The first thing he did was to reestablish the bank using Mondre as a platform. Since the value of money had already completely collapsed, the bank had no debts even after throwing away all that money. Moreover, not only Landhill but also the surrounding territories were now using Mondre’s bank notes as currency.
While he was sorting things out, he sent people to the capital.
After searching here and there, he received news that Ines was doing very well at a luxury hotel in the capital just three days ago. He immediately sent people again to bring Ines back, but they probably hadn’t set foot in the capital yet.
A few days after he and his wife had been at peace, a messenger arrived from the imperial palace.
He knew that the new Emperor was particularly fond of Ines, but the capital and the imperial palace were in complete chaos right now.
He couldn’t believe that the lord would take care of his own daughter in this situation.
“What are you saying? Are you saying that we tried to force her into marriage and that she ran away to the capital?”
“Keep your voice down, my dear.”
The royal messenger had been ordered to receive a reply today. It was natural for noble families to treat royal messengers. That was why he was still in the reception room. It was adjacent to the reception room that had been converted into a restaurant where the couple lived.
“That’s what I told you. I told you that you should have another child.”
“That’s because you’re weak, no, but why are you talking about that now?”
Elena shook her head and buried her face in her hands.
“If Ines had a strong younger brother at a time like this, I would have sent him up to Ines’ side.”
“My dear...”
“What are we really going to do now?”
“Elena.”
When her husband called her name quietly, she lifted her head. She answered neatly, her complaint from a moment ago seeming meaningless.
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Think carefully. When in our lives have we ever won against that kid?”
Elena nodded at her husband’s words.
“I told her not to go, but what can we do when we’re already on the thorny path?”
“...”
“We’re not in a position to cut off the thorns ahead, so we should watch from behind.”
“That’s right.”
“If she gets hurt and falls, we’ll have work to do then. So let’s stand firm here. So that she can trust us and fall to us at any time.”
Elena got up and walked to Andrew. Then she hugged him. Even though she spoke firmly, she knew how much her husband’s heart was in a mess right now.
He was a man who would lose his appetite if he got a single cut on Ines’ finger. He was a man who scolded Ines for falling down the stairs while playing and couldn’t sleep well at night.
“You’re right.”
So now was the time for Elena to become stronger. It was time for her husband to lean on a big tree so that he wouldn’t collapse from exhaustion.
“Let’s tell him honestly how we feel. He’s not someone who wouldn’t understand that. My lord.”
“Yes, since the lord is so firm, let us leave our daughter to him.”
The two, who had told the messenger to wait a moment, sat together and pondered the letter to Carson. They had no idea what effect the letter would have on Carson.
Carson’s hand trembled slightly as he held the letter from Swenden.
“What on earth does this mean?”
He had never lost his composure even while handling countless tasks. But now he had completely lost his reason.
“Ines is gone? How can that be? You said she was quietly in the manor until recently.”
Noah could not answer.
They both knew that Ines had been the one who had captured Count Grandel and brought him up to the capital.
How could she not be in Landhill? The messenger who had brought the news looked around, not knowing what to do.
Carson clutched his head and turned to the window to catch his breath.
Noah couldn't even pick up the letter that Carson had put down and just lowered his eyes to read it.
Andrew's letter wasn't long. But it had everything it needed to say.
Andrew said that he had opposed Ines going to the lord who would become the Emperor. That was why Ines had suddenly left home, leaving behind only a letter.
He ended the letter by saying that he had recently found out that she was staying at the Hotel de Setteville in the capital.
"I will send someone to Setteville."
Carson didn't answer, but Noah quickly gave detailed orders to the knight who was standing by. At that moment, Carson suddenly turned around.
“Have you heard or learned anything?”
The messenger, suddenly asked, couldn’t speak and just bit his lips.
“I...”
When he hesitated and started talking, Carson couldn’t hold back and urged him on.
“Tell me quickly!”
“Actually, I overheard the conversation between the Swendens. It seems that the Viscount was trying to marry Lady Swenden.”
“What?”
“That’s why she ran away to the capital.”
“Damn it!”
No matter how hectic the situation was, he should have taken care of her first. He should have brought the Emperor, Louis, and Ines by his side. It was a mistake to think that a woman who didn’t know where to turn would be waiting for him quietly.
Carson picked up the outer garment that had been hanging on the chair.
“What are you doing?”
“I’ll go myself.”
But Noah stopped him.
“The political situation is not yet stable. The Empress’s power hasn’t been completely ousted either. Do you think you’ll be in trouble at a time like this and leave the palace?”
As Noah said, the Empress’s power was not easily eliminated. Since she had been regent for such a long time, there was no place where her power did not reach. And most of them took a hard line against Carson.
“Get out of the way.”
But Carson was stubborn.
“Setteville is not far from the palace. And it’s a top-class hotel. She’ll be safe. So just stay. I’ll go and get her.”
“Do you think you’ll be safe?”
“Yes?”
“You’re my right-hand man. You’re just as dangerous as I am. If you’re really worried, follow me.”
While Carson was momentarily dazed by the word right-hand man, he easily pushed Noah aside and went outside. Noah had to move faster than his lord, who still seemed to be the lord of the territory and was trying to come and go freely in the castle.
However, Ines was not at the hotel he hurried to find.
The hotel staff explained that she had packed up and left just yesterday.
The hotel owner brought the maid who had been serving Ines to Carson. But she didn’t know either.
“What did Lady Swenden do here?”
The maid trembled and barely managed to answer Noah’s question.
“She went to the dressing room every day. She would spend the whole day there looking around or talking to people, and then she would return to the hotel.”
“Which dressing room?”
“She didn’t just go to one, but she was usually in the most famous place on the island.”
Carson immediately checked the location of the dressing room and sent someone.
“Was there anything else? Like going to another hotel or to an acquaintance’s house?”
“She didn’t really talk to me. However... She sighed and said that it seemed like she had sent someone from her hometown.”
“When was that?”
“It was more than a week ago.”
Carson, unable to find out anymore, returned straight to the palace. And soon, he ordered knights to be sent throughout the island to search for Ines.
Ines had clearly come here to find him.
Where on earth had she disappeared to?
Several days passed by, and there was no significant progress in finding Ines.
Carson could only wonder if the woman he had seen in Jacohena Square that day was really Ines. As time passed, his mind grew more impatient, but he tried to regain his composure.
All he could do was recall their last conversation in Monstera.
“I will come to you soon. Wherever you are, my lord.”
She promised, her smile fading as if it would disappear at any moment. And hadn’t he responded? That he would wait quietly.
Whenever his heart folded in half and collapsed, leaving nothing behind, Carson thought back to that day.
Ines entered the palace faster than she had expected.
As planned, Ines, who had become Casey’s maid, was allowed to stay in the Crown Princess’s Palace.
Naturally, not only the other maids but also the court ladies who worked in the Crown Princess’ Palace made fun of the two. The situation in the palace was worse than what he had seen in the dressing room.
Ines was forced to share a room with the secretary maid of the Crown Princess Palace. Since the palace was empty and had no master, Ines didn’t have much to do.
However, Ines and Casey were both anxious. There was no telling when Casey would be kicked out of the palace. If Ines didn’t become a maid, she had to leave the palace along with Casey when she left.
The secretary maid who shared a room with Ines was a woman who had turned 18 this year. She was much taller than average and was also quite large. And she didn’t talk much, so Ines didn’t feel uncomfortable being around her.
Unlike the closest maids, the secretary maid didn’t have to worry about being kicked out of the palace. They worked around the palace in the castle once every year or two.
“Heidi, are you leaving at this hour again?”
Ines’s roommate would always run errands for the secretary maid after dinner. This was her routine every single day since Ines had entered the palace.
“I’ll be back late tonight, so don’t worry about it and go to sleep.”
The two of them were staying in a two-story building attached to the Crown Princess’ Palace, where the maids in charge of washing and dressing the royal family also stayed. Like Casey, they were also the first to be kicked out. The longer the maids were in the same space as the Crown Princess, the more likely they were to be pushed out.
“Yes. Have a nice trip.”
Elena nodded at her husband’s words.
“I told her not to go, but what can we do when we’re already on the thorny path?”
“...”
“We’re not in a position to cut off the thorns ahead, so we should watch from behind.”
“That’s right.”
“If she gets hurt and falls, we’ll have work to do then. So let’s stand firm here. So that she can trust us and fall to us at any time.”
Elena got up and walked to Andrew. Then she hugged him. Even though she spoke firmly, she knew how much her husband’s heart was in a mess right now.
He was a man who would lose his appetite if he got a single cut on Ines’ finger. He was a man who scolded Ines for falling down the stairs while playing and couldn’t sleep well at night.
“You’re right.”
So now was the time for Elena to become stronger. It was time for her husband to lean on a big tree so that he wouldn’t collapse from exhaustion.
“Let’s tell him honestly how we feel. He’s not someone who wouldn’t understand that. My lord.”
“Yes, since the lord is so firm, let us leave our daughter to him.”
The two, who had told the messenger to wait a moment, sat together and pondered the letter to Carson. They had no idea what effect the letter would have on Carson.
***
Carson’s hand trembled slightly as he held the letter from Swenden.
“What on earth does this mean?”
He had never lost his composure even while handling countless tasks. But now he had completely lost his reason.
“Ines is gone? How can that be? You said she was quietly in the manor until recently.”
Noah could not answer.
They both knew that Ines had been the one who had captured Count Grandel and brought him up to the capital.
How could she not be in Landhill? The messenger who had brought the news looked around, not knowing what to do.
Carson clutched his head and turned to the window to catch his breath.
Noah couldn't even pick up the letter that Carson had put down and just lowered his eyes to read it.
Andrew's letter wasn't long. But it had everything it needed to say.
Andrew said that he had opposed Ines going to the lord who would become the Emperor. That was why Ines had suddenly left home, leaving behind only a letter.
He ended the letter by saying that he had recently found out that she was staying at the Hotel de Setteville in the capital.
"I will send someone to Setteville."
Carson didn't answer, but Noah quickly gave detailed orders to the knight who was standing by. At that moment, Carson suddenly turned around.
“Have you heard or learned anything?”
The messenger, suddenly asked, couldn’t speak and just bit his lips.
“I...”
When he hesitated and started talking, Carson couldn’t hold back and urged him on.
“Tell me quickly!”
“Actually, I overheard the conversation between the Swendens. It seems that the Viscount was trying to marry Lady Swenden.”
“What?”
“That’s why she ran away to the capital.”
“Damn it!”
No matter how hectic the situation was, he should have taken care of her first. He should have brought the Emperor, Louis, and Ines by his side. It was a mistake to think that a woman who didn’t know where to turn would be waiting for him quietly.
Carson picked up the outer garment that had been hanging on the chair.
“What are you doing?”
“I’ll go myself.”
But Noah stopped him.
“The political situation is not yet stable. The Empress’s power hasn’t been completely ousted either. Do you think you’ll be in trouble at a time like this and leave the palace?”
As Noah said, the Empress’s power was not easily eliminated. Since she had been regent for such a long time, there was no place where her power did not reach. And most of them took a hard line against Carson.
“Get out of the way.”
But Carson was stubborn.
“Setteville is not far from the palace. And it’s a top-class hotel. She’ll be safe. So just stay. I’ll go and get her.”
“Do you think you’ll be safe?”
“Yes?”
“You’re my right-hand man. You’re just as dangerous as I am. If you’re really worried, follow me.”
While Carson was momentarily dazed by the word right-hand man, he easily pushed Noah aside and went outside. Noah had to move faster than his lord, who still seemed to be the lord of the territory and was trying to come and go freely in the castle.
However, Ines was not at the hotel he hurried to find.
The hotel staff explained that she had packed up and left just yesterday.
The hotel owner brought the maid who had been serving Ines to Carson. But she didn’t know either.
“What did Lady Swenden do here?”
The maid trembled and barely managed to answer Noah’s question.
“She went to the dressing room every day. She would spend the whole day there looking around or talking to people, and then she would return to the hotel.”
“Which dressing room?”
“She didn’t just go to one, but she was usually in the most famous place on the island.”
Carson immediately checked the location of the dressing room and sent someone.
“Was there anything else? Like going to another hotel or to an acquaintance’s house?”
“She didn’t really talk to me. However... She sighed and said that it seemed like she had sent someone from her hometown.”
“When was that?”
“It was more than a week ago.”
Carson, unable to find out anymore, returned straight to the palace. And soon, he ordered knights to be sent throughout the island to search for Ines.
Ines had clearly come here to find him.
Where on earth had she disappeared to?
Several days passed by, and there was no significant progress in finding Ines.
Carson could only wonder if the woman he had seen in Jacohena Square that day was really Ines. As time passed, his mind grew more impatient, but he tried to regain his composure.
All he could do was recall their last conversation in Monstera.
“I will come to you soon. Wherever you are, my lord.”
She promised, her smile fading as if it would disappear at any moment. And hadn’t he responded? That he would wait quietly.
Whenever his heart folded in half and collapsed, leaving nothing behind, Carson thought back to that day.
***
Ines entered the palace faster than she had expected.
As planned, Ines, who had become Casey’s maid, was allowed to stay in the Crown Princess’s Palace.
Naturally, not only the other maids but also the court ladies who worked in the Crown Princess’ Palace made fun of the two. The situation in the palace was worse than what he had seen in the dressing room.
Ines was forced to share a room with the secretary maid of the Crown Princess Palace. Since the palace was empty and had no master, Ines didn’t have much to do.
However, Ines and Casey were both anxious. There was no telling when Casey would be kicked out of the palace. If Ines didn’t become a maid, she had to leave the palace along with Casey when she left.
The secretary maid who shared a room with Ines was a woman who had turned 18 this year. She was much taller than average and was also quite large. And she didn’t talk much, so Ines didn’t feel uncomfortable being around her.
Unlike the closest maids, the secretary maid didn’t have to worry about being kicked out of the palace. They worked around the palace in the castle once every year or two.
“Heidi, are you leaving at this hour again?”
Ines’s roommate would always run errands for the secretary maid after dinner. This was her routine every single day since Ines had entered the palace.
“I’ll be back late tonight, so don’t worry about it and go to sleep.”
The two of them were staying in a two-story building attached to the Crown Princess’ Palace, where the maids in charge of washing and dressing the royal family also stayed. Like Casey, they were also the first to be kicked out. The longer the maids were in the same space as the Crown Princess, the more likely they were to be pushed out.
“Yes. Have a nice trip.”
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