She didn’t hesitate.
Rachel tore Berengella’s letter to shreds, then walked over to the fireplace and threw the letter into the roaring flames.
‘How could she even think of sending me this letter? Even if she apologized to me, I’d have to consider whether or not I’d even forgive her.’
She chewed her lip as she looked at the letter that was quickly turning to ash.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Rachel knew why she’d sent the letter in the first place.
Katie gathered up the remaining correspondences and cautiously approached Rachel.
“Lady Rachel. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, just a little upset.”
“Is she threatening you for money?”
“Probably. If she’s acting like this now, she must’ve heard from Theodore about how well I’m doing. She needs money, but doesn’t want to sacrifice her pride, so she decided to blackmail me.”
Berengella seemed to think that Rachel was still the same Rachel she used to be. It was understandable since she hadn’t shown much of a change in front of her.
‘If it were the real Rachel from the past, she would’ve been scared and not known what to do. This is a threat from the former countess. She’s always had a loud voice, strutting around like she was superior, always demeaning those below her. She’d had good reason to be afraid.’
However, the current Rachel was not afraid of Berengella.
Now that their roles had been reversed, she had nothing to fear, and she knew better than anyone that Berengella’s connections were as flimsy as paper.
“Well, never mind, I’ll just pretend I didn’t see it. Since I’m in a bad mood now, I should eat something delicious. Katie, do you mind if I ask for a snack?”
“Of course, and I’ll get Mr. Graham something, as well.”
“Thank you. You really know how to make me feel better.”
“You’re making it almost too easy.”
Rachel giggled at her tone that made it sound like she was complaining about the ease of her work.
* * *
The Great Hall inside the Imperial Palace. The Noble Council’s meeting was in full swing.
The Emperor, Sigar, sat at the head of the huge table, listening to the reports with a languid expression. He smiled the entire time, as if proud of the nobles who worked so hard for him.
Marquis Dyer, who had a long beard, reported.
“… We’ve determined the full amount that the former Count Elrosa had embezzled.”
“”That’s all? Where does the former Countess of Elrosa reside now?”
“Well… We haven’t figured out if he’s even dead or alive.”
“Incompetent. He planned to rebel, and you still can’t even get his head.”
Sigar looked at Cian and frowned. This also meant that he hadn’t figured it out yet.
Of course, Cian knew where Theodore’s townhouse was. Even though he knew, he just didn’t report it, because of Rachel.
Marquis Dyer cleared his throat and continued his report.
“The amount is quite large as the period during which the property was stolen was long. After settling overdue taxes and alimony, we plan to return the remaining assets to the national treasury.”
“How much is it?”
“A few thousand gold in taxes alone. The entire estate, including the mansion, is worth tens of thousands of gold.”
Sigar grinned at the large sum.
“I like the sound of that.”
“The guild was of great help in identifying assets and retrieving money.”
His words were a subtle compliment to Cian. Dyer believed that Cian, not Sigar, should’ve become the emperor. He wanted to give credit where credit was due.
Although Sigar was oblivious, he quickly figured out that Dyer wanted to give credit to his brother. He glanced at Cian, who was sitting on one side of the table and quietly listening to the report, forcing a smile.
“I see. It’s commendable that the guild has helped me so much. Let us give great praise to the guild leader, Hyzius. Prepare a reward.”
Sigar gave the credit to Hyzius, not Cian.
In any case, Hyzius was one of Cian’s people, so Cian benefited one way or another. Sigar just wasn’t aware of that fact.
Dyer laughed bitterly to himself.
“… All right. Then let’s move on to the next item. Rachel, the former countess of the Elrosa family, has sent a request to restore her original title as countess of the Fram family.”
“Rachel?”
Sigar opened his mouth and paused for a moment, lost in thought, then looked back at Cian.
“Are you sure this woman, Rachel, did not take part in the rebellion? A woman so stupid could’ve fallen for her husband’s schemes and unwittingly aided the rebellion. What does the Archduke think?”
Cian tried not to sigh.
Sigar had already forgotten that he’d rewarded Rachel of his own accord when he realized she wasn’t guilty of rebellion previously.
In fact, Sigar hadn’t thought much of it when he rewarded her. All he could think about was his desire to show off his generosity and power to Cian, who bowed before him.
Sigar was an incompetent leader who decided what to do with his opponents based on his mood.
Lylus’s words came to mind.
‘In the future that I saw through my foresight, Archduke Cian was sitting on the emperor’s throne.’
The statement was borderline treasonous.
Cian clenched his fists to shake off his thoughts and answered Sigar’s question.
“Lady Rachel did not cooperate with Theodore. She was actually very hostile toward her husband.”
“On what grounds?”
“She was the first to notice and expose Theodore’s alleged concealment of assets and tax evasion. If she had been with the other side, she wouldn’t have been able to do that.”
“Ah, come to think of it, I seem to remember hearing that.”
“She also filed for an annulment of her marriage as soon as Theodore’s misdeeds were revealed, as if she’d been looking for a way to separate from him all along. There was no mercy in her alimony requests, and no sign of her helping him out in his time of need.”
“Hmmm. She’s quite the character. I’ll have to reward her.”
“You already have.”
“Have I?”
He hoped it would end there.
He hoped that Sigar’s voice would not speak of Rachel anymore.
“It’s strange. From what I remember, I didn’t think she was very smart or from a powerful aristocratic family. How could such a woman so quickly and cleanly annul her marriage and claim alimony?”
In the end, his thoughts got to this point.
Anyone who was able to think rationally would arrive at the same conclusion. However, Cian had hoped that Sigar wouldn’t pay attention to Rachel and this incident would pass by without question.
Cian answered quietly.
“I helped.”
“The Archduke?”
“Yes. It was a necessary step in the process of quickly identifying and collecting Theodore’s assets.”
“Hmm. I see.”
Sigar thought for a moment.
Rachel. The stupid woman who married the rebellious Theodore. No influence in social circles. No honor, no power, no authority, no knowledge, no wealth, no connections, no family name. She had nothing.
Wouldn’t she be the perfect match to block Cian’s path?
Sighing, a disgustingly bright smile appeared at the corner of Sigar’s mouth.
Feeling better, Sigar decided to show mercy to Rachel.
“Very well. I will reinstate the title of House Fram. It would be fitting to bestow the estates we recovered from House Elrosa to her.”
“I will do as you order, sir.”
“And, Archduke, I need you to take care of Countess Rachel for the time being. So much has changed so suddenly, she must be confused.”
“I will … accept.”
“Is that all for today’s agenda?”
“That’s all.”
“Well done, everyone. We’re adjourned for the day.”
Sigar, who was the first to rise and walk out, tapped Cian on the shoulder.
As Cian stepped out into the garden after the meeting, his aide, Nick, came up beside him.
“Did the meeting go well? There’s still no sign of His Highness Duke Stefan today.”
“Can you picture Stefan getting caught up in something like this? What did the company say?”
“I haven’t gotten an answer yet, as they seem to be having quite a bit of trouble locating His Highness Duke Stefan.”
“Stefan deserves it. Then, report the results as soon as they arrive, and the investigation of Theodore’s assets has been completed. Please keep an eye on things so that the amount of alimony to Countess Rachel does not decrease.”
“All right.”
“His Majesty has decided to bestow the title of Countess on Lady Rachel. I’ll need to prepare a new dress for Dolorosa to wear to the title award ceremony.”
“Should I clear your schedule?”
“Yes. Push back any tasks that can be delayed and make time during the day. I want to make sure Dolorosa is as happy as possible with her dress this time.”
“I will prepare accordingly.”
Nick nodded and glanced at his superior walking ahead of him.
Cian was naturally more reserved than other nobles. He was considerate of those below him. But somehow, today, his tone was stiff, and he seemed to be in a bad mood.
“Your Highness, what happened at the meeting?”
Cian let out a short sigh.
What’s going on?
Nothing in particular had happened. Rather, something good happened. Sigar was in a good mood and willingly granted Rachel her title and lands.
But as Nick feared, Cian’s mood was not good. Sigar had demeaned and dismissed Rachel throughout the meeting.
‘Rachel doesn’t deserve to be treated like that.’
He’d wanted to protest but couldn’t.
Rachel’s inconspicuous reputation was something she’d worked long and hard to build, and he wasn’t about to ruin it for her.
“Your Highness, if you don’t mind, please tell me. Isn’t that why you pay me so much?”
Cian laughed at the worried tone.
It was true, Nick was very skilled, and he’d been by his side for a long time.
Nick was originally the heir to a noble family, but he liked Cian and his work so much that he gave up his title and took a job as Cian’s assistant.
He was one of Cian’s most trusted allies, someone who would stand by him no matter what.
Cian told Nick what happened at the meeting.
Nick’s impressions were as follows.
“It seems that His Majesty the Emperor considers Countess Rachel to be a good match for Your Highness.”
“… I guess that’s the case.”
“Isn’t it only natural that His Majesty the Emperor was pleased to bestow a title onto her? He thought he could at least give a title to the incompetent Countess Rachel, then he ordered the Archduke to take care of her.”
He couldn’t tell whether he should be happy that he could rightfully stay by Rachel’s side, as he’d wanted from the moment they met, or to worry that Sigar might do her harm.
‘With Lylus by Countess Rachel’s side, I don’t think she’ll be in any danger. Then I… Is it okay to be happy? I’m feeling a bit uneasy about this.’
Nick continued his report.
“Why don’t we take care of Theodore sooner rather than later, then one of our troubles will be put to rest. I hear his Majesty is still looking for him.”
“No. If we did that, Count Rachel…”
She’ll look hurt again, she’s a kinder woman than she looks, and she might feel sorry for him being punished for a crime he didn’t commit.
Cian started to speak but stopped in surprise.
A loud sound came from the nearby fountain.
Chaaaah!
There was a huge splash of water as something jumped out.
“Whoa! I thought I was going to suffocate!”
It was Crown Prince Atreille.
