I Won't Clear Up the Misunderstanding. I Don't Mind Being the Villainess. - Chapter 22
The Seventh King had a serious complex about his appearance, so he desperately wanted his children to be beautiful.
To achieve this, he married the most beautiful woman in the country and made her Queen, though apparently, many people frowned upon it because she used to be an actress.
I don’t know if they did it to support her, or if they were just taking advantage of the trend, but several high-ranking, unmarried nobles also reportedly married beautiful commoners or women from similar lower ranks.
The result? Both the Royal Family and the nobles who did this supposedly started producing beautiful children more easily.
This was a story Kevin told in the comic to protect Erica’s background, and I made sure to check in the library—it turned out to be completely true.
The actress and the maids didn’t marry nobles directly, of course. They were apparently adopted into other noble families first.
“I’m relieved we could fix this before the children meet the royals. What would’ve happened if they started going on about commoner bl00d in front of the Royal Family**?**”
Even though she was the most beautiful actress in the country, a commoner is still a commoner. Plus, a decent number of other noble families had married maids back then.
I have no idea if Count Olson knew this when he so casually ‘sold’ Erica to us.
“The Royal Family has commoner bl00d, yet you insult commoners… Are you trying to cause a blunder that will ruin the Ducal House?”
“B-but marriage between nobles is what’s done now, isn’t it!”
“It’s always been the norm, but there’s no need to specifically teach them to look down on commoners so overtly.”
“Other nobles look down on commoners too!”
“In that case, why don’t you try saying that in front of the Duke or the Royal Family? Tell them that people with commoner bl00d are base and vulgar.”
Madame Marvella, who had been spouting those childish arguments, finally shut up.
I couldn’t tell if she’d become immature due to old age or if this was just her true personality all along.
One thing was for certain, though: she was totally unfit to be a tutor.
“You’re teaching them that the younger brother is the older brother’s slave, even though the King’s brother and the Second Prince are alive and well… Your teaching only causes unnecessary trouble.”
“T-that’s…”
“If young Master Leo, the one you adore, were to make that kind of comment in front of them, what do you think his punishment would be?”
In the comic, the First Prince genuinely adores the Second Prince as his younger brother.
And the Princes are friendly with Kevin. In fact, those two helped orchestrate Kevin and Erica’s remarriage.
There’s even a chapter in ‘A Single Flower Melts the Ice’ where the Princes visit the Ducal manor in secret to play.
They instantly won the kids over by giving them loads of sweets and toys.
If Leo blurted out the ‘younger brother is a slave’ comment in front of the First Prince and the others, the atmosphere would definitely freeze over.
And the First Prince, who appears gentle but is clearly shrewd, would absolutely not let Leo get away with that statement.
“The fallout from your slip-up wouldn’t be yours alone to handle. You’d also ruin the children’s lives.”
When I said that, Madame Marvella clamped her mouth shut.
(I wonder if that’ll keep her quiet for a while.)
I thought, watching her reaction.
If I were lucky, she’d accept it was her own fault, wouldn’t hold a grudge, and would quietly leave the Ducal House.
But I quickly realized my hope was too naive.
“… You can only say such empty words because you don’t know anything,” Madame Marvella said in a voice quieter than before, but one that was seething with hatred.
“I’d rather stay ignorant than end up like you, honestly.”
I shot back, exasperated. Madame Marvella just glared at me.
“If you treat brothers equally, the younger one won’t learn his place! He’ll think he’s better than his elder brother… If the Ducal House collapses because of that, will you take responsibility?”
“Even if it did collapse, the person taking responsibility would be the Duke, I should think.”
“Hmph! You irresponsible woman! Don’t you have any pride as a noble’s wife?!”
“I’m the daughter of a maid, after all.”
I replied with a bright smile. Madame Marvella looked ready to explode, clearly thinking I was mocking her.