Chapter 55
“What did you say? Katrina is putting illegal herbs in His Highness’s perfume?”
Selena was shocked by what Betty had told her.
What horrible thing is Katrina doing now?
And Raymond doesn’t even know this and… likes her?
Selena felt something was terribly wrong.
“Yes, my lady. She asked me directly. And she even gave me a large sum of money!”
Betty pulled out the gold coins she had received, showing them to Selena.
It was certainly a large amount for a maid to be carrying.
‘Oh my god.’
Katrina must be insane!
Selena was horrified by Betty’s words.
“My lady, are you just going to let Lady Katrina be?”
“What?”
“I’m just really worried about you and the Abiche family. If something happens again like last time…”
Selena thought of the Carlo family.
Abiche had suffered humiliation because of their association with them.
‘And that was Katrina’s fault too, wasn’t it?’
After all, Katrina had been engaged to the Carlo family.
“Maybe… expelling Lady Katrina is the only way to save the family, my lady.”
“…But still.”
Selena did want to expel Katrina.
“Katrina has Grandmother’s support.”
“Lady Hildegard?”
“Yes. I heard she made a deal with Grandmother and succeeded. That’s why no one can kick her out anymore.”
The Duke of Abiche had tried to get rid of her through marriage, but after the downfall of the Carlo family, that plan had failed.
“But my lady.”
Just then, Betty cautiously added,
“I heard Young Master Damian once tried to excommunicate Young Master Belek.”
Huh?
“That’s right. Damian once tried to frame my brother.”
“And?”
“But it failed due to a lack of votes…”
Yes, she remembered.
Before Belek had been sent to the monastery, Damian and Berta had often fought over his excommunication.
But Selena hadn’t been too concerned.
Would her brother really get excommunicated?
Just as she had expected, he’d only been sent to a monastery.
“I also heard that all your relatives dislike Lady Katrina.”
“They do. No one likes her.”
“What about you, Lady Selena?”
“Of course, I get along with them. My mother’s been so kind to our relatives.”
“Then can’t they help you?”
At that moment, Selena looked at Betty as if she’d had a revelation.
“Oh my god! Betty, you’re a genius!”
That’s right.
What Betty said was true.
Why send Katrina to a monastery when we can start the process of excommunication? We even have evidence.
“Betty, come with me. Let’s go talk to my mother together.”
Selena immediately went to find Berta.
She wanted to take action herself, but she didn’t have the power.
But her mother was different.
She was close with the relatives. Maybe she could do something.
“Mother, I found a way to get rid of Katrina. Let’s excommunicate her!”
At the word “excommunicate,” Berta’s head throbbed. Unpleasant memories she had tried to forget came rushing back.
“Belek almost got excommunicated the same way!”
As Berta furrowed her brows, Selena flinched.
‘That damned Damian…’
There were twelve people with voting rights.
If all of them agreed, excommunication would be decided.
Even the Duke of Abiche couldn’t interfere once that happened.
When he went after them with everything he had, Berta’s son had almost been excommunicated because all twelve had agreed.
But they got lucky.
One of the voters died unexpectedly, leaving a vacancy.
Berta somehow managed to place her own person in that seat, preventing a unanimous vote.
So Belek was only sent to a monastery.
After learning a harsh lesson, Berta worked relentlessly to fill the family council with her own people.
“Selena, what are you talking about all of a sudden? I’ll take care of Katrina, so—”
“Katrina put something strange in His Highness the Crown Prince’s perfume.”
“What?”
“Betty, tell Mother what Katrina ordered you to do.”
Selena turned to Betty.
“Ma’am, I have something urgent to tell you.”
Betty cautiously spoke up at Selena’s urging.
“I thought it was strange when Lady Katrina gave me this task, so I felt I should tell you.”
“What kind of task?”
Betty entered and explained what had happened.
That Katrina had paid her to carry out a secret task. That it involved illegal herbs.
“The herbs themselves aren’t illegal, but when combined, they become a poison that causes hallucinations.”
“…Is that true?”
“I heard it directly from the merchant when I went to buy them.”
“…”
“It’s a rare herb, so very few people know it becomes poisonous when mixed.”
Katrina used that on the Crown Prince?
That was definitely grounds for excommunication.
“Mother, this is it! Let’s bring it up in the next council meeting!”
Selena spoke excitedly.
This time, Berta agreed.
“I’ll have to talk to Damian.”
Bringing something up at the council meeting was no easy matter.
Most of the voting members were in Damian’s faction.
Berta had spent years trying to win them over, but their alliance was too strong.
Still, Damian disliked Katrina too, so he would probably cooperate.
Berta went straight to Damian.
“Are you busy?”
“What brings you here?”
He was working. Without even looking up, he continued flipping through documents.
Just like his father.
So irritating.
“If you’re busy, just listen.”
Berta explained the situation.
That Katrina had ordered someone to buy illegal herbs.
“I’ll bring it up first, so I just need you to vote.”
“…”
“We agree on something for once, don’t we?”
“…”
“The family is in chaos. Wouldn’t it be better to expel Katrina and end the uproar?”
Damian silently listened to Berta and then put down the papers.
His blue eyes darkened.
So you’re really going to stir things up again, huh?
“Understood.”
He had already warned Katrina.
She would bear the consequences herself.
“But let’s avoid touching the Imperial Family directly. We’ll raise the issue under the grounds of illegal herbs.”
Berta and Damian reached a smooth agreement.
Rumors spread.
“I heard Katrina Abiche caused another problem?”
“They say…”
The rumors swept through the Abiche duchy.
“Katrina Abiche! Are the rumors true?!”
The Duke of Abiche immediately summoned Katrina.
“Rumors?”
“That you bought illegal herbs!”
The duke shouted in anger.
But Katrina blinked innocently.
“No way, Father.”
“Are you saying it’s not true?”
“It’s really not!”
She shouted as if wrongly accused. Though the duke was suspicious, he nodded for now.
The truth didn’t matter at the moment.
Stopping the rumors was more important.
“If I hear someone spreading that nonsense again, I won’t let it go!”
He roared a fierce warning.
But even walls have ears.
Words always find a way out.
Eventually, the rumors leaked beyond the Abiche estate, reaching the retainers of the Biche duchy.
“That crazy woman’s at it again, huh.”
“She should’ve kept her head down when the duke gave her a chance…”
Everyone clicked their tongues.
And then…
“Don’t worry, Lady Berta.”
Viscount Hoar let out a hearty laugh.
“I’ve told all the retainers, just as you said.”
He had heard of the troubling rumors spreading inside the Abiche household.
Once the retainers caught wind, the gossip spread even faster.
“As you asked, I will bring up Katrina Abiche’s excommunication at the Elder Council.”
“Thank you, Viscount Hoar.”
“Not at all. Just keep your end of the deal.”
“Of course.”
Just when everyone’s resentment toward Katrina was reignited…
The day of the Elder Council arrived.
And Katrina…
Smiled.
Everything was going just as she had planned.
