Please Lend Me 50 Million - Chapter 46

The Duchess of Seline smiled benevolently and introduced her niece. At a glance, she was a kind aunt looking after her niece, but her intent to get her noticed by the big shots was palpable.

“Let me introduce her. My maternal niece, Giselle Herseye.”

“Hello, my lady.”

“Oh my, she’s grown so much already.”

A noblewoman who recognized Giselle spoke to her warmly. Giselle, with her innocent face, perhaps thinking she should help her friends, began introducing the young ladies beside her. Despite the claim that they were the Duchess’s maternal niece’s group, the ladies trailing behind were mostly of insignificant backgrounds.

The noblewomen greeted the ladies with soft smiles, but it was obvious what they were thinking inside.

“…And this is Beryl Anderman.”

“Hello, I am Beryl Anderman.”

Beryl, who smiled lightly, looked young despite being around the same age as Asha. Although she had tidied her red hair well, her vibrant energy couldn’t be hidden.

Unlike the other young ladies who were intimidated by the noblewomen who were old enough to be their mothers or aunts, Beryl intruded into the conversation aggressively. For some reason, the victim became Asha, who was holding back a yawn.

“Countess Bellstein, I’ve heard a lot about you. I believe this is the first time we’ve met like this!”

“Ah…. Hello, Miss Anderman. I’m glad you’ve greeted me so warmly.”

“Haha, my father is currently doing business with Harriet. Because I’ve come across his name often, it feels familiar even though it’s our first meeting. It’s an honor to meet you like this. I’ve always been curious.”

Unrefined words poured out like weeds. Among them, the moment the name ‘Harriet’ popped out, a chilly aura circulated among the noblewomen. For an unmarried young lady to refer to a married man by his first name as she pleased—it was a blatant discourtesy.

“It seems you are close with Harriet? Not many people call him by his name.”

“Ah, he used to stay quite often. At our Anderman estate.”

“At the Anderman estate?”

“Yes.”

At Beryl’s bombshell statement, Giselle squeezed her eyes shut. She must not have been so blunt as to miss the obvious discourtesy. Giselle looked at Duchess Seline’s expression anxiously, not knowing what to do, but Duchess Seline was also looking at Beryl with cold eyes.

The noblewomen, who momentarily hid their chilly air, tried hard to break the frozen atmosphere. They didn’t want to shield a rude person, but the person the young wildcat had touched without knowing any better was the Count Bellstein of Peliche. There was no one among the noblewomen gathered here who didn’t know what lay behind his brilliant reputation.

“Haha, it seems Miss Anderman is excited for the banquet held after such a long time. This is the problem with early summer banquets. People get too overly excited, and sometimes their reason becomes blurred without them knowing.”

The first to speak up was a noblewoman who was acquainted with Count Anderman. Part of it was because she recalled Count Anderman groveling before her, but more than that, she had a stronger desire to help the foolish young lady just once. Her age was too young for her life to be ruined by a single thoughtless remark.

A few ladies close to the noblewoman who spoke up chimed in.

“That’s right. Besides, with Peso champagne provided in the corner of the banquet hall, those unfamiliar with banquets end up helplessly drunk. But how did Count Clark think to bring in Peso champagne? It’s hard to obtain, and it’s a wine better suited for a serious atmosphere than a banquet like this.”

“Ah. I heard that in Peso, there is a culture of viewing artwork while drinking wine. Isn’t it quite romantic? Alcohol and art.”

“My, and with early summer added to that, everything is romantic. I’m glad I came all this way in one breath.”

“Speaking of which, from somewhere—”

Beryl, dazed by the easily shifted topic, gaped her mouth. But by what means could she dare to interrupt the words of noblewomen who had debuted in society much longer ago? Beryl, having lost her way, could not hide her flustered state.

Asha, watching her, furrowed the bridge of her nose as her heart sank.

‘Harriet… you say?’

She didn’t know when she had become such a petty person, but once her mind became twisted, it just kept winding up.

It was frustrating enough that seeing his face—let alone the bedchamber—felt as distant as a past life, but to have someone flirtatiously provoke her right in front of her face? A fire began to crawl up inside her already overturned stomach.

It was to the point she lamented not finding out more about Harriet’s business partners. Above all… ‘He stayed often?’

She wasn’t doubting Harriet of having an affair. She wasn’t stupid enough to be immediately swayed by words thrown out with the intention of provoking her. However, if she wasn’t swayed by those words, she wasn’t a wife—she was just a stone, a stone!

As Asha’s eyebrows began to form a curve, several Northern noblewomen looked at her with anxious eyes.

They were those who knew why Asha was called the Halswein’s filly.