Meanwhile, the Duke of Linchester received reports that the assassins he had sent to Bridget had not returned.
'As expected, it looks like he's attached a shadow knight to that woman.'
It was confirmed that Bridget was Julian's weakness.
The Duke snorted.
Love. It was so pathetic and funny.
'He's putting a shadow knight who risks his life on a woman.'
According to Queen Beatrice's records, doing so was quite a life-consuming undertaking.
There was no way Julian didn't feel it.
It meant that there was a person he wanted to protect even if it meant dying.
'Young fool. Young people risk their lives on foolish things.'
Only one Shadow Knight can be attached to another person at a time.
And the Shadow Knight can only target one target at a time.
Queen Beatrice clearly recorded the limits of the curse to reduce the damage to the people when her successors lost their minds and ran wild.
The Duke of Linchester intended to exploit this to his own advantage.
'If the world sees that bastard Julian having a seizure, everyone will know for sure that he's going to die soon.'
The Duke wanted to clearly show the nobles who had gone over to King Julian's power that their choice was wrong.
At that moment the butler came into the study.
"Miss Penelope Hudson has arrived."
"She's persistent."
The Duke of Linchester chuckled.
Penelope had been begging her nanny to let her meet the Duke in person ever since Bridget had visited Winston Manor.
She had been so persistent in persuading the nanny that she had to plead with the Duke through a messenger that she could no longer endure it.
It wasn't bad. It meant that Penelope had a deep grudge against Brigitte.
The Duke of Linchester felt it necessary to see Penelope in person and had her brought to his home.
"Tell her to come In."
Soon a gorgeous beauty came in behind the butler.
Her appearance was acceptable, but her clothes were out of style and her accessories were worthless.
He could tell at a glance that she was being treated poorly at Winston Mansion.
"Well, I greet you, Your Excellency."
Penelope made a gesture of greeting.
The Duke of Linchester read in Penelope's actions the signs of poor education.
He already knew that Count Hudson was a fake, Imitating a foreign nobleman.
He had hoped that his daughter would marry into the Count of Bellingham's family and become a true Countess, but instead, she foolishly became the concubine of Viscount Winston and was driven out of the Bellingham family.
The Duke of Linchester found Penelope cornered at the edge of a cliff.
'One, will is more important than circumstances.'
The Duke smiled kindly and offered Penelope a seat.
"Why did you want to see me so urgently? Oh, you're shaking."
The Duke of Linchester told his butler to prepare tea and refreshments.
Penelope soon found herself holding a cup of warm tea, and the warmth of the tea and the warm expression on the Duke of Linchester's face allowed her to relax.
'I thought you were a scary person.'
He was a man at the pinnacle of power.
She expected him to be a bit colder and sharper, but the Duke of Linchester had a warmer vibe than she expected.
He said he knew how vicious Bridget was and sent a nanny to her.
He conveyed his intention to join hands with Penelope to avenge the Countess of Highbury, who had suffered a miscarriage because of Bridget.
He proved that if Penelope helped him, he could help her too by giving her a healthy baby boy.
"Now, speak comfortably."
"That is..."
Penelope suddenly burst into tears.
"I want revenge on Bridget. Only the Duke and I know what a wicked bitch she is!"
"Hmm..."
"As you know. I even gave birth prematurely because of Bridget! People admire her and praise her abilities, but no one knows that it's not like that in reality!"
"I would like to reveal that too, but I lack evidence and witnesses. That's why I asked you to wait."
"I can't wait!"
Penelope cried out desperately.
"As I told you through the nanny, I think Bridget has figured out everything. Soon Isaac will find out that I switched babies!"
The Duke of Linchester listened to Penelope's story with Interest.
'You already figured it out? That's pretty meticulous. It means you've been watching this woman and are trying to find the right person to pounce on.'
It doesn't take a lot of people to swap babies.
Bridget identified a small group of people and found someone among them who she could confidently target.
It may seem simple, but it wouldn't have been easy to do that from the outside.
'You must have a good imagination and a meticulous personality. Are you good at foresight?'
He had noticed that Bridget had great influence on the tectonic shifts in the palace, but he had a feeling that she might be a better strategist than he had thought.
'She's not your average girl with a little luck.'
It was surprising. He heard that she had been taught basic manners by an etiquette teacher when she was young.
"If Lady Winston really knew that, why didn't she tell her husband? There was no need for her to waste time."
"He said he was giving me a chance."
"Chance?"
It was ridiculous. It was a chance for the concubine who stole her husband.
Penelope pleaded with tears.
"Bridget was the one who pushed me to the edge of the cliff to do this. And now she's telling me to jump into the abyss by offering me a chance! This is all her trickery! Ugh!"
"Oh my..."
The Duke of Linchester consoled Penelope with a pitiful frown.
As he listened to Penelope's rebuttal, accusing Bridget together, Penelope became more and more convinced that even in the eyes of such a great person, he felt sorry for herself and that Bridget seemed so poisonous, and her malice hardened.
'Not bad for a discard card."
Penelope's background, temperament, and determination are all excellent. The Duke of Linchester nodded.
"I also want to avenge my daughter and grandson. If Miss Penelope will come forward, I will help you in every way possible. I have a plan. Would you like to hear it?"
"Yes, if only I could get revenge, I would be ready to risk everything and destroy Bridget."
The shadow of the Duke of Linchesrer was smiling.
***
Bridget heard that Julian had called a council of state.
Although the State Council had been held regularly under the auspices of Chancellor Langston, this was the first time Julian had convened one.
'You're trying to catch the Duke of Linchester, right?"
Bridget hoped Julian would not forget the Duke of Linchester.
So he brought attention back to the Duke of Linchester, who had been obsessed with death and had lost interest in it and was becoming bait for assassins.
Josephine's maternal home, Linchester, was one with her.
When Julian decided to kill Josephine, he should have killed the Duke of Linchester as well.
If he had any interest in politics whatsoever, this is something he should have done a long time ago.
But Julian did not and even Chancellor Langston, who had as much power as he wanted, did not persuade him.
The two settled down like that.
Now, Julian's power is there to maintain his throne, but his power is not perfect. It was a time bomb.
No matter how powerful the Shadow Curse is, that doesn't mean Julian has no weaknesses. He's human, after all.
The moment Julian let his guard down, the Duke of Linchester would take control of everything again.
Bridget did not want to imagine Julian dying a shameful and cruel death at the hands of the Duke of Linchester.
'Chancellor Langston won't do. We need someone who can truly empower Julian.'
Bridget didn't particularly trust Chancellor Langston.
There was one man who would have been of great help if he had known that Julian was determined to destroy the Duke of Linchester.
A name that Millea used to say in her past life, regretting not having embraced sooner.
Duke Elias.
'I guess I'll have to stick with him.'
As Bridget was walking, lost in thought, she suddenly heard a shout.
“Haat!”
"Try to relax your shoulders a little more."
“Eurayat!”
Leticia was taking swordsmanship lessons in the empty lot near the settlement.
Bridget was here to tell Leticia something.
In her pocket was a handkerchief covering the assassin's mask.
Leticia's sword master, who had discovered Bridget, stopped what he was doing and greeted her politely.
"Meet Lady Winston."
He was a young man of handsome appearance.
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