Chapter 109

Noble.

Peasants look up to and envy those belonging to that tier, even idolize them.

They are all born noble, and their bloodline is blessed from birth they say.

It wasn’t entirely wrong.

If one were born as the child of a war hero who led armies to victory, or a magician who discovered the truth of the world, that would indeed be a blessing.

However, not all nobles receive such blessings.

At least, Harnier would have said so.

“You can never do anything perfectly!”

This was what Harnier heard from the Marquis every time at the Marquis House.

Whatever she did, it was always lacking.

It was never helpful.

Wouldn’t it tarnish the family’s honor?

Since her childhood, she had been hearing the Marquis’ insults like a broken record.

“Remember this, Harnier. Even if you’re not the true heir of this house, I took you in to prove your worth. At the very least, you shouldn’t be holding back Belian, right?”

Every time, Harnier could only bow her head in shame.

When she was young, she truly believed it was her fault.

She thought she was inferior compared to other young ladies because she kept hearing she was lacking.

As he said, she wasn’t a legitimate daughter but a bastard, so she thought she needed to compensate for being less.

Even if she received different treatment at the Marquis House, she didn’t care.

She only thought she was the problem.

So, she studied harder.

She studied even harder to gain recognition.

She worked even harder not to fall behind Belian, wanting to be praised like him.

Years passed, and finally, she did something that helped the family, elevating their status from a baronage to a marquisate.

Harnier thought this time, she would surely be recognized by her father.

No, she was sure.

She had done something praiseworthy, so she believed her father would at least say “Well done” to her.

But,

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Harnier. You were just lucky, weren’t you? Belian would have finished this task half a year earlier!”

The response she got was a dismissive comment and incomprehensible scolding.

Even after working so hard, was she still considered inadequate?

Was this not enough for her achievements?

No, it wasn’t about that.

One day, Harnier found a test paper in the Marquis House’s trash can.

She immediately recognized it as Belian Teresia’s.

“Haha…”

Two realizations struck her, making her laugh bitterly.

First, the test paper showed a score far below hers, almost incomparable.

Second, Belian still received praise for doing well despite his results.

Isn’t it natural to laugh at such a stark difference?

This disparity ultimately boiled down to one reason.

Legitimate and illegitimate children.

Even though they were both nobles, one enjoyed everything while the other did not.

Harnier painfully accepted this harsh reality.

There was no place for her in this house.

She was merely a bastard, used and discarded by the Marquis House, never treated as family.

After that day, she no longer wanted to help the Marquis House.

As a result, her achievements declined, and the tasks she handled started going awry.

Seeing this, the Marquis directly asked Harnier to attend a gathering before the Eastern Nobles’ Meeting.

“I told you before, didn’t I? Your accomplishments are nothing more than luck. So, this time, learn properly and don’t let the Marquis House lose face at the Eastern Nobles’ Meeting!”

That’s why Harnier attended this meeting.

Don’t tarnish the family’s reputation.

I’ll give you some support, so show your strength and help the Marquis House.

That’s how she interpreted it.

“Since Miss Harnier is here too, shall we start our discussion right away?”

“Yes!”

The conversation began as soon as the light greeting ended.

“What do you think about this year’s meeting? It’s a bit different from last year, isn’t it?”

Of course, the topic was the Eastern Nobles’ Meeting.

Under the guise of a meeting, all nobles who faced the royal family’s tests could easily discuss this.

However, the attendees weren’t particularly nervous despite the big test looming ahead.

“Ah, we can’t rely on the patriarchs for help.”

“I don’t think we need to worry too much.”

“I agree. We’ve been taught enough. We should be fine.”

“Young ladies chimed in, laughing and chatting as if it were no big deal.”

This topic quickly faded into the background, and another one took its place.

“But, lovers who are engaged tend to help each other more easily, don’t they?”

“Absolutely. A significant advantage.”

“This time, it will be even more useful.”

The advantage of having a fiancé or lover.

Certainly, it would be more advantageous than going alone.

But there was another reason why they brought up this topic.

“How about Miss Harnier? They say it’s quite reassuring to have a fiancé take care of things, especially during the Eastern Nobles’ Meeting. But Miss Harnier doesn’t have that support.”

Exactly. That was the point they wanted to make.

A provocateur chimed in.

“Oh my. Why can’t your fiancé help you? Was he that indifferent? I thought you two were close at the party.”

“To clarify, the relationship between the two is very strong.”

“Then why?”

Heh.

“It’s not like he’s anyone else. He’s Prince Carsein, who has miserably failed in managing a territory.”

A loaded response.

Hellie, waiting for this moment, answered the question.

“True. There’s someone else who can help. If it were a duke’s house, it might be different, but Prince Carsein, who left a disgraceful mark on Shatren, can’t help, can he?”

“Rather, if you interfere, it might go worse. Isn’t it reasonable?”

“I also asked if Prince Carsein could come to the duke’s house, but I was told it was impossible.”

“You can’t interfere. Isn’t that right?”

Starting with Hellie, they started listing Prince Carsein’s flaws.

“This seems like a misstep.”

“It doesn’t seem too difficult for him to handle this time. I hear he’s not achieving results in his current responsibilities either.”

“Harnier, just say the word. I’ll introduce you to a good person. After all, men aren’t that rare in this world.”

“Besides, I heard that the Marquis doesn’t like Prince Carsein. This could be a good reason to find a new fiancé.”

At this, Harnier clenched her lips tightly.

‘So, that was their intention.’

She thought the Marquis was just wasting time, but it was a scheme to push for a divorce with Prince Carsein.

She couldn’t just sit back and watch.

‘It won’t be enough with just a rebuttal. If I’m not careful, it might harm Prince Carsein… I need to finish this before any bad rumors spread.’

Just as Harnier was about to speak up,

“Is it really true that the Marquis doesn’t like him?”

“Hey, who are you to butt in… Hah!”

“He hasn’t officially received a divorce notice, and our engagement is still intact. Then, why haven’t I heard this news before?”

Prince Carsein appeared, creating the most ideal scenario.

—

The chair at the round table was extended.

One person joined the table.

And it was the target of their criticism.

“May I join? I didn’t receive an invitation, but I figured I could fit in anyway.”

“No… that…”

“Why, is there a problem?”

What else could they say?

They had sent out invitations, so the person who was supposed to come came. They couldn’t tell the invited guest to leave.

The young ladies reluctantly accepted Prince Carsein’s presence.

He sat down and crossed his legs.

“So, shall we continue where we left off? Didn’t someone say I would ruin things for Harnier instead of helping?”

“…”

The young ladies held their breath.

They had heard it all.

“Not only that, you said I chose the wrong path, that my fiancé can’t solve it alone, and that there are plenty of men out there, so they’d introduce me to a good one. Doesn’t it sound ridiculous when you put it together?”

Carsein crossed his legs the other way and smiled at Harnier.

“Harnier, what do you think? Am I such an unwelcome man?”

This was clearly a signal for her to speak up.

With发言权, Harnier could answer more comfortably.

“No.”

“Do you think this meeting will harm you?”

“I don’t think so. You’re a person who values principles.”

“Do you think I chose the wrong path?”

“Even if you hadn’t met Bargrand, I wouldn’t regret meeting you. And, I never intended to solve anything with someone else’s help.”

“What do you think about my lack of capability? It could lead to negative outcomes.”

“If my fiancé lacks capability, it doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. All nobles face the royal family’s tests fairly. Besides, short-term setbacks don’t matter.”

No matter what question came, the two matched their responses perfectly.

In a way that benefited them both.

Avoiding any flaws or weaknesses.

They avoided any negative or distorted information spreading through their dialogue.

As the number of questions increased, the nobles’ expressions hardened.

“So, does this mean all these rumors are false and exaggerated?”

“Yes, I think so too.”

Harnier smiled as she replied.

*Bam!*

A large impact hit the table.

“In conclusion, Miss Harnier doesn’t seem to want to divorce me. There hasn’t been any divorce notice from the Marquis House. Yet, there are forces spreading exaggerated rumors to smear us? Like the people sitting right in front of you.”

“What do you mean by smearing?”

“We don’t have any such intentions!”

“Then, if not smearing, what is it? Do you have the right to interfere with the relationship between the Bargrand and other families?”

“We were just worried about Miss Harnier…”

Harnier stepped forward.

“Why are you worried about me? Everyone is facing the test, and you brought up a new fiancé without knowing the results. This goes beyond smearing; it’s almost ignoring the Bargrand.”

At this, the young ladies started to mumble nervously.

The conversation shifted from Harnier to the engagement with Carsein and then to the Bargrand family.

“If I hear such talk again, I’ll have to suspect whoever organized this meeting. Right, Miss Hellie?”

“…”

Carsein approached Harnier and tried to create a romantic atmosphere by taking her hand.

“Let’s leave. It’s disappointing to be suspected like this. I’m sorry I couldn’t take better care of you.”

Suddenly, Harnier’s body trembled.

‘Why?’

‘Shush.’

She had no idea how to respond to such a cheesy line.

Still, this was the best opportunity for Harnier to leave the situation gracefully.

“I’ll go now. I need to spend some time with my fiancé, who you’re so suspicious of.”

The two walked out of the cafe, holding hands, looking like a young couple.

—

*Ding!*

The rumors circulating quietly were silenced.

Recognition levels increased.

[+30 Recognition in ???]

‘Honestly, I just went in to vent.’

Whatever it was, it seemed harmless for now.

But she needed to say something. The distance in the cafe had widened enough.

“It seems to have resolved itself well.”

“Yes? Ah, yes.”

“Some explanation might be necessary.”

Harnier sighed deeply.

“It seems the Marquis forced this to push for a divorce with you. Since it’s the Bargrand House, they can’t easily break off the marriage, but if they bring up your weaknesses, they can use it as grounds for divorce.”

“Hmm. That’s why they brought up the idea of a new fiancé. I see.”

“But, are you okay? If this news reaches the Bargrand House…”

“There’s no problem. I won’t be visiting anytime soon.”

“What?!”

Harnier’s eyes widened in surprise.

“But, is that okay? Even if it’s your family…”

“It’s obvious they’ll go crazy hearing this news. There’s no need to confront it head-on.”

It wasn’t a matter of whether it was right or wrong.

In situations like this, the best course was to avoid the situation.

“…That makes sense. There’s no point in hearing bad news.”

Indeed. It’s much smarter not to go to your family and hear bad news.

“Carsein, where are you staying today?”

“Huh?”

“You said you’re not returning to the ducal house. So, you must have a place to stay, right?”

That’s true.

“…What’s the reason for asking?”

Harnier smiled and said,

“I want to follow you.”