✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Translated by: Sienna
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Whenever one is tasked with spying on others, one can’t help but feel reluctance.
Moreover, unless the relationship is intimate, there will be even more hesitation, so it is certain that the truth will be twisted.
’But if it’s not spying but rather observing, then it’s different.’
Landon would continue to follow after Xenon, trying to help him, and would stay within his line of sight.
Currently, Landon has a strong desire to return as a butler, so approaching Xenon to be seen wasn’t an odd thing.
‘But Xenon’s thoughts will be different.’
He’s currently on edge because of Sardin. Having Landon hover around him would be irritating.
Moreover, as if there were some ulterior motive with Landon, he might doubt that he had seen his true self at least once.
‘Due to the watchful eyes, my actions are constrained, so for a while, I won’t be able to act suspiciously.’
In other words, using Landon to monitor and control Xenon was a win-win situation.
I spoke again in a more benevolent tone, similar to when the empress deals with her maids.
“Yes, I’m sure with your abilities you’ll be able to get back up there again, so go ahead and try your best.”
“Yes, then I’ll take my leave.”
As Landon left, I flopped down on the couch, smirking.
‘Now that I’ve prepared a countermeasure against Xenon, I need to get ready to leave.’
Since I have not yet been able to reach the emperor, disposing of the property will come later.
But first, there is something I need to do.
‘I need to start a public opinion war.’
Just as I requested the emperor to move the public opinion, I plan to soon tarnish the reputation of Erich Lennon Blant.
But it wouldn’t be about Erich and Medelin’s affair, as the viceroy had initially expected.
‘If I make an issue out of Medelin herself, it will sway public opinion about Eric.’
Even though I saw their intimate moments in the forest, people wouldn’t believe them to have an illicit relationship based solely on my words.
There is no hard evidence to accuse them of an affair.
If Medelin were to become pregnant with his child or something similar, it could be seen as infidelity, but sadly, they only interact frequently without exchanging personal gifts.
‘Even birthday gifts are merely formal items bearing each family’s name on them, and that’s about it.’
Moreover, Medelin’s frequent visits to this house are due to the matriarch’s invitations, not Erich’s direct calls.
If I accused them of having an affair without proof, I could be seen as being delusional.
So, I decided not to go to extremes.
‘Especially when there’s something certain anyway.’
Many people sympathize with Erich’s clear responsibility.
And yet he still cares enough to keep putting wood in the fire.
Therefore, I planned to conduct a public opinion war, portraying myself as a daughter-in-law neglected by her husband and receiving one-sided hatred from her mother-in-law due to his indifference.
‘It would resonate better with the nobility, especially the ladies.’
While romance novels often portray marriage as the fruit of love, aristocratic marriages are a marriage of clans and families, a form of patriarchy that subordinates women to men’s homes.
It’s uncommon for two people raised in different households to form a harmonious family without friction.
Not to mention the conflicts between husbands and wives, and especially between mother-in-laws and daughters-in-law.
‘Of course, noblewomen with sons might criticize me for aspiring to their position. But…….’
There are not only parents with sons in the world. There are plenty of parents with daughters.
Besides, noblewomen were daughters-in-law before they were someone’s mother.
In such a situation, when a mother-in-law disapproves of her daughter-in-law and constantly arranges meetings between her married son and a young lady, it’s clearly problematic to anyone who sees it.
‘Not to mention the whereabouts of my dowry.’
My mother-in-law hid the dowry I brought under the pretense that she would manage it herself.
Of course, dowry is money sent from the bride’s family to the groom’s family, but it’s money sent to save the daughter-in-law from hardship, so it’s customary to leave some of it to the daughter-in-law.
Moreover, when the patriarch dies and his son or daughter inherits the title, the former lady of the house hands over the books and assets to the daughter-in-law to manage the estate.
However, my mother-in-law still hadn’t handed over the duchy’s financial authority to me, and she had taken all the cash except for the real estate.
When I inquired about it, she got angry.
<When I die, it will all be yours to manage anyway. Besides, what can you do when you grew up delicately in the imperial palace? So wait a little longer, and I’ll hand it over when the time comes.>
Despite her words suggesting she would transfer authority to me, she seemed unwilling to do so.
‘Even until the moment before my death, she didn’t hand it over. How absurd.’
And yet she kept trying to reach for my possessions.
‘Yeah, just like today… ah.’
Suddenly, I had an idea.
I stood up and told Sardin,
“Could you run an errand for me for a moment?”
I hastily wrote something, sealed it, and handed it to Sardin.
“Deliver this to Medelin and come back.”
“What is this?”
“Ah, in three days, we’ll go to the jewelry store. I’ll ask Medelin to come along. She must be well aware of the matriarch’s preference.”
“Yes, but you don’t expect her to help you, do you?”
I chuckled at Sardin’s question, which sounded ridiculous.
“Don’t worry. It’s all part of the plan.”
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
The Shining Stone, the capital’s finest jewelry store, was a place where affluent, noble young ladies and women enjoyed shopping and gossiping.
The waiting room prepared for the guests was no different from a gossip hub for the ladies.
As usual, the ladies were spending the day talking about someone’s affairs.
“Today, that troublemaker from the house…”
“Oh, really?”
The nobles’ dedicated salespeople were usually there to stand by their sides and listen to their stories.
At that moment, two beautiful women entered the waiting room.
“Oh my, isn’t that the Duchess of Blant?”
“And next to her is her cousin, the young lady of Marquis of Arzen?”
Princess Cornelia, who married into the Blant ducal family, was one of the perfect topics of gossip among the nobles.
Though she had plain black hair, her eyes were purple, the color of royalty.
She was also beautiful, with an innocent, fragile look that even her black hair couldn’t hide.
“She’s still beautiful, but her dress is too plain.”
“Did she come here again to indulge in luxury? For instance, by adding jewels to that plain dress.”
What’s more, Cornelia’s penchant for extravagance and unbridled indiscretions was well known, so the nobles’ eyes were on her.
Medelin couldn’t help but roll her eyes at their reactions.
‘I put in so much effort; why aren’t they talking about me? I look much prettier today!’
After a moment, she turned to Cornelia and smiled.
“Cory, I’m so glad you called me. I thought you were upset with me.”
“Upset? Why would I be?”
“That’s because… I thought you were angry with me for coming to the mansion so often. Isn’t that why you were so cold to me at the palace?”
Medelin covered her mouth and looked around and laughed. The snake-like noble ladies had their ears perked, listening.
‘Now, go ahead and be as angry as you were then. Or you can say it’s not true and sulk.’
Either way, Cornelia’s reputation would suffer.
But Cornelia’s response was quite different from what Medelin expected.
“Yes, I called you because I thought you might have misunderstood.”
“Huh? Misunderstood?”
“Yes, as you know, the palace is where the Emperor’s eyes are always present. If you speak to me there, it would naturally reach the Emperor’s ears, wouldn’t it?”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
The ladies nodded at Cornelia’s words.
“Indeed, the Emperor seems to be a strict person.”
“The Duchess of Blant must be very fond of her cousin.”
Unable to steer public opinion as she wished, Medelin pursed her lips and quickly changed the subject.
“That aside, you ask me to choose a gift for the matriarch, right?”
“Yes. What do you think would be a suitable gift for the matriarch here?”
Cornelia asked, pushing the pamphlet at her. Medelin inwardly sulked.
‘How foolish! That woman likes any expensive gem except rubies… Ah!’
With a smile, Medelin replied, “The matriarch particularly likes rubies.”
