A Mad Lady’s Confession - Chapter 39

Eleanor looked at the woman across from her, slowly waving a feathered fan.

With curly jet-black hair and a beauty mark set beneath her eye, the woman looked to be around Eleanor’s age.

The first summer event where one had an audience with the Emperor was reserved only for titled nobles. For that reason, it was customary for young lords and ladies without official titles to be invited to the second event.

The young lady, who seemed somewhat too young to be called “madam” no matter how one looked at her—though Eleanor herself was the same—carried an unusually intense anger in her eyes.

Is she someone I know?

Eleanor tried to recall, but considering her narrow circle of acquaintances that didn’t even fill a single round, there was no need to think further.

There were many who disliked her, so perhaps she was one of them. But why on earth was she so angry at her?

At that puzzling moment, Alicia, seated beside her, seemed to realize something too late and drew in a troubled breath.

The black-haired woman, who had been staring at Eleanor the entire time, continued speaking without hiding her sneer.

“I heard you were in a mental institution. If you went so mad you attacked someone, then treatment must be useless, right? Who would dare invite you, not knowing what you might do again? Even I’d be too afraid.”

“Young Lady Düsseldorf, it would be best if you stopped.”

As Alicia cut in and spoke quietly to stop her, the woman’s pale face, contrasting with her dark hair, flushed red with indignation.

“Why should I stop? Your Highness, do you really think I have no right to speak, to her?”

“I’m saying the setting is inappropriate, not the person.”

“Then I can’t understand why she was invited to a place like this.”

Alicia lightly pressed her head as if dealing with a headache.

“…It seems the table arrangement wasn’t properly conveyed—”

“You didn’t give me this seat so I could freely vent my anger, did you?”

“Olivia!”

“Considering what that woman did!”

Unable to contain her anger, Olivia Düsseldorf shouted and rose from her seat. At her rough movement, the chair behind her fell back with a loud crash.

At the loud noise, all the women attending the tea gathering turned their gaze to one place. More precisely, to Eleanor Nielsen, whom Olivia Düsseldorf’s trembling finger was pointing at.

“My sister can’t even attend this gathering because of that woman….”

“….”

“So how can you shamelessly show your face in a place like this?”

Eleanor couldn’t release the breath she had drawn in. Her breathing turned uneven, as if someone were gripping her throat.

The moment she heard the name Olivia, someone came to mind. Someone she had never once forgotten.

Someone she must never forget. Someone she had long thought she should go and find.

Seeing Eleanor turn pale, Olivia laughed as if on the verge of tears.

“So you do remember? I heard you said you didn’t know anything about that day, that you couldn’t remember. So that was a lie?”

Is this what it feels like for all the blood to drain from one’s body?

Just moments ago, when she had walked down that long corridor with someone, warm blood had flowed all the way to her fingertips. But now, it felt as though it had all drained down to her feet, as if she were standing in a pool of blood. Her breathing grew ragged, and her body trembled.

Ah, so that’s what it was. Only then did she understand the anger of the young lady she had just met today. In that moment, Eleanor became a true sinner.

“Say it! Why did you do that to my sister?!”

It was clearly an event hosted by the imperial family, and the Princess Alicia and the ladies of great noble houses were present, yet no one could drive Olivia Düsseldorf out or actively stop her.

As the younger sister of the young lady who had once been on the verge of becoming the Crown Princess, she had more to say to the imperial family than anyone about that unfortunate incident, so they couldn’t act rashly, and others simply found the scene interesting.

“You remember everything, don’t you? Then say it now. Why did you try to kill my sister? Is it really like the rumors say?”

Rumors.

The countless scandals surrounding Eleanor Brynhill. Even she didn’t know all of them, rumors whose truth couldn’t be confirmed, and that no one tried to verify.

They said she had an affair with the Crown Prince. No, they said she loved the Crown Prince alone and had been constantly aiming for Giela Düsseldorf….

Some said Eleanor Brynhill was a young lady who liked attention, and since she had no standing in high society, she did it to stand out. Others believed all of it was instigated by the Crown Prince to break off his engagement with Giela.

Some said Eleanor was possessed by a spirit that night, a claim strengthened by the fact that she couldn’t properly testify about the circumstances of the incident, and there were even rumors that Eleanor was actually a man, judging by the severity of what she had done.

It wasn’t her role to make excuses for each of those things. They were the ones who had created those words.

But one thing was certain. This crime belonged entirely to Eleanor Brynhill.

You promised, El. You promised.

“My sister… is stuck in the countryside… unable to do anything…. Because of what you did…. Why does my innocent sister have to endure this humiliation? Why can’t she even set foot in the capital’s social circles?”

At Olivia’s cry, many of the noblewomen present covered their awkward expressions.

As Olivia said, Giela Düsseldorf was clearly a victim. There was no reason for her to be ostracized. However, being entangled in an unpleasant scandal and losing her expected position by breaking off her engagement with the Crown Prince caused her to be treated like a blemished pearl. And it was the very noblewomen gathered here who had treated her that way.

“Say something!”

“….”

Eleanor clenched her trembling hands. Now, El. This is the moment to make your first apology. Everyone was watching only how Eleanor would act.

“…I, I’m sorry. Young Lady Düsseldorf.”

“….”

“I’m truly sorry.”

It was just as her waist slowly began to bend forward.

“A tea party outdoors on such a hot day, how excessive.”

In that instant, the tension that had hung beneath the canopy shattered like a thin layer of sugar.

As if a cool breeze had swept through the stifling atmosphere, the ominous mood disappeared in an instant. With a gentle swish, a delicate beauty appeared, waving a silk fan embroidered with gold thread, smiling naturally.

“Since it’s so hot, incidents like this are bound to happen. Don’t you think so, Princess Alicia?”

As she spoke leisurely, Alicia frowned slightly in discomfort.

Regardless, the woman approached Olivia Düsseldorf, whose face was flushed red, lightly wrapping an arm around her shoulders and speaking gently.

“If you have a glass of cold wine somewhere cool, you’ll feel much better.”

“But I—”

“Even if you talk about it now, you’ll only end up in a difficult position, young lady. You know that, don’t you? I’m saying this because I’m concerned for you.”

At the gentle and considerate words, Olivia Düsseldorf’s agitation quickly subsided.

As the woman said, this was a place arranged by the imperial family. If the Empress’s seat had not been vacant, Olivia would have already been driven out. If she caused any more of a disturbance, the one who would be put in a difficult position was herself, and there was no way the problem would be resolved.

“…Sniff.”

Tears welled in Olivia’s youthful face. The woman soothed her in a low voice, then gave a signal to a maid. Soon, Düsseldorf followed the guiding hand, her shoulders trembling as she slipped out between the tea tables.

Before calm could fully settle over the table that had been swept by the commotion, a woman with platinum-blonde hair elegantly styled upward gave a picture-perfect smile.

“In Römern, there is a saying. That matters that occur on pitch-dark nights, and matters that occur on days of strong sunlight, should all be passed off as mere incidents.”

At the subtly metaphorical remark, the noblewomen who understood its meaning let out small laughs.

Someone rose from their seat and spoke in a composed voice.

“I greet Her Imperial Highness the Princess.”

Following her, the noblewomen who rose from their seats all bent their knees at once, offering their greetings to the imperial family.

Eleanor, who had been momentarily lost in thought, also rose from her seat and belatedly gave her greeting. At that moment, a voice sounded above her head.

“So you must be the Duchess of Nielsen.”

Eleanor slowly raised her head. When their eyes met, Daphne Fram smiled brightly.