✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Translated by: Sienna
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
“Are you okay? Do you want some water or something?”
Despite my offer, Landon shook his head and replied,
“I’m f-fine. I’ll be going now.”
I watched his retreating figure as if fleeing.
‘Seems like he’s hiding something from me…’
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Meanwhile, Sardin was following Xenon, as instructed by Cornelia.
Contrary to his usual guarded demeanor, Xenon seemed to be more relaxed, as Cornelia had said.
And today, he seemed to be getting ready to go out.
‘I must find out who is behind this today.’
With that determination, Sardin closely monitored Xenon from afar.
When Xenon finally left the mansion, Sardin swiftly descended from the tree where he had been hiding.
‘Okay, now I just need to follow him…….’
Just then, he heard someone calling his name.
“Sardin, there you are!”
Sardin frowned. After all, despite being the culprit who created an atmosphere of distrust towards Cornelia, Landon was wandering around her like a pigeon, picking up breadcrumbs.
‘I’m sure he’s trying to use me for his own gain.’
Normally, he might have offered assistance, believing it could benefit Cornelia. But right now, he was in a hurry.
‘I must go after Xenon.’
And just as Sardin was about to ignore him and walk past him,
“Wait, madam is in danger!”
Sardin halted abruptly and seized Landon by the nape of his neck.
“What do you mean by that?”
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Listening to Sardin’s report, I chuckled inwardly.
‘Well, even if he’s worried about me being shocked, what good does it do if he doesn’t tell me such important information?’
Although Landon’s actions were suspicious, I couldn’t bring myself to reprimand him.
It was the first time someone other than Sardin or Janet had shown concern for me, especially Landon, who had always looked down on me.
‘Well, I have treated him well, and my decision holds his return to service as a butler.’
Still, it was a good thing I’d gotten a heads-up on the matriarch’s plans.
‘Though, to be honest, I had a suspicion she might resort to that.’
After a moment, I turned to Sardin, just in case.
“But there’s no chance anyone overheard it, right?”
“Don’t worry. Only Landon and the master’s confidants know this secret.”
Then, with caution, Sardin spoke to me.
“By the way, I’m afraid we’ve lost Xenon.”
I smirked and replied.
“It’s fine. Even if we chase after Xenon, there’s no guarantee we’ll find out who’s behind it.”
“But…….”
“Besides, I don’t have the luxury to worry about Xenon right now. There are more pressing matters. I trust you’ll handle it well.”
At my words, Sardin lowered his head and said,
“Do not worry. I will protect my master with my life.”
I couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
I smiled bitterly, for I knew all too well that Sardin meant what he said.
‘But I will never let anyone around me die in this lifetime.’
I immediately wrote a letter. Seeing its contents, Sardin’s expression turned grim.
“Master, this is…”
I smirked, sealed it, and handed it to Sardin.
“Deliver this to the Emperor.”
“But… it could be really dangerous for you.”
I smiled at Sardin, who looked at me with concern.
“Don’t worry. It will be the matriarch who will shed tears, not me.”
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
A few days later, rumors spread through the aristocratic circles of the capital.
“Are the barbarians provoking the north again?”
Normally, noblewomen would be afraid of foreign invasions, but they spoke dismissively.
“What’s to fear? We have the Blant Duchy in the north, and if anyone dares to touch it, the Duke will surely intervene.”
“Well, if the Duke of Blant steps in, those barbarians won’t be much trouble.”
Regardless of faction, everyone agreed with that sentiment.
He was the Empire’s greatest swordsman, the undefeated barrier.
Erich Lennon Blant’s presence was like having a war god within the Empire.
“Still, Her Highness, the duchess must be disappointed. She won’t see her handsome husband for a while.”
“Indeed. It’s all part of the strategy. The Duchess reportedly courted the Duke of Blant so ardently that she convinced the Emperor to marry him.”
Then, as if on cue, someone brought up a new topic involving the Duchess of Blant.
“Come to think of it, they say the Blant matriarch controls her daughter-in-law tightly, right?”
“Are you sure about that?”
Yes. Quite a few people have seen the Duchess of Lienheim leering at the manager of the Shining Stone, who has visited Duke Blant’s mansion.
“Oh, is that something the manager herself said?”
“No. She didn’t say it directly, but I could tell by her reaction. It seems like the Blant Matriarch was dissatisfied with the gift and criticized Shining Stone.”
“Gee, there are a lot of ladies who are regulars there…… Could it be because of Twinkle?”
“I suppose it could be; after all, it’s well known that the Blant Matriarch is close with the Marquis of Arzen.”
“Well, considering how much she favors the Marquis’ daughter…”
Thinking of the subtle interactions they witnessed between Medelin and Cornelia at the Shining Stone, they continued to speculate.
“Come to think of it, it was Lady Arzen who mentioned it. She told the Duchess that the matriarch likes ruby necklaces, right?”
“Oh, I didn’t notice that… How sly.”
And that gossip spread like wildfire, reaching the ears of the Blant matriarch, who rarely left her mansion.
Bang!
Throwing down the vase, the matriarch scowled.
“The audacity of those who usually wouldn’t even dare raise their heads in front of me, but now, based on the words of a mere shopkeeper and the old fox of Lienheim, dare to insult me?”
Of course, the rumors were mostly true, but there are some things you shouldn’t say, even if they’re true.
Although she rarely leaves her mansion, she’s a social butterfly with a huge presence.
But to have such rumors circulating? For the matriarch, it was disgraceful in itself.
“Madam, a letter has arrived from Miss Medelin…”
The matriarch frowned at the maid’s cautious words.
“Come here.”
Then, after checking the letter, the matriarch chuckled bitterly.
“How audacious of her! Is she in her right mind? Asking me to say that I like rubies!”
With Medelin’s neat handwriting stating that this method was the best way to quell rumors, the matriarch became enraged and started tearing up the letter.
‘What will I become of myself if I throw away the ruby necklace I supposedly like so much?’
The matriarch felt disgust at Medelin’s selfish attitude, solely focused on herself.
Although she had treated Medelin like her own daughter and cherished her, she was nothing more than someone else’s daughter after all.
‘But what’s even more irritating than Medelin is…’
<Grand madam, apologize to my guest at once.>
No matter how much she tried to forget it, she couldn’t. She couldn’t shake the image of Cornelia, her eyes wide open, speaking firmly.
Finally, the matriarch shouted in frustration.
“This is all because of Cornelia, that cunning woman!”
The matriarch was convinced that Cornelia was the cause of her downfall.
“I thought it was odd that she would give me a gift… I’m sure she must have deliberately invited that pompous wench and then pretended to be pitiful!”
The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became.
It wasn’t enough that she had captured her real son’s heart; now she was trying to trap her.
The matriarch glared at the maid.
“Are the arrangements I instructed being made properly?”
“Well, you’ve been giving me a lot of instructions lately…….”
In response to her oblivious answer, the matriarch shouted in frustration, her voice filled with annoyance.
“You foolish thing, the gift for Cornelia!”
“Th-that is proceeding smoothly without any hitches.”
At the mention of it still being in progress, the matriarch furrowed her brow.
“That… it must be moved up.”
“Yes, but weren’t you going to do it a few months from now?”
In response to the maid’s confusion, the matriarch answered.
“Yes, that’s right. At that time, it felt like it would be more impactful to lose it when her stomach was full. But… I’ve changed my mind.”
The matriarch gritted her teeth.
She couldn’t bear to think that all this misfortune she was experiencing was because of Cornelia.
Moreover…
“By the looks of it, Erich will be heading north soon.”
Although he had been warned with a slap to the cheek, the fake son was not to be underestimated.
He kept a watchful eye on her without letting his guard down, as if he could sense her every move.
‘So I had to proceed with caution.’
However, it is a lord’s duty to defend his territory, so the fake son will have no choice but to head north to the duke’s home territory.
“Then that will be the right time to present my daughter-in-law with a gift, and…”
The matriarch cast a sinister glance and then narrowed her eyes.
“If I were to comfort that woman when she loses her child due to her own fault, wouldn’t there be no one left to blame me?”
horrendous