MVH 111

-111-

16. The Three Ladies

Who? Lady Tiven, the baron’s daughter? If it’s her, then she was definitely one of the ladies Angelica drove out so spectacularly at Count Werner’s new product launch tea party.

Back when rumors first started circulating about Rayel and Angelica’s relationship, she was the one who claimed to have witnessed it firsthand. Later, she became one of Lady Fiset’s lackeys, after Fiset rose to the rank of viscountess.

But now they’re saying she died in an accident? That was sudden—and shocking. I’d heard she had gone down to her family’s barony after that tea party incident.

What on earth could have happened? I leaned in, listening more closely to the ladies’ conversation.

“My goodness, how did such a thing happen?”
“They say she went for a walk in the mountains behind their estate, and then… she slipped and fell off a cliff.”
“Oh no…! How could such a tragic thing happen?”
“The Tiven Barony is surrounded by mountains. There are steep cliffs and rugged terrain everywhere, so accidents like that seem to happen now and then. It looks like Lady Tiven was caught up in one of those.”
“How dreadful. I wasn’t close to her, but she was still so young…”
“Exactly. I was shocked when I heard the news.”

Their sighs of regret lingered in the air. I stared into my cup of milk tea, quietly turning over their words.

“She went for a walk in the hills behind her estate and fell off a cliff?”

I didn’t know much about the Tiven lands, but if they were truly that mountainous, the accident was at least plausible. After all, Lady Tiven really had died.

Still… something didn’t sit right. Would she really have gone alone? A mountain stroll isn’t the same as a garden walk—surely at least a maid or an attendant would have accompanied her. Yet only she had fallen?

Of course, I couldn’t know the exact circumstances. Maybe her attendants hadn’t been close enough, or maybe they were there but couldn’t save her in time.

Either way, it was a tragic loss. Even if she belonged to another faction, a young life had been cut short. We hadn’t parted on good terms, but still—I ought to wish her peace.

“Hmm… Strange…”

“Alexandra?”

She had been sluggish with fatigue moments ago, but now Alexandra was sipping a fresh cup of milk tea. The shadows beneath her eyes remained, but some color had returned to her face.

“Are you all right?”

“After two strong cups, I feel somewhat human again. I wanted coffee, but I’ve had too much lately. If I drink it now, I won’t sleep at all tonight.”

“Haha…”

“Anyway, Tiana, did you hear what those ladies were saying just now?”

Alexandra set down her cup, casting a glance toward the pair behind me. Leaning closer, she lowered her voice.

“About Lady Tiven?”

“Yes.”

“I heard. It was unexpected—and sad news.”

“It is. But… don’t you find it a little odd?”

“Odd? In what way?”

“That she died from falling off a cliff. As far as I know, Lady Tiven never liked walks. She hated exerting herself. Going on a mountain stroll behind the estate? That’s something she would never do.”

“…Really?”

That was strange indeed. If Alexandra was right, then the very idea of her going into the hills was suspicious. What were the chances that someone who disliked movement so much suddenly decided to go for a hike—only to die by slipping?

Almost incalculably small. Coincidence didn’t seem convincing.

“Alexandra, are you certain she’d never have gone for such a walk?”

“Completely. I remember at a certain count’s garden tea party, she refused to get up once, claiming her legs hurt. And though the Tiven Barony is praised for its mountain scenery, she always complained. Said it was all just rocks and weeds. I heard her grumble myself.”

“I see. Then yes—that does make this very suspicious.”

If Alexandra could testify so clearly, others must have known too. Surely some of the other young ladies would also think it strange that Lady Tiven had gone for a walk in the hills. She’d even complained at a tea party, after all.

As I mulled this over, the voices behind us rose again.

“How was the funeral carried out?”
“Quietly, just among her family. Remember, they practically fled the capital in disgrace. It seems the Tiven family didn’t want to stir up any more trouble.”
“That makes sense. They must know what rumors are spreading in the capital. It’s rather ironic though… after everything with Count Werner’s daughter, for Lady Tiven to end like this. Perhaps it was divine punishment.”
“Shh! Careful what you say.”
“…Ah.”

The lady quickly covered her lips with her fan, glancing around. They didn’t seem suspicious about the circumstances of Lady Tiven’s fall, though.

Divine punishment, they said. Perhaps. I’d never believed in gods before, but ever since I was reincarnated into this body, it was hard not to believe. I’d lived through too many impossible things.

Still… that she, of all people—the one tied to Angelica—should die like this. It all felt oddly tangled, unsettling.

The news hadn’t spread far yet, but I only hoped it wouldn’t somehow affect Angelica and Rayel.

“I’ll need to talk to Lucious about this. And Rayel too.”

That creeping unease wouldn’t leave me. I drained the last of my milk tea, trying to settle my nerves.

“Your Grace, we have a problem.”

Not long after, Sub-Baron Evitt appeared. He looked both flustered and angry.

“A problem? What is it?”

“Marquis Even has opened a new café—a flower tea specialty shop.”

“What?”

A flower tea shop? I had thought he’d lie low, but instead he came out swinging. Not content with selling fake products to sabotage us—now he’d gone and opened a near-identical café? I almost laughed from sheer disbelief.

“So he’s really going for an all-out war, then. Did you investigate? What’s it like? The menu, the interior, the customers?”

“The décor, the signature menu items, even the teacup designs… they’re almost identical. Practically a copy.”

“Unbelievable…”

“There weren’t many customers yet, since it’s newly opened. Most seemed confused and uneasy.”

“As they would. Imagine: another café suddenly appears that looks exactly like ours. Even in a city full of cafés, they usually differ in some way unless they’re official branches.”

By nature, cafés often overlap in menu items and general themes. But each one still carried its own flavor—whether a unique specialty, a famous barista, or a distinctive pastry chef.

Some cafés were known for their coffee, others for desserts. That was normal.

But to copy everything wholesale, like Marquis Even had done? That was unheard of. Purely unethical.

“I expected him to make another move, but I didn’t think he’d go this far. To open a carbon copy of our café…”

“What do you think will happen?”

“For now, the impact won’t be huge. But soon, our capital branch could waver. People are confused now, but in time, some will drift there. If the tea tastes decent, they’ll get customers. Everyone’s palate is different.”

“I suppose so…”

“And since our capital café is fully reservation-only, those who can’t book may just go to his instead.”

“…Which means his café won’t fail from lack of customers.”

Evitt’s brow furrowed deeply. Pressing his temples, he sighed.

“I thought he was unusual even when he first made fake products, but this proves he’s no ordinary man.”

“Not in business—and not in politics either. Remember, he managed to poach half the neutral nobles into his camp.”

“I know. That alone turned the neutral faction upside down. Remarkable, really. I had a bad feeling even when I first saw that contract, but now… it feels like he’s taken off his mask. Showing his true face.”

Sharp insight. He was right—Marquis Even was revealing his true colors without restraint. From minor background character to major antagonist. In the original novel, he’d only risen as a new villain at the end. I suppose this was his supporting villain arc. Unexpected progress indeed.

“If not for you and His Grace’s help, I wouldn’t stand a chance against him.”

He spoke with a weary sigh. I smiled.

“You would’ve managed somehow. You have passion and genuine dedication to your craft. That’s not something you’d give up easily.”

“That’s too kind… You flatter me.”

“You deserve the praise.”

People like him—pure-hearted, passionate—were rare. And he was the perfect foil to Marquis Even, who was the very opposite.

Such people were worth helping. Smiling gently, I continued:

“Anyway, since he’s moved, we’ll need to defend ourselves. We’ll have to come up with a countermeasure.”

“What sort of countermeasure?”

“Well… why don’t we pay him a little visit?”

“…Excuse me?”

He blinked, startled by my words. I gave him a bright smile.