Chapter 183
“Ah! So that’s why Countess Corindel has been absent from social circles lately. She must be searching for her daughter, terribly worried, I imagine.”
“It would be better if the countess never finds Yvette,” Emily replied with a frosty expression.
Rumors about Countess Corindel exploiting her daughter for marriage deals were common knowledge among the nobility. The countess’s cold-heartedness toward her daughter made her a frequent subject of disdain in social circles. It was even said she shamelessly arranged meetings between Yvette and noblemen old enough to be her father.
Among such rumors, the proposal involving Yvette and Grand Duke Rahinsel surfaced. The nobility was shocked, curious as to how ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) Countess Corindel had managed to gain favor with the formidable Duchess Dowager of Rahinsel.
“How could marriage talks even happen between the two families?”
Grand Duke Rahinsel’s prolonged bachelorhood was attributed to his lack of interest in women and the relentless interference of his stepmother, the Duchess Dowager. No matter how favorable a prospective bride might seem, the duchess found fault with them all. Her reputation for being exacting and miserly was well-known.
Yet, the notoriously picky dowager selected Yvette Corindel, a seemingly insignificant choice. The aristocracy whispered theories about the dowager’s motives.
“She must want to bolster her own son, Tébés.”
It was obvious: the Duchess Dowager sought to undermine the grand duke while elevating her own biological son, Tébés. The engagement between the grand duke and Yvette seemed part of this strategy.
But then, Yvette vanished from the social scene.
At first, Countess Corindel claimed her daughter was recovering from a sudden allergic reaction. Later, she said Yvette had caught a severe cold and was recuperating at the southern estate. Violet had believed these explanations without question.
In truth, Yvette had run away, leaving behind a letter severing ties with her mother. Emily, privy to these details, had been unable to sleep, consumed by worry over her friend’s well-being.