Duke, Please Stop Because it Hurts

Marchioness Nibeia’s lively conversation had made her forget all about the disturbance from earlier. The wives were laughing and talking about much information that only they knew.

“So, I’m in a predicament since I’ve been having problems with the negotiations with that merchant group recently.”

“What’s the matter?”

Countess Nisser’s sigh had drawn everyone’s attention.

“There are a lot of transactions going on in the Kingdom of Portan with our family’s merchant group. But then, the recent answer has been rather late and most of them don’t really make it through.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Is Marchioness Nibeia’s merchant group doing all right?”

Nibeia’s expression could be seen to change quite vaguely when she was asked. The Kingdom of Portan—it was one of the places in which she had worked fairly hard as of late.

Thanks to the geographical conditions that situated them not too far from the Empire, it was then a place where quite a number of merchant groups had come and gone to.

“I haven’t heard of a dispute just yet, but… it is definitely better to find out.”

“Has Marchioness Nibeia been going to and from the Kingdom of Portan, then?”

“Yes, the local specialty products have been selling rather well recently.”

“Oh! I know.”

The story of Baroness Nisser had soon lost its interest as attention was quickly gathered to something else. People were very attentive towards the more stimulating narratives as they accomplished many social stories.

Right after the tea party session, which also took Molitia quite some time to prepare, people who had attended began to take their leave successively.

In their hands, there was a box that contained a small gift that Molitia had prepared beforehand. Participating in the enshrouded Duchess’s tea party was enough to become a famous socialite even if it was just for a while. When everyone was presented with a gift to boot, they eventually went out the door along their own sets of proud faces.

Molitia also prepared some for Arjan. Nevertheless, Arjan didn’t take along the gifts which had already been arranged.

No—she just couldn’t take it with her. She had to appear like a good sister all because of her own anger that had risen to the top of her head. It would take such a long time for her to forget about that.

That was her first time to experience such a disgrace. She had always been the talk of town and the hotbed of many rumors. Therefore, for her, today’s tea party was definitely the worst—of the worst. Molitia had treated Arjan even worse than the air itself.

‘You’re just Molitia!’

Arjan had gritted her teeth furiously on the carriage returning home. Her distorted mouth had even made the servants around her tremble nervously.

——————

As soon as she arrived at the county, Arjan quickly headed to the study. She just couldn’t stand such humiliation.

“Father, Father! Listen—Molitia…”

“Oh, damn it!”

Some papers were scattered on the floor right after she had opened the door. Arjan instantly became frozen on the spot—surprised.

“Father…?”

“You!”

Count Clemence immediately strode along after he discovered Arjan.

Slap!

Arjan just couldn’t make heads nor tails about the burning sensation of her cheeks at that given moment. What the hell was going on?

It was her father, Count Clemence—who had never hurt her before. When Arjan stuttered as she placed a hand on her cheek, the Count’s angry voice rumbled like a bolt of lightning.

“What the hell did you even say when you were in that house? I told you to lure him to our side. Who asked you to provoke him?”

“Oh, Father, what do…”

“The Duke of Linerio is angry!”

The Count could no longer overcome his anger and hurled the object that was next to him. The flung item had instantly made the floor crack.

It was actually the same as his own usual.

He went to work at the palace without fail and he was just doing his job. In fact, he was also in a pretty good mood until he saw Duke Linerio in the hallway.

Count Clemence’s face immediately became twisted when he had seen Duke Linerio was coming from afar. In the end, he recalled the time he had to pay a large sum of fine.