Franz, as usual, took his seat in his study to read the newspaper. Although he typically brushed off most things without much excitement, these past few days, every time he read the newspaper, he felt a sense of satisfaction.
[Elizabeth Fortrion and the Death of the Viscount]
[Who Swung the Sword that Killed Viscount Fortrion?]
Franz did not particularly like the arrogant Count Gerturk, who boasted as if they were a prestigious family that produced an Imperial Consort simply because Patricia gave birth to the late emperor’s son.
Elizabeth and Viscountess Carter had joined hands in publishing ridiculous newsletters, so he ordered them to organize the nonsensical publications they were discovering one by one. However, recently, the publication of newsletters itself has completely stopped.
“Vane, are the annoying newsletters finally over?”
So when Viscountess Carter seemed to have quickly put an end to her annoying behavior, the Duke became curious and asked, but for some reason, Vane responded with a happy expression.
“Yes, Lady Edith has completely cut off the funds to print the newsletters. I also learned about it from Cassius.”
How on earth did Edith cut off Viscountess Carter’s funds for publishing the newsletters? Franz could hear what had happened behind the scenes through Vane.
『 She asked Viscountess Helen Fortrion for drawings of the sword marks left on the carriage in which the Viscount was traveling during the attack and then distributed them to the newspaper.』
Cassius revealed to the journalists, along with the fact that Elizabeth is the one who funded the publication of the newsletters, that she has been continuing her meetings with Gilbert Gerturk since she arrived in the capital and also spreading the news about the sword marks on the carriage.
Now that Elizabeth had used her inheritance to defame Edith, the revelations made by Edith were gaining surprising attention.
『 Elizabeth, likely frightened by the consequences of her decision that drew the attention of Count Gerturk, led her to cut off the financial support she had been providing to Viscountess Carter.』
It was certain that if Edith had spread the news about the sword marks on the carriage as soon as she arrived in the capital, it would not have had the same ripple effect as it did now.
For Franz, Edith’s ability to calculate the optimal timing was also a source of great joy.
『 Leah has always had an excellent eye for people.』
Although he was slightly skeptical when she chose Walter’s father, who didn’t even dare to show his face, Franz trusted his daughter’s insight.
So today, he planned to give special support to the child who captured his daughter’s heart.
Knock, knock —
“M’lord, Lady Edith has arrived.”
“Let her in.”
Edith, who entered the study of the main building under Vane’s guidance, could not help but doubt her own eyes.
『 The atmosphere wasn’t like this the last time I came.』
When they first met, the atmosphere in the studio was quite dark as the Duke used magic to intimidate her. The dark ambiance was accentuated by the long-oiled wooden furniture and deep-colored tapestries, creating an elegant but somewhat eerie space.
But now the study was decorated with white marble with beautiful patterns and bright paintings. It seemed not only had the heavy curtains been removed, but the entire interior furniture had been changed to complement the bright lighting.
“Hmm, I thought a bright atmosphere would be suitable when the baby is born.”
“It’s bright and beautiful. The carpet on the floor is also soft.”
“I hope you like the new chairs we brought in.”
Edith’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the luxurious chair near the fireplace, which seemed to cost at least several gold coins. Franz casually brushed it off as if it were nothing and then looked at Vane.
“I think you will suffer a lot of inconvenience because of things like the recent newsletters, so I thought I’d introduce you to Lexion’s Intelligence Department.”
“Intelligence Department?”
Seeing her surprise, Franz added a few more words as if convincing her.
“Since you saved Lexion’s lineage and even conceived the family’s heir, you have the qualifications to command my people.”
Before Edith could distance herself and refuse, Franz left the study, leaving the matter behind.
Then, Vane brought in several people whose gaze and posture were unusual and introduced them to Edith.
“If there’s anything you’d like to have done secretly, please feel free to let us know anytime.”
“Ah… Thank you.”
Edith smiled awkwardly, feeling like she was being asked if she wanted to kill someone.
However, she had no intention of passing up the opportunity provided by the Duke. Although these people’s impressions are a little intimidating, if it were Lexion’s Intelligence Department, their abilities would likely be outstanding.
“Actually, I was hoping to obtain some information about the Gerturks.”
“That’s a good idea. Nothing is more important than knowing your enemy.”
One of the intelligence officers brought out a luxurious folder and spread it out in front of Edith.
In it, every detail about the Gerturks that the Lexion’s intelligence department had gathered so far was organized.
『 There are even illustrations. Did an artist draw these?』
Edith read the files carefully and discovered something suspicious.
『 Is this child, Elise Gerturk, the same child that Isabelle was talking about?』
While red hair is quite common in the capital, the child’s hair reminded her of Elizabeth. Her profile card stated that the child’s age was estimated to be seven years old. It was also plausible to say that the child was born before Elizabeth became Nicholas’ wife.
“Is this girl the biological daughter of Count and Countess Gerturk?”
“No, the child is not their biological one. They took care of a child of a distant relative for about a year before officially adopting her. The information about this child’s biological parents is carefully concealed by the Count, so I think they may be of Gilbert’s blood.”
“Is there a chance that Elizabeth is the biological mother of this child?”
“It’s not entirely impossible. However, before he met Elizabeth, he had met other women with red hair a few times, so it could be one of their children as well.”
“Hmm…”
Then another question appeared in her mind.
『 The Count and Countess Gerturk are prominent figures in high society, and news of them adopting a distant relative must have spread quite widely.』
Isabelle mentioned that the edges of the portrait of the child that Elizabeth was looking at were worn away.
She wondered how Elizabeth felt when the daughter she loved so much, to the point that she continued to miss her even in the distant territory of Fortrion, was officially adopted by the Count and Countess.
『 She may have been happy because her child was going to grow up as a member of a good family…』
If someone were to spend time in Fortrion, consistently thinking about their child, and upon returning to the capital, they discovered that another couple had become the parents of the child, wouldn’t there be a deep-down feeling that their child was taken away?
『 As public opinion intensifies with the belief that Elizabeth murdered her husband, the Viscount, it will become increasingly difficult for her to approach her daughter.』
As Edith flipped through the files with an impassive expression on her face, she wondered what would cause the most pain to Elizabeth, who had tried to harm her.
──────────✿◦•
“Uh—.”
Edith, who had stayed in the study for several hours after dismissing the intelligence officers, stretched and made unintelligible noises.
Then a familiar, soft laugh came from beyond the door.
“I thought it might be a little late, so I brought you dinner.”
Walter casually opened the door and came in, holding a silver tray in one hand. He looked a little disheveled, wearing a comfortable shirt, as if he had finished his training early for today.
Edith looked at his dependable appearance and then reacted to the pleasant smell coming from the tray in his hand. She could instantly tell what kind of food he had brought.
“I was just craving bread dipped in cream sauce, so thank you. The grapes must be delicious too. Thanks to you, I get to have beef every day.”
“…?”
Walter smirked as he watched her guess the menu before even opening the lid of the tray.
At first, Walter was worried that she wasn’t eating well because of her morning sickness, but these days, when he looks at her, he sees that the baby in her belly was fueling the slender mom’s appetite.
『 What a wonderful little baby.』
Walter put the tray down on the table and watched with satisfaction as Edith began to eat.
As her cheeks, were slightly plumper than when they first met, and her captivating red lips moved rhythmically, it occurred to him that it would be a good idea to learn the recipes for some of her favorite dishes from the chef.
Even though Edith is the one enjoying the food, just seeing her eat happily made Walter feel better, and a smile spread above the hand resting on his chin.
He also really liked how Edith fed him food with a fork whenever he opened his mouth slightly while keeping eye contact with her.
As she finished her meal, Walter spoke up as if he had been waiting.
“Since you enjoyed the food, I was hoping you could grant me a favor.”
“A favor? What kind of favor?”
Edith’s voice was full of goodwill. Since she was living in Duke of Lexion’s manor, there was no reason not to fulfill his request.
“… Nothing indecent. Got it?”
When she added softly, Walter shrugged his eyebrows as if he was disappointed. While he hadn’t planned on asking her to do something like that right after serving her a meal, his mouth suddenly started watering when he saw her thoughts taking a mischievous turn.
“Well, unfortunately, I have no choice but to make a second request. I hope you could give me a handkerchief as a gift.”
It was a widely known custom to give handkerchiefs as a gift to those attending the Swordsmanship Tournament for good luck. Edith, who was about to say that she had been preparing one even without asking, froze at his next words.
“I would be grateful if you could embroider two white lilies.”
“…”
In the Agnas Empire, there was no one who didn’t know that two white lilies symbolized ‘marriage.’
❀.°• ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ •°.❀
