Episode 57
“Ah, I’m sorry. I heard something shocking and couldn’t help myself.”
“Since when were you standing behind us…?”
As Bella fidgeted nervously, the woman shifted uncomfortably and glanced around.
“Lady Blake is ill—”
“Shh! Please lower your voice.”
“Yes… but that last part—did I hear it correctly?”
The woman checked to her sides and behind her, then whispered softly into Bella’s ear.
“Yes, they say it’s terminal. And it’s been a few days since the rumor started circulating, but since the Blake family hasn’t made any response, people are taking it as fact.”
“Oh my… that’s terrible. Is there no way to cure it?”
“I’m not sure about that part.”
“…But isn’t she engaged?”
“Yes, and that’s partly why the rumor is spreading so quickly. It’s considered a major disqualifying factor when it comes to marriage with a royal.”
The two walked slowly, whispering with no break in their chatter.
Bella, who had been walking beside the woman in the middle, suddenly came to a stop.
“Then, they might call off the engagement…?”
Bella trailed off, widening her eyes with a strange expression. The two women beside her also stopped, exchanging glances.
“Well, if the rumors are true, wouldn’t that make sense?”
“It’s just a rumor for now. We’ll see what happens. Besides, His Highness wasn’t even fond of the engagement to begin with, right?”
“That’s true. In a way, it might be a good opportunity for His Highness.”
“What do you mean he wasn’t fond of the engagement?”
“Ah… Well, the engagement came about because Lady Blake was persistently pursuing him. His Highness was hesitant, but the Blake family is a major power in the North, and the imperial family found them too valuable to lose…”
The woman paused, realizing she might have gone too far. She looked slightly panicked.
“So that’s the story… Then, Sir Raphael never liked the lady in the first place?”
Bella blinked blankly, and the corners of her mouth slowly lifted.
“That might be the case. Anyway… perhaps we should keep this conversation between us and not bring it up again? It’s already widely spread, but given the sensitivity of the matter…”
Bella offered a soft, kind smile to the now-anxious woman.
“Of course. Oh, since fate has brought us together, if I happen to be here the next time you come to pray, I’d love to give you a blessing! Would that be alright?”
“Oh my! I’d be delighted. You’re so kind.”
“Really, so kind. Oh, by the way—if you have time later, may I send you an invitation to a tea party? I think it would be lovely to spend some time together.”
Bella’s cheeks bloomed like ripe peaches as she smiled sweetly.
“I’d love that. I’ll be heading east for a while, but I’ll definitely attend when I return.”
“Oh my, venturing so far with such a delicate body just to offer help…”
“Please stay safe. As soon as we hear you’ve arrived back, we’ll prepare the invitation.”
“I’m already looking forward to it! I’ll hurry back.”
Bella’s sparkling eyes were filled with a radiant, affectionate smile.
Meanwhile…
“I thought she said she wasn’t going to the East.”
Louisa muttered as she tossed the urgent letter onto the table.
It had been three days since Raphael canceled his visit. Now, the letter said he suddenly had to go east and wouldn’t be able to visit for a while.
‘Not like anyone invited him in the first place. He just came and went as he pleased… seriously.’
Honestly, it would be nice if he just stopped coming altogether. He was showing up far too often—it was getting annoying. Come to think of it, since she’d probably be heading North soon, there was a chance they wouldn’t even run into each other again.
The fact that he suggested going north after hearing the terminal illness rumor was unexpected.
She knew he wasn’t the kind of person to say something cold like, “Stay here and show people you’re healthy,” but she thought he’d at least try to convince her to remain for a while longer.
But neither Duke Blake nor Demian had such reservations.
They each sent letters upon hearing the rumors. The Duke said she was welcome in the North if she didn’t want to stay in the capital and vowed to make those who spread baseless gossip pay dearly for their loose tongues.
It was impressive that he managed to convey so much anger on paper. For someone usually so stoic, the tone of the letter was unexpectedly intense.
“Don’t listen to those who aren’t truly people. We’re making a list of them, so don’t worry.”
“…‘Not truly people’?”
“Yeah. They’ll be returning to the dirt soon.”
Demian, meanwhile, had smiled with a frighteningly mad glint in his eyes and said terrifying things.
Louisa had to snatch the paper from him and sternly warn him not to do anything reckless. She was genuinely worried someone on his list might turn up dead under suspicious circumstances.
Seriously, all this nonsense because of the Empress.
In normal high-society drama, rich mothers just hand over envelopes of money and say, “Break up with my son,” at least giving some kind of payout. This was beyond stingy—this was cowardly, underhanded, and pathetic.
Just another reminder that the Empress was the ultimate hidden villain in this world.
Lately, her complexion had improved, and she hadn’t coughed up blood, so it felt like she was getting better. But her doctors were being overly cautious, repeating that they’d “monitor her just one more day.”
Maybe she needed to organize a massive medical examination with several physicians to prove her good health once and for all.
She didn’t care about the engagement being called off, but she hadn’t expected the terminal illness rumor to cause such a headache. Now she regretted letting it slide all this time.
‘The engagement was doomed anyway. Even if he developed a fleeting interest in me, it was never going to last.’
Just like now.
Louisa stuffed the letter back into its envelope and stood up. From the window, she spotted Albert Rosé hurriedly stepping out of a carriage.
“Already time?”
He’d sent word yesterday saying he was dropping by. Louisa figured they might as well have a meal together for the first time in a while and left her room calmly.
‘He probably came after hearing the terminal illness rumor. I’ll gently reassure him and send him on his way.’
But her assumption was completely wrong.
“…You’re saying there’s a counterfeit product?”
She hadn’t expected trouble to erupt in the wine business. One crisis after another—was this some sort of cosmic bad luck cleansing?
Albert Rosé didn’t seem to know anything about the rumors, likely because he’d been busy with this new issue. So Louisa focused on the wine discussion.
“Yes. I heard it’s just before distribution or approval. Since it’s supposed to be a knockoff, I managed to get my hands on a bottle…”
His face pale, he handed over the bottle. Louisa poured a little into a glass and swirled it gently. The rosy hue did indeed look identical.
She raised the glass to her lips, as if deciding to judge it for herself rather than listen to more explanation.
As the alcohol slid down her throat, it lightly stung her esophagus.
Louisa closed her eyes and slowly savored it. Then her eyes opened gradually.
“It’s similar.”
Her gaze locked with Albert Rosé’s nervous, flickering eyes.
“To the failed prototype.”
“…Ha, I knew it… what a relief.”
His massive sigh of relief made her chuckle a little.
“Didn’t you check it yourself?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Then why are you so nervous? It only looks similar. The aroma and flavor are completely different.”
“I was worried my judgment might’ve been clouded, that I was seeing differences just because I wanted to.”
“Hmm… not at all. It’s like a cheap imitation, barely scratching the surface. Still, I’m curious how they made it. Have you noticed anyone suspicious lately?”
“Actually, someone once approached me regarding investment.”
Louisa took a sip of water to cleanse her palate and narrowed her eyes slightly.
“I’ve already received plenty of investment, and since Rosé Wine has become popular, opportunists have been sniffing around trying to get a piece. I didn’t think much of it.”
“So what set that person apart?”
“Well, most people make proposals in writing or approach during social events. But this person showed up at the winery unannounced and even went inside.”
“The winery?”
“Yes. Arrogantly brought up investments and said he might join in, so he wanted to ‘take a tour.’ He was incredibly brazen.”
“Wow… and?”
“He kept snooping around, so I tried to throw him out myself. Since he was a noble, I couldn’t ask the staff—who are all commoners—to handle it. After a long standoff, he finally grabbed a random bottle and walked out.”
A total lunatic. They really got themselves into a mess. Louisa’s face twisted in disgust.
Even if the winery had grown, they didn’t employ knights, and the staff were just ordinary people. They couldn’t touch a noble.
That lunatic probably knew that and took full advantage, even swiping a bottle on the way out. Unbelievable.
“That bottle must’ve been one of the failed batches. Since completed products are packaged immediately, anything lying around would have to be a reject…”
To be continued.
