Chapter 107
Jasmine casually pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped the tea splatters from the back of her hand.
In contrast to her soft tone, her gaze was icy cold.
“How about dismissing all the maids? I plan to cause even more of a scene from now on.”
“This is my bedroom.”
“If that’s what you wish.”
Jasmine clenched her fist and then unclenched it, before effortlessly tearing apart the shawl that she had been diligently knitting.
That thuggish display momentarily reminded Rosaria of Jasmine’s old “Fire Fist” days, prompting her to cry out in haste.
“Look here, Lady Peris!”
“You know my temperament well, yet you still can’t grasp the situation?”
Jasmine flashed a menacing smile as she scanned the surroundings.
When she reached for her most cherished porcelain next, the Empress leaped up as if she might faint.
“Fine! I’ll send them all away! Everyone, out—now!”
Rosaria waved them off irritably, and the maids bowed their heads before vanishing.
“Y-Your Majesty…”
Among them, the head maid hesitated, glancing uncertainly between the door and the Empress.
Seeing the head maid stubbornly remaining, Jasmine said gracefully,
“Please bill the Peris estate for the damages from the commotion I’m about to cause today.”
Crash—!
The porcelain shattered irrevocably, draining the color from the head maid’s face.
“Aaah! No!”
Rosaria screamed, staring blankly at the broken pieces.
Jasmine muttered coldly,
“Go attend to your duties. Her Majesty won’t come to any harm. Though the room might end up a bit of a mess.”
At that chilling warning, even the head maid disappeared, leaving silence to settle over the bedroom.
Only then did Rosaria realize she’d provoked the wrong person, extending her hands forward as she said,
“Lady Peris, let’s calm down first.”
“Calm down?”
Jasmine smirked and casually pushed a vase off the table.
Clang—!
With a sharp shattering sound, pretty flowers scattered across the floor.
They were blooms freshly picked that very day. Rosaria could only tremble in fury at how Jasmine was selectively destroying only the things she treasured.
It felt like facing a complete ruffian.
Yet she couldn’t utter a word, because Jasmine Peris’s expression was utterly terrifying.
‘Just you wait. I’ll make sure to report this humiliation to His Majesty.’
As the Empress endured the insult, vowing inwardly…
“After laying hands on my child, you’re telling me to calm down, Your Majesty?”
Rosaria’s face paled at the bizarre speech—neither formal nor disrespectful.
She’d heard Jasmine had become more demure after marriage.
So why did she seem even more frightening now!
Watching the trembling Empress, Jasmine scattered something across the floor.
“Let’s start by discussing this.”
Her voice was calm, but her movements were rough.
Thrown almost like a slap, it forced Rosaria to dodge quickly.
The moment Rosaria frowned and checked what had fallen to the floor…
“This rudeness will certainly… Gasp.”
Her voice, which had been firmly issuing a threat, cut off abruptly.
“H-How did you get this…”
What Jasmine had strewn across the floor were photographs.
Images of Cesare flirting with a courtesan wearing a pink wig, entering and exiting a villa.
The photos, seemingly taken by paparazzi, clearly showed Cesare’s face and even the woman’s.
“Don’t think this is the only evidence. The crystal orb recordings of him instructing the courtesan at the villa to impersonate Rodellia still exist.”
At those thunderous words, Empress Rosaria’s eyes widened in shock.
She’d never dreamed Jasmine would deliberately leave evidence behind.
Jasmine clenched and unclenched her fist, loosening up her body.
“Now, I’ll give you another chance. Did the Prince say that? That our Delly was meeting with him?”
Repeating the same question, Jasmine smiled brightly.
“For your reference, I feel an urge to smash everything when I see a liar.”
At that deadly smile, Rosaria had to brace her legs to keep from collapsing.
* * *
Lavish carriages lined up to enter the Ainluk estate.
With the night opening ahead, the Ainluk estate was bustling even in the evening, visited by many.
Once the sunset burned red, darkness would descend, and that would mark the climax of this banquet.
Peering out the window at the outside, I drew the curtains and turned around.
“Ready?”
At my question, the courtesan nodded.
“Yes. Perfect.”
Alferen’s plan was more clever and dramatic than I’d thought.
Something befitting someone who loved over-the-top operas, perhaps.
The courtesan was dressed in the same gown and accessories as me, with her hairstyle identical too.
In daylight, one glance at her face would reveal she was someone else, but at night, the resemblance was enough to cause confusion.
Jessica, who didn’t know about the courtesan’s existence, would likely be fooled.
And Cesare, believing her dead, would think it was me.
Yes. This was the finale of the play Alferen had crafted.
The tale of the fake lady and the real lady.
‘How were you planning to do this without me?’
‘Once everyone believes it’s you, revealing that woman’s face would end it.’
‘I mean, why keep such a fun thing from me!’
‘Huh?’
‘I want to do this. I absolutely want to.’
Thanks to my stubborn insistence, I was now waiting briefly with the courtesan.
Just then, Alferen entered the room.
“The leads are all assembled.”
At those words, my heart pounded.
The stars of this play were Cesare and Jessica, the courtesan, and me as the hidden joker.
Originally, I hadn’t intended to exact revenge on Jessica in such a sordid way.
‘But she brought it on herself.’
They say excessive greed leads to ruin—that must be about Jessica.
Before stepping onto the stage, I took a deep breath.
‘Me as the lead! This feels even better than I imagined?’
It came with a strange thrill.
* * *
As the sun vanished and darkness arrived, light magic illuminated the garden softly at the Ainluk estate.
Admiration poured out from everywhere at the freshness of the beautiful foliage and the thick floral scents.
“It’s as beautiful as I’ve heard.”
Jessica, too, forgot her role and let out sighs of wonder.
After days of barely eating or drinking, she had just resumed attending to Nanael yesterday.
Contrary to his fearsome reputation, Nanael had understood her unauthorized absence.
‘I heard you’ve been through a lot emotionally. Why not rest a few more days?’
His kindness, which made her previous impression of him as cold seem misplaced, tempted her to rest more, but today was the day she’d been eagerly awaiting.
Beside Nanael was Cesare. It had been a while since she’d seen him, yet he didn’t even glance her way.
Still, he wasn’t avoiding her like before, so she considered it fortunate.
“Oh my, isn’t that Duke Ainluk and Lady Peris over there?”
At someone’s exclamation, Cesare’s head turned.
Seeing Cesare make a peculiar expression while looking at Rodellia stirred jealousy in Jessica.
Rodellia had appeared holding Alferen Ainluk’s hand.
“Oh, that’s from Rosie’s boutique, right? I’ve heard it’s especially hard to get these days.”
“The Duke spares no expense on pink diamonds for her; what’s a mere dress?”
“But lately, the lady has been…”
A few people lowered their voices and glanced toward Cesare.
Grasping what that implied, Jessica clutched her handkerchief tightly.
Cesare acted arrogantly, as if the rumors didn’t bother him, and that attitude only fueled them further.
“Does the Duke not know, since he invited the Prince?”
“Or maybe he knows and is pretending not to. Inviting him so openly makes that seem more credible, doesn’t it?”
With the subjects of the rumors staying silent, people’s gossip grew even more blatant.
Observing all this, Nanael felt disgusted.
It was the familiar mudslinging that women linked to Cesare often endured.
Cesare enjoyed tarnishing his targets like this when he wanted something.
When discarding them, it was routine to make them fall so miserably that no one else would want them.
‘Rodellia Peris is done for with this too.’
