Chapter 75 [part 2] (2/2)
Anita tried to get an invitation to the tea party that the Duchess was going to attend. She mobilized her contacts and connections. Count Jordan blew his horn claiming that he would come to her rescue but said something else with an awkward expression.
[Hmm. So I talked to my wife. Ahem. Things are a little…]
Even without listening to the end, it was obvious. They must have mocked that someone on the Countess of Falcon’s level could not get into the party. In the end, she failed to get an invitation and felt a sense of deprivation and misery. If her business was doing well, she would not have suffered such humiliation. At this thought, her resentment against the Duchess grew.
Anita stood far away and watched the ducal couple enter the celebration party venue. For a moment, her heart throbbed seeing the unchanging Duke of Taran and she watched as the Duchess receive people’s gazes with a sparkling dress and triumphant expression as if she had the entire world. Her stomach churned and she could not keep watching.
She evaded the crowd and went to the break room. In the break room, she met Lady Alvin. Lady Alvin was one of the contacts that Anita was steadily putting effort into. Thanks to her well-to-do brother, Lady Alvin was a young miss that had grown up without lacking anything. For Anita who was a seasoned merchant, scratching her itch and gently humoring her was child’s play.
Lady Alvin thought of Anita as a friend. Although her reputation in society wasn’t great, the Countess of Falcon was a rare woman with great business talents. Such a person stuck to her, humored her, gave her advice and with that advice, she made a gain on investments. Because of this gain, her brother praised her and rather than the Countess of Falcon pointing out her contribution, she praised her for being excellent and brilliant. She was a really nice person.
Even though Anita was having business difficulties, Lady Alvin talked with her more frequently. Lady Alvin comforted Anita by saying that it was her turn to help. But in fact, her sincerity was because her inferiority complex from when the Countess of Falcon was at the peak of her success had disappeared.
As the two women got closer, Lady Alvin occasionally talked about the situation at home. As of recent, she lamented and spoke about what happened between her sister-in-law and the Duchess.
‘She is not ordinary.’ (Anita)
Anita had to correct her thinking that made light of the Duchess and thought of her as a young princess that didn’t know the realities of life.
[Lady Alvin can try giving a sincere apology on their behalf. If things go well, Count Alvin will be pleased and reward Lady Alvin.]
Tempted by Anita’s enticement, Lady Alvin approached the Duchess and offered an apology. But she did not get the reply she wanted. Anita acted like she was comforting Lady Alvin but inwardly, she was collecting information about the Duchess.
‘She can’t be taken lightly. Her character is stronger than I thought.’
Anita abandoned her plan of approaching the Duchess. There would be an opportunity someday. There was a large difference in status between her and the Duchess but this difference was not absolute. Anita’s life was evidence of this.
‘The Duchess is a great beauty? The Duke has fallen in love? Bullshit!’
Anita did not believe the rumors. It was likely she wouldn’t believe it even if she saw it with her own eyes. She had reached a state where she only saw what she wanted to see and heard what she wanted to hear. The Anita who made calm judgements was no more.
Translator’s Corner:
1. Here, he’s referring to the pulling out of funds.
My lord: He doesn’t say ‘my lord’. He says ‘that person’. I put ‘my lord’ so you know who he’s talking about.
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