This Villain Is Mine Now - Chapter 37

The Duchess of Winchester caught the Marchioness’s eye and said with a warm smile, “The fact that the Marquis’s daughter has grown up so well is entirely thanks to you, Marchioness.”

All eyes in the room turned toward the Marchioness, who, caught off guard, quickly scrambled to respond.

“Oh, no, I…”

“But, let me say, I was late in hearing about the marriage discussions between Archduke Grant and Lady Redwood. I was so worried that my daughter’s reckless actions might have put the young lady in a difficult position,” the Duchess continued, her tone genuinely apologetic.

“However, I feel much better now. I’ve heard about what happened today. Truly, congratulations, Marchioness Redwood.”

“What happened today? Duchess, what do you mean?” The others in the room exchanged curious glances between the Duchess and the Marchioness.

“Well, I’m not sure if I should be the one to share this news. It’s not exactly a secret, and I’m sure it will be all over town soon enough,” the Duchess began, casting a brief glance at Diane before continuing.

“I heard that many noblemen visited the Redwood estate today to propose to Lady Redwood. The number was said to be well over ten.”

“Oh… you mean that,” the Marchioness replied, her voice trailing off. She hadn’t expected the Duchess to bring up the very news she had been planning to spread herself.

“You seem surprised that I know,” the Duchess remarked with a knowing smile. “Well, the second son of Count Bonaparte is quite close to my daughter.”

“My goodness, are you saying that Leo Bonaparte…?”

“Yes, I heard he was the first to visit the Redwood estate today.”

A murmur of astonishment spread through the room as the ladies, momentarily forgetting their composure, began whispering among themselves. The Bonaparte family was a long-standing, powerful lineage with significant political influence.

“Oh, how wonderful, Marchioness!”

“Congratulations. The Bonaparte family! That’s truly a great match. And the second son, no less—he’s the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, isn’t he? I heard he’s even being considered for the position of commander.”

The noblewomen’s eyes sparkled with envy as the Duchess listed several prominent families, each name eliciting gasps of admiration.

“Ever since the previous marriage talks fell through, I’ve been so worried. I even heard some strange rumors that Lady Redwood might end up in a convent, and both the Duke and I lost sleep over it for days,” the Duchess added with a sigh, her tone heavy with concern. But then her eyes brightened.

“But hearing today’s news made me realize those rumors were nothing but nonsense. Of course, there was no truth to them, right, Marchioness?”

The Marchioness, caught off guard by the mention of the convent, stared back at the Duchess, momentarily stunned into silence. The word convent sent a chill down her spine, leaving her unable to respond.

Sensing the Marchioness’s hesitation, Countess Deaver quickly stepped in. “Oh, of course not! With so many marriage proposals, a convent is out of the question. That would be an insult to all the families who’ve proposed, wouldn’t it?”

The other noblewomen nodded in agreement, echoing Countess Deaver’s sentiments.

“Indeed, rejecting such prestigious families would mean severing ties with them forever. And with so many distinguished houses showing interest in your daughter, there’s no reason to send her to a convent—unless you were determined to ruin her future,” another noblewoman chimed in, casting a glance at the Marchioness.

“This is all thanks to how well you’ve raised your daughter, Marchioness.”

“Exactly. Oh, I do hope my daughter turns out as well as Lady Redwood. To receive proposals from such prominent families, and not just one or two—what an incredible honor.”

The room buzzed with admiration, the noblewomen vying to express their envy of the Marchioness. In such a setting, how could she possibly mention sending Diane to a convent?

The Marchioness beamed, gently clasping Diane’s hand. Diane flinched at the unexpected warmth of the gesture, feeling her hand being softly patted.

“With only sons to raise, having a daughter come along later in life hasn’t been easy. But seeing how well she’s turned out, I couldn’t be more grateful,” the Marchioness said, turning to the other ladies in the room.

“As for those strange rumors about Diane going to a convent… I have no idea where such nonsense could have started. Of course, I’ll ensure she’s matched with a family that suits her best. My only wish is for my daughter’s happiness.”

The Marchioness’s face was the very picture of a devoted and loving mother as she spoke.

***

“What on earth are you talking about?”

The Marquis stared at his wife as if she had just said something utterly absurd. The Marchioness, irritated by his reaction, retorted sharply.

“Well, what was I supposed to say? How could I tell them that we’re sending our daughter to a convent because we’re too stingy to pay her dowry?”

“Even so, you expect me to agree to these scoundrels extorting money from us just to see her married?”

“And do you think you could have handled it differently? Would you have been able to say something like that if you were in my shoes during a meeting of the House of Lords?”

The Marquis fell silent. If he considered the situation from her perspective, he knew that he, too, would have been constrained by propriety. The Marchioness sighed heavily, as if to say, See?

“The people are right. It’s not like every proposal was turned down. There were countless suitors who came today. Unless we plan on making enemies of all those families, we can’t send Diane to a convent now.”

“But even so, what are we supposed to do about the dowry?”

“…There’s no other choice. Do you know how many people envied me, saying I had raised my daughter so well?”

The thrill of having momentarily basked in the admiration of the noblewomen, even overshadowing the Duchess of Winchester, still lingered with the Marchioness.

As much as she resented the idea of spending that much on a dowry, she knew full well that if they sent Diane to a convent now, those envious glances would quickly turn into scornful glares. Enduring such humiliation was far worse than wasting money.

“Pick the family that demanded the least. That should do, right?”

“Even the least was five times the original amount. Do you have any idea how much money that is?” The Marquis snapped, frustration seeping into his voice. The sum he had promised to Archduke Grant was relatively modest for a Marquis’s daughter’s dowry, but multiplying that by five was a different story.

“Then what do you expect me to do? I don’t care anymore,” the Marchioness huffed, rising from her seat in exasperation. “Do whatever you want. If you want to ruin our reputation in society and make a laughingstock of your children, go ahead and do as you please.”

With that, she stormed out of the study, leaving the Marquis to clutch the back of his neck in frustration.

Five times the dowry was certainly a hefty sum, but it wasn’t beyond their means to prepare it. However, the Marquis, with his particular avarice, found it difficult to justify spending such an amount on Diane.

Moreover, it would take some time to gather the necessary funds. If they delayed the marriage due to an inability to provide the dowry, they would undoubtedly become the subject of ridicule.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, the Marquis vented his frustration by kicking an innocent side table.

***

A knock on the door was followed by Leo’s entrance into Elaina’s room. Stretching lazily, Leo practically collapsed onto Elaina’s sofa, a smirk playing on his lips as he spoke.

“I did what you asked.”

“Thanks, Leo.”

Leo had to wake up earlier than usual to make today’s events happen. Despite yawning, he waved it off casually, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.

“No big deal. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. Watching Marquis Redwood struggle was quite the spectacle,” he chuckled.

A few days prior, Leo had discreetly spread the word to trusted acquaintances, suggesting they propose to Diane Redwood. It seemed like a mischievous prank, and to his surprise, many were eager to participate. But the spectacle of nearly all the eligible noblemen in the capital swarming to propose had all stemmed from Elaina’s request.

“But I still don’t get it. What’s your real motive for asking me to do this?” Leo asked, his curiosity piqued. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that Elaina’s intentions went beyond simply finding a good husband for Diane.

“The Marquis is a greedy man. If everyone demands a high dowry, he’ll refuse the proposals,” Elaina explained, recalling the pitiful situation Diane was in, where she faced being sent to a convent if she didn’t marry soon. Leo had agreed to help because of Diane’s plight, but remembering the Marquis’s outburst, he wasn’t convinced this would change her fate.

“What exactly are you trying to achieve?”

“Because he’s greedy, I knew he’d balk at the idea of paying such a large dowry. This way, he won’t be tempted to marry Diane off to just anyone,” Elaina said, her eyebrows raising slightly.

She had already set the next steps in motion and even enlisted her mother’s help. The reason the Duchess of Winchester attended Countess Deaver’s afternoon tea party today was all part of the plan.

“Don’t tell me I’m part of this ‘just anyone’ category?” Leo asked, half in disbelief.

“Yup,” Elaina nodded, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Incredible,” Leo muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. Elaina Winchester was the only person who would ever treat him this way.

“What kind of husband are you trying to find, anyway?” he asked, exasperation creeping into his voice.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Elaina replied with a cryptic smile.