The Male Lead’s Sickly Aide is My Type - Chapter 108.2
Chapter 108.2
This question had been on her mind for a while. If not Duke Tricia, then the original Carinne? Or perhaps one of Duke Tricia’s acquaintances had a knack for business.
“As far as I know, Lady Ruby spearheaded it.”
“M-My mother?”
She had forgotten that Duke Tricia even had a wife.
Duke Tricia’s wife and the original Carinne’s mother, now deceased, Lady Ruby. Perhaps because of the ordeal she suffered during the witch trial, the name Lady Ruby was deeply etched in Carinne’s memory.
“I asked her if she wanted tea and suggested the kind Madam Ruby used to drink, and she asked me who Madam Ruby was. It’s clear a witch has possessed the young lady. She doesn’t even know what kind of tea the Duchess enjoyed.”
The bewilderment Carinne felt then was beyond words. Why she was called Lady Ruby instead of Duchess Tricia was still a mystery.
“Why do they call her Lady Ruby instead of Duchess Tricia?”
She blurted out her thoughts before realizing her mistake and quickly changed the subject.
“Of course, I know. I was just testing you, Archen, to see if you knew.”
If she didn’t know why Lady Ruby was called Lady Ruby, who would? Only she knew that she had possessed Carinne’s body. Everyone else believed she was the real Carinne.
She had to be careful to avoid another witch hunt.
She didn’t want to appear insane, and Archen was no exception. Carinne steeled her resolve. Duke Tricia was her father, and Lady Ruby was her mother. Don’t forget. Meanwhile, Archen seemed deep in thought before he began to explain.
“It was Lady Ruby’s wish, as I understand it. As you know, Lady Ruby was the only daughter of the now-extinct Ruby County. Being called Duchess Tricia would have erased the Ruby family name forever, and she didn’t want that.”
So that was the story. Lady Ruby was a woman of strong convictions. To briefly explain, the novel was a Western-inspired romance fantasy novel with modern sensibilities.
While there was a clear distinction between men and women, it wasn’t a completely unequal world, and a married woman taking her husband’s name was an example of this. Yet, Lady Ruby had insisted on not taking her husband’s name for her own reasons.
Wasn’t that quite progressive for a woman of that time?
“Of course, you already know this. I’m only telling you to let you know that I know. The Black Raven merchant was close to Lady Ruby. What I hinted to him earlier was related to that.”
Right. She had meant to ask but had forgotten. She was curious what Archen had said to change the merchant’s mind.
When Carinne asked, Archen replied.
“I told him that Lady Ruby wouldn’t have wanted the contract broken like this.”
Aha. So, upon hearing Archen’s words, the merchant remembered Lady Ruby. What kind of person was she to sway the shrewd merchant with just her name? As if reading Carinne’s mind, Arken immediately explained.
“Lady Ruby captivated high society with her eloquence and beauty. She also attended national council meetings in Duke Tricia’s stead and achieved several notable accomplishments. She’s known for reforming and creating various policies and striving for the peace of Esmeril.”
“She was an amazing person.”
It was rare for women to participate in the national council. Occasionally, they did, but mostly because they had a specific agenda or were standing in for their husbands.
To have consistently participated in such meetings…
The nobles must have strongly opposed it, but she’d ignored them and forged her own path. She was no ordinary woman. Carinne remembered what Duke Tricia had said shortly after she possessed his daughter’s body, asking her to stand in for him at a meeting.
“It’s not that I don’t want to go, it’s for you. You’re just like your mother, so you’ll do well.”
She thought he was just saying that, but he wasn’t. Lady Ruby truly was an extraordinary person.
“Do you think I could become like her?”
“You will.”
Archen answered without hesitation.
Hearing that, Carinne realized something. The nobles weren’t just tormenting her to keep her in check; they were afraid of her potential. They were trying to nip her in the bud before she could become as influential as Lady Ruby.
“The nobles will continue to scheme against me. They know I’m powerless and that even though my father has power, he won’t use it. So, I was thinking…”
She paused, considering her options. Making this decision meant abandoning her previous resolve to live a long and peaceful life to focus solely on her relationship with Archen.
Still, she didn’t want to hide and cry anymore.
Lamenting her situation in her boyfriend’s arms once was enough. She didn’t want to be branded a witch and face execution, nor did she want to tremble with rage while watching a play mocking her. There was only one option left. She had been pushed around enough.
It was time to strike first.
“What if I inherit the Dukedom?”
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