Chapter 92………………………..
Duke Dinero was sitting in the drawing room, wearing his monocle and reading the newspaper.
On the front page, there was a huge headline: “Heir to the Dinero Family Officially Announced.”
“Wait, isn’t that my face?”
Seeing my face plastered across the front page, I realized that there probably wasn’t a single person left in the capital who didn’t recognize me now.
“What brings you here in the evening without notice? You’re making me anxious.”
“Seeing you alive makes me feel like crying, my lord.”
And to think I was seeing him not in a sickbed, but in the drawing room—
I’d wondered if such a day would ever come again. Somehow, it felt nostalgic.
“Stop talking nonsense and get to the point already.”
As always, the duke, a master at ruining sentimental moments, didn’t let me linger in my feelings.
“Something happened last night.”
“Why, did someone come chasing after you, smitten?”
“How does the story always end up there?”
“Be careful. The announcement of your succession just went public yesterday. Who knows what snakes are hiding their intentions?”
Oh, that was kind of an infuriating thing to say.
“So you can’t even imagine that someone might like me purely out of affection?”
“When a bachelor approaches an old maid, his intentions are obvious. You’d be better off with some naïve young man who doesn’t know the ways of the world.”
In the Empire, the average marriage age for women was 20, and for men, 24.
I was twenty-four—soon to be twenty-five after my upcoming birthday.
Yes, by Imperial standards I was a bit of a late bloomer… but back in Korea, I’d barely be a working adult!
It felt exactly like being nagged by relatives during a holiday gathering—“When are you getting married?”
I swallowed down my rebuttal and went straight to the point.
“Actually… the Jaegers came to my house last night.”
“What?”
The duke’s face instantly paled as he grasped the meaning of my words.
He slammed down the newspaper and strode toward me, his expression fierce.
“Are you hurt? Are you all right?”
“Yes, for now. Ren— I mean, Marquis Blake helped me.”
The duke looked relieved for a moment, but then raised a brow at the name.
“Don’t tell me this was because of the succession announcement? If that’s the case, I’ll—”
Seeing him about to storm off like a man ready to declare war, I hurried to block him.
“No! Actually…”
I swallowed hard. Ah, screw it.
“I’ve… been keeping a divine beast.”
“What—what?!”
His eyes went wide, his mouth slightly agape.
I’d never seen him so shocked before—it scared me a little. Had I really done something that outrageous?
But I quickly steeled myself.
So what? I didn’t do anything wrong.
It’s not a crime to take in a poor stray cat, right?
“Don’t tell me—it’s a white tiger?”
“How did you know?”
The duke’s eyes filled with outrage as he glared at me.
And just like that, I became the guilty one again.
Honestly, even I had to admit that it was a bit reckless.
If the Imperial Palace found out, the Emperor himself might come dancing toward me with a sword.
Well, Duke Penelope will probably try his best to keep it under wraps,
since if the story leaked, it’d only prove his incompetence.
The Duke of Dinero let out an enraged shout.
“So that’s why every investment of yours succeeds! You’ve been hoarding that sweet honey all to yourself?!”
“…Wait, that’s what you’re mad about?”
Ah right. I’d momentarily forgotten—this old man is money-mad.
“I only took a little of the ‘honey,’ honestly.”
He gave an incredulous laugh and frowned.
“Hold on. A thought just struck me.”
“What is it?”
“That cat you brought here last time—was that also the white tiger?”
I thought back. Hmm, yeah… there was one time I brought Mion here. But that was…
That was to dig up some weaknesses on him, wasn’t it?
Seeing my expression, the old man’s frown deepened.
“I knew it! You made it read my memories because I didn’t give you the succession yet, didn’t you?”
“Haha… of course not.”
Wow. He’d guessed my intent exactly. Terrifying old man.
The Duke scowled deeply, clearly displeased.
“So the mess has already begun. What are you planning to do next?”
“Well, there’s probably no legal way for me to keep a divine beast, right? Even if it’s not me, I’d prefer if Duke Penelope couldn’t raise it either.”
“The Emperor would have to lose his mind before he’d agree to weaken that faction.”
As expected, his reaction was skeptical.
“But I’m sure word of this will reach Duke Penelope soon, and he’ll try to come after me somehow. Before that happens, I plan to strike first. So, about that—”
I smiled slyly.
“That revenge plan you mentioned before… I want in.”
“What?”
“I’ve got a perfect idea to make Duke Penelope fall completely out of the Emperor’s favor.”
The Duke’s navy-blue eyes gleamed with interest.
He looked at me expectantly, urging me to continue.
“Just like what happened to my father—we’ll frame him.”
I briefly explained the rest of the plan.
As I spoke, a wicked smile slowly spread across the Duke’s face.
“You… you’re quite something.”
“Don’t like it?”
“Who said that? I love it.”
I knew he’d be pleased.
“Well then, I’ll get going. I trust you’ll make this work, my lord.”
The Duke’s smile faded into a look of concern.
“You’re going home right away?”
“No, I have a place to stop by.”
He frowned deeply.
“After all that happened, you’re still wandering around without caution?!”
As I left the drawing room, I chuckled.
“I’m going somewhere that’ll protect me.”
“Is that really true?”
For several days, I visited different newspapers—carefully leaving out the part about the divine beast, and talking only about what happened that night.
“Yes, it was too frightening to keep it a secret alone…”
I dabbed my eyes with a handkerchief, pretending to cry.
“I was afraid I’d end up like… those people.”
“Those people? You mean… this wasn’t the first time?!”
This time, I subtly hinted about the people the Jaegers had killed.
Next, I planned to tell another paper about what role the Jaegers played for Duke Penelope.
Each newspaper got its own unique piece of new information.
“My goodness… this is huge! A total scoop!”
Every journalist was captivated by my story—the secret elite unit called Jaeger, hidden under Duke Penelope.
The heir to the Dinero family, attacked by Penelope’s assassins yet surviving—it was a sensational story.
Naturally, the newspapers all realized the tides were turning in my favor.
After this interview, they’d all start publishing articles supporting me, Jacqueline.
If anything happened to me afterward, public suspicion would instantly fall on Duke Penelope.
And once that happened, even he wouldn’t dare try to kill me easily.
But what I truly wanted from all this was the Emperor’s reaction.
Because the Emperor doesn’t even know the Jaegers exist.
Moments like this are when knowing the “original story” really pays off.
Everyone seemed curious about my information’s source, but assumed it came from Duke Dinero—and didn’t question it.
“Do you have any idea why they tried to kill you?” one reporter asked.
“Well… maybe because I know a secret they desperately want to hide?”
“Could it be… about the Jaegers?”
“That, and perhaps more.”
I gave a sly smile and stood up.
Time to head to the next newspaper.
After a full day of interviews, I returned home and waited eagerly for tomorrow—
Because the day of my appointment with Lennox was almost here.
