After listening to Scarlett’s account, Amanda was livid. The rumors were incredibly detailed, as if someone made every effort into it. Perhaps Amanda had been followed for quite some time, as the story was perfectly crafted to her movements. Even to Amanda’s ears the rumors sounded plausible.
In reality she had only left once in the middle of the night to visit Oliver, but now she was branded as a woman who went to see a different man every night. She had done her best to quickly shut down the rumors at Windsor Castle, but Layla had secured several more witnesses–not only Elice, but a few other servants who had heard the rumor as well.
That wasn’t all.
“And Lady Windsor…there is a man who claims he has bedded you.”
“…”
Amanda clenched her jaw in order to hold back her surging anger.
‘…I can’t believe this.’
This rumor was more vicious and terrible than the one that first spread in Windsor Castle. Soon this would become a full-blown scandal, with Oliver painted as another victim of Amanda’s seduction. The rumors would be difficult to handle when they planned to be wedded as soon as possible.
‘What should I do?’
She wanted to prove that she had been honestly meeting with Oliver, but if something went wrong, she might be discovered as his bodyguard Len. Layla may not have intended it, but she had caught Len in a trap as well. For example, it could not be revealed that Amanda and Oliver were at Flower Bridge together. There were many witnesses on the scene, and the only new face in the guard was Len. If Amanda recklessly insisted on the story, Layla may notice a strange inconsistency. Amanda had to resolve this in a way that was not related to Oliver.
The hot flames in Amanda’s chest seemed to soar, but she tried to temper it with a cool head. For the moment it was more important to handle the matter than to succumb to her anger. If it was not possible to collect spilt water, then it should be cleared away with no trace.
However, a solution did not come to mind. As was the case with gossip in society, words of ill spread faster than words of praise. No matter how much Amanda claimed the rumors were false, how much could she really control people’s tongue? It was not easy to restore a bad reputation.
‘…No matter how much I think about it, it’s impossible to resolve.’
She feared the worst. Scarlett noted Amanda’s hardened expression and gingerly approached her.
“My Lady, are you all right?”
“…Yes. I just don’t know how to handle this.”
“I understand the feeling. I did not want to say this at first, but I had a difficult time after I was accused by Lady Brown. Don’t despair. It will slowly be forgotten over time.”
Scarlett’s words may have comforted others, but not Amanda. Amanda had to marry Oliver as soon as possible. Emperor Howard would die in a few months, and the traitor Luke would attempt to take the throne about a year from now. There was little time to be caught up in such rumors. Although Amanda couldn’t hide her distress, she was grateful for Scarlett’s concern.
“Thank you so much for coming in person to tell me about this, Lady Smith.”
“Of course. I was worried that Lady Brown was going to do something, but I didn’t know what. If I didn’t remember what I suffered under her I might’ve been fooled by the rumors too.”
While anyone might have been fooled by the rumors, Scarlett had judged it to be a lie in one stroke. Amanda thought back to the day of the tea party.
“I should have said back then that you were not the one who put the salt in the tea.”
At the time it didn’t matter to her who was the real culprit. Layla, Hailey and Scarlett all planned to give Amanda the salty tea, which was Amelia almost drank. Amanda could not stand that fact. She was even less forgiving then because in her previous life it was Amanda who really did end up drinking it.
Scarlett waved her hands in protest.
“No! Though Lady Brown was the leader, I followed her as an accomplice. If I were you I would never have forgiven me, but you have a generous heart and for that I am thankful.”
The word “friend” suddenly came to Amanda’s mind. In his last life, she had never given this word even to the comrades she fought with. She had no room left in her heart for it after she lost her family, and before that she never left the castle much, thus her relationships never went deeper than perfunctory greetings. She had never been friends with a woman her own age before. Amanda’s present situation was not the worst she had experienced, but this emerging connection in her life brought a new warmth.
“Lady Smith.”
Amanda wore a rare smile that she did not often show to others. Scarlett’s eyes widened at the sight. Amanda continued in a gentle voice.
“…Thank you.”
*
*
*
Amanda saw Scarlett off when she finished speaking. Amanda didn’t want to spend too long with her when her present situation was still difficult. However, no matter how hard Amanda tried, she couldn’t think of a way to put the rumors to rest. There was only one way.
‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’
The way to fight a rumor…was with another rumor. Amanda’s red eyes shone like blood.
“Don’t blame me for this, Lady Brown.”
It was she who touched the nose of a sleeping lioness.