As Long As You Are Happy

“It is nice to meet you, madam. I am Irina Leonid.”

As strange it was. That was a separate matter, she still needed to introduce herself. 

Irina greeted the viscountess as she was taught. 

With a bright expression, the viscountess smiled and responded.

“It is nice to meet you too, Lady Irina of the Leonid County. I am Benny Marselt. I apologise, I should have introduced myself first. It has just been so long since I’ve last seen Wendell.”

“The two of you must be very close.”

“Yes, we are.”

Viscountess Marselt gave a wide smile. 

“Wendell and I are childhood friends. We grew up together. But after we each got married, we drifted… I never thought we’d get to meet here again.”

As though she was reminiscing her old memories, Viscountess Marselt’s eyes were wet with her past. 

“Yes, we had great times back then…”

The same could be said about the Viscountess of Alphington. 

“This is not the best place to talk. I shall send you a letter soon.”

Perhaps it was because they were currently in the presence of Irina, they did not feel comfortable openly reminiscing their past together so Viscountess Alphington was soon sending Viscountess Marselt off. 

“Madam.”

Irina addressed Viscountess Alphington.

“Why don’t you go and have a chat with your friend before returning? I can continue resting here with Dame Delphia.”

Irina smiled.

“Dame Delphia should be returning soon anyway.”

She shouldn’t take too long to load their packages onto the carriage so she should be back soon. 

And once she did, she could order another cup of tea and sit with the dame.

“I am extremely grateful for your consideration, my lady.”

The Viscountess of Marselt flashed a wide smile as though she was really touched.

“What’s going on? Why do you look so happy because of that?”

But the Viscountess of Alphington did not withhold her criticism. Still, the other viscountess smiled softly. 

“It’s just because it’s been so long since I’ve last seen you.”

My lady, Viscountess Marselt called for Irina before gesturing to one direction.

“My child is sitting over there. Could I ask that Wendell meet him for a short while?”

As Irina’s gaze followed the viscountess’ finger, she found a child eating with his father on a terrace. 

The cheeks of the plump child munching on white bread were hard at work.

‘How adorable.’

Ah, so that was why she had been so anxious. 

Because the Viscountess of Marselt was away from her child.

After finding out the reason behind the strange feeling she got, Irina flashed a bright smile before nodding.

“Then, I shall see you soon, madam. I will be here with Dame Delphia.”

The Viscountess of Alphington hesitated.

It seemed as though it was still difficult for her to leave Irina here to meet a friend she had not seen in a long time and her family. 

“Well then, my lady, I’ll be back.”

“Yes. please go ahead.”

She would be just across the street anyway. Though the roads were a little wide as carriages were meant to travel on them as well, she should not have any problem returning if anything came up.

“Well, I shall just exchange greetings and return soon, my lady.”

After repeatedly reassuring Irina that she would be back soon, Viscountess Alphington followed after her friend. 

Having been left alone, Irina sipped the tea in front of her as she gazed at the scenery and people-watched.

She found it interesting. 

The fact that she was drinking tea downtown of all places and how she had all this freedom.

Then.

“Hello, Lady Leonid.”

She met someone she had not expected to see.

“It’s been a long time.”

Though the person was not exactly welcome.

“… It’s been a long time, Lady Florence.”

Seine responded to her greeting with the perfect smile before asking while tucking a strand of her dark glossy hair behind her ear.

“Did you come downtown to drink some tea?”

“No, I came to buy some things and look around.”

“I see.”

Seine’s light green eyes fell upon the empty seat in the same table Irina was sitting at. 

“Lady Leonid, if you don’t mind, could I join you? There are no other seats here.”

That was a lie. 

Though the seats on the terrace were all taken as they were popular, there were still seats inside the teahouse. 

Irina tilted her head to the side.

‘Why does she want to sit with me when she doesn’t like me?’

Although she still had much to learn, she was not dense. 

If she could not keep her wits in the slums, she would have been robbed of everything she had and be found dead the next day.

Ben even hated it whenever she did something tactless.

“She was named after rats but rather than moving quickly, she moves so frustratingly slow.”

He would raise his hand against her as he said. 

Was it because she was used to living under those who gazed upon her in disgust?

Irina could see Seine’s true intentions behind her perfect smile.

‘Though considering our first encounter, there’s no way I wouldn’t know what she felt about me.’

Well, no matter how much Seine annoyed her or looked down on her, at least she would never hit her like Ben did. 

“Please have a seat, Lady Florence.”

“… Then, pardon me.”

Seine took the seat opposite Irina. Before the other could take a breath, Irina spoke first.

“So, what do you wish to speak to me about?”

Just as she was about to call for a waiter, Seine paused before turning to Irina. 

Seine narrowed her eyes once they made eye contact.

“I didn’t expect you to notice.”

“I’m not that dense.”

“Hmm.”

Seine smiled in surprise.

“Alright. I have plans after this so I’ll get straight to the point.”

Seine’s light green eyes pointed straight at Irina.

“Lady Leonid, are you perhaps eyeing the position of Duchess Winfried?”

Irina knew that was what she came to talk about. 

There was no reason for her to continue being polite. 

Irina got up from her seat.

“So, you’ve come to talk to me about nonsense.”

It did not seem as if Seine would back down so easily so Irina wanted to catch up to the Viscountess of Alphington.

In any case, she had nothing with her and they had already paid for the carriage back to the estate so she was not in a rush.

“Are you planning on running away without answering me?”

“You asked me a question I feel no need to answer.”

“Sit down.”

Just as Irina was about to walk past Seine, she grabbed her wrist.

Though Seine was still staring straight ahead of her. 

“I merely came to remind you of your place, my lady.”

“… What did you just say?”

“Did that put you in a bad mood? Well, there’s nothing I can do about that.”

Seine’s eyes scanned Irina from her toes to the top of her head.

“Am I wrong to say that you, an uneducated orphan who possesses nothing, have been clinging onto the Duke of Winfried and he has only allowed you to do so out of compassion?”

Seine’s eyes curled with a smile. 

“In spite of their reputation, did you know that the County of Leonid was originally a house that had never been rich?”

Seine shifted in her seat.

“And because Count Leonid and his wife had left the country unattended for a long time, the county is now only worse for wear.”

Lady Leonid, Seine called for Irina softly before tightening the grip around her wrist.

“I do not know your thoughts about it but marriage between aristocrats is not merely the joining of individuals.”

“…..”

“It is the alliance of two families.”

Choosing to marry someone for love was a privilege only commoners were privy to. 

Aristocrats, including Irina herself, did not possess this privilege.

“What family should I marry into to bring my own prosperity? What value does my partner bring and what of our child?”

“… That.”

“Just hear me out first, my lady. Because I’m not in the mood to hear any of your nonsense.”

Seine interrupted Irina like a single slice of a sharp blade.

“Marriage is the outcome of much deliberation and thought on both sides.”

Seine stared straight into Irina’s eyes.

“My father too has been calculating for a long time. Like what value does Seine Florence currently possess and what value should her partner have?”

And how much gold could he profit if the two were to get married?

“In any case, marriage cannot be brought about just from the promise between two families two generations ago.”

She knew what Irina had been hearing.

Irina bit into her lower lip.

“Our House of Florence has long been a central aristocrat here in the capital. We can provide the Duke of Winfried a foothold should he ever wish to enter central society. Moreover, Florence is also a transportation hub. One has no choice but to pass through our territories if they wish to travel.”

“…..”

“If the lands of the Winfried Duchy are to ever be covered in golden wheat again, it would definitely need our family’s assistance.”

After saying her piece, Seine suddenly got up. 

Since they were already close enough for Seine to grab her wrist, the moment she got up, her eyes stared straight into Irina’s. 

“By the way, what can you provide to the Winfried Duchy or the Duke of Winfried, my lady?”

Seine raised the corners of her lips.

“Your body?”

“…..!”

But before Irina could say anything in response, Seine’s hand, which was clad in a glove of silk, swept down Irina’s cheek.

“You are certainly beautiful, my lady. Your pale unblemished skin, your fine golden hair and your blue eyes that captivate all that look upon them. I am sure your beauty alone deserves praise.”

As she spoke, it was clear from Seine’s eyes that she was speaking the whole truth without a shred of lie.

But at the same time, her voice was as cold as it could be. 

It did not look like she was treating Irina like a human, Seine looked like a butcher who was weighing a piece of meat before placing a price tag on it. 

Goosebumps dotted Irina’s skin 

“If it hadn’t been for the fact that we are now in times of peace, your beauty alone could be enough of a reason for you to become duchess.”

Seine’s hand fell off of her. 

Irina suppressed the desire to rub her cheek.

“But, unfortunately for you, the war has ended.”

Seine smiled.

Her smile was so bright and wide that Irina found it hard to believe that she had been coldly judging her like a piece of meat just earlier. 

“Be it the Duke of Winfried or anyone else, they’d choose me because I’m a little more helpful.”

That should be enough.

Seine smiled inwardly. 

‘Since I’ve given her enough of a warning, she should step back on her own.’

She had only met Irina once before but Seine knew enough about her. 

She was a kind person.

Someone easily swayed by others. 

Someone who would fight to payback as much as she was mistreated. 

And someone who was tactful–which was something Seine just learned. 

‘If I tell her off enough, she will blame herself and disappear on her own.’

If she could despair at her uselessness because she was not of any value and then marry someone distant aristocrat before vanishing, that would be the best.

‘I want her to disappear on her own.’

Seine chewed the inside of her cheek.