The Flower That Was Swallowed by the Beast - Chapter 30

Two days after Keivrand left the mansion, Jamie came to see Iris.

Iris, who had gone to the unicorn enclosure in the morning and got dirty from the straws and dirt, was heading to her room to change her clothes.

Jamie, waiting in front of her door, grinned at Iris’ appearance.

“Child care isn’t an easy thing, right?”

“I know. Don’t even mention child care, she hasn’t let me touch her yet.”

“It’s dangerous, so don’t push yourself too hard. Oh, and you have guests.”

“Guests? Me?”

“The Duke Whittle family.”

“Oh.”

The news was like a blow to the back of her head.

Not because she hadn’t expected it, but that it was too predictable.

As soon as the invitation came out, she had sent it to Britney first.

It was because rather than not inviting them and having them come do something unexpected at the wedding, she thought it would be better to invite them and kill their spirit on the wedding day as they watch and not be able to do anything.

But on the other hand,

‘Maybe they’ll be here on time for the wedding. They might have already stopped caring about me who had already left home.’

Her expectation was just that.

It was also a vain expectation.

“Where are they?”

“They’re still in front of the main gate. I don’t remember inviting them in.”

Jamie replied calmly.

In any case, the Duke Whittle family had raised Iris.

So she couldn’t believe that he had left them outside.

‘Come to think of it, from the beginning..’

Jamie’s tone of voice announcing their visit had a strange irritation.

Maybe Jamie knows how Iris was treated.

“What do you want me to do, Miss Iris?”

Keivrand wasn’t in the mansion, so Iris had the final say in the matter.

“Tell them to come back tomorrow because I’m very busy today.”

Jamie looked down slightly as if he knew she would say that and left the room.

As she turned around, swallowing a sigh, she could see Christina and Elly standing with a curious look on their faces.

They were shocked by Iris’ cold attitude toward her family who had come to see her.

With a gentle smile, Iris spoke.

“They weren’t good people.”

The curious looks disappeared from Christina and Elly’s faces. Instead, an irresistible determination for what Iris couldn’t even begin to guess, fell into their eyes.

As Iris walked back into the room, a small whisper was heard.

“She’s saying they’re bastards, right?

It sounded like Elly’s voice, but Iris decided to believe she had misheard.

* * *

“What did she say?”

Duke Reuben widened his eyes.

He had endured it. The fact that their carriage couldn’t be let into the mansion and they had to wait outside was already enough to fill him with anger.

But now he was told that Iris was busy and for them to come back tomorrow.

The date on the invitation is of course a long time later, so the owner of the mansion could have told them that.

However, this was Iris. He didn’t think she would have dared to do so.

“That’s what Iris said?”

“Yes, Duke. The Countess said she’s very busy and doesn’t have time to greet guests today.”

Jamie replied with a gentle smile.

“It can’t be. Did you tell her exactly that we were here?”

Duchess Denise Whittle asked with a questioning look.

“I said the Duke, Duchess, and Miss Britney were here.”

“And she said she’s busy?”

“Yes, Duchess.”

“No way! There’s no way she would say that.”

“Is that so? Why wouldn’t she?”

“What…?”

“My Countess Green has become the mistress of Count Green. The mistress has a very busy schedule. Isn’t that obvious?”

Jamie’s words weren’t wrong.

Iris was now the mistress of Count Green, not the daughter of Duke Whittle.

But even so.

“I’m her father. No matter how busy she is, what could stop her from turning us away at the door?”

“It could happen if you visit too early from the set date and don’t contact in advance.”

Jamie said calmly.

Reuben was furious.

How dare a Count’s dog treat him like this.

However, he couldn’t treat Jamie, a holy knight of the Divine Kingdom, recklessly. Reuben also knew of Jamie’s reputation.

“Since Iris is busy, we don’t have to see her face right now. Give us a guest room for now.”

“That would also be hard, Duke. We don’t have a guest room ready.”

“There’s no way! Which mansion doesn’t even have a guest room?”

“As you know, Count Green, the guardian of the sacred relics, is very busy, so we don’t have many opportunities to invite guests. It’s natural that there are no rooms available for sudden guests.”

Reuben knew Jamie was lying, but he couldn’t point it out.

He didn’t want to beg him to give them a room when he had said he didn’t have one.

“Tell Iris one more time. If you tell her we’re here, I’m sure…”

“Stop.”

Reuben cut Denise off. She stared at him as if she was wondering why.

“This isn’t the only place to stay, and Iris is busy today, so we’ll come back tomorrow.”

“But dear. We can’t just sleep anywhere. Plus, Iris, she’s acting rude like this…”

“Dear!”

Reuben didn’t want to talk about Iris in front of Jamie. Denise also shut her mouth, as if she had thought it would be a disaster.

As soon as they got on the carriage, as if she had been attacked, Britney asked.

“Dad, isn’t she crazy? She doesn’t even let us in because she’s busy?”

“She’s obviously crazy. Just left home and don’t know how high the sky is…”

Denise gritted her teeth.

“Why couldn’t we come in? Even if we came without telling her in advance, it’s rude to send us away like this.”

“Stop it, Britney. Need I to remind you that Count Green is the guardian of the sacred relics.”

“Even if he’s the guardian of the sacred relics, we’re a Duke family.”

“Britney. Don’t let others hear you say that.”

The Green family, the guardian of the sacred relics from generation to generation, and the Duke Whittle’s dying family.

It was obvious which one would come out on top..

Nothing good would come from being on Keivrand’s bad side. However, Iris’ rude attitude was unforgivable.

“Let’s come back tomorrow. What’s more, Count Green is gone. Once we step into the mansion…”

They will have to fix that girl’s attitude.

* * *

Reuben’s plan to ‘fix Iris’ attitude’ couldn’t be carried out the next day.

“The Countess isn’t feeling well today. You’ll have to come back tomorrow.”

The next day.

“The Countess is busy today. You’ll have to come back tomorrow.”

Reuben’s face grew redder and his voice grew louder each time they were driven away at the gate.

Later, he even pointed his finger at Jamie, but Jamie still showed the same subtle smile he has had since the beginning.

Jamie went to the greenhouse after confirming that the Duke family, who had been staying in front of the mansion for a long time, was returning.

Iris was picking a ripe apple under an apple tree.

“The Duke’s family has left, Miss Iris.”

“I see.”

“They might really leave the estate today.”

“I don’t think so. Duke Whittle is a person who can’t let go of his petty pride. He won’t go back without a harvest. It would be hard for him to raise his head if rumors spread that he couldn’t take a single step inside this mansion.”

Iris said coldly.

Jamie was amazed that Iris’ expression and atmosphere were completely different from when she was in front of Keivrand and when she talked about Duke Whittle.

“Do you want me to drive them away tomorrow?”

Asked Jamie.

“Have you heard from the Count yet?”

“Yes, I don’t think he’ll be able to come back in a week…”

“What about Cel?”

“I’ve been informed that Cel will be here in two or three days.”

“If so…”

Picking an apple and putting it in her basket, she stared at Jamie.

“Until Cel arrives, we must teach the Duke Whittle family courtesy, right?”

Jamie liked it when Iris smiled like this.

An arrogant yet playful smile.

A smile that he can see why Keivrand, who wasn’t interested in women, became so enchanted by.

Looking at Iris, Jamie also nodded with a smile.

“I hope they can learn a lot.”

* * *

Britney, who was annoyed, felt as if she was about to explode.

They have already been beaten up three times.

No matter how much less power Duke Whittle had than before, he was still a Duke.

In other words, it’s not a family a Count could treat harshly.

But three times.

Even though they had visited and asked in person, they couldn’t even step inside the mansion.

And not because of Keivrand but because of Iris.

“This is absolutely ridiculous!”

This was the fourth time, if she counted the way Count Green had treated her before.

Britney shouted inside the carriage.

“Even if they’re the guardian of the sacred relics, it’s ridiculous to treat us like this!”

“Britney is right, dear. I have to file a formal complaint.”

“Right, notify the Divine Kingdom…And we have to tell Count Green ourself – how out of control Iris is when he’s away!”

“Don’t worry. If she kicks us out again today, I’ll tell not only the Divine Kingdom but also the Emperor about Countess Green’s rude behavior.”

Reuben’s visit to the Emperor of the Gavizar didn’t happen. Today, the door opened smoothly, and the carriage entered the main gate.

Whittle had decided that he would slap Iris on the cheek as soon as he saw her.

But the opportunity didn’t come.

“Please wait in the drawing room.”

Apparently, Jamie said ‘for a moment,’ but after an hour and then two hours, Iris still hadn’t shown up in the drawing room.

Tired of waiting, Duke Whittle called for Jamie, but he didn’t come, and when he asked a passing maid, all she could say was, ‘Wait a little longer.’

They weren’t even served tea.

They had come early in the morning, but Jamie didn’t come back until sunset.

Reuben sprang up.

“What the hell is this?”

“Hm? What?”

Jamie asked back as if he had no idea.

“You told us to wait for a moment, but it’s been hours! And not a cup of tea or a meal served!”

“Oh, were you hungry? I couldn’t prepare a guest meal because it was a sudden visit. I’m sorry.”

Jamie said with an unapologetic look.

“You…”

Unable to stand it, Reuben walked toward Jamie threateningly. However, Britney quickly approached and gently placed her arm on Reuben.

Britney glanced at Reuben and then asked Jamie with an elegant smile.

“Did Iris make you do this?”

“What?”

“Treat our family like this.”

“No way. She asked me to serve you politely.”

“Is this the Green’s way of being polite?”

“Depends on the guests.”

“Guests? Is our family not good enough to even be served a cup of tea?”

Britney asked calmly.

Jamie grinned and said as directed by Iris.

“Considering what the Whittle family has done to our Countess, I think this treatment could be considered very polite.”

== Translator’s Note ==

1. Please report any typos, grammatical/spelling errors, sentences you find weird, and other etc…in the comment section .