For the Lady's Wise Regression - Chapter 28

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 28
“Um… Ian?”
She caught his gaze, which had been darting about as though searching for an exit.
“The entrance is the exit here.”
“…?”
“To get down, you do this.”
Vanessa traced a circle with her index finger.
“You have to go around in a loop and return to where you started.”
“What…?”
Ian lifted the awning slightly and scanned his surroundings quickly.
‘I suspected as much, but it seems he really didn’t know.’
At his reaction, Vanessa let out a stifled laugh through her teeth.
Normally he was so stiff it was hard to imagine anyone could be more wooden, but on dates he transformed into someone blundering about quietly, and it was endlessly amusing.
Though if she were being honest, she didn’t dislike seeing him this way.
When they first started dating, she’d thought the whole thing was a waste of time.
Now she found herself curious about just how clumsy he’d prove to be each time they went out.
“…Right.”
Once Ian grasped the situation, he gripped the oar tightly and watched her carefully.
“…I should have rented the aquarium instead.”
Ah, there it was.
So he had been thinking about that?
Vanessa turned her head away, trying to hide the cool edge that had crept into her eyes.
“Did I upset you?”
“…”
“…My apologies. If I offended you by deciding things without asking, I beg your pardon. Vanessa… Sha.”
The moment that nickname left Ian’s lips, Vanessa turned completely around.
No, no, no—she had to hold it together.
Her shoulders trembled finely as she fought to suppress the laughter threatening to burst out.
Seeing her like this, Ian continued in an unusually flustered tone.
“You’re not… crying, are you? I’m sorry—Vane… Sasha. I’ll row faster—”
“Pfft…”
“…?”
Vanessa… Sha, and then Vane… Sasha.
Unable to stifle her laughter at the absurd nicknames, Vanessa finally burst out with a grin, her shoulders shaking.
“Even if we’re getting married, you should at least call me by my name properly, Ian.”
Vanessa wiped away the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes with her index finger, then shot him a playful remark as she watched him still pressing his lips firmly closed.
“So… you’re not angry?”
Well, having her plans disrupted was mildly inconvenient.
But today wasn’t the only day she could meet the Marquise of Pied.
By now, the ownership of Margula Mine should have shifted from the Marquise of Pied to Lavien Ernascilla, so the matter of the barony would be resolved soon enough.
The collateral branch of Ernascilla that House of Cheliago had worked so hard to conceal would become useless.
And the Marquise of Renard—well, she’d stirred that pot herself, so the woman would be obsessed with getting revenge for a while.
With the mine owner no longer in play, the Marquise of Pied would naturally fade into the background for the Marquise of Renard, buying her time in the process.
In the end, what remained was only the cure for her grandmother’s granddaughter, who was currently studying abroad in the Eastern Empire. A little time wasted like this was nothing if she had the will to make it happen.
And she herself rather enjoyed watching this wooden man become awkward whenever they went on dates.
“Me? Why would I?”
“Because… I chose this place on my own.”
“Wasn’t it a date?”
Vanessa tilted her head.
“I can decide the location freely. It’s not as though I’d be angry with you over something like that—”
She stopped mid-sentence and lifted her awning.
“I like it. Seeing scenery like this.”
Boating on Water Triaka had a notorious reputation.
Even muscular men would suffer from sore muscles after an hour of nonstop rowing, and the longer it went, the worse the pain in one’s backside became from sitting on the hard wooden bench.
It wasn’t an ideal date location, but the view, at least, was absolutely gorgeous.
If she always went to the same predictable places, to only the ones she preferred, where was the fun in that?
Sometimes you had to try somewhere different to truly enjoy yourself.
“It’s a date. What fun would there be if I only chose based on my own taste?”
Of course, once they finished, they’d have no choice but to head straight home.
Ian answered only by slowly working the oar.
Vanessa hadn’t asked for an answer, so she simply drew back the curtain on her side of the carriage.
‘Oh…….’
The sight that opened before her eyes was a blue-green emerald shoreline, and admiration escaped her unbidden.
Warm sunlight caught the lake’s surface, scattering and glinting with each ripple like emerald jewels scattered across glass.
The boat moved gently along waters so clear the bottom was visible.
Peaceful.
How long had it been since she felt this way?
When she returned to the past, her resolve had been pure vengeance.
Even when proposing marriage to Ian, she’d never imagined things could unfold like this.
Vanessa watched Ian row in silent concentration.
What she’d thought would be a waste of time—this date—had proven unexpectedly enjoyable.
She’d even felt the odd pleasure of cursing their shared enemy together.
Beyond that, she’d discovered what it felt like to have a conversation flow naturally…….
If they’d forgone dating and gone straight to the wedding, she would have dismissed Ian as inscrutable. She’d never have imagined he had vulnerabilities at all.
“Ian.”
“Go ahead.”
A premonition bloomed in her.
A feeling that perhaps this contract marriage with Ian Ruscliffe wouldn’t be barren desolation after all.
“Next time, shall we visit the aquarium?”
“Do we have to take a boat again?”
“The Triaka Aquarium has its own guides, I think.”
“……Yes.”
“After the wedding, it might be nice to take a trip here.”
The words spilled out thoughtlessly.
Vanessa didn’t notice what they might mean to him.
Because of that, she didn’t see it.
The way Ian’s ears had flushed crimson.
***
La Fond Dunev—the capital of the Eastern Empire and a street known as the heart of fashion.
The street had been built to honor Dunev, a foreigner whose talent had earned him the title of Imperial Designer and a medal of distinction despite his foreign birth.
As befitted the vanguard of trends, the entire street was lined with salons, and the competition was ruthless.
In her previous life, it was here that the close friend of the Marquise of Renard had barely managed to open a salon by paying a premium.
That woman had been able to secure a salon location partly because of her credentials—she’d designed dresses for the daughter of a great house.
That would be out of reach now.
The Sobina Salon, which had created Vanessa’s wedding dress, was also located on this street.
It was rather curious, she thought.
Ordinarily, trends rippled outward from the Central Capital where the imperial court sat.
But experimental garments and pieces that would lead the empire’s fashion seemed to originate from this street.
Most nobles still wore cravats, yet the people here had already taken to neckties—that told you everything.
Moreover, since the House of Charoze was separated from the capital by the Ramber River, the imperial center was relatively closer to them.
Now that she was to become the lady of the Ruscliffe Residence, she’d be visiting this street often going forward.
But today’s visit had a different purpose.
Vanessa adjusted her parasol and walked slowly toward the outskirts.
She was going to meet a costume designer—the close friend of the Marquise of Renard, the woman who’d created her dress in the previous life.
‘By now, she’s probably drowning in debt.’
Normally, she would have secured a salon location based on her credentials of designing that dress, but in this life, Vanessa hadn’t let her touch a single thread…….
On top of that, the Wedding Dress she’d created was ready for the actual ceremony itself in a mere three days.
It was obvious she’d heard through the Marquise of Renard that Vanessa might marry Calais Renard, and had immediately bought everything needed for dress-making.
It had been the same in the previous life.
Back then, Vanessa had actually married Calais, so the woman’s reckless gamble had paid off. But not this time.
She was left with useless jewels and fabric she couldn’t unload.
Vanessa spotted a particularly gaudy sign in the distance and her lips curved into something sharp.
In the previous life, thanks to an introduction from the Marquise of Renard, she’d been able to secure salon placement and had practically sworn eternal loyalty.
Yet it was Vanessa who’d worn her clothes.
Ironically, her skill had fallen short of establishing a proper salon, and in the end, she’d been abandoned by the Marquise of Renard.
Remembering it all, the two women seemed far from the ‘close friends’ Vanessa knew.
At best, mistress and servant—that was the extent of it.
What was absurd was that they both knew it.
If not for revenge, Vanessa wouldn’t have associated with her at all.
The woman had seen more than once how the woman’s bombastic overconfidence and reckless boasting caused embarrassment, given how her actual skill fell short.
But now that I’ve resolved to take revenge on House of Renard, I’d better hold every card I can play.
‘Why not become a true benefactor this time?’
I’d stirred up the nest; now came the hunt for the worker bees that moved in formation.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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