Chapter 24: Meeting the Male Lead Again (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 24: Meeting the Male Lead Again (2)
“Calling herself a Winston when she hasn't even divorced yet.”
“I heard she even took her daughter to the North.”
“But it’s that Winston family. No matter how much the Marquis tries to throw his weight around, he’s no match for them.”
“They said the Little Lady was so frail she only stayed indoors. I think this is the first time I’ve seen her in public.”
“She certainly takes after her mother; her beauty is already…”
Whispers directed at me drifted in from all directions. Normally, voices from such a distance would be hard to catch, but it seemed my hearing had sharpened after contracting with the demons.
The direct descendants of the Winston line probably heard them even more clearly. Despite that, Veronica and Vincent remained perfectly composed, as if they hadn't heard a thing.
“Dia, you mustn't leave my side. Understood?”
“Okay.”
The inside of the banquet hall was a different world entirely.
An endlessly vast hall filled with countless people in magnificent attire. Sparkling chandeliers, flowing wine, and mountains of food.
The Duke’s castle was plenty extravagant, but it couldn't compare to the Imperial Palace.
I marveled inwardly while gripping Veronica’s hand tightly.
“Young Duke, it has been a long time. I am…”
“I visited you previously regarding the XX project…”
Nobles swarmed around Vincent in an instant. It happened in the blink of an eye.
Since Vincent managed most of the family businesses on the Duke’s behalf, it seemed every noble involved with them was lining up to greet him.
“It’s been a while since we’ve seen you at a banquet, Marchioness… no, Lady Veronica.”
“Indeed. You’ve been absent from the tea parties as well.”
“We are simply delighted to see you today.”
On the other hand, noblewomen gathered around Veronica.
Quick-witted as they were, they immediately corrected how they addressed her. Veronica offered a faint smile as she spoke.
“Yes, it has been a long time. How have you all been?”
“Oh, we’ve been quite well, of course.”
After exchanging pleasantries, the ladies’ gazes immediately dropped downward.
Right toward me, standing beside Veronica. Feeling their eyes on me, I gave them a bright, wide smile.
“I’m Claudia!”
“Oh my, how adorable.”
“Mama calls me Dia.”
When I smartly added my nickname, another round of adoring gasps erupted from the ladies. Veronica looked on with a proud expression.
“I’ve never brought Dia to a place like this before. I thought a change of pace might be good for her today.”
“A wise decision. It’s better to experience grand banquets like this as early as possible.”
A noblewoman hiding her mouth behind a fan giggled. In one corner of the hall, children were gathered separately.
I wondered if I’d be sent over there, but Veronica didn't seem to have any intention of letting me go alone.
“Hm?”
Just then, my eyes locked with another child’s.
I found myself staring intently at her. For some reason, the girl didn't look away either, staring back at me fixedly.
What was this? I was certain I’d never seen her before, so why did she feel familiar?
Was it because her eyes were a shade of purple similar to Claudia’s? Moreover, even from a distance, her delicate features had a certain quality that drew the eye.
She was definitely going to be a beauty when she grew up. With those slightly drooping eyes, she looked like the type of tragic romance novel heroine who would be constantly hounded by men and lead a miserable life…
‘Wait, what?’
I looked at the girl again.
Pale blonde hair like finely milled wheat and violet eyes like pansies. Judging by her size, which was slightly larger than Claudia’s, she looked to be about seven or eight years old.
No way…
Even if that bastard male lead is insane, surely he wouldn't…?
I stared at the girl for a long time with a dazed expression.
“Um, Lady Veronica. By any chance, are you aware?”
At that moment, a noblewoman glanced somewhere and spoke to Veronica. Veronica turned her head.
“Aware of what, Madam?”
“Well… it’s about His Lordship…”
“…?”
Until now, no one had dared mention Cedric to Veronica on purpose.
However, the other ladies all had dark expressions, as if they were barely holding back something they desperately wanted to say.
The smile on Veronica’s face slowly stiffened.
“It’s alright, you may speak freely.”
“Well, um… His Lordship… arrived today with someone else…”
“Ah.”
“And it seems… he brought a child with him as well.”
The noblewoman fluttered her fan as if she couldn't bear to say more, acting as though she had just uttered something scandalous.
“What am I saying? I mean, Lady Veronica. What I’m trying to say is…”
“I know.”
“Pardon?”
“I already knew. That Cedric had another woman. And a child.”
“…!”
Veronica spoke in a calm, steady voice. Since she had already decided on a divorce, she likely felt there was no need to hide it.
The ones who were actually shocked were the noblewoman who brought it up and the people around her.
They couldn't hide their consternation at seeing Veronica so boldly acknowledge Cedric’s affair without trying to cover it up.
“No wonder. I thought it was strange when he entered with such a stunning beauty; so she was his mistress. To think such a thing…”
“But the child… wasn't that one older? Then their relationship must have started long before…”
“Oh my, oh my goodness. How could he?”
The noblewomen whispered among themselves, unable to mask their shock. Since Veronica had coolly admitted it, they felt no need to walk on eggshells and became quite blunt.
However, they occasionally glanced my way, feeling a bit awkward talking like this in front of me.
But hey, don't mind me. Go ahead and curse him out all you want. Let’s go ahead and bury that bastard Cedric, whose reputation is already in the gutter, right here in high society.
I smiled brightly as if I didn't understand a thing. Honestly, what would a five-year-old know from listening to this conversation?
Reassured by my behavior, the ladies began to bash Cedric mercilessly.
“How could he do such a thing to the Lady… Honestly, if he hadn't married her, would he even have his current wealth and power?”
“Exactly. Given his background… even with a Marquisate, it wouldn't have been easy for him to be accepted.”
“The phrase ‘biting the hand that feeds you’ was made for situations like this.”
“And to have the audacity to bring that woman and child to a place like this.”
To be honest, I was surprised by that too.
In the original novel, Cedric only introduced the female lead and the child to society after a specific incident had occurred.
I didn't expect him to bring them out this early. Had something else changed because the Crown Prince returned early?
I nodded to myself, lost in serious thought.
[Master, he’s coming!]
‘Who’s coming?’
[The wicked Sword Master!]
‘…!’
What?
Desmond had different nicknames for the three Sword Masters.
The Duke of Winston was the ‘Duke Sword Master,’ and the Crown Prince was the ‘Scary Sword Master.’
And he called Cedric the ‘Wicked Sword Master.’
Cedric was approaching Veronica. Likely with the female lead in tow.
“Mama…”
I reached out and grabbed Veronica’s arm. She had been looking at the noblewomen, but she looked down at me with a puzzled face.
“Dia?”
“Veronica.”
“…!”
A low, heavy voice pierced through the air. Veronica slowly turned her head.
“…”
“…”
The two stared at each other in silence. Cedric’s violet eyes scanned Veronica intensely.
I wanted to jump in front of her right then and there to block his view, but I couldn't do much with this tiny child’s body.
I gritted my teeth and glared at Cedric from behind Veronica. Being the male lead, he was still blindingly handsome.
“Cedric…”
Then, a slender voice broke the silence between them. I shifted my gaze to the woman standing beside Cedric.
Gloria. The female lead of the original novel.
To think I’d see her like this. In the original, Veronica first met Gloria at the Marquis’s mansion; I never expected them to cross paths at an Imperial banquet.
Veronica also looked at Gloria standing next to Cedric before speaking in an indifferent tone.
“So you’re the woman he’s taking as a concubine. You two look well together.”
“…”
Veronica, speaking with a serene face, deepened her smile.
In the original story, Veronica nearly had a fit the moment she saw Gloria.
And she had broken down in tears upon seeing the child Gloria brought, Marianne.
Back then, she had just lost her daughter, Claudia, so Veronica hadn't been in her right mind.
But the current Veronica was different. I had possessed Claudia’s body, so her daughter hadn't died, and she had completely lost all affection for Cedric and wanted a divorce.
Therefore, Veronica had no reason to hate Gloria enough to want her dead.
“Veronica, that’s enough. Come back home.”
“…?”
The problem was the male lead.
What the hell did this bastard just say?
Not just me, but even Veronica looked at Cedric with eyes full of doubt and shock.
Cedric continued with a stoic expression.
“You are the mistress of the House of the Marquis of Lionel. Return to your place at once.”
“…”
What kind of bullshit is this, you bastard?