Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better? - Chapter 184

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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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Side Story Episode 1
Side Story 1. The Fox and the Serpents
“What? Do you have something to say?”
“…No.”
Beleck Simour, who had been working his lips, shook his head vigorously and spun around abruptly.
‘Don’t give me that. You were staring hard enough to bore a hole through it.’
Recently, more and more people had been looking at my ring finger with expressions full of things they wanted to say. It was because I always wore the engagement ring Isidore had given me. I thought Father had come to terms with it somewhat, but even he had made pointed comments with a reluctant expression.
“It doesn’t seem good for blood circulation.”
“Pardon?”
“The ring, the ring! The gem is unnecessarily large, so it looks inconvenient.”
Yesterday he complained that the glittering stone was irritating his eyes. His grievances about the ring grew increasingly creative and varied.
“But we haven’t even held the ceremony yet—we’ve only promised a betrothal. Why are you already wearing such a bothersome thing? Is Duke Visconti perhaps dropping subtle hints? The audacity of that man.”
As Father, who had been quiet for a while, began picking on Isidore again, I hastily opened my mouth.
“Come now, that can’t be. We’re going to marry anyway, so it would be strange not to wear a ring I’ve already received.”
In truth, there was a deeper reason why I wore the ring so faithfully.
“Deborah, I’m thinking of placing a powerful adhesive spell on my finger. Or perhaps I should develop an alchemical technique to bind the ring to my body as one….”
On the day we exchanged rings on the ship, Isidore gazed at his engagement ring encircling his ring finger and murmured seriously.
He was so sincere about the matching rings that I feared he would be disappointed if I didn’t wear mine. Honestly, I couldn’t help myself—my fiancé was too endearing, moved to tears as though he possessed the whole world.
“‘Going to marry’? We don’t even know what tomorrow will bring. Think about it. Who would have imagined that you, who ranked last in the Academy, would become a hero who saved the Empire?”
“I may not know what tomorrow holds, but right now, I love this ring. It’s beautiful.”
Truly a fox….
Father groaned something unintelligible before letting out a small cough.
“Ahem! Anyway, the Imperial Court and the Temple have been sending letters constantly, eager to invite you. It’s becoming unbearably tedious.”
Though he spoke of annoyance, pride gleamed in Father’s eyes.
“I’m handling the refusals myself, so don’t feel burdened. Respond when you wish to.”
“Yes.”
I had already decided to distance myself from High Society activities for the time being. I was waiting for the aftermath of the Arch-Demon incident to settle somewhat.
‘I’m receiving too much attention…. Yes.’
Even the household servants treated me with such reverence, calling me the incarnation of a saint, that it felt burdensome. The gazes of my family members, who stared at my ring finger as though they could wear it away, were not easy to ignore. The nobility’s looks at the ring would surely be no better, if not worse.
“….”
“Enrique.”
“Yes?”
Enrique’s large eyes widened in surprise.
“Staring at it like that won’t make the ring run away.”
“….”
“Oh! Making cute expressions won’t work either.”
I chuckled as I stroked Enrique, who clicked his tongue softly in protest. In any case, another day passed without incident.
* * *
“My lord, no matter how much we do, there’s no end to it.”
Miguel, who had come to Isidore’s office to receive final approval on the documents, sighed with a vacant expression.
The office of the Visconti Duke’s Mansion always had documents stacked like mountains, but recently it had become severe. A high-ranking Demon—not even a monster—appearing was unprecedented in Imperial history, and with the Imperial Court, Knight Order, Magic Tower, and Temple all entangled in the incident, there was no end to writing reports.
“It’s not for nothing that a Greater Demon has such lingering aftereffects.”
My teeth chattered. If only that cursed Demon hadn’t appeared, this would be the time to rest during year-end. While I was dying from exhaustion, Miguel watched his lord maintain a subtle smile even through a week of all-nighters with growing distaste.
How could he be so happy? Well, having succeeded in the proposal he’d been longing for so desperately, his mood must have soared beyond mere joy.
If I were to describe how much commotion his lordship made while preparing the proposal, it would rival the length of this Greater Demon incident report.
“Miguel, I heard that playing piano during a proposal is a foolproof classic. What do you think?”
“That’s only when you play as well as Sir Thierry does.”
“What? I can play that well with practice.”
Thanks to Isidore’s excessive enthusiasm, Miguel’s eardrums had been tormented for nearly half a year. He felt that even watching fashion shows would have been happier than this.
‘Well, as long as the results are good.’
In any case, his superior’s good mood every day was fortunate for Miguel.
“Duke, please sign so I can leave work.”
“How unromantic. Isn’t the moon particularly beautiful tonight?”
Isidore, who had readily signed the report, murmured absently as he set down his quill.
“There are too many clouds to see it well.”
“It doesn’t matter. The ring is visible enough.”
He turned toward the window and raised his pale hand adorned with the ring, gazing at something that was either moon-watching or ring-watching. A smile as white as the moon graced Isidore’s lips. The gloves he habitually wore had remained off ever since the proposal.
‘It’s lovely every time I see it.’
He slowly caressed the ring until it warmed, then sighed softly upon seeing the documents he had to review until dawn.
He’d been cutting back on sleep and pushing himself hard recently because he wanted to take a long vacation at the New Year. Since there would be public holidays then, even Imperial bureaucrats would rest, so if he just endured now, he could spend a week doing nothing but enjoying himself.
“Should we go to a hot spring together….”
If an overnight trip wasn’t feasible, exploring dating spots in the Capital wouldn’t be bad either.
‘I heard the Lake Park that recently opened on the outskirts of Atla is worth seeing.’
Isidore, who had been studying dating routes with a map spread out, stood up at the sound of tapping on the window. It was Muffin, bringing a letter from Deborah. He was putting the messenger bird he’d trained with astronomical amounts of money and high-quality personnel to good use in his romance.
Isidore chuckled softly upon reading the letter. The person he most wanted to meet in the Empire right now was the young lady, yet here was such a humble letter.
Because Deborah remained confined within the Simour Town House and didn’t venture out, everyone from the Imperial Court and Temple to High Society was desperate to see her. They used to whisper and point fingers, calling her a viper, but it was hardly amusing.
‘Sometimes I think those days were better.’
It would be enough if she were beautiful and remarkable only in my eyes. With such a somewhat selfish thought, he lightly pressed his lips to the letter before immediately writing a reply.
* * *
It was a day when light snow fell like white butterflies fluttering down. After spending so long idling at home, I was heading to the Visconti Town House for the first time in a while.
Beyond the carriage window, I could see Isidore coming to greet me in person. Even amid the pure white snowfall, his golden hair gleamed like the sun without losing its brilliance. The moment I stepped down from the carriage, I gently brushed away the snow clinging to his radiant hair.
“Wait inside. It’s cold.”
“It’s the first snow of the year. I wanted to walk and enjoy the snow with you.”
He gently caressed my cheek with his smooth hand.
‘He’s not wearing gloves.’
As the cold ring touched my face along with his soft touch, I felt oddly embarrassed.
“Hmm! It’s been cold lately, but today there’s no wind and the weather is quite warm, isn’t it?”
Just then, a breeze swept past. Isidore immediately wrapped the scarf in his hand around me. I buried my nose in the scarf, which carried his familiar scent, then slowly interlaced my fingers with the hand he offered.
The sight of the Visconti Town House with snow falling was quite picturesque.
“But what wind brought the Saint here with no particular business?”
He asked in that businesslike tone he used at Blanche, and I squeezed his hand hard in annoyance at how he deliberately pressed the issue despite knowing the answer.
“I have important matters to discuss. I didn’t come here just to see certain people.”
“So you came because you wanted to kiss?”
“That’s what you want to do, and you’re just trying to provoke me…!”
Before I could finish speaking, he quickly pressed his lips against mine. Whether it was the sensation of fine snow occasionally touching my face or the heat of our lips meeting, everything felt intensely warm.
“How did you know?”
He withdrew smoothly from my mouth and pulled back, playfully kissing my cheek with soft pecks.
“You’re especially beautiful today.”
“Hmm. I suppose so. The Visconti Garden is quite beautiful too, just like Simour. With the snow piled up, it looks like something from a fairy tale.”
I rambled on, absently tapping at the snow-laden branches with my hand.
“The garden? I was saying you’re beautiful, my lady.”
My ears must have turned bright red. He traced the curve of my earlobe with his fingertip and chuckled softly.

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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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