“I think I have an idea of what the lady’s plan is,” Claire opened her mouth calmly. “There’s nothing here right now, but it’s a unique place. If done properly, it could become a popular spot.”
“If you say so, then it must be really good,” Frederick said.
“It’s definitely worth the trip,” Frederick smiled at Claire.
“Let’s convey that to Auntie as it is.”
“And about what I mentioned last time…”
“Don’t worry about that. We’ve confirmed that Auntie received the secret letters sent by the Emperor to Duke Quiness,” Claire responded, relieved.
In the original work, there were two issues in the process of Lady Quiness’ divorce. One was the property matter, while the other was the secret letters the Emperor sent to Duke Quiness.
To prevent the divorce, the Emperor proposed that if Duke Quiness did not divorce, he would benefit from imperial trade.
Furthermore, he added pressure that if the proposal was rejected, the current trade dealings would be halted. As a result, Duke Quiness, weighing the gains from divorcing Lady Quiness against the pressure, dragged out the divorce.
She intended to make everything end vaguely. That’s why Lady Quiness resorted to drastic means, even causing the scandal of the Duchess’s adultery and villainous behavior.
The adulteress had been subtly tormenting Lady Quiness from the beginning.
When the divorce, which had been about to be finalized, seemed to suddenly be overturned, the adulteress’s anger turned towards Lady Quiness.
In order to get divorced, Lady Quiness used her in reverse.
It was about pretending not to know when she knew about the clumsily staged poisoning incident.
In the end, Lady Quiness collapsed and wandered through a life-threatening situation.
And this event led to the acknowledgment of Duke Quiness’s fault, leading to an agreement to divorce.
However, the aftermath of the poison she ingested left Lady Quiness with lingering health issues after her return to the Empire.
It was a natural consequence of her shortened lifespan. So, before Lady Quiness caused such an incident, Erin subtly leaked it through Aiden and Frederick.
Surely, the Emperor will use Duke Quiness to persuade not to divorce. So, we have to prevent it while watching our steps.
Fortunately, it seems that problem was well resolved. So now, the only thing left is to agree on the divorce.
“How about we all have dinner together tonight?” Frederick suggested after the conversation had somewhat concluded.
As the attendant knocked and entered, he reported to Frederick, “Your Highness, Her Majesty is looking for you.”
“Right now?”
“Yes. She said you should come immediately.”
“Well, I can’t help it. Sorry, but I’ll be back in a moment.”
“The Duke of Lienster also called for you.” The attendant looked at Aiden as he spoke.
“Why do they summon the two of us?” Frederick furrowed his brow, unable to discern the Emperor’s intention.
But Aiden rose nonchalantly and looked at Erin.
“Take care. I’ll tend to Claire, so don’t worry.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll be back soon.” Aiden said to Erin as he lightly embraced her and left. After Frederick and Aiden had left, Erin and Claire were the only ones remaining.
“Shall I bring some hot tea again?”
“Instead of tea… would you like to take a stroll in the garden?”
When the maid attempted to bring the tea, Claire suggested to Erin.
“Yes, that sounds nice.”
Erin replied with a light smile and got up from her seat.
So, Erin and Claire walked side by side in the garden and had a casual conversation.
“Today was quite enjoyable,” Claire said with a slightly excited expression.
“The business proposal brought up by the lady definitely has value. I actually visited the place where the mansion is located.”
Erin looked at Claire with a surprised expression.
“You’ve been there too?”
Erin couldn’t have expected that she had also visited this place, so she was slightly amazed.
“Well, I did drop by while passing through,” Claire continued, recalling the place still lingering in her memory.
“Still, I think I took notice of it while travEring. Actually, I did suggest it first, but I didn’t think anyone would look into it.”
“Not that I took notice, but… I had a lot of thoughts while travEring.”
Claire turned her head to the side and hesitated to speak. After a brief pause, she cautiously opened her mouth.
“Is Lady Lienster always like this?”
“…”
Erin seemed to know what she was talking about. However, she deliberately pretended not to guess so that she would speak more about herself nonchalantly.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I thought you often talk with the Duke about business.”
“Of course. Since we are together.”
“Together?”
Previously, when Aiden tried to start a business, I invested in it. I’ve been with him since then.”
Erin accurately answered the part Claire was curious about.
“Lady is exceptional. I never thought you could actively pursue a business like this.”
“Claire, you traveled for three years. That’s something not only me but the other ladies in the capital couldn’t do.”
“It was possible because the Duke supported me. After marriage and becoming a princess, there will be many restrictions, so he told me to do it before that.”
It was a famous story. No matter how liberal her family was, it was unbelievable that she, as the designated crown princess, could travel so freely. Frederick made it possible.
“Lady Lienster…”
At that moment, a hesitant and cautious Claire asked, “Do you regret it?”
“Regret?”
Erin asked in return.
“I’ve heard the stories. I know it’s impolite to ask such a thing, but I’ve always wanted to ask at least once.”
“…”
“I was going to divorce and go on a trip.”
She was asking if Erin regretted not getting a divorce. Erin looked at her silently. Claire’s tension was palpable. Erin carefully chose her words to respond. Then she spoke carefully.
“Claire, how was it for you? Did you enjoy the trip?”
“I see. It was indeed quite an experience. Sometimes my body suffered, and I found myself bewildered by unfamiliar environments, but even those were all valuable experiences.”
“So, do you want to go on a trip again?”
“Well, I’m not sure.”
Claire’s ambiguous response trailed off. Erin sensed the internal conflict she was experiencing. Claire was torn.
“If you had gotten a divorce, you would have surely regretted it.”
Erin responded sincerely to Claire’s question instead of trying to persuade or offer an opinion.
When Erin had considered divorcing Aiden, she had been sincere. She had tried her best to find a way to divorce Aiden and believed it was the best solution.
But after turning away from that path, she realized that if she had gone through with her plans and really divorced Aiden and left the empire, she would have deeply regretted her irreversible decision.
“Is that so.”
Claire responded with a vague smile.
Erin calmly continued her words.
“I do feel the desire to explore other places, but travEring is not the only thing on my mind.”
“?”
“I look forward to the exciting times ahead with Aiden. It feels like a truly intriguing journey in itself.”
Erin flashed a pure and fresh smile without any regrets.
“So, I don’t feel any regret about postponing other trips.”
“…”
“Aiden always respects me and supports what I do.”
This was not meant to convince Claire. Erin was simply expressing her genuine feErings and thoughts about Aiden.
“I believe you will be no different. You will respect and support Claire in whatever she chooses to do.”
This was both a persuasion for Frederick and a sincere statement. Erin knew Frederick to be that kind of person.
Claire’s departed journey was proof of that abundance and overflow. Claire had not fully realized this fact yet.
“In my experience, that’s the kind of person I know you to be.”
With those words, Erin turned her head towards Claire, silently enquiring about how she, who knew Aiden better than Erin did, perceived the situation. Claire’s face, as she listened to Erin’s words, was adorned with a faint smile.
“…I believe he will.”
She nodded slowly.
“Frederick always prioritizes my perspective.”
Claire spoke these words without any hesitation. In her memory, Frederick had always been that way. A clear conviction arose in Claire’s eyes.
“Oh.”
But in that moment, Erin’s eyes widened in sudden consternation. Realizing that she had overlooked something truly important, she hastily spoke, her lips parting.
“Of course, I may be a little less than our Aiden, but…”
“Haha.”
Claire burst into laughter at Erin’s emphasis. However, Erin was more serious than ever. If Aiden were to learn of her not having said those words by even mere chance, he would surely be consumed by intense jealousy.
Furthermore, for Erin, Aiden had always been the most remarkable thing, indeed.
“I trust the Duke.”
“Of course.”
“I trust Frederick too. We’ve been together since we were young, after all.”
A relaxed smile settled on Claire’s face.
“And I expect it will be the same in the future, naturally.”
She seemed relieved, as if her worries had been resolved.
Fortunately, it seemed that Erin’s words had some effect.
