Chapter 9
“That guy is so naive. He thought you were mad because he had fun without you while you were searching for Baron Cobain. If you look closely, people from Lenore aren’t so special after all. So, did you not meet him even after going all the way there? Or did you fail? Either way, ‘I told you so,’ right?”
Benedict Bonnel chuckled, as if he were already the victor, and pulled a grey envelope invitation from his pocket. It was an invitation to a hunting party hosted by the Earl Riederolf family.
Earl Riederolf wasn’t known for strong political leanings but was famous for his numerous charitable activities. Annette R. Bonnel, however, was more interested in the fact that the Earl’s daughter was a sophisticated figure who was a major trendsetter in Lenore fashion, rather than the Earl’s philanthropy.
Annette R. Bonnel retorted without malice:
“You failed with Du Jardin, you failed with Peregrine, and now it’s Earl Riederolf’s turn?”
“Earl Riederolf has enormous connections.”
“How much is he selling those connections for?”
“It’s not like that. He saw me in a good light. He said he wouldn’t actively promote our side, but inviting me to a gathering where the Duke Du Jardin is sure to appear is an easy task for him.”
Benedict Bonnel’s eyes were sparkling like a boy seeking praise.
However, honestly, Annette R. Bonnel felt that the Earl Peregrine, Baron Cobain, and everything else felt utterly unimportant right now. She didn’t mean they were actually unimportant, but that they felt so distant.
Yes, last night she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. This meant she was a witness to the criminal conspiracy of Lionel Yorkshire, the Lion Party’s “prince” who was known as the country’s most eligible bachelor, possessing everything: intelligence, character, and background.
Thinking back, the conversation between Lionel Yorkshire and the man named Viscount Emmet J. Milton was not the simple request for a favor she had initially assumed. It was a common conspiracy. Viscount Emmet J. Milton, the man who made the illegal request, was holding a card and forcing Lionel Yorkshire‘s cooperation, and Lionel Yorkshire was simply feigning kindness to cleverly conceal his difficulty and manipulate the man.
Was my judgment that poor?
She couldn’t believe it. She knew there were no such perfect people in the world! She could only conclude that she had been blinded by that unrealistic chunk above his neck and had made a grave error in judgment.
The moment their eyes met, the moment the hazy cigar smoke dispersed… that instant, when he realized she had overheard the entire criminal conspiracy, was chilling, no matter how many times she replayed it. She was bewildered by how that handsome face could contort like that, and then, how he instantly changed his expression and smiled sweetly, like a Venus flytrap luring a fly.
Overwhelmed by an inexpressible sense of dread and fear, Annette R. Bonnel instinctively fled. She was so flustered that she completely forgot the shoes she had left on the table and ran barefoot.
That’s how she lost her shoes. They were a two-year-old new design from her favorite Schigon brand… she had taken such good care of them…
In any case, to continue the story, Annette R. Bonnel immediately returned to the party hall, and naturally, the rest of the party was perfectly miserable.
First, Gervais and Laetitia were so thoroughly drunk that they didn’t even notice the strangely shrunken Annette R. Bonnel. No, they did notice something strange. From their own self-centered viewpoint, they thought they had grown taller.
‘Hahahaha, Annette R. Bonnel, you’re back? I think I’ve gotten taller. You look smaller. You’re extra cute today. Sorry, I drank a bit with Miss Laetitia while waiting, so I’m a little tipsy.’
He wasn’t just a little tipsy.
To make matters worse, Laetitia, who seemed to have a habit of calling people by their first name when drunk, incessantly called out “Annette R. Bonnel!” drawing everyone’s attention. Annette R. Bonnel tried to leave multiple times, telling her to stop and that she was going home, but Laetitia clung to her skirt, saying things like, “Let’s keep partying,” and “The night is just beginning.”
Annette R. Bonnel was close to losing her mind. In her struggle to separate Gervais and Laetitia, she nearly had her feet stepped on by shoes, tripped over a stone, and it was utter chaos.
If it had ended there, she wouldn’t call it a tragedy.
While being harassed by Gervais and Laetitia, who had become the best of friends, the idiot who shot himself in the leg eventually returned to the party hall.
Only a fool would fail to notice. Sounds of admiration for Lionel Yorkshire could be heard from all directions. Even Gervais started boasting about meeting Lionel Yorkshire like a heroic tale, saying, “Isn’t that man just so cool?” Laetitia, in turn, looked at Gervais with admiration, making it a parade of fools.
The chase between the continuously smiling Lionel Yorkshire, who entertained everyone like the world’s darling, and her, began again then. It would have been better if it was just the over-awareness born from an unabandoned childhood self-centeredness, but sadly, it wasn’t.
Lionel Yorkshire began to move through the women in the hall, naturally striking up conversations.
It’s not a problem for a courteous gentleman to talk to beautiful women, but if most of those women had black hair similar to hers, or wore a dress in a similar color to hers, it was a reasonable suspicion.
Was the saving grace that she had sacrificed her treasured shoes and become noticeably shorter, barely meeting the average height?
And the real problem wasn’t just that man. The idiot who shot himself in the leg was easily noticeable and avoidable, but she couldn’t imagine where the brown-haired man, a clear murderer, might pop out from.
Annette R. Bonnel, with all her senses heightened, would lead Gervais and Laetitia away, using one excuse after another whenever Lionel Yorkshire came close. She finally managed to drag Gervais and Laetitia out of the party hall.
By the time they were waiting for the carriage, Annette R. Bonnel’s feet were a mess from stepping on various unknown things. Gervais, who belatedly realized she was barefoot, mistakenly interpreted her serious expression as “anger.”
‘Uh, uh, Annette R. Bonnel. What’s wrong? Where are your shoes… Are you mad at me?’
Laetitia, who had quickly decided she was her friend, chattered on, as if it were her duty to console her.
‘Ah, Annette R. Bonnel, did something sad happen today? You look very ill. If you told the Cheboteteu staff that your feet were hurt and asked, they would give you medicine…’
She nearly caused an incident. Seriously.
‘It’s fine, I’m going home now.’
As soon as the carriage arrived, Annette R. Bonnel practically fled into it. Gervais became firmly convinced that she was angry because he had enjoyed the party alone without taking care of her. She could have explained out of sheer annoyance, but Annette R. Bonnel couldn’t even recall Baron Cobain‘s name at that point, so she let him go without a word.
When she arrived at the mansion, the maids who saw her barefoot screamed in terror and fussed about her missing shoes, but she simply dismissed them with, “I drank too much.” She then returned to her room, tried to calm her frantic mind and gather her thoughts, but eventually poured herself a real drink—and then collapsed from extreme stress.
Waking up, it felt like a dream, and while she wasn’t as panicked as yesterday, “that incident” still felt unreal and uncomfortable.
She needed to organize her thoughts.
Subject: I witnessed Lionel Yorkshire‘s criminal conspiracy. Is Lionel Yorkshire‘s public image fabricated?
Background: The Duke of Yorkshire family, deeply involved in Beloff’s defense industry and Lenore’s security, is the center of Lenore society, and Lionel Yorkshire is a particularly desirable figure within it.
Reality: At a time when the whole country is buzzing over a single interview statement by Lionel Yorkshire, there must be countless fanatical followers like Laetitia. Would anyone believe her—who hasn’t even settled in Lenore and hasn’t had her social debut—if she said, without any evidence, ‘Sir Lionel Yorkshire is not a good person, he’s a criminal’?
Furthermore, the Bonnells are currently associating with and receiving help from the Platypus Party, not the Lion Party. Although the Yorkshire family, the Lion Party’s leader, would never assist them, drawing too much of their wrath is not a good idea. That was why Benedict Bonnel had strongly urged her not to go to the party.
She had caused a major problem.
Hope: Judging by his actions and reaction, Lionel Yorkshire clearly doesn’t know who she is. It’s unlikely he recognized her.
Misfortune: But he will soon find out. Will he leave her alone after she witnessed his criminal conspiracy?
Conclusion: The situation has become gravely difficult. Should she ask for help? It was impossible to report the Duke of Yorkshire’s eldest son to the police with only the statement ‘I overheard it’ and no evidence.
To discuss this with Riebner or Benedict Bonnel would definitely lead to ‘I told you not to go,’ making her stomach twist. Benedict Bonnel, especially, would likely tell their mother. So, until a solution comes to mind, she should calmly think alone…
Clatter. The sound of a plate lightly hitting the table brought Annette R. Bonnel back to reality. Maeva, carrying a plate of cookies and madeleines, set down another newspaper.
“Eat while you think. The Buchanan Times is late today.”
