“I haven’t told you something, my lady. Actually, I was planning to take this ring to the Baron and claim a reward.”
Lila looked at Judith with an expression that showed she couldn’t understand why she was bringing this up now.
“The reward could just as well come from you, my lady.”
“So, you’re saying that if I pay you, you’ll keep quiet?”
Judith’s words made sense, but Lila did not appear to trust her.
“You don’t want to make this a bigger issue than it already is, do you?”
Getting rid of Judith Harrington quietly would be easy. However, secretly eliminating the Countess of Rainland—the wife of the war hero, Erne Rainland—would be far more difficult.
Especially since Erne had already witnessed the abduction.
But Lila was extremely uneasy, knowing that Judith had discovered something that could entrap her. She needed to reassure herself somehow.
“I’ll put my secret on the line, too.”
Judith said, leaning in toward Lila and lowering her voice.
“A mutual exchange of secrets?”
“Yes, exactly. This secret concerns my very life. With that, you can rest assured, my lady.”
A secret that could expose their vulnerabilities. If revealing it could deal a fatal blow to them both, then perhaps Lila could trust her.
“Keeping my secret requires money. I assume that’s not a problem?”
“This isn’t exactly a fair trade, is it?”
Lila’s gaze sharpened. If Erne Rainland had not been involved, she would never have agreed to an unfair deal.
However, as Judith predicted, Lila did not want to escalate matters.
“I’ll hear you out, at least.”
“A wise decision, my lady.”
Judith smiled as if she were merely delivering candles and receiving payment for them.
“I’m married.”
What? That’s the big secret?
Just as disappointment flickered across Lila’s face, Judith pointed outside the carriage—at Erne.
“To him.”
Judith then revealed everything that had happened—how she ended up accidentally marrying Erne, inherited the Rainland Count’s debt, and even dealt with moneylenders.
Of course, she omitted the part about Erne’s death and his undecayed body. She merely explained that Erne was pretending to be dead to catch those who wanted to kill him. Fortunately, Lila bought the explanation.
“Alright, I understand all that. But why is this a secret?”
Lila asked, clearly confused.
“Because all the candles I sell are made at the Rainland estate.”
“That cursed mansion?”
Lila’s expression instantly twisted with discomfort.
“If people knew my candles came from the Rainland estate, they’d react the same way you just did.”
“So no one would buy them.”
“Exactly. And if no one buys them, I can’t pay off my debt. If I fail to pay, I’ll be sold off to the moneylenders. And that would be worse than death.”
That was how dangerous this secret was.
“So that’s why keeping this secret costs money.”
Lila mused, letting out a short laugh.
“If I suddenly stop buying your candles after hearing this, people will find it suspicious.”
Baron Brix’s daughter had always actively promoted Judith’s candles. If she suddenly stopped buying them, wouldn’t people start wondering why?
It’s always the smallest suspicions that unravel everything. Until the rumors of the cursed mansion faded and the estate regained its value, this secret had to be strictly kept.
Judith had taken great measures to conceal the truth—taking roundabout routes, using the back gate instead of the main entrance, and always wearing a hood to hide her face.
“Fine.”
Lila finally agreed after some thought.
“As long as you keep your mouth shut, our family won’t cut ties with you. Oh, and deal with that ring yourself.”
“Don’t worry about that.”
Judith said, bowing slightly before stepping out of the carriage.
“Oh, right.”
As she turned to head toward Erne, Judith suddenly remembered something and glanced back at Lila.
“I’m just curious about something.”
“What is it?”
“How did you suddenly get pregnant when you never conceived before?”
Judith watched as Lila’s expression turned complicated. Then, with a shrug, she turned back around.
“You sure love using collateral.”
Before Judith could even thank him, Erne clicked his tongue and made a snide remark.
“I had no choice. But where did you get this horse?”
How did he manage to get a horse in such a short time?
“You bought it?”
“Yeah.”
“With what money?”
Judith tilted her head so much it almost touched her shoulder. Erne stroked the horse’s neck and shamelessly answered,
“With your money.”
On credit.
***
In his haste to follow Judith, Erne mounted the nearest horse and shouted to its owner that he would buy it. Of course, the owner’s opinion was not taken into account.
Judith tried to return the horse and only pay a day’s rental fee, but the owner insisted on selling it instead, saying he had planned to take it to the market anyway.
When the owner threatened to report them to the city guards if they didn’t pay, Judith had no choice but to buy the horse.
It cost her three months’ worth of interest.
Looking even paler than when she was kidnapped, Judith slumped her shoulders.
“Well, considering it saved our lives, it was a cheap price to pay.”
Logically, that was true. But while her mind accepted it, her heart did not—especially when Erne handed over his ‘comforting’ words with an elated expression, clearly pleased about having acquired a horse.
“By the way, what was that thing you said earlier?”
“What thing?”
“You mentioned that the Baroness’s baby might not be the Baron’s. Do you have any proof?”
Judith shrugged.
“Not exactly proof, but I did hear something. When I was delivering candles to the Marchioness of Ferni’s tea party, I overheard a conversation.”
Apparently, a certain noblewoman had been having an affair. That’s why she had been avoiding social events lately. Someone had even sympathized with her, saying it must have been dull to be married to an older husband.
“I don’t know for sure if they were talking about the Baroness. I just wanted to let Lady Lila know that she might have another bargaining chip besides the ring.”
It was ambiguous, but now they were in the same boat.
“If the Baron’s daughter inherits the title, she’ll have more to protect, right? That means she’ll want to keep this ring a secret even more. And that makes this secret even more valuable.”
As he listened, Erne furrowed his brows. So, in the end, Judith was just looking for a way to squeeze more money out of the Baron’s daughter.
“You almost got killed when you went to claim a reward from that family. Did you already forget?”
“The greater the risk, the greater the reward. You can’t escape poverty by being too cautious.”
Well, what would a nobleman who grew up rich know? Judith clicked her tongue.
“You should take the horse, Sir Erne.”
“What?”
Erne looked startled.
“Why are you acting so strange? Are you sick or something?”
He placed his hand on Judith’s forehead, muttering seriously, “No fever…”
Annoyed, Judith swatted his hand away and frowned.
“What would I even do with that thing?”
“I thought you’d sell it back.”
Well, she had considered that.
“I’m giving it to you as a thank-you—for not insisting on a divorce. And for saving me just now.”
Erne might have had his own reasons for staying married, but they weren’t as pressing as Judith’s. If he had truly wanted a divorce, there would have been nothing she could do to stop him.
“Judith Harrington is actually capable of gratitude?”
When someone offers genuine gratitude, is sarcasm really necessary?
“You don’t seem to want the horse. Just leave it, then. I’ll sell it or eat it.”
“Don’t say such cruel things in front of the poor thing.”
Erne gently covered the horse’s ears. But since he didn’t outright refuse to take it, it was clear he really didn’t want to keep walking everywhere.
“But you’re speaking as if we won’t see each other again.”
“Because you’re not coming back.”
Once the forged identification was ready, Erne would leave to find Cliff.
Would Erne return to the Rainland estate after hearing about his own death? Would he come back to her—someone who, despite spending a few days together, was still practically a stranger?
Judith was doubtful.
“I was originally going to give you travel expenses, but just take the horse instead.”
“You were going to give me money? Are you really okay? You’re acting so out of character.”
“You kept whining about getting a horse, but now that I got you one, why—”
Suddenly, something warm dripped down her upper lip.
Judith hesitated and touched beneath her nose. Her fingers came away stained with red.
“See? You really are sick. Maybe your time is up.”
As in, time to head to the afterlife.
“I’m not dying anytime soon, thank you very much.”
Judith shot Erne a glare as she pressed a handkerchief to her nose.
“It’s just from lack of sleep. That damn ring kept me up for days.”
***
Scritch, scritch, scritch—
“Ugh, seriously.”
Judith scratched her ears, irritated by the sound of something gnawing. She looked around the floor and walls, but there was nothing in sight.
She could hear it, but she couldn’t see it.
She had noticed the noise before, but lately, it had been happening much more frequently.
“Maybe I should buy some pesticide.”
