It was clear the woman was a noble of high status. Her elegantly styled blonde hair radiated sophistication, and her piercing blue eyes held an unsettling yet mesmerizing beauty.
‘With this level of grace, she must have appeared in the original story, right?’
Penelope’s thoughts wandered as the woman’s identity dawned on her. Suddenly, Emily rose from her seat and respectfully curtsied to the noblewoman.
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“I greet the Duchess of Rahinsel.”
“It has been a while, Lady Dot. You remain as spirited as ever.”
“Haha, thank you for the compliment. Oh, and this here is Baroness Halo.”
“...!”
Penelope’s eyes widened in shock. The Duchess of Rahinsel—she was Rianel’s stepmother!
The duchess seemed equally taken aback, raising her brows slightly.
“So, you are the Baroness of Halo. I’ve heard much about you. They say you have quite a knack for stirring up excitement.”
“....”
Penelope was momentarily at a loss for words. Her tone was difficult to decipher—was it meant as praise or criticism?
‘This must be what they call noblewomen’s speech. Impossible to tell if it’s a compliment or an insult. Definitely a hallmark of aristocratic wit.’
Impressed by the subtlety of the remark, Penelope replied diplomatically, “Thank you. I’ve received much assistance from His Grace during my endeavors.”
“Is that so?”
The duchess’s brow twitched, a sign of her mild displeasure. Before the silence could stretch too far, Yvette seized the moment to excuse herself.
“I should be leaving now, Duchess.”
“Oh, but we’ve only just met. I have something your mother requested of me, which I’ve prepared knowing you would attend. Take it with you before you leave.”
“My mother made a request of you?” Yvette’s voice dropped, and her gaze wavered as if she were standing on the edge of a cliff.
The Duchess of Rahinsel smiled gently, seemingly oblivious to Yvette’s discomfort. There was something serpentine about her demeanor, an elegance that was almost predatory.
“Follow my maid. I’ve prepared tea for us in the drawing room.”
Yvette hesitated, clearly reluctant, but eventually nodded.
It was then that an icy voice cut through the tense atmosphere.
“What exactly are you doing, Mother?”
The air seemed to freeze, and Penelope instinctively held her breath. The sound was sharp, like ice cracking underfoot.
‘It’s Rianel! When did he get here?’
Rianel stood nearby, his expression neutral but his displeasure unmistakable. Yet, despite his frosty aura, the Duchess of Rahinsel’s smile didn’t falter, as if unwavering composure was her signature trait.
“Ah, there you are. I’ve been waiting for you. Come, join us for tea,” she said smoothly.
Rianel’s eyes hardened, and he replied curtly, “Unfortunately, I don’t have the leisure to join you. My schedule is rather full today.”
“How unfortunate,” the duchess said, as if she had expected his response all along.
She then turned her attention to Penelope.
“Since fate has brought us together, Baroness, why don’t you join me for tea?”
“I’m afraid...” Penelope began, but stopped short when she caught Yvette’s desperate gaze.
“...I would be happy to join you,” she finished, unable to ignore the silent plea in Yvette’s eyes.
The duchess’s polite smile wavered, and she frowned slightly at Penelope’s hesitant tone. “It is proper etiquette to respond promptly to a superior’s request. I suppose the northern countryside doesn’t teach noble customs thoroughly. Perhaps you’ll learn something today.”
‘Wow. She’s like the ultimate old-school aristocrat. Gives me the creeps.’
That was Penelope’s immediate thought. The Duchess of Rahinsel was clearly rigid and overbearing.
However, Penelope wasn’t foolish enough to let her inner thoughts show. A quick glance at Rianel revealed a fleeting glint of ice in his gaze, but he quickly masked it with a polite smile as he looked at her.
“If you’re busy, there’s no need to accept her invitation. The auction will resume soon,” he said.
“It’s fine. As the duchess said, it’s a rare opportunity. I can spare time for a cup of tea,” Penelope replied, meeting Rianel’s gaze with calm resolve.
The duchess’s expression stiffened for a moment before she regained her composure, tilting her chin slightly and lowering her gaze with feigned indifference.
The nobles around them cast curious glances, though most maintained decorum befitting their status, merely observing the exchange from afar.
“This way, please,” the duchess said, gesturing for Penelope to follow her maid.
Penelope quietly complied, trailing behind the maid. Suddenly, her attention was drawn to a clumsy servant walking toward them, distractedly carrying a teapot.
‘At this rate, he’s going to spill it!’
Her fears were soon realized as the servant fumbled and dropped the teapot.
In that instant, Rianel grabbed Penelope by the shoulder and pulled her back.
“Oh my!”
“What a disaster! The servant spilled the teapot!”
“Someone, help immediately!”
For the first time, Karla, the Duchess of Rahinsel, looked genuinely flustered as she turned her gaze toward Rianel.
“...”
Meanwhile, tea dripped from Yvette’s dress. She had taken the brunt of the spill in place of Penelope.
‘Ha... How transparent can she be?’
Penelope could bet a million gold that the duchess had orchestrated this mishap.
“What are you all doing? Hurry and assist her!” Karla snapped sharply.
The maids, pale with panic, rushed to Yvette.
“Are you burned? Did it touch your skin?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Fortunately, it didn’t soak through entirely. But this dress is no longer wearable.”
“Please come this way. We’ll prepare a change of clothes for you.”
Yvette, supported by the maids, disappeared from the scene. The whole situation had unfolded in mere moments.
“I will escort Baroness Halo. Please follow me this way.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Even amidst the chaos, Penelope managed to follow the maid.
The destination was a spacious reception room far from the main hall, where not a single sound of the auction could be heard.
‘What is this...?’
Penelope was taken aback. Sitting upright and composed in the center of the room was Karla, the Duchess of Rahinsel, as if she had been waiting specifically for her.
A quick glance around revealed that neither Yvette nor Rianel were present.
‘This was planned, wasn’t it?’
It was clear that the duchess had orchestrated this situation to have a private audience with her.
As much as Penelope wanted to back out immediately, doing so would have been grossly improper for a noblewoman.
Reluctantly, she sat across from Karla.
And then, silence.
“...”
No matter how hard she tried, Penelope couldn’t think of anything to say.
‘Someone save me! Please, get me out of here!’
Karla’s piercing gaze remained fixed on her, and finally, she broke the silence.
“How long has it been since you lost your husband?”
“About... six months, I believe.”
Karla’s eyebrow arched slightly, a silent expression of disapproval.
“You must miss your late husband dearly.”
“...”
Penelope stayed silent, unsure of what kind of response Karla was fishing for.
‘Is this supposed to be some kind of interview?’
But then Karla’s true intentions became painfully clear.
“I’ve read about your activities in the papers. Losing your husband not long ago, yet seducing men already? Such behavior is utterly unbecoming. Many, including myself, find it distasteful.”
“...”
Penelope felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her.
‘Is she seriously lecturing me about my conduct?’
And from a woman she had just met, no less!
‘Why am I even listening to this?’
Her first thought was disbelief.
Strictly speaking, Penelope held the title of Baroness, while Karla, as a duchess consort, had no noble rank of her own. By hierarchy, Penelope technically outranked her.
Although titles didn’t always dictate authority, the fact remained that Penelope was of higher status.
‘The bigger problem is that she’s acting like a meddling mother-in-law.’
It felt more like Karla was a jealous stepmother eager to shoo away a woman clinging to her “precious son.”