#38. The Villainess’s Wisdom
“Marquis, shouldn’t you be more mindful of your words?”
I dropped my smile and cut in, my voice cold as steel.
Grace and dignity were only meaningful when both sides observed courtesy.
He probably doesn’t even realize what he’s doing wrong. Maybe I should give him a proper lesson? Should I just take this chance to erase the entire Brendan household?
With my resources and knowledge of the original story, crushing one noble family wouldn’t be difficult at all.
I could list off their endless misdeeds like reciting a poem.
If I used my demonic charm, it would be even easier.
The only reason I had tolerated them was to avoid the guillotine ending… or the soul-erasure ending.
But if he dared to insult me so openly, I could not overlook it.
Completely oblivious to the fact that I was weighing his life on a scale, Marquis Brendan barked out:
“Do you think His Majesty’s favor will last forever? Instead of kneeling and begging, you dare spout such nonsense?!”
First meeting and already speaking so rudely?
Really, whether in Korea or this world, rude people act the same.
Suppressing a sigh, I answered:
“I am His Highness the Crown Prince’s tutor. I ask that you show the appropriate courtesy.”
“Hah! You only flaunt a hollow title you seduced your way into with that cheap body of yours!”
Instinctively, I turned to Nicolai.
The color had drained from his face.
Even his famed patience had clearly reached its limit.
The veins on the back of his hand stood out blue as he gripped his sword hilt.
His sun-browned arm twitched, his anger written in every tense muscle.
The faces of the other nobles, save Marquis Brendan, turned pale.
Why is he going this far? Is he doing it deliberately? Trying to provoke Nicolai?
I too wanted to put this insolent fool in his place.
But I had to prevent Nicolai from being handed an excuse to earn the title of “tyrant.”
Blocking Nicolai’s path, I said:
“My lord, can you take responsibility for the words you’ve just spoken?”
Marquis Brendan didn’t even realize I was shielding him.
“I only spoke the truth. What responsibility is there in that?”
“I too serve the palace faithfully, receiving my stipend like any other court official.”
“You mean you’re not some lowborn wench who wastes her time with petty tricks?”
Nicolai’s aura flared—murderous intent mixed with a frost that seemed ready to freeze the world.
I looked back at him quickly, trying to keep the beast from awakening.
Leave this to me. I can handle it.
His brow was furrowed deeply.
From his eyes alone, I could read his thought:
Let me deal with him. I’ll kill him cleanly.
If I didn’t resolve this soon, rumors that the Emperor had killed Marquis Brendan would sweep across the empire.
Even in this moment, I did not lose my sultry smile.
“So His Highness’s tutor, whom he calls ‘teacher,’ is to you no more than a cheap courtesan?”
“At least you know your place!”
“What if I prove that I stand here on ability, not flattery? Then what will you say?”
“You? A lowborn tramp, without His Majesty’s protection, what could you possibly do?”
It was as if Marquis Brendan had forgotten Nicolai was even in the room.
Perhaps his son Simon had whined to him beforehand.
Either way, it didn’t matter.
“I will face your former sword instructor, Sir Simon, and prove my skill.”
“With my son? Compete against him? Ha ha ha!”
“If Sir Simon wins, I will resign my position and vanish from the palace.”
“That sounds delightful!”
“And what will you stake, Marquis?”
Brendan’s eyes gleamed with greed at the thought of expelling me.
“I’ll give half my fortune—no, all of it!”
“Wagering your entire estate? You must be very confident.”
“I’ll even stake my neck! Simon could never lose to the likes of you!”
“Your neck would be of no use to me, my lord.”
“What was that?!”
“If I offended you, forgive me. It was merely the practical calculation of a merchant’s daughter.”
Of course, my apology only made him boil with rage.
That had been my intention.
“You vile wench, you dare mock me?! I’ll snap your stiff neck myself!”
“If Sir Simon wins, things will go as you desire. But if he loses, you’ll owe me your fortune.”
“Do you think a man of honor goes back on his word?!”
“Then, for fairness’ sake, I too will stake my fortune. As heiress of the Amster Trading Company.”
Gasps of shock and awe echoed throughout the hall.
The nobles’ eyes gleamed, already drunk with greed.
Marquis Brendan laughed uproariously, as if my wealth were already his.
“Hahaha! Don’t you dare try to take back your words later!”
“I could say the same to you.”
“You insolent…!”
“For a wager of this magnitude, we need a fair and trustworthy judge.”
“And who would that be?”
Without hesitation, I raised both hands and pointed to Nicolai.
“His Majesty the Emperor, in all his fairness and justice.”
Aside from Marquis Brendan, the other heads of the Four Great Houses gathered in a private salon.
It was the finest salon for gentlemen, decorated with deep brown leather sofas, crystal candelabras, and famous paintings.
Seated around a round oak table, they sipped their drinks and sighed heavily.
“I should have spoken up first. What a waste.”
Marquis Pipe, fingers glittering with jewel-studded rings, tapped the table.
Count Blackfold, small and gaunt, replied icily:
“We cannot allow Marquis Brendan to monopolize the wealth of the Amster Company.”
Though of different rank, as members of the Four Great Houses that had long dominated the empire, they spoke to each other with ease.
Duke Riemann, as usual, was the least talkative.
“If Brendan, who already monopolizes moneylending and the gold mines, gains control of Amster too, the empire’s purse strings will all be in his grip.”
Marquis Pipe drained his glass in one gulp.
Count Blackfold nodded grimly.
“And worse—he will openly aim for Hartmann’s heart!”
“Empress Rose is infamous for her lack of refinement and her insatiable appetite… We must not allow the Brendan house to produce the next empress.”
Pipe muttered irritably.
As father of Emma, the most modestly praised of the imperial consorts, it was the sort of remark one expected from him.
Count Blackfold, not to be outdone, added:
“To be empress, one must have wisdom and learning, don’t you agree?”
His daughter, Cynthia, was known for her sharp intellect, love of books, and lively debates.
Duke Riemann, father of the most beautiful consort Freyja, remained silent.
At last, Blackfold asked him directly:
“Duke, do you not share our concerns?”
“I do.”
“Then if we join forces, we can prevent the Brendan family from swallowing Amster whole.”
“I meant I fear that Brendan will lose his entire fortune.”
“What do you mean? The opponent is just some pretty-faced girl!”
Both Blackfold and Pipe raised their voices in disbelief.
“Simon is a capable, clever young man. If Brendan did anything right, it was choosing an excellent heir.”
“Even if the contest were embroidery or flower arranging, Simon would win! Ha!”
“Gentlemen, do you truly see Elisabeth as nothing more than a naive young girl?”
Duke Riemann fixed them with a level gaze.
“She is a woman of great cunning. If she were ordinary, she would have become a consort long ago rather than a mere tutor.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Had she been granted a title, she’d be hemmed in by the rivalry of our daughters. She wouldn’t have been able to move as freely in the palace as she does now.”
“Surely you don’t mean she planned even that?”
“Elisabeth has already won the Crown Prince’s heart. And a father’s heart follows his son’s affections.”
“By your words, she’s terrifyingly shrewd.”
“I believe she has every chance of winning this wager. She is not the kind to take on a losing battle.”
Marquis Pipe slammed the table with a fist.
“Even if the Brendan family has declined somewhat, it is still one of the Four Great Houses! They won’t be brought low by a common wench!”
“Pipe, do you remember why we approached His Majesty in the first place?”
“Because Brendan stirred things up—said we should expel that dangerous villainess before she became a threat.”
“And do you think we’ve achieved that?”
“Ahem. Only delayed, because of the wager. Once Simon wins, it will all be resolved cleanly.”
“It’s no longer so simple.”
Duke Riemann shook his head gravely.
The two nobles stared, waiting.
“If things had gone as planned, His Majesty would be in a difficult position. Even if Elisabeth weren’t expelled, he could not have shown her such blatant favor. But now? Because of this sudden wager, until the outcome is decided, no one can question her position. And if she wins?”
“That’s impossible!”
“Elisabeth counted on us thinking that way.”
Riemann’s tone was calm.
But Pipe and Blackfold’s expressions were far from calm.
“If Simon loses, Elisabeth gains an astronomical fortune—and becomes someone the great noble houses can never again oppose. Do you not understand the weight of that?”
“Duke Riemann, aren’t you overestimating her?”
“Even if Simon wins, it will only spark fresh strife. Already, many plot to seize Brendan’s fortune the moment he falters. Including the two of you sitting here.”
His cold analysis silenced them.
“The more I learn, the more dangerous this woman seems.”
“Then what should we do?”
“Removing her would be best. But act rashly, and we may well be the ones destroyed.”
“Ha! You worry too much, Duke.”
Pipe scoffed, dismissing him.
Blackfold agreed:
“No matter how clever she is, she’s still just a commoner woman. How could she stand against us, who command tens of thousands of elite soldiers?”
“Careful, man! Watch your tongue. What if someone hears?”
Pipe held a finger to his lips as if guarding a great secret.
Duke Riemann replied, his voice flat:
“Think what you will. It’s only my opinion.”
Pipe and Blackfold exchanged a knowing smile.
“If we assist Simon, greedy Brendan won’t dare claim all the spoils.”
“You mean you’ll interfere to ensure Elisabeth loses?”
“Just sit back and watch, Duke. You’ll see a cunning hen with her neck broken for her scheming.”
The next night, Nicolai came to my canary room.
Again, through the window.
Surely Franz wasn’t the one teaching him these tricks?
“What were you thinking?”
He sounded furious.
Closing the book I had been reading, I looked up at him, his figure framed by moonlight.
“To make such a reckless wager without my consent—are you out of your mind?”
“I only prevented Your Majesty from becoming a murderer.”
“I never asked that of you.”
“Yet I saved not only your life, but your honor. Don’t I deserve at least a thank you?”
Nicolai frowned deeply, his thick brows knitting together as he turned away.
