Rachel thought Cian suspected Theodore of being a traitor. She thought helping her gather indisputable evidence that her husband had not committed treason would be an attractive proposition to him.
It is true that Theodore was suspected of rebellion in the past, but not now. Cian already knew that Theodore was having an affair, not planning a rebellion.
‘You want proof of an affair. You say you want to gather evidence without getting involved yourself. If necessary, you might want to use me as a witness. If this woman ‘really’ wants a divorce, that is.’
He lowered his head and quietly fell into thought.
If she’s the type to make things up as she goes along, that means she’s smarter and more manipulative than he thought. Maybe he needed to find out more about who Rachel Elrosa is and what she wants.
A shiver ran down his spine. He didn’t know how long it’d been since he’d met someone so thrilling.
Cian felt pleasure every time he met someone who showed outstanding abilities in a certain field. Stefan, his close friend and master, Hyzius, the guild leader, and Nick, his aide, also all gave him that thrill before they became his people.
‘Rachel Elrosa may be a better strategist than Stefan or Hyzius. I’m looking forward to this.’
For now, he decided to do as Rachel wanted. It would take time to figure her out.
“I will accept your request. But I don’t fully trust you yet.”
“That is reasonable. It’s not good for someone who’s seen so much to trust others easily.”
“Let me ask you a few questions first.”
Fortunately, Rachel nodded willingly.
“Whatever you want.”
“Then I guess it’s my turn to ask: why did you call the Guild’s informant? Was it because you wanted to get a gift for your husband, as you asked the Guild to do? If you wanted a divorce, you wouldn’t need to arrange such a gift.”
“You’re sharp.”
Rachel’s eyes widened in genuine surprise.
“What you’re thinking is probably correct. The request was just an excuse to call in the guild’s informant without arousing the suspicions of my husband and butler.”
“I see.”
“I would like Your Highness to pretend to have received my request. I don’t dare give a real request to His Majesty the Archduke, but I have to avoid their eyes. I’d like you to charge me for it too.”
Cian nodded.
“That’s not difficult. Since I came here as an informant for the guild in the first place, I’ll just accept the original request. I’ll leave the paperwork with the guild.”
“Thank you.”
“Am I correct that you are seeking a special gift for your husband to celebrate your anniversary?”
Rachel nodded.
“Yes. I don’t want my husband to know that I’m preparing for a divorce. I want to give him a gift that says I still love you, and that I believe our marriage is still strong.”
Cian narrowed his eyes, which were covered by the mask.
‘I see. She was the type of person who hid her true colors and acted in secret.’
He wondered what Rachel’s face was like as she said this. Even blindfolded, he had no problem distinguishing the location and actions of others, but facial expressions and emotions were difficult to read. It was a shame.
“I don’t know much about society or the life of the upper nobility. His Highness is a man, and he’s a high nobleman, much more advanced than me, so I’m sure he knows what kind of gift to choose at a time like this.”
This attitude was similar to what Cian investigated.
“I would like you to prepare a gift for my husband, something that is not easily obtainable, very valuable, and an excellent token of love.”
It was not a difficult request.
Cian nodded.
“Okay, I’ll find something suitable.”
“Thank you. The fee will be…… a pittance to His Highness the Archduke, but it will not be insufficient.”
“Very well, then, I will send word again. However, if anything you tell me is false, you will have to deal with the consequences.”
“I have told no lies, so that will be unnecessary.”
At that time, there was a knocking sound.
Cian hurriedly knelt in front of Rachel in a show of respect.
Rachel was surprised, but didn’t say anything out loud.
“Ma’am, it’s Carl. Are you still talking?”
“Oh, yes! It’s taking a while because it is a very difficult item to obtain.”
“…All right. Please call me when you are finished. I have something to tell you.”
“Okay. I’ll be done soon.”
As he strained his ears, the sound of footsteps became distant. Only when he was sure that the surroundings had become completely quiet did Cian stand up.
“Was that… the butler?”
“That’s right.”
“He’s not very polite, knocking on the door when the lady in charge is in the middle of a conversation with a guest.”
“it’s like that now, but don’t worry, I’ll sort it out soon.”
“I see.”
“Well, then, Your Highness, it’s been an honor to have you here. Until next time.”
The sound of soft fabric moving entered Cian’s ears. An image of a thin woman taking a bow formed in his mind.
There was no need to be so polite to someone who couldn’t see.
Even though he was thinking that, he couldn’t hide the small chuckle that escaped from his mouth.
Cian’s steps were light as he left Elrosa’s mansion.
After Cian left, Rachel flopped down on the chair in the room stroking her chest with her hand. She pretended not to be, but she was actually very nervous.
‘I only knew that he was a Archduke, I didn’t know exactly what kind of person he was.’
She just assumed that he might not be a bad person, based on the words of praise he received from Dolorosa in the original work.
Fortunately, Cian was a more reasonable and rational person than expected. If he had been someone she couldn’t communicate with, she might have been in trouble.
She remembered when Carl knocked on the door. At the sound, Cian dropped to his knees without a moment’s hesitation. It was truly remarkable.
‘How can the Archduke, who is second only to the Emperor in terms of rank, bow down so easily? Moreover, he did not change his speech even after his identity was discovered. It didn’t feel uncomfortable or awkward conversing with him.’
She’d heard that Archduke Cian was amazing, but now thought he wasn’t just famous for his swordsmanship and wit.
‘He must be very handsome since he is the father of Princess Dolorosa. The jawline and lips exposed under the eyepatch were also very nice.’
Dolorosa was said to be very beautiful, as was typical for the main character of a novel.
It was enough to make even Graham, a killer who never showed emotions, look back more than once.
Since he is Dolorosa’s father, he must be an incredibly beautiful person as well.
‘His voice and mannerisms were calm. He was graceful and dignified, even when he was disguised. A world away from Theodore.’
As she pondered this, Carl entered the room.
“Have you finished the request?”
“Yes. I’ll be in touch with him soon. Thanks for calling on the guild, Carl.”
“And what did you ask him to get for you?”
“Um.”
Rachel blinked, feigning consideration.
“Actually, I didn’t specify what I wanted him to get me.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I don’t know much about high society fashions, so I asked the informant to pick out something appropriate. He said he’d find something suitable.”
“Are you sure you want to entrust him with such a task? He might get the wrong gift.”
“What are you talking about? Why would he be an informant for the guild then? Well, I don’t care if he gets the wrong gift, the guild leader there is a very strict man. His name is Hui……. What was it?”
” Hyzius.”
She knew, but she pretended not to.
Rachel smiled.
“That’s right, Hyzius. If they get the wrong gift, that person won’t let it slide. I promise.”
“All right.”
“But Carl. What is it that you wanted to talk about?”
Carl walked over to Rachel and held out the paper he was carrying. It was Marsha’s dismissal notice.
“You fired Marsha without even consulting with me.”
“Why shouldn’t I? I’m the hostess of Countess Eloisa’s household, and I’m the one responsible for hiring the people who look after the household.”
The original Rachel was so uninterested in taking care of the house, so Carl had been filling in for her.
He paused for a moment, then spoke quietly.
“We all know madam is a good woman, more so than other nobles, but now that my colleague has been dismissed and a stranger from the guild has come to visit, we’re all on edge.”
Not better than any nobleman, but easier to deal with than any nobleman.
She wanted to argue, but Carl was being very polite. He had a point.
It was clearly unexpected for everyone. The dismissal of Marsha, who had been working without any problems until yesterday, and the visit from the informant wearing a black hood and mask. Perhaps they’re shaking in their boots at the thought that they might be next.
Of course, that’s just how it appeared on the surface, Carl’s intentions were completely different.
Rachel clicked her tongue inwardly.
‘As expected of Carl, the man who helped the foolish Theodore carry out an affair for such a long time.’
Carl was a smart, sensible man, and he didn’t say, ‘What are you up to? I’m suspicious. Did you know about the affair and send someone to tail Theodore?” He wrapped it up in plausible deniability so he wouldn’t get any recoil or give away his true intentions.
Carl was subtly pressuring her, trying to get her to say, ‘I’ll never contact the Guild’s informant again.’
The old Rachel would have said ‘oops’ and said what Carl wanted to hear, so she did,
“Oh, I guess I worried you. I’m so sorry, Carl.”
However, unlike the Rachel from the past, this Rachel had no intention of simply playing along with Carl’s strategy and added,
“But what can I do? I actually did it on purpose, hoping to make the atmosphere worse.”
