AWLITEB Chapter 34

Once Isabella escaped the terrible motion sickness aftereffects, she quickly adapted to the western Grand Duchy.

Perhaps because she'd already been through the North, this time felt easier.

She worked with Genos to build her reputation daily, paying special attention to the West's underdeveloped regions and caring for the people's welfare.

Also, in the Grand Duchies excluding the North, there was another important schedule.

Namely, inviting the nobles who managed the Grand Duchies in their absence and giving them special treatment.

On the tenth day after arriving in the West, Genos held that very task by inviting Viscount and Viscountess Oshier, the western Grand Duchy's administrators, to the estate.

They were people who had governed the western Grand Duchy alongside him since he'd received it at age fifteen.

"What jewelry will you wear?"

The dressing room bustled with activity to receive the viscount couple.

Isabella braided her sun-burning red hair on both sides, then rolled it up and pinned it to her head, and wore a light green silk dress.

Subtle beige floral embroidery decorated the dress.

Now only the bare neck remained to be adorned.

The maids held out jewelry boxes before Isabella, waiting for her selection.

"Since the dress color is bold, something subtle might be better."

Isabella chose a pearl necklace as she spoke.

"An excellent choice."

A maid moved to fasten the necklace when—knock knock—a knocking sound came from above the dressing room door.

Turning her head, she saw Genos already knocking on the open door.

"Your Highness. That's not how one knocks."

At Isabella's words, Genos made a charmingly shameless expression.

"Really? Learned something new today."

Genos approached, took the pearl necklace the maid held, and returned it to the box.

"Bring the blue diamond from the far room where the guards are stationed. Tell Paile and he'll give you the safe key."

"Yes, Your Highness."

The maid bowed and quickly left the dressing room.

Isabella asked with curiosity:

"Blue diamond?"

"Among the nobles managing the Grand Duchies, some occasionally mistake themselves for royalty. So today, wearing the blue diamond would be best."

Genos placed his hands on both of Isabella's shoulders as he spoke.

Their gazes met through the mirror before them.

"It's also the jewel that suits you best."

Genos lightly massaged Isabella's shoulders, then turned and left the room.

The jewel that suits you best.

Isabella repeated those words, then smiled faintly.

Soon the returning maid, wearing white gloves, fastened the jewel symbolizing royal family membership around Isabella's neck.

Isabella gazed at herself in the mirror while caressing the thick diamond stone.

She didn't want to lie.

She liked this diamond. Not because of its color, size, or beauty.

She liked it because it was an object proving she wasn't less than vermin.

Genos and Isabella sat in the drawing room, waiting for Viscount and Viscountess Oshier.

Last time in the North, they'd invited many guests, so they'd shown the courtesy of going to the front gate as hosts of a grand banquet to greet them.

But this time they were inviting only one family, so the two waited in the drawing room like superiors.

Paile brewed two cups of warm herbal tea, then left with the servants.

Isabella rubbed the corners of her mouth—which would suffer from forced smiling for the next few hours—with her hand and asked:

"So, what kind of people are Viscount and Viscountess Oshier?"

"Clever ones. They have quite a talent for running and efficiently managing territory. It was hard finding someone clever among those with relatively low rank."

"Because many become arrogant from managing a Grand Duchy?"

"Yeah. Thanks to that, the East and South Grand Duchy vassals had to be replaced several times. Only this place, where I chose a viscount family from the start, has been maintained."

"If they're people who know the line they shouldn't cross, why did you tell me to wear the blue diamond necklace?"

"They've always kept the line perfectly before me, but who knows with my fiancée?"

"Still, they must be excellent people if Your Highness has kept them this long."

Isabella expected an obvious answer, but Genos didn't open his mouth easily.

He answered indirectly by casually taking a sip of tea.

"It's not common for a noble from a non-threatening family to have excellent ability."

"What?"

"I'm turning a blind eye to them stealing a few gold coins. If I can keep a decent worker bound with that many crumbs, it's not a bad deal."

"And you can use it as leverage if needed."

At Isabella's blunt words, Genos smiled with satisfaction.

"You should've been born a leader."

"What?"

"You're born with a leader's way of thinking."

Then—knock knock—a knocking sound came into the drawing room. When Genos granted entry, Paile entered.

"Viscount and Viscountess Oshier have arrived. Shall I bring them to the drawing room or guide them to the dining room?"

"If we bring them to the drawing room, we'll have more time together, so take them straight to the dining room."

"Yes, Your Highness."

When Paile closed the door and left, Genos heaved his body up. Then he lightly pulled Isabella's hand to help her rise.

"Come on, let's go force some smiles."

Genos changed their clasped hands to intertwined fingers, then left the drawing room wearing a happy smile.

Isabella also wore a flawless smile at his side.

"Your Highness. It's been so long."

"Have you been well?"

The viscount couple, who'd been waiting before the dining room, hurried forward as they spoke.

In their late thirties, they appeared very energetic and healthy.

The couple bowed respectfully to Genos and Isabella, and Isabella returned a nod.

"I heard you governed the West excellently in my absence. You've worked hard."

"You're too kind, Your Highness. I don't know where to put myself."

While Genos and Viscount Oshier conversed, the viscountess smiled at Isabella and spoke in a small voice:

"When I heard His Grace was engaged, I was so curious what kind of person you'd be."

"Were you? I'm not someone who meets expectations, so this is embarrassing."

"Not at all. You're much cuter than I expected. Thin and cute as a child."

The viscountess gazed at Isabella with the most harmless smile in the world. Her expensive dress sparkled brilliantly.

Isabella suppressed her displeasure below her chest and smiled. She couldn't openly display her uncomfortable feelings.

"Let's go inside and eat. I won't claim my estate's servants have excellent cooking skills. As you well know."

At Genos's words, the viscount couple burst into laughter. When the Grand Duke was absent from the estate, the viscount couple occasionally used this place.

The viscountess's gaze turned toward Isabella.

She was smiling, but that smile contained a hint of superiority. Because the viscount couple knew this place with eyes closed, but Isabella didn't.

Isabella found it ridiculous but focused on maintaining a calm expression.

The western Grand Duke estate's head butler and Paile opened the dining room doors on both sides.

Isabella entered first with Genos, vowing that before this gathering ended, she would completely shake off this uncomfortable feeling.

By whatever means necessary, she didn't want to go to bed carrying this filthy mood.

Genos didn't sit at the head but sat with Isabella along the long side.

Naturally, the viscount couple sat opposite them, and their gazes easily exchanged.

Perhaps because of this, the viscountess's smile became even more innocent. The superiority no longer showed in her gaze or smile toward Isabella.

To change expressions so easily. Isabella almost wanted to learn a trick or two from the viscountess.

"Your Highness must be so fortunate. Isn't it difficult for royalty to have love marriages? Yet you've married someone you love—you're truly blessed."

At the viscountess's brazen words, Genos nodded along.

"Right. Being able to spend my life with the woman I love is a blessing and more. Thanks for pointing it out."

"The honor is mine, Your Highness."

The viscountess easily seized control of the table.

If the viscount was skilled at territory management, she was skilled at socializing. That good balance might be why Genos had entrusted them with the western Grand Duchy until now.

Amid the flowing conversation and continuing meal courses, Isabella grew increasingly tired. Her stamina, depleted during the journey from North to West, hadn't yet recovered.

She repeatedly turned her head slightly and closed her eyes long before opening them, fighting drowsiness and fatigue.

Traveling all the empire's Grand Duchies with the Grand Duke was to make every region recognize her as the Grand Duke's fiancée and prevent future problems.

But if the viscountess was subtly disrespecting her like this, she needed to clearly address it and break her spirit.

Wasn't she someone who even bathed alone to do everything perfectly?

Isabella sent cold water down her throat while looking at the viscountess. She needed to focus.

She couldn't suddenly confront her asking what rudeness is this?

The viscountess was nowhere near the rank to compare to a future Grand Duchess, but the woman was the old guard here and the elder.

Rashly stirring up a hornet's nest might instead earn Isabella the stigma of being a rude person who knew no manners.

"There are hawks you can only catch in the West, so I've thought about it occasionally."

"Then you shouldn't miss this time in the West—shouldn't you go hunting together?"

"Really? I'll be a bit short on time reviewing piled-up documents, but I can't give up hawking."

"That's right. It would be best not to miss it."

By the time the dessert course finished, Genos and the viscount had started discussing hunting.

Then the viscountess leaned toward Isabella and spoke playfully:

"The hunting talk looks like it'll drag on—shall we ladies go chat for a bit? You're not interested in their hawking discussion, right? I'd bet ten gold coins you're not interested."

Isabella fully guessed what scheme the viscountess had in speaking this way.

But she didn't want to avoid it. Rather, away from the men's eyes, Isabella herself could be a bit freer too.

"Yes. That sounds good. Would you forgive us for leaving briefly, Your Grace?"

"Of course. I hope you have a comfortable conversation before returning."

Isabella also requested the viscount's understanding with a smile, then left the dining room with the viscountess.

Genos swirled his whiskey glass while lifting the corner of his mouth almost imperceptibly. And he thought:

'Better not kill her by accident.'

The viscountess led Isabella to a small study space at the far end of the second floor.

It was such a tiny room you'd pass without knowing it existed unless paying attention.

"You seemed to be fighting drowsiness throughout the meal. You looked tired, so I brought you here to rest away from the others for a bit. It's the perfect space to take a break away from others' eyes."

The viscountess spoke proudly.

Isabella knew she was deliberately speaking like this place's mistress.

"You noticed I was tired? How perceptive."

"Yes. I could see it. You're still young, so enduring such tedious social conversation must not be easy. I've seen many young ladies of that age, so I know well."

The woman's smile was infinitely soft and gentle.

Even if the intention hidden within was petty and cheap.

But Isabella could smile with genuine response to Viscountess Oshier's smile.

Because Viscountess Oshier's mockery had crossed the line, allowing Isabella to enter this fight too.

"Viscountess Oshier."

"Yes, Miss?"

"Since you have such excellent discernment, may I tell you one interesting fact I noticed about you?"

"Of course."

"That dress—it's brand new, never been washed even once, right? Also, looking at the uncommonly ruby-decorated high-neck design, it seems specially custom-made."

"Wow."

The viscountess instantly hid her flustered state while exclaiming in admiration.

"Remarkable discernment. I'm genuinely surprised, Miss."

"Yes. I'm surprised too. That you'd so boldly wear such clothes here."

"Pardon?"

"No matter how well you manage the Grand Duchy, there are limits to the salary a viscount rank can receive—yet a custom-made dress with jewels."

The viscountess's face turned ashen.

She realized what intention this young miss, Isabella, had in saying this.

Isabella pushed her face right up to the woman's nose, and the viscountess stumbled backward until blocked by the wall.

The viscountess covered her mouth with both hands, swallowing a scream.

Isabella smiled brightly, even cheerfully, as she spoke:

"Did you think it'd be fine to walk around before my eyes wearing a dress bought with embezzled money, Viscountess Oshier?"