Dahlia approached her with an anxious face.
“Your Highness…”
“I found it.”
Before Dahlia could express her confusion, Sienna’s face brightened as she pushed the bookshelf on the wall forward. Dahlia’s puzzled expression immediately transformed into shock.
The rattling bookshelf suddenly receded backward, revealing a dark passage where it had been. Though it was just a short distance with a door visible on the opposite side.
Unlike Dahlia who stood frozen in shock, Sienna stepped into the passage without much surprise. Dahlia, finally unfreezing, hesitantly followed behind her.
While walking, Dahlia carefully examined the passage in disbelief. She never would have dreamed such a hidden corridor existed.
Upon reaching the other side, Sienna pulled the doorknob, and the door opened with a spine-chilling sound.
Dahlia frowned at the ear-scraping noise.
“It seems they haven’t properly oiled it.”
“If it’s a passage only the Duke knows about, that’s unavoidable.”
Although they successfully opened the door, the path ahead was blocked by something large. Sienna, with a doubtful expression, pushed it just as she had done with the bookshelf.
When the obstacle remained firmly in place, she changed the direction of force to the side. Then the bookshelf, which had been stubbornly resisting, moved with little resistance.
What was revealed was another study, not unlike the room where they had discovered the passage.
It was a room densely packed with bookshelves. The only difference was that unlike the previous room filled with famous books that even Sienna recognized, this room was filled entirely with identical ledgers.
Sienna slightly opened the curtain covering the window to look outside. Only after confirming their location through the exterior view did she become certain that this was the Duke’s study, which had been locked.
Moonlight seeped through the gap in the curtain that Sienna had slightly parted. Thanks to this, the interior was more clearly visible.
It looked no different from an ordinary study, but since it was a place where outsiders’ access was strictly controlled, a fine layer of dust had settled everywhere. Feeling her throat tickle, Dahlia let out a small cough.
“There are years written on them.”
Sienna murmured. Dahlia also raised her head to check the numbers recorded on the ledgers.
“Ah, you’re right.”
“Let’s first look for the year when the late Emperor passed away.”
Dahlia nodded and began examining the densely stored ledgers. Though the darkness limited visibility, the moonlight coming through the window allowed for some distinction.
The search for the ledgers was inevitably slow, but there was no alternative.
The two began searching diligently, standing back to back.
Sienna thought that since they had successfully entered the study, finding the will would only be a matter of time. But the volume of ledgers in the study was vast and they were left in irregular arrangements.
If only they had been organized by year, it would have been easier. Some had years written on them, while others had names.
Finding what they wanted among the jumbled ledgers without clear criteria was not easy.
Despite some time having passed since entering the study, as no promising information appeared, Sienna grew impatient. Even while searching the study, she kept glancing outside.
Though she had firmly closed the main entrance to the annex, minimizing suspicion from the guards, it wasn’t a situation where she could guarantee a perfect crime.
Dahlia had said that normally no one but the Duke entered the annex, but what if someone noticed something strange and barged in?
As anxious assumptions arose, her once calm movements gradually lost composure. It was after a considerable amount of time that Dahlia let out an exclamation close to jubilation.
“Your Highness, I found it!”
At the bright outcry, Sienna turned from where she stood by the wall. Embarrassed by her own excitement, Dahlia hurriedly lowered her gaze and opened the ledger marked with the year of the late Emperor’s death.
Indeed. The ledger was full of all sorts of backdoor transaction records. While clicking her tongue at the Duke’s corruption, Dahlia’s face suddenly filled with bewilderment as she turned the pages.
What? Why isn’t it here?
Wondering if she might have missed it, she even shook the ledger in the air and carefully examined it again from the first page with keen eyes.
But there was no trace of the will’s contents.
Sienna, having roughly grasped the situation, said in an unsurprised tone:
“If not that ledger, it must be somewhere in this room. Let’s look calmly.”
“Yes…”
As Dahlia was putting the ledger back in its place with a dejected face, something caught her eye.
Unlike the other ledgers, it was a new one without a year written on it. However, judging by the discolored paper, it seemed to have been there for quite some time.
Dahlia picked it up as if entranced. Though the inside was blank, her hand didn’t stop turning the pages. As countless empty pages turned, something tucked inside fell to her feet with a thud.
“Huh?”
Before she could read the contents, the red seal stamped at the very bottom entered her vision. For Dahlia, who had spent her childhood on the late Emperor’s lap, recognizing the owner of that seal wasn’t difficult.
Dahlia’s eyes widened so much they seemed about to pop out.
“F… F…!”
She couldn’t even finish her words due to extreme excitement. Sienna, somehow understanding, hastily rose.
“You found it?”
Instead of answering, Dahlia nodded rapidly and showed her the paper.
Unlike Dahlia whose hands were trembling, the Princess took it calmly. Dahlia had thought she would either burst into tears or jubilation, but she showed no reaction.
After examining the paper for a long while, Dahlia said excitedly:
“Now that we’ve found the will, let’s quickly return. Sir Monches must be waiting.”
As Dahlia was about to leave the study with an elated face, Sienna stopped her.
“We have one more thing to find.”
“Pardon?”
“The ownership documents for Chesperl Castle must be somewhere here.”
Though Dahlia looked dumbfounded, Sienna paid no heed and started searching for ledgers again. The hands that had carefully put the found will inside her bodice began moving busily once more.
Dahlia, who had been standing stiffly, also slowly began searching through the ledgers again.
The brief conversation ceased, and Dahlia and Sienna diligently searched the study, standing back to back.
Dahlia felt the fear she had for the patrol guards outside the annex gradually fading. The quiet noise coming from behind her approached Dahlia with an unfamiliar emotion she had never felt in the Duke’s residence all her life.
At this moment, Sienna was Dahlia’s most reliable ally.
Recalling this fact made her nose tingle for some reason. Probably due to the thick dust, she concluded. If not that, it was still a somewhat unfamiliar feeling.
****
Everything was suspiciously smooth.
On the way to Pelowel, Dahlia seemed afraid that the Duke’s minions might chase after the carriage, but surprisingly, the journey was uneventful. Upon safely arriving at the Grand Duke’s residence, Dahlia was greatly delighted, but only Sienna couldn’t shake off an uneasy feeling.
No matter what, he’s one of the empire’s great nobles, he wouldn’t be overcome this easily.
‘He must have made a move.’
Though it was an obvious fact, remembering it calmed her elevated mood again. How much of this success was truly of her own achievement?
Even sitting across from Declan after a long time, useless self-deprecation wouldn’t leave her mind.
“I’m glad you returned safely.”
“Everything is thanks to your help, Your Grace.”
At her stiff tone devoid of sincerity, Declan silently picked up the wine bottle. Even though their situations were completely exposed, addressing him as “Your Grace” was clearly drawing a line.
As he tilted the bottle towards her glass, the red liquid swirled, filling the round bottom of the glass.
“That’s a bit grand for what I did.”
“Still.”
The words of gratitude caught in her throat, reluctant to come out. As Sienna hesitated, Declan’s lips curved slightly.
“It’s entirely Your Highness’s achievement.”
Her gaze, having been moving her lips silently, turned to Declan.
“So rejoice to your heart’s content.”
Only after he had filled his own glass did he put down the bottle. Declan raised his glass and gently clinked it against hers that lay still on the table.
The sound of clinking glasses rang cheerfully. Sienna still didn’t pick up the celebratory drink, keeping her hands neatly on her lap.
Instead, she blurted out a question that came like an impulse.
“If I truly become the owner of Ricata according to that will… what do you think it would be like?”
At the sudden question, Declan’s hand stopped in mid-air as he was bringing the wine glass to his lips. His emotionless gaze briefly turned towards her before withdrawing.
“Your Highness will be an excellent owner. Even when you stayed as the mistress of the Grand Duke’s residence, both Ruben and the Count praised you unanimously, so it wouldn’t be any different after you go to Ricata.”
In other words, even during the time when she was his wife, Declan maintained a detached attitude, as if talking about someone else’s house.
