< — Meeting People — > (2)
Anita's gaze was cold as she watched the Duchess leave the break room . After going through a lot of heartache, Anita's atmosphere had changed in the past year . As she lost weight, her cheeks grew hollow, her impression became stronger and her temperament hardened .
A large amount of funds was suddenly pulled out from her company without notice . She didn't have time to find why and had run all over the place trying to settle it . Although she has managed to avoid bankruptcy, most of the shares in her company went into other people's hands . The only thing left was a superficial shell . The attack of funds that tore down the foundation of her family business was only the beginning . The aide of the Duke of Taran came and gave a cruel finish .
[You did something you shouldn't have done . If you don't have the ability to handle investigating someone else, don't do it . My lord was very offended . If this is done again in the future, be prepared to pay the price . This is just a very light warning(1) . My lord has no forgiveness for those that ignore his warning . ]
Fabian already didn't like the Countess of Falcon and had contemptuously relayed his master's warning . After Fabian left, Anita fainted out of humiliation and was ill for a few days . When Anita woke up, her eyes were filled with venom .
'So you have been communicating with that female novelist . '
Anita thought that Princess Vivian found out about her through the female novelist . Then went on to tattle to the Duke of Taran .
The Duke was a man of great pride . Even if it was an affectionless marriage, he would be unhappy if someone went after his person . However, the punishment he gave her was too much . There was no reason for the Duke to go that far .
'How badly did she speak of me?'
Princess Vivian must have gone above and beyond in her tales to the Duke and acted as if she was bullied or something . It was indeed the case of a frog getting killed by an accidentally thrown stone . Princess Vivian threw a stone without any aim and she was hit by that stone .
'Do you think I will fall like this? Even if I die, I won't die alone . '
Anita was born the youngest daughter of a fallen aristocrat and thanks to her appearance, she got married to a wealthy man . Within a few months of marriage, her husband died of a sudden cardiac arrest . Anita became rich in an instant . Since she had money, she also wanted to have status . She got a baron who had fallen for her to divorce and then married him . In just half a year, her second husband fell off a horse and died .
Her third husband was Count Falcon, whom she met while she was doing business . Anita was greedy for status and the Count needed money . They got married to fulfill each other's needs . After a year of marriage, the count went to another country on tea business and died of a fever . Anita did not have any children with her dead husband, nor did he designate a successor to inherit his title . Unless she remarried, according to the law, she was the Countess until death . The youngest daughter of a fallen aristocrat had become a wealthy Countess .
It was not her fault that her husbands died . But people pointed fingers at Anita and said she was cursed . She fought against prejudice and lived clenching her teeth . She was harsh on others as much as she was harsh on herself . Even if people cursed and swore at her from behind, she closed her ears to it . It was because of such venomosity that she was able to get so far . She wanted to become famous in the high society with her wealth and status . But that didn't go as she wished .
Rather than being famous, Anita was an outsider . The noblewomen were sticklers for class and hated Anita . They used the reason that she was inauspicious but the way Anita saw it, that was only an excuse and the truth was ugly jealousy .
Unlike the pretentious noblewomen who only knew how to gossip about others, Anita could converse with the men . She was able to discuss the economy and talk about business . She also looked attractive . As though showing off, Anita did not refuse the males that were tempted by her and if necessary, she sometimes did the tempting . She didn't care if they were married or unmarried .
'You think you are excluding me? I am the one excluding all of you . '
She sneered at the noblewomen and held her head upright . Her business was continuously successful and unlike other women, she didn't have to cater to her husband every time she spent money . If she had to go to balls, she was adorned in very luxurious dresses and jewelries . The wealthier she got, the more the women in the high society could not ignore her . There were even some who clung to her, hoping to get crumbs . The world worked in funny ways . Anita took her few followers and played an active role in the social circles .
After doing it for a few years, she realized the high society was nothing special and lost interest . And after that, she did not participate in social activities unless it was absolutely necessary . She wasn't interested in anything other than increasing her money . She was pouring more of her energy into expanding her business .
Then she met the Duke of Taran . For the first time ever, Anita felt a sense of fulfilment like she had gotten it all . Everything was perfect . It was a solid castle that she had built by giving it her all .
But the castle she had painstakingly built was torn down with one word from a woman who was lucky enough to be born a princess and lucky enough to become a Duchess . Anita had thought it was sturdy but seeing her castle collapse in an instant, she was overcome with shock . When she asked those that had sucked up to her for help, they all turned tail and ran . All the wealth and people suddenly seemed like an illusion .
'I have to at least see what she looks like . '
Anita tried to get an invitation to the tea party that the Duchess was going to attend . She mobilized her contacts and connections . Count Jordan blew his horn claiming that he would come to her rescue but said something else with an awkward expression .
[Hmm . So I talked to my wife . Ahem . Things are a little…]
Even without listening to the end, it was obvious . They must have mocked that someone on the Countess of Falcon's level could not get into the party . In the end, she failed to get an invitation and felt a sense of deprivation and misery . If her business was doing well, she would not have suffered such humiliation . At this thought, her resentment against the Duchess grew .
Anita stood far away and watched the ducal couple enter the celebration party venue . For a moment, her heart throbbed seeing the unchanging Duke of Taran and she watched as the Duchess receive people's gazes with a sparkling dress and triumphant expression as if she had the entire world . Her stomach churned and she could not keep watching .
She evaded the crowd and went to the break room . In the break room, she met Lady Alvin . Lady Alvin was one of the contacts that Anita was steadily putting effort into . Thanks to her well-to-do brother, Lady Alvin was a young miss that had grown up without lacking anything . For Anita who was a seasoned merchant, scratching her itch and gently humoring her was child's play .
Lady Alvin thought of Anita as a friend . Although her reputation in society wasn't great, the Countess of Falcon was a rare woman with great business talents . Such a person stuck to her, humored her, gave her advice and with that advice, she made a gain on investments . Because of this gain, her brother praised her and rather than the Countess of Falcon pointing out her contribution, she praised her for being excellent and brilliant . She was a really nice person .
Even though Anita was having business difficulties, Lady Alvin talked with her more frequently . Lady Alvin comforted Anita by saying that it was her turn to help . But in fact, her sincerity was because her inferiority complex from when the Countess of Falcon was at the peak of her success had disappeared .
As the two women got closer, Lady Alvin occasionally talked about the situation at home . As of recent, she lamented and spoke about what happened between her sister-in-law and the Duchess .
'She is not ordinary . ' (Anita)
Anita had to correct her thinking that made light of the Duchess and thought of her as a young princess that didn't know the realities of life .
[Lady Alvin can try giving a sincere apology on their behalf . If things go well, Count Alvin will be pleased and reward Lady Alvin . ]
Tempted by Anita's enticement, Lady Alvin approached the Duchess and offered an apology . But she did not get the reply she wanted . Anita acted like she was comforting Lady Alvin but inwardly, she was collecting information about the Duchess .
'She can't be taken lightly . Her character is stronger than I thought . '
Anita abandoned her plan of approaching the Duchess . There would be an opportunity someday . There was a large difference in status between her and the Duchess but this difference was not absolute . Anita's life was evidence of this .
'The Duchess is a great beauty? The Duke has fallen in love? Bullshit!'
Anita did not believe the rumors . It was likely she wouldn't believe it even if she saw it with her own eyes . She had reached a state where she only saw what she wanted to see and heard what she wanted to hear . The Anita who made calm judgements was no more .
Translator's Corner:
1 . Here, he's referring to the pulling out of funds .
My lord: He doesn't say 'my lord' . He says 'that person' . I put 'my lord' so you know who he's talking about .
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