Chapter 69
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 69
“They say someone actually saw the Duke of Battenberg on this ship!”
Rosalyn’s eyes held none of the excitement her voice strained to convey. The contrast between her forced tone and her unnervingly calm gaze was unsettling.
Anyone who didn't know her would never have guessed she was the same lovely young lady who had been waving with flushed cheeks just moments before. The jarring difference made Vanessa hesitate.
“The person who started the rumor claims to have seen the Duke’s face up close a few times. They’re whispering that he boarded in a standard service uniform, just like the regular navy personnel.”
“A service uniform, not an officer’s? Why on earth would the Duke do that?”
“Opinions are split. Some say it was to collude with the Prime Minister, while others think it was purely for business. And some of the crazier people…”
“Shh, Rosalyn. People can hear you.”
At the warning, Rosalyn, who had been raising her voice while counting on her fingers, let out a clear laugh. Looking closer, Vanessa realized her friend’s flushed face wasn’t from joy or excitement, but from something closer to agitation and anger.
She looked as if she had suffered some terrible insult. Vanessa could still vividly recall the way Rosalyn’s lips, struggling to hold a smile, had trembled as if they were about to collapse. The memory was still sharp, even a week later.
“Vanessa. Aren’t you curious about the last reason?”
Vanessa couldn’t remember how she had answered. Just then, the sun had begun to crest the horizon, and the crowd on deck had erupted in collective gasps of awe.
In that chaotic moment, focusing on the conversation had been difficult—especially when it was about a topic she had absolutely no interest in. Noticing her indifferent attitude, Rosalyn had asked with a strange expression.
“You don’t seem very interested in the Duke.”
“Of course not… I’ve never even met him. Whatever he did has nothing to do with me.”
At the blunt reply, Rosalyn had stared at her blankly before letting out a hollow laugh. Relief slowly spread across her tense face, as if she’d completely forgotten the anger and hurt from moments before.
“Right? There’s no need to pay any attention to a man like that.”
At the time, Vanessa had simply found Rosalyn’s sudden shift in attitude cute. She knew her friend didn’t enjoy spreading unconfirmed rumors, but Vanessa hadn't had the presence of mind to think much more of it.
Of course, even if she had realized what was happening back then, nothing would have changed. Still, she could have done more to soothe her friend’s anxiety. She could have been more considerate of Rosalyn, who had gone off to be angry on her behalf, even if she couldn't bring herself to ask Vanessa about it directly…
EXCLUSIVE! Duke B Makes Massive Investment in the South! Is a Woman the Price?
Vanessa’s fingers tightened around the flimsy daily newspaper.
…as such, he is expected to actively participate in the construction of the South's largest racecourse. This directly contradicts the investment stance Duke B has shown thus far. While the official pretext is balanced regional development, our sources confirm he has entered into a secret agreement with Count E. The rumored price for this deal is the Count’s niece, Miss V, an influential young lady who came of age this year…
Most of the detailed “inside story” that followed was either false or exaggerated, but the problem was that using initials like B and V made the story feel all too plausible.
It wasn't an article in a reputable paper like The Ingrian or The Linden Daily, of course. But sometimes, a single line in a gossip magazine read by the maids had a far greater impact.
She could already see it in the changed attitudes of the maids who worked closely with her.
They must believe it.
Vanessa folded The Tabloid and placed it on the mountain of other publications. Women’s weeklies, monthly magazines, gossip rags—fourteen different publications in total. How on earth had things gotten so out of hand?
I’ve never even seen the man’s face.
A scandal, in itself, wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, she would have welcomed it.
If only it weren’t a scandal with a specific person.
Having a named partner in a scandal was never good, especially if that partner seemed suitable in the eyes of others.
In that case, her uncle would do whatever it took to dump her onto the other party. He would cite a lady’s honor to demand a high bride price. If that was his plan, it would have been better to tank her value completely with a scandal like a premarital pregnancy—something so ruinous that it would be an embarrassment to try and sell her off for any price.
Besides, ever since she had gotten to know River Ross… Vanessa swallowed hard.
This is bad.
Her plan for the ship party had only been to create some vague, hazy rumors of sightings. Just enough to invite quiet disregard, contempt, and the stigma of a woman too loose to manage a household. But to be tied up in this…
To be rumored as the price for an investment…
The scale of the scandal had spiraled out of her control, and it was overwhelming. At this point, it was almost a relief that the name Battenberg was involved. As long as that family was part of the story, no other man would dare covet her. But that was only a temporary shield.
What if public interest faded, or the scandal took a terrible turn? What if next week’s magazine published a story that the Duke had lost interest in the woman he’d ‘bought’? The thought alone made her vision swim.
That’s when those other men would start approaching me. The kind who buy a woman with money just to have her for a night.
Would her uncle, who was trying to make a fortune from her marriage, protect her honor then? Would he resist the temptation of money and guarantee her safety? One thing was certain: if she hadn’t discovered the will, she would have foolishly trusted him to the very end.
Because I believed he had at least a shred of basic human decency.
Now, her only hope was that the Duke of Battenberg’s name would stick to her forever. Since the Duke wouldn't let this scandal slide, she just had to hold out until she earned enough money to stand on her own.
My head is a mess.
Vanessa buried her face in her hands, letting out a heavy sigh. How could such a rumor have possibly started?
“Miss.”
Vanessa lifted her weary gaze. Mary, looking just as exhausted as her mistress, spoke carefully while covering the telephone’s mouthpiece with her hand.
“There’s a call for you, Miss. I think you should take it.”
“A friend? Is it Rosalyn?”
“I think it’s a different friend. He said you’d know who it was if I told you it was Logan…”
A sudden call from someone she’d only exchanged a few words with on the ship. Given the timing, she needed to be careful with outside contact, but he had introduced her to his great-grandfather. She felt too guilty to refuse.
Vanessa walked over and took the receiver from Mary.
“Hello? Logan Dawson?”
—Vanessa. I finally got through. The operator must be new; they kept fumbling the connection.
He let out an audible sigh.
—Did you get home safely?
“Of course. Though that was a week ago. Thank you for your concern.”
—I can tell. The gossip rags are full of stories about you, but you don’t sound too discouraged.
Hearing the relief in his voice, Vanessa let out a soft sigh of her own. She forced a faint smile. Rosalyn had been unreachable for days, and pretending to be fine while dealing with this massive situation alone was starting to wear her down.
“What is it?”
—When we last spoke, you seemed to have no idea what was going on. It’s been weighing on my mind.
You’d better brace yourself. She finally understood the meaning behind his sigh and the worried look in his eyes when he had said those words. Vanessa gripped the receiver tighter.
“Logan Dawson. Did you… did you know back then that these rumors would spread?”
—I had a vague idea. But seeing you that day made it clear.
“How on earth did a rumor like this even start?”
—It started when rumors about a new railway and racecourse in the South began to fly. Before that, people weren't sure if the Duke had actually invested, but there was already speculation that if he did make an investment of that scale, it had to be for a woman. It would explain why he’d suddenly choose the South for his vacation. By the time of the maiden voyage ceremony, the reporters were treating it as a certainty.
“You knew that from the very beginning?”
Logan Dawson let out a sudden laugh on the other end of the line.
—You really don't pay much attention to me, do you, Vanessa?