Chapter 019
I’m glad I made a good first impression.
In the novel, Perez clears up the misunderstanding with Dedrick and comes to recognize him, becoming a reliable ally. Even now, in a brief conversation, Perez could easily tell that Dedrick wasn’t the type of person to do what was being accused of him. He had a sharp eye.
“How about checking Dedrick’s room, Your Highness?” Somerset straightened up and suggested confidently. She glanced at Dedrick with a smug smile, clearly trusting her mother’s influence.
Perez hesitated awkwardly. “Well…”
“Come on, Dedrick. Clearing up the misunderstanding will be good for you too, right?” Axel chimed in, sounding annoyed.
Unfortunately, Axel interrupted Perez mid-sentence, cutting him off. Perez’s expression hardened. The Duchess coldly called Axel’s name.
“Axel.”
Axel flinched and hunched his shoulders. “S-Sorry, Mother…”
He backed away, glancing nervously at the Duchess.
You should apologize to Perez, not your mother.
As expected, Perez’s displeasure was evident.
“Humph.”
At the Duchess’s sharp glance, Axel quickly bowed his head. “My apologies, Your Highness.”
The Duchess smoothly shifted the topic back to Dedrick.
“If Dedrick doesn’t want to, we won’t force him.”
She said that, but if Dedrick refused, Perez would certainly grow suspicious. The Duchess knew exactly what she was doing, and she was confident Dedrick wouldn’t refuse.
“It’s fine. If it helps clear things up, you’re welcome to check,” Dedrick replied.
“Dedrick…” Perez tried to assure him it wasn’t necessary, but Dedrick politely declined.
“This way, Your Highness can set aside any doubts.”
It would be strange if Perez wasn’t suspicious, given they’d just met. And Perez seemed to appreciate Dedrick’s straightforwardness even more.
“Thank you. I’ll apologize properly once we’ve confirmed.”
“No need.”
We all headed to Dedrick’s room.
The Duchess wasn’t hesitant about showing it because Dedrick’s room was in pretty good condition—actually, it was very good. Thanks to the Duke’s orders, Dedrick was using one of the large rooms in the main building.
Once everyone entered the room, Dedrick nodded at his servant.
“Check the place I told you to hide it.”
Dedrick gestured toward his desk, and the servant frowned but boldly opened one of the drawers.
“Here it is! The exact place the young master instructed me to hide something!”
But the servant froze. The drawer was empty.
“W-What…?”
Panic set in, and the servant started opening drawers randomly, frantically searching.
“It was here! I swear it was here!”
By the time the servant had emptied every drawer and turned the room upside down, Perez’s eyebrows furrowed. The Duchess, realizing something was off, quickly stopped the servant.
“That’s enough.”
“B-But, Madam! I swear it was here! As you instructed…!”
When the panicked servant tried to approach her, Somerset discreetly tripped him, cutting off his words.
Both Perez and Dedrick surely noticed this. They had sharp eyes.
That should do it. Now Perez will suspect this was all the Duchess’s doing.
“Ugh!”
As the servant stumbled, the brooch I’d planted slipped out of his pocket and clattered to the floor.
Clink!
Everyone’s eyes locked onto the brooch. I quickly urged Dedrick.
“Don’t just stand there—say something like, ‘Mother’s brooch…’ now! Hurry!”
They’d realize the servant had stolen from him if he said that.
Though still a bit awkward, Dedrick fidgeted with his fingers and murmured softly, “Mother’s brooch…”
Though quiet, Perez clearly heard it. He let out a low sigh.
“Humph.”
“W-Why is this…?”
“It seems you didn’t steal under Dedrick’s orders, but rather from him,” Perez stated coldly.
“N-No!” the servant cried, his face pale.
Perez turned to the Duchess. “Madam, since my belongings weren’t found here, we should check this servant’s room. He seems suspicious.”
The Duchess hesitated for a moment before replying reluctantly, “Of course, Your Highness. We will search his room immediately.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“West, follow them and report directly to me,” Perez ordered his aide, who trailed after the servant.
The Duchess had lost control of the situation, and her face briefly twisted with frustration before she hid it behind her fan.
The servant, now in a panic, begged Perez. “W-Wait, Your Highness! This is all a setup by the young master…!”
“Dedrick was with me the whole time. How could he have set you up? It doesn’t add up. And what would he gain by framing a mere servant?”
Perez’s logic was clear. The servant’s actions were undeniably suspicious, something the Duchess would understand better than anyone.
Snap!
The Duchess snapped her fan shut and pointed it at the servant.
“How dare you try to frame your master?”
The servant looked at her in disbelief, but she didn’t hesitate.
“And on top of that, you stole Dedrick’s belongings? Seize him immediately!”
Guards outside the room entered and restrained the servant.
“Wait, ma’am…!”
“Take him away!”
“Madam! How could you…!”
Before the servant could say more, the guards covered his mouth.
“Mmph! Mmmph…!”
“Seems he still has something to say.”
“Your Highness.”
The Duchess turned to Perez with a sweet smile.
“This is a matter within our house. I deeply apologize for troubling you with such unpleasantness. For now, I suggest you confirm whether your belongings are truly missing. We can discuss further afterward.”
Even a prince couldn’t interfere too deeply in the affairs of the powerful Blackwood family.
Until Perez’s belongings were confirmed stolen, the matter was one the Duchess needed to handle.
After politely excusing herself, the Duchess left, with Somerset and Axel following closely behind. Before leaving, Somerset shot a deadly glare at Dedrick.
Perez watched them for a moment before giving an order to one of his knights.
“Go to West and check if my belongings have been found. If they have, inform the Duchess that I will handle the punishment. Should she object, remind her that as the victim, I have every right to intervene.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” the knight replied and left.
Now, only Perez, Dedrick, and I remained in the room.
Perez picked up the brooch from the floor and handed it to Dedrick.
“Is this a keepsake from Lady Amelia?”
Dedrick’s eyes widened as he took the brooch.
“…You know my mother?”
“I remember meeting her briefly a long time ago. She came to the palace with the Duke.”
The palace? With Dedrick’s mother?
Not the Duke’s official wife, but his concubine?
‘This makes no sense.’
The more I learned, the less I understood about the Duke. Not only had he taken a concubine to the palace, but the 2nd Prince seemed to remember it fondly rather than with disdain.
“Oh…” Dedrick muttered, his fingers lightly tracing the brooch. A faint smile crossed his lips, as if he were recalling a memory of his mother.
‘But that’s not what’s important right now.’
Pushing aside my curiosity, I stepped into the wardrobe.
“Ah,” Dedrick instinctively reached out, as if to stop me.
“What’s the matter?” Perez asked.
Dedrick hesitated before waving me off with a resigned expression. “Nothing.”
“I’ll check how things are unfolding. You, try bonding with the prince,” I said with a grin.
Dedrick’s face briefly showed reluctance, but he soon nodded in understanding and moved closer to the wardrobe.
“Come back soon,” he whispered softly.
I gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back!”
I want a magical, teleporting wardrobe. 😂😔
Thanks for the TL! ✨