Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better? - Chapter 130

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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 130
“Lady Deborah Simour. You’ve arrived.”
I had come to discuss business matters, not out of curiosity about his partner, but Isidore’s razor-sharp professional demeanor left me feeling oddly unsettled.
“Yes, I have. Duke Visconti.”
So without thinking, a barbed remark slipped from my lips.
“Why the sudden formality? Casual speech suits you far better.”
He looked taken aback.
“I felt presumptuous taking up the time of such a busy and popular Duke Visconti.”
“Time spent with you is never wasted. Please steal as much as you’d like.”
…In any case, he certainly knew how to talk.
He was the Empire’s greatest con artist—the hidden mastermind of the novel itself, someone who even swindled the Crown Prince.
“I know you’ve been swamped lately. They say letters alone could build a fortress at House of Visconti, so you must be drowning in them.”
He lifted his lips in a subtle smile.
“A fortress, I’m not sure about, but a hill’s worth seems plausible.”
“Lucky you. You could even slide down a letter hill.”
For some reason, Isidore seemed more relaxed than usual, so I provoked him deliberately.
In truth, he had been the one to suggest formal courtship first, and I had been the one to apply the brakes. Yet somehow, I was the one growing anxious….
“That would actually be troublesome. Out of courtesy, I’d have to send rejection letters.”
I disagreed with his statement.
“I don’t know. Perhaps because Duke Visconti leaves room for hope, letters keep arriving from all directions. …And even Cyril sent a partner request.”
Even as I spoke, I could hear the sharpness in my own voice. I knew I was being unreasonable. But my chest grew increasingly heavy and congested, as if I needed to say something—anything—to relieve the pressure. Especially since it was exceptionally rare for Young-sik to receive a partner request from Cyril, which made my mood even stranger.
‘Isidore can’t help but pay attention to that girl, whether for good reasons or bad.’
After all, she had gathered the courage to make such a proposal despite risking humiliation.
“I turned her down.”
“I already knew that.”
Swallowing a sigh, I continued flatly.
“I said something pointless to you. Let’s… work.”
At my cold demeanor, he—who had been cradling his face with a somewhat serious expression—promptly shifted into professional mode and produced neatly organized sales receipts. Despite what must have been a chaotic day, he had even cleanly processed the staff conduct reports, which made me roughly rub the back of my neck.
‘Damn it. This isn’t what I wanted.’
I had come looking for a fight, but why did he have to be so competent that I had nothing to say?
Honestly, every time I heard stories about Isidore from others lately, I felt an unfamiliar distance, and simultaneously, all manner of thoughts crossed my mind.
I had brought up his popularity and partner requests to avoid torturing myself with baseless speculation, yet his complete silence on the matter today only deepened my unease.
‘Does he think it’s better to attend official events with someone of good reputation?’
My reputation isn’t great, after all. I kept spiraling into bitter thoughts when he suddenly produced something and slowly extended it toward me.
* * *
‘This is bad. She’s unbearably cute….’
Watching Lady Deborah Simour maintain that sullen expression throughout, Isidore struggled to hide his cheeks, which kept flushing with warmth. Even the way she shot sharp remarks at him with eyes cold as ice was adorable.
In truth, he had initially wondered why she exuded such a fierce atmosphere, but as they talked, he gradually understood.
‘I didn’t expect her to be bothered by another girl sending a partner request.’
She had always seemed more mature and detached than he was, so he hadn’t anticipated such a reaction. Moreover, since his own feelings had begun deepening from the moment they first met—far earlier than hers—his emotions ran too deep and vast to afford him the luxury of gauging her feelings.
‘She’s in a good mood, so she’ll get angry if I say something like that. The lady does look quite serious after all.’
It seemed my desire to confirm her affection was quite strong. Judging by how I wanted to leap with joy at even this trivial jealousy.
But to be honest, I hadn’t delayed the partner request just to see her jealous. I had been preoccupied with something I considered tremendously important.
‘The timing of Father’s passing was terribly unfortunate.’
Because the coronation ceremony and the funeral were scheduled so closely together, time was tight, and I hadn’t been able to prepare the dress and jewels for my partner to my satisfaction.
‘To meet the lady’s standards, it would need to be quite an exceptional piece.’
Unlike the Spring Flower Festival last spring, this event was one I had to attend solely because of my new title. If Deborah Simour would be my partner, I wanted to send her a gift worthy of her. There was also a rather childish desire to dampen the spirits of foolish men like Thierry from the start, lest they get any ideas.
With my discerning eye, I wasted a full two days selecting a jewel design befitting the lady, and I ran about frantically searching for an artisan skilled enough to engrave a name inside the necklace. What had begun with engraving spirits into mana stones had expanded to other minerals, and recently, the Empire had been swept up in a trend of engraving names onto jewels.
I couldn’t abandon the insane idea of engraving her initials into a blue diamond and then filling the grooves with smaller diamonds. My pestering of the artisans over these past few days and my extravagant spending had been so terrible that Miguel, standing beside me, had trembled as if plagued by nightmares.
And this morning, having barely received the completed jewel, I looked at the calendar and doubted my eyes. Realizing belatedly that there was less time remaining than I’d thought, I was now timing when to ask Deborah Simour to be my partner.
But there was one thing that concerned me.
‘It’s such an official occasion—would she find it burdensome to attend as my partner?’
That was also why Cyril’s public partner request had felt particularly unpleasant and grating to me.
The first official event given to a newly appointed, young unmarried duke is the coronation ceremony. A partner at such an official event carries significant external meaning. Knowing full well that fact, Cyril made her partner request before everyone, feigning pure emotion.
In my eyes, she hadn’t shown courage—she was simply trying to put the other person in a difficult position to get what she wanted. Given that I had a reputation for being steadfast in chivalry, she must have calculated that I wouldn’t openly humiliate her in front of everyone.
‘I did end up the subject of tiresome gossip, but….’
As a result, I got to see a new side of Deborah Simour, and I became certain of her feelings. Separately from that, I would have to pay the price for being pestered by her in various ways.
“What is this?”
Deborah Simour blinked her violet eyelashes repeatedly as she gazed at the blue diamond inside the box I offered.
“I would be honored if you would wear this necklace and grace my side on the day of the coronation ceremony.”
“….”
“What do you think?”
She pressed her lips together for a moment, then slowly swept her hair back while swallowing a sigh. The tips of her ears were flushed crimson, as if they might ignite at any second.
“I’m embarrassed.”
She murmured softly in a moist voice, and I let out a quiet laugh.
“If we’re counting by the number of times you’ve been jealous… I doubt anyone does it nearly as much as I do. I’ve even been jealous of the flowers that fell on your shoulders.”
Everywhere her gentle gaze had touched, I wanted to touch as well.
“No, it’s not because of the jealousy… Actually, that’s a bit embarrassing too, but I said we should build our relationship slowly, getting to know each other and all that.”
“….”
“I said that myself, but I never expected that I would become anxious because of this ambiguous relationship….”
Before the lady could finish speaking, I reached out and wrapped my arms around her long, slender neck. Drawn impulsively by her soft words, I pulled her beautiful, pale face close and spoke sharply in a subdued voice.
“You were anxious?”
“Yes. More than I expected.”
At such a close distance, our breaths mingled lightly.
“Can I interpret that as meaning you like me just as much?”
Though surely not as much as this special, weighty feeling I have for you.
“You’re only just realizing I like you?”
The lady’s crimson eyes curved slightly.
“If you say it like that, I’ll start being greedily presumptuous from now on. I’ll keep wanting to cross the line.”
“What kind of greed are you planning, exactly?”
There was a hint of childish laughter in her voice, and Isidore’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he drew his face closer. Soon, soft lips pressed firmly against each other.

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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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