I’m Going to Change My Husband With a Predatory Marriage - Chapter 67

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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 67

Evangeline’s voice was remarkably loud, her enunciation crystal clear.
She seemed concerned that not a single person in the hall would miss her words.
Thanks to her efforts, a ripple of unease spread among the assembled nobility.
“Did you just hear that?”
“Now that you mention it, the maid beside the Crown Princess and Countess Luce’s attendant do seem to be wearing remarkably similar gowns…”
“Could she have actually copied her?”
Sensing that her words were gaining traction, Evangeline promptly collapsed to the floor and began weeping dramatically.
“To deliberately dress a maid—not even an attendant—in the same gown as mine! You’re trying to reduce me to the level of a servant! This is absolutely unbearable!”
The noblewoman who had just referred to Anny as a maid flinched slightly.
Evangeline had explicitly contradicted that characterization.
At that moment, I tilted my head with perfect innocence.
“A maid? Aniqa Loren here recently received a baronetcy and serves as my personal attendant.”
Evangeline’s eyes widened in shock.
I had anticipated that Evangeline would attack over Anny wearing a similar dress.
To prepare for this and use it as a pretext, I had granted Anny a title.
Technically, it was granted under Arpard’s name.
For titular baronetcies without accompanying lands, the Crown Prince possessed full authority to bestow them.
‘I had actually intended to grant one to Count Beltane as well, but he declined. Anny would have refused too, had it not been for this situation.’
They were truly loyal and admirable people.
So now Anny held the status of attendant, not maid.
Evangeline’s face contorted as she cried out.
“Regardless, the intent was still to insult and humiliate me!”
She seemed to have momentarily forgotten her theatrical weeping, her face twisted with rage.
“As I’ve already stated, I did no such thing, Countess Luce.”
“Then why does that maid’s dress match mine exactly?!”
“I wouldn’t know.”
I smiled faintly and added.
“It seems the insult wasn’t as offensive as you thought, given that you’ve stopped crying. How fortunate.”
“!!!”
While Evangeline raged at me, she had momentarily abandoned her pitiful tears.
Then Evangeline bit her lip.
Her fierce gaze fixed upon me as though she wished me dead.
I merely scoffed.
Evangeline apparently decided that sorrowful tears suited her better, for she soon abandoned her glare.
Forced tears and sobs followed instead.
Yet the atmosphere in Artanus Hall differed markedly from what the central social circles had witnessed thus far.
Someone began speaking steadily, undeterred by Evangeline’s tears.
“Isn’t it common for dresses to happen to be similar?”
“That’s right. I’ve witnessed something similar before. Back then, the two young ladies simply laughed it off as a curious coincidence.”
In other words, they didn’t make a fuss about it like Evangeline is doing now.
“Moreover, it seems Countess Isilia wasn’t particularly close to the Prince’s attendant if she mistook her for a mere maid.”
Most of those filling Artanus Hall were Western nobles.
They were all people favorably disposed toward the Duchess of Axion, Arpard, and—I might add—toward me as well.
It was only natural that Evangeline’s claims and protests would receive little positive response.
Evangeline, perhaps anticipating this, pulled Countess of Fileren forward with tears streaming down her face.
“Oh! Countess of Fileren, please testify for me. Just as you confessed to me earlier!”
“E-Evangeline!”
The Countess of Fileren’s complexion had turned ashen.
Of course it had—she was being forced to become a witness accusing me before Arpard and the Western nobles, and before me as well.
What Evangeline intended to claim was painfully obvious.
‘She’ll use the Countess of Fileren as a witness to accuse me of copying her dress.’
She would pin her own scheme onto me.
It was so transparent that I felt almost deflated.
‘How tedious.’
I couldn’t have failed to prepare for something so predictable.
The Countess of Fileren hesitated before giving her testimony in Evangeline’s favor.
“You all know I’ve been visiting the Prince’s Palace and maintaining a close relationship with her. She… she commanded me to find out the design of Evangeline’s dress.”
After all, she wouldn’t have thought I’d be unaware, since she wasn’t here today and had been clinging to Evangeline’s side in the Empress Palace.
‘But when she saw that I was wearing a different dress now and had filled Artanus Hall with Western nobles, she must have already realized I’d been using her.’
The difference between Evangeline and the Countess of Fileren lay in this:
Evangeline was furious at being made a fool of, while the Countess of Fileren was afraid.
But her dependence on and fear of Evangeline was even greater.
The Countess of Fileren’s implausible words grew more elaborate as she continued.
“She said she was so envious and resentful of Evangeline, and that she would humiliate her no matter what, and she coerced me into finding out the design. If I didn’t… she said she wouldn’t leave me alone.”
Then, as if on cue, Evangeline’s attendants began to cry out.
“How could you!”
“Even if you were jealous of Evangeline, the flower of high society, this is too much!”
“Did you think you could gain recognition by bringing Evangeline down?”
One of the Western nobles present asked with obvious exasperation.
“Would the Crown Princess really need to pay such attention to Countess Isilia?”
Then Evangeline’s attendant cried out with even more venom.
“Of course! You must not know, being from the West, but Evangeline is the flower of high society that everyone in the Capital admires!”
“And she’s the Empress’s only daughter! The Emperor himself dotes on her—she’s practically royalty herself…!”
That was when it happened.
A displeased voice cut through the commotion.
“When did House Isilia become part of the imperial family?”
As the elderly noblewoman stepped forward, the Western nobles standing nearby hastily retreated, bowing their heads respectfully.
The woman who appeared was naturally the Duchess of Axion.
“Your Grace, the Duchess.”
“We pay our respects to Your Highness.”
A true member of the imperial family had appeared before those who claimed to be practically royal.
“Tell me, child. When exactly did the House of Rus join the ranks of the imperial family?”
“That is… well…!”
She had merely repeated the flowery phrases commonly used among the young noble ladies who associated with Evangeline.
Since Evangeline’s mother was the Empress, she resided in the Empress Palace, and even the Emperor cherished Evangeline like a daughter, they said she was practically royalty.
She had only echoed the words they used when praising and revering Evangeline among themselves.
But her opponent was formidable.
The woman before her was true imperial blood—someone even Empress Isabel could not overcome.
A young noble lady could never withstand such a presence.
As she faltered, the Duchess of Axion clicked her tongue and spoke in a low voice. Yet everyone could hear her clearly.
“It seems the standards of high society have completely crumbled during my seclusion. I cannot fault the result when those in positions of authority have failed so thoroughly.”
Empress Isabel, Evangeline’s own mother, had suddenly become someone unfit for her station.
Evangeline burned with anger at the Duchess of Axion’s words, but she lacked the courage to confront the dignified and commanding elderly woman directly.
Instead, she vented her fury on the aide who had misspoken.
“Countess Isilia. Close your mouth and step back.”
“B-but Evangeline!”
The young noblewoman, still in her late teens, had no choice but to shrink under the Duchess’s piercing gaze and Evangeline’s wrath.
Then the Duchess of Axion let out a hollow laugh and spoke.
“It seems the Capital City’s high society truly fails to teach proper etiquette. At any gathering, one’s first duty is to pay respects to the most noble person present. Yet here, slandering others comes first…”
A soft clicking of the tongue echoed through the air.
Evangeline looked up at the Duchess with tears brimming in her eyes, pleading.
“I failed to observe proper courtesy because I have endured such distressing and difficult circumstances, Your Grace. Please, I beg your understanding.”
“Understanding comes only after one has demonstrated the most basic courtesy. It seems neither you nor the young ladies around you have been properly taught.”
The Duchess chuckled softly, then added for all to hear.
“Well, it is customary to hold a child’s mistakes against her parents, after all…”
It was clear whom this remark was aimed at.
The atmosphere made it evident that matters would not unfold as Evangeline desired.
I approached Evangeline with an air of leisure, laughing freely.
Deliberately leaving Arpard behind.
At that, the Western Nobles who had surrounded Evangeline’s group with hostile gazes withdrew in perfect unison.
Their deference and obedience to me were unmistakably apparent.
I could see sparks of fury ignite in Evangeline’s tear-stained eyes.
‘Make up your mind—cry or scheme. Choose one.’
Contrary to Evangeline’s hopes and expectations, I paid her no mind.
I turned sharply and spoke first to the Duchess of Axion.
“Thank you so much for coming all this way for me, Your Grace. I am truly grateful.”
Then something happened that made not only the Western Nobles but even Evangeline’s entire group widen their eyes in shock.
The Duchess of Axion bowed before me, offering her respects.
“Rather, I am grateful for the grace of being remembered and summoned by you, Your Highness the Crown Princess.”
She even pressed a light kiss to the back of my hand.
The Duchess of Axion was the woman who had turned the Imperial Palace upside down over a decade ago to avoid paying respects to Empress Isabel.
And now she was showing me the highest form of deference.
This meant one thing.
‘I am not merely an empress—I am the true first lady of the empire.’
And to me, it meant something else as well.
‘Evangeline is not even worthy of being my rival.’
It was a performance that made this crystal clear right before Evangeline’s eyes.
And fortunately, Evangeline seemed to understand immediately.
Her face, which had been streaked with tears and rage, froze in shock.

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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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