chapter 18
Fiorentia looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“A favor? What is it?”
She asked lightly, just to hear him out.
Theodor answered casually, as if it wasn’t a big deal.
“I want you to look for something in Duke Marcella’s private quarters.”
“…What?”
Fiorentia blinked several times, surprised by the unexpected request.
‘Hmm…’
Honestly, she didn’t feel like it. She mainly wanted to avoid Desdemona’s attention for a while.
‘Even so, going into Desdemona’s private space is dangerous.’
But she didn’t outright refuse.
It seemed like a good chance to figure out what Theodor, who was hard to read, was thinking.
“What exactly should I look for?”
The answer she got was disappointing.
“I can’t tell you that. Just figure out the likely places—it’s clear something is being hidden.”
Fiorentia didn’t get a clear answer, but Theodor saw her question as a positive sign.
His already low voice dropped a tone and spoke a bit faster.
“There are two likely places: the room on the second floor used by the head of the household, and the head’s office on the same floor. If I had to choose a third, it might be the private research room on the east side of the third floor.”
Fiorentia’s breath caught.
‘How does he know all this?’
Theodor seemed to know the structure of the Marcella estate better than she did.
Still, she didn’t call attention to it.
Instead, she immediately refused his request.
“No.”
Theodor raised an eyebrow, looking surprised.
“Why not? Not confident?”
“Let’s just leave it at that.”
Theodor might have tried to provoke her pride, but Fiorentia didn’t give in.
“I don’t want to get on my sister’s bad side. I just want to keep you quietly and let you go. I don’t want to waste time on unnecessary things.”
A silent battle of wills passed between them.
Fiorentia expected him to push more, but surprisingly, he gave up quickly.
“Is that so? I would have rewarded you greatly if you’d helped.”
Fiorentia scoffed.
“Don’t be ridiculous. And right now, I’m already letting you off. If I withdraw my favor, you’ll go straight to the kennel. So don’t even think of getting above yourself.”
Theodor shrugged lightly.
“Too bad. I understand your decision.”
Their conversation ended there for the moment.
But Fiorentia’s thinking and reasoning were just beginning.
‘That night, I wondered why he came to the Marcella estate. He came to look for something.’
She held her breath and thought hard.
‘What exactly is Theodor looking for?’
She licked her dry lips, curious.
Although she had said no, she felt she might need to find out for herself, even if it meant taking some risk.
Whether or not it would help, information was like a weapon.
Fiorentia had almost nothing, so she needed to combine whatever Theodor told her, intentionally or not, to figure things out.
‘Knowing is never bad.’
With that in mind, she tried not to slow her pace.
As she neared the main house, hostile looks met her.
Actually, it had started when she left the annex earlier that day.
“Here she comes again…”
“She never came this way before. What’s gotten into her?”
“Shh. Just let her pass.”
Ignoring the maids whispering about her, Fiorentia entered the main house.
Someone must have run to report her, because soon the butler and head maid came rushing down.
“Miss!”
“You’re here?”
The butler treated her fairly politely, but the head maid did not.
She looked flustered and gave Fiorentia a disrespectful glare, as if asking why she had come.
‘That’s unusual.’
The butler nudged her side discreetly, and the head maid immediately straightened up, finally showing some outward respect.
“Do you need something?”
“Call someone. You’ve gone to all this trouble walking here…”
Fiorentia smiled.
“No one comes when you call. They’re late, or don’t show up.”
“…Excuse me?”
“So I came myself. I also need to check something.”
The butler and head maid swallowed nervously.
“Your sister?”
“She’s at a meeting at the Count of Almati’s estate today.”
“Ah, I see.”
Fiorentia, nodding without much interest, stated her purpose.
“Then will you guide me to my sister’s office?”
“Excuse me? But—”
“Yes. But I’m not here to see her. I just want to check the budget she allocated for me.”
The butler’s eyes widened, shaking from the unexpected request.
“Suddenly?”
“Yes.”
Fiorentia nodded confidently. It was her right.
The butler frowned, clearly uncomfortable, and spoke slowly.
“But, Miss, that belongs to the head of the household.”
Ah. Using Desdemona as a shield?
Fiorentia didn’t intend to back down.
“Who said I’d take it? I just want to see it in her office. You can just bring out the ledger.”
“I can’t touch the head’s ledger…”
“You’re not the type to steal my allocated budget, are you?”
Caught off guard by her timing and boldness, the butler and head maid couldn’t resist.
“I didn’t act before because I didn’t want trouble. I only stayed quiet because nothing was needed before.”
Fiorentia had already known they were embezzling her budget.
She had kept it as a weapon for later—and today she would use it.
She smiled.
‘At least they won’t snitch that I went into the office.’
Knowing they were at fault, they wouldn’t dare.
‘Should I make a big scene, or just quietly show them?’
She calmly stared at them, leaving the choice to them.
After a moment, the butler bit his lower lip, then turned, speaking in a defeated tone.
“Follow me. I’ll guide… you.”
Fiorentia smiled triumphantly and resumed her steps.
