The reason Graceâs complexion paled at the mention of the mask festival was very simple.
âDid Benjamin ask me to go with him?â
There was an episode about the mask festival in the original work.
Grace recalled the details of that episode.
But at that time, Benjamin was definitely not with Grace. He wanted to be with his wife, but couldnât, so he complained to Aria with a puppy-like face.
âIn the novel, he even pouted at Aria with a puppy-like face.â
He asked if Aria could choose a gift for his wife, saying he didnât know womenâs hearts well, and thanked Aria by buying her a gift as well.
He then identified Ariaâs taste and continued to buy her gifts regularly, saying we were friends whenever she felt burdened.
He was a perfect sub-male lead.
Grace recalled the characteristics of a person who commits adultery. The first characteristic of an adulterous man who cajoles innocent women is to emphasize how domestic he is, breaking down the other personâs guard.
Yes, it was like laying the foundation for garbage. [1]
âIs it the same mask festival?â
But this time, Grace agreed to go with him.
Will the originalâs content change? Grace wondered.
âCan it be different from the original?â
This was the reason she accepted his proposal despite feeling complicated about Benjamin.
âDid he propose to Grace to go together in the original as well?â
Grace couldnât understand Benjaminâs actions, so she decided to think again about the title Duke Felton.
âDuke Felton.â
The Duchyâs symbol was a tree bathed in sunlight. The former Duchess of Felton was from the prestigious Kremlin Countess familyâ¦
Grace recalled the history of Duke Felton but then stopped her thoughts.
âIsnât this crazy?â
Even though she had almost no memory of herself, she remembered the history of the Dukeâs family very well.
Grace thought of the âsettingâ she knew, rather than the actual history of Duke Felton.
If the symbol of Duke Felton was a tree bathed in sunlight, then the sun was obviously the royal family.
Duke Felton had been with the royal family since the establishment of the empire and was a family that always supported them.
âBut in âThe Saints Wishâ, many background characters used to say that the tree was not supporting the sun, but devouring it through.â
The reason for this was the Felton Duchy, which had been ruled by the Felton family for generations. The empire had a mild climate, but there was only one territory that was barren. Naturally, it was in the north.
âDonât most northern dukes have black hair?â
Grace decided to stop thinking about Benjaminâs appearance. It seemed like a prejudice.
Putting aside the fantasy-like history of the empire, the first Duke of Felton was someone who took up a sword to prevent monsters from crossing over to protect the empire, as the north was boiling with monsters.
The emperor bestowed upon him the title of Duke and named his vast northern territory the Felton Duchy.
After two generations, as the empire grew and became powerful, it granted two more territories with a mild climate to the Felton Duchy to rule over.
âOf course. The northern land is the hardest place to live.â
There were few inhabitants, and in reality, only monsters kept coming out.
The title of Duke was more of an honorary position. Even in books, it was emphasized that the Felton Dukes of that time had no greed, and their wives were all the same.
However, something happened that suddenly changed the status of Duke Felton.
With the rediscovery of magic, a new profession called âmageâ emerged, and with it came the concept of âmagic stones.â
And although the magic stones were found in various minerals across different regions, the purest ones were made from the hearts and bones of monsters.
âThere are so many monsters in the north.â
The empire couldnât demand the land or donation of magic stones, citing them as their property. For generations, the Felton Dukes had covered military expenses with their own savings.
Grace was amazed that he had made it this far.
No matter how much he became blackened and turned into a corrupt man in the latter part of the story, he still was her favorite until then.
âAfter reading the paper book I shouldnât have looked for the next volume on my phone because I was too curious about the next part⦠I should have just stopped reading at the previous volume.â
Anyway, with the start of selling the highest-grade magic stones, the power of the Felton Duchy grew stronger, and the imperial family felt the need to suppress their ambition.
âAnd that choice was me.â
Tl note:
[1]Â (( the phrase is used to criticize an approach or process that is likely to produce a negative outcome.))