The Substitute Bride Is Adored by the Clumsy Margrave

In the tea room.

Jean asked the Viscount quietly.

“By the way, Viscount Farenheit… why did you send me such a letter?”

❁❁❁

“You… Don’t look so high and mighty just because the Margrave is a bit of a decent, nice guy.”

If this had been Clarisse before, she might have remained silent, but she took a breath and replied quietly to her sister.

“I’m not having that look on my face, sister.”

“Yes, you do! You’ve come to show off to me by wearing such a dress and accessories, haven’t you? How can you do that when I told you not to wear make-up in the first place?”

‘This person …..’

After Clarisse met Jean, and as he took good care of her and cherished her, she was finally able to accept who she was, albeit little by little. 

Not only Jean, but also Sid, Marius, and of course Mary and the other servants, who had always been there for her, in short, thanks to the people who cared for her, she learned that there are people who will love you for just being the way she is.

The image of Clarisse imposed on her by her family, who did not love her, was a useless young lady who is not as beautiful as Matilda. But Clarisse now knows that she was wrong to have spent so long being convinced that she was worthless, listening to them and doing as they told her.

“I only did it for me, never to show off to you… Besides, I’m already engaged and have left home, so I don’t think I need to follow your orders.”

“What the…! You’re just my substitute!”

Angrily, Matilda came up to Clarisse and grabbed her left wrist.

“This ring too… it should have been mine!”

“No, Jean-sama gave this to me, not to you, sister…”

“Shut up! Enough for a useless bitch like you!”

Matilda then grabbed Clarisse’s left wrist with tremendous force, pulled the ring off, and threw her forcefully against the bookshelf. 

Clarisse was slammed into the bookshelf with a loud crash and then lost her balance and fell on her back. The bookshelf was so solid that it did not fall over, but several heavy books fell from the top and hit Clarisse. She quickly used her arms to cover her head and closed her eyes.

“For someone who does nothing but read stupid books!!!! I’m going to go to father and ask him to replace the marriage between us.”

When Clarisse opened her eyes, Matilda was no longer there.

She sighed and was about to stand up when she noticed that something slimy was running down her forehead. Her forehead felt warm and feverish.

‘I must have injured myself.’

“Miss! There was a tremendous noise, what the hell…!”

“Mary… you’re here… and so is Sid-sama…”

When Mary and Sid swooped in at the right time and saw Clarisse’s face, Mary let out a roar of anger.

“…I can’t forgive her…! Doing this to My Lady!!!”

Clarisse’s forehead was torn by the book, and fresh blood poured out. Mary knew in her gut that Matilda was the only one who could do such a thing.

“Mary, calm down. We need to stop Clarisse’s bleeding first. Do you have any clean clothes?”

Sid calmly instructed, bringing Mary back to her senses, and she rushed to grab a clean cloth from the shelf and handed it to Sid. 

He gently placed it on Clarisse’s forehead with a familiar hand to prevent the wound from bleeding and told her to hold it down. He also told her not to move for a while because she might have bumped her head.

Clarisse was in such a state of tension that she hardly felt the pain of the wound and spoke to Mary feverishly.

“Mary…I talked back to my sister. I talked back…I fought back, myself.”

At these words, tears welled up in Mary’s eyes as she knew how much Clarisse had lived her life by keeping her feelings buried deep inside.

“Miss… you’ve really… worked hard… and I’m proud of you…”

Clarisse smiled.

“Thank you, Mary. I’ll leave the rest… to Jean.”

❁❁❁

“What do you mean, ‘letter’?”

Although he had expected it, Clarisse’s father, unlike Clarisse, seems to be just a snob.

“Did you forget? The letter from our engagement.”

The Viscount stammered.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I believe it clearly states that I am sending you Clarisse.”

“I don’t have a problem with that part; it’s the next part I’m asking about.”

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

He seemed to be trying to keep a clean slate. Just as Jean was about to open his mouth for his next verbal attack, a heavy cracking sound echoed from somewhere inside the mansion.

‘Clarisse…?’

He was concerned about the fact that Matilda had disappeared as if following Clarisse, who had just left her seat. However, the Viscount had already said that he should stay here, and he was hesitant to walk around without permission when it was not his house, so Jean patiently held back.

After a while, the sound of running footsteps echoed, and Matilda came running into the room. She sat down beside the Viscount’s knees and looked up at her father.

“Father! Please, replace Clarisse’s engagement with mine! Clarisse agreed, and gave me this ring.”

A violet ring shone on the ring finger of her left hand.