Chapter 65
After I Died, My Little Groom
With the help of Prince Epion, Nadia was finally able to meet Baron Hess.
Of course, she had considered refusing the prince’s help — it was risky to be indebted to someone from the imperial family — but if she had declined, it would have only aroused suspicion.
Fortunately, Baron Hess seemed to be doing well. Naturally, he hadn’t been tortured, and even his appearance was clean and orderly.
There was even a small window in his cell, and the air didn’t smell foul — proof that the guards hadn’t been lying when they said he was being treated well.
Perhaps thanks to that, the baron looked more composed than she had expected. The fact that he managed to hold back tears upon seeing Nadia showed how well he was enduring it all.
“Nadia, I’ve actually been wanting to tell you something,”
said Baron Hess, gripping her hand tightly through the iron bars.
“Before entering the palace, I checked the box again in the carriage — I was worried. I wanted to make sure it matched the dimensions you gave me and that the jewel inside was properly fitted. At that time, the gem was definitely there.”
“……So that means it wasn’t lost on the way to the capital, but inside the palace?”
“That’s right. I carried that box the entire time. I was afraid I might drop it, so I held it tightly with both hands. The only time I let go was when a palace attendant said he needed to check it before the offering ceremony.”
“Are you certain he was a palace attendant? Can you describe what he looked like?”
“H-how he looked? Hmm, he was a man… I think he was older. As for his face… I didn’t dare look too closely at an imperial servant. I’m sorry.”
The baron looked down guiltily, then quickly raised his head again.
“But he was a palace attendant, without a doubt. I saw the chief attendant speaking to him — he gave him instructions like they were well acquainted.”
“That’s more than enough, Father. You saw something very important.”
There was clearly someone within the imperial palace colluding with Marquis Desmond. If that could be exposed, they wouldn’t even need much additional proof.
At Nadia’s words of praise, Baron Hess’s face brightened slightly.
“If it had been you instead of me from the start, none of this would have happened…”
He stopped himself mid-sentence, shaking his head quickly as if to dispel the thought.
“Don’t worry about your father, alright? The guards aren’t rude, and the food is actually quite good.”
Nadia gave him a gentle nod, a look of confidence in her eyes. Then she leaned closer and whispered,
“Once the Harvest Festival passes, you’ll be released. Please trust me.”
As she stepped back, she pressed her finger to her lips — shhh. The baron clenched his fist in understanding, determination burning in his gaze.
On the way out of the prison, Vivian spoke hesitantly.
“Um… I don’t mean to doubt the baron, but… was it really okay to tell him the plan?”
Nadia replied calmly, not the least bit worried.
“Even if the pink diamond were inside my father’s mouth, no one would be able to steal it.”
Being inexperienced and being tight-lipped were two very different things — and in that regard, Nadia trusted Baron Hess more than anyone.
A week before the Harvest Festival, Nadia received an invitation to Viscountess Maren’s secret salon.
The salon was scheduled to take place three days before the festival — a perfect time for rumors to spread far and wide.
The Viscountess’s “secret salon” was held by renting out a stylish coffeehouse in the capital.
As soon as Nadia entered, every lady’s gaze turned to her.
It wasn’t just because a new member had arrived — but because of the dazzling diamond hair ornament she wore.
It was a delicate piece, woven with multiple diamonds in the shape of baby’s breath flowers, pinned to the side of her hair.
Among the clear stones, a few faint pink diamonds gleamed, making her seem as though she carried the essence of spring with her.
But their attention wasn’t simply because of her beauty.
One of the noble ladies gathered the courage to ask,
“I heard a diamond mine was discovered in the Hess territory. Are the diamonds in your hairpiece from your lands, by any chance?”
Nadia shyly touched her hair and nodded.
“Yes. Though I haven’t yet received His Majesty’s official permission to sell them.”
“Well, that’s understandable. The Desmond Marquisate has long dominated the diamond trade — it must be difficult to compete.”
The one who spoke was Baroness Ove, who wore a ring decorated with small diamonds on her index finger.
Nadia glanced at the ring, then smiled as if envious.
“Did you buy that from the Desmond Marquisate? It looks beautiful, even from here.”
“Oh, doesn’t it? I never imagined owning such a thing. But my husband… somehow managed to connect with the Desmond family. Hoho, who knew he had such talent?”
Nadia widened her eyes in feigned admiration.
“Everyone knows Baron Ove is a man of great resourcefulness. I’ve never even met him, but I’ve heard so much about him. Isn’t that right, ladies?”
The noblewomen exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
Secret salons like this were often gatherings for social networking rather than any specific purpose, and Viscountess Maren’s salon was no exception.
The ladies, knowing Baroness Ove enjoyed being complimented, freely offered her flattering remarks.
“Really, the Ove household owes its success to the baron’s cleverness.”
“Exactly. Didn’t he once get a fine deal from a foreign merchant?”
Nadia joined in with a gentle smile.
“If it’s Baron Ove, I’m sure he could easily acquire even larger diamonds. It must be frustrating, though — I heard the supply has been unstable lately. Even His Majesty hasn’t been able to get the diamond he wanted.”
Baroness Ove waved her hand modestly, though she looked pleased.
“Oh, you flatter me too much. His Majesty’s trouble is because he’s searching for that red diamond for that woman — that’s different. For ordinary diamonds, there are still plenty. My husband just doesn’t care enough to fetch another one, that’s all.”
Her self-deprecating joke drew laughter behind fluttering fans.
But Nadia spoke in an almost shocked tone.
“Oh, that can’t be right. These days, it’s nearly impossible to find diamonds of good quality or size. From what I’ve heard, the Desmond mines have almost…”
She abruptly stopped and covered her mouth, looking as if she had just said something she shouldn’t have.
The ladies didn’t scold her for the slip — instead, curiosity sparkled in their eyes.
“It seems you’ve heard a few things from your own dealings?”
“Don’t worry, dear. We won’t spread gossip from this salon.”
“Yes, our lips are sealed.”
Encouraged by their words, Nadia straightened her back, as though embarrassed by her earlier hesitation.
“Actually… I heard that no more diamonds are coming out of the Desmond territory. Even when they mine, they only find small, worthless ones now.”
“W-what? But that’s…”
Baroness Ove stammered, but before she could continue, Nadia raised her hands quickly.
“Don’t worry, my lady! Up until five years ago, they were still producing proper diamonds!”
“Five… years?”
Every noblewoman murmured that number under her breath.
Some of them, no doubt, were relieved — recalling that their jewels had been bought well before that.
But others, who had purchased diamonds around that time, now began to feel uneasy.
And Baroness Ove, who had recently received her ring as a gift, suddenly stood up.
“…I must call for an appraiser immediately.”
As she left in haste, several others followed suit. Nadia pretended to look flustered and hurried after them, only for Viscountess Maren to gently take her hand.
“My dear, what you said earlier — it wasn’t a lie, was it? Don’t worry. Even if the appraisal results aren’t favorable, your name won’t be mentioned.”
In truth, Nadia didn’t mind if her name did come up.
After all, she was preparing to confront the Desmond Marquisate head-on.
But she was grateful for the Viscountess’s kindness in trying to protect her, so she simply nodded obediently.
