Chapter 258
Chapter 258. Queen Only Loves His Body (1)
Translator: Aura / Editor: SaWarren
Marquis Karl was reporting to Sovieshu about Duke Elgy.
According to Marquis Karl’s report, there were many rumors about dangerous pirates associated with Duke Elgy.
But all those rumors were unfounded, so it was hard to tell if they were simply false rumors.
Once Marquis Karl finished, Sovieshu let out a small mocking laugh.
“Everyone knows that the royal families of maritime countries are in cahoots with pirates.”
Sovieshu said so because Duke Elgy was from the Royal Family of the Maritime Country ‘Blue Bohean’.
“Okay. Anything else?”
“Duke Elgy has had several love scandals in high society.”
“That is well known. How could it be called a rumor?”
“But there is something strange.”
“Strange?”
“Especially in the most serious love scandals, it seems that Duke Elgy always turned out to be the victim, so the other side had to pay a great price.”
“A great price?”
“Those details are not known because the other side remained silent in all cases, but…”
Marquis Karl added with concern.
“I think he is a bad fellow in many ways. It is customary to allow distinguished guests to stay as long as they wish, but wouldn’t it be better to send Duke Elgy away even if an excuse has to be made?”
Then Marquis Karl hesitated for a moment before speaking again,
“Duke Elgy has a close relationship with the Empress, and it worries me because rumor has it that everyone he had a scandal with did not end well.”
***
The noblemen who attended after receiving the invitation sent by Rashta were impressed.
The tea party was no sham. The large white tables laid out in the garden of the Crystal House looked impeccable, the tablecloths subtly reflecting the sunlight, giving a very glamorous appearance.
The tables were laden with all kinds of delicious dishes, such as crispy baked cookies, chocolate-dusted nuts, light pink and light yellow meringues, and peach pudding, among others. Everything was so well prepared that it would make anyone sigh.
What puzzled the noblemen was that around the glamorous tea tables only they were there dressed in suits. No ladies were seen chatting happily around the tea tables.
Are they coming later? Has the time of the tea party been changed? Are we too early? The nobles had various guesses. But Rashta appeared soon after, and their questions were forgotten.
When Rashta appeared in a dark purple dress and an umbrella, the noblemen’s eyes sparkled.They could not help but marvel. Who else could wear such a splendid and dignified color with such purity!?
Rashta, who stood alone in a purple dress, looked like a lilac blooming in the undergrowth.
“Welcome.”
Rashta smiled sweetly, graciously welcoming the nobles.
“I hope everyone has a good time.”
Then Rashta took a grape from a plate and popped it into her mouth. In an instant, the nobles’ eyes darted to Rashta’s mouth.
Instead of eating the grape right away, Rashta put the round grape between her reddish lips and sucked on it. The grape, which revealed a light green color inside, slowly disappeared from her lips, into her mouth. The scene aroused obscene thoughts.
The noblemen who watched this held their breath unconsciously or swallowed dryly. Rashta said slowly with a smile, “delicious,” and sat down at the head of her table.
“Everyone sit down. Why are you all standing there staring at me?”
Rashta smiled, raising the corners of her mouth slightly. She thought she knew men well. But she didn’t know how to hold their hearts.
If she had known, Alan would not have betrayed her. But she definitely knew how to catch them in no time.
In Rashta’s experience, men who did not belong to the nobility were attracted to noblewomen. They fantasized about noblewomen, elegant and intelligent.
In contrast, noblemen fantasized about women not belonging to the nobility. They considered noblewomen to be snobbish and calculating, that women not belonging to the nobility were the only ones who could give genuine love.
Rashta only had to show them what they wanted.
However, this behavior of Rashta’s soon led to bad rumors in high society. It was not uncommon for noblemen to invite only noblemen to hang out, and for noblewomen to invite only noblewomen to hang out.
But inviting only nobles of the opposite sex to a tea party had never happened in the history of the Eastern Empire. At least that’s what the nobles thought when they heard about Rashta’s ‘Men’s Tea Party’.
Even the noblemen, who attended Rashta’s tea party and were fascinated by her charms, did not take Rashta’s side in this.
High society was a single set, in which the nobles were divided not by men and women, but by interests and factions. The noblewomen excluded by the empress belonged to the same family as the invited noblemen. Naturally, they had no choice but to side with their family.
Rashta was hurt when Alan preferred his family over love, and this time she made the same mistake again. The reason was that she could not fully understand noble families.
Moreover, the fact that Rashta was so close to Duke Elgy generated even more suspicions about her behavior.
Among the conservative and closed-minded nobles, many were not happy that the true empress, Navier, had been displaced by a commoner empress, about whom many bad rumors were circulating.
They did not even flinch when they learned the news that the Viscounts Isqua were Rashta’s real parents. Although she had noble blood, they still considered her a commoner because she had grown up as one.
Did being an Empress mean meeting other men to hang out with?! Even her friend with whom she always hung out was a member of the royal family of another country, a well-known playboy. They were outraged, considering that Rashta was not worthy of belonging to the Imperial Family of the Eastern Empire.
Behind the scenes, Marquis Farang also played an important role in rocking the boat, he was very angry that Koshar had been banished.
“Aren’t Isqua Viscounts fallen nobles from a foreign country? Should they be treated as nobles in our country? Even having a respectable position.”
Marquis Farang referred to Viscount and Viscountess Isqua as a rolling stone, subtly instigating authoritarian nobility.
“Moreover, the blood of a fallen foreign noble family will run through the Crown Prince’s veins. It would be different if it were a foreign royal family or a foreign high status family.”
Due to the tense atmosphere, Baron Lant finally went to visit Rashta and advised her with concern,
“Your Majesty. Bad rumors have been circulating lately.”
“What do you mean by bad rumors?”
“This…”
“What is going on? What are the rumors?”
Baron Lant did not want to tell the vulgar rumors as is, so he advised her of the best possible,
“Duke Elgy has a bad reputation, Your Majesty. Unpleasant rumors are inevitable to arise if you hang out with him. He is not someone worthy of being close to the Empress of the Eastern Empire.”
“People don’t like Rashta hanging out with Duke Elgy?”
“That’s right. And the fact that a few days ago you organized a tea party with only noblemen…”
“How outrageous.”
Rashta sternly showed her displeasure.
“Is it not bad to see a friendship strangely? People who misunderstand others as they please are bad, people who are misunderstood without doing anything are not bad.”
Rashta did not accept Baron Lant’s words at all. Surprised, Baron Lant tried to advise her again, but eventually left without getting anything and asked Sovieshu to take over.
Sovieshu had also heard rumors about Rashta everywhere, so he immediately and bitterly advised Rashta that night.
“I’ve been hearing bad rumors about you lately. Be careful, Rashta.”
Although Rashta felt aggravated, she finally answered “Yes” with discouragement. But inwardly she found it very unfair.
“It’s all the fault of that mage girl in the Southern Palace.”
Rashta pointed to Evely, the potential concubine in the Southern Palace.
“But I hear she’s always working…”
“The nobles speak ill of Rashta because His Majesty protects and cares for that girl. It would all be over if His Majesty would sternly order to stop such nonsense.”
Viscountess Verdi thought Rashta’s conclusion was a little odd, but she dared not say so to avoid angering her.