Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better? - Chapter 148

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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 148
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“Countess Basslein.”
The moment I answered the question about whom I would choose as my chaperone, Isidore’s shoulders trembled as though he’d choked on something, and I flinched in surprise.
“What’s wrong?”
“She is….”
His beautifully shaped lips parted slightly.
“My aunt. She’s someone who has cherished and cared for me since long ago, so I was a bit startled.”
‘What?!’
This time, I lost my composure and dropped the teacup I’d been holding.
Not merely a distant relative, but Isidore’s beloved aunt. I had indeed considered Countess Basslein as a chaperone, but I hadn’t had the opportunity to investigate her family background in detail. My reasons for choosing her were different.
In truth, Countess Basslein was the noblewoman whom Miya Binoshu—the season’s most celebrated debutante in the original work—had selected as her chaperone. She was described as a woman of exceptional character, highly esteemed among the nobility, and someone who had once graced high society as its flower in her youth.
On the day of Miya’s debut, she is attacked by monsters in the carriage heading to the Imperial Palace, accompanied by her chaperone, Countess Basslein.
The subsequent developments are predictable. Miya heals the gravely wounded Countess using her divine power. It would naturally follow that her husband, Duke Basslein, who commands the navy, would support Miya Binoshu, his wife’s savior.
‘The novel was serialized at the point where she healed the seriously injured Countess, but….’
Readers had complained that it ended at the most interesting part.
In any case, my reason for choosing her was to verify a certain hypothesis: whether the phenomenon of ‘Cracks’ was artificially orchestrated to facilitate Miya’s activities.
Originally, I believed Cracks occurred due to the weakening of the Barrier, but after the fragrance ceremony, I had begun viewing them from a new perspective. Since I had preempted Countess Basslein, Miya would have no choice but to select someone else, and I was curious what kind of events would unfold afterward.
‘If my hypothesis is correct, I can prevent the Countess from being injured in the first place.’
And one more thing. There was something equally important as verifying the hypothesis.
“Lady Deborah. May I ask why you chose my aunt as your chaperone among so many esteemed noblewomen?”
“I wanted to conduct business with Duke Basslein, so I intended to have the Countess serve as my chaperone.”
I coveted the maritime routes that Duke Basslein possessed.
The Basslein Marquisate, located on the southern coast, bordered the nearest port to Ferdin Duchy, the origin of coffee beans. The merchants from Ferdin with whom I currently trade travel a circuitous overland route along the Bornas Strait to enter the Asteia Empire.
However, by utilizing the harbor in the Basslein Marquisate, one could cross the strait in the shortest distance and arrive in Ferdin Duchy. Ultimately, choosing her as my chaperone was also to secure the coffee trade route, Armand’s main commodity.
Kill two birds with one stone. Countess Basslein was the most excellent choice available to me.
“…Could it be because of the bean distribution route?”
“Exactly.”
Isidore, who immediately grasped my intention, suddenly burst into hearty laughter, just as he had when we first met in Blanche.
“Ha! A young lady using her chaperone as a business channel would be the first in the history of the Empire. Well, that’s precisely why I fell for you, my lady.”
I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly.
“Looking at the sales records, the merchants from Ferdin have been gradually raising the raw bean prices.”
It’s not yet at a level urgent enough to rush. However, securing new distribution channels is an essential step for business expansion, and I happen to have the prerogative to select the chaperone.
For various reasons, I believed Countess Basslein was the most suitable choice for a chaperone, but I never imagined she would be someone so close to Isidore.
“Phew, I’m suddenly nervous.”
As I murmured softly while patting my chest, Isidore reached out and gently stroked the back of my hand.
“Are you concerned because she’s my family?”
“Of course.”
From the beginning, I had wanted to maintain a harmonious relationship with House Basslein, but now I genuinely wanted to make a good impression on Isidore’s aunt.
“…So, what kind of person is Countess Basslein? What does she enjoy?”
When I pressed him further, he smiled faintly.
“If my aunt came to know you even a little, she’d grow fond of you just as I have.”
“You’re thinking that way because you’re blinded by affection for me. I’m being serious.”
“I tend to be objective about these things.”
Isidore muttered softly, scratching his chin with an uncertain expression.
“Truth be told, even as her nephew, I don’t fully understand her preferences. My aunt doesn’t reveal much of what she’s thinking. She’s cautious, always maintains proper boundaries, and has a very clear sense of her own territory.”
“I see.”
‘She’s the difficult type to persuade.’
If she were the sort who could be swayed by gifts, Isidore would have hinted at it already—but Countess Basslein seemed to be someone with considerable self-respect.
‘Still, Isidore gave me quite a few hints about her character.’
Lost in thought, he withdrew a coin from his pocket—one with identical faces on both sides. He must have searched for a new one since I’d lamented losing mine. His gentle habit of never dismissing my words warmed my heart each time.
The gold coin gleamed with lustre, as though freshly minted, and he slowly placed it in my palm—as if to say everything would turn out fine.
“If there’s anything I can help with, I’ll do it.”
“I’m taking note of that. I’ll make use of every bit of information you know.”
And in my own way, I would move her heart and persuade her. Just as Master had done, I flicked the lucky coin, caught it on the back of my hand, and grinned, and Isidore, watching me, had dimples form in his cheeks before suddenly speaking.
“Ah, that’s right. I like this about you too.”
“…?”
“You use everything at your disposal. I like how you don’t hesitate about means and methods. Yet you’re neither selfish nor arrogant…”
“…Enough of that.”
“But I’ve barely started? I could write a whole thesis on why I like you, Lady Deborah.”
“Not that—something else!”
For a while now, Isidore’s shoe had been lifting the hem of my skirt, lightly brushing against the part where my ankle bone was. His eyes curved in a suggestive smile, and my cheeks grew increasingly warm.
“It’s not visible.”
He whispered the words.
“Besides, we’re at home.”
Though what was happening beneath the tablecloth, I lacked the composure to feign indifference to such a bold gesture.
“Home turned out to be quite a dangerous place.”
He even complained that being in close proximity while sleeping made him go mad, rubbing at the corners of his eyes as he spoke.
“I despised men whose lower halves ruled their minds so thoroughly…”
After making that loaded remark, Isidore returned to the Town House that evening with a servant who’d come to fetch him with a ghostly, frightening expression.
“He left faster than expected. So he’s not completely oblivious. Come to think of it, being a mage must mean his mind works quickly.”
“…”
“Ah, I should have asked what rank he was before sending him off.”
Listening to Father’s words—whether expressing regret or relief, I couldn’t tell—I saw him off until the carriage became too small to see.
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‘So this is the chaperone appointment authority.’
I fingered the ornate letterhead inscribed with “This Year’s Flower,” and as proof of its credibility, the Imperial seal was stamped below. And conveniently, Countess Basslein—the very person I was targeting—was currently staying in the Capital.
According to the information, Duke Basslein was a devoted husband, but he loved the sea and ships just as much as his wife, so he rarely left his Territory. This was quite different from other noble house heads, who frequently stayed at their Town Houses in Yones or Horun District where the infrastructure was better and social activities more convenient.
Because of this, Countess Basslein seemed to have stepped forward in her husband’s stead, managing the High Society connections and overseeing the Town House and servants in the Capital.
‘Of course, to position her children in key roles, she’d need to maintain steady activity in the Central Social Circle. Not all of them can inherit the Southern Territory, after all.’
I read through the information about House Basslein for a while, lost in thought, before suddenly springing to my feet.
“That’s right. I’ve saved up quite a fortune—let me spend it like a statesman would.”
When a young lady preparing for her debut wished to request a chaperone from a noblewoman she admired, it was customary to send appropriate gifts and flowers beforehand. But I had no intention of doing things conventionally. For my chaperone, I summoned the proprietors of the jewelry shop most favored by noblewomen.
“Y-you truly intend to make such… extensive purchases, Lady Deborah?”
“I do.”
When I showed them my budget written on paper, VIP catalogs describing various jewelry designs soon filled my desk. Thanks to this, I could now see at a glance what styles of jewelry the noblewomen most coveted these days.
As I flipped through the catalogs, I dipped my quill steadily into ink to compose a letter to Countess Basslein.

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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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