I Don’t Want to Be a Lady

“Welcome. Master is waiting in the parlor.”

“…”

With a sour face, I followed the butler, who showed joy all over his body.

The butler knocked on the parlor door.

“Master, Countess Proud is here.”

I was granted the estates of Count Proud, who had been overthrown for treason. Even though I became Countess Proud, I still found that name unfamiliar to me.

A bustling noise was heard from inside, and a heavy, low-pitched voice was heard. “Come in.”

The butler opened the door and bowed politely to me. “Please enter.”

I entered the parlor without even looking at him. The parlor that caught my eye was large, old, and dull. Rolling my eyes to the left and right, I clicked my tongue.

Not only was it so old that it had faded to yellow, but the lace had holes in it and was placed neatly on the table. Since it was embroidered by the deceased grand duchess herself, Arianne didn’t know that this could never be replaced as long as the grand duke was still alive.

I stared at the table and suddenly raised my eyes at the gaze I felt. My maternal grandfather, whom I saw for the first time, was an upright old man of a size comparable to Charter.

The old man opened his mouth. He must have been nervous, so her voice came out a little cracked. “Did anything happen on the way?”

My eyes grew cold at the rather friendly tone. “You don’t have to pretend to think about it. I only came because I felt like I had to tell you in person.”

“…”

Grand Duke Federut’s face slowly hardened. Because he noticed the reason why I came.

“I want you to stop sending letters. I have no reason to contact you now, and I don’t want to.”

“…”

I looked at the Grand Duke Federut, who didn’t respond. He wanted to say something but seemed to be struggling to say it. Unfortunately, I had no intention of being considerate of him.

“I think my purpose has been conveyed, so I’m going to go.”

I turned my body around. Then, an urgent voice came behind me.

“That letter… It’s from your mother.”

“…”

Arianne was speechless. The grand duke wanted to see her face but couldn’t bear to turn her around.

“Is she alive?”

The grand duke’s eyes shook.

“My mother… Can I meet her once?”

I turned my body to face Grand Duke Federut. Immediately, the grand duke realized that he had made a mistake. My eyes were filled with immeasurable deep resentment. Although not a single tear fell from my eyes, the grand duke could tell I was crying.

I was silent for a while, biting my lower lip, then opened my mouth. “I understand that she abandoned me. She couldn’t have lived with someone like my father. But! Why has she never come to see me? Even though she knew clearly how I would be living! Why didn’t she help me? Why is she looking for me now after pretending not to know when I’m having a hard time, loneliness, or pain? By what qualifications?”

“Ba-Baby…”

The grand duke took a step closer and called me. I stretched out my hand to stop him from coming any further.

“Don’t call me baby. Because I’ve never been your baby. Do you think that just giving birth makes you a parent? If you can’t take responsibility, you shouldn’t have had the baby.”

“At that time, your mother was so naive…”

I glared at the grand duke with contempt. “She did it because she was naive? Was it naive to give your heart to a man just by looking at his face? It’s called stupid.”

“…”

The grand duke couldn’t refute. It was true. It was his fault for not teaching his daughter how to see people and making her only do flower arrangements and embroidery. There was no way a daughter who grew up to be polite and ignorant of the world would have a good judgment.

“It’s my fault.”

“Take time alone to blame yourself. Please tell your naive daughter not to send me letters from now on.”

My mood gradually sank. I felt that even being stuck in a gutter and rolling around would be more refreshing than this.

“I intend to pass this grand duchy to you.”

The next words from the grand duke made me burst out laughing. “

Are you saying that now? Well, it’s right to pass over the family name. Let’s bury all past mistakes and get along well now. Did you think I’d say it?”

“…”

I said with a cold face. “I have no regret or interest in your family. I became a countess with my own abilities. Because I’m not naive enough to inherit the grand duchy and relieve my lifelong resentment. That’s me.”

The grand duke quietly gazed at his granddaughter with beautiful silver hair and cold purple eyes. She was the type of successor he hoped for. She has a strong spirit and is not swayed by personal feelings.

Even if she didn’t have authority over her mother’s family, going to see his granddaughter was something he could do. He missed that opportunity because of his pride and ended up losing his granddaughter.

“Well, it’s not like there’s no one to succeed the Grand Duke, right? Teach him well. He’s not stupid, but he’s really naive.”

Grand duke recalled the former crown prince, Mozar. As she said, he wasn’t stupid but naive, reminiscent of pure white drawing paper. It seemed that his granddaughter had already made up her mind, so he had no other choice.

He had to admit that he had to accept Mozar. And it wasn’t until he lost his granddaughter that he realized. That people are related by blood doesn’t make you a family. The fact that you can become a true family only when you are faithful and affectionate.

“Thank you, Countess Proud. Please give me more advice in the future.”

The grand duke had no regrets. He planned to be with his granddaughter in a different way. As comrades who will build this empire, they will share advice with each other and create a relationship where they can trust and rely on each other.

I read his inner changes.

I left the grand duchy and curled my lips. Meeting my maternal grandfather wasn’t as unpleasant or difficult as I thought. Although, it made me a little upset.

Yes, maybe one day there will come a day when I can sit face-to-face with my mother and laugh without any problems. But I will never let her slide easily though.

“Are you really going to let her go like this?”

At the butler’s question, Grand Duke Federut spoke with a smile on his face. “If it’s meant to be, we’ll see each other again sometime. Don’t you think a relationship can be made gradually?”

Grand Duke Federut was the embodiment of obsession. He let his granddaughter easily because he wanted to look cool. Still, he planned to create that relationship anytime and anywhere until the day he heard her call him grandpa.

* * *

Late at night, Arianne sat alone by the window, lost in her thoughts.

“Congratulations, Countess.”

A man magically appeared in the middle of the room. Jon spoke to Arianne. Although it was surprising that a person appeared out of the blue, Arianne was calm.

“Thank you. Are you leaving?”

“Yes. I’m thinking of traveling. Freely without being tied down somewhere.”

Arianne said, still looking out the window, “That’s a good idea. If you do, I’ll recommend you a travel destination.”

Jon looked puzzled. Arianne turned her head and looked at him. There was a playful smile on her lips.

“Stop by the Siron region of the Tachena Kingdom. There’s nothing much, but maybe… There may be something valuable there.”

“No way… Did you find out? How?”

Jon noticed that Arianne had found a clue about his family. But how? No matter how hard he searched for 20 years, he couldn’t find it. So how?

“Among my father’s secret documents, one was hidden in the most private place. I didn’t know where he had hidden it all this time, but this time, my father offered me the secret document in return for a deal. Of course, I accepted the deal.”

“Did you grant what he asked for in return?”

“You must be kidding. Did you think I forget to write it down when I made a deal? It’s a shame, but what can I do? I don’t like things that aren’t certain.”

She sighed, looking truly heartbroken. Looking at her like that, Jon was speechless. She’s truly a charming young lady.

“…Thank you.”

When Jon was dazed by indescribable feelings, Arianne continued. “I’m grateful. You’re the one who saved me 10 years ago, right?”

Jon asked with a surprised face. “How on earth…”

“I knew it when I looked into your eyes. Because you were the first person to look into my eyes for that long.”

Jon’s eyes turned red. He couldn’t believe there was someone who recognized him. No words came out as he felt so overwhelmed.

“Thank you. Goodbye.”

Jon bowed deeply to Arianne’s farewell. “Thank you.”

After a while, Arianne looked at the place where Jon was standing and laughed. A purple pansy flower was left where he left.

* * *

I said as I got out of the carriage, “Wow. It’s a long way. I can’t come twice.”

Actually, I didn’t plan on coming again.

I turned my head, and my eyes took in the quiet view of the countryside. There was a low mountain behind the small, cozy mansion. Even though it was midday, the mansion was covered by trees, and not a single ray of sunlight entered the mansion. That particular aspect appealed to me.

“I can’t believe you decided on a place like this with good air. It’s really too rustic.”

After all, sending him to a swampy area with pests was quite the decision.

I stood at the mansion’s entrance and showed the stationed soldier my identification badge. Without a word, the soldier opened the door, and I passed through the overgrown front yard to reach the front door.

I picked up the dull knocker, and when I knocked, there was a dull sound.

It seemed like there was a commotion inside. I could hear someone hurriedly running down from the second floor.

When the door opened, a man with white hair that was no longer silver and purple eyes that seemed a little dull appeared.

“You! What are you doing here! Anyone else? Did you bring an official document from the imperial palace?” said Count Bornes, or rather Rodnan Develun, looking at my shoulder.

He noticed that there was no one behind me and blurted his words with an annoyed look on his face. “Why are you here? If you have anything to give, give it to me quickly and leave.”

But when Rodnan saw that my hands were also empty, he crumpled his face. I smiled brightly when I saw him like that.

“Father went into exile, so I came to visit once. After all, I can’t pretend not to appreciate the favor being raised, right?”

“Said by a bitch who knows grace but accuses her father?”

My eyes widened. “What does that mean? What do you mean by accuses? No way… Did you think I did it?”

At my words, Rodnan’s expression became strange. “It’s not you? Then who…”

At the moment, Rodnan made a blank expression as if he had been beaten with a hammer, then crumpled his face and shouted. “Navier! That punk! How dare you betray me and forsake the grace I have given you!”

I burst into laughter while watching my father run wild.

“You’re laughing? How dare you laugh at me!”

In my eyes, looking at him shouting at me, there was no warmth. I stared straight at the purple eyes that resembled me with cold eyes. “How dare? Who’s creating such a fuss without knowing the subject? I’m a countess. And you’re just the second son of a lowly viscount.”

“I’m your father!”

Rodnan could not contain his anger, so he flushed and pointed his finger.

I was about to snap his finger that was sticking out in front of me, but I gave up my thoughts. There’s no way a doctor would be in a countryside area like this, so if I make a mistake, he could be crippled for the rest of his life.

From now on, he’ll have to cook, do laundry, and clean by himself. Shouldn’t his limbs be left intact? To repay the favor of raising me, I have to let it go this once.

“How much have I given you in the meantime! How much did I save! Why should I be treated like this here!”

Rodnan still hasn’t accepted this reality.

How did he live during this time? How much has he saved and how much money will he earn? I felt sorry for my father for a moment. Rather than feeling sorry for the reality that faced him, I felt sorry for him struggling to accept this reality. So I decided to give him some advice. If he listened to my advice, maybe the rest of his life would be a little more comfortable.

“Father, what remains at the end of life is not what you collected, but what you sow. This is the fruit of all sins you have sown.”

Unfortunately, Rodnan was not a man to take such advice to heart.

“How dare you mock me! I shouldn’t have taken you! I should have just thrown you into an orphanage!”

I felt no emotion from his verbal abuse. Now, it was time to say goodbye to my father.

“Then live the rest of your life well. All your life, inside this mansion.”

I never looked back at him again, even though he pointed his fingers and swearing at the back of my head.

As I approached the carriage, the door of the carriage opened, and a handsome man with black hair greeted me. I put my hand on his hand, feeling healed.

“If you’re done with your business, can we just leave now?”

I smiled and opened the map at Charter’s question. “Let’s get going. There are many places to go.”

My map was filled with dozens of dots. It was a map of where I wanted to go while living in captivity at County Bornes.

“If you allow me, I’ll be with you wherever you go.”

I raised the corners of my mouth and smiled. What should I do with this lovely man who only picks out what I want to hear?

Fortunately, I knew how to express my feelings. I gently grabbed and pulled his cravat, and he was dragged along obediently. Looking into his dark, deep eyes, I said, “I love you, Charter.”

“I love you, Arianne.”

Our lips mingled together without an inch apart. The carriage we rode grew farther and farther away as if it had melted into the red sunset.

* * *

I, who had been on a full year’s honeymoon, delayed going out for a while and was relaxing at my mansion.

“Countess, a guest has arrived.”

I tilted my head. “Who is it? Bring them in.”

The door to my study opened, revealing a woman with thick, curly brown hair.

“Lady Sosime?”

As soon as Sosime entered my study, she straightened her back and spoke clearly, one by one.

“Countess, please take me as your aide!”

The end.