It felt like a scene straight out of a melodrama—complete with a wealthy matriarch offering a bribe to declare, “You’re not suited for my son.”
“Let me be blunt. You’re not a match for my son, Baroness,” Karla said coldly.
“...Ah.”
“Do yourself a favor and step away while you still can.”
Penelope’s eyes wavered, trembling like a sapling in a storm. She hadn’t expected to actually hear those words.
Her gaze instinctively dropped to the teacup sitting before Karla. For a fleeting moment, the thought of throwing its contents at the duchess crossed her mind.
‘No, that’s absurd. I’ve clearly watched too many dramas.’
Then again, wasn’t this the same woman who’d orchestrated the earlier tea spill?
‘So, she’s basically thrown tea at someone and now told me to get lost. She’s hit all the marks of the stereotypical mean mother-in-law.’
The bitterness Penelope felt made her retort before she could stop herself.
“You seem to have a lot to say about your son’s affairs.”
“If he were an ordinary son, I wouldn’t interfere. As proof, I leave my second son to his own devices.”
“Maybe you should consider taking the same approach with your eldest,” Penelope suggested, her tone sharp.
Karla’s brows rose slightly, her expression hardening in an instant. She wore the kind of severe look that could silence a room.
“You have a naïve streak, Baroness—a softness unbecoming of someone in power. It’s a poison for someone in your position. If you want to survive, conceal your emotions. Only show your true self at the critical moment.”
‘Talk about double standards.’
Penelope maintained a polite smile, but her thoughts were far less kind. Here was a woman desperate to control her son’s life, yet lecturing Penelope on the virtues of restraint.
‘It’s clear she wants me gone.’
Karla’s words may have been phrased as advice, but they carried the weight of a warning.
Meanwhile, in another part of the manor, Yvette struggled to change out of her tea-soaked dress. The wet fabric clung stubbornly, making the process a frustrating ordeal.
“Haah...” she sighed deeply.
She had come all the way to the duchy just to see Penelope, only to endure yet another humiliating incident.
It was the second time she’d been left mortified in Penelope’s presence, her dress ruined.
‘What a mess. What kind of impression am I giving Baroness Halo? I shouldn’t have come. I knew better, and yet here I am.’
Yvette sighed again, her shoulders slumping. Despite knowing she should avoid the Rahinsel Duchy, she couldn’t resist. The longing to see Penelope had been too overwhelming.
Penelope was her idol—someone she admired so deeply it bordered on reverence.
‘Still, it wasn’t all bad. I got to spend time with her, and I feel like we’ve grown closer.’
The thought brought a faint smile to Yvette’s lips. Penelope’s kindness and grace only deepened her admiration.
Now in a lighter mood, Yvette finished changing and stepped into the drawing room. Her mood, however, quickly soured as she froze in place.
Rianel stood in the room, his figure as imposing as ever.
Yvette’s gaze darted around before she hesitantly asked, “Where is Baroness Halo?”
“Wasn’t she with you?” Rianel’s expression darkened, and Yvette’s own face stiffened.
“Do you have any idea where she might be?” he asked.
“Yes, I think I do,” she admitted cautiously.
Without another word, Rianel moved swiftly toward the door. Yvette called after him, stopping him in his tracks.
“Your Grace, before you go, we need to clarify something.”
“...Speak.”
Rianel turned to her, his gaze tinged with annoyance. His air of arrogance was as undeniable as his striking looks.
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‘Ugh, he’s so infuriatingly handsome, and for what?’
Yvette hesitated briefly before speaking up. “The Duchess... she frequently summons my mother.”
“And?” Rianel prompted, his disinterest evident.
‘Seriously? I’ve said this much, and he still doesn’t get it? Is he clueless or just pretending?’
Yvette felt utterly exasperated. She forged ahead regardless.
“You don’t want an arranged marriage with me any more than I do, do you? Please, speak to the duchess. I don’t want to upset her.”
“So, you’re asking me to rein in my mother,” Rianel said flatly.
“Yes, because you’re the only one who can,” Yvette replied without hesitation.
Rianel Rahinsel was the true master of the Rahinsel family, the owner of this massive estate and the ruler of the vast northern territories.
With his immense wealth and power, Rianel undoubtedly possessed countless means to control the duchess if he wished.
Yet, in that moment, a cold, low voice reached Yvette’s ears.
“Then let me ask you: can you control your mother?”
“I... can’t.”
“It’s the same for me. Convincing one’s parents is an exceptionally difficult task, especially when it comes to matters of marriage.”
Yvette bit her lip hard.
‘You’re the Grand Duke of Rahinsel!’
She couldn’t bring herself to say it aloud. After all, she couldn’t demand from him something that was equally impossible for her.
But she couldn’t let it go completely.
“At the very least, could you ensure that I don’t keep ending up drenched?”
For a moment, an odd glint flickered in Rianel’s eyes.
“That seems to have been my failure. I apologize for it.”
“I’ll accept your apology. Now then, where is Baroness Halo?”
“It’s time we find her before more time is wasted.”
The two hurried out of the drawing room.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long to locate Penelope.
From the other end of the corridor, her sharp, clear voice echoed.
“What did you just say to me?”
“I said, the duchess has no right to meddle in my affairs,” Penelope replied.
“How dare you speak so insolently? Even the Grand Duke of Rahinsel shows me proper respect!”
“Well, you’re not my mother, are you? And certainly not my mother-in-law.”
Penelope’s calm and deliberate response left Karla with an expression of pure disbelief, her lips twitching as if she couldn’t comprehend what had just been said.
“What an ill-mannered—”
Before Karla could finish her sentence, Penelope interrupted swiftly.
“If we’re going to talk about manners, perhaps the duchess should show some to me first.”
“What... what did you just say?”
“Technically speaking, I hold a baronial title, making me a noble of higher rank than the duchess.”
“Get out of my house immediately!” Karla shouted, finally losing her temper.
Penelope’s lips curved into a faint smirk as she thought to herself, ‘I’ll leave when you show me the door.’
‘She dragged me here on her whim, and now she wants me to leave? How typical of someone so self-centered.’
Just as Penelope was about to respond, another voice cut through the tense air.
“Forgive me for interrupting, but this estate belongs to me. And as such, my mother does not have the authority to expel my guests.”
“Karla!”
The duchess shrieked, her composure cracking completely. In her anger, she even resorted to pointing an accusatory finger at Penelope.
“Did you not hear how insolently Baroness Halo spoke to me just now?”
“Please refrain from further rudeness toward my guest,” Rianel replied flatly.
“...”
Karla’s body trembled with indignation as she bit her lip, clearly shaken by the public humiliation. She had never expected Rianel to defy her so openly in front of others.
Rianel turned to Penelope with an air of calm detachment.
“The auction will resume shortly. Shall we return?”
“Yes, let’s,” Penelope agreed easily, ignoring the grinding sound of Karla’s teeth behind her.
Though she was tempted to continue sparring with the duchess and leave the manor entirely, one thing held her back.
There was still a chance she could find a suitable gift for Ahwin at the afternoon auction.
‘If only I had won that magic book, I wouldn’t still be stuck here.’
She couldn’t help but imagine grabbing Ahwin by the collar in frustration.
As they exited into the hallway, Rianel paused and bowed slightly toward Penelope.
“I apologize for showing you such an unseemly scene.”
“It’s alright. After all, none of us get to choose our parents.”
At her response, Rianel’s expression stiffened, his composed mask slipping for just a moment. His eyes flickered with something akin to surprise.
Strangely, Yvette, who stood silently by his side, also seemed visibly shaken.
‘Neither of them have a good relationship with their mothers.’
Penelope swallowed a sigh and finally spoke again.
“Once the auction is over, could you spare me a moment? There’s something I need to discuss with you.”
“I will,” Rianel replied, his gaze dropping slightly as he nodded.