Chapter 49 - The Denunciation
Having completed her fifteen day journey and returned to the Royal Capital, Opal attended a ball the very next day. She had learned in advance that Lord Keimont would be in attendance. Though she had replied to the invitation late, the hosts, Lord and Lady Croisel, welcomed her with delight. The moment she finished greeting the couple, she was surrounded by a crowd of people.
"Marchioness Rousel, I wonder if you remember me?"
"Of course I do, Countess Keimont. It is a pleasure to see you again."
Opal answered with a smile, but inwardly, she was flustered by a miscalculation. Countess Keimont was the mother of Jeff Keimont, the very target of her objective tonight, and also a pillar of high society. There was a chance that Lord Keimont might not appear at a ball his own mother was attending. If that were the case, she would have to carefully select another soirée, making sure not to cross paths with Hubert and his party.
Moreover, Countess Keimont was known for her extremely narrow minded and haughty personality. She had apparently often said of Opal in her unmarried days, ‘A wanton girl like her should be barred from social gatherings.’ Feeling gloomy that the night might pass without any results, she then heard a familiar voice.
"It’s been so long, Opal. I heard you were back, but I haven’t seen you at all. I was worried. Where have you been?"
"...It has been a while, Chiara. The purpose of my return this time was to inspect my fief, so I was away from the Royal Capital for some time."
"Inspect your fief? Why bother with such a troublesome task when you can just leave it to someone else? Besides, that is not something a lady should be doing."
"Is that so?"
Opal offered a polite smile, thinking that Chiara's habit of imposing her own values on others had not changed. Chiara had been a friend before the scandal, but she had ignored Opal ever since. Not just the two of them, most of the people surrounding Opal were much the same.
Not that it angered her. Of course, she had been hurt and frustrated at the time, but she had since realized it was her pride, not her heart, that had been wounded, and now it did not matter. What unimportant people said about her was unimportant.
(Well, it does feel rather lonely not to have any friends in high society...)
She had already made many enemies in Taisey Kingdom as well. King Alessandro could hardly be called an ally, let alone a friend. In that case, she wanted to at least solidify her foundation in Sosylle Kingdom, which was her strength. With the thought of being of some help to Claude, Opal smiled and replied to the people who spoke to her one after another.
But the problem was Countess Keimont. She did not think that Lord Keimont, known as a profligate, would attend the same ball as his mother. They must have been unaware of each other's plans. If Lord Keimont were to appear and she were to execute her plan, she would end up shaming the Countess and earning her resentment. Opal debated changing her plan, then decided she should proceed after all. Everyone needed to know what kind of person Lord Keimont was. Opal looked at the people in the hall and felt confident it would be alright. Most of them would just be delighted by a new scandal. There would be some who were disgusted by her actions, but she could never come to an understanding with such people anyway. It was better to increase her allies, however tenuous their support, than to waste energy on them.
Smiling as she listened to the people surrounding her, Opal carefully observed them. Most of the people gathered here wanted something she had. The wanton girl with the enormous dowry from eight years ago had become the former Duchess McLeod and the current Marchioness Rousel. What’s more, she was one of the wealthiest individuals in the country. The women wanted to know how to catch a worthy man, and the men wanted to know how to get her to notice them. They were all vying for her attention.
Still, as she spoke with various people, she found herself having lively conversations with a few individuals and was able to genuinely enjoy herself. Society was about to change dramatically. As industry developed, commoners were beginning to acquire the wealth that the upper class had long monopolized. Those who understood and accepted this, and who made an effort themselves, did not look at Opal with prejudice. They treated her as an equal, listened properly to her opinions, and stated their own. Even opposing opinions in a serious discussion stimulated the stubborn Opal, giving birth to new perspectives and goals.
Wealth begets power. And wealth and power rule the masses. Opal slowly watched the elegantly dancing people and pondered. Besides the people she had just spoken with, how many others in this room would be able to keep up with the changing times?
(I had heard rumors that Viscount Croisel has progressive views, but it was true...)
Although there were still many who clung to old fashioned ideas, this hall had a relatively high number of progressive people, and Opal was taught that she herself had been trapped by her own preconceptions. Tonight, she had been able to discuss investments not only with men but with women as well. That was a joy for Opal, and her heart swelled with hope.
(Perhaps we can become friends.)
Opal fidgeted as she looked at the young woman she had spoken with briefly earlier. Roana, the daughter of Viscount Croisel, the host of this ball, must not have made her debut yet when Opal was last active in society. Perhaps because of her way of thinking, she seemed composed, but she had to be at least five years younger than Opal.
(Oh, what should I do? How does one become friends? Do you just shake hands and say, let's be friends?)
Opal, who had never had a friend other than Claude, was stumped. Claude, who had been with her since childhood and had become her friend before she knew it, was not a useful reference. She was considering that adults might begin friendships by sending cards when someone spoke to her familiarly from behind.
"Well, Marchioness Rousel. What a surprise to see you here."
"...Lord Keimont."
"After the last ball we met at, I heard you vanished as if into thin air. I must be very lucky to meet you again at the very next ball you attend. Or perhaps, is it fate?"
"It is a coincidence."
Opal cut him off with a bright smile, but the shameless Lord Keimont did not give up. He suddenly took her hand and kissed its back.
"Then we must make it fate from now on."
She wanted to slap that leering face. Desperately suppressing the rising anger, Opal settled for forcefully shaking her hand free.
"Just how many women have you made cry?"
"Perhaps the number necessary to satisfy you."
"You are despicable. I do not want to speak to you, let alone see your face. However, there is something I must tell you, Lord Keimont."
"Oh? And what might that be?"
Though his smirking face made her sick, Opal managed to respond politely. There was so much she wanted to say. Even if it did not directly concern her, she could not remain silent when she thought of Beth and the women and children she had spoken with at the sanctuary.
"I imagine my representative will contact you tomorrow, but I must ask you to part with some of your assets in order to pay for child support."
"...Huh? What are you talking about, you."
"You?"
The crowd murmured at Opal’s statement, and Lord Keimont became intensely flustered. Of course, Opal had expected that, but being called "you" in such a manner was truly irritating.
"I have no memory of being addressed in such a way by you."
"What else should I call a wanton woman like you?"
Many of the women gasped. A few covered their mouths as if feeling ill and left the area. But Opal, without so much as batting an eyelid, stared coldly at Lord Keimont.
"There is nothing between you and me! We only danced once or twice in the past!"
"Yes, that is correct. Between you and me, aside from the partial dance at the last ball, we have only ever danced once in the past. And yet, I hear you have been speaking as if we had a deep relationship?"
"Th, that was..."
By now, no one was dancing on the floor. All eyes and ears were on Opal and Lord Keimont. Countess Keimont, who had apparently been in another room, seemed to have heard the commotion and was rushing over. Amidst it all, Lord Keimont glared at Opal, his face contorted with rage.
"That was just me playing along at the time! Any man would sow his wild oats when he was young, wouldn’t he?! We compete over how much we can drink, how many women we can have, and make fools of ourselves!"
Lord Keimont appealed to the surrounding men as if seeking their agreement. But all he received in return were cold stares and silence, from both men and women.
"It may have been just foolish antics for you. But what becomes of the woman whose honor is tarnished? I was burdened with a dishonorable rumor, but fortunately, I had people who believed in me, so I managed to recover. But what about other women? The women who were actually deceived by you, whose honor was tarnished, and who became with child?"
"Other women?"
"A maid from the Duke McLeod household who previously served as my lady-in-waiting is with your child. Furthermore, at the sanctuary I support, two women who gave birth to your children are being sheltered with their children, having been dismissed from their respective positions at the manors where they worked. All three of them said you had promised to marry them."
At Opal’s words, Lord Keimont showed a flash of panic, but he quickly breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, his mother intervened.
"Jeff. What is all this commotion? Did something happen with the Marchioness Rousel?"
"M, Mother. No, it’s nothing serious. The Marchioness suddenly started making baseless accusations, and I was just surprised, that is all."
"What did you say?"
The Countess turned her hostility on Opal, as if protecting a small child. Emboldened by his mother’s support, Lord Keimont returned to his arrogant demeanor.
"When you said other women, I wondered who it could be, but they’re just servants. As if I would ever marry a servant. It’s foolish to believe the words of a stupid woman who can’t even understand that. In the first place, we don’t even know if they are really my children."
"...So you do not deny that you pressed yourself upon servant women after promising them marriage."
"What of it. They’re just servants, aren’t they? They are easily replaced."
"My son was merely led astray by a base woman. There is no reason to blame him."
Opal had not thought there were still people so trapped in such a vile class consciousness, so blind to the changing times. Among the privileged class, there were not a few who thought like Lord Keimont and the Countess. But in this day and age, most of them had learned how to conceal it. Indeed, while no one openly agreed with the Keimonts, there were a few who looked on with sympathy.
"Is that so... Well then, since it is difficult for them to work while pregnant and raising a child without help, you will take financial responsibility."
"Huh? What are you talking about. There’s no way I’m paying!"
"In that case, I will, with all my might, strip you of your entire fortune."
In response to Lord Keimont, who no longer bothered to hide his irritation, Opal delivered her declaration with unwavering calm. And the impact of those words was felt only by those who understood their precise meaning.