My Sister Took My Fiance And I Was Married To An Ugly Prince

9 - The Bullying At The Court

Lucrezia received a dinner notice at dinnertime and called the butler in a bit of trouble.

Basically, dinner at a nobleman's house is supposed to be taken in formal attire.

But Lucrezia didn't have any clothes except for the simple everyday clothes she wore when she was kicked out of the house.

"I'm sorry..." she said.

"I didn't bring the formal attire needed for dinner.

As it is just after my trip today,

I hope you will allow me to wear this dress, or we can eat in my room."

The butler smiled softly, his round red face crinkled with laugh lines.

"You are the main guest of the day, so of course the master will welcome you.

Please feel free to come as you are."

"Good... Thank you."

I was prepared to have my eyebrows raised at the rudeness of a duke's daughter, but none of the servants showed any displeasure.

Then Lucrezia went to the dining room and got an eyeful.

Ramilio had shown up in his daytime clothes, without changing.

The hood and glasses covering his face were still intact, as were the clothes made of rough material suitable for workers.

"I'm sorry to be dressed like this. I don't like to spend a lot of time on clothes because I look like this."

But Lucrezia could tell that he was lying.

He must have heard about the situation from the butler and was trying to make sure that Lucrezia would not be afraid.

—Such a gentleman...

She tried to suppress her smile, but ended up grinning more than usual.

Ramilio was looking at Lucrezia in surprise.

--Oops, it was rude of me to grin so much.

Lucrezia hurriedly erased her expression and returned to her usual cloudy eyes.

***

[ POV - Third Person / Ramilio ]

Ramilio looked at Lucrezia's smiling face as if she had accidentally expressed her emotions, and then he realized.

—So that's her!

It must be an act to rip off the dress and jewelry.

Otherwise, who would smile at a man like me? I was almost fooled.

—Oh, she's definitely cute. I'll admit that.

But don't think you can win her over with that alone.

Ramilio's territory is rural but lively.

It's also a major transportation hub, so the income is good.

It's probably one of the wealthiest places in the world.

That's why even Ramilio, with a history of six broken engagements, was offered a marriage proposal, but the fact that he was not loved even with his huge fortune took a heavy toll on his body and soul.

--He sat down right across from her, thinking with a sense of humor.

Since they were at opposite ends of the long table, they could barely see each other's faces.

At this distance, Ramilio could eat his meal in peace.

"I'll arrange for you to go to the bank tomorrow, since it might be inconvenient for you."

--Ramilio said cautiously, "I don't want to have you beg for a dress."

Ramilio thought warily, but she only thanked him modestly.

--I'm sure she'll show herself to be in trouble soon anyway.

As soon as she showed any sign of it, he decided that he would never get engaged and would ask her to return to her parents' home.

***

[ POV - Third Person ]

Lucrezia had arrived at the Duke of Pastore's estate and was exchanging awkward greetings with Ramilio.

While Rosa was at a tea party, half pouting and looking down.

The noblewomen were laughing behind their fans, but their voices were unusually loud and whispering to each other.

"I never thought I'd see a girl touch her hair while eating."

"What a disgrace."

"It's embarrassing."

"Hey, maybe a commoner got mixed up with the wrong people. Someone should tell her that this is no place for her."

The noblewomen laughed.

They had been laughing at Rosa's manners for almost an hour now.

"Maybe she's just a big girl and an eight-year-old child has slipped in."

"I'm sure of it."

It was Countess Tilya, who had heard rumors of a series of broken engagements, who was putting Rosa through the ringer.

—This old lady, just because she's sister's your favorite, doesn't mean you have to resort to this kind of cunning!

It's bullying when adults get together and make fun of a little girl.

—I know how to be polite, after all.

She knows at least a few manners.

I'm not going to show it off, but I'm going to show her that I'm a friendly girl who can get along with people of lower status.

The heroine of the romance novels that Rosa admired was just such a girl who could get along with people without any pretense.

Rosa was a princess by birth, so she was just at the age where she felt ashamed of her noble status.

"Don't be surprised, folks, she's the next marshal's wife."

"It's the end of the world."

"I heard that the General's son is still not allowed to enter the court, so what's going on?"

"I wonder what's going on with the Marshal's son, who still hasn't been allowed to enter the court.

Are we going to have to give the position to someone else?"

"I think that would be better. That's what I'd like to suggest."

—I've got royal blood in my veins, and you can't talk to me like that!

Rosa's grandfather was the royal brother of the previous generation.

Even in Rosa's favorite romance novels, princes and princesses are exceptional.

If she told her father, he could have kicked them all out of the court, but what a bunch of shallow women.

Rosa immediately cried out to her father that evening.

"The Countess of Tilya has been ridiculing me as a little girl with no manners! Isn't that terrible?"

"Isn't that the one..."

"She's just a countess, but she defies me, the royal family! Dad, get them all out of the court!"

***