044. Bait
Two days later, Kaitlyn arrived at the Etna Palace, which was described as "as beautiful as heaven." Queen Yvonne welcomed Kaitlyn under the shade of a large zelkova tree.
“Oh my goodness, Your Highness. How can you have become so much more beautiful? Five years have passed by insignificantly.”
“You are blooming like a camellia. Late blooming flowers are the most beautiful.”
“You flatter me.”
The two women embraced each other gently, each hiding their sharp claws.
“How is Lord Mayer?”
Kaitlyn's face darkened. It was a reaction that even she couldn't tell if it was true or not.
“What can I do? It is fate. I have no choice but to gladly accept God’s providence.”
The Queen patted the back of Kaitlyn's hand and led her straight to the audience room.
The conversation began with the kind of conversation any noble lady would have at teatime, starting with a discussion about the weather, social gossip, healthy foods, and even tips on finding a handy servant.
Yvonne, who had been taking her time, noticed Kaitlyn glancing at her watch for a while and snickered to herself. She moistened her lips with her tongue and slowly opened her mouth.
“There is no other reason why I suddenly invited you. You must know that your son, Prince Meyer, is negotiating with His Majesty about this matter. Yesterday, His Majesty finally made a decision.”
For a moment, Kaitlyn felt her heart pounding.
No way...
“I approve the breakup. I will call the administrator and initiate the process of notarizing the cancellation of the letter. Of course, under your supervision.”
Kaitlyn looked at the Queen with wide eyes. Yvonne smiled gently and grabbed Kaitlyn's hand.
“Your son is a master of negotiation, as they say. To be honest, I wished His Majesty had acquired the entire mine, but I had no choice but to yield on the profit distribution line.”
“Oh my god... Your Majesty...!”
Kaitlyn couldn't keep her mouth shut. It was probably because she had been suspicious of the successor's true intentions until just now.
The son kept his promise.
The engagement was really broken off.
At least on that issue, he didn't betray her.
Kaitlyn was overcome with relief that bordered on shock.
“There have been many unfortunate events in our royal family, but I hope that this incident will relieve some of the pent-up resentment. There’s a saying that yesterday’s enemy is tomorrow’s comrade, isn’t there?”
“I can’t believe that something this happy can happen... I just can’t believe it...”
Yvonne and Kaitlyn smiled and held hands.
“Well then, shall we move to the conference room? His Majesty is waiting.”
As she walked alongside the Queen, Kaitlyn slowly regained her composure.
As much as she was happy that the engagement had finally been broken off, she was also filled with a great sense of guilt. She was reproaching herself for having had such absurd suspicions.
Excessive distrust is worse than being deceived. Not trusting anyone isolates oneself and ultimately leads to destruction.
At least for now, she should not be jealous or suspicious of the successors. It is time to be wary of Hannes Leichnen and William Richard, whom she has trusted and relied on so much.
The next day, King Joseph summoned the heir of the Meyer family to a small mountain lodge next to the waterfalls of Tissot.
“Mrs. Meyer was so excited she couldn’t contain herself. You should have seen it.”
Joseph chuckled and poured alcohol into the empty glass. The glasses clinked, and laughter spread.
“Anyway, that ridiculous ‘cheating fiancee’ operation will naturally come to nothing.”
Joseph, who had been whining, suddenly became serious.
“No, if it were your mother, she would push ahead with the plan. Public opinion wouldn’t die down in an instant just because I allowed the breakup. So she would want to completely nip any threatening rumors in the bud. Don’t you think so?”
“Yes, I’m sure it will.”
“So what are you going to do? Are you going to cancel the ball?”
“No. I will proceed as scheduled and attend as scheduled.”
His eyes, as thin as thread, looked at Hardius as if searching him.
Of course, the King could not read anything. It was nearly impossible to penetrate the expressionless shell.
“Actually, from my perspective, it’s not so bad that a scandal broke out. There’s no good reason to persuade the council to allow the breakup. So wouldn’t it be better to just leave it alone?”
“No. We cannot allow the Meyer family to be embroiled in scandal.”
Joseph glanced at him, brushing his beard away.
“Then what are you going to do?”
“It is Your Majesty the King’s turn to speak.”
"...huh?"
“Didn’t Your Majesty promise at the last breakfast meeting that from now on, you would protect that child completely?”
Two days later, Kaitlyn Meyer met Queen Yvonne again.
Even if she were the Queen, it was rude to order the mistress of the Duke's house to come and go as she pleased.
But Kaitlyn was more than happy to oblige. The fact that the engagement had been broken off made her infinitely more forgiving.
“I know it’s rude, but I asked you to come here again so suddenly. It’s such an urgent and important matter.”
Unlike two days ago, Kaitlyn's smile also quickly faded in front of the Queen's stiff face.
“...Please speak, Your Majesty.”
“Have you heard the rumors surrounding your family’s fiancée?”
Kaitlyn felt dazed for a moment when the unexpected name suddenly came out.
“The rumors surrounding that child... are as lush as a summer forest.”
“Well, this one is a little worrying. I’m almost worried that I might have to step down from the royal family.”
Kaitlyn was overcome with an ominous feeling before the Queen's serious gaze.
“I heard that His Majesty heard a very strange story in the parliament some time ago.”
“What a strange story?”
“You’re plotting something ugly against that poor child, aren’t you? You’re planning to spread rumors that she’s been flirting with another man.”
Her heart sank. Kaitlyn tried to look calm and faced the Queen.
“Your Majesty... Please be precise. Am I plotting something? How could that be...”
“Calm down. I don’t believe that. Prince Hardius received permission from His Majesty the King to break off the engagement, so why on earth would you do such a thing? I think someone is trying to frame you.”
"Oh my god!"
Kaitlyn covered her mouth with her hand and tried her best to act surprised.
“That is why I have called you here. I want to ask you a special favor. It would be bad if such rumors were circulating in the National Assembly when public opinion has finally died down.”
Yvonne continued, her face becoming even more serious.
“I am worried that they will come after His Majesty again.”
“Your Majesty, I think it is my foolish ears that are the problem. Why do you say that they cling to His Majesty?”
“His Majesty clearly announced at the breakfast meeting the other day that he would personally take that poor, helpless child in.”
"Ah..."
“And how can you ignore the rumors? They’ll find fault with them again in the National Assembly.”
“Yes... That is... a right... statement...”
Yvonne sighed as if she had a headache.
“His Majesty has told me to take precautions to prevent any unpleasant incidents from occurring. His Majesty can't keep track of all the dirty gossip in the social world.”
“I apologize for the inconvenience, Your Majesty.”
“It’s not your fault. However, I indeed feel resentful for no reason. Hasn’t your family been too stingy toward that poor child?”
Kaitlyn felt like her mouth was glued shut, unable to say anything. She just nodded vigorously on the outside and tried to control her churning mind.
How did this happen? Only three people know about the plan. William, Haness, and Hardius... Who on earth revealed it, and why?
“What are you going to do?”
“Huh? Ah...”
Kaitlyn forced her dull eyes to look at the Queen again.
Finding out who the informer is isn't the important thing. The first thing is to discipline them.
“Your Majesty, I do not want to hear any more about us harassing the fiancée of the family. I will take responsibility for finding out the truth about this matter.”
The Queen suddenly shrugged her shoulders.
“I don’t care about the truth. I just want it to be quiet.”
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I don’t want any gossip surrounding the broken engagement.”
The two walked back towards the palace.
“Your Majesty, there is one thing I am curious about. Who exactly told that rumor to His Majesty the King?”
Yvonne cleared her throat, indicating that she was having trouble answering.
“If you want to put a stop to rumors, you have to know the truth, and if you want to know the truth, you have to find out the source of the rumors, right?”
Hmm, with a long sigh, her tightly shut mouth opened.
“You are not wrong, but I cannot tell you the whole route in detail. If I did, I would be exposed as a royal informant. All I can tell you is what I heard from a laundress.”
Laundress?
Kaitlyn's eyes narrowed like an eagle's.
“What do you think, Grojean? Is it possible to turn my mother’s eyes to that extent?”
“Yes, Master, she will succeed in following the laundress. And she will find out. The laundress, who is connected to the royal informant, is connected to William Richard. Of course, Madame Meyer will not dream of it. That he is the bait that the young master has dropped.”
“You must have erased all traces so that the tail doesn’t get stepped on, right?”
“Don’t worry. The laundress has been taken to a safe place. They will never be able to trace it.”
Hardius nodded.
The young master, who had been riding hard, had become a little emaciated over the past few days. He pretended to be fine, but it was clear that he was emotionally shaken.
It must have been because of the broken engagement. That old letter was like the last bastion that connected the two.
But the master disposed of it with his own hands.
“Now... what do you plan to do?”
It was a question about his fiancée, but Hardius took it differently.
“We need to really start a rat hunt. We need to completely mess up her head. She’ll be confused about who’s her friend and who’s her enemy.”
Hardius answered as he pulled hard on the reins of his horse. Grojean also stopped his horse in a hurry.
Before they knew it, they had arrived at Kunt, the northernmost point of the border. It was the most extensive forest area among the lands owned by Meyer Steel.
Looking down at the world spread out beneath his feet, Hardius planned many things.
Large smelters and steel mills were built along the empty plains of the river, and research centers were established at the borders of forests and coasts. Fishing villages where small boats anchored gave rise to large ports with dense trade vessels, and unpaved dirt roads were turned into railroad tracks.
Hardius put down his binoculars and took a deep breath to suppress his pounding heart.
Yeah, I'll have them all.
If necessary, by crawling like a dog, or by deceiving others, and if that doesn't work, by trampling them mercilessly.
It has been a long time since he has chosen any means necessary. Starting with Meyer Steel, he will have everything Meyer represents, past, present, and future.
Two days later, Kaitlyn arrived at the Etna Palace, which was described as "as beautiful as heaven." Queen Yvonne welcomed Kaitlyn under the shade of a large zelkova tree.
“Oh my goodness, Your Highness. How can you have become so much more beautiful? Five years have passed by insignificantly.”
“You are blooming like a camellia. Late blooming flowers are the most beautiful.”
“You flatter me.”
The two women embraced each other gently, each hiding their sharp claws.
“How is Lord Mayer?”
Kaitlyn's face darkened. It was a reaction that even she couldn't tell if it was true or not.
“What can I do? It is fate. I have no choice but to gladly accept God’s providence.”
The Queen patted the back of Kaitlyn's hand and led her straight to the audience room.
The conversation began with the kind of conversation any noble lady would have at teatime, starting with a discussion about the weather, social gossip, healthy foods, and even tips on finding a handy servant.
Yvonne, who had been taking her time, noticed Kaitlyn glancing at her watch for a while and snickered to herself. She moistened her lips with her tongue and slowly opened her mouth.
“There is no other reason why I suddenly invited you. You must know that your son, Prince Meyer, is negotiating with His Majesty about this matter. Yesterday, His Majesty finally made a decision.”
For a moment, Kaitlyn felt her heart pounding.
No way...
“I approve the breakup. I will call the administrator and initiate the process of notarizing the cancellation of the letter. Of course, under your supervision.”
Kaitlyn looked at the Queen with wide eyes. Yvonne smiled gently and grabbed Kaitlyn's hand.
“Your son is a master of negotiation, as they say. To be honest, I wished His Majesty had acquired the entire mine, but I had no choice but to yield on the profit distribution line.”
“Oh my god... Your Majesty...!”
Kaitlyn couldn't keep her mouth shut. It was probably because she had been suspicious of the successor's true intentions until just now.
The son kept his promise.
The engagement was really broken off.
At least on that issue, he didn't betray her.
Kaitlyn was overcome with relief that bordered on shock.
“There have been many unfortunate events in our royal family, but I hope that this incident will relieve some of the pent-up resentment. There’s a saying that yesterday’s enemy is tomorrow’s comrade, isn’t there?”
“I can’t believe that something this happy can happen... I just can’t believe it...”
Yvonne and Kaitlyn smiled and held hands.
“Well then, shall we move to the conference room? His Majesty is waiting.”
As she walked alongside the Queen, Kaitlyn slowly regained her composure.
As much as she was happy that the engagement had finally been broken off, she was also filled with a great sense of guilt. She was reproaching herself for having had such absurd suspicions.
Excessive distrust is worse than being deceived. Not trusting anyone isolates oneself and ultimately leads to destruction.
At least for now, she should not be jealous or suspicious of the successors. It is time to be wary of Hannes Leichnen and William Richard, whom she has trusted and relied on so much.
***
The next day, King Joseph summoned the heir of the Meyer family to a small mountain lodge next to the waterfalls of Tissot.
“Mrs. Meyer was so excited she couldn’t contain herself. You should have seen it.”
Joseph chuckled and poured alcohol into the empty glass. The glasses clinked, and laughter spread.
“Anyway, that ridiculous ‘cheating fiancee’ operation will naturally come to nothing.”
Joseph, who had been whining, suddenly became serious.
“No, if it were your mother, she would push ahead with the plan. Public opinion wouldn’t die down in an instant just because I allowed the breakup. So she would want to completely nip any threatening rumors in the bud. Don’t you think so?”
“Yes, I’m sure it will.”
“So what are you going to do? Are you going to cancel the ball?”
“No. I will proceed as scheduled and attend as scheduled.”
His eyes, as thin as thread, looked at Hardius as if searching him.
Of course, the King could not read anything. It was nearly impossible to penetrate the expressionless shell.
“Actually, from my perspective, it’s not so bad that a scandal broke out. There’s no good reason to persuade the council to allow the breakup. So wouldn’t it be better to just leave it alone?”
“No. We cannot allow the Meyer family to be embroiled in scandal.”
Joseph glanced at him, brushing his beard away.
“Then what are you going to do?”
“It is Your Majesty the King’s turn to speak.”
"...huh?"
“Didn’t Your Majesty promise at the last breakfast meeting that from now on, you would protect that child completely?”
***
Two days later, Kaitlyn Meyer met Queen Yvonne again.
Even if she were the Queen, it was rude to order the mistress of the Duke's house to come and go as she pleased.
But Kaitlyn was more than happy to oblige. The fact that the engagement had been broken off made her infinitely more forgiving.
“I know it’s rude, but I asked you to come here again so suddenly. It’s such an urgent and important matter.”
Unlike two days ago, Kaitlyn's smile also quickly faded in front of the Queen's stiff face.
“...Please speak, Your Majesty.”
“Have you heard the rumors surrounding your family’s fiancée?”
Kaitlyn felt dazed for a moment when the unexpected name suddenly came out.
“The rumors surrounding that child... are as lush as a summer forest.”
“Well, this one is a little worrying. I’m almost worried that I might have to step down from the royal family.”
Kaitlyn was overcome with an ominous feeling before the Queen's serious gaze.
“I heard that His Majesty heard a very strange story in the parliament some time ago.”
“What a strange story?”
“You’re plotting something ugly against that poor child, aren’t you? You’re planning to spread rumors that she’s been flirting with another man.”
Her heart sank. Kaitlyn tried to look calm and faced the Queen.
“Your Majesty... Please be precise. Am I plotting something? How could that be...”
“Calm down. I don’t believe that. Prince Hardius received permission from His Majesty the King to break off the engagement, so why on earth would you do such a thing? I think someone is trying to frame you.”
"Oh my god!"
Kaitlyn covered her mouth with her hand and tried her best to act surprised.
“That is why I have called you here. I want to ask you a special favor. It would be bad if such rumors were circulating in the National Assembly when public opinion has finally died down.”
Yvonne continued, her face becoming even more serious.
“I am worried that they will come after His Majesty again.”
“Your Majesty, I think it is my foolish ears that are the problem. Why do you say that they cling to His Majesty?”
“His Majesty clearly announced at the breakfast meeting the other day that he would personally take that poor, helpless child in.”
"Ah..."
“And how can you ignore the rumors? They’ll find fault with them again in the National Assembly.”
“Yes... That is... a right... statement...”
Yvonne sighed as if she had a headache.
“His Majesty has told me to take precautions to prevent any unpleasant incidents from occurring. His Majesty can't keep track of all the dirty gossip in the social world.”
“I apologize for the inconvenience, Your Majesty.”
“It’s not your fault. However, I indeed feel resentful for no reason. Hasn’t your family been too stingy toward that poor child?”
Kaitlyn felt like her mouth was glued shut, unable to say anything. She just nodded vigorously on the outside and tried to control her churning mind.
How did this happen? Only three people know about the plan. William, Haness, and Hardius... Who on earth revealed it, and why?
“What are you going to do?”
“Huh? Ah...”
Kaitlyn forced her dull eyes to look at the Queen again.
Finding out who the informer is isn't the important thing. The first thing is to discipline them.
“Your Majesty, I do not want to hear any more about us harassing the fiancée of the family. I will take responsibility for finding out the truth about this matter.”
The Queen suddenly shrugged her shoulders.
“I don’t care about the truth. I just want it to be quiet.”
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I don’t want any gossip surrounding the broken engagement.”
The two walked back towards the palace.
“Your Majesty, there is one thing I am curious about. Who exactly told that rumor to His Majesty the King?”
Yvonne cleared her throat, indicating that she was having trouble answering.
“If you want to put a stop to rumors, you have to know the truth, and if you want to know the truth, you have to find out the source of the rumors, right?”
Hmm, with a long sigh, her tightly shut mouth opened.
“You are not wrong, but I cannot tell you the whole route in detail. If I did, I would be exposed as a royal informant. All I can tell you is what I heard from a laundress.”
Laundress?
Kaitlyn's eyes narrowed like an eagle's.
***
“What do you think, Grojean? Is it possible to turn my mother’s eyes to that extent?”
“Yes, Master, she will succeed in following the laundress. And she will find out. The laundress, who is connected to the royal informant, is connected to William Richard. Of course, Madame Meyer will not dream of it. That he is the bait that the young master has dropped.”
“You must have erased all traces so that the tail doesn’t get stepped on, right?”
“Don’t worry. The laundress has been taken to a safe place. They will never be able to trace it.”
Hardius nodded.
The young master, who had been riding hard, had become a little emaciated over the past few days. He pretended to be fine, but it was clear that he was emotionally shaken.
It must have been because of the broken engagement. That old letter was like the last bastion that connected the two.
But the master disposed of it with his own hands.
“Now... what do you plan to do?”
It was a question about his fiancée, but Hardius took it differently.
“We need to really start a rat hunt. We need to completely mess up her head. She’ll be confused about who’s her friend and who’s her enemy.”
Hardius answered as he pulled hard on the reins of his horse. Grojean also stopped his horse in a hurry.
Before they knew it, they had arrived at Kunt, the northernmost point of the border. It was the most extensive forest area among the lands owned by Meyer Steel.
Looking down at the world spread out beneath his feet, Hardius planned many things.
Large smelters and steel mills were built along the empty plains of the river, and research centers were established at the borders of forests and coasts. Fishing villages where small boats anchored gave rise to large ports with dense trade vessels, and unpaved dirt roads were turned into railroad tracks.
Hardius put down his binoculars and took a deep breath to suppress his pounding heart.
Yeah, I'll have them all.
If necessary, by crawling like a dog, or by deceiving others, and if that doesn't work, by trampling them mercilessly.
It has been a long time since he has chosen any means necessary. Starting with Meyer Steel, he will have everything Meyer represents, past, present, and future.
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