556-chapter-159
The baby was a healthy girl, and surprisingly, there was nothing about her that looked like me. Still, she was very cute, with her jet-black hair, jewel-like red eyes, pure white skin, and delicate features. However, it was Icard’s bloodline that made her look not at all gentle.
The baby’s name was Arienne after a meeting that lasted two months. In the Carovantes language, it’s said to mean ‘God’s blessing.’
“Of course, our baby is the baby who received God’s greatest blessing.”
Father, who tried to look down on the temple and tried to use black magic, spoke proudly.
“Of course.”
Evan, who wasn’t baptized until he was twenty and even used illegal black magic drugs, nodded.
“Of course. It is the most beautiful gift from God.”
I, who had once again been saved by the devil, shamelessly agreed.
In fact, Arienne was also the name that hid Evan’s great worries.
Even though he was the devil’s contractor, he felt very uncomfortable with the devil. That was why he gave his daughter a sacred name so that the devil would never attack her. And, of course, as soon as she was born, she was baptized by the high priest.
‘If anyone sees it, they will think that we are a truly faithful family…’
Far from being a faithful family, the devil’s incarnation even stayed in the house. In the meanwhile, Olivia and Neo had a really bloody fight. The sight of the white-haired old woman and a cat fighting hand-to-hand without giving in to each other at all…
Really… it was huge.
“I heard that they definitely got along well at first… About thirty minutes? But now they almost become sworn enemies.”
When I spoke with concern, Evan spoke calmly.
“I’m not really surprised because everyone who was involved with Aunt was like that. Though I learned something new, the devil is no exception.”
Nonetheless, Neo did not do much harm other than scratching Olivia. While he hated her, it seemed like he couldn’t hate her. The reason was that she was honestly kind of fun to watch.
However, when he heard the name decided for Arienne, Neo was very offended and went back to Sven.
— Don’t… name… disgrace… next… sacred… Nyaaaaa.
“Don’t put my name on it? It’s a disgrace to come after the sacred name?”
With Neo’s abstention, the middle name was decided to be ‘Olivia.’
Naturally, Father and Evan wanted to name the third name, but Olivia started to cause a fuss, saying that the baby looked just like her.
If she had just made a fuss, Father and Evan would never have listened to her, but Olivia noticed the signs right away and laid down next to the baby, saying she would go on hunger strike. In the end, they had no choice but to agree after I said, ‘I’m for the majority.’
Actually, I liked Olivia.
“As expected, Laria! You’re my goddaughter!”
Olivia was giggling and spinning around as if she had the whole world.
Then, some time passed after Arienne was born, Evan inherited Icard and Father went down to Podilin, so Evan and I were the only ones left in the Duke’s residence. Still, there was no reason to feel a little empty. It was because the two of them often stopped by the Duke’s residence, saying that they missed Arienne.
And as time passes, Arienne…
“It really feels like I’m seeing Olivia in her younger days.”
The eldest servant at Duke Icard’s residence testified cautiously, as Olivia also couldn’t take her eyes off Arienne every time she came. She spoke.
“She seems to be becoming more and more like me.”
Evan and Father looked very horrified.
However, I was so happy that our Arienne grew up to be a striking beauty like Olivia. She would be much taller than me, and her facial features would be gorgeous…
“But fortunately, her personality resembles Laria’s.”
Evan spoke while holding Arienne tightly while being wary of Olivia.
“How easily she smiles and how gentle…”
“Well, Icard children don’t usually smile from a young age, so I have to admit that.”
If she truly resembled me, I had to wait and see to see whether she was truly gentle.
‘Maybe she will become an intelligent person who has everything…’
Of course, I didn’t necessarily share those thoughts with others.
“Bhua, baabbbaa…”
Arienne was in Evan’s arms, and she began to struggle to go to Olivia. Arienne was not shy, and she would smile brightly at anyone. She especially liked Olivia.
‘This alone is something extraordinary.’
Anyway, Evan, Father, and Olivia were completely infatuated with Arienne. Evan took pictures almost every day with a camera he had previously ordered, and the servants diligently went to the magic tower to print them.
“I can’t do this.”
One day, Olivia jumped up while looking at the mountain of photos of Arienne.
“I’m dying to brag.”
“Yes?”
Since it was Arienne’s nap time, I handed her over to the nanny and carefully questioned the ominous premonition.
“Bra, bragging?”
“Yes. I want to show everyone Arienne’s cuteness, whose middle name is ‘Olivia’ and who looks exactly like me! Especially…”
Lady Olivia let out a snort and continued.
“To the people in the Capital who cursed me behind my back, saying I had a nasty personality and was mean!”
“Was there someone like that? Who is it?”
“Almost all of the nobles in the capital…”
“….”
“No, rather… everyone…”
She wasn’t just saying it.
“Especially the Marchioness Daniac’s salon gang who talked behind my back, when all they know how to do is brag!”
Olivia let out a loud sigh.
“I want to brag to those insignificant things that our Arienne is this pretty!”
In the end, it meant that she wanted to brag.
“Those people I hate the most! I show my face more often to things I don’t like though I’ve been so happy these days that I’ve forgotten about it.”
“….”
“It had been quiet for a long time. I’ll have to go and try to make a fuss.”
That was something I couldn’t stop. In the end, Olivia finally declared that she would come to the salon, which she was not invited to, to show off.
“I learned a lot from that salon! I’m going to brag about it to my heart’s content!”
The next moment, she strode out of the room, saying she would find out the nearest date and place where the salon’s meeting would be held. Looking at that, I blinked slightly.
‘It’s strange.’
According to Olivia, every time she came to the capital, she should have gone to that salon and caused a scene… but as far as I know, that had never happened.
‘I think there’s something.’
I wasn’t interested in salons because they aren’t a mainstream social gathering in the capital city right now, but I thought I should look into it.
“Lisa.”
“Yes?”
“I want to know something about the salon right away, what should I do?”
Lisa, a veteran model maid from a great noble family, immediately found the answer.
“Ah… I think there will be a suitable person. Please wait!”
Lisa immediately brought Dilla, the oldest maid, from Duke Icard’s residence. Dilla said the same when she saw Arienne, she looked like Olivia.
“If it’s a salon… It started out as a lecture and developed into a social gathering with various small events.”
“Although it’s a bit unfamiliar to me. Even my teacher, Marchioness Eldspi, did not explain it in depth.”
“Now it’s a bit out of fashion, and many salons have disappeared. Nowadays, the only people interested in salons are business owners? Still, it used to be the easiest way to form factions.”
She began her explanation with a reminiscent look in her eyes.
“In particular, Olivia’s generation should be considered the heyday of salons. The famous salons that remain today are all gatherings that have continued the legacy of those days. In other words, the age range is high.”
That was why Seymour, the merchant, focused on the salon when he sold Radian Cares’ paintings. Basically, because it has a long history and the age range of its members, its capital was also plentiful.
“When Lady Olivia was as young as Lady Laria… it was truly the heyday of salons. There was only one person in the capital who did not have a single registered salon.”
“That one person couldn’t be…”
“Yes, it’s Lady Olivia.”
Lisa and I sighed at the same time.
“Well, even if you are not a member of a salon, if there were an interesting lecture or auction, you would go there without any hesitation.”
“Is that okay?”
“Of course, you can’t do that.”
In that case, the trip that Olivia was planning now was definitely not something that should be done. The conclusion has been reached. Anyway, the salon was like a gathering for old people.
“Among them, Marchioness Daniac’s salon. Is there anything unusual about it?”
“Umm…”
Dilla sighed slightly.
“…I don’t know the details because it’s the situation of the superiors, but I understand that Olivia brought Matilda from that salon.”
‘There’s something.’
After sending Dilla out, I immediately wrote a letter to Sven. Wasn’t the original function of the Information Guild to obtain information?
* * *
Originally, Kallaudin and Olivia were scheduled to return to Podilín and Livienne, respectively, on the same day. But on the day when he was scheduled to return, Kallaudin, who was expected to go out with Olivia, saw her in the crowd to see him off.
“Aunt, you’re not going?”
“Yes. I’m not going.”
“Why?”
“I have a salon meeting tomorrow. I will go there first and then return to Livienne.”
“…Salon? No, how many years since you last went there? In a place where elderly people hang out peacefully…”
“This is Marchioness Daniac’s salon. I will brag about our Arienne.”
“…I see.”
Kallauddin simply nodded his head silently at those words, and he got into the carriage alone without saying anything.
Marchioness Daniac’s salon was a name he hadn’t heard in a long time.
The reason he rode in the carriage instead of riding alone, as he had preferred, was because he thought of Matilda constantly. Kallaudin quietly closed his eyes and began to reminisce about the old days.
When he was younger than Laria and Evan were now.
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