Chapter 022 Three Guests
It had been two days since Hugh left the Manor for a regional inspection and to observe the progress of the Skythia Castle construction. Initially, Alwyn wanted to prioritize building a railway and a station to access the deeper regions of Skythia. However, Hugh insisted on prioritizing the castle's construction over the railway. His reasoning was that Skythia had only just been conquered, and the possibility of resistance groups still operating in the area remained. Therefore, the defense at the heart of Skythia needed to take precedence.
The debate over constructing the castle as a defense center versus building the railway to facilitate the distribution of essential supplies across Skythia was quite intense. Not only was Skythia a new region, with much of it devastated by the war, but the available funds also had to be carefully allocated for various other needs. On top of that, Hugh's frequent absences due to urgent matters meant that the planning and approval for the castle and railway construction only came to fruition in the last two years.
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In a chilly corner of the room near the fireplace, Atthy sat leisurely reading a book when she was suddenly startled by Miriam's arrival.
"Duchess, there's a problem!" Miriam exclaimed, rushing in from outside the room.
"What is it, Miriam?" Atthy asked, closing the book she was reading. "Why do you look so frightened?"
"Miriam, you're being rude to the Duchess!" Lily reprimanded Miriam. "You should've knocked before entering!"
"Ah! My apologies, Duchess! I was in such a hurry, I forgot…" Miriam immediately lowered her head in apology.
"It's fine, no need for that, Lily… Miriam, tell me, what's causing you to be so anxious?" Atthy asked.
"There are several noblewomen who want to meet with you, Duchess…" Miriam replied, still with a nervous demeanor.
"And then?" Atthy asked briefly.
"They're pressuring Lady Helena, Duchess," Miriam responded again.
"Helena? … Pressured?" Atthy asked, furrowing her brow.
"Yes. They're in the hall, arguing with Lady Helena..." Miriam replied with a worried expression.
"Alright, take me there!" Atthy commanded as she stood from her chair.
"But, Duchess?!" Lily exclaimed, trying to stop Atthy from going, suggesting they let Helena handle it.
"What is it now? Didn't you tell me because Helena is struggling to deal with them?" Atthy asserted her authority.
"That's true. But… we just wanted you to know. We... we're afraid… that…"
"Afraid of what?" Atthy asked challengingly.
"Forgive us, Duchess. Sorry… You're still so young, and there's the… um…" Miriam and Lily stammered, responding to Atthy one after the other.
"Because I'm just a low-ranking noblewoman?!" Atthy retorted with a meaningful smile on her face.
"Duchess, forgive us!" Miriam and Lily cried out in fear, terrified of offending the woman who had just received her title of Duchess two days ago.
"Huff..." Atthy sighed at her servants' behavior. "Enough, let's go!" she said as she stood up from her chair.
Miriam and Lily resigned themselves and followed their mistress. They were both trembling, thinking about the consequences that could arise. If anything happened, they wouldn't just be punished by Helena, but also by the Duke when he returned. Helena had been entrusted with the Duke's directive to ensure Atthy didn't cause any trouble during his absence.
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"Helena. What is all this commotion?" Atthy asked as she stood on the balcony overlooking the hall.
"Duchess, forgive me, Duchess, but..."
Before Helena could finish speaking, one of the women loudly interrupted.
"This servant won't let us in!" cried Judith, the Viscountess of Eugence, who arrived looking flashy and glamorous.
"Exactly," added Viscountess Patricia Durant, who was dressed similarly, "This servant is too arrogant to block us, the nobility!"
"Duchess," greeted Viscountess Eleanor Diomira, another woman in the group, who smiled as sweetly as she could, "We've come to greet you..."
As soon as Eleanor greeted Atthy, Judith and Patricia quickly followed suit, offering fake smiles.
Atthy gave them a cold look, her face revealing almost no emotion.
"Helena!" Atthy called, her voice deliberately stern, "Why haven't you answered my question?" she asked coldly, still standing firmly on the balcony.
Helena was startled by Atthy's words. Brief as it was, Helena immediately understood what her mistress was doing.
"Sorry, Duchess," Helena replied calmly while giving Atthy a respectful bow.
"Tell me," Atthy ordered.
"The noblewomen have come to meet you, Duchess," Helena answered.
"To meet me? Why?" Atthy asked, still maintaining her firm stance.
"They said they wish to get to know you, Duchess..." Helena replied.
"Get to know me? Why?" Atthy asked again, with the same assertiveness.
"Because you are the new Lady of the Skythia Duchy, effective as of yesterday..." Helena answered, standing tall herself, intentionally emphasizing the authority of her young mistress.
"Helena!" Atthy cut her off deliberately.
Helena immediately closed her mouth and nodded, acknowledging her mistress's reprimand.
"Should you be the one explaining this to me?" Atthy asked, then turned her sharp gaze toward the trio of viscountesses. "My apologies, ladies," she continued with a flat expression, "Perhaps your request for an audience got lost. As you can see, I am not prepared to receive guests at this moment."
The three viscountesses were taken aback, their faces reddened in a mix of embarrassment and suppressed anger, which they struggled to hide behind awkwardness.
"My apologies, Viscountess Eugence, Viscountess Durant, and Viscountess Diomira, for my servant's negligence in handling your request..." Atthy added, her tone both polite and firm.
"My apologies, Your Grace..." Helena nodded regretfully, "Viscountesses, I apologize for the oversight. I will search for the letter that must have been misplaced..."
"Enough!" Patricia snapped in a near whisper to Helena.
"Um, we're sorry... we'll come again another time," Judith added, her voice shaking as she tried to sound casual.
"You... must be very tired..." Eleanor chimed in, her gestures mimicking Judith's, "Rest first, we'll return when the time is right."
"Alright, thank you for understanding..." Atthy replied flatly, "Please don't forget to send your notification so I can prepare better. Helena will ensure your letters don't get lost next time!"
It was a subtle yet wise warning. The three viscountesses immediately grasped the message—Atthy, the woman they had once underestimated, had handled them with decisiveness.
The trio, their glamorous appearances now tarnished, gave their farewell to Atthy and left, their eyes glaring at Helena. At one point, Judith roughly brushed against Helena, but tried to make it appear as subtle as possible, not wanting Atthy to notice.
Up above, Atthy, Lily, and Miriam tried to suppress their laughter, watching the humiliating behavior of the three viscountesses, who were known for seeking to ingratiate themselves. They would flaunt their wealth in an attempt to get close to noble wives, hoping to secure favor with their husbands.
"Duchess!" Lily and Miriam called out, their faces full of awe, "You were amazing... without much fuss, you made them lose face..."
"Thank you, but it's not something to be praised... You are Duke Griffith's servants, remember your etiquette. I don't want you getting reprimanded by other ladies."
"Yes, Duchess..." Lily and Miriam responded proudly.
"Helena, I'm sorry for making you deal with their complaints..."
Helena's eyes widened in admiration as Atthy immediately apologized, even though she had subtly blamed Helena. She had done it deliberately, but it was the best course of action Atthy could take.
Etiquette dictated that when someone wished to meet someone of a higher rank, they must announce their arrival via a letter or messenger at least an hour before. Atthy was a Duchess, a position just below that of a royal princess, but the issue was that Atthy had only recently been given this title, and it had not yet been officially recognized. Furthermore, Hugh hadn't said anything about it. Therefore, Atthy could not yet confront the nobility directly. However, she still had to maintain the dignity of a Duchess.
"No, Duchess. You did the right thing..." Helena answered, offering a sincere smile at Atthy, "Thank you."
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"Athaleyah Galina, fiery red hair with skin as pale as snow. Sexy and always full of confidence... Is that so?! Maybe I'm getting old... Is she the wife given by that indecisive king?!... Interesting... She has charm, she's wise, that's what I like."
A man muttered nearby. Unbeknownst to Helena or Atthy, there was a pair of eyes witnessing the scene from the start. The corner of his lips curled up as he watched the three noblewomen get chased off with the look of boiled crabs by a young girl, all without much drama.
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"How arrogant she is..." Patricia shrieked in frustration after receiving the treatment outside the Griffith Manor, "So proud after taking the position of Duchess Griffith."
"Just the daughter of a lowly baron, and she dares to reprimand us..." Judith added, equally frustrated, "How long does she think she'll hold that position?"
"She was even alone on her first night because her husband left her," Eleonora said with a sneering smile on her face, "She thinks we don't know about that... That's why her marriage to Duke Griffith hasn't been publicly announced yet."
"If it weren't for our husbands telling us to approach her, since not many people know about that rumor, we need to be the first to win her favor. Even though my husband said she married Duke Griffith because of Prince Davion's support," Judith continued, "Everyone knows, even though the Griffith Clan is uninterested in royal politics, there are rumors that Griffith has been more inclined toward Prince Cavero ever since he wasn't even crowned Crown Prince..."
"Yes, my husband said the same..." Judith added with a cheerful expression, "Her position as Duchess won't last long... Duke Griffith only did it to please the King."
"But even so, the divorce compensation she'll get will be huge..." Eleonora replied, her eyes sparkling as she imagined the wealth.
"At least we can approach her to make her spend the wealth she'll get if she divorces..." Judith said eagerly.
"You're right," Patricia replied enthusiastically, "She's just a poor noblewoman from the countryside, she'll be too foolish to manage the wealth she'll inherit..."
The trio of viscountesses, who had been so upset, now eagerly gossiped and began devising plans to approach Atthy again.