Chapter 61
Rachel lightly shook her head. Right now, sending Remington to the Imperial Academy was the priority.
Her reaction seemed to catch Stefan’s attention. He paused mid-explanation, which had been flowing smoothly until then.
“Was my explanation too difficult?”
“Oh, no…”
“Then perhaps you found it boring. I’ve spent my whole life running businesses and managing trading companies, so I’m not very good at telling entertaining stories.”
“It was… interesting, Your Grace.”
Rachel gave a faint smile, but it didn’t seem to reach Stefan. His gaze hardened as he stared out the window, and his next words came out curtly.
“Madam, my apologies, but would you mind going on your own from here?”
“Pardon?”
“I just remembered an urgent matter.”
“Oh, I understand.”
Stefan rapped on the wall of the carriage, signaling for it to stop. He informed the coachman to take the Duchess to the shop where Lord Burke was working and then disappeared like the wind.
Rachel stared blankly at the alley where Stefan had vanished.
‘Cancel it, cancel it! That thought that he might be a warm person—forget it!’
Clenching her fists tightly in frustration, Rachel smoothed out the creases in her dress and tried to compose herself.
***
‘Where did she disappear to?!’
It was undoubtedly Aileen Blanche. Though she tried to hide her identity with a wide-brimmed hat, the dress she wore gave her away entirely.
Stefan recognized it immediately because it was the same dress Aileen had been wearing when she’d rushed out of Roman Tailors after a fitting session.
In the capital, noble ladies would never share identical dress designs. For them, dresses were as much a source of pride as fingerprints were unique.
‘I’m certain she disappeared around here…’
Stefan wandered through the dark back alleys, fumbling his way forward, until he bumped into someone.
“Oh, excuse me.”
“Your Grace?”
The other person, already accustomed to the darkness, quickly recognized him. Likewise, upon hearing the familiar voice, Stefan realized it was Finn.
“Did you see Lady Blanche?”
“She went in there just a moment ago.”
“And what exactly is that place?”
“A hub of the underworld commerce around these parts, you could say.”
“Is there really such a place on Bayton Street?”
“Anywhere there’s light, there’s also shadow, Your Grace.”
Finn replied casually, his dark eyes glinting.
“But it is rather fascinating to see a noble lady frequenting such a place.”
“Fascinating? More like suspicious.”
“They say ignorance is courage. It fits perfectly here.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean, Lady Blanche boldly walked in, revealing her identity as a noble lady. If she intended to visit such a place, shouldn’t she have at least concealed her status?”
Finn’s voice grew increasingly louder, perhaps out of excitement at finally catching Aileen in the act, or perhaps out of anger over the rare garnet ring ending up on the market because of her foolishness.
“Shh!”
A moment later, Aileen reappeared. She glanced around nervously, pulling her hat lower before hurrying away.
“I’ll bring Aileen back. You go inside and check that place out.”
“Your Grace, shouldn’t our roles be reversed?”
“What?”
“Who knows what kind of people might be in there? A powerless man like me could be snuffed out in a flash. But you, with your title and wealth, they wouldn’t dare harm…”
Finn made a gesture of dragging his finger across his neck, and Stefan shook his head in exasperation.
“Fine, I’ll go in. You bring Aileen to my office.”
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
As Finn darted off, Stefan let out a small, incredulous laugh and stepped into the shabby shop.
Disguised as a tavern, the place reeked of tobacco smoke exhaled by rough-looking men, and foul curses filled the air. It was a brutal place where no ordinary noble lady would dare set foot.
“You’re a new face. What brings you here?”
A man who appeared to be the shopkeeper spoke to him in a surprisingly polite tone. Stefan responded just as courteously.
“The item Lady Blanche entrusted—I’ve come to retrieve it.”
“…Who might that be?”
“The young lady who left two bags here a little while ago.”
The man eyed Stefan with suspicion before lowering his voice to ask discreetly,
“The password?”
“…Susan Edmond.”
At last, convinced, the innkeeper placed two heavy bags on the counter.
“You arrived earlier than the time the lady mentioned. I hesitated for a moment. My apologies if it offended you.”
“It’s fine. In matters like this, it’s always better to be cautious.”
Stefan smiled faintly and picked up the bags as he left the shop. He smirked, certain that the contents were divided between the two bags because they couldn’t fit into one.
‘So, the remaining two must be there.’
Even without opening the bags, Stefan had a good idea of what was inside. Likely, a gold ingot in each bag.
Finn had paid 4,000 gold to recover the garnet ring. Using the Edmond Trading Company’s name, he’d likely issued a promissory note, and gold ingots would have been the easiest way to cash it out.
Quickly leaving the back alleys, Stefan headed toward the pawnshop where he had first spotted Aileen. As expected, it was a place she frequented like a regular customer.
‘She’s doing something like this in broad daylight? A noblewoman, no less?’
As Stefan entered the pawnshop, the owner’s booming voice greeted him, followed by a startled gasp.
“Welcome! Hiik, Y-Your Grace!”
“So, you know my face.”
“Well, that’s…”
The owner, perhaps too honest for his own good, kept glancing at the bags Stefan was holding, making it obvious he recognized them.
“I’ve come to retrieve the items Lady Blanche left here.”
“…”
“Don’t trust me?”
“N-not at all.”
“Then bring them to me.”
Swallowing nervously, the owner disappeared into the back of the shop and returned with two small boxes wrapped in newspaper.
Without checking the contents, Stefan put the boxes into his bag and spoke.
“I’ve heard rumors you deal in stolen goods here. Looks like they were true.”
“S-stolen goods?!”
Now sweating profusely, the pawnshop owner looked as if he might burst into tears, prompting Stefan to chuckle in disbelief. He quickly stifled his laughter and lowered his voice to a whisper.
“That garnet ring—it was stolen. It’s mine.”
“I-I truly didn’t know. The Duchess asked me to sell it for her, and I believed her, Your Grace!”
“I’ll let it slide this time. But don’t ever let this happen again.”
“I’ll remember, Your Grace. Never again.”
Leaving the groveling owner behind, Stefan exited the pawnshop. By now, the sun was high in the sky, its rays uncomfortably hot on his head.
“It’s already noon. I’ve wasted far too much time on this nonsense.”
Though he grumbled, Stefan’s steps toward the jewelry shop were light. The way things were falling into place so smoothly gave him hope that he’d be able to rescue Susan soon.
***
A strange carrier pigeon flew into Rita’s bedroom. It was unheard of for a pigeon she didn’t recognize to enter the Ducal Estate—something that simply couldn’t happen.
The Edmond Ducal Estate was strictly managed, whether for those walking in or anything flying in. It was called an impregnable fortress for a reason.
“What are the guards doing?! They can’t even stop a random pigeon in broad daylight?”
Fuming, Rita glared at the pigeon as if she might tear it apart, but then her gaze caught on a familiar jewel attached to the messenger tube.
“That’s an emerald cuff button!”
Rita had gifted those cuff buttons to Marquis Eden as a token of trust for Susan’s well-being. The buttons, adorned with emeralds symbolizing Susan’s green eyes, were so distinct that not only the noble circles in the capital but even the Ducal Estate’s staff could recognize them.
It explained why the guards hadn’t intercepted the pigeon upon seeing the cuff button.
“Why is this attached to the messenger tube?”
Rita detached the cuff button first. Judging by how precariously it was fastened, the pigeon must have been released near the estate.
“Does this mean Marquis Eden is in the capital? Then why isn’t he coming into the estate but sending a pigeon instead?”
Rita, never fond of her son-in-law’s cunning behavior, felt a sudden surge of anger. Worried about what scheme he might be plotting, she hastily pulled the letter from the tube and unfolded it.
