Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: A Shower of Gold
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The duke's carriage carrying Juliet soon arrived at the capital's grand temple.
It was early morning, but splendid carriages were lined up in front of the temple. That made sense, as today was the last day of the year. It was also the day the temple raked in the most money.
Juliet deliberately got off a little ways away.
"I'll be right back."
With no attendant maid, few people recognized Juliet walking alone. Thanks to that, she could leisurely tour the chapel without disturbance.
You write your wish on a slip of paper and make a donation, and the temple lights a candle in your family's name. The larger the donation, the bigger and more ornate the candle.
It was a shallow sales tactic, but nobles who staked their lives on appearances opened their wallets without hesitation.
A considerable number of candles were already placed around the altar, as if many people had already come to pray their New Year's wishes.
Thanks to them, the pure white marble statue of the goddess beneath the round dome ceiling appeared to be surrounded by a halo.
It was only after taking out her pouch of gold coins that Juliet realized she hadn't thought of any particular wish.
'What should I pray for?'
As Juliet blankly gazed up at the goddess statue, whispers drifted in from behind.
"Is that her?"
"That woman?"
"Duke Carlyle's...?"
She didn't even need to turn around—the stares pouring in felt scorching.
Lennox Carlyle showed thorough disinterest in high society, but the empire's nobles were intensely interested in him.
A young, unmarried duke.
Wealthy and powerful to boot.
The northern duke made an appearance in the capital exactly once a year.
Only at the imperial New Year's ball.
He always arrived with a beautiful partner on his arm, though it was a different one each year. They never lasted more than three months at most, but those women were called "Duke Carlyle's lover."
His time-limited lovers drew immense attention from everyone.
Duke Carlyle's tastes and indifferent demeanor played no small part in that.
His lovers were all beautiful, but surprisingly lowborn.
Stunning beauties of humble origins and somewhat lacking in refinement were perfect fodder for high society's appetites.
Whenever the duke's new lover appeared, people were quick to mock her looks, how vulgar her tastes were, how naive she was.
But the topic high society loved to gossip about most was something else entirely.
What happened to them after
the duke
notified them of the breakup.
"Isn't that Miss Monad?"
Sure enough.
The moment Juliet handed a gold coin to a young priest and asked him to light a candle for her, people swarmed over, surrounding her with greetings.
"Miss Monad, when did you arrive in the capital?"
"Is the duke doing well?"
"I sent a tea party invitation last time, but I wonder if you received it."
"Keep turning me down, and I'll be offended."
After taking a small breath, Juliet turned around and responded with a bright smile.
"I've been a bit busy. Thank you for the invitation, but I'll have to decline."
Her face smiled, but her attitude clearly drew a line.
They were meaningless people anyway.
Juliet knew full well what they said about her behind her back.
"Poor thing."
"She really believes she'll become the duke's wife?"
A few years ago, when Juliet Monad first appeared on Duke Carlyle's arm, people were stunned.
She was utterly different from all the duke's previous lovers.
For one, Juliet Monad was the only daughter of a historic count family.
Though House Monad had nothing to boast of besides its status as a founding family of the empire, that was still outrageously high compared to the duke's past lovers.
Moreover, up until then, Duke Carlyle's lovers had all been flashy beauties who turned heads.
In contrast, Juliet Monad was an elegant beauty with delicately drawn features, as if painted by a brush.
Those who knew the duke's tastes well were utterly baffled.
The late Count and Countess Monad had been respectable people, and their only daughter Juliet was far removed from any scandals. But what of Lennox Carlyle?
He was the northern duke who trailed a wake of rumors and gossip wherever he went.
And yet, here was the young lady from a declining noble house, arm in arm with him at a ball—radiantly beautiful, no less.
"Seems the duke's tastes have changed."
"Indeed, how long will this one last?"
The shock was short-lived. Soon enough, people were buzzing with intrigue.
Only the target had changed—nothing else would. The moment the foolish Juliet Monad took Duke Carlyle's hand, her fate had been sealed.
Her high status would only make her downfall all the more miserable. Juliet Monad became the perfect prey for high society to tear apart.
"Poor dear, puffed up with dreams."
"The dead count and his wife are the ones who look foolish now."
Mockery disguised as pity came pouring down.
People placed bets on when Juliet Monad would be discarded by the duke after just a few months. Everyone laughed at the foolish count's daughter and eagerly awaited her fall.
But one month, two months.
Seasons passed and the year changed, yet the anticipated news never came.
Juliet Monad remained in the north, and she was still the duke's lover.
People were disappointed.
Of course, no one was deluded enough to think the duke had truly fallen in love.
The empire's sole ducal house apart from the imperial family. House Monad fell laughably short of qualifying as its mistress.
Moreover, Duke Carlyle's attitude toward her was no different from that toward his previous lovers.
If he had truly seen her as a serious prospect or shown her even a shred of consideration, he never would have kept a noble lady of marriageable age at his side without granting her any official status.
But the deeply dissatisfied high society now began mocking Juliet openly, tearing her down without restraint.
"I hear the count's daughter has some demonic arts up her sleeve."
"How vulgar."
"She puts on such a prim act, but I guess she dodged the axe with tricks like that."
No one thought she would become the lady of the north.
And Juliet agreed with that assessment.
Contrary to what many mistakenly believed, Juliet had never once thought she would marry him. After all, she was the person who knew Lennox Carlyle best.
The moment he no longer needed her, she would be discarded without mercy.
"Oh my, isn't this someone?"
Suddenly, the temple entrance grew rowdy, and a woman appeared leading a group of people.
She greeted Juliet with cheerful familiarity.
"Long time no see, Miss Juliet."
"...Princess Priscilla."
Despite the blatant hostility, Juliet pretended not to notice and bowed politely.
It was Princess Priscilla, the emperor's niece.
With no daughters in the imperial family, she monopolized the emperor's affections. Thanks to that, Princess Priscilla enjoyed a status in high society tantamount to that of an imperial princess.
She was famous for another reason as well: ten years ago, when Lennox Carlyle first attended an imperial ball, she had been his very first dance partner.
'How precocious.'
Princess Priscilla had been a mere fifteen years old at the time.
In any case, after that day, the princess—four years his junior—fell head over heels for the northern duke and began importuning the emperor. She begged him to send a marriage proposal to House Carlyle.
The emperor suffered migraines over the matter for a time. If Lennox Carlyle were to marry the emperor's niece, it would be like giving wings to an already threatening ducal house.
Refusing, on the other hand, would be a blow to the imperial family's dignity in its own right. In the end, rumor had it that the imperial family had sent a proposal in its name due to Priscilla's stubbornness.
And...
"Congratulations on your engagement, though I'm late, Princess."
"It's fine. When you live out in some rural backwater, news travels slow."
There were thorns in her words, but Juliet smiled faintly.
This much was child's play.
Half a year prior, Priscilla had ultimately become engaged to Count Casper, a relative of the imperial family.
Juliet's eyes met those of the young man standing beside Princess Priscilla, who was openly ogling her.
Judging from his displeased expression and flashy attire, he must be Count Casper.
Not a bad choice for Princess Priscilla.
Count Casper was the adopted son of Marquis Guinness, and he would inherit the marquisate upon his father's death.
House Guinness was one of the empire's great noble houses, ruling over the south.
"In any case, good for you. Running into each other like this must be fate—let's pray together!"
Suddenly, Princess Priscilla grabbed Juliet's arm. Linking them like close friends, she dragged Juliet toward the altar without ceremony.
"It's been so long. I want to light a candle for you, Miss Monad."
With a kind expression, Priscilla pulled out a single gold coin.
Clink.
The gold coin slipped from Priscilla's hand and fell to the floor.
"Oh dear."
It was an obvious deliberate act.
"Sorry, my hand slipped. Juliet, could you pick it up?"
As she spoke, Priscilla deliberately ground her heel down on the dropped coin.
"It's fine, right, Juliet? We're friends, after all."
Only then did the onlookers grasp Princess Priscilla's intent, and snickers erupted among them. The spectators folded their arms, eager to see how Juliet would react.
Juliet stared down at Princess Priscilla's shoe pinning the gold coin.
It was a tactic Princess Priscilla frequently used to publicly humiliate the duke's lovers—putting them in a position where they could neither resist nor comply, ultimately forcing them to bow at her feet.
Juliet neither flushed nor faltered.
It seemed Princess Priscilla had completely forgotten who Juliet Monad was.
Though the family fortunes had declined, House Monad was one of the empire's founding count families. Juliet had grown up in the capital, even if she had spent the past few years in the north. She was thoroughly accustomed to such childish ploys.
Everyone wanted to see her flustered and helpless, or blushing in humiliated shame—but they had picked the wrong target by a mile.
Instead of flushing with humiliation, Juliet smiled calmly.
She was no innocent girl swollen with dreams after luckily snaring an undeserved lover.
'And certainly not naive enough to burst into tears over something like this.'
Above all, today's Juliet Monad was in a foul mood.
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up, Juliet."
Princess Priscilla urged her again.
Under normal circumstances, her personality abhorred needless hassle, so she might have let it slide...
But as she locked eyes with Priscilla's gleaming stare, Juliet smiled calmly.
"I have an even better idea, Princess."
An even better idea?
The puzzled look had just risen on Priscilla's face when—
Clink. Clink.
With a cheerful jingle, a shower of countless gold coins spilled from Juliet's hand onto the floor.
Princess Priscilla's eyes went wide in shock.
Paying it no mind, Juliet emptied her pouch completely before speaking.
"I forgot to give you my engagement gift earlier."
"Wh-what do you think you're...?"
"Congratulations on your engagement, Princess."
Juliet added with a nonchalant smile. Then she threw Priscilla's own words right back at her.
"My hand slipped. But since we're friends, you won't get mad over something like this, right?"
In an instant, the temple fell deathly silent.
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