Mistaken for a Wicked Woman!

‘The Duke and marquis?’

‘Yes. You must never tell them, or anyone else.’

‘I see, then I swear.’

‘And…’

After hesitating for a moment, the Young Lady Bright spoke as if she had made up her mind.

‘I want you to find me a person.’

‘A person?’

‘Yes. There’s someone I’d really like to meet.’

Young Lady Bright said, with her voice as serious as her expression.

‘A person?’

Vasil said, with his voice trailing off into thought.

That was not a difficult request.

There was no one in the empire, no place within the reach of nature, that he could not find, and no news that he could not hear.

‘If circumstances permit, I intend to spend more time with that person for a while.’

For the first time since coming to the café, the Young Lady Bright made eye contact with Vasil, and it was the eye of a person who knew his ways.

The moment he met those unwavering, clear-green eyes, Vasil was struck with a strange sense of nostalgia.

‘Who is the person you are trying to find?’

‘—- That person is…’

The moment Young Lady Bright’s lips parted in his memory, Vasil was also brought back to reality by a tingling, tickling sensation on the back of his hand.

“Hmm? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about something.”

Vasil smiled broadly at the cluster of lights that clung to the back of his hand, as if begging for his attention.

He stroked the fluffy balls of light and looked out over the bluish darkness of the summer night.

“I wonder what’s going to happen—-.”

Vasil murmured, with his voice a mixture of excitement and worry.

Being a part of the Social circle is never easy.

The Knight’s selection tests were no different.

Even if Iris had him on her back, he could only do so much.

There were things that she would have to deal with alone.

“I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

Iris would be fine.

Vasil rose from his seat, thinking positively.

Now was not the time for useless worry.

It was time to go to bed for tomorrow.

⚘

“Quick, quick!”

“Where’s your headdress?”

“Here!”

“Miss, close your eyes for a moment.”

I knew the morning would be hectic, but the frenzy that happens during a Debutante Day was beyond my imagination.

Lady Elena and Sophie were bustling about from the crack of dawn, and I had to follow them to the bathing room, then to the bed for a massage, then to get up again to dry my hair.

“My God, you look so beautiful!”

Amarth, the tailor, exclaimed, after she came early in the morning to help me put on my debutante dress.

He’s one of the most sought-after tailors in the capital, so I was a little surprised to see him visit me, knowing that he was probably in such high demand.

“Wow….”

Sophie exclaimed as she pinned my half-braided hair into a floral headdress.

“Wow, really—- You’re so beautiful!”

“Thank you..”

I said, while feeling unnecessarily embarrassed after hearing her blurting out exclamations like someone in a daze.

“I’m sure you’ll be the star of this debutante ball!”

“I don’t think so.”

“Oh, wait and see, you’ll definitely be voted as the most beautiful young lady at tonight’s ball!”

I smiled modestly at Sophie, whose tone was full of confidence.

Even to me, the reflection I saw in the mirror was quite amazing.

“They say that the water in the capital is different from the water in the country.”

I said without thinking.

The effect of all the good food, sleeping in a luxurious bed, and consistent pampering was tremendous.

My hair was shiny and lustrous, and my rough skin was blemish-free.

My face was brighter and more vibrant than before, not in a self-praising way, but objectively.

It was such an amazing transformation that I wondered if a person could really change so much like this.

“It’s not the water in the capital, it’s what you were born with.”

Lady Elena, returning from a brief absence, said in a laughing tone.

She was dressed quite extravagantly for a woman who usually wore plain dresses in neutral colors.

“By the way, are you sure you don’t mind it?”

“Eh, what do you mean?”

“About me being your chaperone.”

Lady Elena asked with concern in her voice, she was going to attend the debutante ball today as my chaperone.

“What’s wrong with that?”

I asked, while scratching my head, and Lady Elena smiled awkwardly.

“Well, even though I’ve been granted the title of a Baroness by His Highness the Duke… I’m unremarkable compared to others…”

“I don’t know what you mean by unremarkable. You are more worthy of being my chaperone than anyone.”

“But what will people say…”

Lady Elena was not easily dissuaded from her worries.

A chaperone, the guardian of a noble young lady going out into society, was usually the woman of the house, but if there was no one worthy, it was customary to ask a lady who held a title or was the hostess of a venerable noble family.

Lady Elena had been granted a title of a Baroness by the Duke of Bright a few years ago in recognition of her nearly twenty years of service to the family as nanny to the Young Lady Bright.

But coming from a family of declining aristocracy, it was unlikely that she would be able to take root in the conservative society.

In other words, Lady Elena had all the qualifications of a chaperone, but very little influence in society, and so she seemed to think that she would be of little use to me.

“Perhaps you should speak to the Marquis now, and ask him to send someone else to…”

“Madame.”

I interrupted Lady Elena and locked eyes with her, then forced my voice to be firm.

“I can see what you’re worried about, but I think you’re the right person for the job.”

“Young Miss….”

“I don’t need the name or the halo of your family, I need someone who will stand by me and not betray me to become my chaperone.”

Lady Elena’s eyes flickered at my words.

She realized I was referring to the Chaperone of the Bright Young Lady.

“The Chaperone of Archie was a lady of the Marquis’ family, but she didn’t fulfill her role as a guardian.”

Even the most powerful guardian is useless if she fails to fulfill her responsibilities.

In that sense, the Bright Young Lady’s chaperone was the worst of all.

Instead of protecting the Young Lady entrusted to her, she betrayed her by stabbing her in the back.

That’s why I chose Lady Elena.

It didn’t matter what family halo she had or where she stood in society.

No matter what anyone says, Lady Elena was the best chaperone for me in this situation, because she would never betray me.

“I trust you more than anyone else, and that’s why I chose you as my chaperone.”

Lady Elena’s eyes widened.

She bowed her head, and was momentarily overcome with emotion.

“… Thank you for saying that, Miss.”

After a moment, she looked up again, her face no longer hesitant.

“I’ll do my best to be of service to you, young lady.”

“You’ve already done a lot.”

I smiled and held out my hand to Lady Elena.

Maybe it was because she was Bright Young Lady’s nanny, but being with Lady Elena often reminded me of my own nanny.

I wanted to show my nanny how I looked in my debutante dress.

‘…I hope she’s doing well.’

“Keep me in good hands.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

Lady Elena clasped her hands together and folded her eyes.

We looked at each other and smiled warmly.

Just then, there was a small knock at the door.

“Iris, do you mind if I come in for a minute?”

“……! Ah no, please come in.”

It was Marquis Bright who entered the room.

At the sound of his voice, Sophie and Lady Elena moved out of the way so that we could speak alone.

“How are you getting ready?”

“Well, I’m all set.”

When he saw me, his face lit up immediately.

I marveled inwardly at the sight of Marquis Bright walking inside.

Is it because he’s wearing his hair half over his eyes?

He looked ten years younger than his age today.

He was already middle-aged, but today he looked like a young man.

“You look really pretty today.”

“So does my father.”

“Really? Haha, you sound just like your mother. Wendy used to call me pretty this, and that all the time.”

“No, but you’re really very pretty.”

How often do you find a man this good-looking at the age of forty?

I’m not being facetious, but Marquis Bright looked much younger than most thirty-something people.

If we went out together, wouldn’t we look more like uncle and niece than father and daughter?

That’s how good-looking he looks.

“Do you remember what I told you yesterday?”

“What? Ah, yes.”

No matter how much I thought about it, mother must have fallen for my father’s appearance, and while I was busy thinking about it, the Marquis of Bright spoke up with a smirk.

“I told you yesterday…. If you go to the banquet, there may be some people who will try to cause trouble for you. Not just today, but throughout the Debutante. They’ll try to tarnish your reputation one way or another, just like they did with Archie.”

“Probably.”

“Don’t forget. I’m on your side, no matter what.”

Marquis Bright said with a determined look on his face.

When I looked at him with such determination in his eyes, I immediately recalled the conversation I had with him last night.

‘As you know, the Chancellor of the Empire is a position where many different opinions must be heard and compromised. You must remain neutral at all times, and belong to no faction, that’s because you must run the affairs of the state fairly, and justly.’

Last night, the Marquis of Bright, who came to see me, made his decision known.

After learning of the affairs behind his first daughter’s scandal, he had decided to abandon the principles to which the Bright family had long adhered to.

‘Until now..’ He said,

‘I have been scrupulously neutral, wishing to be a man worthy of the title of Lord Chancellor of the empire… But now I’m not going to.’

‘That’s a good idea.’

I agreed with the Marquis of Bright’s decision.

‘I’m not going to do that anymore.’

It may have been too late since everything had already transpired, but it was still good that the Marquis had come to a change of heart, even though it took him a while.