TVDWD 51

Chapter 51

Before she realized it, men on horseback had already entered the arena.

There wasn’t much time left.

As Simon leaned his chin on his hand beside Monica, narrowing his eyes while waiting for her answer, she finally responded.

“What does it matter, Simon? Anyway, didn’t you say you meet with Madam Irez from time to time?”

“Me?”

“Yes. You said so before.”

“Oh, did I? I might have met her once or twice over tea. You know me—I meet anyone who shows interest in investment opportunities.”

“Is Madam Irez attending today’s event too?”

Monica casually asked about Madam Irez’s attendance, keeping her tone as natural as possible.

Based on what she had observed of Madam Irez’s recent social activities, the woman frequently held tea times with noblemen under the pretense of seeking sponsorships, likely to keep her romantic relationship with Marquis Andre hidden from the Empress.

Monica concluded that these actions were probably orchestrated behind the scenes by Marquis Andre himself.

Though there were rumors in society that Madam Irez was secretly wealthy, all signs suggested otherwise. It was doubtful she had enough money to truly invest in businesses.

After her husband’s death in an accident, Madam Irez had to hand over all her wealth and title to his younger brother. That’s why she was now addressed merely as “Madam Irez” instead of “Countess Irez”—a detail that reinforced Monica’s suspicions.

At some point, Madam Irez began claiming that she had inherited a personal fortune from her husband and feigned interest in business ventures.

All of it—clearly orchestrated by Marquis Andre so he could continue meeting with his lover without the Empress finding out.

After briefly recalling all this, Simon answered Monica’s question.

“She said she’d be a bit late but would attend. She wanted to hear about the new business I’m planning.”

Monica lifted her gaze and looked toward the Emperor, Empress, and Imperial Consort seated not far away. Right at that moment, Marquis Andre was bowing before them in greeting.

There was no more time to stall. Monica tilted her head back slightly and pressed a hand to her forehead.

“Ow, my head… I have such a terrible headache.”

“Duchess! You’ve been saying your head hurts all day—are you still unwell?”

Gonzales immediately stood up and hurried to her side, taking her hand.

“Monica? Are you okay? Should I call a healing mage? Wait… don’t tell me… are the rumors true?”

As Monica cast a sidelong glance at Simon, who was now rambling nonsense, she asked,

“What rumors?”

“That Duke Orsé is keeping you imprisoned, saying he’ll never let you go, and assigning guards to watch you all day! Is that why you couldn’t respond to my invitation? That’s it, isn’t it?”

Monica’s face contorted in irritation, and she pushed Simon away with one hand as he tried to get closer.

“You’re making my headache worse.”

“Duchess, shouldn’t you go somewhere and rest? You’ve been suffering since this morning…”

Seizing the moment, Simon chimed in again.

“Let’s go to the lounge, Monica! I’ll take care of you there. I’ll even call a healing mage, so don’t worry and come with me, okay?”

Ignoring Simon’s persistent interruptions, Monica turned to Lady Gonzales and said,

“Lady Gonzales, His Highness the Crown Prince has gifted me a private room. Would you be so kind as to help me there?”

At the mention of a room gifted by the Crown Prince, even Simon fell silent.

He couldn’t pretend not to know. Only a few weeks ago, he had witnessed Monica and the Crown Prince bickering right in his social club.

Quick to change his tone, Simon tried to placate her.

“Right, the Crown Prince definitely still has feelings for you, doesn’t he? You feel the same, right? Go and get some rest over there.”

Simon, calculating that any connection between Monica and the Crown Prince might benefit him, urged her to go without further argument.

Meanwhile, Gonzales helped Monica to her feet, and the two of them exited the arena.

Passing through the expansive royal gardens, Monica and Lady Gonzales arrived at the Crown Prince’s palace. Most of the attendants and maids had left to watch the polo match.

Holding her hat in one hand, Monica made sure the remaining servants clearly saw her face.

Several attendants, stationed at the Crown Prince’s palace, appeared to recognize her and bowed in greeting.

Once inside the room, Monica and Lady Gonzales immediately began searching for the clothes Princess Taylor had prepared.

“Have you found them?”

“Duchess, over here!”

Lady Gonzales crouched and pulled out a plain, dark-colored dress and apron from a corner under the bed.

“Ah!”

Monica hurried over, reached out, and took the clothes from her.

Moments later, she stood before Lady Gonzales dressed as a humble servant of the royal household.

As if she had been waiting for this moment, Lady Gonzales placed a necklace with a black bead around Monica’s neck and advised,

“Check the mirror before you go. As long as you’re wearing this necklace, your eyes and hair will remain black for the entire day.”

Monica rushed to the mirror. Seeing her reflection, so familiar yet unfamiliar, she let out a small gasp.

“Oh my! It really changed.”

“Now no one will recognize you. Feels strange, doesn’t it?”

“A little.”

“The merchant leader said that once you exit the palace, a servant will be waiting at the eastern garden entrance. He’ll have white hair and black eyes. He’ll guide you through a shortcut.”

Monica nodded firmly, indicating she understood.

“Lady Gonzales, just so you know—you can relax. This is the Crown Prince’s palace. No other noble is allowed to enter carelessly. If any servant comes to check on me, just say I’m asleep.”

“…But Duchess, what if you don’t return within an hour? What should I do then?”

“If that happens, put on my hat, cover your face as much as you can, and return to the duchy. Our hair colors are the same, so if you keep your head down, no one will notice.”

Lady Gonzales widened her eyes, confirming what she had heard.

“A-Are you saying I should go back alone?”

“That’s right.”

“But Duchess, as I mentioned before, that necklace only works for one day. If only I return to the duchy, you’ll have no one to help you later.”

“Even so, no one can find out I disappeared. Especially not the Crown Prince. So don’t worry—just do as I say.”

Monica toyed with the notebook and pen hidden in her skirt pocket as she continued.

“Again, what I’m doing isn’t dangerous. So don’t worry, Lady Gonzales.”

“Then I’ll wait for you, Duchess.”

With a slight bow, Lady Gonzales stepped back, and Monica carefully opened the door and headed toward the eastern garden.

Perhaps due to the polo match, the Crown Prince’s palace—and the surrounding areas—were mostly deserted. She reached her destination quickly.

“Over here!”

From the shadows, a white-haired servant waved her over, confirming her black hair and eyes.

Monica spotted him and headed in his direction. The servant immediately turned and began walking away.

“Are you the one who’s helping me?”

Monica called out urgently. The servant gave a slight nod—so slight, it was barely noticeable.

When she hesitated, he turned his head just enough to signal her to follow.

Eventually, the servant turned left off the garden path and headed toward a storage area. He moved so quickly, she had no time to look around.

Her breath grew heavier as she struggled to keep up. Then the servant finally spoke.

“Beyond the storage area, you’ll see an outdoor kitchen supplying food to the arena. Past that, you’ll reach the waiting area for the nobles’ carriages.”

With those words, the servant turned away and gradually disappeared from sight.

Monica steadied her breath and reminded herself of what he’d said. She had only an hour to finish everything. She headed toward the storage building.

Servants bustled around carrying food, and Monica blended in with the crowd without issue. She passed the storage and got closer to the arena.

‘Wow.’

An outdoor kitchen beneath a blue canopy came into view. It was huge—big enough to hold at least a hundred adults—and open on all sides.

Inside, several long wooden tables stretched from end to end.

Chefs and laborers were chopping meat and vegetables on one side, while well-dressed attendants prepared to serve the dishes on the other.

She paused briefly, and it hit her—her heart wasn’t pounding from the walk. It was the fear of being caught.

‘I need to act just like the other mixed-blood demon workers.’

Keeping her head down, Monica glanced around.

Then she realized a serious issue she hadn’t anticipated.

‘I can’t check their eye color.’

Her gaze dropped to the worn-out clothes she was wearing. She scanned her surroundings, looking for others dressed similarly.

Not far away, she saw workers with their heads down, moving briskly.

Instinct told her she needed to mimic them as closely as possible.

She lowered her head further and naturally slipped into the crowd of laborers.

‘No one will notice me like this, right?’

By sheer luck, she managed to blend in seamlessly and walked past the canopy, making her way to the carriage waiting area.

“Whew.”

She let out a small sigh of relief.

Now all she had to do was wait for Madam Irez’s carriage to arrive—she was expected to be late to the polo match.

Just as she allowed herself a brief moment of relief…

Monica noticed that Madam Irez’s carriage had already arrived.

And once again, her heart began to pound wildly out of rhythm.