The Villainous Lady Doesn't Speak Chapter 107

It was at the breakfast table the next morning that Liliana sighed in relief, realizing that Ajulite's loud laughter seemed only to be heard by her. It appeared that what had sounded like a loud laugh to Liliana was similar to telepathic communication, inaudible to others.

(Still, it’s quite distressing.)

Liliana struggled to suppress her sigh. Her father, the Duke, would arrive around noon, and the final funeral service, attended by other nobles, would take place the following day. While the prospect of burial and being allowed to return home brought her some relief, the process leading up to it was bothersome. Moreover, the constant need to dodge her mother’s hostile glares, while pretending not to notice, only added to her exhaustion.

Adding to her woes was the matter of the demon summoning spell cast on her grandfather. Despite confirming with Ajulite, they could not identify the caster. If her grandfather had secluded himself on his estate for the latter part of his life, it might have been possible to pinpoint the caster. However, he had been a statesman, widely recognized, and it was conceivable that he had incurred grudges unbeknownst to him.

(If his social circle had been narrower, I might have suspected my father as the perpetrator more directly.)

At this stage, her father, Duke Clarke, was merely a suspect. However, it was not as if she had no recourse. The spell on her grandfather required not only the name of the target but also a personal acquaintance to activate. This meant there was a high chance the caster would attend the funeral. Though the number of attendees would be considerable, observing them all would help narrow down the list of potential casters.

(Then there’s the matter of why my mother’s attitude towards me has worsened.)

There had never been much of a mother-daughter relationship to begin with, so Liliana was not deeply hurt. If there were no tangible harm, she thought it might be best to ignore it. However, if the worsening attitude was due to her mother’s psychological issues, it might be less problematic. If there were other reasons, it would be useful to understand them. Even if not directly related to her, obtaining information could give her an advantage if needed. Liliana considered this briefly before sending out a rat to gather information. She didn’t expect useful information to come easily, but she hoped for even a small clue.

*****

By noon, Duke Clarke had finally arrived at the estate, greeted by Clyde and the butler, Philip, and then retreated to his study room. 

It seemed that neither his grandmother nor his mother had come to greet him, but Liliana, who was also in her room, had no room to criticize. Lunch was served in their individual rooms, and the family only came together at the time of the funeral procession. 

They boarded three carriages: one with the grandmother and Liliana, another with mother Belinda and Clyde, and the third with the Duke. The funeral proceeded with the same solemnity as the previous night, without much conversation. It was apparent that preparations for the final funeral the next morning were almost complete, with changes in the church’s decorations and seating arrangements.

After the funeral, the party returned to the estate and gathered in the dining hall for what was termed a dinner. At the Duke’s signal, the servants quickly brought out the food. Following the customary prayer, the meal began in silence. The awkwardness at the table was palpable, and the food, prepared with great care by the cooks, tasted bland to Liliana. She mechanically put food in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed, trying to pace her eating to match the others and avoid making the silence more uncomfortable.

The dining hall was filled with the sounds of servants moving and the faint clinking of dishes. Although no impolite noises were made, the atmosphere was so tense that it felt as though even the slightest sound, like a strand of hair moving, could be heard.

“—Father,” Clyde finally broke the silence, unable to endure it any longer or perhaps trying to ease the mood. The Duke turned his gaze towards Clyde, his demeanor intimidating to those with a weaker constitution. However, Clyde met his gaze calmly and asked, “Regarding the inspection, I’ve prepared some details for your review later.”

“Understood. We’ll find time for it.”

The Duke nodded in a completely emotionless tone. The conversation seemed to end there, but unexpectedly, Belinda spoke up. Liliana was astonished to see her mother addressing Clyde with a gentle voice and warm gaze, something she had never seen before.

“Clyde, the inspection—will it be when the prince of the Yunitian Empire visits?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Oh, how wonderful. You’re finally starting to learn the duties of a lord properly. Where will you go? The dyeing special zone, perhaps? And there were wonderful perfumes and herbs as well.”

Liliana tried to avoid looking directly at her mother but could not hide her surprise at the sight of her mother’s flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes. Clyde, however, maintained his usual composure. It was likely normal for him.

The stark contrast between how her mother treated Clyde and Liliana left her feeling breathless. She took a deep breath to calm herself, but a sharp pain soon struck her head. She clenched her hands to endure it, managing to avoid any impolite noises. After overcoming the pain in her head and chest, Liliana let out a sigh of relief. When she glanced up, she found the Duke glaring sharply at her.

(――――?)

Wondering what was wrong, Liliana tilted her head inwardly. However, the Duke soon diverted his gaze away from her, leaving no opportunity for questioning.

Meanwhile, Clyde was responding seriously to Belinda.

“I am considering visiting the dyeing special zone. Although perfumes and herbs are nice, I think it would be better to showcase our region’s pride, which is the forge for agricultural tools—”

“A forge?”

It seemed that Belinda found the forge less appealing. She frowned slightly, showing her discontent. Clyde, however, nodded without concern.

The forge was an essential choice, as the prince would likely find it more interesting than perfumes and herbs. Moreover, the region’s top specialties were dyeing and agricultural tools. The forge could not be omitted from the itinerary.

However, the objection did not come from Belinda.

“The forge cannot be allowed.”

The Duke’s authoritative declaration resonated through the dining hall. For a moment, Clyde was at a loss for words. Belinda’s face turned pale, and she shuddered slightly. Clyde, his face ashen but resolute, turned to his father and asked in a firm voice, “Why is that?”

“It cannot be permitted. Look for other options.”

“Places that must remain confidential will not be permitted for inspection. Only inspections within permissible ranges will be allowed. Even so—”

“That will not do.”

The Duke, showing no intention of answering, remained aloof. Despite this, Clyde persisted, his hands slightly trembling. For Clyde, like Liliana, Abram was more than just a father; he was the Duke. Being much older and more experienced, Abram had never been indulgent. 

Liliana had rarely conversed with the Duke, but Clyde had only discussed matters of governance and education. Consequently, Clyde felt nervous when speaking with Abram.

Meanwhile, Liliana frowned slightly. The Duke, having become Prime Minister at a young age with the trust of the previous king, was known for his sharp intellect despite his strict personality. Therefore, there must be a reason behind his refusal to permit the inspection of the forge.

(If I were to speculate based on the information I have, the reason could be to prevent the leakage of confidential information, but that has been clearly denied.)

But she could think of no other reason.

Duke Clarke cast a look of slight disdain at his son.

“The situation in the Yunatian Empire is currently unstable. If you still believe that inspecting the forge is necessary, then you are unfit for our family. If you understand, bring me a revised proposal to the study room.”

With that, the Duke wiped his mouth with his napkin and stood up. Despite the meal being incomplete, he summoned Philip and left the room, presumably to return to his work in the study.

Liliana gazed absently at the remaining food on her plate, reflecting on her father’s words.

(In other words, showing the forge that can produce weapons might be interpreted as the Clarke family supporting Prince Roland.)

Clyde bit his lip, but he did not look up. Instead, he resumed eating, his hands trembling. Belinda cast a concerned glance toward him, ignoring Liliana entirely. However, Liliana paid little attention and focused on listening.

“Clyde, don’t worry about it. You’re doing your best. It’s alright if you don’t understand him; there’s no need to be sad.”

“No, Mother. I am fully aware of my inadequacies. To manage the territory properly and care for the country like Father—”

Clyde managed a faint smile and shook his head. But Belinda was adamant, cutting him off with a sharp, “No, that’s not it!”

Belinda continued to insist, her voice rising, “It’s not about being inexperienced. I want you to remain as you are!”

Clyde did not respond, merely offering a vague smile. Belinda seemed unsatisfied with this response and leaned forward, her eyes shining. “Clyde!” she called out to her son. Her voice grew louder, and without realizing it, she continued to plead.

“You must be yourself, only you—my precious child! So, please don’t imitate that man—!”

“Mother!”

Despite Liliana being present, Clyde was forced to raise his voice in response to the blatant disregard for his sister’s presence.

“Even if you are my mother, I cannot overlook those words! Lily is—”

“Don’t mention that name! I don’t want to hear it!!”

Belinda, completely losing her temper, screamed in a high-pitched voice. Clyde was left speechless, and Belinda, her hair disheveled, pleaded across the table. Meanwhile, Liliana, who had been told not to mention her own name, was not so much hurt as she was exasperated. Although she wanted to question why her presence was tolerated, she knew that speaking up would only worsen the situation.

“Clyde, what are you saying? You never used to say such things. You should understand the meaning of my words, you—!”

Liliana sighed quietly and poked at the meat on her plate. She wished to leave the room as soon as possible, just as her father had. The servants also looked around awkwardly.

As the dinner threatened to descend into chaos, Barbara, who had remained silent throughout, slammed a tray onto the table, causing glasses and dishes to rattle, though the heavy table prevented any real damage.

“Be quiet!”

Barbara’s action, in stark contrast to proper etiquette, proved highly effective in calming Belinda’s hysterical outburst. Belinda, who had collapsed into her chair in shock, pressed her hand to her chest and stared wide-eyed as she tried to steady her heartbeat. Barbara, who had gathered the attention of everyone in the room, had tears welling in her eyes but maintained a composed demeanor. She gazed sternly at Belinda.

“You, Belinda. How disgraceful. And yet, you are the Duchess? Today—today is the time to mourn your father-in-law, the late Duke, and the great former Duke. When your own parents passed away, would you have tolerated someone throwing a tantrum and ruining the moment of remembrance?”

Her voice, though quiet, trembled with the effort to suppress her rising emotions, a fact that was clear to everyone present. The tension filled the dining room as Barbara quietly stood and instructed the servants.

“Please bring the remaining meal to my room. As for the dinner—it has been shared up to this point, so let it suffice.”

With that, she left the dining room. After a moment of watching her retreating figure, Belinda, having finally regained her composure, bit her lip.

“If only it had been just my father-in-law; why must my own parents—!”

With that low murmur, she stood up abruptly, causing her chair to make a loud noise. Belinda nearly tripped over her chair as she turned to leave the dining room without looking back.

In the now-quiet dining room, Clyde and Liliana exchanged glances as they watched the closed door. Clyde managed a wry smile.

“Well, let’s at least finish the dessert. The chefs put a lot of effort into it.”

Liliana nodded. There was no fault in the well-prepared meal made in honor of the Duke’s visit. She sampled the cold meat and recognized the sauce as a mix of fruit vinegar and finely chopped onions. The slight sweetness was probably from honey. Even the cold meat tasted good.

As Liliana enjoyed her meal, she reflected on Belinda’s final words, which left a sense of dissonance. While the words sounded similar when spoken, it was clear that Belinda had said, “If only it had been just the former Duke, why my own parents as well?” Liliana had heard that Belinda’s parents had died when she was born. There might be some connection between the deaths of those two and the late Duke Rodney.

Clyde interrupted her thoughts, glancing at the plates being cleared and starting the conversation again.

“I’ve been thinking about what Father said. Although I haven’t received any information, I suspect that the Yunatian Empire still hasn’t decided on the Crown Prince, and the nobles are fighting over who will be the next emperor.”

Liliana nodded. It seemed that Clyde had reached the same conclusion as her, so she refrained from interrupting. Sipping her tea, she waited for him to continue.

“The forge can produce not only agricultural tools but also weapons. Although our forge mostly makes agricultural tools, if all those resources were diverted to weapon production, it would amount to a considerable quantity. Including the forge in the inspection would make the Yunitian Empire think that the Clarke family supports Prince Roland.”

This aligned with Liliana’s own reasoning. Clyde continued.

“Since the Clarke family is known as influential nobles in the Slibegrad Kingdom, there’s a risk that the entire kingdom might be perceived as supporting Prince Roland as the Crown Prince.”

Given this, it would be better to guide the inspection to other options, such as perfume or beer, wine, and woolen textiles. Smiling back at Clyde, who grinned at having considered these alternatives, Liliana continued to enjoy her dinner in the dining room.

—-