The Baddest Villainess Is Back - Chapter 195
The ladies who had been laughing froze, their faces stiffening.
“Or should I be the one to instruct you on such manners…?”
Roxelyn’s smile deepened.
The faces of the noblewomen, who had been laughing and chatting as usual, now showed traces of confusion.
“Ah, or perhaps talking with a dirty tongue and spreading foul odors is the standard etiquette in high society?”
Roxelyn spread her fan elegantly and whispered softly.
“I’m still young and haven’t attended many social gatherings, so I’m not quite familiar with the conversational styles of high society. It seems a vulgar manner of speaking, much like that of lowborns, is currently in fashion. I’d appreciate it if you could enlighten me.”
With a radiant smile, she delivered the insult about their lowly way of speaking, causing the noblewomen’s expressions to harden even further.
“Ahem, I don’t know what we’ve done for you to speak to us like this, Ducal Lady.”
“We were merely having a conversation.”
“Yes, as you mentioned, it seems the ducal lady isn’t very familiar with gatherings like this, and perhaps the situation is a bit unfamiliar to you. We should have been more mindful.”
“That’s right. If we’ve caused any offense, we apologize.”
What nonsense.
Roxelyn looked down at them with an air of boredom and arrogance before speaking.
“They say it’s hard to communicate with beasts when you speak kindly. I see that’s true.”
Calling them beasts in a roundabout way, Roxelyn employed the very refined language of high society, causing the women to freeze.
Though they were invited guests, they were not to be underestimated.
The North was a harsh environment, and survival relied heavily on mutual support.
In particular, the Bellion Duchy depended on food trade with them to get through more than two-thirds of the year.
The Bellion Duchy couldn’t simply sever ties with them.
‘After all, if one house is sanctioned, the other houses will band together against the duchy.’
While the ducal lady’s status deserved respect, the noblewomen didn’t have to sit quietly and endure such insults either.
The Countess of Liacour quickly assessed the situation and straightened her chin.
“Are you insulting us? If you know the relationships at play, this isn’t a wise move.”
“By that logic, the ducal lady must be eating food produced by beasts.”
“…Oh, I’m glad you have enough brains to understand that.”
Roxelyn, now completely abandoning any pretense of formality, laughed at the thinly veiled threat.
“Just to clear up any misunderstandings, let me be blunt. If you’ve come to a banquet someone else invited you to, wagging your filthy tongues and spewing your foul stench, you can leave. You may be used to the rotten smell, but I’m sensitive to odors and not in the best of health.”
Roxelyn smiled brightly as she lifted the countess’s chin lightly with the tip of her fan.
“I was raised in refinement, so it’s difficult for me to endure the vulgarity of people who lack basic manners.”
“W-What… Isn’t that too harsh?!”
“Well, I gave you a chance, didn’t I? A chance to stop spewing that filthy, vulgar nonsense and apologize.”
Roxelyn’s smile vanished, her tone turning dry. The chilling atmosphere caused others nearby to stiffen.
“We’ve come all this way, hoping to get through this winter together. How could you treat your guests like this?”
One of the noblewomen raised her voice, and Roxelyn merely shrugged.
“What’s going on? Ducal Lady, why…?”
As the commotion escalated, the count rushed over to his wife.
“The Ducal Lady just called us foul-smelling, vulgar beasts! How can we trust them and continue to trade like this?”
With the noise growing, attention shifted toward them.
As the noblewomen began raising their voices to sway public opinion, Roxelyn smiled serenely.
