Chapter 58
“Well… what’s the problem? She’s still in the honeymoon phase.”
“But why does she suddenly need so much money?”
“Since we’ve been to the southern region, collecting new dresses and jewelry must be the reason she’s short on funds.”
“She doesn’t need new dresses or jewelry. All the dresses she wore before the wedding were sent to the Duke’s estate, and she received nine sets of dowry jewelry.”
Thirsty, Aileen quickly gulped down the drink Mary brought and hurriedly answered.
“It seems the Duchess still doesn’t understand how extravagant Susan is. Without any shortage, she is simply obsessed with new things.”
Holding Aileen’s hand, I gave her a tender look, as if seeing a naive sister-in-law who doesn’t know her true self.
“Is that really true?”
“Of course.”
But her true thoughts were shocking.
‘I’ll never admit out loud that the Marquis Eden’s family is broke.’
I almost dropped her hand when I realized she was sincerely scheming to set Susan up by introducing Marquis Eden. Susan, who even stole a garnet ring as a gift, seemed pitiful.
‘But this doesn’t make sense.’
If Marquis Eden’s family is truly bankrupt, Lady Countess Cota wouldn’t have missed it. Moreover, Stefan wouldn’t have married his sister into such a family.
If Susan truly needed money because his family was in dire straits, why did Aileen ask for help instead of Lady Cota? Selling the garnet ring would certainly raise suspicion with Stefan, and taking such a risk seemed unnecessary.
“Still, I should send money for now. We can’t know what circumstances Susan is going through.”
“No, we need to fix her extravagance once and for all.”
“I don’t know much about jewels, and I’m still unfamiliar with the layout of the palace. I’ll leave the task to you. Please sell the garnet ring and send the money to Lady Susan.”
“Huh?”
When I looked at her with eyes that said, “You’re the only one I can trust,” her expression wavered slightly.
“You really don’t need to do that.”
“Since Lady Susan can’t tell even her own mother about it, I assume she wants to keep it a secret from me as well. So, Aileen, sell the garnet ring and send the money. I’ll make this request.”
Gripping her hands tightly, I gave her a desperate look. A shallow sigh escaped her lips.
“Huh, with you pleading like this, I don’t have a choice.”
“Thank you so much, Aileen. I’ll treat you like a savior from now on.”
“‘Savior’ is too much. Please treat me as a friend, Rachel.”
Aileen, who casually said my name, rose from her seat. Having achieved her goal, she struggled to hide her smug smile.
“By the way, garnet is such a rare gemstone. I don’t know if it can even be sold.”
“I’ll trust you for now. Please take care of it.”
“Don’t worry, Rachel. I’ll try to sell it for the highest price possible.”
“Thank you, Aileen. Truly, thank you.”
Seeing my gratitude reflected in her eyes, her shoulders danced with joy.
‘Enjoy yourself, Aileen. Soon enough, you’ll be the most famous woman in the palace.’
—
As Leopold and Hazel began their formal training at the Bayton Guild, Stefan found himself busier than ever. He had to figure out what to teach the two inexperienced apprentices and where to start.
“What have you been teaching them?”
“Did you mean Lord Burke?”
“Hazel might be a noblewoman, so she can feign ignorance, but how is Leopold, the heir of the Burke guild, so clueless?”
Finally losing patience, Stefan scolded Leopold, prompting Bell to give a small smile.
“Not everyone born into a guild does well, Your Grace.”
“Still, they should at least know the basics. How will Burke Guild survive like this?”
“I started by teaching management. He’s proficient with numbers, so he handles profit and loss calculations and operations well.”
“To manage well, you should also be able to handle the grunt work.”
“Lord Burke clearly hadn’t intended to pass down the guild to his son, as he never taught him anything. He didn’t even know how to write a simple letter, which was a surprise.”
Stefan let out a groan at Bell’s statement. Seeing the carefree, naive father-child dynamic in both the Edmond and Burke families was something he recognized all too well.
Stefan had the advantage of inheriting Rob and his sons, who were skilled in guild management, allowing him to quickly adapt to the operations of the guild. However, Leopold had lost his father’s loyal followers due to the shipwreck, leaving him in a more dire situation.
“Did you see any potential?”
“Yes, Your Grace. His personality is amicable, and he quickly befriends anyone, showing great persistence and never giving up easily.”
“That’s a relief. How about Hazel?”
“She’s doing exceptionally well. Like Lady Rita’s bloodline, she has a fierce streak.”
Stefan looked up at Bell’s face, curious about his reaction. It had been years since Bell had spoken Rita’s name.
“It was ten years ago, Your Grace. It’s time I’ve become indifferent.”
“Then you can stay a bit longer.”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
“Thank you, Bell.”
“Your Grace, did you just thank me?”
“…Yes.”
“Do you truly feel gratitude toward me? Or are you happy that you’re able to stay in the homeland a bit longer?”
“…I’ll need to go on a voyage soon. Spending too much time with Finn is making me adopt his way of speaking, which unsettles me.”
Bell’s face broke into a smile as if thinking Stefan had been changed by the newlywed phase. Stefan quickly sobered his expression and shifted the conversation.
“How is Marquis Eden doing these days?”
“There’s some unusual activity.”
“What kind of activity?”
“He postponed all payments for the promissory notes used before the wedding.”
“All of them?”
“Yes.”
Although they were overindulging, it was expected given their economic strength. Perhaps they wanted to display their pride in welcoming new family members.
“Has something happened to their source of funds?”
“No, that’s not the case.”
“Then why?”
“It seems like they are testing boundaries.”
“Who? Susan?”
“Let’s investigate further.”
With a serious expression, Bell refocused on the matter. Satisfied, Stefan checked on the details of the gems taken as part of Susan’s dowry.
“Have the gems she took as dowry been sold yet?”
“They haven’t appeared on the market.”
“You’ve kept a tight lid on it, right?”
“Of course, Your Grace.”
“Ensure it’s thoroughly managed. If those gems come back into circulation, the situation will become serious.”
“Understood.”
Stefan let out a deep sigh after Bell left. He had intended to dig into Rita’s background by staying in the homeland, but unexpected events kept occurring.
Using the excuse of teaching Leopold, Bell investigated the shipwreck of the Burke ship at Courtney, only to return empty-handed. There were no traces of the incident anywhere.
‘If not in Courtney, then where?’
To sink a ship of that scale, extensive preparation of at least six months would be necessary. There should have been some evidence left behind.
The notorious Burke family was said to have no enemies, and Rita, who was friends with the Countess, had a notoriously vicious personality.
‘If there’s no trace anywhere, then this wasn’t an accident. But why would they go to such lengths without a personal vendetta?’
Still, Stefan had yet to uncover the true cause of the Burke shipwreck. Meanwhile, Susam was ready to marry Marquis Eden. His investigations turned up nothing.
Money seemed to appear and disappear at will, making it difficult to gauge the true character of Eden’s family. Yet, Susan’s delicate care and affection reassured him.
‘If she can live a life of being loved by her husband, it might be a wise choice to get away from Rita sooner.’
Worried that she might inherit Rita’s traits, Stefan gladly allowed her marriage. However, his incomplete investigation made him anxious about her future happiness.
‘Why are there so many hidden agendas when it comes to family matters?’
Just then, Finn rushed into Stefan’s study, holding something out to him.
“Your Grace, look at this.”
In his palm lay the garnet ring Stefan had given Rachel as a gift.
“Why do you have this?”
“You should ask Duchess.”
Finn’s face was filled with frustration. The garnet ring, Stefan’s first gift and Rachel’s carefully chosen design, had been sold off like stolen goods, and Finn was retrieving it.
“Why did Duchess sell the garnet ring?”
