The Lion's Heart | A Stepmother's Marchën Fanfic

Chapter 7: Troubles

"Which is why the marchioness kicked the relatives out and forbid them from setting foot on their house ever again!"

Karina attentively listens to a young noble lady whispering of the recent rumour that was surrounding Shuli.

"Oh, is it true? I also heard that the Neuschwanstein children were abused by their relatives."

"If that is true, then that's awful..."

"But, I also heard that the marchioness forbids them from entering their estate because she... you know... wants to gatekeep her position as the head of the house."

"Well, she is the witch of Neuschwanstein. Who knows what she could be planning."

Karina clicked her tongue in annoyance, and the ladies of her social circle immediately turned their heads on her before awkwardly looking away.

"Oh, Lady Karina. Is it true that you were invited to have tea together with the marchioness?"

Karina's lips form a small smile. "Yes."

"Wow, so it was true! how was it?" a young lady asks.

"To clear things up, it appears that the rumours surrounding the marchioness are definitely false. The marchioness is kind, graceful, and has a great sense of responsibility when it comes to taking care of household duties. She is also very close with the Neuschwanstein children, which goes against the rumours saying the marchioness and her children having a strain relationship with each other. " Karina replied.

"Really!? I knew those rumours were a stretch."

"I see, well when I greeted her earlier. The marchioness has this elegant vibe around her. It's different from what the rumours said."

"The banquet also looks very grand. The marchioness must have worked very hard to plan this commemoration."

"I envy you, lady Karina. Did the marchioness perhaps have any reason for suddenly sending an invite?"

The ladies in her social circle have now fixed their attention on her. While they may seem friendly and gorgeous from the outside, for Karina, she could see the look of hunger they were hiding.

While Karina has only started to appear on social events for 3 years, Karina was not unfamiliar with the hidden reason of the other nobles' question. Some, if not most, are digging out information for their advantage. Perhaps to spread rumours to gossip about or to plummet reputations.

The life of a noble is not to be underestimated at all, especially of a powerful family. Karina knew that she was the weakest link of the Tarjun family. She was the only one whom the aristocrats could poke the Tarjun family's weakness on. She has always been the target of the predator's eyes, which always seems hungry to devour any sort of imperfections of her family.

Even though she may be an illegitimate child, she was still part of the Tarjun family directly under the care of the marquess, which is why some of the noble ladies had no choice but to form an alliance with her.

An alliance with a powerful family is not to be passed on.

"It is simply an invite to strengthen the bond between our family."

A young lady gasp. "So... you mean ---"

Karina changed the subject. "By the way, where did you get your dress tailored at Lady Anna? it's very gorgeous. I couldn't take my eyes off of it."

Lady Anna, the daughter of a baron who had a small mole underneath her left baby blue eyes, was suddenly emitting a high filled energy at the compliment of her pale orange colour dress --- in contrast to her boredom behaviour earlier.