Early in the morning, Duke Rukanosa and Helene departed on their honeymoon.
The Queensguard family was also supposed to leave, but Count Queensguard, calling it family time, summoned Cynthia for a moment.
“Cynthia, you’re very good at pleasing those precious princesses. They all seem to like you.”
As Dowager Duchess Rukanosa was the real power in the Dukedom, Cynthia gaining her favor was a good thing for the Count.
It would help Helene, who was stiff and couldn’t mix well.
‘She’s a child who knows how to be loved by adults, so she’ll be quite useful if I send her out into society.’
It was a pity that her expiration date wasn’t long.
The Count knew that some of the servants he had sent had died, but he didn’t bother to bring it up.
They were caught stealing and selling items from the official residence, so it wasn’t a matter to question Cynthia about.
Cynthia, who was eating a cookie that was served with the refreshments, said,
“The ladies? When I actually talked to them, they were very open-minded and nice, you know?”
It was the complete opposite of Helene’s assessment.
Was she just naturally someone who loved people because she was like a flower garden?
The Count looked at the red diamond necklace around Cynthia’s neck.
‘Princess Margarita was also like that. Generous enough to give the Royal Family’s treasures to a refugee woman as a reward.’
Count Queensguard, of the knight family that protected the Queen, and Princess Margarita had known each other since they were young.
Unlike the Bariesa Royal Family’s notoriety, she was a kind and innocent person.
In other words, she was an easy target to take advantage of.
“I knew it. I knew that you were capable enough to become the successor of Queensguard. Ah, my marriage has been decided this time. It’s with the second prince of a neighboring empire, and it’s a little sad to get married without knowing what kind of person he is. I hope he is a gentlemanly and kind man like you.”
She wasn’t easy to claim.
‘In the end, she fell, broke down, and then came into my clutches.’
The pure heart for the princess twisted into desire as time passed.
Lost in thought, the Count clenched his empty hand as if grabbing something.
He looked at Cynthia, who was eating a large cookie in one bite, with serious eyes.
“Cynthia, let’s see each other at the wedding. Remember that you’re the only one who loses if the marriage falls through.”
In fact, even if Cynthia confessed that she was a fake, the Count had many ways to get out of it.
There was no evidence that she was a fake.
No matter what Cynthia did, he could just say, ‘She was homesick. She wanted to go back to her family.’
Of course, Cynthia knew the fox-like Count well.
“It won’t fall through. I like living comfortably as the wife of a wealthy officer without working, you know?”
Cynthia gave a simple conclusion and smiled brightly.
Carlos and Edford looked at her with displeasure.
* * *
“Snow White, let’s connect often.”
She still had a noble attitude and a cool tone, but at some point, the Dowager Duchess had created a nickname for me.
I guess I should be glad it wasn’t something like powdered sugar, flour, or rice.
“Yes, Dowager Duchess. I wish I could come every day. Now that I’m family, please feel free to talk to me like Helene.”
“Then I’ll expect you to have tea parties every day after the wedding.”
Madam Hills, who had the sharpest appearance, raised her chin and joked.
Madam Verace also stepped forward with her unique cold face.
“Let’s go to the Starry Sardine Festival next spring. There’s a sardine cooking contest with famous chefs from each country participating, and you can participate as a special judge.”
“Really? That sounds so fun! I’m already excited to go!”
It wasn’t just a polite remark, it sounded incredibly fun.
A sardine cooking contest? I had to go. The world was doing such fun things without me knowing!
I should have chatted about that interesting topic for at least an hour, but the cruel Masera cut me off and said he had to leave, and paid his respects.
“Meow.”
At that time, a chubby cheese cat came up to Masera from somewhere, rubbed its body against his leg, and wrapped its tail around him.
It was cute purring, so I tried to pet it, but unfortunately, it dodged my touch smoothly.
Madam Verace tilted her head.
“That’s strange. It only does that to people who give it food.”
Food? I quickly searched my pockets, but unfortunately, I only had peanut candies and small pine cones.
Looking at Masera’s eyes filled with superiority, it seemed that he had disappeared briefly yesterday not to make a snowman, but to seduce the cats in the garden.
“Father!”
I approached Count Queensguard, who was also preparing to return, and smiled brightly.
The Count was startled by the word ‘Dad’ and looked at me, then coughed dryly.
“Cindy, what’s wrong?”
“I guess I’ll see you at the wedding. I’ll miss you.”
At my realistic daughter act, the Count gave an embarrassed smile.
The Dowager Duchess, thinking that he was conscious of the people around him, covered her mouth and laughed.
“It’s okay to be comfortable since we’re all family anyway. It seems like you’re sad to send off your youngest daughter, who you wouldn’t even want to hurt if she were in your eyes.”
“That’s right. Compared to the mature Helene, she still acts like a baby and whines…”
The Count smiled awkwardly and ruffled Cynthia’s hair.
After that, Masera didn’t say anything the whole way home in the carriage.
He’s usually like that, but today it was like…
It was as if he was looking at the ceiling before going to sleep, organizing the things he had been upset about with me, and finally deciding to slowly distance himself.
I spoke to him as usual.
“Do you like cats? You brought a cat snacks instead of building a snowman that day.”
“I don’t like them.”
He replied indifferently and opened a book.
But the title of the book is ‘Intensive Study of Cats’?
I didn’t want to disturb his reading, so I didn’t say anything more.
Instead, I peeked out and looked at the book with him, but he turned away as if even that was uncomfortable.
‘How petty. Trying to monopolize every cats’ favor…’
I vowed to ransack the study when I returned to the official residence.
* * *
Since the Dukedom and the official residence weren’t that far, the two arrived at the official residence in less than an hour.
But the official residence was more crowded than usual.
Most of them were soldiers in splendid uniforms, and it turned out that they were the ones who had gone on reconnaissance in the conflict zone and had returned to report.
“Hello!”
They smiled back at Cynthia, who greeted them brightly.
But as soon as they learned that she was a descendant of the fallen Bariesa Dynasty, they immediately changed their attitude.
“What’s so good about that disgusting royal to be smiling like that?”
“Just by looking at her, you can tell she’s a fool who grew up stuck in the countryside and doesn’t know anything about the world. She definitely grew up without knowing what her family did to the people.”
They couldn’t openly insult their superior’s fiancée, so it ended in gossip, but the negative emotions were clearly revealed in the way they looked at her.
‘What should I do…’
Cynthia, seeing the soldiers’ cold reaction, covered her mouth and made a troubled expression.
‘Everyone must have a lot of complaints about the heartless Brigadier General… I know the person in charge is hated, but I should be nice to those people.’
Just a moment ago, she had been loved by the Dowager Duchess and her sisters, so she had briefly forgotten her position as a hated royal.
Among them, there was an officer who sent a particularly venomous gaze.
‘Marriage? With a stupid woman like that?’
