Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better? - Chapter 137

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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 137
* * *
“I suppose I should make time for this as well?”
Beleck Simour clasped his hands behind his back as he spoke, having heard that Duke Simour was preparing for a family outing.
“It’s merely a light picnic, sir. There’s no need to attend out of obligation, is there?”
At his servant’s response, Beleck Simour’s brow furrowed.
“So you think I won’t show up if I host a casual gathering?”
“My apologies, sir.”
“And if only Rozard attends, won’t I be missing an opportunity to earn Father’s favor?”
Rather than simply admitting he wanted to go, Beleck Simour made various excuses to express his intention to participate.
‘He’d normally be locked away in the Magic Tower. Why is Beleck suddenly doing things he doesn’t usually do?’
Meanwhile, Rozard, who had been dragged to various social gatherings, reluctantly made time available upon hearing rumors that his twin brother would be joining the outing. After all, if he alone were to skip it, there would be no advantage to be gained.
In the end, all the direct members of House Simour gathered on the day of the outing.
The servants who stood ready to attend them could not help but marvel inwardly at the brilliant yet impossibly cold appearance of the Simour Family members.
“Why did you two come? I heard you were both terribly busy.”
When his two busy sons appeared side by side, Duke Simour looked bewildered yet not displeased.
“Being alone in the Eastern Region, I found myself missing the family’s faces quite often.”
‘Ha, that… complete artifice.’
As Rozard spoke in honeyed tones, Beleck Simour immediately stifled a hollow laugh.
Enrique, who had lost sleep from anticipation, blinked with a pale, rigid expression as his unfamiliar older brothers suddenly appeared.
“Since you’re here, I have no intention of sending you away. Let’s go.”
Duke Simour spoke in jest and led the way forward.
Shortly after, a long procession of carriages carrying the direct line of House Simour passed through the Town House and headed toward the Suburban Private Estate.
* * *
‘Why a ranch of all places.’
I swallowed my nervousness and mounted the white horse a servant had brought. While horseback riding was a fundamental accomplishment for nobility and I had practiced it once or twice at the Town House, this was my first time riding in such a vast ranch.
‘Thank goodness for good athletic coordination.’
Deborah Simour, being a speed enthusiast, would have ridden swiftly, but I rode as slowly as possible, gradually adapting to the saddle. In doing so, I inadvertently matched Duke Simour’s pace, and Father’s expression brightened as if he had misunderstood something.
“It’s not so bad to ride leisurely while admiring the scenery like this, is it?”
“Yes, Father.”
Beleck Simour and Rozard were racing their horses competitively in the distance. It seemed their pride was wounded by falling behind one another.
“Tsk! Even here, those two are causing a commotion. If you think about it, our youngest is the most dignified of all.”
Enrique, riding with an upright posture, blushed slightly at his father’s praise. The words “our youngest” had clearly pleased him.
Shortly after, we arrived at a large lakeside where a mountain lodge stood, and the servants prepared simple refreshments and tea. On the vast lake floated a large boat with an enormous canopy, meant for pleasure cruising.
‘Like the pastimes of immortals.’
As I gazed entranced at the mirror-like lake that reflected the sky and trees in their entirety, Beleck Simour approached.
“Deborah. Who do you think arrived first?”
He posed this childish question, and Rozard pulled at his horse’s reins while staring intently at me.
“How would you know from behind?”
Not wanting to be caught in the crossfire, I quickly stepped aside.
“To be honest, who were you rooting for?”
“I wasn’t rooting for anyone.”
“Think about it now. There must be someone your heart leans toward, right?”
“I see exactly what you’re doing—acting so childishly just so I’ll call you ‘brother.'”
“Don’t say that out loud!”
Leaving the flushed Beleck behind, I settled into a chair in front of the Mountain Lodge and surveyed my surroundings. Duke Simour was teaching Enrique how to skip stones, while Rozard rode his horse in a circuit around the nearby grounds.
It was a peaceful scene—one that seemed incongruous with a household that had once been so fractured and isolated.
“But Deborah, I’m curious about something.”
Beleck, undeterred, took a seat across from me.
“I’m not answering childish questions.”
“This is a serious one. I heard that five of the artifacts you designed sold—what exactly are they used for?”
“It’s a machine that makes cotton candy. The rotation of the container forces the sugar liquid toward the outer walls, and it sprays out through tiny holes like fine threads.”
“Huh, so it’s being used in Armand.”
“…You know about Armand?”
I feigned ignorance as I asked.
“It’s the place that sells coffee, isn’t it? It’s effective at chasing away sleep, so these days everyone at the Magic Tower is flocking there.”
Coffee demand was growing by the day—even Beleck knew about it—but there was little cause for celebration.
‘The supply of coffee beans will become increasingly strained…’
The sharp-eyed merchants of Ferdin Duchy were steadily raising bean prices, which only compounded the headache.
‘I thought things would run more smoothly now that the thuggish Bruno Guild is gone.’
Lost in thought, I soon set my worries aside and cast my gaze toward the Lake. This place was far too beautiful and serene for work concerns.
“Blast!”
Just then, Beleck shattered the tranquility again, jumping to his feet. He’d caught sight of a large beetle perched on the table.
‘He really is something.’
While I wasn’t particularly afraid of ghosts, insects were another matter entirely—so I simply caught the beetle with my handkerchief and flicked it to the ground.
“How can an insect be this large?”
“At this point, shouldn’t you be calling me ‘sister’?”
“Sister!”
Just then, Enrique called out to me and approached, but his eyes met Beleck’s and he hesitated.
“The youngest is still tiny as a mouse bell.”
“N-no, I’ll grow bigger!”
Beleck rose from his seat with a mocking expression, and the boy glared at his retreating back with a huff before settling beside me.
“Brother is scary and mean. I like you best, sister.”
‘Oh, how adorable.’
I stroked Enrique’s indignant face several times as he gulped down his milk. The child’s hair trembled as he rubbed his milk-stained lips vigorously with the back of his hand.
Soon Duke Simour also took a seat at the table for a light snack. Though each of us had our own diversions, the picnic proceeded more smoothly than anticipated.
“Sister, shall we go see the Lake?”
He’d been reserved and stiff due to his older brothers, but now that the tension had eased, Enrique followed me around like a chick, striking up conversation.
“Sure. Want to come along?”
Enrique nodded vigorously and squeezed my hand tightly.
I dipped my hand briefly into the cold lake water, then settled among the wildflowers blooming along the shore. Enrique crouched beside me, sniffing the flowers with the contentment of a pleased cat.
“Sister. Look at this.”
Enrique held up a flower ring he’d crafted with his tiny, clumsy hands. When I extended my palm, the child carefully slipped the flower onto my finger.
“How clever of you. Is this for me? Thank you, Enrique.”
In return, I tucked a white wildflower behind Enrique’s ear, and the child broke into a radiant smile.
‘He looks so happy.’
Now that I thought about it, this was likely Enrique’s first experience playing freely with family, feeling a sense of belonging. A warmth spread through my chest, and without thinking, I smiled back and gently stroked the child’s hair.
* * *
Rozard, who had tethered his horse to a tree stump, watched Enrique and Deborah playing together while his mind drifted unexpectedly to his own childhood.
‘How strange.’
Perhaps it was because his younger sister resembled their mother so closely in appearance. Seeing her surrounded by wildflowers, a memory surfaced like nostalgia—the feeling of holding their mother’s hand as they strolled through the Rose Garden in the past.
‘…She’s changed.’
What exactly had transformed Deborah so completely?
‘The Visconti Duke, perhaps?’
Deborah was bringing about change not only in herself but in those around her—the household atmosphere, Enrique, Beleck, even Father.
‘I simply cannot adjust to this kind of atmosphere.’
Rozard stood with his arms crossed, his expression impassive, when he suddenly witnessed her smiling warmly at Enrique. In that instant, his heart sank, as if their mother’s laughter had overlapped with the present moment.
‘I never once thought Deborah resembled Mother until now.’
Of course, they shared similar features, but Deborah had never possessed their mother’s distinctive serene, lake-like presence. Yet now she did. Beleck, apparently thinking along similar lines, had been glancing toward where Deborah was since earlier.
‘Beleck came here because he wanted to spend time with Deborah.’
Being twins, Rozard could instinctively grasp his brother’s feelings. He studied his sister’s face once more before heading toward the boat where their father stood.
“Will you board as well?”
“I’ve mastered the art of controlling wind pressure through magic. I’ll be more efficient than hiring multiple boatmen.”
He intended to subtly showcase his magical prowess before his father. Wind-type magic required particularly complex incantations, and during the war, Rozard had practically lived in the air.
“Then shall we dismiss the boatmen?”
Duke Simour was eager to witness the skill of his eldest son, whose reputation had grown so much that plays were being written about him.
“Yes. We need only keep one person to manage the direction.”
“Two of you should return then.”
“You go back.”
It was at that moment—the boatman who had received the order to return suddenly rushed before Duke Simour and abruptly dropped to his knees.
“What are you doing all of a sudden!”
The servants gasped in shock, and the boatman pleaded desperately.
“Great Duke of Simour, please, I beg you to hear my plea.”
“What is the matter?”
Rozard stepped forward with a cold expression to block the kneeling man. The boatman cried out in anguish.
“A Priest took my newborn daughter away and refuses to return her!”
“Why would a Priest take the child?”
“He said a divine power examination was necessary.”

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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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