The Ugly Wife of the Shady Duke - Chapter 64.1
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When Grace was a reader, she was quite fond of Boris. While she couldn’t say she liked him as much as Benjamin or the main characters, his role and presence were more like of a sub-male lead arguably even more defined than Benjamin’s in some aspects.
Yet the reason Boris never became the sub-male lead was because he was in the position of a guardian to Aria.
‘That’s precisely why I liked Boris.’
Boris was Aria’s supporter, her protector within the temple, and her pillar of strength from the beginning to the end. Grace wondered why did Benjamin suddenly turn dark, becoming the root of all evil.
Grace discreetly looked up at the back of Benjamin’s head, who stood in front of her, and let out a soft sigh.
Upon hearing her sigh, Benjamin’s shoulders flinched slightly.
‘Oops.’
Only then did Grace realize she had outwardly shown her feelings and bit her lip in annoyance.
Boris asked, “Is something troubling you, My lady?”
“It’s just… We’ve received so many unexpected and precious gifts from Duke Jarte. It feels overwhelming.”
“If you, representing the empire’s nobility, take the lead in such aid, isn’t it only natural for these honorable people to give you gifts as thanks, trying to fully express their gratitude?”
Though Boris approached asking if there was some trouble, his demeanor indicated he might have had some inkling about the prior conversation.
‘Well, that’s inevitable.’
Here, the three factions of the royal family, the nobility, and the temple were all present. Among them, Duke Felton, who despite being a high-ranking noble who is close to the royal family has always come to aid the weaker nobles and emerging forces, was naturally the center of attention.
What Grace missed here was that the reason why Duke Felton drew people’s attention was not because of the duke’s greatness, but because of Grace herself.
Rumors about Grace had quietly circulated, given the high status of Benjamin, the current Duke Felton.
Grace was rumored to be an inept lady who shirked her responsibilities, a narrative even the common folk had picked up on.
Moreover, the fact that she, who hadn’t stepped out of the duchy for nearly a year, not only agreed to join this expedition but also actively participated in it, naturally became the center of attention.
‘She looks quite ordinary?’
‘I heard she was exceedingly ugly.’
‘Just average-looking.’
Part of the reason might have been the incredibly handsome individual standing beside her, making the rumors about Grace seem exaggerated.
She was just a bit plump, ordinary at best. However, watching the woman with the ordinary appearance moving her figure busily to help the people in the affected area.
They couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt, especially when recalling how mindlessly they had once believed and relished the scandalous rumors.
“Me and My Lady isn’t seeking any wealth in doing this. We know it’s right, and we’re capable of doing it. The strength of the Felton Duchy exists because of those who support us, and naturally, we should wholeheartedly involve ourselves in such matters.”
Yet, Grace had other concerns on her mind.
‘Why is the high priest fussing over the disposal of gifts from Duke Jarte?’
Even if they had met and joined forces along the way, there was no reason for the temple to be concerned about it.
Furthermore, donating assets to the less fortunate was an act the temple’s teachings encouraged.
“……”
Grace gradually felt this conversation was becoming pointless.
Why on earth was a priest from the temple meddling in matters concerning the gifts from Duke Jarte? Grace had no idea, and it wasn’t something she could outright ask either.
‘Was he always this meddlesome, always looking out for others?’
While she hadn’t memorized every single word of the original work, Boris’s behavior like this reminded her of a scene where he preached endlessly to those who disregarded Aris’s sincerity.
‘Hmm…….’
After a moment of contemplation, Grace spoke up.
“While we cannot ignore Duke Jarte’s goodwill, we will accept some of the gifts. However, as you’ve seen on our journey, I believe that bestowing a bit more of the Duke’s goodwill onto the citizens of the empire would be more beneficial and a fitting reciprocation for his sincerity.”
“…….”
“He sent those gifts alongside relief supplies to honor our goodwill and glory. Using them to help the contamination victims, in my view, isn’t dismissing his sincerity at all.”
Boris slowly nodded in response to Grace’s words.
“The Duchess is right.”
“Okay, then let me know if you need help later.”
With a forced gentle smile, Grace took Benjamin’s arm and headed elsewhere.
“…….”
With every step away from him, her heart began to pound louder.
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