LUCIA

Chapter 49 Truth & Lies

After taking a break for a while, Lucia resumed her activities in high society. Just as before, she opened light tea parties. Nothing changed and just like she'd always done, she invited a wide range of people. Except from a few of the party-break leaders, she put the rest on the invitation list without exceptions.

Lucia showed the authority of the Duchess with her intimidation at the last garden party now, it was time to appease them after her oppression.

She did not wish to reign over the northern high society. But ultimately, she needed to plant herself as an existence that should never be taken lightly.

"Duchess, when do you plan on having a party on a huge scale like last time?"

"My thoughts exactly. I wasn't invited then so I definitely want to attend next time. When the time comes, can I also get introduced to the young lord?"

"I'm afraid the child is no longer in Roam. He left to go study. But if there's an opportunity next time, I will introduce you."

Lucia replied with a smile and secretly took a glance around. She studied the uneasy expression of the ladies who looked like they were being chased and wouldn't be participating in the discussion anytime soon. They were attendees of previous garden party.

This was already the third tea party but people's behaviors remained similar. They were split into two sides, those who attended the garden party and those that didn't.

The ones that attended all looked uncomfortable and helpless. Their countenance didn't display reluctance to attend or arrogance, on the contrary, they looked sorry and thankful as they greeted Lucia.

Lucia had no intentions of rebuking them. Just as a soldier's disobedience to command resulted in death, normal women had no power to contest that of leading figures in high society.

And so, Lucia did not mention the events of the garden party so as to not make them uncomfortable but they remained excessively careful of her mood.

In comparison, the ones that did not attend the garden party raised up the topic of Damian as though showing off. They showed no reluctance and constantly and implicitly brought up the child's title of 'young lord'.

The sudden reversed attitude of the women was surprising.

'Is it because he announced publically that Damian is formally entered into the register?'

That was the only guess she could make. As always, the majesty of the Duke was amazing. Lucia did not know that the northern high society went through an enormous stir following the garden party.

It was rumored that the Countess of Wales as well as the tempered elderly wives of the high society that attended the garden party at the time were all secluding themselves at home and when one looked at it, it seemed to be that way. Those crafty old wives seemed to have somehow done something to upset the Duchess' pride and thought to hide themselves.

The rumor that the Taran Duke seized and killed every last one of the regional lords that rebelled against him, including their families, was also secretly spreading in the high society and so the fear that the northern nobles had towards the Taran Duke reached an extreme high. (1)

Hence, the explosive incident at the garden party that occurred in the meantime struck terror into everyone's heart. They imagined the Taran Duke learning of the Duchess' humiliation, and furiously summoning them to all be clubbed to death. After all, there was a connection between the Lady of the House losing face and the Head of the Family's pride.

Whether the rumor of the Ducal Couple's intimate matrimonial relationship was true or not, the Taran Duke had proved to at least belong to one of the examples. Originally, the House of the Taran Duke was closed off.