Kisa had just resolved to trust Seyard completely.
Therefore, even if Daniel summoned her like last time, she would not go. And if he tried to throw himself in front of her carriage to stop it, she would either report him or simply run him over.
‘That’s right.’
Kisa recalled the conversation she had with Seyard in the carriage.
He had taken time to think about Kisa’s opinions that differed from his own, and then explained in detail why her views weren’t wrong.
How could she doubt someone so thoughtful and caring again?
That would be nothing short of betrayal.
“I trust Seyard.”
After muttering this to herself as if making a pledge, Kisa was about to throw the crumpled letter into the trash bin when she hesitated.
She wondered if discarding it like this was really the best course of action.
Daniel was going around stirring up the collateral branches of the Hillan family who were at odds with Seyard over property disputes, all to humiliate him.
Regardless of his disgusting tendency to be suspicious, his level of action seemed to warrant some attention.
Now that the legal battle with his relatives had finally concluded in Seyard’s favor, it would be annoying for him to have to deal with continued rumors.
As before, it seemed better to inform Seyard about this.
‘Yes, I’ll give him this letter too.’
Kisa smoothed out the crumpled paper and looked over the lines written on it again.
Apart from the fuss about having discovered some tremendous fact, it was mostly about summoning Kisa.
It was infuriating to see the instructions to come to a designated place at a specified time three days later, with threats to raid the Vansfelt mansion if she didn’t comply.
Compared to before, his tone had softened slightly, but that was all. His arrogant attitude of viewing others as beneath him hadn’t changed at all.
“This guy, really. When will he ever come to his senses?”
Instead of staying home and properly preparing to inherit the family, he was always running around outside.
He had complained that he had two younger brothers eyeing his position, giving him no peace of mind, but now it seemed like he was just making excuses.
Kisa clicked her tongue, placed the crumpled letter on the desk, and put a music box on top of it as a paperweight before getting up from her chair.
Later, after finishing her evening routine and lying in bed, a curious question came to mind.
‘But what exactly is this tremendous fact he’s talking about?’
It was surely nothing significant. Daniel must have picked up some slander spread by one of the Hillan branches who held a grudge against Seyard.
But even while believing this, curiosity rose within her—perhaps an unavoidable human instinct.
Kisa inwardly reproached herself for her insufficient trust in Seyard as she drifted into unconsciousness.
The next day, after breakfast, she diligently headed to the Hillan mansion.
The servants of the ducal family greeted Kisa in their usual manner despite her unannounced visit.
Inside the glass greenhouse that kept out the cold late autumn wind, Seyard carefully examined the paper Kisa had handed him.
“I see.”
Eventually, he put it down on the table and interlaced his fingers.
“Actually, I already knew that Daniel Lowens was going around stirring up my relatives.”
As expected. Kisa had vaguely suspected that Seyard wouldn’t be completely unaware of this, given that the Hillan branches were also subjects of his attention.
“I’m sorry, Seyard. You’re getting involved in troublesome matters because of me.”
“I’m more worried about you being troubled.”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
Seyard’s subtle gaze touched Kisa’s cheek.
“Didn’t you receive a similar letter before?”
He was referring to when Daniel had summoned Kisa to the back gate at night and disparaged Seyard, claiming he had been a thug in the past.
By now, his hand was already wrapped around Kisa’s wrist.
Perhaps it was because she felt guilty about betraying him, like the heroine in the opera they had seen yesterday.
Kisa was wearing the diamond bracelet, her engagement gift, today.
At least Seyard seemed pleased when she wore it.
He caressed the diamonds of the bracelet with a tickling touch, like stroking a cat or dog’s fur.
“I’m concerned that there might have been more incidents that I don’t know about, besides these two.”
Kisa shook her head, trying to calm her inexplicably fluttering heart.
“No. Nothing special happened. He kept sending useless letters, but most of them weren’t worth paying attention to. I threw them away without reading them properly, except for this one.”
“That’s a relief. But has that fellow ever come to see you in person?”
For a brief moment, a dilemma unfolded in Kisa’s mind.
There was indeed one time when Daniel had come to find her, beyond what Seyard knew.
That fearless man had thrown himself in front of her carriage to stop it, and hadn’t they talked because of that?
‘Should I tell Seyard about it now…’
But if she were to be honest, how much should she reveal?
Should she mention that Daniel, who had just returned from Bonzmos, told her that something was suspicious about the place and demanded that she go to St. Pavela Monastery to gather information?
That wouldn’t do. If she did, it would be like confessing that she had doubted Seyard.
[I believe love should not be accompanied by doubt.]
His resolute statement from yesterday still remained vivid in Kisa’s mind.
While he had highly valued the courage of the opera’s heroine, that couldn’t be applied to Kisa’s situation.
Unlike the lord in the opera, Seyard hadn’t hidden his identity.
By the same logic, Kisa’s circumstances were quite different from the heroine who had no choice but to doubt her lover.
If he learned the truth, Seyard would surely be disappointed in Kisa.
That must never happen.
“Actually…”
As soon as she steeled her resolve, Kisa opened her mouth.
“There was just one time. After the incident I told you about, Daniel came to find me once. A few months ago, he jumped in front of my carriage to stop it.”
Seyard’s eyes narrowed, and she waved her hand dismissively.
“Fortunately, there was no accident, so you don’t need to worry.”
“…Why are you telling me about such a dangerous incident only now?”
“I’m sorry. When I actually heard what he had to say, it didn’t seem like much, and I didn’t want to worry you unnecessarily. You’re already busy enough with the wedding preparations and estate matters.”
Seyard still didn’t look pleased, seemingly unable to easily accept his lover’s answer, but he didn’t reproach Kisa.
“Even so, I would prefer if you told me right away next time. We’re lovers now.”
Kisa quickly nodded.
“Of course. Things are different now than they were then.”
His expression softened a bit as he met Kisa’s gaze.
“What did he say?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m curious what business that man had with you that he needed to stop your carriage.”
“It was really nothing. Just…”
Kisa chose words she thought would be safe to reveal.
“He said that the person from Bonzmos who was supposed to arrange a meeting with me had vanished. He insisted that it was your doing.”
“Vanished?”
Seyard tilted his head slightly.
“Ah, that’s it. I did have Gilliam give the man some money. On the condition that he would no longer be involved with Daniel Lowens.”
This was new information to Kisa.
“I was concerned that if he started gossiping to the press under Daniel Lowens’ direction, it would be troublesome, so I made a preemptive move.”
“…I didn’t know.”
But looking back, she recalled that when Seyard had previously heard about Daniel from her, he had said he would handle it in his own way.
“I apologize. It seems I also failed to tell you everything. But I considered it just part of my usual reputation management, nothing significant.”
“No, that’s understandable.”
“Anyway, having received a sum he couldn’t earn in a lifetime, the man probably became scared and disappeared. That happens quite often.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
Daniel must have promised the man a substantial reward as well, so the fact that he disappeared without even telling Daniel suggested that the money Seyard had given him was beyond imagination.
Thinking about it that way, it made sense that he would disappear without a word, not even trusting those around him.
Kisa felt a faint sense of relief.
‘Well, it really was nothing after all.’
Daniel had made it sound so significant that she thought there might be some serious hidden circumstances.
But from Seyard’s perspective, there was no reason to take risks to eliminate such a minor witness.
‘I’m glad I opened up a little.’
At first, she had contemplated hiding the fact that she had met Daniel that day, but on second thought, that didn’t seem right.
She was reluctant to tell an outright lie to Seyard, and their meeting on the roadside wasn’t particularly secretive anyway.
After all, hadn’t the coachman working for the Vansfelt family witnessed the whole process?
Since there was a possibility that Seyard could later discover that there had been contact between the two, pretending they had never met was risky.
‘I’m sorry, Seyard.’
I’ll keep just this one thing secret from you.
“In any case, I’m relieved. I was worried that you might have been harmed by that man.”
Unaware of Kisa’s inner thoughts, he expressed concern for her with an innocent expression.
Kisa pretended to stare at his hand still lingering on her wrist, subtly avoiding his gaze, and changed the subject.
“But what could be this tremendous fact that Daniel heard from your relatives? It’s surely just slander, but he’s so confident that I’m a bit curious.”
“I have a pretty good idea what it might be.”
“What is it?”
“He probably means the rumor that I murdered Vischer.”
“…What?”
Kisa belatedly echoed in surprise.
