Chapter 31…………………………………………….
The Marchioness of Devon was, unusually, in a good mood these days.
That was because she had spent time with Bill—one of the attendants of the Imperial Princess’s palace and her cherished lover—before returning pleasantly to the grand ducal estate.
“As expected, Bill… That boy really is handsome and quick-witted.”
What she liked about Bill was that, unlike her other lovers, he didn’t merely grovel at her feet.
“I… Aunt.”
It was then.
A strange voice spoke an all-too-familiar title.
When she turned her head, Lizaina stood there, smiling softly.
“Princess?”
The Marchioness of Devon frowned.
“Aunt?”
Only Edwin and Trisha had ever called her that.
Lizaina had always addressed her as “Marchioness.”
“What is she plotting?”
Her good mood was about to hit rock bottom—
when Lizaina spoke again.
“There’s something I wanted to give you, Aunt.”
At her glance, Leona handed the box she was holding to the marchioness’s maid.
The Marchioness ordered the maid to open it.
“This is…”
Inside the velvet case was one of the wedding rings belonging to the Duke and Duchess of Mason.
“Why does the princess have this?”
For a moment, she suspected it might be a finely crafted fake—
but that was impossible.
“The ring was made by the most famous artisan of that era. He’s dead now.”
No one could reproduce that luster and delicate craftsmanship so perfectly.
Accepting that the ring was real, the Marchioness asked suspiciously,
“Did Edwin give you a wedding ring as a gift?”
“Of course not.”
Lizaina shook her head at the question.
“The maids had it. It seems they failed to manage it properly.”
A clever way of shifting blame.
Thanks to that, the Marchioness immediately understood Lizaina’s intention.
“So it must be Trisha’s ring, not Edwin’s.”
Still, she didn’t acknowledge it first.
“So what are you trying to say?”
“What else? I told you—it’s a gift for you.”
The Marchioness’s lips twisted.
But Lizaina was faster.
“You’re such a devout woman, Aunt. I thought even the gods would find it admirable. Surely they would believe it better placed in your hands than with someone who treats such an excessive treasure carelessly.”
Lizaina clearly knew that the marchioness regularly donated money to the temple.
It wasn’t exactly a secret…
but it was unpleasant.
“And since it’s a possession of the grand ducal house being handled by someone within the grand ducal house, there shouldn’t be any issue.”
The Marchioness covered half her face with her fan, deep in thought.
“She’s telling me to sell the ring and use the money for temple offerings. Even aside from that, it wouldn’t be bad for filling my own pockets.”
Her lips twisted again.
“How insolent! Are you suggesting I steal and use the Grand Duchess’s belongings?”
“Steal? If the owner failed to manage it properly, how is it the fault of the one who picked it up?”
It was the owner’s fault for neglecting it.
The words sounded almost as if they were speaking of Edwin and Trisha’s relationship.
The Marchioness nearly let out a dry laugh.
“This girl isn’t just crazy. She’s dangerous.”
She hesitated.
The Emperor wouldn’t even grant her an audience.
Edwin, too, had long treated her coldly, busy watching the Emperor’s mood.
“And that bitch Trisha took even my allowance for maintaining dignity.”
Because of that, the Marchioness had struggled to even prepare the regular bribes she paid the temple.
“She knows that… That’s why she’s pushing me to sell it.”
Still, she wouldn’t touch the ring until she fully understood Lizaina’s true motive.
Then—
“Aunt. You’ve heard…”
Lizaina, growing anxious when the marchioness didn’t accept the ring, continued.
“You’ve heard about the young lord of Sinclair, haven’t you?”
“The younger brother of the Viscount Sinclair? The one who went missing?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
Lizaina nodded.
After the last banquet, Lizaina had begun associating with Nepheli’s circle.
She had even visited the Sinclair estate once, and the mansion had been in chaos.
“Someone asked why, and they said Nepheli’s younger brother had disappeared.”
The rumor spread quickly through high society.
They said the Marquis Sinclair was desperately searching for his illegitimate son—
and that the marchioness pretended to mourn, while secretly being pleased.
Nepheli herself, who had protected her position as heir from the illegitimate outsider…
“Though I think differently.”
To Lizaina, Nepheli didn’t look happy at all.
“Well. Truth doesn’t matter.”
The Marchioness frowned.
“Why are you suddenly talking about a missing boy?”
“They say that boy was an outsider.”
“…”
“How ironic, isn’t it? That everyone wanted him gone.”
“Enough.”
The Marchioness cut her off.
“I dislike people who circle around what they want to say.”
“I want to show what happens when an outsider forgets their place and dares to desire something beyond them.”
Lizaina finally spilled what she had been holding back.
To ride the same boat together, she needed to offer at least this much weakness.
“Someone who takes lightly a promise made to His Grace deserves punishment.”
“So you want me to secretly sell the wedding ring?”
“If that happens, Edwin may feel betrayed by his wife… and perhaps he’ll need your comfort, Aunt.”
She could push Trisha out—
and restore her relationship with Edwin.
“How amusing.”
The Marchioness’s expression remained cold, but her mind was moving quickly.
***
Trisha, as usual, had entered the palace under the pretense of answering the princess’s summons…
but in truth, she had met Lloyd.
“His Majesty sided with my brother again this time, they said.”
Though society believed they were estranged…
he was still her brother.
And unlike Baron Berkshire, he wasn’t greedy.
The Emperor must have decided it was safe to support him.
“And they said he successfully bought the Argyle mine. I won’t need to worry about him for a while.”
Thanks to the Marchioness of Devon, she had obtained good fortune easily.
“And not just the mine… I think I’ll gain much more thanks to Aunt.”
Should she thank her?
Smiling at the thought—one that would make the marchioness furious if she knew—Trisha entered the grand ducal lobby.
Then—
“Trisha.”
“Edwin?”
Trisha tilted her head in confusion.
Edwin was standing at the top of the stairs, staring down at her.
“Look at me.”
He called her with a grave expression.
“I just got back. Let me change first—”
“Change? Nonsense.”
The Marchioness of Devon appeared behind Edwin, cutting her off.
“Come with us. Now.”
The solemnity in her voice made Trisha’s stomach sink.
She followed them upstairs.
In the second-floor drawing room—
“You’ve arrived, Your Grace. I’ve been waiting.”
Lizaina was there too.
The three of them surrounded Trisha.
Jane, who had followed behind, swallowed nervously.
The door shut the moment they entered.
Like judges encircling a criminal, the tension rose sharply.
Edwin went straight to the point.
“They say our wedding ring appeared on the black market.”
“The wedding ring?”
Trisha tilted her head, and Edwin held up his left hand.
A ring—one he never even wore—was shining on his finger.
The implication was obvious.
“My ring is here… so it must be yours.”
“…”
Trisha fell silent.
She seemed to be thinking—
but the others reacted faster.
“This is truly cruel!”
Lizaina stepped forward immediately.
“You promised Eddie your entire life! How could you break that promise so easily?”
Then she murmured sorrowfully, as though genuinely heartbroken.
“Some people… can’t have it, no matter how much they want it…”
Jane clicked her tongue internally.
“What is that shameless woman even saying right now?”
She’d thought Lizaina was hopeless the moment she started playing around with another woman’s husband under the excuse of friendship…
but this was impressive in its audacity.
“Yes, speak. If you have a mouth, explain yourself.”
The Marchioness joined in.
“How could you stain the name of the House of Mason?”
“You married someone as excessive as my nephew, and now you sell the ring? I wonder if you even deserve to be called the Grand Duchess.”
“Don’t be too harsh, Aunt.”
Lizaina smoothly changed her tone, as if she hadn’t been condemning Trisha just moments ago.
“Surely Her Grace didn’t do this without reason.”
Her face didn’t change at all as she continued.
“There must have been circumstances she couldn’t avoid.”
It was another way of saying—
that no ordinary excuse would ever be enough.
