CHAPTER 52………………….
“After all this, now you’re even deceiving Duke Mason. If anyone finds out, what a disgrace that would be.”
“You’ve done this more than once already. And you were the one who said this was the safest way, Liam.”
“If I could go back to that time, I’d never say such nonsense.”
Liam slapped his own mouth, muttering that he’d spoken foolishly.
“And I also said that you shouldn’t pretend to be a reckless playboy unnecessarily, and instead should find someone worthy of love around you.”
“Right, as you said, I found someone nearby. You, Liam.”
When Millard pointed at him with a smiling face, Liam went pale.
“Don’t say such dreadful things! More importantly, why am I being made to dress as a woman today? You said I wouldn’t have to for the time being.”
“Well…”
The violet eyes that had sparkled a moment ago cooled into a chilling stare.
“Something came up.”
“…You haven’t gotten into some kind of trouble, have you?”
Hearing Liam’s hopeful plea, Millard responded with a faint smile.
‘That man got into trouble again.’
Liam followed silently behind Millard, his face one that seemed ready to cry.
Back at the banquet hall, Edwin first looked for Tricia.
She was talking with a few seasoned ladies of high society.
Of course, he expected her to be lingering on the sidelines, but this was surprising.
‘That’s not the point right now.’
Shaking his head, Edwin approached Tricia. Even if he couldn’t openly confront her with so many eyes watching, he had something to say.
“There you are, Tricia.”
“Oh, Your Grace, Duke Mason.”
“You didn’t expect me to come, then?”
The ladies who greeted him at once turned their attention, and Tricia also shifted her body.
Her black hair, flowing as she turned halfway, looked like a curtain spread across the night sky.
“What is it, Edwin?”
Her red eyes, gazing at him with curiosity, looked different from usual.
Edwin answered her question a beat late.
“…What is it? Is it strange that I came to see my wife?”
“No, not at all.”
Satisfied with her straightforward answer, Edwin excused himself to the ladies.
“May I take my wife for a moment? There’s something I need to discuss with her, just the two of us.”
“Of course.”
No sooner had permission been granted than Edwin took Tricia by the arm.
He led her out of the banquet hall toward a nearby vacant room.
“What did you do with that Millard scoundrel?”
As soon as the door closed, Tricia turned her head toward the interrogation.
Edwin’s eyes blazed, as if ready to unleash his anger.
“What could I have done? I asked him to dance, and we danced.”
“That’s not all, is it? I heard you compensated him as well.”
“Oh.”
Tricia nodded as if recalling something.
“He said he wanted to compensate him for clearing your name, so he asked for a dance.”
“…What?”
“During the dance, he promised to grant any request…”
Tricia continued as she retraced the events in her mind.
“So he obtained ownership of the greenhouse garden from the Duke. He even said he’d prepare to transfer it under your name.”
“…Is that… really true?”
Edwin froze. Ownership of Millard’s greenhouse garden—unexpected windfall—and he swallowed hard without realizing it.
However, having felt betrayed by Tricia earlier, he couldn’t show he was completely at ease.
“Hmph! Well, a greenhouse garden isn’t something I particularly crave…”
So he decided to play a little hard to get.
“I’ll accept it, considering your intentions…”
“Then should I return it to Duke Winchester?”
“What? Are you crazy? Why would we return it?”
Edwin leapt at Tricia’s question. She tilted her head in puzzlement.
“You didn’t seem particularly pleased. If it’s useless, perhaps it’s better to return it…”
“Useless? That Millard fool may be incompetent at many things, but he takes care of his garden properly!”
“Really?”
This was the first time Tricia had learned this.
‘Millard has a talent for gardening?’
The Rose Mansion she had visited with Millard held many memories. She assumed the garden was well-maintained, but perhaps he had always been meticulous about it.
It was a bit surprising.
“If it’s the greenhouse garden, it must be full of hydrangeas. Of course, I should have it.”
“You liked hydrangeas?”
“It’s not my taste, but there’s an old investor who’s crazy about them.”
“Really?”
“Yes, that person repeatedly urged Millard to sell the greenhouse garden, but he never did.”
Now that they had it in their hands, Edwin laughed at the windfall.
Tricia, responding with a faint smile, secretly wondered:
‘Why did Millard give up the greenhouse garden of all things?’
He could have handed over something of little value without issue.
“Let’s go, Tricia. We should return to the mansion and prepare the contract before that Millard fool changes his mind.”
“Right.”
Thus, Tricia rode the same carriage with Edwin back to the Mason Mansion.
Throughout the journey, Edwin was visibly excited and treated Tricia kindly.
Tricia responded with a faint smile, thinking of Edwin’s future regret for having eagerly stepped into a trap.
Several days passed since the eventful banquet.
“I heard the chef is dead.”
Tricia blinked at her brother’s words, as they met at the tailor’s after a long while.
“The chef who poisoned Princess Hestia’s dessert.”
Lloyd quickly added an explanation, as if remembering something.
“The Emperor had Count Bourbon handle the interrogation. It seems the chef couldn’t withstand torture and died.”
Tricia, staying at the Mason household, had limitations in moving directly, so she had arranged to obtain information through Lloyd. Right after reconciling, she had entrusted part of her intelligence network to him.
“The chef’s death—was that Count Bourbon’s intention?”
“Probably.”
Tricia nodded, and Lloyd rubbed his chin.
“This complicates matters. That chef had the decisive evidence to prove the Marchioness of Devon was the real culprit.”
Though he seemed regretful over the chef’s death, Tricia thought differently.
“The Emperor wouldn’t want to expose the true culprit anyway. Even if there were decisive evidence, he would have buried it.”
“Tricia…”
“It’s fine, brother. I expected that much.”
Tricia spoke calmly, though Lloyd couldn’t stop worrying.
“But Tricia, if that happens, it means the Emperor favors the Marchioness of Devon more than Princess Hestia.”
If so, Tricia’s plan to take revenge on Edwin and the Marchioness would ultimately put her against the Emperor himself.
“Wouldn’t it be better to return to Rosentain now?”
At Lloyd’s earnest plea, Tricia hesitated.
Noticing the wavering in her eyes, Lloyd promised gently:
“We’ll dismiss the spy, Count Arno, and live together, just the two of us.”
“Thank you for saying that, brother.”
“Tricia.”
“But I can’t leave the Mason household until I’ve settled everything.”
Tricia’s firm answer silenced any further persuasion. Lloyd now understood how resolute his sister was.
“However, nothing you’re worried about will happen. The Emperor will no longer side with our aunt.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“The Emperor’s favor toward her has long since faded. All that remains is the bond from their long time together.”
“I don’t see the difference. Anyway, if the Marchioness of Devon is in danger, the Emperor would protect her.”
“No, this was the aunt’s last chance.”
Tricia asserted.
“Think carefully about what happened after this incident.”
“…Several projects led by the Devon household were halted.”
Lloyd retraced his memory.
“All those sponsored by the Marchioness were isolated from the industry.”
“Only one person could accomplish such a thing in such a short time.”
“You mean the Emperor intervened.”
Tricia nodded.
This likely wasn’t the end. The Emperor would continue to coldly tighten the noose around the Marchioness of Devon.
“The Emperor will no longer show leniency toward our aunt. He only kept her alive out of the bond they shared.”
Through this incident, the Emperor completely lost Hestia’s affection.
Knowing it was because he himself weighed the life of his daughter, he could not resent Hestia.
Every time the Emperor saw his beloved daughter cold toward him, he would grow increasingly cruel toward the Marchioness of Devon.
