Now This Family Belongs to My Mother Chapter 74

It was only then that Maddux snapped back to his senses. “La-Lady Epirosa…!” He jumped up from his seat, flustered and embarrassed. But even as he looked again, Epirosa was as beautiful as a woman from a dream.

 

“I had an appointment with the Marchioness Gent nearby, and happened to see you, Lord Maddux.” Epirosa spoke in a gentle tone. Her expression toward him was much kinder than before.

 

Is she pitying me because I look so miserable? Feeling an unnecessary sense of inferiority, Maddux deliberately straightened his neck. “I was also invited to the party. I was just about to enter when I accidentally tripped.”

 

“Oh my, really? It seems everyone is looking for you, Lord Maddux.” Epirosa clasped her hands together as she spoke.

 

Did her attitude change because she thinks I’m invited to every party? In truth, he had just been kicked out. But Maddux didn’t want to correct Epirosa’s misunderstanding.

 

“Well, everyone does want me, after all.”

 

“Of course they do. A man who has captivated the two most beautiful women in the empire, who wouldn’t admire that?”

 

“What?” Maddux’s eyes widened at Epirosa’s sudden remark.

 

Epirosa pretended not to notice his reaction and continued. “Men are different from women, who are vulnerable to scandals. They actually admire the subject of the rumors.”

 

“…”

 

“Men are creatures who both fear and admire predators.”

 

A light of realization flickered across Maddux’s face. Why didn’t I think of that? No one cared about some insignificant man from an insignificant family who claimed to be in a relationship with a lady from the Blanche family. The claim itself was unbelievable, and even if it were true, Grand Duke Hubert would never allow such a relationship. But a man who had ensnared both the emperor’s concubine and the lady of the Blanche family, that was a different story.

 

Everyone will look at me differently! People would be curious about everything he said, hanging on his every word. That was why he had been invited to the parties in the first place. But the moment it was revealed that the scandal wasn’t true, people’s attitude shifted.

 

Maddux’s worth existed solely in the reputation of being ‘the man who captivated the empire’s two most famous women.’ A shiver ran down his spine as the realization hit him belatedly.

 

“Everyone envies you, Lord Maddux.” Epirosa egged him on. “Your name must have spread far and wide. That’s why everyone is sending you invitations, isn’t it?”

 

“…”

 

“The world is unfair. Some people have to hide themselves because of scandals, yet you, Lord Maddux, gain fame from them and even secure your place in high society.”

 

“Ah, haha… Yes! That’s right!” Completely oblivious to Epirosa’s sarcasm, Maddux burst into hearty laughter.

 

“Oh dear, I’ve kept such a busy lord for too long. You should hurry back to the party.”

 

“Right now, back there…?” Maddux glanced nervously at the party hall he had just been kicked out of and asked hesitantly.

 

Epirosa smiled as she gave him a gentle push on the back. “Everyone must be curious about Lord Maddux’s story.”

 

“But…”

 

“Lord Maddux is quite charming. If you establish your presence in society like this, you’ll quickly build connections, right? I’m envious.”

 

At Epirosa’s continued words, Maddux felt his fear slowly melt away. That’s right! Everyone in that party hall is someone important! If I just build relationships with them, I’ll gain the power to protect myself! Then, he wouldn’t have to fear Nicholas anymore.

 

Resolving himself, Maddux quickly bowed to Epirosa. “Everyone must be waiting for me. I’ll head back to the party hall now.” With a beaming smile, he walked toward the party hall.

 

Why have I been wasting such a great weapon and choosing to be a mediocre man all this time? After all, he had the impressive title of being the man who had captivated the emperor’s concubine and the lady of the Blanche family!

 

“You b*stard, have you still not come to your senses?” A man scowled as he noticed Maddux returning to the party hall. Others approached with equally hostile expressions.

 

“How about I tell you all a story about my ‘two women’ today…?”

 

 

“What did you just say?”

 

“Didn’t you say the rumor wasn’t true?”

 

“Are you going to be honest now?”

 

The men stared at Maddux with suspicious eyes. But deep down, they seemed curious.

 

“Keeping it hidden forever isn’t the best option, is it?”

 

At that, their grim expressions shifted to eager interest as they crowded around him. Maddux curled his lips upward in a sly smile.

 

* * *

I silently gazed at the party hall, shimmering with dazzling lights. Seeing that Maddux hasn’t been kicked out again, it seems he’s wagging his loose tongue just as I intended.

 

Maddux wouldn’t act according to what Stella and the Gale family wanted anymore. Because now he knew what his weapon was. He won’t spread that nonsense about us being lovers either. On the contrary, he’d go around saying things that would corner Stella and Violet.

 

For a brief moment, it might feel like that rumor is lifting him to the skies. But if he keeps exploiting that scandal, does he think Violet will just sit back and watch?

 

Maddux would end up destroying himself, leaving an indelible scar on both Stella and Violet.

 

* * *

“What on earth is this!” Violet threw a piece of paper right at Stella’s face.

 

Stella caught the paper that had hit her face and fallen. It was a caricature of Maddux holding both Violet and Stella in each of his hands.

 

“Gasp…!” A shocked gasp escaped Stella’s lips.

 

When Violet suddenly called for her today, Stella thought maybe her anger had finally subsided.

 

“This crap is being spread all over the streets!” Violet’s furious shout exploded. “You’ve said you’d be someone who’d always help me, didn’t you! What on earth were you doing, not even shutting that damn vermin’s mouth!”

 

“Ma-Maddux would never go around saying things like this! H-He was supposed to be going around explaining that his lover was Epirosa…!”

 

“Epirosa? That b*stard hasn’t even uttered the ‘E’ in Epirosa’s name!”

 

“What?” Stella’s face turned pale.

 

“There’s a rumor going around at every party that he’s bragging about being your lover and mine. Are you telling me you didn’t know?”

 

“…”

 

“You pathetic fool!”

 

Only then did Stella recall Maddux’s changed attitude. That guy who used to grovel in front of me suddenly started acting all cocky! He had been strutting around, boasting about being invited to parties here and there. And to think, he was someone who had nowhere to leech off except for the Blanche family, yet now he was hanging out at the homes of nobles who loved to party. He must have been using my name and Duchess Violet’s name to do that! Stella’s hands trembled with betrayal.

 

“What are you going to do about this? Are you really going to make me step in and handle it myself!” Violet shouted at Stella.

 

“You don’t need to get involved, Duchess. I’ll take care of Maddux myself.”

 

* * *

“Is it true? That Lady Stella was summoned by Duchess Violet Clementi yesterday because of you?”

 

“That’s right! The two of them were fighting over me! I had a hard time trying to stop them!” Maddux laughed slyly as he drank, and the nobles around him laughed along.

 

“So, who won?”

 

“Who do you think won?” Maddux grinned lecherously, his face flushed.

 

At that, another noble chuckled knowingly. “Of course, it must be our Maddux, who has both women!”

 

“Ahahaha! So, how did you spend the night?”

 

“Maybe they all spent it together!”

 

The conversation quickly devolved into dirty jokes and crude humor. Every time Maddux opened his mouth, the men around him burst into raucous laughter. Each time, Maddux felt like he was soaring through the sky.

 

Everyone’s focused on my words! They listen no matter what I say! Even the most prominent nobles of the capital!

 

Maddux even started to think that his position might be better than Nichola’s. After all, Nicholas hadn’t been invited to parties like this ever since he got caught in that investment scam.

 

This is why I don’t need to listen to someone like Stella! What if he had gone along with Stella’s orders and claimed that Epirosa was his real lover? He’d probably still be getting turned away at the door of parties and getting beaten up by Nicholas.

 

When the party ended, Maddux, stumbling slightly, threw an arm around the shoulder of a young nobleman, acting overly familiar. The man was a viscount’s son, the one who had let Maddux stay at his house.

 

“Come on, let’s head home!”

 

“Ah, I actually have plans tonight.” The young noble gently pushed Maddux’s arm off and headed somewhere else. Waiting for him was a beautiful woman. “I’m not going home tonight. Sorry, but you’ll have to go on ahead.”

 

“Ah, sure! You go have a wild night! Just like I did last night!” Maddux cheerfully waved him off, pretending it didn’t bother him. But as soon as he turned around, his face twisted in frustration. “Ugh, if he’s got such a gorgeous woman, he could at least introduce me. Going off on his own like that.”

 

Was it because of the rumor that he had two women? Is the reason why he doesn’t introduce me out of jealousy? Well, I’m handsome and talented enough to make someone jealous! Hahaha!

 

Maddux staggered down the street alone. Just then, a carriage came to a stop in front of him. When he looked up, the coachman took off his hat and greeted him. “Are you Lord Maddux?”