Revenge Comes with Interest - Chapter 38

The tea party carried on in a warm and pleasant atmosphere without incident.

Even well past the halfway point of the event, no one brought up the matter of the Chainer lace. From what Lea could tell, the noblewomen were all subtly observing one another, waiting to see who would speak first.

It felt like a silent battle over who would be bold enough to bring up the topic.

“I guess I was being too sensitive”

It really was just a tea party. She must have been tense for no reason, expecting something dramatic to happen.

Only then did Lea finally allow herself to enjoy her tea. But that peace lasted only a moment. It turned out to be a misunderstanding on her part.

“Lady Vizak, shouldn’t you at least offer an explanation about the newspaper article?”

A middle-aged noblewoman seated across from Lea finally spoke up.

“Which family was she from again? Oh, right”

Fortunately, Lea remembered. She calmly set her teacup down and looked around at the eyes now focused on her.

“Marchioness Valliere, I’m not here to make excuses”

“You can say that after we’ve all read the article?”

“Is she just shameless? Or does she have no sense of guilt?”

Even the quiet whispers aimed at her were clearly audible.

Lea stood and gave a slight nod to the Empress, as if asking for permission to speak, then turned her attention to the noblewomen.

“This isn’t an excuse. It’s an explanation”

The entire greenhouse buzzed with uneasy murmurs. The suspicion sparked by Marchioness Valliere quickly spread among the group.

“If you have questions, I will answer them”

Lea’s tone was calm and composed. Marchioness Valliere seemed to be waiting for that moment and raised her voice.

“Is it true, Lady Vizak, that the Chainer lace we purchased was made by some insane gypsy?”

Her question was blunt and far from the refined speech expected of a noblewoman.

But what caught Lea’s attention even more was the Empress. She was watching everything quietly, pretending to be indifferent.

“Referring to someone as a mad gypsy is not language befitting someone of your status, Marchioness”

At Lea’s firm response, some of the noblewomen waved their fans nervously, while a few actually nodded in agreement.

“She’s still a young lady learning her way. Please don’t say things like she’s crazy or a fool or mentally lacking”

“Lady Vizak is right. Please refrain from using language that mocks someone’s disability”

Even the Empress agreed with that much and gave Marchioness Valliere a sharp look as she spoke.

“Then how do you explain her being a lowly gypsy?”

This time, another noblewoman who was close to Marchioness Valliere questioned Lea.

“It is true that she used to be a gypsy”

When Lea admitted it openly, the room erupted. People were outraged, accusing her of trying to pass off lace made by a common gypsy as a luxury product.

But Lea simply opened her handbag and pulled out a sheet of paper. She handed it to her attendant, who then delivered it to the Empress.

All eyes shifted from Lea to the Empress.

“She is not a gypsy. She is Lady Chenera Vizak, daughter of Baron Vizak”

The Empress smiled slightly and passed the document to the noblewoman next to her. The paper began to circulate around the room.

As soon as Lea had brought Chenera to the duke’s estate, she wrote a letter to Aiden, asking him to register Chenera in the Vizak family’s official record.

Thankfully, Aiden had followed her request without question.

Lea had prepared this step in advance, fully aware that Chenera’s past could one day be used against them.

Then Marchioness Valliere spoke again, this time with resistance in her voice.

“Just because you change someone’s status doesn’t mean their true nature changes”

“Once a gypsy, always a gypsy”

“It’s disgraceful that someone like her would now call herself a noble”

Marchioness Valliere’s allies criticized Lea without restraint, disguising their scorn with false civility or, in many cases, not bothering to hide it at all.

Still, Lea remained composed and listened to everything without losing her calm. Then, an elderly lady seated at the far end of the table finally spoke up.

“Ladies, why are you being so unkind?”

It was Countess Harold. Lea hadn’t recognized her at the banquet, but thanks to Pauline’s timely whisper, she now knew who the woman was.

“Baron Aiden Vizak, like Duke Courtois, is a war hero from Lubeck. He lost a leg fighting for this nation. If such a man chose to add a mentally challenged gypsy girl to his family registry, surely he had good reason. If you respect Baron Vizak, you should not belittle his decision as if it were meaningless”

The noblewomen, who had been acting like angry porcupines, now looked embarrassed and coughed awkwardly. The Empress stepped in again.

“I agree with Countess Harold. The Vizak family is one of great tradition and history”

To challenge that further would be the same as denying the accomplishments of the Vizak family.

“Of course we respect him. But the facts still matter”

Marchioness Valliere’s voice was much softer now, her confidence shaken.

“Well, I suppose Baron Vizak must have had his reasons when he made that decision”

“He’s not just any noble. He’s from a family of war heroes. Criticizing them feels excessive”

The noblewomen were now divided in their opinions.

Lea believed this was the perfect moment to introduce Chenera to everyone.

She took Chenera’s hand, who had been standing quietly behind her, and brought her forward where everyone could see.

“This is my sister, Lady Chenera Vizak. A genius who crafted the lace cape I’m wearing in just two days”

“My goodness!”

Gasps of admiration spread throughout the room. Of course, there were still a few who did not look kindly on Chenera.

“Chenera, come greet Her Majesty”

Lea brought Chenera closer to the Empress. But instead of greeting her, Chenera stared at the Empress from head to toe.

For the first time that day, Lea, who had been composed until now, was truly startled.

The tension in the greenhouse felt like a tightly stretched piano string about to snap.

“Your Majesty pretty so pretty”

Everyone froze

Then like a snapped string, laughter burst out from the noblewomen.

Contrary to what many had expected, Chenera did not look disgraceful at all. She seemed innocent and pure.

There was nothing about her that gave the impression of a gypsy. Her clumsy way of speaking was surprisingly adorable.

“Thank you for the compliment, Lady Vizak”

The Empress responded with a graceful smile and a gentle nod.

Lea quietly brought Chenera back to her seat. Then she turned to address everyone with one final message.

“Chenera may have a young and unpolished mind but she is a genius. These beautiful lace pieces were created with her own hands. You all have discerning taste and recognized the quality. While the creator matters, I hope you will focus more on the result. Something so beautiful it captures the heart”

Lea spoke softly but firmly.

She had said what needed to be said. If they still refused to change their minds, that was their decision alone. The choice was entirely theirs.

“And also”

Lea looked at the Empress.

“Gypsies the homeless orphans and even those in mental hospitals are all citizens of the Empire of Lubeck. I am proud that Chenera is one of them”

Lea tried to finish calmly but her voice broke near the end. She was holding back tears.

Countess Harold stepped in at just the right moment.

“We should not let the Galdensia Times manipulate us with articles meant to bring Lubeck down. They are jealous because we have talent like this in our country”

“Now that you mention it none of Lubeck’s newspapers said anything”

The mood among the noblewomen began to shift. Then the Empress spoke again with finality.

“Lady Chenera Vizak”

“Yes Your Majesty”

Chenera shot up like a spring, and once again laughter filled the greenhouse.

“Do you think this purple cape would suit me”

The Empress gestured toward the lace cape Lea was wearing.

“No Your Majesty you should wear a green cape. It would match your hair color better”

“Is that so Then I will place an order. A green lace cape it is”

“Because Your Majesty is so beautiful I’ll make it even prettier just for you. But it won’t be free. I’ll give you a small discount. My lace is a one of a kind luxury and nobody else can copy it”

The atmosphere grew quiet and thoughtful. They had assumed she was unaware of everything, but Chenera clearly had pride in her work.

The Empress took a sip of tea with a pleased expression. Then she addressed everyone.

“I recognize Lady Chenera Vizak”

The noblewomen responded with applause. More than any speech, the Empress’s acknowledgment was what finally ended the controversy.

Some women still looked unhappy. But from that day forward, there would be no more gossip about Chenera’s background.

Terran and Luke were just leaving the Emperor’s chamber after an audience. Even during the meeting, Terran’s thoughts had been clouded by worry for Grace.

“I hope she’s doing alright”

She needed to have enough strength to stand before the noblewomen of Rebon and the Empress. Just then, a group of young noblemen came noisily from the opposite direction.

“Grace Vizak is mine. I’ve already claimed her”

“Don’t be stupid. First one to get her in bed wins”

“She’s the prettiest among all the noble girls right”

“I’m curious what kind of sounds she makes in bed”

“Want to bet on who gets her first”

Their crude conversation about Grace was loud and careless. And every word reached Terran’s ears.

“Hey idiots don’t you know Lady Vizak is engaged”

Louis Valliere tried to stop them, but they brushed him off.

“Who cares Engagements don’t mean anything anymore. People still do whatever they want even after marriage”

By then, they had come face to face with Terran and Luke.

Terran slowly pulled on his leather gloves. Luke didn’t try to stop him.

Instead, Luke stepped forward and blocked their way. The young nobles blinked, confused by the sudden confrontation.

“Engagements matter. And this so-called old-fashioned guy is about to teach some spoiled brats a lesson”

They turned pale when they noticed the emblem of House Courtois on Terran’s uniform.

“Would you prefer one punch each or all of them at once”

Terran’s voice was low and cold as harsh words spilled from his mouth.

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