On Rational Marital Life - Chapter 18

The people gathered in the garden began murmuring again. Their curious gazes shifted back and forth between Layla and Blake.

“You’re saying he’s the son of your dear friend? But Sir Burman doesn’t even have an heir yet. Even though he could have designated an inheritance in his will, you’re saying he adopted him?”

Blake looked at Melissa. She was his cousin. However, even in his previous life, they hadn’t been particularly close. Perhaps because she had been raised as a princess, he only remembered her as being quiet and reserved for her age. She had simply been a presence at family gatherings.

However, even back then, Melissa hadn’t liked Layla. She had always made her dislike clear, glaring at her with open hostility.

“He is the son of the man who saved my life.”

Judging by Melissa’s current behavior, though, she almost seemed to be helping Layla. She was giving her an opportunity to explain herself.

Considering Layla’s reputation, Melissa had every reason to despise her for supposedly insulting the royal family. Yet reality was proving different from what he had assumed in his previous life.

Blake didn’t bother hiding his displeasure toward those who had insulted his wife.

“I didn’t expect to have my family affairs questioned so publicly. Is this the etiquette of Greymers’ social circles?”

Blake might not have known much about etiquette, but he was well acquainted with the more unsavory behaviors of the nobility—he had experienced them firsthand.

“Well, since she’s already at the center of so many rumors, I thought it best to confirm the truth to prevent unnecessary gossip. In social circles, even the smallest matters get exaggerated with needless speculation. It’s better to act cautiously to avoid such situations in the first place.”

“Those who want to slander someone will find a way to create a problem regardless. As the saying goes, if three people talk, they can conjure up a tiger that isn’t even there.”

Blake glanced at the noblewomen, as if to say, Isn’t that exactly what’s happening right now? The women quickly averted their gazes, covering their mouths with their fans.

The awkward atmosphere was finally broken when the queen stepped in.

“Madam Garen, why is Melissa here? How have you been disciplining her, allowing her to intrude so carelessly in a conversation among adults?”

“I apologize, Your Majesty. She suddenly disappeared, so I searched for her and found her here…”

Madam Garen, who was responsible for Melissa’s education, lowered her head in apology to the queen. Rather than scolding her daughter, the queen directed her frustration at the one in charge of her upbringing.

Melissa, however, stepped to Madam Garen’s side and defended herself.

“I’m sorry, Mother. I made a mistake. I came to report that the children of noble families were bullying someone.”

At those words, Layla was the first to react.

When the news spread that the Burman couple was bringing their adopted child, the attending nobles also brought children of similar age. A separate room was provided so the children could socialize.

“Your Highness, I will excuse myself for a moment,” Layla said before quickly heading toward the room.

Blake watched her retreating figure with a measured gaze. Jerry, who had suddenly been thrust into a new world due to his newfound status, needed to understand his position and the kinds of people he would be dealing with from now on.

Still, Blake wasn’t overly concerned. Even at a young age, Jerry had survived harsh conditions, working as a chimney sweep. He wasn’t fragile.

However, Blake’s expression hardened as he clenched his jaw. Just because he hadn’t stirred up trouble by revealing blood ties this time didn’t mean his resentment toward the royal family had disappeared. A legitimate opportunity to deliver an insult had presented itself, and he wasn’t about to let it go to waste.

“Melissa!”

Blake called out, his voice sharp. His gaze flickered between the now pale-faced queen and Melissa, who was pouting in defiance. Maintaining a rigid expression, he offered a brief excuse.

“It seems this concerns my son. Since the noble children wouldn’t resort to barbaric violence, I doubt they’ve hit him, but I am still worried. If you’ll excuse me.”

The flustered expressions on the queen and the noblewomen were quite a sight to behold.

Suppressing his emotions, Blake followed in the direction Layla had gone.

‘Melissa helped Layla… Were they originally on good terms?’

Something about Melissa’s involvement tugged at his mind, as if he was on the verge of recalling something important—but the thought dissipated like smoke.

For now, his priority was Layla, who had rushed off to help Jerry.

* * *

‘Thank you, Melissa.’

Since the incident, Layla hadn’t seen Melissa.

She might have been a proud little princess, but Layla liked her as if she were a younger sister. She did have a real younger sister, Layla, but, somewhat guiltily, she felt more affection for Melissa.

Having watched Melissa grow up, Layla had gradually grown closer to her. Melissa liked small gifts and was naturally curious. It felt like feeding a stray cat—whenever Melissa spoke to her, Layla was genuinely happy.

But after the incident and her marriage, she hadn’t been able to see Melissa for a long time. Layla had assumed that, after hearing the adults’ gossip, Melissa would have grown to hate her.

‘She even helped with the brooch situation.’

Melissa had spoken up first, preventing the queen from revealing her true emotions.

—

“Filthy Strover scum! How dare someone like you enter the palace and dirty the royal floors?”

As Layla walked down the hallway, she noticed two servants standing in front of the room where the children had gathered. They were snickering as they peeked inside.

The voices inside carried clearly into the corridor.

“Kneel and clean the floor! Every spot you touched, every place you stepped! Look how filthy it is because of you!”

“I overheard the adults talking. They said this kid isn’t a Strover after all. Apparently, the lady had him out of wedlock—with an artist, no less.”

“Wow, really?”

“That’s not true!”

“What? This brat says it’s not true?”

“My parents are Strovers. My father is a great warrior, and my mother—!”

“Your mother what? Oh, do you even know who she is? Or is she… a Lupa?”

In ancient language, Lupa meant both female and prostitute. Layla bit her lip. They were insulting Jerry’s mother with a word he wouldn’t even understand.

Before he could hear anything worse, Layla stepped in.

“Jerry.”

The servants gasped and turned around, but upon seeing Layla, they relaxed.

She no longer held any real authority, so they didn’t fear her. They stepped aside to avoid getting caught in any trouble but stayed close enough to watch the spectacle unfold.

“Come here. It’s time to go back.”

The children were between the ages of ten and fourteen. One of them was already nearly at Layla’s eye level. The four boys surrounding Jerry smirked at her. Even in the presence of an adult, they showed no remorse or fear.

“We’re still playing.”

“Yeah, we want to play with Jerry some more. It’s so much fun.”

One of them nudged Jerry lightly with his fist, as if even touching him was distasteful. Jerry kept his lips pressed together, staring at the floor.

“Jerry Burman.”

Layla extended her hand, and Jerry hesitated before stepping toward her. The boys didn’t physically restrain him, but they also weren’t about to let him go so easily.

“Jerry, you’re ten, right? You’ll be starting school soon. Where will you be going? One of the schools in Binsella or Morum?”

Binsella and Morum were slum districts.

“We’d love to stay friends, but we go to Wynwood… so I guess we won’t be seeing you much.”

“Do you even know what kind of place Wynwood is?”

Among the prestigious schools for noble children, Wynwood was renowned for producing elite graduates. The usual admission age was nine, but late entries weren’t unheard of.

Many distinguished officers, businessmen, bureaucrats, and judges were Wynwood alumni, and noble families worked hard to secure a place for their eldest sons. The school’s alumni network was so strong that a Wynwood diploma was practically a prerequisite for securing a key position in Greymers.

With so many applicants vying for admission, the competition was fierce. Naturally, the students’ arrogance was sky-high.

“Did they teach you the word ‘Lupa’ at Wynwood? If so, that says a lot about the school’s standards.”

The boys’ smug expressions hardened.

“One’s honor is shaped by their words and actions. Before you speak or act, remember the name of your family.”

Layla wrapped an arm around Jerry’s shoulders and turned to leave, but the boys refused to let it go.

“Hah! You mean, like you?”

“Maybe you should worry about yourself first.”

“I don’t think that’s something the lady should be saying. It’s a bit much for someone who disgraced the royal family to lecture us on honor, don’t you think?”

The boys exchanged glances and snickered.

Even if Layla’s reputation had fallen, their words were beyond disrespectful. She could have reported their behavior to their parents—after all, she knew exactly who they were. More importantly, this was the palace. Servants were listening just outside, and yet the boys acted as if they owned the place.

For Jerry’s sake, Layla should have reprimanded them. But she could already picture what would happen next.

The queen had summoned her to the palace, and now she would only hear that she had caused trouble. The rumors about Layla would only grow worse.

“What the hell did you just say to my wife?”

A furious roar tore through the room as Blake stormed in. Behind him, the servants turned pale and scrambled in different directions.

The large man’s expression was thunderous as he glared down at the boys.

“Like father, like son! What the hell have you been taught? You call yourselves nobles and yet speak like that? What was that? Lupa? Say it again. Say it to my face!”

“Blake, calm down,” Layla urged.

“You dare say something like that to my wife? Speak! What did you just say to her?”

Layla quickly grabbed Blake’s arm, preventing him from stepping toward the boys. His voice rang out so loudly that the walls seemed to tremble.

At that moment, the boys’ parents rushed into the room. The noblewomen in the garden had seen Blake storming toward the children’s room and had hurried to fetch their husbands.

“Goodness! What’s happening?”

“Garrick! My son!”

“Sir Burman, control yourself! I don’t know what’s going on, but shouting in the palace is highly inappropriate!”

“Oh? So it’s appropriate to call my wife a Lupa? What are they teaching your children at that prestigious school of yours? Go ahead, boys. Say it again. Explain the meaning of the word Lupa right here.”

“W-what?”

One of the nobles, who had initially tried to calm Blake, paled. His gaze flickered to his son, silently demanding an explanation.

The nobles gathered in the hallway began whispering among themselves.

The situation had escalated beyond what the boys had anticipated, and now that their parents were involved, panic flickered across their faces.

“N-no! We didn’t say that!”

“We didn’t mean the lady! We were talking about that Strover brat—”

“Garrick!”

That was a confession.

The noblewoman instinctively tried to shield her son, but she couldn’t lift her head. Another woman turned to the murmuring crowd and desperately tried to justify the boys’ actions.

“Well, he must have done something to deserve it! Our children wouldn’t have said that for no reason! That child must have provoked them first!”

“Exactly! This is why you shouldn’t associate with such lowborns. Now even our children are being tainted!”

Some of the observing nobles nodded in agreement.

“That’s true.”

“Indeed.”

“Exactly my point.”

Hearing their self-righteous murmurs, Layla stepped forward, her heels clicking sharply against the floor.

“Shall I repeat every word Jerry heard just now? My servants and I heard everything. We remember exactly how your sons degraded him, every foul insult they threw. I can recite them all right now.”

The noblewomen, who had been about to protest, clamped their mouths shut.

Blake let out a sharp laugh, his gaze sweeping over the gathered nobles.

“So this is how you treat your guests? Inviting someone just to humiliate them. No wonder Her Majesty is so concerned about the state of the nobility.”

Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he turned toward the entrance.

The queen stood there, her face deathly pale.

Blake smirked as he met her gaze.

“Your Majesty, was this your plan all along? Did you invite us just to see us insulted?”

* * *

The hallway remained silent until they left the palace.

With a stern expression, Blake led Layla and Jerry outside. But the moment they stepped into the carriage, his face changed entirely.

The sharp, intimidating glare in his eyes vanished, replaced by a mischievous sparkle. A broad, satisfied grin spread across his face.

“That was satisfying. Their expressions were priceless.”

Layla stared at him in disbelief, dumbfounded by his sudden shift in mood.

Then, Blake turned to her with a curious tilt of his head.

“By the way, what does Lupa mean?”

At his question, Jerry let out a small laugh.