Chapter 12……………………………………………
Regina paced anxiously through the annex that had now become her residence.
She had meant to somehow win Edwin’s heart at tonight’s party, but she had failed.
Somewhere during the evening, someone had mentioned the bracelet, and Edwin had taken offense, leaving her behind without a word.
Left alone, Regina hadn’t even exchanged greetings with any of the key guests. She had had to chase after Edwin in a fluster, barely keeping up, and return home exhausted.
“This is all that damn head maid’s fault!”
She really thought the woman had lost her mind.
Ever since the treasure incident, it seemed the head maid had developed a personal grudge against her. She kept assigning maids with kleptomaniac tendencies, so valuables disappeared almost every day.
“And if I protest, she just mocks me, saying it’s all staged!”
It was maddening.
Simultaneously, resentment toward Edwin flared up.
“If you brought me all the way to Eppelverno, far from Solten, you ought to take responsibility!”
Then, a sudden thought crossed her mind.
Knock. Knock.
A light knock at the door announced Leona’s entrance. She had brought snacks from the kitchen for Regina, who had been too upset to enjoy the party.
“Are you feeling a little better now?”
“Yes! I just thought of a brilliant idea!”
Regina smiled as she accepted the bread Leona had cut for her.
A way to turn Edwin’s heart—or rather, to seize the initiative entirely for myself.
Why hadn’t she thought of it sooner?
If not for that, she wouldn’t have traveled all the way to this distant Eppelverno.
“Edwin called Regina back to the annex?”
“Yes, and because of that, the head maid has been in a foul mood ever since.”
“Given that she’s been tormenting Regina consistently, it’s understandable she’d be uneasy.”
Trisha found it a little strange too.
She hadn’t expected proud Edwin to forgive Regina—who had smeared his honor—so quickly.
Does this mean he loves her that much?
If not…
“By the way, as you commanded, I’ve been monitoring the princess’s palace.”
Trisha paused at Jane’s words.
“They’ve assigned a new personal physician to Her Highness. The previous physician was dismissed and sent back home.”
It seemed Millard had intervened after hearing this.
He must have changed the physician so the princess wouldn’t remain in constant danger.
Princess Hestia, Millard’s older sister, would be poisoned in roughly half a year.
The mastermind behind the assassination would be the Duchess of Devon, who planned to pin all the blame on Millard.
Because of this, the emperor—who cherished the princess—would be enraged and send Millard to the borderlands.
Moreover…
Branded as the immoral man who poisoned his own sister, Millard’s public support would plummet.
If she couldn’t prevent that, all her efforts in turning back time would be in vain.
Thinking this, Trisha asked for a more detailed report.
“What’s the princess’s condition?”
“She’s maintaining her usual personal schedule,” Jane continued.
“Interestingly, though, she’s recently been having all her meals with Duke Millard.”
“Is that so?”
A choice worthy of Millard.
In the past, around this time, the princess’s health had rapidly declined. She couldn’t even leave her room, let alone maintain her schedule.
Apparently, if the poisoning attempt during the banquet failed, they had planned to make it look like she died from illness.
As Trisha pondered, she pulled a letter from a drawer.
“The princess’s palace is recruiting a new maid. The letter requests that the Mason household recommend someone.”
“So, are we sending one of our people?”
“No, the recommendation allocated to the dukedom has already left my hands.”
“…What?!”
“Your aunt used the duke’s seal to recommend a relative of the Devon family.”
“No, that’s outrageous! How could she do that without consulting Your Highness even once?!”
“Well, it can’t be helped.”
Trisha shrugged.
“Your aunt intends to fight Edwin on my behalf.”
“…Excuse me?”
“How could I possibly stop her?”
At that moment, heavy footsteps and the sudden banging of the door announced Edwin’s entrance.
“Trisha! Did you send a maid recommendation to the palace?!”
It was Edwin. He slammed the desk to intimidate her.
“How dare you recommend someone without my permission?”
This was in stark contrast to the past, when she had avoided the office altogether for fear of being assigned her usual duties.
“You’re here, Edwin,” Trisha said calmly, bowing slightly. Jane followed suit.
“If this is about the princess’s palace maid position…”
“Cancel it immediately! Can you imagine how shocking this would be? A maid recommended by the Duchess turns out to be nothing more than a baron’s daughter! That’s a disgrace to the Mason household!”
Edwin had likely planned for Regina to serve as the princess’s maid.
That’s how it was in the past too.
As a maid, Regina would have easily integrated into society using her connections and opportunities in the princess’s palace.
Truly remarkable skill—but this time, it wouldn’t go as planned.
“Explain yourself. Why did you recommend a maid without permission?”
Finally, Edwin’s lecture concluded. Timing was crucial, as he hated interruptions.
“I’m sorry, Edwin. I should have convinced my aunt…”
One of Edwin’s eyebrows lifted. He didn’t understand why the Duchess of Devon had come up in the conversation.
“The lady recommended by the Mason dukedom, Miss Olivia, is a relative of the Devon Marquis.”
“…What?”
“While you were away, your aunt managed the Mason household seal.”
The reason Edwin had remained unaware was that he hadn’t handled any affairs related to the dukedom.
I reviewed all the documents myself.
Trisha had reviewed the documents and summarized the items requiring approval, then passed them to the Duchess of Devon.
“So… it was your aunt who sent the recommendation under the duke’s name?”
Trisha nodded.
Edwin sighed, trying to calm his anger.
“Seems like things got out of hand while I was gone!”
But he ultimately couldn’t contain his rage and slammed the desk again.
“Your aunt belongs to the Devon household. When the choice comes, she won’t act for the Mason dukedom.”
“You can’t be serious. There’s been trust built over time…”
“Nonsense!”
Edwin looked exasperated at the naive Trisha.
“First, I need to retrieve the seal from your aunt.”
Good.
Trisha smiled inwardly.
In the past, a relative of the Devon Marquis had never been recommended as a maid for the princess’s palace.
Whenever a recommendation reached the dukedom, Edwin had always written Regina’s name on it and sent it.
This time, I’ve tampered with the timing.
Regina and Edwin were in a cold standoff, and the Duchess of Devon noticed the recommendation faster than in the past.
As a result, the Duchess acted before Edwin could even realize the recommendation existed.
“If you’re sending someone to the princess’s palace, they should at least be royal! How dare you try to send a baron’s daughter!”
Unaware that all of this was Trisha’s scheme, Edwin merely exploded in anger.
“Your aunt’s judgment must be clouded with age!”
Trisha, quietly observing, decided to speak up slightly.
She wanted to preempt any suggestion from Edwin that Regina serve as a maid.
“Honestly, I was thinking about sending Princess Regina myself, but there were… rumors.”
“Rumors?”
Edwin’s eyes widened.
“They say that other jewels that went missing along with the emerald bracelet appeared on the black market.”
“…What?”
“Moreover, the rumor spread throughout society that the princess had received them from you and put them on the black market.”
At Trisha’s words, Edwin’s face turned pale.
Flustered at the humiliation, he pressed a hand to his forehead.
“Tell me more about these rumors.”
“They started spreading as soon as the bracelet appeared on the black market. When the other jewelry appeared as well, everyone assumed you had given them.”
Buying jewelry for a favored mistress? That could happen.
But being a man blind with love, handing over his family’s treasures?
He would be mocked as a fool, so obsessed with a woman that he could ruin his own household.
