Chapter 74
To ease the awkward atmosphere caused by Stella, Rita stepped in.
“Where is the Duke?”
“He’ll be down soon.”
“But why are you here instead of the butler?”
Only then did Rita notice that the head maid was standing in the dining room instead of the butler. Her face twisted in displeasure.
“Uh… well…”
“I sent Thomas on an errand,” Stefan answered as he pushed open the dining room door. The head maid let out a sigh of relief and stepped back.
“An errand? There are plenty of other people available. What could you possibly need from that old man?”
Rita’s tone was filled with discontent. She looked ready to scold Stefan for sending Thomas away at such a critical time.
“It was something only Thomas could do.”
“And where exactly did you send him?”
“To Herkeni.”
“……”
Rita immediately fell silent, finally grasping the meaning behind Stefan’s words.
‘He sent Thomas to Susan? But why Thomas?’
I had the same thought. While I trusted Thomas more than Rita, Susan would surely have preferred for her mother to come instead.
However, before I could dwell on my doubts, an innocent question from Stella pushed them aside.
“You sent Thomas to where my sister is? Why?”
“Susan left something behind, so I sent it with him.”
“What was it?”
“A book she enjoyed reading.”
“Sending Thomas just to deliver a single book…?”
Muttering to herself about how both her brother and sister were incomprehensible, Stella frowned. Stefan then added a remark.
“Stella, some antique books are more valuable than this entire duchy.”
“Oh, come on, no way.”
“……”
Only then did Stella seem to realize her brother was looking at her with a disapproving gaze. She pouted before speaking again.
“But if you were going to send Thomas to Herkeni, you should have told me as well.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I wanted to visit my sister’s place too.”
Rita, perhaps thinking it best to stop Stella’s unpredictable mouth, stepped in to mediate.
“Stella, you have to enter the academy tomorrow.”
“I can delay it for a few days.”
“The semester has already started, so you can’t delay it any longer. Now, finish your breakfast and go pack your things. I will check later.”
“Ugh…”
As Stella grumbled and began eating her breakfast, Rita turned her attention to Stefan.
“Your Grace, I’d like to have a moment with you later.”
“I’ll be in the study. Come find me whenever you wish.”
“Understood.”
Thinking that Susan would soon return to the duke’s residence made me feel much more at ease.
‘Once Susan is back, maybe I should start working as well.’
***
That afternoon, after a very long time, Marchioness Cotta visited the duke’s residence. She even brought a high-end fountain pen as a gift for Remington’s school entrance.
Having confirmed that forming good connections through Susan came with no downsides, I introduced Remington to the Marchioness. If my plans went awry and I ended up dying again, I intended to entrust my younger brother to her.
“Lady Dorothy, this is my younger brother, Remington Burke.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, Marchioness.”
Remington, who still had the look of a young boy, flashed a bright smile, revealing deep dimples in his fair cheeks. Dorothy let out a gasp of admiration.
“My goodness… How can someone be this handsome?”
“You flatter me, hehe.”
Remington was a little shy, but he didn’t dislike being called handsome. Moreover, since the Marchioness had brought him a fountain pen from his favorite brand, he wanted to make a good impression on her.
“Thank you for the wonderful entrance gift, Marchioness.”
“A good writing instrument helps create beautiful penmanship. And they say that changing your handwriting can change your life—so I hope you craft a splendid life, young Remington.”
“Thank you for your kind words. Please feel free to call me Remington.”
“With such a perfect personality to match that handsome face, no wonder your sister is proud of you. You’re so charming—I’m sure you’ll be quite popular at the academy. The young ladies will be pining after you.”
At Dorothy’s high praise, Remington blushed shyly. When he met his sister’s gaze, who was watching him fondly, he seemed to remember something he had forgotten and quickly added,
“Please take good care of my sister, Marchioness.”
“You don’t need to worry. Rachel is like a daughter to me.”
Seeing the Marchioness hold my hand so warmly, Remington sighed in relief before heading back into the mansion to finish packing.
Dorothy watched his retreating figure, his brown hair swaying in the breeze, and murmured to herself,
“With a brother like that, you wouldn’t need anything else to feel fulfilled.”
“Thank you for seeing him in such a good light, Lady Dorothy.”
At my words, she suddenly snapped out of her thoughts, lowered her voice, and looked around cautiously.
“Have you heard the unsettling rumors circulating in the capital?”
“What rumors?”
“They say that Count Blanche, who has been placed under house arrest, is about to have his entire fortune confiscated and his title stripped.”
“Oh my, why?”
“Apparently, the count was involved in smuggling. He even dealt in stolen goods brought in by pirates. Considering that, it seems his daughter’s thievery wasn’t just a simple mistake.”
As I remained silent and merely nodded, Dorothy leaned in and whispered even more discreetly,
“Do you know who uncovered the count’s smuggling activities?”
“…I’m not sure.”
“It was Duke Edmond. Didn’t you suspect anything?”
“Not at all.”
“Well, the duke is an incredibly tight-lipped man.”
Tight-lipped? That was an understatement. He wasn’t just secretive—he was a frustrating man who never entertained unnecessary thoughts.
It was obvious he had uncovered evidence of the Blanche family’s crimes while searching for a way to save Susan. But to think he never said a word to me about it—how utterly infuriating.
Moreover, he had known all along that Aileen had introduced Susan to Marquis Eden with bad intentions, yet he still had the audacity to accuse me. How could a husband suspect his own wife like that? The anger boiled within me.
Yet, as I looked at the Marchioness, I noticed her expression was different from usual—she seemed restless and uneasy.
“Lady Dorothy, is there something else you wish to say?”
“…Should I tell you this or not?”
“What is it?”
The Marchioness swallowed dryly, grasped my hand tightly, and hesitated for a long while before speaking.
“…Don’t be too shocked, Rachel. There are rumors that Count Blanche is involved in the sinking of the Burke merchant ship.”
“Are you saying the sinking of the Burke ship wasn’t an accident?”
“It’s just hearsay, so nothing is certain.”
“That’s impossible. The Burke family has no ties to the Blanche family—not even a bad history.”
I grabbed Dorothy’s hand and shook it, urging her to tell me if she knew anything more. She looked troubled.
“The Duke of Edmond is investigating, so we’ll find out soon.”
“Stefan is investigating this?”
“He’s probably planning to tell you once he has more concrete information, Rachel. So just be patient and wait a little—”
Dorothy continued making excuses as if she were Stefan’s spokesperson, but I could no longer hear her words.
‘He could have at least given me a hint. He’s even seen the family photo in my bedroom… If he thought I was too weak and pathetic to handle it, he should have at least told Leopold.’
No matter how much I tried to understand, it was useless. My resentment toward Stefan only grew.
Then, an idea struck me.
‘Yes, Finn would know. He’s Stefan’s right-hand man, so I can get the information from him.’
With that thought, I turned to the Marchioness and pleaded earnestly.
“Lady Dorothy, please tell me everything you know.”
“That’s all I know, Rachel.”
“No, I’m asking about pillow-side litigation.”
“Pillow-side litigation?”
Dorothy blinked rapidly at my sudden question. She seemed to be racking her brain, trying to figure out if there was a connection between the sinking of the Burke ship and this legal practice.
“This is about my parents—I have a right to know. No, more than that, I should be the one to handle it!”
Dorothy finally realized my intent, and fear flashed in her eyes. She tightened her grip on my hand and pressed me anxiously.
“Rachel, what are you thinking?”
“I don’t want to just sit here and wait for Stefan to bring me the results.”
“Then what do you plan to do?”
“I want to investigate for myself. No, I will find the culprit and the evidence with my own hands. Stefan will do his best to investigate in his own way, but he’ll never be as desperate as I am.”
Dorothy shook her head more firmly, deeply concerned for my safety. But I burst into tears and pleaded desperately.
“I just want to hear the truth—the real truth.”
