Chapter 24
Suspicion
“But about that Star of Chaos… I’ve heard she has black hair and black eyes.”
Davi’s gaze held a meaningful gleam as it met the Marquis’s eyes.
“Black hair and eyes? That’s a rare combination in the Empire.”
“Ahem, these days it’s not unheard of.”
The Marquis averted his eyes, and Davi’s smile deepened.
“Well, your Excellency’s trading company is full of your own kin. If anywhere, the Crow Trading Company would be the place one most often sees black hair and black eyes, wouldn’t it?”
When Davi first heard that the Duke had hired a female aide, he’d been too surprised to pay attention to the fact that she, too, was described as having black hair and eyes.
But when he caught sight of the Crow Marquis down the corridor, the thought returned to him out of nowhere.
Have I ever actually seen black hair and black eyes on anyone besides these so-called nobles who are really just foreigners wearing aristocratic shells?
In the Crow family, black hair and black eyes were almost a symbol.
Before the Crow family gained its immense wealth and the Marquisate, black hair was practically a mark of contempt among the imperial nobility and even the royal family—
a trait of wandering foreigners who took on the lowliest of jobs.
Perhaps, even now, that feeling hasn’t completely changed.
The Marquis was surely aware that while people bowed to him as “Marquis” or “Your Excellency,” behind his back they still pointed fingers.
That was probably why he’d paid such a vast dowry to wed a dazzling blonde beauty.
Davi’s lips curved in a slanted smile.
He had grown tired of a Marquis who cared only for money and left the house, but thinking of the Marquis’s sons, all said to be as golden-haired and striking as their mother, it seemed a successful bargain of sorts.
Since then, that pitch-black hair and those somber eyes had disappeared from the Marquis’s household—a perfect laundering of bloodlines, one might say.
“So, what exactly are you getting at? Don’t tell me you’ve heard the rumors that my granddaughter is a fake?”
“Of course not.”
Davi waved his hand lightly, smiling as his eyes crinkled.
“Black hair is simply rare. Seeing you reminded me of that report about the woman with black hair, that’s all. Let’s just say my question about the lovely Lady Hildegarde comes from pure curiosity.”
Everyone said Hildegarde closely resembled the Marquis’s deceased second son—well, Davi could let it rest at that.
“Oh dear, His Majesty will be waiting. I should be off.”
Davi gave the Marquis a quick once-over from head to toe and began to stroll down the opposite corridor.
Then the Marquis spoke quickly.
“His Majesty has already granted the marriage license. As soon as the Duke of Seid accepts the proposal, Hildegarde will be wed before the summer heat.”
Davi stopped in his tracks and turned, eyes wide.
“This social season will be dreary indeed. With the two most beautiful people off the market, I daresay I’m deflated myself. But isn’t this a bit rushed?”
“Rushed? The Duke is already overdue for marriage, and Hildegarde is perfectly suitable.”
“Hmm… is this about the department store?”
The plan, after all, was to ask the Duke for shares in his department store instead of sending Hildegarde off with a diamond-mine dowry.
The Marquis’s eyes flicked toward the garden, caught off guard.
Snow piled on the glass ceiling of the greenhouse, yet a butterfly flitted among the roses—a sight only the palace, with all its wealth and power, could produce.
Lift your gaze just a little and beyond the glass lay the stark, wintry world.
The Marquis shut his eyes tightly, recalling his childhood, when he’d wandered the streets in threadbare cloth through biting cold.
He would never return to those days.
“There are other options, you know. You don’t have to part so soon with a granddaughter you’ve only just found.”
The Marquis rolled his eyes toward Davi.
“It’s the most expensive property in the capital. The Duke of Seid may hold the largest stake, but there are joint investors. What if you bought out their shares?”
“…”
“I’ve heard the Miller barony is short on funds. Everything they touch lately seems to fail. Sometimes stepping back is wise when things won’t go right. What a pity.”
Despite his words of pity, Davi smiled brightly and turned to leave.
“Josh, leave the bottom as it is. Just add volume on top.”
“Like this, my lady?”
“Yes, yes. Much better than before, don’t you think?”
“Amazing! You have such an eye for style, my lady!”
Listening to Josh’s overly flattering praise, Anze sighed.
Everyone thought she spent her afternoons sipping tea and chatting idly with Mariana, but in truth…
She checked her reflection, seeing how her hair had become tangled and unruly, and spoke cautiously.
“My lady, I still have work to finish.”
“No, we’re not done. If you’re to attend the banquet with me, we must start with proper skincare.”
What was she talking about now?
Pinned in place by Mariana’s grip on her hair, Anze could only roll her eyes toward her.
“The palace will soon host a banquet to celebrate the New Year.”
“And what does that have to do with me?”
“I begged Mother to let me take you as my lady-in-waiting.”
Anze’s expression hardened as she recalled the stern face of the Dowager Duchess, who had warned her to focus on her duties as aide and not entertain foolish thoughts.
“Did the Duchess approve?”
“She hesitated a bit, but in the end she agreed.”
Mariana let out a deep sigh and released Anze’s twisted hair, then stepped back, resting her chin on her hand with a faint frown, clearly dissatisfied with the look.
“But, my lady, I can’t go. His Grace would never permit it, and I’m swamped with work. I don’t even have anything suitable to wear.”
A banquet? Impossible.
Anze began listing her reasons one by one.
Mariana, however, wasn’t listening. She seated Anze firmly on a round stool and spoke gravely to the maid, Josh.
“I just don’t understand. Nothing we do makes her look right.”
“Well, Lady Anze doesn’t have the leisure to treat her hair with perfumed oils like you do, my lady.”
At Josh’s words, the frustration Anze had been suppressing surged up.
She could read and write not only Imperial but the languages of two neighboring kingdoms, and her skill with ledgers and calculations shone in the aide’s office.
What was supposed to end with a background check on Hildegarde and an assignment regarding Hans kept expanding as time went on.
Tea time with the young lady, once a daily break, grew longer each day. After she’d impressed Hector by reading the almanac, even Elliot began seeking her advice frequently.
And as it turned out, the Duke’s office had long been understaffed.
She should have realized it the first time she saw that empty, echoing office.
Thanks to regular meals and Mariana’s endless array of snacks, Anze had gained a little weight at first.
But with the increasing workload, her complexion grew gloomier.
Her crisp, tidy black uniform now looked dull and tired, dark circles spreading under her eyes.
Her hair, washed quickly and dried in haste, was hopelessly frizzy.
By the time she finished work and managed a quick wash, dawn was near.
Sometimes Anze wondered if overwork might kill her.
And then came the thought: what good is money if I die?
“Lady Anze was up late again yesterday. Everyone says it’s impressive she even manages to wash her hair at all.”
Josh’s pitying eyes met Anze’s.
Between His Grace’s demands and the time she spent keeping Mariana company, her fatigue was visible.
But what could they do? Since Anze had been around, Lady Mariana smiled more and brimmed with life.
Lady Anze, please hang in there, Josh silently prayed, though the droop of Anze’s eyes suggested the sentiment didn’t land.
“She washes her hair in cold water and often leaves for work without drying it properly. Sometimes she can’t even eat on time…”
“What?”
Mariana’s face darkened. Josh realized her mistake and hastily covered her mouth.
In explaining Anze’s situation, she’d inadvertently accused the Duke of providing unfair working conditions.
“No—no, I misspoke. My apologies, my lady.”
But the once-gentle, pliant Mariana was gone.
Her eyes sharpened as she planted her hands on her hips.
“Speak plainly, Josh. The House of Seid is known for treating its staff generously. Neither Mother nor my brother would ever allow such a thing.”
Anze’s weary, shadowed eyes met Mariana’s.
Of course, she thought. The crayfish sides with the stream, and the arm bends inward.
Though Mariana had been kind to her, how could she ever compare to the Dowager Duchess or the Duke who had raised her?
