asked if there was any contact from the Shore family.
Perhaps it’s because of Master Zichhardt’c coming-of-age celebration…”

Even before Robert could finish speaking, Ludwig opened the newspaper he was holding.
The butler didn’t know, but it was a newspaper that Keira had tossed in the Grand Duke’s office.

There was an article about her; there was even a picture of Keira with a man on the balcony. 

Perhaps because the news publication was concerned about possible legal action from the Grand Duchy, the article covered her face and only addressed the woman as ‘Lady.
K.’

But Ludwig wasn’t such a fool that he didn’t know the blind item was about Keira. 

「 The young Lord, who was chosen by Lady K, is said to be a relative of the host family of that party that day…」

The host of that party was the Shore family.

Truthfully, when Ludwig first read the article, he thought it was just gossip.
When he was young, he was also subject to gossips.

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Even though Keira acted like she was waiting for the Shore family to contact her, Ludwig still thought so.

Ludwig: “Haa.”

He sighed.

And to make things worse? The man in the picture was sitting in the chair.
Even with Keira standing there!

Shouldn’t the Lady be seated first?

Ludwig knew that his daughter had pride in her status.
There was no way Keira would let go of that indulgence of a Viscount’s relative.

‘Unless you’re infatuated with him.’

It was even more upsetting to think that Keira was chasing the man, not the other way around.

And the black-and-white photo made it impossible to tell the exact color of the man’s hair, but to be printed in this light gray, it must be a very light brown or blond.

The man Keira had met a while ago was also blond[1]. 

Why was she so obsessed with blonds? Blond men were said to be stupid.

Ludwig breathed out a deeper sigh.

Robert: “…Your Grace?”

Robert, ignorant of the Lord’s inner turmoil, was simply puzzled.

Johanna Parvis was the only living Saintess.

She wanted to live quietly outside the capital, but that wish could not come true due to safety issues.

Feeling the uncomfortable weight of the people’s eyes, she eventually chose to live in seclusion in the capital.
No one but the emperor could contact her directly without going through the Parvis family.

 Keira: “Long time no see, Gordon.”

Gordon: “Welcome, milady.”

Gordon, Johanna’s butler, greeted her with a curious yet genuine smile.

Gordon: “But, I believe it hasn’t been long since we last saw each other? Didn’t you visit last month?”

Keira: “Hmm, is that so?”

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Gordon: “Haha, you’re already becoming forgetful.”

It may not have been long for Gordon, but it was for Keira.
In fact, she couldn’t even remember the last time she met him and Johanna.

It was probably because she had a long memory of being imprisoned in a cell before her execution. 

Keira hurriedly turned around.

Keira: “Where is Great-Aunt?”

Gordon: “In the bedroom.”

As Keira followed Gordon into the bedroom, she saw an old lady sitting in an armchair, a blanket draped over her.
Her gray hair was neatly braided and coiffed, and she wore a white robe much similar to that of a priest. 

She truly was an elegant lady, her visage resembling an artist’s painting.

Despite her pale complexion due to health problems, her noble aura did not fade.

‘Great-Aunt is still the same.’

There was a time when Keira thought that the next Parvis Saintess should be like that – an atmosphere so aristocratic that no one could find a single flaw.

She was the second person Keira admired after her father. 

Johanna put down the book she was reading and said hello.

Johanna: “You’ve come? You’ve been visiting more frequently recently, haven’t you?”

Keira: “I didn’t come here just to say hello.”

As Keira answered in a playful tone, Johanna’s eyes widened in surprise.

Johanna: “You… Did you just make a joke?”

Keira: “Yes?”

Johanna: “Oh my, the girl who was always so serious like her father…”

Keira suddenly felt skeptical about what kind of person she was in the past.

Keira could feel her face heating up, so she hurriedly changed the topic.

Keira: “Actually… I’m here today because I have a favor to ask of you.”