Chapter 22: 22
“So swollen, so terribly swollen!”
The next day, Frederica, having heard from her brother that Dorothy had been struck and was recuperating in the palace infirmary, rushed in and burst into tears as she hugged Dorothy the moment she entered.
“Frederica, Iām sorry for worrying you.”
“When my brother told me, I thought I was going to faint.”
“For my sake too, never get hurt again.”
“Never, ever.”
“Please, Iām begging you.”
Dorothy hadnāt wanted this to happen, but she understood that Frederica was saying this because she knew Dorothy tended to neglect herself.
“Youāre right.”
“It would be awful if Frederica collapsed.”
“Exactly, it would be terrible.”
After wiping her tears, Dorothy noticed faint dark circles under Fredericaās eyes.
She must not have slept at all last night.
“Noah-sama really did so much for me.”
“Itās fine.”
“Use him as much as you like.”
“This time, I heard my brother wasnāt nearby, so it couldnāt be helped, but if he had been close by and Dorothy still got hurt, Iād have made sure to give him a bruise or two myself.”
Frederica thought her brother was a bit dark inside and, as much as she loved him, absolutely impossible as a romantic partner.
Still, as the future marquis, he was surprisingly popular with women.
Because Dorothy usually met him near the library corridor, a place few people passed by, and because they were only chatting briefly with a married woman, it hadnāt become much of a rumor.
But Frederica knew how often he was targeted elsewhere.
After all, at tea parties, the very women aiming for him frequently asked Frederica about his whereabouts.
At first, sheād hesitated about introducing Dorothy to him.
But since Dorothy was now an attendant to the Empress, Frederica figured they would inevitably meet and firmly warned her brother to look after her best friend.
When her brother had come to her room specifically to talk about Dorothy, Frederica had immediately realized he had fallen in love with her.
That was why she told him she would stop him no matter what if he couldnāt make Dorothy happy.
Dorothy had suffered for so long because of her family.
When sheād heard Dorothy was getting married, Frederica had rejoiced, thinking she would finally be free from that household, and had sent her congratulations.
She had never imagined the husband would be such a man.
This time, she truly wanted Dorothy to be happy for Dorothyās own sake.
If Dorothy hesitated to seize happiness for herself, Frederica was prepared to tell her to do it for Fredericaās happiness instead and push her forward.
Having Dorothy as a sister-in-law wouldnāt be bad at all.
“By the way, this might not be the best time to tell you, but I think itās better you hear it from me than suddenly from someone else.”
“There are rumors going around about Count Miller and you.”
“What?”
What had happened at Dorothyās family home, the Courtver Count household, was still being kept secret.
Only the Imperial Guard had been involved in the arrest, and those close to the Emperor knew better than to leak such matters.
However, Dorothy being carried into the infirmary had happened during the day, and many people had seen it.
“When Dorothy was brought in, apparently my brother was carrying you.”
“And because of that, rumors started that youād been unfaithful.”
“It happened in broad daylight, so it spread really fast.”
“…Youāre joking, right?”
It was true she had been brought in during the day when many people were around, but how could such rumors spread in just one day?
“The source was Count Millerās friends.”
“One of them saw you being carried away from a distance and then started saying whatever he liked about you to everyone.”
“And then Count Miller shouted at those friends.”
“Even though heād been badmouthing you all this time, he suddenly said you werenāt that kind of woman.”
“…I donāt want to leave this room anymore…”
Why was everything turning into such chaos?
They hadnāt parted amicably, but they had divorced with mutual understanding.
Then sheād nearly been offered as a sacrifice by her family.
And now, after barely surviving, she was being tossed around by absurd rumors.
Staying quietly here felt like the most peaceful option.
“And then, in front of everyone, Count Miller said you were divorced, that it was entirely his fault.”
“He said you were a sincere and kind woman, and that he was an idiot for believing his friendsā slander.”
“And that if they were trying to slander you again, he wouldnāt forgive it.”
“He shouted all of that in public.”
“…I really canāt walk around the palace anymore…”
Dorothy covered her face with both hands.
She felt so embarrassed she thought she might never be able to go outside again.
“Thatās not all.”
“Thereās more?”
She really wanted this to stop.
“He caused such a scene that His Majesty himself came out.”
“I see… even His Majesty…”
Maybe she should submit her resignation.
A divorce involving an unremarkable countās family was spiraling completely out of control.
“Once His Majesty learned the situation, he declared that you were a trusted attendant of both the Emperor and Empress.”
“He said your divorce with Count Miller was approved by him after hearing both sides and conducting an investigation.”
“And that anyone with complaints should step forward and say it directly to him.”
“Well, obviously no one could do that.”
“Those people just enjoyed messing up your marriage and watching the fallout.”
She was grateful for the trust of the Emperor and Empress, but this really didnāt feel like the right timing.
As Frederica said, Count Millerās friends had simply enjoyed destroying someoneās household.
There had been no political motive.
They probably didnāt even realize they were risking the Emperorās displeasure and their own families abandoning them.
To them, it was just a joke among friends.
They had no awareness of how serious their actions looked from the outside.
All they cared about was the reaction of those who enjoyed it with them.
“Of course, no one complained to His Majesty, so it ended there.”
“But since Count Miller spoke so frankly, the rumors have flipped.”
“Until now, he was seen as a pitiful man saddled with a terrible wife.”
“Now, people are saying heās a horrible man who neglected his wife along with his friends.”
She wanted even less to leave this room.
“Why would Cyrus-sama say something like that in front of so many people?”
“My brother says it was probably atonement.”
“If he declared that he and his friends were completely at fault, it would stop people from saying things about you.”
“And honestly, if he hadnāt, false rumors about you would have spread even more.”
“…I donāt like that either…”
She just wanted to live quietly.
Why did trouble keep chasing her?
“Either way, itās now well known in the palace that the rumors spread by Count Millerās friends are all lies.”
“And since the one rumored to be your affair partner was my brother, our house is officially sending letters of protest to other families.”
Frederica chuckled softly.
No noble house would want to oppose the Feremeren Marquisate.
They would likely cut off their children instead.
As long as those children worked earnestly, they wouldnāt struggle to live, so it was best they kept their heads down.
“For now, focus on healing your injuries.”
“If itās too noisy or uncomfortable here, you can come stay at our house.”
“Thatās too much…”
“Itās fine.”
“Thereās no one in my family who would complain about my precious friend.”
“My parents know about you too, so itās all right.”
“Thank you so much.”
“But itās okay.”
“There are some things I want to think through on my own.”
“Are you sure youāll be okay by yourself?”
“Youāre not scared?”
“You wonāt have nightmares at night?”
“Frederica…”
Dorothy felt nothing but gratitude toward her friend who worried so deeply about her.
“Yes, Iāll be fine.”
“Itās actually the rumors you told me about that worry me more.”
“So much has happened around me lately, right?”
“I want to organize my thoughts a little.”
“I see.”
“If you say youāre okay, thatās good.”
“But Iāll come again tomorrow.”
“Is there anything you want me to bring you?”
“Nothing right now.”
“…Do you have a message for my brother?”
Frederica glanced at Dorothy a little awkwardly.
She didnāt know how much Frederica had heard from Noah, but it felt like she sensed something between them.
“Could you just tell him thank you?”
“And the rest… Iāll tell him myself.”
“Okay.”
Without prying further, her friend smiled softly.