Chapter 88

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 88

Chapter Title: Lady Letitia Bartu

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She was dressed more shabbily than the other nobles.

After climbing the stairs, she greeted the nobles, but no one acknowledged her. It was a far cry from the warm reception my aunt and I had received.

While my aunt and I chatted endlessly with the guests, the woman with dark brown hair stood alone by the wall.

I glanced at her, and my aunt spoke up.

"That's Lady Bartu."

Quick on the uptake, my aunt had noticed my curiosity and told me her name.

"Lady Bartu?"

"Letitia Bartu. The eldest daughter of the House of Bartu, counts."

"I've heard all the capital nobles' names from the chairman, but not the Bartus."

"They're drowning in debt, just a name left to cling to."

"But how did she end up here? This is only for people the chairman deemed important."

"Count Bartu is a loyal lapdog for the Marsch Ducal House, the maternal family of the Empress Dowager and Empress Yvonne. He does all their dirty work just to sneak his daughter in. Hoping she'll catch some power player's eye. For Lady Bartu, this is a matchmaking venue. Sounds sordid, I know."

I blinked and looked at my aunt.

"The chairman said it himself. As the lady of Duvered, I can have everything, but precisely because I'm a Duvered lady, I can't stay a naive child forever. So I need to know the dirty along with the clean."

My aunt smiled faintly and stroked my cheek.

"You're growing on me more and more. This is trouble."

I giggled.

Just then, Letitia Bartu headed to the lounge. I told my aunt, "Gotta use the bathroom," and followed her.

Letitia was washing her hands at the sink in the lounge. In the mirror, her eyes looked darkly sunken.

"Hello, milady."

"Hello."

She must have overheard people calling me the Duvered lady; she didn't ask who I was.

I plopped down on the sofa, and she glanced over.

"You should stay outside. To them, this lounge is a loser's rat hole."

"But it's boring out there. All adults talking tough stuff."

My innocent words made Letitia smile helplessly.

"Well, as the Duvered lady, even they wouldn't dare mock you."

"Play with me!"

At that, Letitia gave a soft smile.

"Alright. What should we play?"

"Tell me fun stories!"

"Shall I?"

Letitia sat beside me and shared imperial legends and fairy tales.

I clapped and cheered enthusiastically now and then.

"Tell me the whale story too!"

"Whale?"

"The one where Daddy Whale searches for Mommy Whale and Baby Whale."

I mentioned the recently popular tale, and Letitia's hand twitched.

"That one... Sorry, I don't know the whale story well. Oh, time's flown by. I'll head out first."

Anyone could see she was dodging, but I wasn't fazed.

Because I knew why she was fleeing.

The whale family tale went like this.

Daddy Whale and Mommy Whale, living apart, met by chance, fell in love, and had Baby Whale.

Then Mommy Whale and Baby Whale vanished in a tragic accident, and Daddy Whale desperately searches for them.

Why wouldn't Letitia tell this simple story? Because it was her story.

More precisely, it was a tale Archduke Rocar— the Emperor's brother—had spread across the empire to find his suddenly vanished lover and their child.

To pay off her father's debts, Letitia had once hidden her identity and worked as a maid.

For Archduke Rocar, who was secretly recovering from an illness that had blinded him.

They fell in love, had a child, but as his sight slowly returned, Letitia fled for some reason.

But it ends in a happy reunion, like the whale family story.

Letitia would later become the archduchess.

And she was the 'path' I needed to reach my godmother.

Sharon called my aunt and me over to show off her finished sketch.

It was astonishingly lovely and cute.

Somehow elegant too, making me wonder if I could even pull it off.

My aunt nodded.

"It'll suit Leblain perfectly."

"You said it! Finishing the sketch gave me chills at my own talent. This dress is made for the lady!"

"Make a few more. Accessories too?"

"Ugh, can't say no to my muse. Fine, I like the little lady anyway."

My aunt stamped the Ariéju seal on the dress receipt.

I peeked at the price and nearly fainted.

How much is all that?!

Not even comparable to Melbaine's dresses. More zeros than I could count at a glance.

Even for me—now fairly wealthy via the Hope Guild, with more riches ahead— the price made my shoulders tremble.

No wonder it reeks of money...

"Always grateful, milady."

Sharon beamed and tilted her head cutely.

Then we headed home.

Dad and my brothers were waiting.

"What kind of dress?"

Henri asked, his eyes crinkling with a smile.

"Su-per pretty dress."

"I know Sharon's skill, but seeing you in it has me excited."

I gestured wildly to Dad and my brothers, describing how gorgeous and how insanely expensive the dress was.

Even after quoting the price, their 'So?' faces left me flustered.

That's the mindset of born-rich folks.

I'll hustle hard and train myself to flick an eyebrow at splashing that kind of cash!

I also mentioned Lady Letitia Bartu.

I knew the broad strokes of her future, but since I hadn't crossed paths with her much, I needed details.

Dad and my brothers knew plenty about House Bartu, as I'd hoped.

"Count Bartu, huh. Heard he owes servants months of pay, so they all quit. Now his daughter does the cleaning and laundry herself."

"Didn't he mortgage the capital estate for a huge loan? What for?"

"The loan went to his sons' education, eldest and youngest. Even then, the youngest daughter scrapes together their tuition."

A noble lady doing chores...

Managing that big house leaves no time to go out.

Plus desperately caring for her own kids too—no time at all.

Ishak scowled.

"Treating his daughter like a slave, why doesn't she disown them?"

Henri added sugar to my teacup and replied.

"They were thick as thieves when she was little. He doted on her, and she chattered about marrying her dad. Can't let go of those memories."

"Pathetic."

While they talked, I pondered how to befriend Letitia.

Hmm, gotta get close to Letitia...

That's when it hit me.

The room had gone quiet.

I peeked up, and Dad and my brothers were staring.

Dad asked.

"Leblain, who do you want to marry?"

Eh?

"Obvious, right? The little one's smitten with me."

"In your dreams."

Ishak and Henri chimed in turn.

"Leblain."

"Little one."

"Leblain."

Their scorching glares were terrifying; I swallowed hard.

"Speak freely, Leblain."

"Be honest, little one."

"Who is it, Leblain?"

Picking one would spark a war.

I rolled my eyes and mumbled.

"I, uh... well..."

Stammering, I spotted an escape.

"Yohan!"

The other three faces hardened.

Arrows of fury pinned me.

"Why."

Dad's voice rumbled like it could burrow into the earth.

Ishak glared murderously at Yohan.

"Why that... emotionless... big bro?"

His gritted teeth chopped the words. Henri's smile vanished.

Because he's the most normal of the family, duh.

Yohan snapped his book shut and stood.

See? Yohan doesn't even flinch at this.

Then Dad growled darkly.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Yohan shot back coolly.

"To look at tailcoats."

Henri and Ishak looked ready to tear him apart.

Dad summoned the butler.

"Stuff that punk in the academy."

I peeked out the door, swiveling my head.

Good, coast clear.

Confirming no one, I tucked the doll neatly into bed, pulled the teleport talisman from my pocket.

Recalling the spot, I tore it—rip. Blinded by light, I blinked to find Ceria before me.

"Little One!"

"Hi..."

I greeted her wearily, and Ceria jumped up from her desk to offer the sofa.

"I got your letter about arriving in the capital, but why come unannounced?"

"Checking progress on that job, plus stuff to say."

The 'job' meant tracking the 'guest' who'd kidnapped me and bought Ceria's siblings.

"Yes, after hearing from Hope House staff about a slave trader link, I checked it out. But security's tight, so I tailed him for now."

"Good call. Can't have him panic and off himself. Like that one three years back."

"Right. So, what's up?"