A Mad Lady’s Confession - Chapter 23

The dinner, where the princess had been invited, had felt heavy from the start. Alicia, seated in the place of honor, only watched Matthias at her side and his aunt, Lady Jules, seated across from him.

Ahem, Alicia opened her mouth, trying to ask as casually as possible.

“Has the Duchess not arrived yet?”

The butler answered at once, “She said she would come down immediately after changing her clothes.”

“It seems Lady Jules has become a young lady of House Nielsen once again.”

As the cold, deeply sunken voice flew across the table, Alicia swallowed a breath.

So it seemed something was finally about to happen. Why did it have to be today of all days?

“In which etiquette book does it say that guests may be invited without informing the mistress of the house?”

At this moment, Matthias was truly angry. The woman had said she didn’t know. That Princess Alicia had been invited to dinner today.

Was it his mistake to simply tell his aunt to discuss it and decide regarding Alicia’s request for a dinner invitation? Lady Jules had quite literally ‘decided.’ And she hadn’t informed Eleanor.

“This dinner was arranged because I, who have returned to the capital after a long time, missed my niece. Since the mistress of the house has yet to meet the proper qualifications, is it wrong for me to think I should entertain my own guests, Your Grace?”

Matthias let out a cold scoff. “If you missed your niece, may I ask why Miss Sorelson is also present at this table?”

As the arrow turned toward her, Miss Sorelson flinched but didn’t show it. Despite supposedly being bedridden for days, her complexion looked perfectly healthy, even glowing as if she’d had a good rest.

Maintaining her upright posture, Lady Jules replied calmly, “I heard the Duchess committed a discourtesy and hasn’t apologized for several days, so as the elder of the family, I wished to provide an opportunity for reconciliation.”

“….”

“Why, must this old woman also consult etiquette for that? Where should we assign blame for a Duchess who insults a noble young lady and doesn’t even offer a word of apology?”

“Aunt—”

“I apologize for being late.”

The anger that had been about to burst from Matthias lost its force. Eleanor, dressed in a blue dress, stood at the entrance of the dining room.

She stood politely and offered her greeting toward Alicia.

“It’s an honor to meet the Empire’s little sun. May you be blessed.”

“Ah, that’s quite enough for greetings, please take your seat….”

Caught in the middle and feeling awkward, Alicia quickly nodded. With her permission, Eleanor quietly took her empty seat.

Unlike before, her hair, now dry, was neatly arranged, and her attire was proper. However, her face was pale, without a trace of warmth.

She felt chilled. Because the princess was waiting, she hadn’t had the leisure to take her time before coming down. A cold seeped into her, making her shoulders keep drawing in, but Eleanor didn’t show it and lifted her glass.

At that moment, hearing a low sigh from beside her, her body stiffened on its own. The owner of that sigh whispered quietly.

“If you’re unwell, you should go upstairs and rest. I’ll make an excuse.”

“…No, I’m alright.”

In truth, she wasn’t alright at all. Summer rain had a biting quality, and wearing a thin summer dress left Eleanor chilled through.

On top of that, the matter with Miss Sorelson, along with her awareness of Matthias, who had grown somewhat colder toward her, sharpened her nerves and weighed down her exhausted body. Heat spread through her whole body, and her head spun.

However, she didn’t want to cause any more trouble. He said he wouldn’t cast her out for a year, but during that year, she didn’t want to be hated. If possible, she wanted to remain in everyone’s memory as something good.

For a moment, only the sound of utensils clinking echoed over the dinner table.

“Your Highness the Princess, since you’ve honored us with your presence, may this old aunt make a request?”

In the silence, Lady Jules was the first to speak.

At the word ‘request,’ Alicia immediately felt troubled. It sounded like it would certainly be an uncomfortable one. Something that would only further sour the mood.

Whether direct or collateral, the Nielsens had a strong sense of belonging, and even being of the imperial family was no exception. No matter that she was a princess, Lady Jules was still her aunt.

Alicia herself placed equal weight on being a member of the imperial family and carrying Nielsen blood, so it wasn’t easy to refuse her request.

“Yes, Aunt. Please go ahead.”

Lady Jules looked back and forth between Eleanor and Miss Sorelson, who sat at the table.

“In recent days, the Duchess, due to her shortcomings, committed a grave mistake against Miss Sorelson here. As the elder of this family and as a member of House Nielsen, I wish to resolve this properly in the family’s name. Therefore, I would like the two of them to reconcile, with Your Highness as a witness.”

“….”

“Duchess, please offer Miss Sorelson a formal apology.”

Eleanor’s eyes met Miss Sorelson’s. She wanted to say that she had come several times but hadn’t been able to meet her, but at this point, it would sound like nothing more than an excuse. It was true that she still hadn’t apologized.

Eleanor opened her mouth to offer the apology she had tried to give over the past several days. But the words didn’t come out.

What should I apologize for?

Lili had clearly seen it, and Eleanor herself had a suspicion close to certainty.

In truth, she didn’t want to apologize. She didn’t want to apologize to those cold eyes laced with mockery—

“Hic….”

Tears suddenly fell from those cold eyes. Even as she did so, as if she had committed a grave discourtesy, Miss Sorelson made a gesture of apology toward Alicia and pressed a handkerchief to her eyes, her body trembling faintly.

“I’m sorry, it’s just… the humiliation from that day….”

“I understand, young lady.”

Lady Jules comforted Miss Sorelson, who trembled pitifully. Eleanor had cried like that as well, when she’d been scolded by Lady Jules for wearing the same dress into the afternoon.

“I can’t stand to watch this.”

It was Matthias who broke the small play between the old woman and the young lady.

“You’re saying all of this happened over a single bottle of scented oil?”

An indescribable emotion simmered in Matthias’s heart. He didn’t know what it was, but one thing was certain. All of this was excessive.

“Isn’t the real wrongdoing accusing someone of being a thief without evidence over a single bottle of oil, Duke?”

At Lady Jules’s sharp remark, Matthias let out a derisive snort. “Then will you file charges for defamation? Miss Sorelson, answer.”

“Duke!”

Scrape, a chair slid back without a sound. Everyone’s gaze turned to Eleanor, who had risen from her seat in silence.

Eleanor stood facing Miss Sorelson, her hands neatly clasped together.

“I brought great humiliation upon you without evidence, young lady. I apologize.”

Her head tilted slowly. After the unhurried motion, her words followed.

“I apologize. Please forgive me, young lady.”

Straightening her back, Eleanor once again asked for Miss Sorelson’s forgiveness.

This wasn’t an apology befitting noble etiquette. At the very least, nobles believed that even apologies should be conducted differently from those of common people, so Eleanor’s apology could have been criticized as improper.

However, no one could blame her. Because the gesture contained sincerity more than anyone else’s.

“I’m truly sorry, Miss Sorelson.”

“….”

For a moment, no one spoke. Not even Lady Jules, who had urged the apology.

Miss Sorelson’s wet eyes gleamed coldly. As if she had changed her mind, she spoke again in a fragile voice.

“…If you truly mean that, I will accept it. But for me, after being driven like that without evidence that day, it’s difficult to fully believe your apology….”

“…What can I do for you?”

As if she had been waiting for those words, Miss Sorelson’s eyes lit up. Even though she had already decided what she wanted, she pretended to hesitate for a moment before speaking.

“Please dismiss all the maids who were gathered in the annex room with me that day.”

“….”

“I can’t bear the fact that I was treated the same as those girls. So if you dismiss them all, I’ll accept your apology. You understand, don’t you? All of them, without letters of recommendation, tonight.”

Eleanor’s eyes wavered. Miss Sorelson’s lips were composed, but her eyes seemed to carry a faint, mocking smile.

“That’s not a difficult request at all, Miss Sorelson. Let’s do as you say.”

It was Lady Jules who readily accepted, regardless of Eleanor’s intentions.

In truth, this wasn’t anything special. Servants were people who existed to be taken or discarded at any time by their masters.

They held the authority to drive out dozens of servants in a single night if they wished. Just like Eleanor’s father once had.

Feeling the color drain from her face, Eleanor hurriedly spoke, “W-wait a moment, I can’t dismiss my maids like that!”

“Then does that mean your apology doesn’t carry that level of sincerity?”

At Miss Sorelson’s question, Eleanor was left speechless. What should she say?

She couldn’t say it wasn’t sincere, but she also couldn’t let the maids be punished for her mistake. Lili’s tearful face came to mind.

“Could you ask for something else? If there’s anything at all—”

“That’s enough, Duchess.”

It was Matthias who stopped Eleanor.