Chapter 99
The pressure on Baron D’Allo through the Pablo guild had been proceeding smoothly all along.
Thanks to that, Lucy, who had been in high spirits recently, woke up early this morning as usual and went down to the first floor for breakfast.
“Miss, you’re here!”
Upon entering the dining room, Anna, who had arrived first, was waiting for her.
Lucy always had her meals with Anna. While the servants might have found it unusual, to Lucy, Anna was more like family than a maid, so she didn’t care.
“Have you been waiting long? From now on, don’t wait—just start eating first.”
Lucy said as she took her seat.
“I just got here too. Eating alone without you isn’t fun,” Anna said playfully, scooping some food onto Lucy’s plate and nudging it toward her.
“Meals are definitely better with company. I should have breakfast here with you from now on too,” Lucy said.
At that moment, they both turned toward a voice that had suddenly come from the doorway.
Dino was leaning casually against the doorframe, watching them.
“Dino? When did you get here?”
“You surprised me! If you’re coming, at least make some noise!”
Anna scowled at Dino and chided him.
“If you haven’t eaten yet, sit down,” Lucy suggested.
Dino took a seat next to her.
“Looks like you were out all night and just got back, huh?”
Anna scanned Dino from head to toe, her expression disapproving.
“Why ask when you already know? By the way, do you two always eat together like this? If so, I guess I’ll eat here from tomorrow morning too.”
Though he seemed to be teasing, Lucy nodded cheerfully. After all, he was a guest, and she thought it would be nice to have everyone together for a meal, like before.
“I noticed last time too, but the chef here is really good. It’s definitely different from anything anyone else has cooked,” Dino said.
Plates were soon placed in front of him, and after tasting the food, he began teasing Anna.
Watching the two bicker, Lucy happily began her meal.
“Oh, Lucy. I heard a funny story last night,” Dino said, suddenly remembering something as the meal was ending.
“One of my subordinates is famous for handling poisons. Recently, he received a secret request.”
Curious, Lucy leaned in quietly.
“They wanted him to make a colorless, odorless lethal poison. But the unusual part? It doesn’t kill instantly—it kills gradually, leaving no evidence behind.”
“Isn’t that funny?” Dino asked, looking at Lucy.
She didn’t answer, only curious why he had brought it up to her.
“The important part is this: do you know who requested it?” Dino asked, a playful glint in his eyes.
“Who on earth is it? Some really famous person?” Anna, listening, asked impatiently.
“Anyone making such a suspicious request must have something shady about them. To be safe, I had my subordinates track them. And….”
“And…?” Anna pressed, eyes wide in irritation.
“Baron D’Allo. He secretly asked for that poison,” Dino said with a snicker, looking back and forth between Anna and Lucy.
“Lucy, do you have any idea who it could be?”
Lucy narrowed her eyes in thought.
“Surely… Miss, it can’t be, right?” Anna asked seriously.
After a moment, Lucy looked at Dino and spoke.
“So, did he agree to make the poison?”
“If they pay him as requested, why would he refuse?” Dino shrugged.
“Then what about the antidote? Even such a poison must have one, right?”
“Hmm? I don’t think the request mentioned anything about an antidote…” Dino frowned, trying to remember.
“Then make sure the antidote is made as well. That will be my request. But no one else can make it except me.”
Dino whistled in admiration.
“Good idea.”
“And if extra payment is needed for secrecy, just say the word.”
“Miss… That poison Dino just mentioned… Baron D’Allo isn’t planning to use it on you, is he?” Anna asked cautiously.
“I don’t know. But it won’t hurt to be careful,” Lucy replied.
“If that scoundrel actually tries to do something to you… Baron D’Allo really… deserves to have his skin flayed and bones fed to dogs while he’s still alive!” Anna’s voice grew increasingly agitated as she cursed the Baron.
Listening quietly, Dino slowly put down his fork and frowned slightly.
“Anna… Isn’t that a bit too much during a meal? You’ve totally lost your appetite!”
Leaving Lucy deep in thought, Dino and Anna returned to bickering.
Later, on her way to the guild in the carriage, Lucy recalled Dino’s words and thought deeply.
“By now, the Baron has likely realized I’m the guildmaster of the Pablo guild. If so…”
The likelihood that Baron D’Allo would try to use the poison on her was high.
“But how would he do it?”
Lucy exhaled calmly. She knew that now that he knew her identity, she couldn’t predict when or how he might strike.
But she no longer wanted to live in fear, constantly waiting for threats like she had in the past.
“In that case, it’s better if I strike first,” she decided.
After organizing her thoughts, she called her aide Nils as soon as she arrived at the guild.
“Nils, investigate the daily schedule of the Marchioness Yorgo. Parties she attends, clothing stores she frequents, her close noble friends… everything.”
Lucy planned to lure Baron D’Allo into approaching her first. To do so, she needed to show visible activity before the poison he requested could be completed.
A few days later, Lucy attended a party at the Irenz Count’s estate, carrying an invitation under the name Lucy Raiford.
“So Jessica is supposed to be here too, huh?”
The reason she chose this party among many invitations to the Pablo guild was simple: she had learned that Jessica would attend.
She deliberately arrived slightly late.
As expected, as she entered, whispers began among those who recognized her.
“Look over there! Isn’t that Lucy D’Allo?”
“Wow… So the rumors about Lucy D’Allo returning were true!”
“But how did she even know about this party? Who invited her?”
The Irenz Count’s estate was a prestigious family in the capital, and the guests had all been specially selected.
It was strange for Lucy D’Allo, the subject of countless scandals in high society, to attend.
The hostess, Countess Irenz, felt the same.
Not wanting to ruin the special day, she first looked at the man accompanying Lucy.
“Did I invite a foreigner among my guests?”
She naturally assumed Lucy was attending as someone’s partner.
So she approached Shan, standing next to Lucy.
“Hello. Thank you for gracing us with your presence today. May I ask your name?” the Countess asked gracefully, slightly hiding her face with a fan.
“I am Shan, the knight serving Miss Raiford,” he replied.
Shan had recently been officially knighted and became Lucy’s personal bodyguard. This was the first time he introduced himself to anyone.
“Ra-Raiford, you say…”
The Countess quickly ran through her guest list in her mind.
“Ah, the Raiford guild… Pablo guild…”
She recalled that the Raiford family ran the Pablo guild and remembered the invitation had been sent to Miss Raiford.
“Lucy… Raiford… Miss?”
The Countess slowly turned to Lucy with a surprised expression.
