✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Translated by: Alina
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
“Your Grace, please stop this already.”
Despite Chester’s plea, Erich remained impassive.
Finally, Chester uttered the words he had held back all along.
“You know, there’s no chance the Madam is still alive!”
Before he could finish speaking, Chester’s body slammed to the ground.
In an instant, Erich was pressing down on his throat.
“Shut up.”
Seeing this, the other knights hurriedly tried to restrain the Duke, but the overwhelming aura emanating from Erich made them too afraid to even attempt it.
Then Erich muttered under his breath.
“There’s no way she’s dead. Because she is…”
The moment he lowered his gaze, Chester’s form morphed into that of Cornelia, lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the head.
Soon, she spoke with blood trickling from her head.
“Why are you looking for me? In truth, you wished for me to disappear.”
Erich recoiled in shock.
“Your Grace?”
Chester, who had risen to his feet, called out to him.
But Erich did not seem to hear his voice, standing there motionless.
‘Why am I looking for you?’
Her image popped into his mind.
She smiled, accepted the flowers, took a handkerchief, widened her eyes, and blushed as she handed the handkerchief over. And…
<Please don’t refuse. I want to have your child.>
After recalling her tear-stained face, he soon recalled his brother’s face.
<My brother, I trust you.>
Eventually, Erich clenched his fist tightly.
‘Right, she is my brother’s wife. She must be alive. I swore to protect her safely until my brother returned.’
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
In a salon in the capital.
It wasn’t the most upscale salon, where only the highest-ranking nobles gathered. It was just an ordinary salon frequented by minor nobles, fallen aristocrats, and wealthy merchants.
However, the conversation among the ladies was no less stimulating than in the most elite salons.
“Have you heard the news? The Grand Madam of Blant and the young lady of Marquis of Arzen conspired to try and kill the Duchess of Blant!”
“The Grand Madam of Blant claims she was taking medication for menopause, doesn’t she?”
“Oh, menopause, what a flimsy excuse that is.”
“Come to think of it, Marquis Arzen’s daughter was also suspected of harming the Duchess at their shop. Could it be that she wanted to eliminate the Duchess to become the daughter-in-law?”
“Honestly, wouldn’t that be the case? Constantly visiting the cousin’s house, claiming to be her husband’s childhood friend, is hardly sane.”
Conversations in the salon of the capital were always provocative.
With such thoughts, a brown-haired lady rose from her seat.
‘I should head back soon. It’s not good for the fetal development.’
Just as she was about to head towards the exit.
“By the way, with all this commotion, what is the Duke of Blant doing?”
“Ah, I heard they are still searching the river for the Duchess’s body.”
At those words, the brown-haired lady’s steps faltered.
“I honestly don’t understand. After shunning the Duchess like that, suddenly they’re so concerned…”
The Duke of Blant was once the empire’s most handsome and admired man, but his current public opinion is far from favorable.
“Well, that’s obvious, isn’t it? Since there is no way to prove his mother’s innocence, he must be trying to get the Grand Madam a reduced sentence in the upcoming trial.”
“But it’s not that simple, is it? They say he’s been by the river, acting like a madman every day.”
“Who knows? Maybe he’s finally regretting it all now.”
The brown-haired noblewoman let out a hollow laugh.
‘Oh, getting involved in useless gossip…’
It’s just someone else’s story. There’s no need to worry about it; just let it go in one ear and out the other.
Just as she was about to head towards the exit again, she suddenly bumped into someone’s bag, causing it to fall.
‘Ah, I wasn’t looking where I was going.’
She hurriedly picked up the bag and was about to apologize, but the other person spoke first.
“Pardon me, Baroness Carden. I suddenly stood up and must have startled you.”
“Oh, no! I wasn’t startled at all. It was my fault for not looking where I was going! Here, take it!”
As she handed the bag over, the noblewoman took a quick glance at the other person and was taken aback.
With her charming blonde hair and delicate features, she was undoubtedly a woman of exceptional beauty.
‘Such beauty… who could she be?’
Momentarily dazed, the blonde beauty hastily drew the veil attached to her black hat over her face.
‘A black hat?’
Soon, the noblewoman noticed the woman’s mourning attire.
She then remembered something she had heard recently.
‘Ah, now that you mention it, there was a widow who had received territory and property as a reward from the Emperor for her late husband’s accomplishments on the border, wasn’t there?’
And that widow was said to be a stunning beauty with blonde hair, always wearing black robes.
“Um, excuse me…?”
The noblewoman was about to greet her and inquire about her identity, but…
“Thank you for picking up the bag. I’ll excuse myself now.”
The beautiful woman bowed her head slightly and haughtily exited the salon.
Soon, she approached the handsome man with chestnut-colored hair who had been waiting outside.
“Master.”
“Have you been waiting long?”
“No, not at all. But, are you alright?”
She smiled and responded to the man’s words.
“I have no reason to not be okay, do I? Sardin.”
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Despite my unhesitating response, Sardin continued to look at me with a skeptical expression.
Well, that’s understandable.
After all, I was the unfortunate one who, throughout our marriage, had never received love from her spouse.
I, the Duchess of Blant, the Emperor’s daughter, had been caught up in the machinations of my mother-in-law and cousin and had become the subject of tragic gossip, torn apart from all sides.
He must be worried that, given my temperament, I might be frustrated by the current situation.
But contrary to Sardin’s concerns, I was truly fine.
I just assumed a new identity, disguised myself, and changed only her hair and eye color, but I felt like this whole situation was someone else’s business.
The fact that the Grand Madam and Medelin have been arrested and are currently under house arrest in their respective homes, as well as the fact that Erich is frantically searching the river to find my body—all of this was intentionally orchestrated by me.
“It’s not like I’m dead, so it doesn’t matter, right?”
“We can’t say it’s completely irrelevant.”
At those words, I furrowed my brow and said,
“That’s right. It could have been completely irrelevant, but because of the mistake you made, a tail has been attached to us.”
‘It’s because Janet overheard the conversation between Sardin and Landon in the office.’
“Someone else might be listening to our conversation, so I hope you pay more attention from now on.”
Seemingly stung by my remark, Sardin sighed and changed the subject.
“Are we heading to the Oneflower Workshop?”
I could have continued teasing him, but I decided to just go along with his lead.
“Yes, it’s time to start preparing to move.”
Just as we were about to depart, a woman in maid’s attire entered the carriage.
It was Janet, the ‘tail’ I had mentioned earlier.
“Madam, surely you weren’t planning to leave me behind while I was out buying snacks, were you?”
Truthfully, I would have liked to leave her behind, but I couldn’t do that.
‘After all, Janet played a big part in the success of this endeavor.’
On the day I said I wouldn’t need her escort, Janet came to me and revealed everything, saying:
<Madam, are you planning to leave the mansion? I won’t tell the Duke. So please take me with you.>
Given the circumstances, I could either eliminate Janet or accept her as a colleague and keep her under close watch.
Truthfully, eliminating Janet would have made things easier.
However, due to the kindness she had shown me in my previous life, I could not bring myself to harm her in any way.
‘And just in time, I needed someone to act as my double, giving me time to disguise myself and escape from Twinkle.’
Someone capable of surviving and jumping out of the carriage, the Grand Madam, sabotaged. That meant they had to be at least proficient in using aura.
So originally, I had planned to hire an expert from the Assassin’s Guild, but since Janet had already discovered my scheme, it seemed better to utilize her instead.
‘That’s why I assigned Sardin to monitor her…’
Not only did she perfectly impersonate me, but she has also remained silent about everything that has happened to Erich.
‘But I still can’t bring myself to fully trust her.’
Before my return, Janet had been kind to me and protected me, but that was only because I was Erich’s wife, her lord.
But now she followed me when I tried to leave?
Honestly, I doubted how many people would do so out of pure goodwill.
‘But well, thanks to her, things have gone smoothly, so I have no choice but to keep her around. And if Janet were to confess everything to Erich, that would be problematic as well.’
