Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better? - Chapter 6

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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 6
* * *
The moment the Aide and I appeared in Duke Simour’s office, a question flickered across his eyes.
“What brings you to my office so suddenly?”
Watching the Duke speak in that frigid tone, I clenched and unclenched my cold fists. Every time I met those icy eyes, I felt myself shrink.
‘I’m not afraid. He’s my patron. What do I owe a patron? I need to make a good impression.’
I steeled myself with repeated self-hypnosis and offered a respectful greeting.
“Despite the late hour, I noticed the mana stone was lit in your office, so I brought tea and refreshments. I heard you’ve been overworking yourself with all the recent matters.”
“Since when have you concerned yourself with me?”
The Duke let out a scoff, tapping his pipe and elegantly brushing away the ash-covered tobacco.
‘He looks so cool doing that.’
For a moment, I nearly lost myself in the scene, as if watching a moment from a film.
“Why are you standing there with such a vacant expression? Sit.”
Just as he seemed about to order me out, Duke Simour rose from his work chair and settled at the tea table. The fact that he didn’t coldly dismiss me upon my sudden appearance suggested that the Duchess’s letter I’d delivered earlier had served its purpose to some degree.
I quickly took the seat across from him.
The moment I sat facing the Duke, the Aide set down a deeply brewed black tea and refreshments on the table, then withdrew.
I felt the Aide’s anxious gaze on the back of my head.
‘I told him I wouldn’t cause trouble. People really don’t listen.’
The last time we met in front of the Rose Garden, I’d asked the Aide to summon me when the Duke was most exhausted. After two days of silence, he’d suddenly sought me out this afternoon.
‘Thursday. The most exhausting day of the week.’
“Miss. The Duke typically has a tea time between eleven at night and one in the morning to wake himself from sleep. It’s when he’s most fatigued. Please, whatever you do, don’t upset him. I’m begging you.”
“I understand.”
“I’m telling you this because I trust you, Miss.”
“I’ve already said I understand seven times now.”
Despite repeatedly assuring him I wouldn’t cause trouble, the Aide remained anxious, as if worried I might do something reckless.
Meanwhile, the Duke silently began sipping his tea. It seemed he was waiting for me to state my business.
‘He clearly doesn’t believe I came here merely to share tea.’
Truly, the Duke’s family lived up to their reputation for being troublesome. I inwardly clicked my tongue and pushed the dessert plate toward him.
“You must be hungry. Please have some refreshments. This is a lemon tart from the most popular dessert shop in Yones District these days.”
The lemon tart I’d brought today held memories for the Duke. Since he disliked sweets, it seemed he only ate lemon tarts with their strong tartness rather than sweetness, even when dating his wife in the bustling district.
‘The diary has proven quite useful.’
“Sweet food in the middle of the night? That’s unpleasant and I dislike it.”
The Duke muttered in a sullen tone like a child.
“This tart should suit your palate.”
“How is it that at your age, you still don’t know your father’s tastes?”
The Duke grumbled with a displeased expression, yet ultimately broke off a small piece of the tart and took a bite. After tasting it, he fell silent with an unreadable expression, then cleansed his palate with tea before speaking.
“You didn’t come here in the middle of the night without reason. Are you hoping to receive a reward for that letter you found in the Rose Garden?”
He twisted his thin lips into a crooked smile. His disagreeable nature was plainly evident in his expression.
“Of course, the letter you discovered is priceless. However, if you’ve come seeking a pink diamond in return, you’d do well to leave. I don’t say things twice. When I say no, I mean no.”
“I haven’t come to request anything as compensation.”
A faint crease appeared between Duke Simour’s brows.
“Then?”
“I’ve come because I have something to give you.”
“Give me?”
Until now, Deborah had only asked for things, never offered to give anything, so the Duke’s expression turned suspicious.
I carefully set down my teacup and withdrew a letter from my pocket. The moment the Duke saw the pale lavender stationery, a spark of interest ignited in his weary eyes.
“This is… surely a letter?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Why do you have this…?”
The Duke paused, lost in thought, before asking.
“The letter you discovered—there are multiple pages, not just one?”
His face brightened with genuine delight.
“Yes, sir.”
The box contained quite a substantial collection of letters. The Duchess, awkward with affection and sparse with words, had poured her heart onto paper what she could never voice aloud.
Her diary revealed how she lacked courage while he was perpetually consumed by duty, leaving only a cascade of unresolved laments. Yet there was also an entry expressing her longing to one day revisit those faded memories with him, to restore their colors anew.
It seemed the Duchess had buried these letters like a time capsule, intending to retrieve them someday when she was older and wiser, in the place where those memories dwelled.
“…Letters. How many do you have?”
The Duke’s voice trembled with barely contained excitement as he asked.
“…You’ll discover the number naturally as time passes.”
At my cautious response, his eyebrows shot upward.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly as I said.”
“You won’t give me the letters? Not until I hand over that diamond?”
My intention was to deliver them one by one, gradually over time, but to the Duke’s ears, it sounded like a threat.
“That’s not my meaning at all—it’s far too petty for that.”
He held my gaze before reaching for his tea.
“…That’s unlike you.”
Unlike me.
His words struck a nerve, and feeling oddly flustered, I dropped several sugar cubes into my black tea and changed the subject.
“This tea is bitter with a strong aroma. I think madeleines would pair better with it than lemon tarts.”
“Tell Irma to prepare lighter brewed tea or cocoa next time. This is steeped too strong—you’ll have trouble sleeping if you drink much of it.”
‘Could it be… he’s worried about me?’
For a moment, I felt a small spark of hope that my relationship with the Duke might improve.
“I’ll drink only half. Thank you for your concern.”
The Duke scoffed at my words, immediately shutting down any such sentiment.
“Concern? I’m merely preventing you from complaining later that your skin has suffered from poor sleep.”
He truly was a difficult man.
Then again, in the novel, Duke Simour coldly turned his back when his daughter was brought to trial for blasphemy.
‘The rift between them ran that deep.’
A single letter would not be enough to heal a father-daughter bond so fractured.
‘Sigh.’
I sipped the intense black tea, its sweetness and bitterness alternating sharply on my tongue, and opened my mouth once the cup was half-empty.
“Father. It’s growing late, so I should retire for the evening.”
“Very well.”
“I shall escort you to your quarters, Miss.”
The Aide, who had been visibly anxious throughout our meeting lest I upset Duke Simour, spoke with newfound composure.
That was when Duke Simour suddenly rose and followed me out of the Office.
“I’ve been sitting at my desk far too long. My body feels stiff—I believe a walk would do me good.”
‘I didn’t ask for that.’
Of course, I was too frightened to voice such a thought aloud.
“The weather seems to have improved somewhat. Don’t you think?”
Duke Simour suddenly addressed the Aide.
“Indeed, such weather is perfect for a stroll.”
White breath escaped the Aide’s lips like a gentle breeze.
‘I’m freezing to death, and he’s saying this?’
I quickened my pace, drawing my thick shawl closer. Heavy silence settled over everything around us. Duke Simour walked with me to the entrance of the Annex Building where I stayed, then turned back toward the Office with the Aide.
“Rest well. And let us see each other more often.”
With those words, he departed.
* * *
After that day, I made a persistent request to the secretary—to contact me whenever Duke Simour was exhausted from excessive work.
Following that arrangement, I visited the Duke two more times and delivered letters to him.
‘I’ve submitted two letters in just one week.’
I had never harbored any desire to obtain material things through letters. Since I was writing frequently, I thought it best to use these letters as a pretext to increase opportunities to meet with the Duke and, even slightly, repair our fractured father-daughter relationship.
Yet it seemed we hadn’t grown particularly closer, and I worried I had written far too many letters.
‘At least the dessert is delicious.’
While I ate the chocolate cake that melted delicately on my tongue, Duke Simour read the letter I had brought and smiled faintly.
Absorbed in his admiration for his wife, he seemed utterly oblivious to my presence before him.
‘I feel like a mail carrier.’
As I let the large chocolate decoration on the cake dissolve helplessly in my mouth, Duke Simour suddenly set down the letter. He then gazed at me for a long while, sipping his tea. The emotion in his eyes was different from before, and I found myself growing uneasy.
Why is he looking at me that way?
“Deborah. You’ve been visiting me whenever I’m tired and giving me letters—is that truly the case?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Why? Because you desire the one diamond in the Capital?”
He questioned me as though testing my resolve.
‘I must answer carefully.’
If I said something too flattering, Duke Simour would grow suspicious of my intentions again. I hesitated before finally speaking.
“Because I am the daughter born between Georgius Simour and Marien Simour. I thought I should become the bridge connecting you both.”
I drew upon the opening salutation from the letters I had written here.
“…!”
Duke Simour’s expression shifted to one of surprise at my words.
After that, he fell silent for a long while. I sat there tense, swallowing dryly, fidgeting with my hands.
It was Duke Simour who broke the prolonged silence first.
“Do you have time this coming weekend?”
Of course I had time. Under the Duke’s orders to remain confined, I couldn’t even leave the estate—what schedule could I possibly have?
But being stuck at home wasn’t suffocating. For someone like me who loved staying indoors, this place was paradise itself. Eating delicious food, sleeping when drowsy, lounging on plush beds, strolling through palace-like gardens, receiving aesthetic treatments. It was a life of pure indulgence.
‘Every day is thrilling and fun. Being a wealthy unemployed person is the best.’
“I do have time, Your Grace.”
I answered promptly.
“Then let’s go out and have a meal.”
“…Go out?”
“Yes.”
“But my confinement…?”
“The weather has improved somewhat, so you must be wanting to go outside. Besides, you’ve been well-behaved and properly confined all this time without causing any incidents.”
“…Yes. Thank you.”
“That’s strange. You don’t seem as pleased as I expected.”
The Duke’s sharp observation made me feel a pang of guilt. Cold sweat broke out on my palms. I nervously rubbed the teacup handle and stammered out excuses.
“I-I’m very pleased, Your Grace. I was just surprised by your generous decision. Truthfully, spending time like this with Father, having tea at home, brings me joy as well.”
In my flustered state, overly obvious flattery had slipped out. The Duke seemed to recognize it as empty words, clearing his throat several times and furrowing his brow.
“What exactly are you after? If there’s something you want, just say it honestly. You’re making me uneasy.”
“That wasn’t my intention, Your Grace.”
“Then, truly, come out with—”
The Duke was about to say something when a knock sounded. He clicked his tongue and glanced at his pocket watch. It seemed he had an afternoon meeting scheduled with his aides. Since the Duke needed to review the meeting agenda, I left the Office first.
‘Today’s atmosphere was different from last time—there was progress. Having my confinement lifted should be seen as a positive signal.’
Still, I was somewhat exhausted. Facing the Duke with his cold demeanor was never an easy task.
‘I’m drained. I need to rest properly today and do even better tomorrow.’
I sent an attendant on an errand for a book, and while I was at it, instructed him to bring back some of the recently popular novels. Thinking I should read some romance novels, I trudged down the corridor from the Office when I heard murmuring voices from the opposite direction.
Beleck Simour and his retainers were walking toward me in a group.
“Even the way you walk lacks all propriety. Pathetic.”
Beleck, who had been scrutinizing me from head to toe, shot the words at me in a low voice.
“Stop wandering about everywhere and stay put. How can this even be called confinement?”
Beleck whispered softly near my ear, then brushed past me with a shove to my shoulder. His retainers, showing no proper courtesy to me as a young lady of the household, gave perfunctory greetings before disappearing into the distance.
‘Why is that bastard picking a fight with me again?’
Here I was, feeling displeasure before appreciating his handsome features. In a way, he was quite remarkable.
With an absurd feeling in my chest, I watched Beleck’s retreating figure before heading to my quarters. The Study was piled high with the books I’d sent the attendant to fetch, along with stacks of romance novels.
‘Found it!’
After spending half the day sitting in the Study, flipping through books, I broke into a satisfied smile.

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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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