Lady Class - Chapter 36

“That’s what I’m saying. I met him today, and Rackley said he had a good time at the southern villa. But what about you, brother? Did you really go to the villa? Did you even go?”

“Why would I lie to you? If you’re so suspicious, send a letter to the southern villa and confirm it yourself. If I’m not lying, you’re dead.”

“Who’s lying here?! It’s definitely Rackley!”

Irina was about to continue speaking but hastily shut her mouth. There was no need to mention in this situation that Rackley had enjoyed his time at the lady’s class.

“See? She’s keeping her mouth shut because she made a mistake.”

As he clenched his fists threateningly, Irina shrank her shoulders, trying to conceal her hostility. Bowil had been violent and temperamental since childhood, tormenting, confining, and even hitting his younger sister, Irina.

Their parents didn’t intervene, believing that it was merely an older brother educating his younger sister.

As she grew older, Irina tried to resist, but she was still afraid of Bowil.

“Enough.”

At Sir Solomon’s voice, the dining table fell silent once again.

“Irina, so how much longer do we have to wait? Didn’t you personally assure us that the Count’s young lady would be engaged to Bowil?”

“Please wait just a little longer. I’ll make sure to prepare everything and secure the engagement.”

“The Count Winner’s family would be suitable for Bowil. They are dignified.”

“That’s right. The Count Winner’s young lady is so dignified that even if Bowil meets courtesans or embraces other women, she wouldn’t cause an uproar by demanding a divorce and turning the family upside down like today’s young noblewomen.”

Irina swallowed a smirk at Lady Solomon’s supposed praise.

‘He said he had a good time, but dignified, really.’

Bowil nodded, agreeing with his mother’s words.

“Oh, now that I think about it, isn’t the southern villa next to Baron Harverden’s estate? When I went down this time, I saw that Duke Lascarton was staying there. The newspapers have been making a fuss about him dating the princess, but it turned out to be false.”

“The Duke? So, did you meet him and build a connection?”

Bowil avoided the Baron’s gaze.

“Well, I hurried back to the capital to check if anything had happened to the young lady… I only heard that the Duke was there, but I didn’t get to meet him.”

He left out the part where he was expelled and had no choice but to return to the capital the next day.

“You useless fool! You should have taken action! It’s Duke Lascarton!”

“But if something had happened to the young lady while she was on her way to the villa, it would have been a disaster. I had to weigh what was more important.”

“Tsk, what a wasted opportunity. Foolish boy. Other men your age are already leading their families and managing estates.”

Sir Solomon had endless complaints about his children. Even though they had strengths, he only pointed out their weaknesses and magnified their shortcomings.

He especially often praised Count Winner’s young lady, Rackley, who was already managing an estate at a young age.

Irina bit her lip slightly, then, recalling something Sir Solomon would dislike, she spoke up excitedly.

“Oh, about Rackley—she’s starting a business.”

“A young lady, running a business?”

“Yes, she said she couldn’t reveal what it was yet, but I suppose she’s getting anxious since a new Countess has taken over, and she’s being pushed out as an heir.”

Sir Solomon, a staunch male chauvinist, despised women engaging in social activities and encroaching on men’s roles.

“She should be meeting young noblemen instead of running around talking about business. This must have been quite a shock to her.”

However, Sir Solomon reacted in an unexpected way. He took Irina’s words seriously.

“Oh, so she’s starting a business. Find out what kind of business it is.”

“…Father, what business could Rackley possibly run? She’ll just pretend and eventually give up.”

“You call yourself the young lady’s friend, yet you think so shallowly.”

At her father’s scolding, Irina’s expression stiffened.

“The Count’s family may be declining, but she has managed the estate for eight years without any major issues. Do you think someone like you could have done that? You, who quickly lose interest in everything? You can’t, but the young lady is different. She has patience and knows how to handle people. If she says she’s starting a business, she’ll achieve something. Unlike you, who only talk big.”

Sir Solomon stroked his chin, satisfied with the information Irina had provided.

“If you want to receive even a slightly higher dowry when you get married, you should make sure the Count’s young lady and Bowil get engaged. Show some results for all the years we’ve raised and clothed you.”

“…Yes.”

Irina stomped out of the dining room. Family gatherings had never ended on a good note.

“Ugh! What’s so great about Rackley anyway?! She has no social skills, so she wouldn’t even get invited to gatherings without me! That unsophisticated girl—what’s so special about her?! And Daniel Holton too!”

“Well, she is pretty.”

Bowil was used to Irina throwing tantrums, so he leisurely headed upstairs before asking, “What about Daniel Holton?”

“It’s nothing.”

Irina shut her mouth tightly. If she told him that Daniel Holton had proposed to Rackley, Bowil would surely lose his temper.

“Now that I think about it, I saw Rackley at the capital’s checkpoint. She returned from the south on the same day as me.”

“The same day? You used the Solomon family’s carriage that day, right? What about Rackley?”

“She took a regular carriage. There are rumors that she’s come into some money, so I don’t understand why she’s still living so frugally.”

Irina’s eyes widened.

“A regular carriage? Then how did you see her?”

“They were stopping and inspecting people at every checkpoint because a criminal had escaped. Everyone had to get out of their carriages, so I saw her. Arrogant as ever.”

Irina’s eyes sparkled with interest, and her lips curled into a smirk.

“…Then other people must have seen her too. You and Rackley.”

“Probably.”

“I see. That’s interesting.”

Knowing how sharp his sister could be in moments like these, Bowil waited for her to continue.

“Alright, this time, I’ll really make sure Rackley gets engaged. But in return, you absolutely have to attend the Winner Count’s banquet.”

Irina’s face was filled with a cruel delight.

***

A banquet was being held at the Winner Count’s estate.

Rowinda had fluffed up her dress as much as possible. She wanted to make her presence known by wearing the largest dress at the banquet.

Madame Bui stood beside Rowinda, greeting the guests. She looked more like the true hostess of the event.

“As expected of Madame Bue. Look, even that singer Melinda, who was rumored to be dating the Duke, is here.”

“I heard Duke Lascarton was also invited. Has he arrived?”

“Where… Oh my, isn’t that the retired Admiral over there? I can’t believe he’s here!”

The ladies became excited when they spotted well-known and prestigious individuals who were rarely seen at social gatherings.

This was Madame Bui’s influence. That was why families with debutante young ladies were desperate to hire her, even if it meant paying a hefty sum.

Rowinda deserved some credit for securing Madame Bui’s services, but she couldn’t avoid being mocked.

“Did you hear? After hiring Madame Bui, she later pretended she had done it for the Winner Count’s young lady when she found out who Madame Bui really was.”

“She got out of that one pretty well, considering she had no idea at first.”

Amidst the murmurs of ridicule, Rackley maintained a poised and sociable smile. At other gatherings, she would have attended with Daniel Holton, who would have shielded her from people’s gazes. However, Daniel never attended Winner family banquets.

Although the Holton and Winner families were connected by marriage, their relationship was strained because of it.

Feeling detached from the event, Rackley glanced around the banquet hall.

‘This is excessive.’

Not just the fresh flowers but also the decorations and the expensive paintings—none of which had ever been in the mansion before—were all high-cost rentals. She had decided to leave the estate management to Rowinda and not concern herself with it, but now that she was seeing the extravagant results, it was hard not to worry.

“This here is Edward Winner, who will lead the Winner Count’s family in the future.”

The Count of Winner moved through the crowd, introducing Edward alongside his new wife.

Rackley leaned against the wall and observed them.

“The new Countess must be quite excited. Just look at that dress. As the hostess, she should be greeting guests, but that dress is so large she can barely move.”

“It’s understandable. She finally gave birth to the heir, yet she was never acknowledged and had to wait all this time. She must want some compensation.”

“Even if she were a mistress, no one could blame her. The previous Countess couldn’t fulfill her role for eight years.”

“In that sense, the Winner Count is quite remarkable.”

People whispered amongst themselves.

No one criticized the Count for holding such a lavish banquet so soon after the previous Countess’s funeral. Since she had been bedridden for so long, the nobility sympathized with the Count.

‘But Edward was born before my mother even left for the sanatorium.’

To others, the sequence of events didn’t matter. They only saw what they wanted to see. The results were all that mattered.

In the end, Rowinda remained, and she became the new Countess.

“Rackley, what will you do now?”

Harvey Viscountess, the Winner Count’s younger sister who had married a viscount, approached with a dramatic voice, full of false sympathy.

“I thought you were going to inherit the Count’s family, but look what happened.”

Of course, she wasn’t alone. As always, she was accompanied by Will Winner, the younger brother of the Count, who had barely secured a bureaucratic position in the capital’s knight order, along with his wife.

They had pushed for Will Winner’s son to be named the heir, opposing Rackley’s succession.

“How absurd, thinking she could inherit just because she managed the estate.”

“Right. Now we know why your brother never said anything whenever the topic of succession came up. Rackley, what will you do now?”

“What else? I’ll marry into an appropriate family. That was always the plan.”

They spoke as if they were worried, but they were enjoying her misfortune.

Rackley felt suffocated.

These were the same people who had always been eager to criticize and attack her over the succession issue. Even though Rowinda’s son Edward had now displaced her, their hostility towards her remained unchanged.

“Have you been looking for a potential match?”

“Rackley is known for her propriety, so who would refuse her? She’s still a Count’s daughter. And besides, the Count’s recent investments have been going well.”

“But now that the new Countess is here and taking control, Rackley is as good as a kite with a broken string.”

“Exactly. Oh dear, how pitiful.”

If she responded, they would only find more faults and prolong the conversation. The best defense against them was simply maintaining a polite social smile.

Just as she was about to excuse herself to go stand by her parents, Will Winner’s wife, who had momentarily left to fetch a drink, suddenly rushed back and grabbed Rackley’s arm.

She acted as if she had come running in shock, but despite her concerned words, her eyes were laughing. A cruel glint flickered in them.

“Young Lady, what exactly did you do with the Solomon family’s eldest son at the southern villa?”