Chapter 51
It was a deed concerning land sales that had been carried out over the past few years.
Linnea quickly pulled out a sheet of paper and hastily jotted down every plot of land that had been sold.
The Lamburn family had begun recovering financially ever since they started exploiting Linnea’s abilities.
But according to these deeds, an enormous sum had been poured into purchasing land.
Even if their investments had been successful, this was far more than the Lamburn family could realistically afford.
In other words, they had spent nearly all of their earnings on buying land—yet there wasn’t the slightest rumor about it in high society.
Linnea shoved the list she had written into her sleeve, restored the ledgers to their original state, and left the study.
She searched through several other rooms after that, but found no signs of a laboratory or any useful documents in the mansion.
There was no trace of the smell of Bufleum, either.
When she finally checked the time, she saw that it had grown quite late, so she had no choice but to head down to the central front hall.
As she had instructed, all of the servants were gathered there.
The opera singer seemed to have left during that time—not that Linnea cared in the least.
“You’re all very good at hiding things.”
Linnea’s tone was cutting.
“But I don’t trust you. I’m sure there have been plenty of cases like that woman before.”
“Countess Shuhevers, I can explain—”
“Silence.”
Linnea cut the butler’s words short.
“Of course, something like this won’t shake my love or my future. I can overlook a minor flaw in him. So you’d all better keep that in mind—and watch your tongues and your actions.”
She thus made it clear that she would keep this quiet, provided they also held their silence.
Then, with a cold and imperious air, Linnea swept past the servants and walked outside.
If they’ve been buying land for years, this has to have been a long-standing plan.
Perhaps Bufleum had been in the works since the very first time they met.
The thought made her shudder—such a devious, two-faced man.
As she made her way to her carriage, she suppressed another shiver.
First, I’ll need to visit every plot of land on that list.
“Jones.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“We’re going on a long trip. As soon as we get back to the estate, I’ll pack and leave right away. When we arrive at the duke’s residence, inform the duchess immediately.”
“Yes, Countess.”
Jones did not look at all flustered by the sudden announcement, answering with his usual loyalty. Linnea nodded.
“How’s the baby doing?”
“Thanks to your concern, she’s already starting to get into a little mischief.”
“That’s good. If the baby ever gets sick or has any trouble—though I hope that never happens—make sure to tell me.”
“Yes, Countess.”
The baby, whom Jones and his wife had named after Linnea with her permission, was growing fast.
It weighed on her to take the father on a long journey at such a time, but this matter was too important to ignore.
She resolved to give him extra travel pay as she stepped into the carriage.
However, when all their luggage was packed and they arrived at the imperial capital’s gates for inspection—
“I’m very sorry, but you cannot pass.”
“…What?”
Linnea could hardly believe her ears.
“What do you mean? You’ve seen my identification—you know I’m—”
“We know you are the Countess of Shuhevers. But I regret to inform you that you are currently forbidden from leaving the capital.”
“Why?”
The guard looked troubled as he fished out an official document and began to read.
“Under the Stimulant Control Act, those who have been detained for investigation due to unlicensed stimulant No. 49 are not permitted to leave the capital until the matter is fully resolved. It is a security measure for stimulant control—we ask for your understanding.”
“The Emperor himself acknowledged my innocence and released me. Even so?”
“I’m sorry, but there are no exceptions. However, please note that travel is permitted for important business or formal occasions such as weddings and funerals.”
Linnea bit her lip.
With no choice, she returned to the duke’s residence and sat in her room, considering her options.
The first thought that came to mind was to hire someone else to go in her place.
But she was the one best able to detect Bufleum—ordinary people likely couldn’t even smell its foul odor.
Still, until she could move freely, hiring someone might be the most practical choice.
Or perhaps she could sneak out. But that would be difficult—the guards opened carriage doors and thoroughly searched luggage.
Would bribery work instead?
Just then, a servant knocked on her door.
“My lady, a delivery has arrived from Baroness Sordan.”
“…Baroness Sordan?”
Linnea’s eyes lit with realization. She had asked the baroness to send her hot spring water for research.
“Yes, that’s it. Take it to the apothecary.”
“Yes, my lady.”
When she opened the door, the servant was rolling a large, heavy metal container—nearly half his height—toward the apothecary. Linnea followed.
The baroness had sent not only hot spring water but also a mountain of medicinal herbs from the area, which now filled one corner of the apothecary.
As Linnea tied on an apron to begin sorting and preparing the herbs, she suddenly froze.
One of the plots Cadil had purchased was near the Pegilion Hot Springs.
I’ll have Baroness Sordan send me an invitation to visit the Pegilion area for research purposes. They said I can leave for important business… The baroness can provide me an alibi. Of course, there will be surveillance, but I can get updates from the spirits and manage accordingly.
At the very least, she could investigate the surrounding area.
It was fortunate indeed that she had mentioned her new product research to the baroness.
She immediately wrote a letter to Baroness Sordan and called for her maid.
“You called, my lady?”
“Take this to the baroness. And… pick out a dress for me.”
“…Pardon?”
Linnea took Nora’s hand and pulled her into the dressing room.
She didn’t own many clothes anymore—most of her dresses and jewelry had been sold to raise funds—so the wardrobe looked rather empty. She took out a few outfits and held them up to Nora.
“Which one do you like? Choose.”
“Why… should I choose? Shouldn’t you wear what you like, my lady?”
Linnea had never asked someone else to choose her clothes before. But she nodded.
“Because you’ll be wearing it.”
“…What?”
“I’m not giving you my old dress—I’ll have one made for you. Oh, and you’ll need matching jewelry and a hat. A bag, too.”
Nora looked completely lost.
In the end, she chose a pale sky-blue day dress, an aquamarine necklace-and-earring set, and a white calfskin handbag.
Linnea picked out a wide-brimmed hat, shoes, and gloves to match the dress and handed everything to Nora.
“Take these to the boutique, the shoemaker, and the jeweler. Have them make exact copies in your size. Give them two weeks, but tell them you’ll pay double if it’s done in one.”
“My lady… what is all this for?”
“It’s important. When it’s over, you can keep everything. You won’t be losing anything, will you?”
Still bewildered, Nora left with the items.
When the dress, jewelry, and accessories were finished, Baroness Sordan’s reply arrived almost at the same time.
Linnea paid double the price without complaint and gave everything to Nora.
“But don’t wear them yet. The first time you put them on will be when I tell you to. After that, do as you like.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Linnea finally packed her bags, loaded them onto the carriage, and set off.
It was late in the evening. At the capital gates, the guards read Baroness Sordan’s invitation and travel permit, nodded, and returned them.
“Have a pleasant trip.”
“Thank you.”
Linnea put the documents away and steeled herself.
The carriage traveled almost without rest for two days before arriving in Pegilion.
After letting the exhausted Jones and Nora rest, Linnea dressed in an outfit identical to the one she had given Nora and went to meet Baroness Sordan.
“Welcome! You got here in no time, Countess.”
“I imposed on you, so I had to at least show this much sincerity.”
Smiling, Linnea handed her a jar of cream—an eczema treatment she had developed over the past week using the hot spring water.
“This is the finished product. The time was short, so the quality may be a bit rough…”
“My goodness, you’ve already made it? Do you have magic hands?”
The baroness praised her as she opened the jar.
“It’s a cream effective for skin inflammation and hives. I recommend applying it after bathing in the hot springs for best results—please tell your patients that.”
“Of course, of course.”
“Once you’re satisfied with the results, we can discuss a contract.”
“You’re too considerate—I’m truly grateful.”
The baroness, a warm and approachable middle-aged noblewoman, smiled charmingly, her eyes crinkling.
After a little more business talk, the conversation drifted into small talk.
“But to think you can’t leave the capital without an invitation—things in the capital must be strange these days.”
Baroness Sordan didn’t know about Bufleum.
Linnea deliberately avoided mentioning any of the incidents related to it.
“Things have been a bit unsettled lately.”
“The new Emperor—oh, forgive me, I still think of him as new, though he’s been on the throne for years now.”
“No need to apologize to me.”
“Really? You’re very generous. In any case, I always admired how methodical yet decisive he was, even at such a young age.”
Then the baroness sighed.
“I suppose it’s because I didn’t have many good experiences during the late Emperor’s reign.”
“I see…”
“It was a terrible time. My husband died suddenly, and all I had left was my land. If the hot spring hadn’t appeared, I might have ended up on the streets with my children. Things were so bad that I was even tempted by an offer to sell the land.”
Linnea, half-listening, perked up at that.
“Sell the land?”
“Oh, it was about a year before His Majesty Euricien took the throne. Someone whose identity I couldn’t figure out came and offered to buy it. It was so suspicious—and then the hot spring appeared shortly after, so the matter was dropped.”
Beneath the table, Linnea clenched her fists tight.
