Villainous Husband, The One You’re Obsessed With Is Over There - Chapter 25

Chapter 25 

Viscount Gongfyr greeted Raniero first.

“It’s Viscount Gongfyr. I see the great son of Actilla, who brings abundance to the Actilus Empire.”

“Yes.”

Raniero tilted his head at an angle and sat down roughly on the armrest of the Empress’s seat. Seeing that, Viscount Gongfyr smiled and took Eleanor’s hand, who was standing still behind him, and led her forward.

“This is Eleanor, my daughter. Even though she’s unworthy and lacking, she’s now serving in the glorious title of handmaiden to the Empress.”

“Gre, greetings to the great son of the God Actilla.”

“I see.”

Raniero did not seem to be listening at all.

Meanwhile, Eleanor smiled stiffly and could not even glance at him. I then turned to look at her. She had beautifully loosened her warm, dark brown hair and decorated it with flowers.

‘Pretty.’

She must have put in a lot of effort.

After all, if they caught the eye of the Emperor at such an opportunity, they might be able to enter the bedroom. If they were lucky, they might have children before me. The child would grow up with the same treatment as the child of the Empress.

Although this country was strictly monogamous, the treatment of the Emperor’s illegitimate children was not bad.

After greeting Raniero, Viscount Gongfyr got down on his knees to look up at me sitting on my seat. Eleanor, next to him, quickly followed her father.

“I also greet the Empress, who is the companion of the great son. I have heard many words from my child. Indeed, she is mature and wise, suitable for the mother of the Empire…”

It sounded amazing.

…Mature, wise?

Did the dictionary definitions of ‘mature’ and ‘wise’ change without my knowledge? How many idiotic things did I do in the process of adjusting to this world after possessing it…?

Raniero also seemed to have the same thoughts as me. A ‘pfft’ was heard above her head.

I answered awkwardly.

“Is… Is that so?”

However, even if the superior showed a sour look or even sneers, the subordinate should not show a sign of embarrassment. It was because everything would be ruined.

Viscount Gongfyr was well aware of this. He went on brazenly.

“Our Eleanor is still young, but she’s quick-witted and fast with her hands.”

“Oh, she’s quick-witted.”

I nodded as I replied.

Viscount Gongfyr’s face brightened at the thought of being recognized, and he opened his mouth again, “Thanks for taking good care of my lacking daughter…”

“Obviously, Roberta Jacques would never have publicly ordered her to overlook the Empress, though she stuck with it for a while and completely ignored me… Your daughter is good at politics at a young age.”

Suddenly, the atmosphere became cold at my words.

Viscount Gongfyr’s face had now turned pale without brightening.

“Ho?”

I heard an interested voice above my head. Raniero leaned back on my left side and stroked my hair.

“That was what happened.”

What? Knowing everything, why did he say ‘That was what happened’…?

This is ridiculous.

Meanwhile, poor Eleanor was trembling. Pity arose. Of course, what does she know? It was amusing to cast out a foreign empress from a small country. Even if it was not just her, everyone would have done the same thing.

With an apologetic look on my face, I said to Viscount Gongfyr.

“Don’t scold her. Perhaps, it was because she was so young and senseless. Shouldn’t it be better to do better from now on?”

At that moment, Viscount Gongfyr forgot the first priority in dealing with superiors: ‘do not be embarrassed’ and floundered.

“But, but if there were any inadequacies in serving the Empress, how could God… I…How could this mistake be overlooked—”

It was at this moment when his plan to bring his daughter, the Empress’s maidservant, to the Empress and show the Emperor the beautifully dressed daughter and aim for one night with him came to naught.

Oh, my. I feel sorry for Viscount Gongfyr.

I gave my sincere advice.

“It’s her father’s fault for not giving a good education to his still young daughter, so why don’t you scold yourself first?”

Why on earth do adults fail to grasp such a simple reason and pass the blame for the failure of home education to children…?

A sigh came out of nowhere.

It was then. The banquet hall began to get noisy with low murmurs. I glanced away from Viscount Gongfyr and lifted my head. Raniero, who had been playing with my hair twisted in her hand, turned towards where the noise was coming from.

‘Ah.’

Sylvia Jacques was quietly entering. She was still an exceptional beauty today.

Even though the conversation was completely ruined, Viscount Gongfyr seemed to have no intention of stepping down. It seemed that he did not realize the truth of life until he was at that age that most of the relationships he had were stuck in the mud because of his efforts to do too well.

He hurriedly changed the topic.

“That, that is Sylvia Jacques.”

Around that time, the population density of the banquet hall began to rise, and only the side where Raniero was sitting began to increase little by little. Even though he was talking to himself, the voice was loud as if to tell everyone to listen.

“How shameless is she? How could she come to a banquet dedicated to Your Majesty the Empress…”

‘…Huh?’

It was a hostile voice.

“It seems shameless. If she knew the outcome of what her mother and brother did…”

‘What…?’

While I was bewildered, someone spoke to me without even saying their greetings.

“Just seeing the wife of a family who has put a strain on Your Majesty makes my loyalty torment. Please, kick Sylvia Jacques out of the banquet hall!”

“Huh…? Me? Why?”

I was so embarrassed that I forgot to speak formally. Suddenly, the atmosphere turned cold again.

“Well. If you ask me why…”

The nobles began to make a commotion.

To be honest, I was even more embarrassed by their agitation.

“Your loyalty… is in pain?”

I was asking that because I really did not understand. I continued to express my thoughts, “I think Sylvia will be more loyal than you…?”

As I opened my eyes wide and muttered, those words brought a wave to the nobility.

“…Your, Your Majesty.”

“Sylvia, to be loyal to me, drove her mother, no matter how sinful she was, and was willing to give her to me as a prey… I don’t know if there’s any other kind of loyalty like this…?”

I was not the only one who passed the test today. Sylvia also performed well on the assignment given by Raniero as well. She broke her achilles tendon as Roberta Jacques, and came under me by making her mother bleed herself and offering her to me.

Even though I took the drug and passed the test, Sylvia passed with her bare mind. Was this not really amazing?

And, I found this situation so strange and bizarre.

It was because I read the real hostility and madness in their voices towards Sylvia.

Before I thank them for hating Sylvia for me, let me point out a few things. Did only Marquis Jacques ignore me…? Right after I got married, I did not receive anyone’s request for an audience, nor did I receive any gift from anyone.

It meant that I was an invisible person to everyone while Jacques’ mother and son reigned as vice minister and handmaiden.

Only after the punishment of Jacques’s mother and son was decided and news spread that the Emperor was teaching me to hunt, I was properly treated as an empress. In addition, only today after the hunt was over that I was incorporated into their community as a newly born Actilus.

‘To me, Sylvia and these nobles, they are all the same…’

The atmosphere became so irreversibly chilly because of my question spewing out thoughtlessly.

I was a little sorry.

Should I have told a white lie and set the mood like I did to Raniero?

‘Still, just by dealing with Raniero alone, I already feel like my prepared social skills are exhausted…’

Eventually, I let out an awkward laugh.

“But, you don’t have to sacrifice your mother to prove your loyalty to me. For the time being, your mother is innocent…”

…Unbelievable.

Even though it was a joke to lighten up the atmosphere, it became an insult to their parents instead… Seriously, it seems that all my prepared social skills have been exhausted.

Raniero was the only one who clapped his knees with delight at my words and burst into laughter.

“You say funny things. It’s an interesting thing to say.”

A cold sweat ran down my back.

…I swear I did not mean to entertain His Majesty. If he did something wrong, Raniero might line up one by one for his regular enjoyment, demanding that he sacrifice his mother. With that thought, it was necessary to put an end to this subject quickly.

I said hastily, sweating profusely.

“It’s just a joke.”

I could clearly see the nobles rolling their eyes with stiff expressions. When a superior brings the word ‘joke’ to their lips, you have to laugh even if it is not funny. At once, everyone burst out laughing like an automatic doll—Ahahaha. Hahaha. Hah, haha.

Perhaps, it was because this was a military country. Everyone smiled mechanically at the right timing and angle like an army.

I gazed at them with confusion, feeling like a bad boss.

How the heck does Raniero enjoy this kind of thing…? No, let’s not think about it. No one knew what was going on in his head.

Sylvia came near me like a ghost while the waves of unhappy laughter rippled. She carefully lifted the hem of her modest dress to greet Raniero first, then me. The next moment, she carefully knelt next to Viscount Gongfyr, who was still sitting there.

“Your Majesty the Emperor.”

A hoarse voice escaped her lips.

Raniero replied above my head.

“Yes.”

His hand had dug through my hair and was now stroking the nape of my neck. The act of gently scratching the fuzz with his fingernails was tickling. I lifted my eyes slightly and glanced up at Raniero, then quickly turned towards Sylvia again.

It was because he was still gazing at me as he answered Sylvia.

Sylvia calmly spoke her words.

“I’ve come to receive the reward that Your Majesty had promised.”

—