Chapter 60
The next day, the imperial newspaper ran an article on the front page about the party held at the Ethel Marquis’ residence.
Of course, what caught everyone’s attention was Delina Shiton’s bracelet. Though the article tried to dress it up in polite words, the main point was that Delisa Shiton was being portrayed as a liar.
“[…The only person who can verify this truth is His Grace, Grand Duke Berato. Before writing this article, we requested an interview with the Duke to confirm the facts, but he flatly refused. While ordinary men would step up to defend the woman they liked when she was in trouble, His Grace showed no interest at all. What, then, is the truth behind this bracelet? That is what we are curious about.]”
Delina was furious at the article and flopped onto her bed in frustration.
She had sent a servant to request confirmation from Grand Duke Berato, but the report came back that the servant couldn’t even pass through the gate and was chased away.
“Who played such a prank? If I catch them, I’ll break every limb. Aaargh! This is so infuriating!”
Delina’s maids had to walk on eggshells for several days.
However, there was someone else who took an interest in the article: Perena Bhol, who worked at Marsha’s hospital.
“The Grand Duke gave a bracelet to a woman? That doesn’t make sense…”
Perena put down the newspaper and went to Marsha’s room.
Marsha was very different from ordinary doctors. When she was young and had nowhere to go, an old gypsy woman took her in. Initially, she ran errands for the old woman while learning magic and healing by observation. When the gypsy recognized Marsha’s talent, she taught her formally.
“Marsha’s lucky too. Thanks to the old gypsy woman, she was able to open a hospital like this.”
Perena slightly opened Marsha’s door and looked inside, but the room was empty.
She went in, carefully took a box from a corner of the bookshelf, and opened the lid. Inside were objects connecting Grand Duke Berato, Tirchen, and Perena, preserved with care.
After seeing the items, a relieved smile spread across Perena’s face.
While I was thinking about how to replace my coachman with Brial, the opportunity came sooner than expected.
I had instructed Lhsil to have Brial watch my coachman, Ketten, carefully. Based on his behavior toward me, he didn’t seem like a very diligent coachman, so I was certain there must be some weakness I could exploit.
I was scheming how to catch even a small flaw, but what Brial brought exceeded my expectations. Ketten, drunk, confessed everything without realizing it, leaving no room for doubt.
I had the servants drag him into the front yard. Ketten struggled and shouted loudly as he was pulled along by the arms.
“Let go! Do you think you can get away with this?”
His voice was loud enough for all the household staff to gather and watch.
When he knelt before me, he glared at me with wide eyes. As a mere coachman of a duke’s daughter, it was obvious who was backing him.
I signaled, and the butler Ortega brought the harness. It was the same harness I had used when I had an accident riding out.
When Ortega dropped the harness in front of Ketten, his pupils flickered nervously.
“Do you remember this?”
I nudged the harness with my foot, and Ketten turned his head to look away.
“I… I don’t know.”
“Don’t know?”
“Yes.”
“Did you lose your memory overnight? Someone heard you admit to doing this just yesterday.”
Pale and trembling, Ketten’s face betrayed him, and the person I had been waiting for appeared.
“What’s all this commotion?”
The Duchess Aida Mares approached impatiently, blocking the coachman. Perhaps she wanted to protect her subordinate or was just expressing hostility toward me.
“I found evidence that the coachman tried to kill me, Mother.”
I emphasized “tried to kill” and sweetly added the honorific “Mother” to address her.
“No! I never did such a thing!”
The coachman jumped and protested, while Aida seemed unsure whether to step forward or back, glancing nervously at me.
Having caught the rat, the next step was to corner him before he escaped.
“I investigated the tampering with the harness during my accident and have now found the culprit.”
“Culprit?”
“My attempted murderer. He deliberately cut the reins to make me fall off the horse—there is clear intent to kill.”
The coachman tried to interject during my explanation.
“I never did such a thing!”
Unaware of the situation, he pleaded his case to Aida, but she wouldn’t even look him in the eye.
“I plan to investigate the mastermind behind this. Surely the coachman couldn’t have done it alone.”
“He denies it… making the household noisy…”
“There are witnesses who heard him admit to what he did.”
Aida’s expression stiffened noticeably. It was as if she were confessing to being the mastermind, even if she wouldn’t admit it verbally.
The stable hands who heard Ketten’s drunken confession were brought forward, including Brial.
All the accounts came from him, but I had no intention of revealing everything to others.
“Tell me what you heard yesterday. Since I have the prior information, it’s best not to make things up.”
Having never been in a position of real authority in this household, the servants exchanged glances.
They understood the implication: if they didn’t speak, they would be considered accomplices. Anxiety spread quickly among them.
“You don’t have to speak for those who conspired with Ketten. I don’t intend to betray anyone.”
By clarifying that remaining silent would implicate them, unease grew.
Aida neither left nor confronted me. Her mind seemed already seeking escape.
“You go first. One chance only. If you miss it, you won’t get another.”
The first servant hesitated, so I immediately called on the next person.
“You, now.”
The first refused, hoping to hold out. Meanwhile, Ortega’s servant brought the first person’s belongings and tossed them in front of him.
“Go now. Your wages are included. Know that I won’t provide a recommendation elsewhere.”
Ortega’s words had a powerful effect. The servants’ unity quickly crumbled.
“Ketten cut the lady’s reins,” one said.
“Why?”
“He… um…”
He glanced at Aida while hesitating.
“If you don’t want to answer…”
“I was told by the lady to do it.”
He quickly confessed, fearing I would call on the next person.
They realized the person holding their livelihood was me, not Aida.
I kept my smile restrained and turned to Aida.
Her body stiffened as if frozen, trembling as if she might collapse backward like a log. I wondered if someone would catch her, but I didn’t care much.
The ongoing testimonies pushed her further into a corner, even including this:
“He said that if he had succeeded, we’d be skeletons by now. If given another chance, he would send us to the grave.”
With testimony like this, Aida could no longer deny ordering the attempted murder.
“What is going on here?”
Zetio rushed out. If Aida had ordered me killed, it was a serious matter.
“Um… he… the coachman… just babbled nonsense,” Aida stammered, clutching her husband’s sleeve. Her hands shook violently, obviously desperate to get out of this situation.
“The mother supposedly ordered me killed, and multiple witnesses heard Ketten confess. I’m questioning it now.”
I shrugged and explained calmly to the husband.
The tension from both sides pressed on me sharply, but I didn’t flinch.
I had no intention of making a foolish attempt to trap them. They were flustered now, but in time, they would realize things.
Brial had told me Ketten was far from a diligent coachman. To the Mares family, he might have been little more than a disposable servant. Therefore, they would discredit his statements as the drunken ramblings of a dissatisfied subordinate.
Apart from Ketten’s drunken confession, there was no other evidence to prove Aida’s involvement, so the matter could be resolved temporarily. I intended to get what I wanted and end it appropriately.
“If this is true, we can’t just let it go.”
Aida’s widened eyes urged her husband to solve the problem quickly.
“We can’t blindly believe his words, Elisia. Why would your mother try to harm you?”
Aida nodded eagerly, relieved at her husband’s words, as if she were about to break her neck in gratitude.
“Indeed. I also wonder why Mother would use Ketten to try to hurt me.”
Ignoring Aida’s desperation to escape, I pressed her further.
Ketten wouldn’t take the fall for Aida alone. In fact, to defend himself, he would cling to her as the real culprit.
