The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 153

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 153

“Good.”

I nodded with sparkling eyes.

“I should go to this gathering too. Please make sure to take me along.”

In important situations, I needed to use a child’s innocence as a weapon to steer conversations in the direction I wanted.

Isabela clasped her hands together and said.

“The Imperial Palace banquet isn’t far off, so I hope we get meaningful results before then.”

The banquet celebrating Backhun’s return was to be held in two weeks.

Our goal was to gather as much information as possible this way before then to discover the characteristics of that ring.

Since we could all enter the Imperial Palace, we could somehow get our hands on the ring at that time.

I pointed to the name ‘Valerie Nogen’ on the chart and said.

“It would be really nice to get this person’s help… but I’m not confident.”

Having seen her a few times before, Valerie definitely didn’t seem like she’d be on our side.

That old woman was thoroughly the Empress Dowager’s person.

Even when the Empress Dowager made Leopold’s father’s death into a laughingstock behind the scenes, she showed no resistance whatsoever.

‘Wait, not showing resistance… does that really mean she’s on the Empress Dowager’s side?’

I frowned slightly.

I had never rebelled against Father either. But that didn’t mean I was ever on Father’s side.

Rather, I always rebelled against Alpheus, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t on Alpheus’s side.

If anyone tried to hurt Alpheus even a little, I could shove a sprouted potato down their throat.

‘Could it be that she was terribly afraid of something and thought this was the best course of action?’

I didn’t understand when I was young, but after living with Alpheus, I realized something. Outward peace wasn’t everything.

‘By the way, there’s one thing that bothers me.’

I fell into thought while looking at the chart.

‘Why hasn’t the Empress Dowager summoned me?’

Honestly speaking, I expected to receive an invitation from the Empress Dowager right after coming up to the capital.

Naturally, I couldn’t even request an audience with her until the Empress Dowager summoned me first.

But the Empress Dowager hadn’t contacted me at all. Especially when I was gaining fame for the elderly ladies’ cosmetic water.

‘This is a bit strange.’

The Empress Dowager was quite interested in looking young too…

It was clearly perfect bait tailored for the Empress Dowager, but it had no effect at all.

The unexpected situation was unsettling. The Imperial Palace was especially frustrating because there was nothing I could do about it.

‘I thought she would naturally summon me. I was planning to take little Wolf-dog along then too.’

Thinking of Leopold, I simultaneously remembered the unfinished task and sighed involuntarily.

‘What should I name him…’

I had several candidates, but I wasn’t sure if they would suit Leopold’s refined taste.

“Trust me with extracting information.”

Perhaps misunderstanding that I was worried about tomorrow’s gathering, Isabela grinned and said.

“I was a capable Information Agent, you know. One of our information guild maids is hidden in Count Ishitna’s house.”

“But it won’t be easy.”

I returned to being a realist and advised.

“All Imperial Palace maids receive thorough security training.”

Honestly, I didn’t think we’d succeed on the first try.

There were still many candidates and plenty of summer left.

“Lady Pirin also lived in the Imperial Palace for a long time, so she’s definitely not ordinary.”

Then Alpheus beside us sighed and muttered.

“Why don’t I have anything to do there? I want to help with something too!”

Actually, he wasn’t helpful.

“All I can do is go out to pick you up on time.”

There was nothing for Alpheus to do at gatherings only for elderly ladies.

And for Sears’s honor, I had banned Alpheus from all gatherings.

Going to social events alone without me or Maximus was harmful to his social standing.

“How fortunate.”

I said sincerely.

“Thanks to the Second Prince, you made your social debut early last winter, so you don’t have to go around greeting everyone.”

After the southern affairs ended, Maximus had taken Alpheus to stay in the capital. He had already made his mark with all the important figures then.

“Can you call that greeting? I couldn’t even properly befriend people.”

Alpheus grumbled.

“On the first night after arriving in the capital, I drank Magic Tower special fruit wine with the Prince and chatted away, but unfortunately I caught a terrible throat cold after that day. From the next day, I could barely speak.”

As expected, I could feel at ease when sending Alpheus with Maximus.

The ‘Magic Tower special fruit wine’ that Maximus gave him definitely had the effect of making one lose their voice.

No wonder the nobles I encountered here and there didn’t mock Alpheus too much.

“Since my voice barely worked, all I could do was keep my mouth shut and sip water alone. Everyone must think I’m a cold, unapproachable person.”

He sighed deeply with a sad face.

“Even though I acted like that, I’m still getting quite a few invitations from noble young ladies, so if my condition had been just a little better then, I could have made many friends, right?”

It seemed like that’s exactly why he was getting so many invitations.

Thanks to keeping his mouth shut, using only his face.

The Imperial Palace banquet celebrating Backhun’s return would be held soon, so I should ask Maximus to prepare Alpheus-specific fruit wine once more for that occasion.

“Anyway, you two are working so hard like this, but I’m not doing anything.”

Alpheus muttered gloomily.

“I feel like such a powerless piece of trash here.”

That’s when it happened.

Suddenly a maid came running up to the study.

“Um, Princess! A guest has arrived! I’ve seated them in the reception room for now.”

“A guest?”

Isabela tilted her head.

The maid rolled her eyes and said.

“Yes! They said they’re really sorry for not making an appointment, but it was too urgent and they had no choice…”

Isabela folded the chart with a snap and asked with a serious expression.

“I see. But shouldn’t you tell me who the guest is first? Also, shouldn’t you tell me first before seating them in the reception room? Why do you seem so scattered today?”

To that question, the maid answered with a somewhat dazed face.

“I… I’m sorry. The, the guest said she’s Lady Delmia from Marquis Naisar House.”

I blinked slowly.

‘Delmia… is? Here?’

If it was Delmia, I could understand why the maid was rambling. The Empire’s greatest beauty’s charm didn’t discriminate by age or gender.

But why was Delmia Naisar here, when she said she disliked being the center of attention in crowded places and would enter the temple to live quietly for the rest of her life?

This was truly a completely unexpected development.

“Ha.”

Isabela frowned.

“Well, I can tell she’s rude enough.”

But surprisingly, the maid rolled her eyes and carefully replied.

“Ah, well… she did say she was sorry, so it might be… understandable.”

Isabela looked at the maid in surprise. Usually maids didn’t add their own opinions like that.

“Let’s go.”

I pulled Isabela along.

“I should go see too.”

“I want to go too!”

Alpheus said brightly.

“Someone from Marquis Naisar House, it’s been so long. Isabela, you don’t have friends anyway. Actually Lady Delmia seemed similar, so it would be nice if you all became friends together!”

Alpheus completely failed to notice that Isabela was already starting to harbor dissatisfaction toward Delmia.

“Surely Brisa, as you said, she’s looking down on me, right? Calling me a noble young lady of her age.”

Isabela muttered nervously.

“How rude of her, picking a fight from the very beginning….”

I wanted to say that Delmia wasn’t that kind of person. But it was already difficult enough just trying to keep up with her quick pace.

On the other hand, since there was no friendship between Delmia and Isabela, this kind of sudden visit was indeed quite rude.

‘Why on earth is Delmia acting like this?’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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