The former duke—Brandon Lancester—was furious that Teresa, one of his favorite and beloved mistresses, had been cast out.

Although he had calmed down after being admonished by Lucy and the others, as expected, he just couldn’t let the matter go.

As such, when Brandon heard that his son and his fiancée, the responsible parties, were having a tea in the main residence, he wanted to give them a piece of his mind.

“How dare banish Teresa when you are the vile schemers!”

…Or at least, that was how it was supposed to go.

However, after being dismissed as though he were a nuisance, Brandon had no choice but to return to the annex. At the moment, he was enjoying a drink in Lucy’s room. She was his most trusted mistress.

“Lord Brandon, how was your day? You seem quite dazed.”

As Lucy spoke to him kindly, Brandon realized that he was out of it. Then, he put down the glass in his hand and tilted his head.

“Lucy… My preferences in women may have changed.”

“Oh my, is there a new woman you’d like to welcome to this annex?”

“…”

That wasn’t the case. However, when he saw the gentle smile on Lucy’s face, he decided to tell her the truth.

“I seem to have misunderstood the meaning of being wrapped around someone’s little finger.”

“Oh, are you referring to the sort of unruly woman who refuse to listen? Doesn’t Lord Brandon dislike that type?”

“That’s right. I still believe that women who command their men around as worthless beings who aren’t lovely in the slightest. After all, a woman like that would never respect the head of the family.”

Lucy blinked, before showing an innocent yet bewitching smile.

“Then, what exactly did Lord Brandon change his mind about today?”

“Good question. It’s about becoming a chair…”

“Oh my.”

“That woman, Avril Allingham, is a curious one. She’s supposed to be the type of woman I can’t stand, but something about her is just…”

“I see.”

“Certainly, her behavior and words are no different to those of a bad girl, but if you look closely, you’ll discover she is full of inconsistencies and that she’s acting suspiciously.”

“Oh my, is that so?”

“What’s more, just by stepping her foot in the annex once, she was able to grasp everyone’s circumstance and conclude that my love for Teresa wasn’t enough. At the same time, she appears intend on reading the ledgers and assisting with the territory’s management. Just what the hell is she…?”

Lucy poured more alcohol into Brandon’s glass. The former duke seemed baffled.

Then, she laughed and said, “As a villainess, she seems to be quite nuanced.”

---

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***T/N: The former duke is inevitably going to fall for her at this rate!

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