The Substitute Bride Is Adored by the Clumsy Margrave

by Usui Takumii

not mine, wuxia world. Waiting for the translater to update.

2. 11 to 20

"Did you not bring Marius with you?" the Margrave asked as soon as they entered the room. "I thought it would be better to ask Clarisse's maid instead," said the degraded version of Marius, without hesitation.

The Margrave then turned to Mary and asked her a series of questions. Of course, Mary answered them despite being overwhelmed.

She couldn't tell that degraded version of Marius anything, but she would surely answer to the Margrave, who would one day be her Lady's husband.

The Margrave had the degraded Marius sit with them while he was asking Mary private questions about Clarisse, so that she understood their relationship by leil and that it would be okay to tell this lesser version of Marius some things about Clarisse the next time.

However, whether Mary would actually talk to the downgraded Marius is another matter.

"The lady came back from her walk today feeling a little down."

"Jean! That's exactly what I was talking about!"

"Shut up, Sid."

'The temperature just dropped to about -15 degrees…'

Mary could feel the temperature of the room drop whenever the Margrave, whose expression never changed, wrinkled his brow. She might literally turn to ice by the time she leaves the room.

"What happens when Clarisse feels this way? When she gets into a fight with her family, for example? Simply respond truthfully."

The Margrave inquired, and Mary responded truthfully, of course, in order to avoid freezing to death.

"How can I put it…the young Lady has always been…you know…when she has a quarrel with her family, or rather…, she doesn't spend that much time with her family. But the Lady always smiles at us servants, so I'm not sure."

She answered so honestly that she became tongue-tied.

Mary couldn't say anything bad about her employer, the Viscount Farenheit family, because she was a servant, so that was all she could say.

'Oh no, it's about -20 degrees right now…'

"In short, did the Farenheit family really despise Clarisse like that?"

Mary had no way of answering that question. The Margrave folded his arms in thought and didn't seem to be looking for an answer either.

Sid, the degraded version of Marius who had been blabbering about trivial matters until now, also fell silent.

The servants who have worked with Mary for many years at Viscount Farenheit's residence have always referred to her as a fierce warrior. She had something she really wanted to ask the Margrave, despite her pride as a fierce warrior.

"I'm sorry if I'm being rude, but may I ask you a question?"

"What is it?"

"Did you ask for the Farenheit Jewel to be your wife?"

The question caught the Margave off guard for a moment.

Mary was present in Clarisse's room when Matilda came in to bully Clarisse, claiming that she was marrying the Margrave instead of her. Mary was enraged that Clarisse, who had spent her entire life in Matilda's shadow, had been sent as a substitute bride for her.

"What do you mean?"

The Margrave did not take Mary's question lightly, and Clarisse's future husband (to be) made a much stronger impression on her. Mary attempted to be as objective as possible in her explanation of what she had seen and heard in Clarisse's room. The Margrave's brow furrowed further and further. The temperature in the room had dropped to nearly -30 degrees before she realised it.

"What was your name again?"

The Margrave suddenly asked her, and when she told him it was Mary, he nodded.

"Mary, you are a good maid, loyal to your master. I hope you will always be in Clarisse's service. Thankfully, your question has answered most of my doubts."

The Margrave then told her she could leave, and Mary did so, shivering in the cold. It wasn't until she was walking down the corridor that she realised she hadn't received an answer from the Count. Still, even the toughest of men wouldn't be foolish enough to ask him the same question again.

The following day, when Clarisse finished getting ready and went down to breakfast accompanied by the butler, she found the Margrave already seated in the dining room.

"Good morning, Jean-sama."

"Ah."

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

"Don't be. Don't worry about it."

He still had the same stern expression on his face today, but he spoke in a gentle manner. Clarisse was becoming more at ease with this contrast in him.

As he stood up, he approached Clarisse and kissed the back of her hand, then stared down at her from a close distance, making her blush.

As usual, they didn't talk during breakfast, and when they finished their meal, they had coffee. He invited Clarisse to go to the garden.

"You must be very knowledgeable about plants, so you can tell me all about them in the garden."

"….. Is it okay for me to do that?"

Clarisse asked him, puzzled, and Jean, with a distorted expression, said, "If you don't want to, that's fine."

"It's not that I don't like it. I'm just happy to be going to the gardens again."

"…Clarisse, you can go to the garden any time you want…"

She was puzzled once again; what's wrong with Jean today? And any time she wants? So she could stay in this house? Her heart felt warm as a result of these thoughts.

"Could you not freely go to the garden at the Farenheit residence?"

"No, it wasn't like that, but…"

Rather, it could be described as being left alone, so she was immersed in the gardens.

Matilda was the only one invited to tea parties and soirées, while Clarisse was often at home. As a result of this, she spent a lot of time in the garden, which is unbecoming of a noblewoman. Her body has become stronger than ever, which she considers to be a blessing in disguise.

"Then you may do so here as well. You won't need a maid when I accompany you, but when I don't, be sure to take a maid with you."

Clarisse found herself slowly smiling as the Margrave spoke as if he was dealing with a child.

"Yes, Jean-sama."

Jean, sitting across from her, looked at Clarisse with a stunned expression.

"Who knew you could smile like that."

However, the words he muttered did not reach Clarisse's ears.

The time they spent in the garden was delightful.

Jean had to go to the knights' camp near the border in the afternoon, limiting the amount of time they could spend together. However, it was still fun just to look at the plants that were slightly different from those in the royal capital, and to answer Jean's questions about them.

Since the topic of plants was something she was really interested in, she felt more at ease and comfortable discussing it.

He was a very enthusiastic student who seemed to be more interested in the benefits of the plants than in the names of the plants themselves.

He said that he wondered how much it would help his men if he, as their commander, had the knowledge to use wild plants when they ran out of medicine in the field. Clarisse thought it was very typical of him, given what he'd said and done thus far.

A subordinate with a superior like him would certainly be happy.

The second time they spent together in the garden was mainly spent talking about plants. Still, Clarisse managed to enquire about Jean's age in between conversations.

"28."

She wasn't surprised to learn that he was older than she was because his stern demeanour made him appear older than he was. Still, the way he carried himself certainly seemed to be appropriate for his age.

She wanted to ask more questions, but just hearing his age made her feel a little closer to him.

For a while, the flow of life went on peacefully in the days that followed.

She always ate breakfast with Jean, and they spent more and more time in the mornings together.

When the weather was pleasant, they'd go for a walk in the garden, and sometimes they'd go to the library together to pass the time. Jean would occasionally take her on a tour of the surrounding towns.

On some days, Sid and Marius would pay a visit and share a cup of tea. Jean kept an expressionless face and didn't say much, but his words and actions were always considerate of Clarisse, so staying by his side was very comfortable.

Clarisse gradually became accustomed to spending time with Jean. He had a way of showing her how he cared about her without using words. It was more believable than some useless sweet talk.

They would have lunch together every few days or whenever his schedule allowed it. Their routine was slowly taking shape.

There was no Matilda in this house to humiliate Clarisse or be sarcastic towards her whenever she saw an opportunity. She doesn't have to feel pain over her parents' unloving words and actions. As the autumn deepened, Clarisse's heart was slowly healing after years of being tortured by her family.

"The daughter of Viscount Farenheit is truly an amazing person."

It was late autumn when Mary was approached by the middle-aged head maid of the mansion.

Mary was told that the winters in this remote land are many times harsher than in the royal capital. She thought it was time to prepare her Lady's needs for winter, so she went to ask the head maid.

"She's a noble lady, but she remembers the servants' names right away, looks us in the eyes and speaks to us politely, and always thanks us! Most of all, it's wonderful that she's willing to try to do her things on her own."

Clarisse, whose farewell had saddened the Farenheit family's servants to great lengths, had also won the hearts of the Gutenberg mansion's servants.

The fact that the head maid, who was in charge of all the maids, was praising her so highly probably meant that the other servants had the same opinion. Mary was proud to know that her beloved master was also admired by the servants.

"The Master has such a strong personality, and we were all worried about what would happen if a selfish young lady came into the family, but I'm glad our fears were unfounded. I've never seen the lord look so happy."

'If that's how he appears when he's happy, then what was he like before… Well I must say, the Margrave is quite the man.'

The Margrave, Mary believes, has high ideals that he demands of others, but he is even more demanding of himself. He has the best qualities as a leader, which is great, but whether he is easy to deal with as a person is another story.

If a selfish young lady who was not to his liking and whose personality did not match his own had entered his household, he would have divorced her immediately, or at best, separated from her.

Clarisse's maid knew he liked her Lady when he asked her for her name. If he wanted to send her back to her parents' house, his character would have been unconcerned about the scandal and would have divorced her quickly. Mary, on the other hand, had no idea whether Clarisse was aware of it or not.

'It's tough to tell, but he cares for the lady and loves her…right?'

Despite the fact that they are officially engaged and have the king's approval for their marriage, they have yet to share a bedroom, and they have separate rooms. Mary reasoned that this was not because the Margrave despised Clarisse, but because he prioritized her adjustment to the house.

He may be a little difficult to understand, but he cares about Clarisse. In Mary's mind, Clarisse's future husband -or potential husband- has already scored a lot of points in Mary's eyes.

"Your question has answered most of my own."

'Now, if only I could figure out what he meant by that…'

Mary brushed the question to the back of her mind as she asked the head maid to prepare for winter.

"My sister…?"

"Yeah, Viscount Farenheit wrote to say that your sister's engagement is about to be arranged and that you and I should make an appearance."

Clarisse was stunned when Jean said this at breakfast the following day.

'My sister is getting married only a few months after my engagement…? Then she invites us to the party…? Knowing my sister's personality, I'm not sure why, but I have a bad feeling about this.'

"…I see…"

She tightened her hands that rested on her lap. This mansion was so comfortable that the thought of returning to her parents' house now gave her a sharp pain that made her chest tighten.

"If we are going to go, I think it would be better to do so before winter sets in. There are many days during the winter when it snows in remote areas and you are unable to move."

"Yes…"

In a gentle tone, Jean asked Clarisse, who was unusually stammering for words.

"You don't like it? If you don't want to go, I can decline and say we're too busy to attend."

Clarisse sensed the kindness in his words and felt terrible for him right away.

"No, no…I can't let you lie Jean-sama…it's okay."

He stood up and walked around behind Clarisse, who was slightly downcast, and looked down at her hands clasped in her lap before gently placing his large warm hands on her shoulders.

"We'll stay at my aunt's house when we arrive in the Royal Capital. You should go to the Farenheit house at the very least."

'I'm sure Jean-sama has noticed …'

She looked up with her violet eyes to meet his golden eyes that now made her feel more secure than anyone else, and his beautiful eyes encouraged her.

"I'll take care of it."

He said this quietly, and Clarisse nodded slowly.

Chapter 13

Jean and Clarisse left for the royal capital the following week.

'It's the absolute worst… the absolute worst…'

There were two carriages for this trip. The first carriage carried Jean and Clarisse, and the second carriage carried Mary and some of Jean's assistants, but there were no servants.

"It's been a while since I've been to the royal capital; I'm excited."

That was Marius's downgraded version… or rather, Sid.

'When we came here, Lord Marius was a gentleman and sat next to the coachman for the entire journey… Well, I suppose it's okay now since Lady Clarisse, the fiancée of the Margrave, is riding in another carriage.'

Furthermore, to Mary's surprise, the Margrave did not have a fixed attendant; he had been educated as a knight his entire life, so he took care of everything himself. In that regard, he and Clarisse seem to be on the same page, but that's not the point right now!

'Oh no… for the next two days… this person will be right in front of me…'

"Nice to meet you again, Clarisse's maid."

"I'll just ride next to the coachman."

"Don't say such depressing things~! It's a long ride, and we'll have plenty of time to talk! So stay here and keep me company."

'Whoa! This man…..'

Meanwhile, time passed slowly inside the carriage with Jean and Clarisse, as it always does when the two of them are together.

Jean had been trying to make up for the two weeks he needed to spend in the capital by handing over administrative duties to Marius and hurriedly taking care of some urgent work, so he hadn't had much time to relax with Clarisse in the last few days.

He was glad that he could sit across from her and share some quality time. He wouldn't have been able to spend an entire day away from her, if it wasn't for this.

Because of his large size, Jean had made the carriage larger than usual. Still, he sat with his legs tucked in as far as possible to keep them out of the way, but eventually, Clarisse, sitting across from him, smiled warmly and said,

"Jean-sama, you can ease up on your legs if you want."

"… excuse me."

"Did you often go to the royal capital, Jean-sama?"

'Clarisse asked me a question…!'

Clarisse is a very reserved person and rarely asks Jean any questions. If he were to ask her a question, she would give him a quick, sincere answer. On top of that, Jean wasn't very good at initiating conversations, so he almost never talked about himself. He was thrilled that Clarisse had asked him about it.

"No, I've never lived in the capital. I grew up in a remote town and stayed there all my life since my father was originally from there. So I only ever went to the capital to visit my aunt's house or to run errands."

Thinking about it, this was probably the first time he had ever talked about his parents. Even the servants at the mansion knew the story, and it wasn't a secret, so he didn't feel the need to tell her.

'I wondered if Clarisse had been holding back her desire to ask. I'll tell her as much as she wants any time she asks.'

"Is that so?"

"It was the current King who appointed me as a Margrave, but my father was a local nobleman himself. I've always thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to establish myself as a knight."

"…"

"Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever told you, my parents died in an unfortunate carriage accident eight years ago, and I have no siblings."

It was comforting to see her violet eyes narrow painfully. Jean didn't like to receive half-hearted consolations and was grateful that Clarisse was not the kind of woman to show flattering pity.

"Shortly after, I was appointed by the king as the Margrave of this area, so I was too busy to mourn."

Jean thought back to those chaotic days. It wasn't that he wasn't sad, but there was a thought that kept him inspired: the thought that his parents would be proud of him for receiving a noble title when he was just a little over 20 years old, and that the King himself took an interest in him and made him a Margrave – even if it was only for one generation.

He later heard that it was a coincidence that the King had appointed him as a Margrave. Regardless, the state of affairs with the neighboring countries at that time was worse than it is now, so no one came forward to take this position.

After becoming a Margrave, his milk-brother Sid and his cousin Marius remained by his side, and the knights, who were his colleagues, followed him even after he became their superior.

"You must have been very talented, Jean-sama… When was your last successful battle?"

"Oh, it was last year. There have always been frequent petty conflicts with neighboring countries along the border, and those of us on the frontier knew that one day it would turn into a major battle."

So as soon as Jean was appointed as the Margrave, he immediately began to make detailed preparations. He strengthened the fortress, prepared the knights for any surprise attack, and devised a plan to minimize casualties in any case.

If necessary, he himself would stand on the front line to boost the spirits of the knights and soldiers, but at the same time, as the commander, he had to consider the safety of his people. After several battles in the field, he had finally won the battle, and the peace treaty was signed last year after seven years of negotiating. Jean simply believed that the King's recognition was based on all the work he had done for him since he became a Margrave.

'Oh no, I've been talking way too much…'

If Sid had been in the same carriage, he would have been disgusted as this was not something to talk about with to a noblewoman, but when Jean looked at Clarisse, he saw a spark of admiration in her beautiful violet eyes, and she did not seem to be disgusted by what he had said at all.

There are many moments when Jean feels the kindness of her nature. The fact that Clarisse was so attuned to Jean's feelings in this way made him want to treat her well.

He gazed at Clarisse's beautiful face.

He had thought she was beautiful from the first time he saw her. Of course, her face was beautiful, but it was her intelligence, kindness, and honesty that made her attractive multiple times over. It was hard to believe that the Farenheit family had treated her so poorly. Now, even he knows that the servants of the Gutenberg family worship her and that Sid and Marius think very highly of her.

'But then again, there are people in every world who can't understand the value of gems, even if they lived next to a diamond mine.'

Since Jean and Clarisse weren't married yet, they didn't have their first night together and booked separate rooms at the inn. Unfortunately, on the first day of the trip, there were only two rooms available for the nobility at the inn, so Clarisse stayed in a room by herself, but Jean and Sid had to share a room.

The look on Sid's face was priceless.

"You're expecting me to share a room with this big guy?"

Sid was relatively short for a man, but Jean was large and muscular. It would undoubtedly be too crowded for two men to be staying in the same room.

Mary got out of the carriage, exhausted from the first day, and was enjoying the sight of Sid's annoyance.

"You see, Mary, Sid-sama, although a bit annoying, is a smart person. I'm certain that the Margrave sees him as a valuable asset."

When Clarisse asked Mary what they had been talking about in the carriage as she finished her supper and prepared for bed, she responded dismissively.

"He seems to be quite obsessed with the Margrave, and I think he is fond of you, My lady, though I don't like him because he acts way too familiar with me."

"Mary…"

Despite Mary's foul mouth, she doesn't actually have many likes or dislikes for people. In fact, it's rare that she dislikes someone this much; either she doesn't get along with them very well, or she gets along with them too well.

But no matter what she said, the image of herself being seriously scolded by Mary came to mind, so Clarisse wisely didn't touch on the topic any further.

The following day, after a quick breakfast at the inn, they started to move quickly. However, Mary seemed to have lost her patience and tried to sit next to the coachman, saying she was a servant.

Sid, on the other hand, stated quietly that he could not allow a woman to sit outside and that he would take her place, so she had no choice but to reluctantly give in. This left Mary, the servant, inside and Sid, the nobleman, sitting outside.

Clarisse watched in silence as Mary, who may not have shown it on her face but must have looked as if she had a demon inside, climbed into the carriage with Sid's help.

"I wonder if Sid-sama is fond of Mary."

Clarisse asked, growing more familiar with Jean thanks to the day they had spent together in the carriage yesterday. She felt that Jean's demeanor had become more relaxed and his tone of voice was a little more casual.

The trip to the royal capital was something that Clarisse would have preferred not to go on, but she was glad that it had brought her closer to him than before.

"I suppose so. Sid is a womanizer, but he hates women."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I guess he likes a strong, firm woman like Mary."

"Oh, I see."

Mary is indeed strong and firm; even Clarisse cannot deny that, as she has always been helped by Mary's strength.

"Has Mary been your maid for a long time?"

There were some complicated reasons why Mary became a maid for Clarisse.

Clarisse pondered how to answer since it wasn't about her, but since Jean didn't seem to be breaking off his engagement to her, and since Mary would probably be meeting with Jean for a long time to come, she thought it would be better to let him know what was going on. Especially since she was going to visit her parents' house.

Clarisse had been mistreated by her family since she was born. She spent her days trying to figure out what they were thinking not only by their words but also by their facial expressions and actions.

Although Jean doesn't use straightforward words, his facial expressions and actions were enough for her to understand that he's very considerate and always thinking of her. She feels that he's really interested in her.

Above all, the way he treats her is almost the same as his attitude toward Sid and Marius, who are his allies and childhood friends; therefore, although it's hard to put into words.

Clarisse wants to believe him.

That he really wants to marry her.

"Mary's family was originally a barony, but after her father's scandalous downfall, the family split up, and Mary was taken in as a maid by my family. I was only eight years old, and she was twelve. We've been together ever since."

Jean's eyes widened.

"Oh my, Mary was a former baron's daughter?"

"Yes."

"I see; I thought she was more than just a servant, but to think she had that background."

The rank of baron itself is the lowest in aristocratic society, but aristocrats are still aristocrats. Somehow, Mary didn't feel like an ordinary servant, so it made sense to him that she was originally a baron's daughter.

Jean suddenly felt that Sid would be pleased with this information but decided to keep it quiet for Mary's sake.

As he had heard from Marius, Jean could not help but admire Clarisse's manner during the trip. She never showed any signs of displeasure or whine and was always cheerful and caring, not only to Jean but also to everyone else.

Typically, when people are severely fatigued, their true nature reveals itself. So, this is Clarisse's true nature. It was very attractive, and it was no wonder that Marius was instantly captivated by her.

Jean had originally trained as a knight and was blessed with a good physique, so he didn't feel that tired on a trip like this, but Clarisse had never even left the royal capital before coming to Jean's home.

After such a long trip, she might be physically tired, but how could she be so mentally calm and not even show a hint of tiredness?

Moreover, she always seemed to be satisfied with the food and the not-so-luxurious accommodations.

Jean was beginning to respect this thin and petite girl, who was almost ten years younger than him, for her strong mental strength.

It had been a long time since he had been to the royal capital, but it was definitely a city.

Sid was going to stay at his relative's house, so he went on his way, and Clarisse, Jean, and Mary were going to stay at Jean's aunt's house.

Marchioness Lotte Ainsworth, who was the sister of Jean's father, and just like Jean, she was a rather large and beautiful woman with a clear face, much like Jean. Her husband, Marquis Ainsworth, and their son were currently staying in their territory, not in the royal capital.

"Oh my god! Jean, to be engaged to such a beautiful girl! I couldn't be happier for you."

The Marchioness of Ainsworth gave her a sincere welcome.

"Nice to meet you, Marchioness Ainsworth; my name is Clarisse Farenheit."

"Soon to be Gutenburg."

Clarisse was a little surprised when Jean interrupted her from the side. It's almost as if he wants to get married as soon as possible.

Marchioness Ainsworth looked at her nephew with extreme amusement.

"Well, well, you shouldn't dwell on little things like that, Jean."

"No, I'm just stating a fact."

It's hard to tell, but it looks like Jean is acting spoiled in front of his aunt.

Clarisse thought that the relationship between Marchioness Ainsworth and Jean was good. Marchioness Ainsworth smiled at Clarisse as if to say, "This boy's a real troublemaker."

"May I call you Clarisse?"

"Of course, Marchioness Ainsworth."

"Hehehe, Lotte is fine between us, Clarisse."

"Lady Lotte."

When Clarisse curtsied with the hem of her dress, Lotte giggled happily. Her laughter warms the heart of anyone who hears it, and Clarisse is able to understand why Jean was so fond of her. She, as well, liked Lotte very much.

"Aunt, tomorrow, as I informed you, I need you to help Clarisse get ready."

"I know."

Jean nodded and turned to Clarisse.

"I want you to go with aunt to pick out a dress tomorrow for the visit to the Farenheit family."

The following day, Clarisse went to a famous dressmaker's boutique in the capital that Jean's aunt Lotte liked.

Although she told Jean that buying a new dress for a visit to her parents' house would be a waste of money, he, who usually respects her wishes, ignored her and told her to go buy one and have his aunt find one for her. In the end, she couldn't refuse and ended up coming to the store.

The store was lined with colorful dresses, and Clarisse, who had not properly picked out a dress in a long time, quickly gave up trying to choose one herself and decided to leave it to Lotte.

"I can't believe that such a lovely lady will be wearing one of my designs! Oh my! What beautiful violet eyes! I'm getting excited. If I could, I would have tailored it from scratch, but I'm afraid we don't have time for that this time."

The store madam said so, and while discussing this with Lotte, she brought out more and more elegant dresses, leaving Clarisse flabbergasted. They said things such as "these sleeves are the most fashionable nowadays," or "this lace is the current fashion trend." She kept trying on dresses, one after the other, and then walking in front of the two.

It wasn't that she didn't enjoy it; it was just that it was something she wasn't used to, and she was utterly exhausted by the time she left the store.

Lotte eventually decided to buy two evening gowns and four day gowns. Lotte laughed it off before Clarisse could say anything, saying that Jean would be paying for the dress anyway, so she didn't have to worry about it. They agreed with the store that the dresses that needed alterations would be delivered to the Ainsworth residence later.

Her first impression of Lotte was correct; she was cheerful, kind and had a lot to talk about. When they returned home, a young woman who was one of Lotte's favorite hairdressers was also there.

She took care of Clarisse's chestnut hair, and she gave it a quick trim, saying it was perfectly cared for and shiny, with the perfect volume.

The hairdresser gave Mary a few tips on how to style her hair in a way that she thought would look good on Clarisse, as well as how to match her makeup. The two of them were happily playing with Clarisse's hair.

Jean returned from his outing in the late afternoon.

"Did you get a dress? Let's go out-.."

She was surprised because she hadn't heard anything about it. Still, Lotte, who had apparently asked Jean regarding his outfit, then advised her to wear the dark navy evening dress she had brought back to match with his.

After that, Mary helped her to do her hair, using the technique she had learned today and applied her makeup. Considering she doesn't usually dress up that much, Clarisse herself was astounded at how different she looked.

"My Lady… you look so beautiful… really."

Mary praised her again today in a quivering voice. If this stout maid quivered, then she must be highly impressed.

"…Thank you, Mary."

Her fiancé, a very masculine man with short silver hair and golden eyes, was waiting for her as she walked down the hall.

"It suits you well."

As they got into the carriage, Jean, who was also dressed in formal attire, gave her a sincere compliment, and Clarisse's cheeks flushed. Jean himself looked great – his thick physique made him stand out more than usual in a tuxedo that flattered his figure, his sturdy body stood out even more.

"We're going to the National Theater, do you like comedy musicals?"

"To the National Theater…? Yes, I like comedies very much."

Jean relaxed his eyes and told her the title of a comedy musical that was currently being performed in the royal city. Matilda had often gone to the theater with their parents, but Clarisse had never been. Her mother had tried to take Clarisse, but Matilda disliked it, so it was a no go. So the comedy that Clarisse knew was in the books.

He stared at Clarisse's face, who smiled happily.

"Did you often go to the theater when you were in the royal capital?"

But now, she was at a loss for an answer.

She didn't want to lie to him, and she didn't want him to pity her by telling the truth either.

As if he could sense her hesitation, Jean opened his mouth softly.

"I think you already know, but I'm not very good at understanding people's feelings. So I need you to say it clearly so that I can understand it."

Before she could open her mouth to say that Jean is a kind and sensitive person, he added,

"But that doesn't mean you have to try to appease me. No matter what you say, I will never dislike you. What I need is for you to be honest with me. Otherwise, I won't be able to understand what you're thinking."

'See, you're kind…'

When she looked down, Jean, who was sitting on the seat across from her, quietly asked if he could hold her hand. She turned her head and gave a slight nod, and he gently took her hand.

"There are times when I look at you, I feel that you must have been through a lot. That hardship must have been related to the Farenheit family."

Normally, the mention of her family's name brings a slight pain to her heart, but now that Jean was holding her hand and she felt the warmth of his hand and his presence closer to her, she didn't feel that pain. Doesn't the warmth of a person make your heart grow stronger? When Clarisse looked up, he had his usual stern expression on his face, but his golden eyes were gentle.

"If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to. But I want to protect you from the pain your family brings."

"…!"

"I'm so rugged that the only thing I can think of is to protect you from the Farenheit family is by force. I don't mind being the bad guy if it makes you happy, but I'm sure you wouldn't like it because you're kind-hearted, so you have to decide and then tell me how I can help you. I promise, if it's for you, I'll do anything."

"…Jean-sama, you don't have to waste your time on my behalf!"

She couldn't help but look down again.

Her mother didn't mistreat her by any means, but she never stood up for her either because she didn't have an opinion of her own and was always at the mercy of her father. It was not particularly unusual in an aristocratic family. She thought a person like her father would only look for such a marriage where his partner would be expected to obey him.

She was not able to attend parties due to Matilda's interference. She had given up on the idea that she would marry for love, as she was almost certain that she would be a tool in a political marriage.

She knew that she had to find out how to deal with the other party, live in seclusion, and avoid getting in the way of her husband-to-be.

That's exactly how she envisioned her life when she learned that she was to be a substitute bride to a man-eating Margrave.

She thought that her tyrannical fiancé would be waiting for her, and that she would just have to live in hiding.

But the reality was quite different.

Ever since they first met, Jean had cared for her, and even if he didn't use words, he had always cared for her with his actions. Even now, in a situation like this, he was trying to think of Clarisse's feelings first.

"A waste is not the right word to use here. I wouldn't waste my time on useless things. Just remember that you are worth it."

Clarisse looked up at him and saw the same expressionless, scary face as usual. But his golden eyes are still filled with kindness.

"I know you and I have only just met, and it will take some time before we can truly trust each other, but for now, can't you trust me just a little bit?"

Clarisse nodded slowly.

During the time before they arrived at the National Theater, Clarisse told Jean about how she was sent to marry him as a bride in place of her sister, the Jewel of Farenheit. She also told him about her family and her relationship with her sister.

Throughout her story, he held Clarisse's hand as he listened to her story, his forehead wrinkling more and more, but he seemed to hold back and refrain from commenting on her family.

As they talked, Clarisse found herself feeling as if a weight was being lifted from her chest. It was as if she and Jean were now supporting a huge weight that she had been carrying alone without knowing it.

"I thought it was something like that. You've done well to endure until now. Clarisse is admirable."

When she was done talking for the time being, Jean sighed and said so.

His words gently caressed her wounded heart as if wrapped in soft cotton.

Jean watched Clarisse's face for a while, and then, rather unexpectedly for him, his expression softened.

"For now, you can watch a comedy tonight and laugh."

Clarisse, who was visiting for the first time, was taken aback by the magnificent architecture of the historic National Theater, which had been designated as a historic-cultural landmark.

Jean, who looked expressionless as usual, took her to the terrace seating on the second floor. There was a curtain dividing the room, making it look like a private room.

He sat Clarisse on the sofa and went out into the hallway to get some snacks and water from a vendor before returning to the terrace.

Those who purchased the expensive terrace tickets were permitted to consume food and beverages throughout the performance.

"This is really your first time coming here."

He said in a relatively soft voice, and Clarisse, who was busy admiring the entire theater as it slowly filled up with people, couldn't help but laugh at his remark.

"I'm sorry, I got carried away. I must've acted like a child."

"I didn't say that."

A soft light flashed in Jean's eyes as he reached out and gently stroked Clarisse's cheek with his thumb.

"You ought to laugh more."

'Perhaps he chose a comedy musical… to make me laugh?'

However, before she could reply, Jean offered her snacks and some water, which he followed by suggesting that she eat them before the play started, which was the end of the conversation.

The first comedy musical she ever saw in her life was wonderful.

Clarisse, who had never seen a comedy or a musical, to begin with, was fascinated by even the slightest movement of the stage set during a scene change.

The audience laughed as the performers humoured them. Everyone was intoxicated by the dazzling way the performers sang, which transformed the theater into one ample space and generated a unique heat.

Although the play was a comedy, there was a sad story in the midst, and Clarisse was busy laughing and crying. Jean was entirely unresponsive to the play from beginning to end. Occasionally, he would steal glances of her face with amusement as he watched her eyes twinkling happily and her fascination with the stage; she was unaware of this until the end.

'Wow, it was wonderful…!'

The three-hour comedy musical was over, and Clarisse, still in a state of excitement, held onto Jean's arm as they walked through the crowded theater passageways.

"I see you enjoyed it."

"Yes, it was wonderful. Thank you, Jean-sama, for bringing me here."

As she walked through the stream of people, feeling all fluffy, heading out of the theater, she noticed the aristocrats' gaze around them and realized that they didn't seem to recognise Jean.

Most of the aristocratic men looked at Jean, who was obviously dressed in a high-quality tuxedo and carried himself nobly: wondering who he was. In contrast, the women were enchanted by his manly appearance and impressive physique and looked enviously at his companion, Clarisse.

After all, as he said himself, he has rarely been to the capital, so the people were unaware that Jean was the famous 'Man-Eating Margrave.'

"Oh, the Man-Eating Margrave things?"

In the carriage on the way back, Clarisse asked Jean this – quite boldly of her. But he didn't seem particularly bothered by it and simply nodded that he had heard of it, which was a bit of a surprise. The way he spoke about it made it seem to be a trivial matter to him, even though it was a very unsettling name, which was very much like him in a sense.

"I think it all started when the newspapers made fun of my relentless fighting style on the battlefield, I recall Sid or Marius saying something like that."

"Is that so…"

The calm and simple man in front of her was so gentle that it was easy to forget that he was a man with a history of tremendous war achievements. Since he was so proud of his territory, he must have been ready to devote his time, passion, and all of his energy to his duties as a Margrave in case of a war.

"The last time I was in the capital was when the king summoned me after signing a peace treaty with a neighboring country, so it's already been a year."

After Clarisse told him about the feud with her family before the play, Jean began to act closer to her, as if another wall between them had been broken down. In fact, on the carriage ride home, he sat next to her instead of across from her, though he probably did so unconsciously. But of course, it was never uncomfortable, and Clarisse felt relieved to have Jean's large, warm body next to hers, giving her an overwhelming sense of safety.

"Did you know that my sister was known as the 'Jewel of Farenheit'?"

"…Yeah."

A feeling of discomfort spread like a stain in Clarisse's heart as if a drop of ink had been dropped on it. After all, when they met for the first time, the first thing he did was to ask if she was the Jewel of Farenheit.

"Is that so… then as I thought… did you ask the King for the 'Jewel of Farenheit' as a reward for your battle, Jean-sama..?"

Her words grew fainter as she asked him.

She had been wondering if she should ask him since she had mentioned being the substitute earlier.

However, he had never denied or confirmed the story that he had asked the king to grant him the Jewel of Farenheit as his wife. So she wanted to ask him if he really wanted her sister and if he just went with her as a substitute bride since she was not so bad after spending time with her?

She wanted to live her life with dignity as much as possible. Still, the feeling of inferiority to her sister, which had been imprinted on her since an early age, suddenly welled up from the depths of her heart, and Clarisse felt as if she were being overwhelmed by dark thoughts. After all, her sister is better than she is, right?

Jean took Clarisse's hand in his and squeezed it gently.

"Clarisse… after we go to your parents' house, I'll tell you something. But right now, all I can say is that you have to trust me."

Jean becomes silent when necessary, but over the past few months, she has learned that he is not a man who would lie.

The temperature of his skin, the gentle touch of his hand holding hers, and those few words were enough to lift her out of the darkness she was starting to drown into.

"I will."

The appointment with the Farenheit family was scheduled for the end of their two-week stay. In the meantime, he would occasionally leave Clarisse with his aunt and go into town alone, but in the afternoons, he always spent time with her enjoying the capital.

He took Clarisse to the theater twice after that since she loved it so much, and he took her to a candy store to eat trending sweets, even though he himself did not like them.

When the weather was sunny, they walked together in the park with the capital's famous fountain, and he took Clarisse, who loved reading, to a large bookstore, where they became absorbed in the books and stayed for a very long time; resulting in Lotte looking for them when they didn't make it in time for dinner.

Although Clarisse was secretly worried that she might run into her sister or her parents when she was in the capital, the capital was so big, and they must have been so busy with their tea parties and soirées that they didn't cross paths at all.

She felt that by spending time with Jean like this at first, he was trying to make many good memories in the capital with her. He might have imagined various things that could happen at her parents' house, so he made arrangements for them to leave the capital as soon as the visit to the Farenheit family was over.

Clarisse's expression became more cheerful and brighter day by day; her smile became more sincere, and she even laughed out loud while talking to Jean.

She doesn't even think about her family when she is with him. It seemed as if the flower bud that had been held back until now was finally given sunshine and water, and she became more beautiful as if she were slowly blooming.

On the day before she visited the Farenheit family, Sid visited the Ainsworth residence for tea for the first time in many days. When he saw Clarisse, his eyes rolled unreservedly.

"Clarisse! You look like a different person!"

"What do you mean?"

When she looked at Sid with a puzzled look, Jean spoke to her from the side with a snort.

"Clarisse, you don't have to worry about it. —So, Sid, what about that thing?"

"Yeah, yeah, I understand; I'll shut up. Here it is."

Sid handed Jean a small blue velvet case.

"It took a lot of work to make it exactly the way you described; you should be grateful."

"I appreciate it."

"Waah! That wasn't sincere at all."

Ignoring Sid's grumbling, Jean opened the case towards Clarisse. Inside, there was a ring with a sparkling violet stone the size of her thumbnail. It was so beautiful that it took her breath away.

"Oh my… so beautiful…"

'Is this the same color as my eyes…?'

"It looks like a real gem, but it's an imitation." Sid remarked with a smirk.

When she looked up at Jean, he nodded towards her.

"I think we need to have a strategy meeting for tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Mary was meeting a fellow Farenheit family maid at a cafe in the heart of the royal capital.

This particular maid was one of Matilda's personal attendants. Since Mary began working for Clarisse, this maid had frequently complained about Matilda's selfishness and arrogance, and how she envied her serving a master like Clarisse.

After ensuring that no one could overhear, the maid began to whisper

"Lady Matilda has become extremely aggressive and violent since Lady Clarisse left."

Mary's thoughts were immediately visible on her face; Lady Matilda was already extremely harsh in her treatment of others, but… even worse?

"How?"

"The resentment and abuse she previously directed at Lady Clarisse are now directed at the maids, and it's truly unbearable. The Viscount and his wife have no idea, and it's gotten to a point where we can't handle it."

"Oh…"

Indeed, it must be hard to deal with. Mary shrugged her shoulders. She could easily imagine what was happening back at the viscount household.

Matilda would abuse Clarisse regardless of whether maids were present, because she regarded them as mere pieces of furniture. Mary herself has also witnessed Matilda being rough and mean to Clarisse hundreds, if not thousands, of times.

In fact, based on Mary's character, there were many times when she couldn't stand it. Still, she knew that if she stood up to Matilda face to face, Matilda would run to tell her employer, the Viscount, and he would remove her from being Clarisse's maid, so she endured it just for Clarisse's sake.

She kept telling herself that if she stayed still long enough, she would be able to secretly comfort the young lady once the evil woman had left the room.

"True, Lady Matilda is more beautiful than most, but Lady Clarisse is as well. That's why Lady Matilda never allowed Lady Clarisse to dress up."

This was an unspoken fact among the maids.

Although Matilda's face is more attractive than Clarisse's, Clarisse is also quite attractive. She would be even more stunning if she dressed up a little, but Matilda prevents her from doing so. It got to the point where she begged her parents not to take Clarisse to as many tea parties and soirées as possible.

"I'm not sure which is it, her obsession? Or hostility towards Lady Clarise is honestly too scary. Our poor Lady Clarisse… she was fortunate to be able to escape from her parents' home. Lady Matilda, on the other hand, became disoriented as soon as she left. She had always said she had no desire to marry, but now was engaged to the Marquis' son."

"Hmm."

The nickname 'The Jewel of Farenheit' had always drawn suitors, and she was certain there must've been a slew of marriage proposals from which they could choose. Meanwhile, the Marquis' son probably only knew Matilda's appearance.

On the outside, she appeared to be an angel, but on the inside, she was a jealous and sly snake.

Either way, after a short time of marriage, they will probably become a masked couple, pretending to be happy on the outside, like most aristocrats, so as long as they keep up appearances, the inside was irrelevant, Mary thought to herself.

"Do you remember that rumor?Everything would make sense if the rumours were true. As soon as Lady Matilda agreed to the marriage proposal, the Viscount didn't think twice and swiftly finished all the tasks needed to make this marriage happen. Isn't it weird, looking at how much he adores Lady Matilda?"

For a long time, a rumour had circulated among the servants, and Mary was certain that Clarisse was unaware of it.

'Yeah, I should probably tell the Margrave about that rumor…'

The maid seemed interested in learning more about Lady Clarisse's fiancé, so Mary simply told her to look forward to seeing the two of them at the Farenheit house tomorrow.

And that was the end of her outing.

"… Is that true?"

Clarisse, who had gone completely pale after hearing Sid's story, dropped down onto the couch.

"Yeah, unfortunately."

She pressed her right hand against her shaking head, which was most likely caused by the shock. It was unbecoming of a lady, but now was not the time to worry about that.

"Are you okay? Clarisse."

Jean, who was sitting on the sofa across from her and watching her, called out to her with concern. She looked vaguely at Jean and felt strangely at ease as she looked into his golden eyes.

'Yes, Jean-sama said that because he wanted to help me.'

"Yes, Jean-sama, I'm sorry if I made you upset."

"No need to apologize. We were inconsiderate. It would be upsetting to be told such a story without any prior warning."

"It's a terrible story, really."

Sid agreed quietly.

"Does sister Matilda… know… about this?"

Clarisse muttered, but both Jean and Sid remained silent and shrugged their shoulders. The silence dominated the room for a while, but eventually, Jean opened his mouth.

"We need to have the right information when deciding how to fight, and we also need to consider all possible options. It is, after all, a mind game. In the end, whoever has enough of the right information will win."

"And there he goes again…" Sid chuckled, but Clarisse nodded with a serious look on her face.

"I think you are right, Jean-sama. …Because if I didn't know anything, I think I'd reach a different conclusion."

His calm golden pupil met her slightly wet violet eyes.

"What I think is most important, Clarisse, is that big decisions like this should never be made in an emotional state. So, when you're as upset as you are right now, it's probably best not to give an answer."

"Jean-sama…"

"So until tomorrow morning. I'll ask you about what you want to do with this matter, whatever conclusion you come to, I'll go with it, Clarisse."

"Oh, I thought you were out, but you're back."

'Is today my unlucky day?'

Mary came home from the café, entered through the servant's entrance, and as she stepped into the hallway, she ran into Sid.

"Where have you been?"

"..Huh…well…to meet someone I used to know when I was here…"

When she said that, Sid's face instantly turned grim for some reason.

"Is it a guy?"

'What?'

Mary was dumbfounded to hear this, but within her mind, she felt that she didn't need to answer and tried to slip past Sid. Just then, she spotted the Margrave's large frame approaching from the other side of the hallway and took advantage of the opportunity to rush over to him.

"I'd like to have a word with you, Margrave if you have a moment…"

"Hmm."

During their stay in the royal capital, Clarisse had visibly changed, and so had Jean. As the relationship between the two grew closer, Jean's facial expressions softened and became easier to read, and although this might be just in Mary's mind, but he seemed a little more approachable than before.

"All right, let's take a moment now and listen to what you have to say… Sid, you too."

Jean went into the nearest guest room, leaned against the wall, and invited Mary to sit in a chair, which the maid firmly refused, naturally.

On the other hand, Sid, who was always cheerful and flirty, was now pouting, which made Jean raise his eyebrows in surprise, but he didn't comment on it and urged Mary to talk.

Mary told the Margrave what she had heard today from the fellow maid at the Farenheit household, being sure to speak in as much detail as possible.

Mary met with that maid for Clarisse's sake, and when Sid heard that the person she was meeting with was a fellow maid, a woman, in particular, his expression instantly brightened, while Jean looked at him from the side and folded his arms leisurely.

After Mary finished speaking, Jean took a moment to collect his thoughts and then nodded to her.

"Thank you, Mary; this story proves that we are on the right track. It has helped a lot. You may go to attend Clarisse now. "

Mary's expression relaxed a little, as if relieved, and she bowed before quietly leaving the room. As soon as the door closed, Jean thought to himself.

'The pieces are in place… all that remains now is to wait and see how Clarisse wishes for the matter to be handled.'

Mary knocked on the door of Clarisse's room and entered. Clarisse was sitting on the sofa, lost in thought, but when she noticed Mary, she smiled.

"Did Betty look well?"

"Yes, she looked fine. She was very interested in your fiancé, so I told her to look forward to tomorrow. Besides, we should surprise everyone by showing them how beautiful you are, my lady. You should wear that beautiful dress that the Margrave had bought for you. I will show you all the skills I polished to do your makeup and hair."

Mary continued speaking, trying to sound as normal as possible, and Clarisse giggled.

"I'm looking forward to meeting everyone…"

'Everyone… I assume that doesn't include her family members.'

Mary's heart ached.

"I'm sure they're all excited to see you, and I'm sure the head chef is going to bake so many of your favourite baked goods that you won't be able to finish them all. It would be nice if we could bring some back with us."

Mary continued to talk to Clarisse, hoping to make her master feel a little better.

Even when they were having dinner together later that night, Jean did not say anything to rush her.

He was just there for her.

Which up until now, there had been no one like that for Clarisse.

'I'm not alone, Jean-sama is there for me, and no matter what answer I give him, he will accept it.'

Before she fell asleep at night, her final thought was no longer about her family but instead filled with Jean.

And when she woke up early the following day, Clarisse's mind had calmed down, and she had finally come to a decision.

The next morning in the dining room, Jean felt that Clarisse's face looked completely fine as soon as she entered his sight. Yesterday, she looked somewhat upset, but she seemed to be in perfect control of her emotions this morning.

As usual, he approached her with several steps and dropped a morning greeting kiss on her soft hand. He could see no hesitation in her violet eyes as he continued to stare down at her.

'As expected… you found the answer yourself.'

"Good morning, Clarisse."

"Good morning, Jean-sama."

"So, what do you plan to do?"

"I'm going to —."

When Clarisse came down the entrance to go to the morning tea party that the Farenheit family invited her to, she was glowing so beautifully, far more so than she had ever been.

Her violet eyes complemented the pale, delicate blue day dress she and Lotte had purchased.

The dressmaker's madam boasted that her soft, elegant sleeves were the best on the market today. The round neckline and hem of the skirt were adorned with the layered lace she recommended as the latest fashion trend. At the same time, the simple cut enhanced Clarisse's slender body.

Gorgeous rhinestones were scattered around the dress without being too extravagant, making it look more luxurious than an evening dress.

Mary's makeup and hair arrangements were so sophisticated to match the dress. To be frank, Jean wished he could go out with Clarisse alone instead of going to the unpleasant Farenheit mansion; she was that lovely.

As they boarded the carriage, Jean sat down next to Clarisse, now ready to go; the ride to the Farenheit mansion began; Jean took her left hand in his and gently kissed her ring finger.

"Here, let me put this on you."

He pulled out a ring box from the inside of his suit's pocket, a ring with a beautiful, large violet stone that no one would believe was artificial.

No matter how you look at it, it looked like a perfect engagement ring. When Jean slipped the ring on her finger, the stone sparkled brightly, making Clarisse's eyes smile even though she knew it was artificial. She couldn't help but sigh in admiration as she held out her left hand and gazed at the ring with great care.

"It's very beautiful against the light."

"Yeah. And this one too."

He took out a teardrop-shaped gold chain necklace with a similar-sized violet stone. This, too, glowed beautifully when it caught the rays of sunlight.

"..Is this artificial too…?"

When Jean placed this necklace around Clarisse's neck, the violet stone sparkled brilliantly on her chest.

"Perfect."

He nodded in satisfaction.

Clarisse listened silently to the sound of the carriage ruts. Her spirits became heavier as they got closer to her parents' house.

'I mustn't be so frail; I've made up my mind.'

"Clarisse, for the record."

"Yes."

"I'm going to respect your wishes and stay out of your way as much as I can. But I might start saying unnecessary things if I just can't stand it. If I do, feel free to hit me, and I'll probably come to my senses."

"I would never do such a thing hitting-…"

Jean burst into laughter, a soft smile on his masculine face. Ever since they arrived in the royal capital and spent more time together, he had been smiling like this more often when they were alone. And every time he did, Clarisse couldn't help but be charmed by the smile he only gave her.

"It's okay. I'm giving you that right especially."

Clarisse knew he was joking with her, hoping to make her feel a little better.

"Jean-sama, may I hold your hand …. just until we get home?"

As soon as she said that, his big hand smoothly snatched Clarisse's slightly cold hand. All Clarisse could do now was close her eyes, take a deep breath, and wait for the time to pass.

Meanwhile, Mary, who had stayed behind at the Ainsworth mansion, was so worried that she couldn't help but step out into the hallway to find some work that she could help with, even though she was allowed to stay in her room since Clarisse was out and didn't have any work to do.

Her strategy was to keep herself busy to avoid thinking about anything else. As she made her way toward the kitchen to help with washing dishes or something, she was approached from behind.

"Didn't you go with Clarisse today?"

She really didn't have the energy to talk to the degraded version of Marius right now, so she bowed and turned to leave for the kitchen.

"You're worried, aren't you? I can take you to the Farenheit residence if you want to."

Chapter 18, Part 2

It was a little embarrassing to invite Jean, the owner of such a beautiful estate, into the small and humble Farenheit mansion, but she knew that he would not judge her on such matters.

The viscount's mouth dropped open as he greeted his daughter and her husband at the house entrance. He hadn't seen his daughter in several months.

The Viscountess stood next to him, her eyes already watering at the sight of Clarisse in a beautiful dress.

They both looked cautiously at Jean, the Margrave, with his large physique, who was at least 30 centimeters taller than Clarisse, and stood protectively next to her. They had exchanged letters, but they had never met him in person, so it was only natural that they were surprised to see how handsome and robust Jean looked.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Viscount and Viscountess Farenheit, and thank you for inviting us. We also extend our hearty congratulations to Miss Farenheit on her engagement."

"Oh, thank you…"

Her parents were completely bewildered when the nearly expressionless Jean greeted them clearly and without hesitation. They must have never imagined that the man-eating Margrave who married their second daughter was such a splendid person.

"Let's go to the tea room… Matilda should be coming down shortly."

Since Matilda was a late riser and took a lot of time to get ready, she never made it to the tea party on time. Clarisse held onto Jean's arm, thinking that Matilda was still the same as ever, and followed her parents to the tea room.

"Well…Clarisse… I'm glad to see you happy."

As they sat down on the chairs in the tea room, her father, who sat across from her, spoke to Clarisse in a confused manner. Clarisse tightened her grip and replied to her father, who seemed to think it was surprising that she looked happy.

"Yeah, the Margrave is treating me very well."

"Indeed, I can see it in your face."

Her mother added. To Clarisse, it was a surprise to find that her mother, who rarely spoke to her in the presence of her father, was actively speaking to her. Her father almost snickered, and then, perhaps remembering that he was in front of Jean, made a slight gesture in an attempt to cover it up.

Then the head maid brought in the tea, and the four of them had a boring conversation. To begin with, they were invited to the Farenheit house for Matilda's engagement, but since she was not there, her parents could not discuss it.

Clarisse, who had gradually calmed down with the presence of Jean sitting next to her, noticed a sight of her parents that she had not seen before.

'Father doesn't like me much after all… but mother seems to care about me…? But I wonder if my father has always been this hesitant when talking?'

Whenever Matilda was around, her parents' attention – especially her father's – would turn to her, and Clarisse would always feel lonely and despised, struggling to appease the pain in her own heart, never able to look at her parents objectively from a distance.

'The fact that Mother is so reserved… Perhaps what Sid said yesterday is true…'

Finally, thirty minutes later, Matilda opened the door to the tea room.

Clarisse's heart pounded, and she looked towards the door to see the "Jewel of Fahrenheit," the one her parents had loved so much, standing there with her golden hair neatly curled, her blue eyes shining as beautifully as sapphires, her sharp nose, and her plump red lips.

Today she was again wearing a new dress, a pale pink one that Clarisse had never seen before. She must have gotten it after Clarisse left.

"Oh, Matilda, We've been waiting for you… come here quickly."

Matilda stood there as if she hadn't heard the words of her father, who was so happy to finally see his lovely daughter.

Matilda glanced first at Clarisse, then at Jean, who was sitting next to her, and then slowly back at Clarisse. She looked at the dress she was wearing, the necklace Jean had just placed on her, and, of course, the ring with the violet gem on her left ring finger.

As she observed them all up, the smile on her face utterly disappeared, and she looked like a noh mask (tl not: look it up if you don't know how it looks lol). However, she quickly pushed that expression away and put on a bewitching expression that can only be described as befitting the Jewel of Farenheit.

She came over to stand in front of Jean and Clarisse and, ignoring Clarisse, held out her left hand to Jean.

"I'm Matilda Farenheit, Clarisse's sister. Please, call me Matilda."

Clarisse was overwhelmed by the beauty of her sister, who looked even more beautiful up close. She glanced at Jean to see what he thought, but his expression remained indifferent as usual. He completely ignored Matilda's offered left hand and simply returned the verbal greeting.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Farenheit; I'm Siegfried Gutenberg."

'Wah…what a greeting.'

It's just about as rude as you can get. Matilda narrowed her eyes and put her left hand back as if nothing had happened, but Clarisse noticed that her face was flushed with red for a moment. That Matilda, who was always being pampered, must have never been greeted in such a careless manner before.

Her parents were seated on the double sofa, Clarisse and Jean on the opposite side, and Matilda on the single sofa around the table. However, Matilda didn't choose the sofa near hers or their mother, but the one near their father and Jean.

'What are you planning to do, sister Matilda…?'

As Clarisse took a deep breath, Jean's right hand moved gently to touch the back of her left hand. When she looked at him, Jean nodded slightly while still looking forward, so she pretended not to notice and decided to keep her hand in contact with his. The warmth of Jean's body was reassuring.

"Clarisse, your dress is adorable."

Matilda's voice echoed through the tea room.

"Your dress is beautiful too, sister Matilda."

"Really? Thank you. Gregory likes this color. He says that pink gives you a youthful and fresh appearance, unlike cold colors, which make you look older."

Gregory was probably the name of her fiancé. Clarisse sighed to herself. To be mentioning her fiancé's name despite knowing that they have yet to hear the details of the engagement because she was late – was typical behavior of Matilda. And even using her fiancé's name to attack Clarisse's blue dress.

"Yes, that color suits you very well, sister."

Clarisse is used to being treated this way on a regular basis and wasn't hurt by this kind of attack, so she didn't bother with it and quickly ended the conversation.

"Which boutique did you get it from?"

Matilda glanced at Jean's face as if to say, "You can't help wanting to look at my beautiful face, can you?" However, Jean's face remains expressionless as ever as he sips the tea in front of him.

'I wonder if she sat on that side of the table because she thought Jean-sama would be interested in her.'

When Clarisse replied with the dressmaker's name, Matilda's face distorted for a moment. She then looked at Clarisse with an intense gaze.

"You're lying, right! You have to have a reservation to get in there, you know. I've always wanted to buy a dress from that dress store, but let alone buying; I've never been able to get in…!"

Clarisse was just answering the question asked, but she didn't realize that she would be criticized as the meaning behind Matilda's word was, 'How could someone like you get in there while I can't! It's unfair.' Regardless, Clarisse decided to end this fruitless conversation.

"I guess I was extremely lucky then."

"And that… ring… and necklace.."

Matilda was about to say more, but the Viscount interrupted her.

"Matilda, enough about Clarisse. We are gathered here today to discuss your engagement."

Matilda, as expected, held her tongue when her father, who had always shown his affection only for her older sister, said this. The Viscount began discussing the engagement details with Jean and Clarisse.

Gregory McCain, the Marquis's eldest son, is the other party. Not having much experience in the social world, Clarisse couldn't even recall his face, but Jean seemed to know him. However, even Clarisse, who was not familiar with the aristocrats, had heard of the Marquis of McCain, one of the most influential and wealthy families in the capital.

He was ten years older than Matilda, which meant he was 31 years old, making him older than Jean. Her father kept saying that Gregory was a fine-looking young man, paying attention to Jean, so she guessed that he was probably a "weak, dainty, aristocratic young man."

"The wedding itself will probably take place next year or the year after, so come back then."

That's all that's been decided at this point, the Viscount said, ending the conversation.

'For something like this… they invited the busy Jean-sama from the frontier…?'

She felt sorry for causing Jean to have to adjust his busy work schedule.

And to Marius, who took care of the work while they were gone, and to the knights guarding the still tense borders.

She felt incredibly ashamed of her self-centered and ignorant father. He had the audacity to call his younger daughter's fiancé from a place where it would take several days to get there just to inform him of his lovely daughter's engagement.

"How about having lunch with us today? What do you say?"

Her father asked, but Clarisse, not wanting to stay in the Farenheit residence any longer, shook her head and declined.

"Father, there are a few things I would like to take from my room before I leave… would you mind if I went to my room?"

"Yes, that's fine. But I want you to go alone."

When her father, feigning concern, implicitly told her not to take Jean with her, her fiancé, sitting next to her, nodded to Clarisse that he would wait here with her parents.

When she entered her room, which she hadn't been to in a long time, she found that it had been cleaned, but it looked somewhat cluttered and disorganized.

When she looked around, she saw that although she didn't have much of anything luxurious, some of the better quality dresses and accessories she had left behind were gone. It must be Matilda's doing; Matilda has always had no hesitation in taking things she likes from Clarisse's room without asking.

However, what Clarisse wanted to take back to the Margrave estate were the rest of the botanical books, herbal books, medical books, and some of her favorite novels, which Matilda was not interested in, so they were completely untouched.

As she stood in front of the bookshelf looking for the book she wanted, she heard the door open behind her.

"Clarisse."

When Clarisse turned around, she saw Matilda standing there, looking like a demon.

In the tea room.

Jean asked the Viscount quietly.

"By the way, Viscount Farenheit… why did you send me such a letter?"

"You… Don't look so high and mighty just because the Margrave is a bit of a decent, nice guy."

If this had been Clarisse before, she might have remained silent, but she took a breath and replied quietly to her sister.

"I'm not having that look on my face, sister."

"Yes, you do! You've come to show off to me by wearing such a dress and accessories, haven't you? How can you do that when I told you not to wear make-up in the first place?"

'This person …..'

After Clarisse met Jean, and as he took good care of her and cherished her, she was finally able to accept who she was, albeit little by little.

Not only Jean, but also Sid, Marius, and of course Mary and the other servants, who had always been there for her, in short, thanks to the people who cared for her, she learned that there are people who will love you for just being the way she is.

The image of Clarisse imposed on her by her family, who did not love her, was a useless young lady who is not as beautiful as Matilda. But Clarisse now knows that she was wrong to have spent so long being convinced that she was worthless, listening to them and doing as they told her.

"I only did it for me, never to show off to you… Besides, I'm already engaged and have left home, so I don't think I need to follow your orders."

"What the…! You're just my substitute!"

Angrily, Matilda came up to Clarisse and grabbed her left wrist.

"This ring too… it should have been mine!"

"No, Jean-sama gave this to me, not to you, sister…"

"Shut up! Enough for a useless bitch like you!"

Matilda then grabbed Clarisse's left wrist with tremendous force, pulled the ring off, and threw her forcefully against the bookshelf.

Clarisse was slammed into the bookshelf with a loud crash and then lost her balance and fell on her back. The bookshelf was so solid that it did not fall over, but several heavy books fell from the top and hit Clarisse. She quickly used her arms to cover her head and closed her eyes.

"For someone who does nothing but read stupid books! I'm going to go to father and ask him to replace the marriage between us."

When Clarisse opened her eyes, Matilda was no longer there.

She sighed and was about to stand up when she noticed that something slimy was running down her forehead. Her forehead felt warm and feverish.

'I must have injured myself.'

"Miss! There was a tremendous noise, what the hell…!"

"Mary… you're here… and so is Sid-sama…"

When Mary and Sid swooped in at the right time and saw Clarisse's face, Mary let out a roar of anger.

"…I can't forgive her…! Doing this to My Lady!"

Clarisse's forehead was torn by the book, and fresh blood poured out. Mary knew in her gut that Matilda was the only one who could do such a thing.

"Mary, calm down. We need to stop Clarisse's bleeding first. Do you have any clean clothes?"

Sid calmly instructed, bringing Mary back to her senses, and she rushed to grab a clean cloth from the shelf and handed it to Sid.

He gently placed it on Clarisse's forehead with a familiar hand to prevent the wound from bleeding and told her to hold it down. He also told her not to move for a while because she might have bumped her head.

Clarisse was in such a state of tension that she hardly felt the pain of the wound and spoke to Mary feverishly.

"Mary…I talked back to my sister. I talked back…I fought back, myself."

At these words, tears welled up in Mary's eyes as she knew how much Clarisse had lived her life by keeping her feelings buried deep inside.

"Miss… you've really… worked hard… and I'm proud of you…"

Clarisse smiled.

"Thank you, Mary. I'll leave the rest… to Jean."

"What do you mean, 'letter'?"

Although he had expected it, Clarisse's father, unlike Clarisse, seems to be just a snob.

"Did you forget? The letter from our engagement."

The Viscount stammered.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I believe it clearly states that I am sending you Clarisse."

"I don't have a problem with that part; it's the next part I'm asking about."

"I don't understand what you're talking about."

He seemed to be trying to keep a clean slate. Just as Jean was about to open his mouth for his next verbal attack, a heavy cracking sound echoed from somewhere inside the mansion.

'Clarisse…?'

He was concerned about the fact that Matilda had disappeared as if following Clarisse, who had just left her seat. However, the Viscount had already said that he should stay here, and he was hesitant to walk around without permission when it was not his house, so Jean patiently held back.

After a while, the sound of running footsteps echoed, and Matilda came running into the room. She sat down beside the Viscount's knees and looked up at her father.

"Father! Please, replace Clarisse's engagement with mine! Clarisse agreed, and gave me this ring."

A violet ring shone on the ring finger of her left hand.

Chapter 20

'This woman is so stupid, it's beyond redemption…'

How can a marriage contract between two families be swapped at the sole discretion of the parties involved?

Furthermore, Jean's and Clarisse's engagement and marriage were arranged under the king's authority. He was sure the Viscount had already told her that the king had already given his blessing to their marriage.

Did she think she could be forgiven after disobeying the king's order?

From what Clarisse had told him, he had already known that Matilda seemed to have no trouble saying and doing things like this without thinking twice, but he had never imagined that she would actually do something like this in front of guests…

Did she seriously think that Jean would be grateful and happy if she appeared wearing her sister's engagement ring? She is entirely out of her mind. She was a woman who lacked common sense, intelligence and interpreted everything in a way that only suits her.

Jean wanted to show the Viscount's family, who had not cared for Clarisse since she was a child, that he needed her, so he wanted her to wear the engagement ring when they came to visit.

However, according to what Mary had told him privately, Matilda was extremely displeased with Clarisse dressing up and being beautiful, so if Clarisse were to wear an engagement ring, he thought she would definitely take action and try to get it somehow.

So after much thought, he decided to use an artificial stone for the ring. If it was a real jewel and Matilda had taken it, Jean would have not minded retrieving it by force, but he thought that Clarisse wouldn't like that, so at least there was this alternative plan.

When he mentioned his plan softly to Clarisse, she agreed that Matilda would want the ring and accepted to wear the artificial ring. For the record, the gemstone in the necklace he gave Clarisse this morning was a real violet sapphire; unlike the ring, if she wanted to take the necklace, she would need to use significant force to pull it off, so he thought it would be okay.

However, even though he had expected it, seeing the woman actually wearing the ring he had put on Clarisse this morning as if it were a matter of course, made Jean furious. This must be the same way she took everything from Clarisse.

If it weren't for the fact that she was still Clarisse's sister, he would have taken the ring right away, without any hesitation. This woman does not deserve even an artificial jewel.

"Wh- What are you saying! You're going to marry Lord Gregory! Didn't you agree to get engaged to him in the first place because it was a better arrangement than the Margrave?!"

'And there he slips with his tongue…Let it be the daughter or father. Both parent and child are stupid.'

Jean looked at Viscount Farenheit and his daughter with a cold gaze; however, even the Viscount seemed to be stunned by his eldest daughter's behavior; meanwhile, the Viscountess remained motionless and silent.

"Lord Gregory is not as tall as Lord Siegfried, nor does he have silver hair or golden eyes. In that household, I don't think I could spend money so freely."

Matilda muttered as she admired the violet ring.

She didn't like the fact that it was the same color as Clarisse's eyes, but she'll soon make him buy her a blue ring, the same color as her own, then this ring will be useless, and she can simply throw it away.

Matilda had the illusion that she was the one to make the choice. If she wished for it, there was no doubt in her mind that the Margrave would choose her instead of Clarisse.

But her father, who was listening to everything she had to say, shook his head.

"Matilda, this is impossible. I've already made preparations for the engagement, and we can't just ignore our promise to the other party. Let alone the fact that they come from a Marquis family."

She made a face as if to say, 'What are you talking about?' and proceeded to give her father a solution.

"So why don't you offer him Clarisse? He may not be satisfied with Clarisse as my replacement, but if he doesn't like it, you can break off the engagement to Lord Gregory."

As she said that, she turned around and looked at Jean with a flirtatious look in her eyes.

"Lord Siegfried, you'll take me back instead of Clarisse, won't you? Didn't you want the Farenheit Jewel, Lord Siegfried? Did you not know? Perhaps Clarisse lied to you about it, but I am the one who is called the Jewel of Farenheit."

Jean looked at the girl in front of her with a blank expression.

Clarisse asked Jean in the morning, "I don't care what you say to my family, Jean-sama, but please don't hurt them if you can." Surprised, he asked her if she was sure she wanted that.

"I'm not trying to act like a maiden, but I'm happy being with you, and I don't want my family to be hurt or unhappy because of me." It was a typical answer from Clarisse, who had been mistreated by her family for a long time.

It's hard to believe that Clarisse, who is thoughtful, kind, and strong-minded, was the sister of Matilda, who was self-centered, short-tempered, and just plain greedy. And, quite unbelievably, it was this wasteland called Farenheit that gave birth to the magnificent flower that is Clarisse.

But Jean is Jean.

He had no intention of being as gentle with this family as he is with Clarisse. If Clarisse were here right now, she would need to hit Jean to bring him back to his senses, but even that wouldn't stop him, especially if they mistreated his precious Clarisse like this.

The scene he had seen a year ago flashed through his mind.

When Jean's brow wrinkled in annoyance, the temperature around him dropped quickly.

"My fiancée is Clarisse."

Suddenly, a blank expression appeared on Matilda's face.

"No matter how much money is offered, if it is anyone other than Clarisse, I will decline. However, if you are in such dire straits that you have been promised financial support from the Marquis of McCain in return for his engagement to Miss Farenheit, I'll let you know that you won't receive a fraction of that from me."

Jean stared at the Viscount with his piercing golden eyes; the Viscount sat behind Matilda, his mouth agape. On the other hand, Matilda was so angry at the rejection that she didn't seem to exactly understand what Jean was saying, but she shouted in disbelief.

"Wh-..! You're nothing but a little good-looking, man-eating Margrave…! I'm the Jewel of Farenheit, the most famous lady in the royal capital! Everyone knows me…"

"Isn't it improper for you to call yourself the 'Jewel of Farenheit' when your father is not even the Viscount of Farenheit?"

Jean threw the bomb quietly, and the room became tense as though it were hanging by a thread.

Matilda's face instantly turned pale, and she looked back at the Viscount, who had also turned pale. Whether Matilda knew the secret of her birth or not, it did not matter.

"I'm not sure if Miss Farenheit is qualified to call herself the daughter of this family. But I definitely won't be returning Clarisse. Well, I think it's time for me to take the Gutenberg Jewel back home with me. You have no objection, right?"

The Viscount, who had suddenly aged ten years, nodded as he weakly slumped down.

It was time to get out of this unpleasant house. Jean stood up from the sofa and held out his hand in front of Matilda, who was sitting on the floor in a daze.

"Miss Farenheit, you have no right to even touch that ring. I will have it returned to my fiancée."