Merellis Reiser Armelia

* Current LN
* Past LN

**Merellis Reiser Armelia** (メルリス・レゼ・アルメリア, *Merurisu Reze Arumeria*) is the Duchess of Armelia, the wife to Louis de Armelia, and mother to Iris and Berne. She is known as the "flower of society," possessing great influence among nobility. She is a major supporting character throughout the first five volumes of the series while she takes on the role of the protagonist of the final three volumes that detail her origin story.

## Personality

Alongside her looks, Merellis is a cunning individual. This is especially necessary in aristocratic society, where one's ability to navigate interactions can make or break a family name. However, behind this is also a caring wife and mother. She loves her family above all else.

In the past, she trained with the sword in order to exact revenge against the rogues who killed her mother. Her dedication and drive for the skills show her determination. After her goal for revenge disappeared, she found a new motive in protecting those important to her.

## History

After being denied her original dream to become a soldier, she decided to take on a different battleground. The battleground of High Society. She is loved and respected by higher ups, and is influential in high society. Merellis's presence at an event elevates the status of its host. She can ruin anyone's reputation by leaving their party early.

She had been on good terms with the Queen for a long time. The Queen originally wished to make Merellis her daughter-in-law, but due to Merellis already being engaged the Queen decided not to force the issue due to not wanting Merellis to hate her.

## Plot

### Volume 01

After Iris is humiliated along with her engagement being annulled, she attempted to appeal to her husband to not send Iris to a nunnery only for him to reveal he changed his mind. Merellis was surprised that he decided to make Iris acting governor, but he told her that he believes she learned something. Merellis decided to go long with it.

During the first two years of Iris being acting governor, she learned of Dorseen being able to join the Knights despite the fact he assaulted her daughter. She outright called the head of the Knights for this action and made it clear that this was nothing more than an insult. In retaliation for their son hurting her daughter, Iris, Merellis ignores events held by the Kataberias. This results in Dorssen being continually reprimanded by his parents.

Tensions between House Armelia and members of the Royal Family continue to mount between the broken engagement along with Iris' father stopping Prince Edward from nearly causing the treasury to be bankrupt. Merellis personally had an encounter with Yuri during this time and did not get a favorable impression of her.

Iris sends her mother several products she produced, such as chocolate and hair products, which she enjoyed greatly. Mereliss happily agreed to help act as the unofficial head of PR for Iris' company.

Prior to the end of the social season, it comes to Merellis' attention that Iris is pushing herself in both running the duchy and her new company. Merellis decides to head back to the Armelia Estate. She decided that she wished to spend time with her daughter and make sure she is okay.

At one point, Merellis received an invitation to attend the engagement party between Edward and Yuri which Merellis outright refused on the grounds that Edward broke the engagement with her daughter and asking her to attend an engagment party between him and someone else was an insult. She received the Queen Dowger's blessing to avoid this party.

Once, Berne storms at Merellis for refusing to attend the royal ball. He reminds her that not attending the engagement ball of the royal family would sully their family name. In response, Merellis states that wanting her to attend the ball after annulling her daughter's engagement is idiotic, and that she also had received permission from the higher ups.

### Volume 03

She briefly tells Iris some of the story of her past.

### Volume 06

She begins telling Iris the full story of her background.

## Relationships

### Family

Louis

The two of them met prior to their arranged marriage.

Merellis told Iris that even after they had an arranged marriage, she greatly respected him as a person, and it didn't take long for her to fall in love with him.

Iris Lana Armelia

She naturally sides with Iris even when Iris's engagement is annulled.

Berne Darshi Armelia

She is not pleased with his behavior and ignores him for it. After the annulment of Iris's engagement with the second prince, she is furious with him for siding with Yuri Neuer instead of his family. She stated that she might have destroyed Berne if he wasn't her son.

However, Merellis still cares for her son. She reforms him by making him watch Iris work, changing his views. Iris recalls her childhood when she accidentally pushed Berne, hurting him and earning her a cold gaze from Merellis, leading to Iris keeping her distance from Berne.

Gazell Daz Anderson

She greatly loves and respects her father, especially after he helped train her following her mother's death.

### Enemies

Ellia Marea

They have a mutual hatred of each other.

Yuri Neuer

Merellis dislikes her for ruining her daughter's engagement. When she meets her by chance, she sees through her disguise.

Dorssen Kataberia

She hates Dorseen for assaulting Iris along with his family to an extent for protecting him. As a result, she decides to refuse to participate in any of the parties hosted by the Kataberia family which causes the family some issues in the subsequent years.