A few days had passed since the shocking Viscountâs daughter Câs article.
On that day, Constance Grail was supposed to go to Eldabaid Palace after receiving an invitation from Princess Cecilia.
âââshe changed into a refreshing lime green dress and was just about to climb up the stairs leading to her room.
There, Connie found the head maid acting very suspiciously.
Martha was right in front of Connieâs room, ready to knock on the door. Her gaze fell on the white envelope in her hand. After a while, she clenched her fist as if she had made up her mindââââHowever, she was still hesitant as she slowly swung down. She then stared at the envelope again.
[âŚ..what are you doing?]
It seemed like if left alone, she would repeat the same movements forever, so Connie timidly called out to her. Martha jerked her shoulders up and looked back at Connie with her frustrated expression.
[Young miss! N, no, this isâŚ!]
[Protest letter?]
Connie took a look at the envelope Martha was holding, and it was written in red ink like a warning. The sender wasâââ
[âŚumm, citizen group the gathering ofâŚvioletâŚ?]
As Connie read it out, her eyebrows gradually raised. She didnât remember ever hearing about this group. Martha sighed, realizing that Connie was clueless. She then told her young miss in murmured words. The Gathering of Violet was a non-profit organization whose activities are led by commoners.
[Theyâve been around for as long as I remember. They claimed to be a group that advocates humanitarianâŚ]
But, Martha didnât really know what the group was all about, and it was kind of mysterious in the first place. So she was hesitating whether it was okay to give the letter to Connie.
Connie tilted her head.
[But, why would they send a letter of protest to our house? Did Father do something again?]
[No, this was not addressed to the Master. This time, well, itâs for young miss Constanceâââ]
[Me!?]
A pitiful scream popped out involuntarily at the unexpected answer. No, to be honest, Connie didnât know what she did to upset them. There is no way that theyâll believe that the Viscountâs daughter C is rumoured to be Constance Greilââââ
[âŚActually, it was the Gathering of Violet that helped abolish public executions ten years ago after denouncing them as barbaric and inhumane acts. Young Miss read the article in the gossip section the other day, yes? There was a brief mention of Scarlet Castiel in that article, so maybe it has something to do about itâââ]
[You read thatâââ!]
Connie shouted. The content of the gossip article fabricated by the red-haired reporter suddenly re-emerged in her mind.
Especially the part about orgies, and even more orgies.
[Li, listen up, MarthaâŚ! Everything in that article was a lieâŚ!]
Connie desperately tried to explain herself, only to earn Marthaâs widened eyes. The old servantâs appearance slowly reverted back to the female demon that Connie was familiar with during her childhood.
[Is it not obvious alreadyâŚ! I thought you werenât feeling well for the past few days, so were you worried about thatâŚ!]
Connie blinked her eyes involuntarily. Marta puffed up her stout body in anger and said, [This Martha has sent a firm letter to that third-rate publisher!] while slapping her chest in a reassuring way.
[Um, wellâŚ]
[But more importantly, the Gathering of Violet is rumoured to be an organization that employed radical means to achieve its goal.]
Connie nodded solemnly after being told with a serious face like that.
[I get it. Iâll be careful]
=====
The bright sunlight of early summer poured down on the road, casting shadows on the ground as if weaving through the gaps in the leaves of the trees lining the streets. Constance regretted that she didnât bring a parasol because of the scorching sensation at the nape of her neck.
[Greetings, my name is Kimberly Smith.]
Standing in front of Connie was a middle-aged woman who was slightly overweight. A pink dress with plenty of decorative folds that a debutante daughter likes to wear, and a pink parasol with a lot of frills. Her face was smeared with thick white powder.
She said in a high-pitched voice.
[I am the head of the womenâs division of the civic organization Gathering of VioletâââI presume you are Miss Constance Grail?]
Connie quietly nodded.
âââhow did this happen?
=====
It was about half an hour before the pick-up that Princess Cecilia had prepared would come from the Royal Castle.
After finishing her preparations, however, Constance struggled with the high-heeled shoes she had pulled out from the back of her closet. This was because Scarlet insisted that these cool shoes with open insteps would be the perfect match for her lime green dress. This shoe was also meant to reduce her tomboyish look. It canât be helped that Connie thought that she should at least get used to the shoes until she was picked up. Of course, he had no intention of leaving the mansion for a walk. At most, it was a round trip from the garden to the main gateââââthat was about it.
However, when Connie walked like a newborn fawn to the front gate, she was unlucky enough to meet the eyes of a woman who was watching the state of the mansion.
[Did you read the letter from me? Youâre the young lady who admires Scarlet Castiel, right?]
Since the conversation was initiated rather loudly right in front of her family mansion gate, Connie had no choice but to respond to Kimberly Smithâs question.
[You got the wrong person.]
She denied it for the time being, but of course, her lies fell on deaf ears.
[You see, Scarlet has led a lot of inhumane deeds. It was only after she was purged that things were going in the right direction. But because of your childish actions, many peopleâs hard work is being reduced to dust. Do you understand what Iâm saying?]
âââun, not at all.
Connie tried to distract her mind by thinking about something else.
For some reason, she felt like sheâs been through something similar recently.
First, it was Amelia Hobbs, and now itâs Kimberly Smith. Everyone Connie was involved with lately seemed to have the tendency to not listen to what other people said. Could it be that the seasonal change caused these people to have hearing loss?
[To the point of using narcoticsâââ]
Her eyes narrowed as if Kimberly was looking at something filthy. [such as Jackal Paradise?]
âââJackal Paradise?
[Still playing dumb?]
As expected, Connie raised her eyebrows and answered firmly.
[Iâve never seen, let alone consumed any narcotics. If you donât believe me, then thatâs a shame.]
[A shame? You, in the first place, why do you think the commoners will believe the noblesâ excuses? You are a group of discriminators who donât think of us commoners as human beingsââ]
[âââthen would you call my parents discriminatory as well?]
A voice suddenly interrupted the conversation. It was a familiar voice. When Connie turned around in surprise, she saw fluffy marron-brown hair and eyes of the same colourââââthe one there was, as expected, Kate Lorraine. The girl who is good at cooking and always smiles happily, however, now faced Kimberly Smith with a grim expression.
[I may be part of a Baron house, but my mother is a kitchen maid. Do you still stand with what you said?]
Kimberly frowned at her straight gaze.
[âŚ..youâre Kate Lorraine, arenât you? Of course, Iâve heard the rumours. Your parentsâââyes, theyâre certainly good people.]
[Why? Because my mother was a commoner? Or because my father chose a commoner as his wife? That idea itself is discriminatory.]
The last part was told in such a freezing low voice, that Kimberly Smith turned silent. Kate continued her words without blaming or lamenting, just reading out the facts that were there.
[Because I have always been despised at noble gatherings as a lowly daughter with commoner blood, and when I go to town, I was shunned for carrying myself as a noble. Whether among the nobles or commoners, the fact remains that Iâve been treated as an outsider⌠However, Constance Grail over there never treated me like that. As if it were only natural, she always treats me as just Kate. Do you know how rare something like that is? Can you imagine how much it saved me? Iâm sure you donât understand. Because you have never been discriminated against by commoners, have you? ââYou, who put all sorts of prejudice on Connie just because she is a noble, are a pretentious bigot who only sees what you want to see in others.]
Kimberly recoiled. Kateâs voice wasnât loud, but it was not small either. The sun was still high and the streets were busy. Then, perhaps noticing that the crowdâs curiosity was directed at her rather than at Constance, she made up a fake smile.
[It seems like there has been a misunderstanding here.]
Then, she glares at Connie with a slightly frustrated look.
[I will excuse myself for today then.]
Kate muttered while looking at Kimberlyâs back as the latter left in haste.
[Just who would be stupid enough to believe a worthless article like that.]
Then she slowly moved her gaze to Connie. Her face still doesnât have the usual smile.
[âŚ..is it true that you are engaged to Count Ulster?]
Connie swallowed her breath involuntarily. Seeing that reaction, Kate looked hurt.
[âŚ..so itâs true. And you didnât tell me. I rarely visit these days, and I certainly said I would wait for Connie to speak, and that feeling hasnât changed even nowâââbut it doesnât mean that it didnât hurt.]
Connie couldnât respond to those words. Because what can you say? No matter what she saidâââKate may get involved.
As Connie stood still as her feet had taken root on the ground, Kate smiled with a self-deprecating smile.
[I get it now.]
[Enough.]
Kate curtly interrupted Connie as she turned around.
Then, Kate Lorraine wordlessly left, heading back to where she had just come.