Chapter 21

Cecilia looked around the mansion. Looking left and back, it was a massive and magnificent mansion. She could glimpse the wealth of the current imperial family and Maxim Adeloff’s fortune.

To maintain such a mansion required employing no small number of people. And those employed people inevitably had to be paid.

“There’s so much money it’s rotting away.”

She let out a grin. If Elena was really here, that girl wasn’t stupid but smart. As she pressed the doorbell and waited, the door opened before long.

A world she had never set foot in opened its mouth toward her.

“What brings you here?”

“Ah, I came from the Joseph family. My name is Cecilia.”

Mrs. Greta smiled with a gentle face. She had already heard warnings about Cecilia from Hazel. That she was absolutely the type not to associate with.

In the Levonto region, Cecilia Joseph was famous, wasn’t she? For bleeding her daughter dry. And previously, the Joseph family had been quite a decent house too. While not central nobility active in Andres, it was an old family established in Delosi, counted among the largest ports in the Adeloff Empire.

After the head of the family died, a cousin’s nephew living overseas inherited the family, but handed over all authority to Cecilia Joseph. But she heard that Cecilia Joseph had squandered all the assets.

Through gambling.

There was a reason Elena had come alone to the capital with her young sister. Comparing the two emaciated people with the plump Cecilia made her blood boil.

Mrs. Greta quietly raged inside.

‘Having such a sick daughter. She starved her daughters while only filling her own belly.’

The Cecilia before her eyes was exactly the type of scoundrel Mrs. Greta despised. She said gently, “I see. What business brings you here?”

“I heard my daughters are here, so I came. Elena and Leana. Among them, Leana’s health isn’t good and she needs continued treatment. Moreover, Elena has an engagement arranged.”

She sighed.

“Elena and I had some differences of opinion, but I never thought she’d cause such a tremendous incident.”

She shook her head. Then continued with a sorrowful face.

“At this rate, not only will my eldest daughter’s marriage be ruined, but my second daughter’s life might even be in danger. Please help these thoughtless children return home.”

Mrs. Greta frowned slightly.

If she had heard this without knowing the inside story, she might have been fooled. Anyway, Hazel was openly taking Elena around and didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding it, so this was a woman they were bound to clash with.

‘Better to resolve it from the start.’

And while Hazel had tremendous status, her temperament was also tremendous. Having grown up as a beloved daughter from childhood, she had lived somewhat like a stubborn general. To such a Hazel, Cecilia was nothing.

Whatever demands that woman made, Hazel would win.

“If that’s the matter, please wait. Countess Presto will return soon. You can discuss it with her.”

“No. I want to talk with my daughter. Surely there’s nothing wrong with my daughter, is there? I want to see that she’s safe.”

Meet an easier opponent? Mrs. Greta thought of Elena. Though she was being dragged around by Hazel now, she seemed like someone with quite firm resolve. That’s how she got here.

And the fact that Elena yielded to Hazel was probably due to respect for elders, nothing else.

Moreover, seeing how she had followed Hazel all the way here, it read as determination never to be dragged around by her mother. Mrs. Greta said, “I understand. Miss Elena is out right now, so she’ll return soon.”

Cecilia smiled faintly.

‘As expected!’

She was here after all.

‘You can’t escape my grasp anyway, can you?’

She swallowed her laughter. There seemed to be more money to extract from this family than marrying Elena off to Baron Benjamin. Elena had made the right choice. She moistened her dry lips with her tongue.

“Could I be offered some tea? I’m thirsty.”

“I’ll prepare it for you.”

Mrs. Greta smiled coldly. If she was truly worried about her sick child as she claimed, she would have asked to see Leana first. But she didn’t mention wanting to see her. That was the kind of mother she was from the start.

Mrs. Greta left the reception room. What a truly unpleasant woman.

It was hard to believe such a pretty and upright child had grown up under such a woman.

---

Maxim’s words had no effect at all.

“Maxim, how can you malign me like that? I’ve never forced you even once. Did I really drag you out by force just now?”

“Aunt, that’s not what I meant…”

“And the choice is for you two to make, not me. What can I do? Shall I drag you into a wedding hall?”

At Hazel’s shameless words, he let out a hollow laugh.

‘Grandfather, just how did you raise Aunt?’

And that fortune teller. If I catch them, I really won’t let it slide.

He sighed.

“I’m really hurt. I should go to your father and express this hurt.”

He pushed the grumbling Hazel’s back.

“Why are you dragging innocent Father into this? Go in. Go in and eat. Then return to the mansion.”

She smiled brightly.

“Of course. Where else would I go?”

Thus the meal between Maxim, Hazel, and Elena came to pass. It was a combination that drew all the attention of everyone in the restaurant. It was also a moment that added fuel to rumors about the pretty woman caught between Hazel and Maxim.

‘She’s a princess from a neighboring country.’

‘No, that’s not it? She’s Lady Hazel’s niece who was living in the provinces!’

‘Is she going to be Duke Maxim Adeloff’s wife?’

‘That might be so. He’s mourned enough by now. Isn’t it time for Duke Adeloff to remarry?’

‘That’s true. Hasn’t it already been five years since that incident happened? It’s time to forget.’

She sat as upright as possible. She could feel people’s gazes. She felt her cheeks redden with embarrassment, but as long as she hadn’t done anything wrong, there was no need to shrink back.

“Is there anything you’d like to eat?”

Hazel asked, looking at the menu. The menu was written in Carmen rather than the common language. It seemed to be because this was an upscale restaurant selling food that was popular on the Carmen continent.

She read the menu carefully.

‘There are no prices on the menu?’

Her pupils shook with earthquake-like tremors. Fortunately, she had no allergies and wasn’t picky about food, but the most important thing – the prices – weren’t listed. She gulped.

Then she chose from the menu.

“I’ll have the B set.”

It was the set with the fewest items. With fewer items, the price would be cheaper too, right?

“…You said you could speak Carmen. Where did you learn it separately?”

He asked with an indifferent face. In the Adeloff Empire, usually only Mantung and the common language were used. But seeing how fluently she read Carmen, her skill didn’t seem short-term.

“Ah, yes. My father was very interested in languages before. I learned most languages.”

He nodded.

“Ooh.”

Hazel’s eyes sparkled. Language was the hardest thing to master. It was also the area where young ladies who became members of the imperial family suffered most. But Elena already had that qualification.

Could she be this perfect?

“Let’s eat.”

Seeing Hazel’s sparkling eyes, he cut her off. The meal was quite enjoyable. It was also funny watching Hazel and him bicker about who would pay at the end.

[Aunt should do it. You’re the one who arranged this gathering.]

[What nonsense. You do it. You earn so much money but can’t buy your aunt one meal?]

It was an enjoyable evening. Eventually, he gave up returning to the company and decided to go home with the two of them. He had thrown up both hands and feet due to Hazel’s nagging.

Though he did stop by the company to pick up documents on the way.

Even when they arrived at the mansion and got out of the carriage, Hazel didn’t stop her nagging.

“Do you have to carry documents around on such an enjoyable day? It seems like you’re earning all of Adeloff’s money by yourself. It would be nice to share some refreshments and talk more.”

He let out a hollow laugh.

“Aunt, do you know how expensive my time is?”

“Oh my, oh my. Enough!”

She secretly smiled. It was so enjoyable that Elena thought today would end this happily. She had been too complacent.

“Elena?”