Main Dinning Room

  “So Kain do you know if Miss Hawkings is coming?” Veronique tried to distract the Undead and stop him from performing the evil eye

  “Eh? Lady Veronique did Miss Hawkings not tell you that she would not be attending?” Penelope had answered in his stead “Lady Rhea told me it was because she didn’t want to distract your girls” Veronique knew that too, but it wasn’t why she had asked

  “Thank you for refreshing my mind Penelope” she politely said “Miss Hawkings did tell the same thing to me, I had just forgotten”

  “Not a problem Lady Veronique” the maid cheerfully replied

  ‘is it just me or is Penelope acting more friendly to me?’ the redhead thought, just then music started from somewhere ‘where did they even hide the musicians?’ Veronique didn’t dare to try to look for them as the guests had started to arrive.

  ‘Right that’s Count Thackeray’ she identified the bald decrepit man and was ready to give her greeting, but he had gone to Rhea.

  ‘That should be Baroness Letitia, I recognize her from the mole on her nose’ Veronique had gotten ready to curtsy at the noblewoman, but she didn’t even glance her way

  ‘It’s Lord Goldi!’ she prepared herself, but he just gave her a look of disdain then went to Rhea too.

  It didn’t take long for Veronique to notice that they were all going straight towards Rhea even if it created a line as the Child couldn’t greet them all at once.

  Veronique kept her face neutral, feeling a bit disappointed but only because she wasn’t getting to put in practice what Miss Hawkings had nailed her head with, however there she was feeling a bit more of anger.

  This wasn’t about Rhea because the child seemed in her element, and it wasn’t either that Veronique wanted some attention to herself or that she was being jealous of Rhea.

  It was because Veronique could see how this holier then you attitude was slowing down the entrance and causing the whole thing to drag out longer then it should.

  It was simply that the inefficiency she was witnessing was infuriating, but despite of it Veronique kept herself poised and ready just in case someone went her way.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  And a few did, which she greeted enthusiastically showing nothing of the anger she felt.

  They were either minor or emerging nobles, those that didn’t really know the inns and out of high society or merely didn’t care about it and just wanted to have a word with the Duke.

  Veronique was secretly glad those went her way because Rhea had some trouble memorizing their names without a recognizable family crest to pair them with.

  Speaking of family crests, someone with an horse head as a crest was coming her way.

  The crest depicted the horse in armor with the mane pulled back in dressage braid, there was great emphasis on the armor part as it was the most bulky component of it.

  “Welcome to our humble banquette Marques Vulio Mercure” Veronique gave him as curtsy as he came close, he had noticeable belly fat made worse by his tight suit, murky green hair and an oblivious toupee that was brighter then his hair along with a sorry excuse of mustache.

  His choice of suit wasn’t any better, the combo of indigo purple with golden trims wouldn’t be that bad if it didn’t go overboard with golden and made it so thick in an attempt at making it look sophisticated, along with making the whole thing full of unnecessary frills and accessories.

  In short he was wearing a cluttered mess without any reason or rhyme.

  Veronique had to work very hard to not start busting out in laugher when the two Disarmed had ceased their ethereal conflict to walk over and size up the man making disapproving and mocking gestures as they circled around him.

  “Mh I see they taught you good manners after all” the man pointed out, but it was clear he was neither impressed or trying to give her a compliment as he sized her up with an air of superiority, even going over Kain and Penelope “even if the choice of your servants seems quite questionable”

  “I can assure you both Penelope and Kain are reliable” Veronique defended them while trying to ignore the fact Disarmed tried to hit Marques Mercure on the head with their severed arm, looking very disappointed when it went through then looking towards the redhead as if asking to be made solid to get it done

  ‘Absolutely not’ she thought out aloud knowing the consequences would be catastrophic

  “You know your servants by name?” he seemed disgusted by the notion, and this was the moment the redhead gained a visceral dislike for Marques Mercure and was temped to fulfill the Disarmed request “whatever, can you even handle that dog?” he simply changed target of his unwanted scrutiny

  “I trained Phobos myself, sir” Veronique assured him

  “Please, you and I both know there is no way a little twig like you could do such thing” he didn’t believe her and openly mocked her “I bet it was your Hound master that did it, am I alright?”

  Penelope seemed to be about to give the Marques a piece of her mind, but if she did such thing it would be a disaster as Marques Mercure was one of few nobles that rivaled the Duke in importance and influence.

  Even if the Duke was clearly a few steps above him.

  “It seems your deducting skills aren’t just talk” Veronique was quick to say to avoid the conflict “I could never hope to reach your level, sir” he preened like peacock at the perceived praise ‘Sucks on him to assume such talk is of positive kind, I basically told him he is as stupid as they made him to be and that I could never be as dumb as he is’ it wasn’t as satisfying as just yelling her pure thoughts at his face, but she will have to be content with it.