Original subtitles

Do not leave my sight for more than five minutes.

What a funny joke.

You know ladies need time to fix their makeup.

He got more guards?!

And four of them, not counting Adam?!

Could he trust me any less?!

It's Miss Raeliana.

The one they all talk about?

That's her?

She's beautiful...

Everyone's looking at me.

Oh, my lord Duke.

Congratulations on your engagement.

Ah, Marquess Eriteal. Thank you.

A pleasure to meet you, Miss McMillan.

The pleasure is mine.

My name is Raeliana McMillan.

So that's Miss Raeliana McMillan?

The one Duke Wynknight chose?

I heard he'll be formally announcing their engagement here.

Isn't Lady Vivian Shamal here tonight, as well?

Vivian Shamal...

She's a real vixen.

Dear me! What a beautiful young lady!

I can see why the Duke and the Brooks household are at odds.

It's no wonder you've seemed to be happy of late, sir.

Have I really?

Yep, there's the Noah Wynknight smile.

Meeting this lady was indeed the greatest fortune I could ask for.

Miss McMillan, may I have this dance?

Huh?

No, dance with me!

No, me!

Right... Smile, smile...

I do apologize.

Hey, did you see that?

How wonderful!

What a gentleman!

That's the Duke for you!

He's acting! He's just acting!

I mean, he's definitely the type who'd keep his girlfriend on a tight leash.

Even for the novel's heroine,

to be bound to a restrictive guy like this...

I feel for Beatrice.

May I have this dance?

With pleasure.

Why do you look like a little village girl who's been sold off into marriage?

How very like you to know so well how I feel inside.

What are you talking about?

I'm the one being held captive.

Excuse me?! You're enjoying the hell out of this!

Watch your expressions.

Everyone will notice right away that you're my false fiancée

if you keep making faces like that.

You're such a cheat!

What's the matter, blackmailer?

What a thing to say to a lady!

I wish everyone else could hear you talking like this!

I wouldn't mind that.

As a certain someone said, I am a cheat.

Oh, dear. Pardon me.

Oh?

It appears you still need more practice, Raeliana.

It would seem so.

Oh, my! Your hairstyle is just lovely!

And your dress is beautiful!

Did you just buy those earrings?

They suit you so well!

Nick is the same no matter where he goes.

I keep getting the feeling someone's watching me...

It's not Master Taylor or the other guards.

With this many people here, I can't even guess who it is.

It's Lady Vivian.

Lady Vivian...

Vivian?

Of course! Vivian Shamal!

I knew that name sounded familiar.

She's a very important character in the novel.

She tried everything in her power to appeal to Noah,

but he wouldn't give her the time of day.

Her heart broken,

she accepted a timely marriage proposal from the king,

and now she's undergoing her education as the only candidate for future queen.

But once the novel's heroine, Beatrice, enters a relationship with Noah,

Vivian tries to get between them at every step.

She's basically positioned as the book's villainess.

This is...

Vivian Shamal.

Lady Vivian, I hope the evening finds you well.

You are as beautiful as ever. How I envy you.

Wow, she definitely looks like a total villainess...

Hang on.

If she tried to get between Beatrice and Noah...

Since I'm his fiancée now, does that mean I'll be her target?!

Just dealing with Noah is bad enough!

If I have her gunning for me too, I'm done for!

Raeliana...

Y-Yes?

Uh...

What are you doing?

Oh, nothing...

My shoulders just felt a bit stiff.

Do you remember the promise you made when we negotiated our contract?

Promise?

For as long as this farce goes on,

you will play your part as my fiancée whenever I need you to.

Oh...

And you need that right now?

Yes.

For that woman.

Noah, are you still mad at me for stepping on your foot earlier?

That's Vivian Shamal, right?! So does that mean...

He wants to throw me at her as a decoy so he can get away?!

I'm talking about the woman beside her.

Huh?

Freese Eriteal,

the wife of Marquess Eriteal.

Marquess Eriteal...

That guy with the mustache?

That's his wife?!

Not his daughter?!

There's a group that certain wives of old nobles are part of.

What it's called and who's part of it are unknown.

Only wives of high nobles who are friendly with each other are allowed to join.

Because the high status of their husbands reaches them as well,

the things these women discuss with each other affect the whole kingdom.

At least, some joke that they do.

Raeliana...

I need you to receive an invitation to that group from her.

I'm counting on you.

I thought you doubted my intentions.

If I were to join that group and tell them a mixture of fact and fiction,

what would you do?

Do as you please.

It is my policy to use whatever I have at my disposal.

Who's using whom, exactly?

You owe me one after this.

And it's going to be a very big favor!

I intend to make sure you return that favor.

Don't forget that.

Unfortunately for you, I also use whatever I have at my disposal.

Excuse me... May I have a plate?

Of course.

I-I'll bring something to wipe that off with at once!

I-I'm so sorry!

Don't worry about it.

More importantly, we should clean off your hands.

Right...

Plan successful!

Let's go to another room.

So you are Miss McMillan?

What an honor it is to meet you.

Oh, crap.

It is I who am honored to meet you, Lady Vivian Shamal.

Oh, you know who I am?

But of course.

There is no one in this kingdom who doesn't know you.

I have an urgent matter to attend to at the moment.

Do forgive me, if you please.

Let me bring something for you to wipe your hands with.

No, this will require water to wash clean.

Only my glove was soiled,

but I fear having it on her hands will be inconvenient for my lady.

My lady...

You would be fine with simply wiping your hands, would you not?

Y-Yes... That would be fine.

She's not going to be easy to deal with, is she?

Miss McMillan, I have heard much about you.

They say you have remarkable academic talent.

As a member of the Estota class,

I'm sure you had little opportunity to study.

She just had to go out of her way to bring up that abolished class system.

She really wants to stress that she's above me, doesn't she?

No matter what age you live in, if someone throws down the gauntlet...

It's common courtesy to pick it up.

My!

What an honor it is to receive a compliment from you!

You are correct.

As part of the Estota class, I had few opportunities.

But I'm sure learning even more difficult subjects

in such a short time would have been challenging.

To make up for my lack of experience and knowledge,

I have devoted myself to my studies so that I won't shame the Duke's good name.

But to receive such praise from you makes all the effort worthwhile!

Well, how lovely.

Even a monkey could have solved those problems.

I had heard that many of the women of

the Estota class carried themselves quite confidently.

It appears that was true.

Her smile isn't reaching her eyes...

So she's saying someone who's ranked lower should act more humble, huh?

Thanks to His Majesty, the status of women in society has risen.

Current trends value a proactive attitude,

especially among the younger generation, who are more perceptive of changing times.

Though I'm sure those of the older generations find it undesirable...

Please overlook this as just another part of the new age we live in.

Humble, my ass!

What century does she think we're in, anyway?!

Lady Vivian...

Miss McMillan, you may have academic talent,

but it seems you still have much to learn about etiquette.

It is my greatest shame.

I—

Well, well! I wondered who that was!

If it isn't Lady Vivian!

Nick?

When did you get here?

You have so little presence, I didn't even notice.

Nick Maddox...

Oh! I'm so honored that you remember me!

I see you still manage to sneak around,

despite having the physique of a bear.

You're quite the little mouse.

Oh, but I quite like mice. They're adorable.

And much better than malicious little vixens who always put on airs.

When did you become friends with Miss McMillan?

You two are quite the lovely match. So very much alike.

Ah... bitchoo!

Oh, I'm so sorry!

That sneeze came out of nowhere!

I'm allergic to vixens, you see.

Ah-bitchoo!

Allergic to vixens?!

How dare you?! I will not tolerate such rudeness!

Oh, right!

Whatever do you mean?

Let's go wash your hands.

I just thought perhaps there was a vixen out in the courtyard or something.

Thanks, Nick.

You had the nerve to interrupt when I was talking before, too!

Let's wash your hands in that room over there.

U-Um...

Huh?

Will those people be coming with us, as well?

I'm sorry, but would you please leave us for the time being?

Then could that lady knight over there...

I am Ansley.

All right.

Could all of you but Dame Ansley please return to the ballroom?

Please tell Noah that I'm with Marquess Eriteal's wife.

I greatly appreciate it.

Come along, my lady.

Adam Taylor is taking orders from someone other than our master?

Dame Ansley?

Yes, right away!

Please, use this.

Thank you.

My household may be of the nobility, but our territory is small.

After being stricken by several disasters in recent years,

some now call it a ghost town.

I only came to the capital after I married the marquess,

so I'm not used to things yet.

So that's why she was hanging out with Vivian Shamal.

I can relate.

My circumstances also changed quite abruptly,

and I struggled to get used to the change.

It's been hard on you, hasn't it?

I met your husband, the marquess, earlier.

He's a very dignified man, isn't he?

Yes...

Oh, crap! Maybe I shouldn't have said that!

She does look at least two decades younger than him...

Maybe she was forced to marry him for political reasons?!

Wh-Wh-Wh-What do I do now?!

Gotta change the subject! New topic!

B-By the way,

I heard there's a group that all the noble wives are a part of.

Oh... Yes.

Many of the women at the ball tonight are members of it.

I see.

What sort of group is it?

Huh?

I'm a bit envious.

I haven't had many opportunities to interact with other noblewomen.

Miss McMillan...

Not that I ever wanted to in the first place.

Please, call me "Raeliana."

In that case, um... Madam Raeliana...

Would you like to join the group?

What?

I mean...

It would be reassuring for me to have someone there who can help me, too.

I really can?

Yes, by all means.

That makes me so happy!

I hope we can be good friends from now on!

I hope so, as well.

In that case, I'll send you an invitation in the coming days.

Thank you so much!

That was a cinch!

And now Noah owes me one!

What should I ask him to do?

Well, shall we return to the ballroom?

Yes.

What?!

A fire?!

I don't smell anything burning.

So it's not a fire, but a deliberate smokescreen?!

Miss McMillan! Are you all right?!

Miss McMillan!

Dame Ansley!

I can't breathe... Noah...

Episode Five

Why Raeliana Was Taken Away