Surviving as the Wife of the Swordsmanship Clan’s Troublemaker - Chapter 111

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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 111

As I descended the staircase, Francesca was already waiting in the Lobby. I offered her a compliment on her beautiful appearance, and Karl promptly opened the front door wide.
The sound of carriage wheels came to a halt.
The first to descend was Duncan, Duke of Cardia. He was a man with a sturdy build and striking green eyebrows. At first glance, he seemed like a difficult person to deal with.
“I greet the Duchess of Bloodmere.”
“Welcome, Your Grace. You must have had quite the journey.”
Eva descended next. She had a gentle demeanor, and despite her elegant and dignified attire, her youthful face was unmistakable. The moment Eva’s eyes met Francesca’s, the two women clasped hands warmly.
“This is my daughter-in-law, Hallara.”
As Francesca introduced me, Eva smiled with her eyes. I offered my greeting in my own manner.
“It is an honor to meet you, Duke of Cardia. Duchess.”
Duncan nodded his acknowledgment with a lukewarm expression.
Then, quite belatedly, I saw someone emerge from within the carriage.
‘It’s Elise.’
My heart raced. It was a different feeling from when I had met Casio.
‘Elise was practically the heroine herself.’
Just before the story’s conclusion, the comment section had been flooded with hundreds of speculations about who Docheop would marry. Though there were many female characters, the heroine’s position seemed to belong to Elise, who had remained steadfastly by Docheop’s side as his companion.
Of course, since I hadn’t read the ending, I couldn’t know what became of them.
‘But seeing that Docheop married me, they must not have married each other.’
Even as I thought this, my heart wasn’t entirely at ease. Why was I suddenly concerned about this? I had been so eager to meet her first. Was I afraid that if Docheop met Elise, he might abandon me?
I didn’t know.
I didn’t even know when I had started caring about such things.
‘Never mind. My wife is me, right now.’
I decided to be shameless about it.
Then Elise revealed herself.
‘What?’
Delicate features hidden beneath elaborate makeup. Bright, lively eyes. That was the face I had seen in the dark Warehouse at dawn yesterday, munching on cheese.
‘Surely not.’
Surely not, surely not, surely not.
“Hello. I’m Elise.”
Elise greeted me with practiced ease. Her demeanor was perfectly courteous, befitting a noblewoman. I couldn’t believe this was the same person who had been stuffing her cheeks like a hamster and devouring food last night.
Then her gaze naturally shifted to the side.
Our eyes met.
Elise’s eyes widened.
“Pretty girl?”
My eyes widened too.
“Um….”
The greeting I had so carefully prepared vanished entirely.
“Elise! What kind of rude remark is that?”
As Duncan shouted, Eva beside him discreetly obscured the scene.
“My apologies, Duchess. Elise tends to be quite forthright.”
“Not at all. I rather appreciate it. It’s lovely that the young lady thinks so highly of our daughter-in-law.”
Francesca laughed with easy grace.
***
The Banquet Hall, adorned with an abundance of colorful floral arrangements, felt like stepping into a greenhouse.
Throughout the walk, the intensity of Elise’s gaze had made the back of my neck prickle.
“Given the long journey, I thought you might not have had proper meals, so I prepared dinner to coincide with your arrival.”
Francesca gestured toward the seats. Duncan took the head of the table, with Eva beside him. Elise chose the seat directly across from me. Our eyes met only briefly before the food arrived the moment I sat down. Elise’s gaze darted rapidly across the dishes.
A laugh escaped me.
‘Now that I think about it, in the original story, Elise was quite the glutton.’
Thanks to that, I managed to slip from her scrutiny.
“Oh my.”
Eva’s eyes sparkled.
“I’ve never seen this dish before.”
“Hallara made it. It’s a specialty you can only taste here.”
Francesca spoke with evident pride.
Duncan’s eyebrows rose.
“She made it herself?”
“Indeed. She has a passion for cooking and remarkable skill. As you know, the kimchi venture the Duke invested in also originated entirely from Hallara’s expertise.”
Duncan turned his gaze toward me.
“Where are you from?”
“I’m from the borderlands of the Western Empire. I became a resident of the Bloodmere Domain several years ago.”
The borderlands story was a plausible fabrication. They surely knew I came from common stock. Since I’d answered adequately, they didn’t press further.
But then.
“Which borderlands?”
It was Elise. I wished she would simply let it rest, yet she insisted on digging deeper.
“A mountain village you likely wouldn’t know.”
“I’m still curious. Tell me. Where was it, and what were you doing before you came here?”
Faced with the barrage of questions, Duncan cleared his throat sharply and shot her a look.
“Elise. We’re dining.”
A clear signal to hold her tongue.
“I know. But I can’t help being curious. I’ve been confined within the Manor my whole life, so I’m ignorant of the outside world.”
Duncan’s gaze turned fierce. The fork in his hand trembled slightly. I half-wondered if he might actually stab her with it.
“Shall we eat first? What is this dish? May I try some?”
Eva smoothly redirected the conversation with practiced ease.
“Of course. We have plenty of time. Let’s eat first, then we can talk.”
At Francesca’s words, Eva smiled broadly in gratitude. She picked up her fork, then paused. Her expression shifted to surprise as she beheld the pale, tender meat—not the deep brown steak she’d expected.
“What sort of dish is this?”
“Pork, I’m told.”
“Pork…?”
Eva hesitated. Just as Hotsen had said, it seemed the nobility didn’t enjoy pork. But this was different.
“Yes. It’s been boiled with various medicinal herbs that are good for the body.”
It was Korean-style wrapped pork, no less.
“Boiled?”
Eva’s eyes wavered even more. For them, boiling meant putting laundry into hot water and letting it bubble away vigorously.
“It’s natural to find it unfamiliar. This is actually my first time eating pork too. But Hallara said it pairs best with kimchi. As someone who’s starting a business, I couldn’t possibly skip trying it.”
Francesca picked up her fork first. Then, just as I had shown her, she placed a single piece of braised pork on a small piece of romaine lettuce. On top of that, she added radish strips dressed in red seasoning.
“This kimchi is the new variety that Hallara unveiled yesterday.”
I sensed a slight hesitation, but she didn’t show it and put the meat in her mouth. Soon her eyes widened as she savored it.
“How can it taste like this? The meat is as soft as pudding. I had no idea such meat existed.”
“Right?”
I smiled contentedly. Korean cuisine truly is the best.
“I’ll try some too.”
Following her lead, Eva put the meat in her mouth.
“Oh my! It’s delicious. Darling, do try it.”
At her words, Elise’s fork moved faster than Duncan’s.
“Mmm!”
After tasting just one piece, Elise quickly grabbed a large piece of romaine lettuce. She placed two pieces of meat on it and piled the radish strips generously on top. Her cheeks puffed out as if they might burst.
‘She knows how to eat properly.’
To think I’d see that hamster-like appearance from the kitchen at dawn here. Elise seemed to have forgotten that she’d devoured five bowls of rice at dawn, looking like someone who hadn’t eaten in days.
But it seemed only I found her endearing.
“Elise.”
“Mmph?”
“…Conduct yourself with proper decorum as a noblewoman.”
I could feel Duncan suppressing his anger as much as possible. Elise straightened her posture and began cutting the meat primly. Once Elise quieted down, Duncan finally picked up his utensils.
“Pork. I’ve heard that commoners typically dry it and eat it as bacon, but this is my first time tasting it directly.”
His expression was clearly reluctant. But Eva, sitting beside him, gave him a look that pleaded for just one taste, so he reluctantly put a piece in his mouth.
Duncan’s eyes widened just the same.
“How is it, dear?”
“The meat is tender, and this kimchi does have a notable umami flavor.”
Yet his words were utterly cold.
“I’m not certain what particular advantage it possesses to captivate the palates of the nobility.”
His gaze turned toward me.
I’d anticipated this kind of reaction might come at some point. Moreover, since Duke Cardia was the one who had invested in this venture, he had no choice but to be more critical.
I paused for a moment to choose my words and set down my fork.
It was my turn to speak.
“Pretty one, I’ll have another bowl!”
But before I could open my mouth, the banquet hall rang out loudly.
“Elise!!!”

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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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