Chapter 70.
Sophia looked bewildered as Jenny tearfully shifted the blame onto her.
“It’s because I became Lady Sophia’s attendant that Lady Rubisella doesn’t even acknowledge me anymore!”
Jenny, while crying, vented her frustration towards Sophia.
In times of financial need, Jenny wanted to approach Lady Rubisella and ask for an advance on a few months’ wages.
However, since becoming Lady Sophia’s attendant, Rubisella has ignored her completely.
The feeling of being rejected by one’s superior at the workplace is indescribable.
Other servants suggested Jenny quit her job and look for a new one, with a mix of concern and derision. But giving up her current position to search for a new one, especially when she needed money desperately, wasn’t an easy task.
Furthermore, finding a new job required a recommendation letter from the previous employer in the service industry. With Rubisella’s displeasure, Jenny had no choice but to consider entirely different lines of work.
As the idea of confronting Rubisella grew more daunting, Jenny began to think that all of this was Sophia’s fault.
And before her eyes, there were items scattered around that were worth more than the price of medicine.
In the end, Jenny resorted to stealing Lady Sophia’s ring.
Since Sophia had no interest in jewellery, she wouldn’t even notice if a single ring went missing.
“So you stole my ring?”
“…”
“And that’s my fault?”
“…”
“And you’re justified?”
Sophia retorted with her arms crossed.
Jenny couldn’t find words and lowered her head in response.
“Evidence.”
“Yes…?”
” Proof that your mother is ill. Don’t lie about it. There are too many people who say they need money to feed their families medical bills.”
Sophia’s words snapped Jenny out of her daze, and she immediately sprang into action.
She rushed to her sleeping quarters and retrieved a letter she had received from home and a record of the medication expenses she had incurred.
Handing the letter to Sophia, Jenny couldn’t help but wonder if Sophia was trying to torment her emotionally.
Until now, Jenny hadn’t treated Sophia well at all. She thought Sophia might tear the paper into shreds out of anger. But Sophia had already taken the letter and the medication expense record from her.
Jenny’s face turned red as she realized that she had exposed her weakness by becoming so blinded by money. Poverty had made her foolish. She had expected Sophia to belittle her for being a poor thief.
“Even though you stole, at least you didn’t lie.”
Upon examining Jenny’s letter and the expense record, Sophia stood up. And then Sophia went to a place.
What’s going on?”
It was to Ian.
Facing Sophia, Ian’s face showed a faint glimmer of relief.
“Ian, I’m also part of Fraus.”
“What happened?”
“Well, then using Fraus money should be fine, right?”
In response to Sophia’s question, Ian’s eyes narrowed. It was a gaze trying to gauge what Sophia was thinking.
“Do you need money?”
“Yeah. Let me use some money.”
“What?”
“If I go out and try to use the name of the Count Fraus no one would recognize it without proper authorization.”
When going out and using the family’s money, usually promissory notes with the family head’s signature or similar instruments are used.
This is because there are limits to carrying around cash.
However, Sophia had neither promissory notes nor coins or silver that could be used as cash.
So, even though she lived in the Fraus family, which was said to be one of the richest families in the empire, she always ended up being indebted to Killian.
“What are you going to use it for?”
“Do I have to ask for your permission to spend the money?”
“It’s not like that, but I’m curious.”
He wanted to know why she, who’d been quiet all this time, suddenly wanted to buy something.
Then Sophia spoke in a cheerful voice.
“I’m going to buy a prison.”
“… A prison?”
Ian’s eyebrows twitched in surprise.
“I need to detain someone who has committed a crime.”
Ian wondered if he had misheard, but it turned out he heard correctly.
“What on earth are you thinking?”
“I thought you’d be talking about dresses, jewellery, pretty birds, decorations, or paintings,” Ian said, his confusion growing.
“So, you won’t teach me how to use the money?”
It’s for a prison.”
“You said I don’t have to get permission from you to use it? Do Ruchtainer’s knights say something and do something else?” (means, a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.)
Sophia narrowed her eyes and looked at Ian.
Ian thought Sophia was quite good at playing the Ruchtainer card.
“Go to the butler and ask for father’s ledger. No, instead, come with me.”
Ian took Sophia to the butler, where they obtained the ledger with the promissory note and the seal to be stamped on the promissory note’s bottom.
He ensured that whenever she needed money in the future, she could get it from the butler.
With the money obtained this way, Sophia bought the ‘prison.’
“Well, this should solve the problem, right?”
After paying a month’s worth of medical fees to Doctor Leopold, Sophia said to Jenny
Jenny was dumbfounded by Sophia’s sudden display of wealth, paying off a substantial sum for medical fees.
“Miss, wh-why did you…?”
Jenny had been caught stealing and had previously ignored Sophia and even harassed her. So, receiving such kindness from Sophia left Jenny utterly perplexed. She couldn’t fathom Sophia’s intentions.
And that was exactly what Sophia aimed for with the word ‘prison.’
‘Because it really felt like this was her first time stealing.’
‘It will prick your conscience a lot.’
On top of that, Sophia paid her medical fees and ensured Jenny would receive future medical support. To secure her future medical expenses, Jenny had no choice but to treat Sophia well.
‘This is the prison of gratitude and conscience!’
Because there was no medical insurance system, the cost of the medicine was quite expensive, but when looking at the Fraus family’s financial situation, it was a trivial cost.
‘That’s why I only paid for one month.’ (T/L: Hence proved, she also has a brain).
To receive next month’s medical fees, she had to work diligently under Sophia’s command.
Even if Jenny truly lacks conscience and foresight and tries to escape, or even if she resorts to theft again for some other reason, Sophia doesn’t have much to lose.
“It means you better treat me well from now on.”
Sophia’s expression turned stern as she issued a warning.
Jenny’s lips quivered at that, but she refrained from saying, ‘thank you.’ Instead, after that incident, she began treating Sophia differently—sincerely!
“It’s too tight of a schedule for me to handle alone, so hurry up and get ready.”
With the intention of sparing Sophia from further embarrassment at the ball, Jenny firmly grabbed her by the arm, determined to get her ready in time.
* * *
Kilian anxiously glanced at his watch.
‘Today is the day.’
The day of the royal ball (T/L: I’m kind of excited about this.)
And the only chance to meet Hank was Baron Clifford, who had sent the letter.
The investigation into Baron Clifford had been completed.
Clifford seemed to be the servant who served his father.
Clifford’s family records and several pieces of evidence he wrote about in his letters all proved that he had worked at the Grand Duke’s residence.
But he couldn’t be certain.
‘What if it’s a trap?
He was always anxious, chasing after his parents’ deaths.
‘Maybe they’ve noticed it at the palace.’
That he is the Black Moon. (T/L: It was hard to translate this part. Since I know many of you will be confused just like me, here is a little explanation. Remember that the one being called the ‘Black Moon’ is Killian, even though he didn’t attempted murder, but on the crime scene of Viscount Percel, the person seen was Killian, the one in a cloak, and the one who fought back with the military police officers.)
In the palace, there are probably those who have already looked into the death of the former Duke.
And if you were to name someone curious about the former Duke’s death, Killian would be at the top of the list.
The fact that he’s suddenly digging up that old story coincides with when he became an adult and started being active.
Even if Killian doesn’t prove to be the culprit, the palace probably thinks he could be the bait to catch the Black Moon.
Even if the Black Moon isn’t Kilian, if someone is chasing the death of the former Duke, they’ll want to find and capture the grand duke’s son.
‘What if something goes wrong with Baron Clifford…’
Kilian bit his lip as he gazed at the white half-mask he had brought from Fideut’s house.
Tonight, he feared he might once again lose something precious.
“Master, it’s time.”
Garfield’s voice came from outside.
“Sure. I’ll be right there.”
He replied, tucking the mask into his pocket.
All preparations had already been completed. Now, there was nothing left to do but entrust everything to fate.
* * *
When Killian arrived at the Fraus Count’s mansion, he was greeted by the Count’s butler.
The Count and Countess had entered the imperial palace early for the ball.
Ian Fraus, despite the objections of the Countess, had gone to Ruchtainer like a lunatic after completing his preparations.
Anyway, the only ones to receive him were the Count’s household staff.
“As you may know, the Count will be at the palace two hours before the ball… Moreover, the imperial palace has strict entry procedures, so we need to get everything ready in advance.”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to explain.”
Seemingly feeling apologetic for receiving a duke among themselves, the butler rambled on with explanations.
Knowing that he was quite lazy when it came to social events, Kilian didn’t have any intention to criticize the diligence of the Count and Countess, who were actively engaged in social activities.
“Then please wait here for a moment. The young lady will be coming down soon as well.”
The Fraus family’s butler guided Killian to a small reception sofa set up next to the entrance.
Killian sat back on the sofa with his clasped arms resting on his knees.
For a moment, he had been looking forward to the ball with Sophia. However, his anxiety about Clifford’s situation once again overwhelmed him.
At that moment, when he was thinking about the time and place to meet him (Clifford) and all the schedules for today’s prom.
“Your Grace.”
It was a voice that carried a mixture of tension and formality.
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TRANSLATOR:
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