The Substitute Bride Is Adored by the Clumsy Margrave

Chapter 10

Later that day, Sid visited Jean in his office and couldn’t believe his ears.

“What? You were talking about sewers and toilets?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re lying! It’s the morning after you meet your fiancé for the first time, and that’s what you talk about!”

“Why, it’s important. Besides, Clarisse also provided me with some useful information. She has an excellent point of view.”

Sid had known him long enough to know that Jean was seriously complimenting her.

“You know, if she were a normal young lady, she’d faint at the mention of sewers.”

“Why would she faint?”

Based on the number of years they had known each other, Sid knew that Jean was serious!

“Most young ladies, you know, don’t openly discuss that kind of vulgar talk. Never mind from a man to a woman! Clarisse is well-mannered, so she went along with it!”

“That’s ridiculous.  Every day, we use the restroom. It’s something only the capital’s nobles do.”

“You do realise Clarisse grew up in the Royal Capital, don’t you?”

“……”

“The engagement period is a time to deepen your love for each other, so talk about each other, get to know each other, and whisper things like (I like you)!”

Jean sighed, ignoring half of Sid’s passionate speech.

“You’re really cool when leading the knights and very talkative when it comes to politics and territories, but when it comes to women… you’re just … hopeless.”

“……”

“Clarisse seems to have lived her life holding back a lot in the first place, so I think she’ll hold back a lot here as well if you don’t lead her gently.”

Jean glanced at the letter from Viscount Farenheit on the table. He then raised his eyes to Sid and changed his tone.

“In the meantime, Sid, let’s talk about one of my favourite topics: politics. Go call Marius.”

…

“Are you alright? You appeared to have been hit by a carriage this morning, but you now appear as pale as if you had been kicked by a horse. The lines were decrypted by layla, You know how if you get kicked by a horse and get hit in the wrong spot, you’ll die? Do you understand? In short, you are about to die.”

“…Yeah.”

Mary’s casual tone was soothing, as it always was.

“Do you want to lie down? Or do you want me to give you a massage, My Lady?”

“It’s okay, Mary. Please excuse me, but could you please get me some cold water?”

Clarisse sat on the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling, as Mary quickly exited the room.

Was Jean disappointed to learn that Clarisse was not the Jewel of Farenheit?

From his reaction, it seemed that he wasn’t disappointed, so Clarisse wondered if he might have known it from the beginning.

He didn’t say anything else after that, and she was afraid to elicit a reaction from him, so she remained silent. Jean, on the other hand, escorted her to her room and did not ask her to return to her parents’ house.

‘He didn’t tell me to go back home, but he also didn’t tell me to stay here either.’

I guess he’s still thinking about it.

She wondered how long Jean had been in Royal Capital in the first place. Did he really not know that Matilda was the Jewel of Farenheit ? Suppose he had known from the beginning that the Jewel of Farenheit was her sister. Why didn’t he refuse when her father wrote to him saying that he would send Clarisse as his fiancée?

Clarisse knew almost nothing about him because it was not a marriage born from love, as is often the case with noble marriages.

She was also surprised to find herself wanting to know more about that charming man who always had a stern expression on his face but cared about her through his words and actions.

‘I want to know more about Jean-sama.’

If he’ll let me, she softly added in her heart. It only took Jean a few hours to discover Clarisse’s interest in plants, which even her family was unaware of. That alone made Clarisse feel special.

Mary went to the kitchen to return the cup, relieved to see Clarisse’s colour returning to normal.

“Oh, Clarisse’s maid.”

‘What the… I met that nasty guy… does he wander around every day? This guy.’

That nobleman’s son, whom she took the liberty of naming as a degraded version of Marius, walked towards her from the other side of the corridor, waving his hand in the air.

He didn’t leave as she bent her back to greet him, so she had no choice but to resume her original posture.

“Did Clarisse say anything about her conversation with the Margrave today?”

She immediately felt calm since it was about her mistress.

“The lady said nothing in particular…’

“I see. But she didn’t seem unwell or anything like that?”

Mary hesitated. Suppose the nobleman in front of her was Marius. In that case,  she might have been a little more trusting of him and spoken more freely. However, she was hesitant to reveal information about her mistress when she didn’t even know the man in front of her that well.

“Oh, so you can’t tell me? Of course not; you don’t know me.”

He nodded and began to walk forwards before turning around and saying, “Follow me for a minute.”

Mary had no choice but to follow him as he walked further and further down the second-floor corridor until he came to a very secluded spot and stopped.

“You’ve got some nerve, you know that? Aren’t you afraid? Following me here in a deserted place?”

Mary stared at the young man in front of her.

“I’m not afraid.”

“Why not? I won’t be offended; just tell me.”

‘Oh, how annoying. I want to expose my true colours and make this man despise me as much as possible..’

“You may act like a bad person, but I don’t think you’re that bad-….”

He was surprised and stared at Mary with a serious gaze, and she continued.

“A bad person wouldn’t ask something like (Aren’t you afraid), and…”

“And?”

Unlike before, he asked Mary as if he were genuinely interested.

“I’m confident that I won’t lose facing most men.”

That’s right. Mary had learned self-defense from fellow servants of the Viscount Farenheit family, and she was confident that she could match or even exceed the strength of a slender nobleman’s son.

Of course, she is no match for the men within the servants. Still, even so, she is confident enough to take advantage of a momentary opening if he is not careful, mistaking the opponent for a weak woman.

Her abilities were one of the reasons she was chosen to be Clarisse’s servant this time.

“Really?”

By staring at Mary rudely, he made her feel uneasy.

“Would you mind telling me where we’re going? I have to get back to my Lady right away.”

Then he turned around and opened the massive door in front of him.

“Isn’t it obvious? Jean’s place.”