Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Tit for Tat
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Those who had been eagerly anticipating Juliet's humiliation just moments ago froze in unison.
The silence was broken by Lady Priscilla's scream.
"...Juliet Monad!"
Lady Priscilla, her face flushed bright red, shrieked sharply.
"Are you seriously acting this arrogant because you think you have Duke Carlisle's favor?"
"Yes."
"W-What... What did you say?"
"Yes, that's right. I'm being reckless because I have the duke's house backing me."
Juliet smiled brightly and prettily.
Lady Priscilla was utterly appalled.
For someone who had lived her life pampered like a princess, this kind of insult was unprecedented.
"Juliet Monad! How dare you ignore someone's goodwill like this? There's a limit!"
Lady Priscilla, completely forgetting what she had just done herself, welled up with tears.
It was an uncharacteristic reaction from someone who usually delighted in humiliating Duke Carlisle's lovers in every way possible.
But Juliet's expression didn't change at all as she calmly replied.
"I have no idea what you're talking about.
I was just returning Your Ladyship's goodwill, that's all."
"You…!"
Lady Priscilla, at a loss for words, glared at Juliet.
She had merely returned the rudeness Priscilla herself had committed, yet Priscilla seemed to have no tolerance for receiving it.
"...Unbelievable!"
She grumbled for a while, but Lady Priscilla had no other options.
In the end, she chose to flee the scene.
"Y-Your Ladyship!"
A few flustered noblewomen hurriedly chased after Priscilla.
Juliet leisurely watched her retreating figure.
The reason Priscilla's outrageous behavior had worked until now was simple.
Lennox Carlisle's past lovers had low status and were ignorant of high society's rules.
Terrified of Priscilla's rank, they could only run to the duke, sobbing and tattling.
Or, fearing they might lose his interest, they said nothing and just took it.
Neither applied to Juliet.
'I thought she'd at least grab me by the hair…'
She had planned to give back exactly what she got, but it ended anticlimactically.
Juliet glanced around.
The onlookers who had surrounded her flinched and averted their eyes when their gazes met.
"Ahem!"
They cleared their throats unnecessarily, pretended to look elsewhere, and soon dispersed.
Juliet flashed them a wide, deliberate smile.
In truth, people could mock and ridicule the duke's lovers because Lennox Carlisle was thoroughly indifferent.
But conversely, it also meant Juliet Monad could act as arrogantly as she wanted in high society, and he wouldn't bat an eye.
No one in their right mind would want to make an enemy of the duke's house.
But there was one. Someone that oblivious.
It happened just as Juliet was leaving the chapel.
Someone who had been waiting in the outer corridor grabbed her wrist roughly.
"I heard they were saying Duke Carlisle's taste in women is vulgar, and now I see why."
Juliet yanked her arm free from the sarcasm and replied coldly.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Count Casper."
It was Count Casper, Lady Priscilla's fiancé.
"Ha! Trying to deny it?"
Count Casper leaned in close and sneered.
"I heard everything, you know."
So, what?
There weren't many onlookers in the corridor outside the chapel, unlike before.
Confirming there were few eyes around, Count Casper lowered his voice to a whisper.
"I heard you use some demonic illusion magic?"
Juliet let out a disbelieving chuckle.
He must have picked up some half-baked rumor about her ability.
'It's not even a secret.'
Juliet sighed softly.
She could guess how the rumors had gotten twisted.
"Did you seduce the duke with that? Huh?"
Demonic illusion magic.
Suddenly, Juliet frowned.
The sensation of his fingers groping her wrist midway through was disgusting.
"Or maybe... you're skilled in other areas?"
Juliet easily read the base desire in Count Casper's muddy eyes.
She didn't even blush. She'd experienced this a few times even up north. Though it was long ago, there were men who made even more overt advances.
'But what happened to those guys?'
For some reason, Juliet tilted her head in curiosity.
Come to think of it, she had no memory of seeing any of those men who had pestered her again.
'How is that possible? Northern high society is smaller than the capital's.'
"You think trash like you could actually become the duchess?"
Lost in thought, Juliet stayed silent, and the count grew bolder.
He must have thought she was scared.
"Know your place. Lennox Carlisle isn't some pushover. Once he gets tired of you, you're done. Got it?"
'Ah, there it is—the real motive.' Juliet looked up.
'You think trash like you could become the duchess?'
It was strange, now that she thought about it.
Lady Priscilla was easy to understand. Her desires were transparent and straightforward.
These people didn't even have enough personal connection to hold a grudge against her.
Yet they went out of their way to belittle and provoke Juliet out of fear of Lennox Carlisle.
The duke was terrifying, but judging a powerless woman was easy.
'Cowards.'
Juliet sneered coldly.
They lacked the guts to insult Duke Carlisle directly, so they projected their twisted anger onto an easy target.
She almost suspected they desired the duke more fervently than anyone.
"What, you just gonna stare? Gonna run to the duke and tattle? Huh?"
Count Casper sneered, as if he knew she wouldn't.
Juliet stared at him steadily before asking.
"Count, are you jealous of me?"
"What?"
"But what can you do? From what I know, His Grace has no interest in men."
"What do you...."
Count Casper blinked stupidly, failing to grasp her words at first.
"Well, even if not, you'd have to try a lot harder."
Juliet blatantly looked him up and down before adding with a grin.
Only then did Count Casper realize, and his face turned beet red.
"You crazy bitch...!"
But as he raised his hand as if to slap her cheek, Count Casper suddenly let out a strangled scream and collapsed to the floor.
"Gahk!"
The onlookers, watching from a distance, were baffled, unsure what had happened.
All they saw was Count Casper brutishly raising his hand toward Juliet Monad.
It was a very brief moment.
A single blue butterfly fluttered its wings and flew up from somewhere, but few noticed it.
And the next moment.
Crash!
With a loud clatter, Count Casper was rolling on the floor.
The people couldn't believe their eyes.
The first to approach Count Casper was Juliet, who had been the closest.
"Oh my, Count?"
Juliet's shocked expression made her look like the most fragile and innocent person in the world.
And rightly so—she hadn't laid a finger on him.
To anyone watching, it looked like Count Casper had simply tripped on his own.
"Goodness, are you all right?"
Juliet extended a hand to him as kindly as could be.
To others, it looked like a genuine offer of help...
"Hek!"
"H-Help!"
But Count Casper, his face filled with terror, recoiled in horror. He could only crawl backward on the floor.
Juliet approached as if to help him up and grabbed his collar tightly.
"Count Casper."
Then, with her red lips, she whispered so lowly only he could hear, right by his ear.
"Shut up and listen. If I were you, I'd watch my mouth."
Her shoe was pressing down firmly on the back of his right hand, but the count, scared out of his wits, didn't even notice.
In truth, the count couldn't fully comprehend what had happened to him.
He had only meant to teach this insolent woman a lesson.
Then suddenly, a blue butterfly had flown in from somewhere and brushed his forehead.
And then, and then...
He stifled a groan that escaped him.
Because she had just ordered him to shut up. His jaw trembled in terror.
The moment that eerie blue butterfly touched his head, the image of the most horrific and colossal being he could imagine had 'flowed into' him.
"I'll let it slide this time, but who knows? Next time your twisted mind acts up again, I might really cast an illusion and make you jump off the roof in the dead of night."
Juliet smiled as if the pronunciation of 'crazy bitch' amused her.
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