24. Scandal
The sunlight streaming through the shop window was so dazzling that Erna squinted her eyes. Even then, her upright posture, holding her teacup, remained undisturbed.
Erna, moistening her lips with the lukewarm tea, gently set down her cup. Although the cup was chipped and the tablecloth was stained, considering the price of tea here, it wasn't a bad teatime. She was a little hungry, but decided against the scone. It was a lesson learned after the ordeal of last week, when she couldn't bring herself to spit out the sandy scone and had to force herself to swallow it.
Erna, catching her breath, began to look outside the shop window with eyes filled with anxious anticipation. From the window seat of this tea room, she could see the Soldau department store. This was why Erna visited this place every Tuesday.
After enough time for five carriages to pass, Lisa appeared, her voice trembling with excitement. Erna waved at Lisa, waving widely. Seeing her joy, it seemed fortunate that this delivery was going smoothly.
“They paid more today than last week!”
Lisa, who ran into the tea room in a panic, held out her purse with a face full of emotion.
"You're truly amazing, Miss. I can't tell you how much Mr. Pent praised your skills and your quick hands."
“It’s thanks to your help.”
Erna smiled shyly and handed Lisa her share of the money. Lisa, knowing it would be useless to refuse, gratefully accepted it.
“Thank you, Miss. I mean it.”
"Me too."
Erna picked up the teapot and poured tea into Lisa's cup.
“Thank you so much, Lisa.”
Lisa's eyes turned red at the affectionate greeting that came with the teacup.
When Lisa first heard the request to help sell the arrangements, she wondered if the young lady's mind had truly been ruined. For a noble daughter to make money doing something like that? It was simply bizarre.
But ultimately, she couldn't refuse the young lady's plea. It was because she wanted to earn money to send to ers grandmother in the countryside. Lisa knew her heart better than anyone. She, too, sent half of her salary to her family back home.
The flower business with the young lady, which had begun like that, was going smoothly. At first, she only helped with purchasing materials and making deliveries, but thanks to the young lady's guidance, she was now able to make simple flowers herself. It wouldn't have been much help, but Erna always made sure Lisa had her share of the wages.
After a brief tea break, the two set out together into the bustling streets. As they chatted and laughed, they found themselves nearing the Hardy mansion.
“Let’s make more this week.”
Erna responded to Lisa's revealed ambition with a laugh. It was then that a maid, her face flushed with embarrassment, practically ran over to the two.
“Come in, young lady. The master is looking for you urgently.”
“Father, me?”
“Yes. Come into the study right now...”
The young maid burst into tears before she could finish her words.
Erna and Lisa stared at each other with bewildered faces, then hurried into the mansion's foyer. The air inside the house felt quite different from the morning. For some unknown reason, the atmosphere was deeply serious and dark.
As the legal review of overseas borrowings concluded, the study fell silent once again. Everyone's eyes naturally turned to Bjorn Dneister, who sat at the head of the table.
"This is what we have reviewed. The decision is now Your Highness's."
The bank's lawyer, who had finished reporting, responded politely.
"When you say that, I feel like I'm some kind of omnipotent god. Not bad, I guess."
The smile on Bjorn's lips was as refreshing as the river breeze blowing through the open window.
In this palace, where he greeted guests with such formality, it was difficult to find any trace of the prodigal son who had been criticized by the entire Letzen. But even more surprising was the fact that even when he had drunkenly summoned them to the study of the social club, the Prince's judgment remained sharp.
The middle-aged lawyer looked at the young Grand Duke with renewed admiration.
The Prince first entered the capital market at the age of eighteen. He raised investment funds by selling bonds inherited from his grandfather, the late King. Based on his own analysis, he began investing in earnest. Considering that many nobles still viewed entering the capital market as a pursuit reserved for shallow merchants, the Prince's decision was a groundbreaking one.
He couldn't even begin to imagine how much that seed money would have grown by now. One thing was certain: if he had inherited the crown as planned, he would have become a monarch who had at least built a wealthy nation. His conduct beyond that, however, was uncertain.
“Let’s proceed as planned.”
Bjorn smiled, offering a cool reply. It was then that a loud knock rang out on the study door. The unexpected intruder was the Queen, her face stern.
After dismissing the guests, Bjorn greeted his mother. It was extremely rare for her to visit the Grand Duke's residence in this manner.
“The car is ready.”
Isabelle Dneister dismissed the waiting servants with a round of words. As everyone left, leaving her alone with her son, her face darkened even further.
“Could you explain this to me, Bjorn?”
She sighed deeply and put down the newspaper she had brought. The front page of today's tabloid was entirely devoted to the story of the Grand Duke.
Bjorn quietly accepted the newspaper. Perhaps disappointed that the assault incident hadn't generated enough controversy, the article was trying to connect it to Erna Hardy.
According to an anonymous informant who attended the party at the Harbour House that night, Prince Bjorn met a beautiful noblewoman in a secret location. However, the Prince, overly intoxicated, assaulted the lady, and a bystander passing by attempted to stop him, resulting in a brawl.
However, some cautiously speculate that it couldn't have been a one-sided act of indecency. The reason is that the Viscount's daughter, who was with the Prince that night, was a prude who had been trying to seduce him for some time. In fact, it's said that the young lady is rumoured to be having affairs with numerous gentlemen, including the Prince. Rumors have also been rife that the young lady is the biggest obstacle standing in the way of Princess Gladys and Prince Bjorn's reunion.
Has Prince Bjorn, the royal toadstool, once again committed a crime? Or has he been ensnared in the machinations of a wily woman seeking the position of Grand Duchess?
Either way, it seems clear that once again, they have committed an act of great disappointment to the people. According to our investigation, the majority of the people of Letzen hope that Prince Bjorn will quickly apologize to Princess Gladys, reunite with her, and live a prosperous life, setting an example for the royal family.
I sincerely hope that this wish will reach beyond the walls of Schwerin Palace.
Bjorn chuckled and put down the newspaper. His ability to whip up sensational articles was undoubtedly the best in the kingdom, so he would surely generate significant circulation. Suddenly, a rather serious desire to take over this newspaper began to well up in his mind.
“I guess we need to raise the palace walls a bit higher.”
Looking at his mother, whose face was filled with worry, Bjorn smiled faintly as if it were nothing.
“Is that all you have to say?”
“I do have some regrets.”
Bjorn sighed briefly as he closed the cigar box he had unconsciously opened.
“I should have aimed for Heinz’s mouth rather than his head.”
There was no sign of serious concern about the situation anywhere on Bjorn's smiling face.
"Bjorn! This isn't something to be taken lightly."
“It’s not something that happened in a day or two, so there’s no reason to be particularly serious.”
"This time, Gladys is involved! And Miss Hardy too!"
Isabelle Dneister's expression was stern as she scolded her son.
“Even if a reunion with Gladys doesn't happen, I'm very concerned that public opinion is forming like this.”
“The more public opinion condemning the former Crown Prince grows, the more solid Leonid’s legitimacy will become. So don’t worry too much, Mother.”
"Bjorn, I'm worried about you right now. Not Leonid, but you. The life of my beloved eldest son, the one who hurts the most."
Her eyes, which were always calm, were filled with tears.
"What we want isn't to cast you aside and solidify our power. You've already sacrificed enough for that. I want you to be happy, Bjorn."
“It’s enough now, Mother.”
Bjorn answered calmly, his voice no longer tinged with humor. It was the most sincere of feelings, untainted by any falsehood or pretense. But the Queen, still uneasy, sighed repeatedly.
"Are you seriously considering the daughter of the Hardy family? If so, tell me honestly. I'll discuss it with your father."
“No way.”
Bjorn chuckled and picked up his glass of water.
Any woman present would have made the same choice. While it was somewhat of a headache to be entangled in such a massive scandal, it was nothing more than a passing rumor that would fade away with time.
“If not, what are you planning to do about the damage that this will cause to Miss Hardy?”
"Well."
Bjorn shrugged slightly and glanced out the window. The cloudless sky and sunlight stung his eyes. The woman's smiling face and the ash-covered silver bells briefly floated above the landscape before vanishing.
“It’s none of my business.”
Bjorn, his gaze lifted from the summer scenery, smiled broadly and offered a concise conclusion. His answer, too, came from the most sincere of hearts.
Arriving at the end of the second-floor hallway, Erna took a deep breath and opened the study door. Viscount Hardy and his wife, sitting side by side on the sofa, looked visibly angry.
“You came looking for me...”
“This seems so cheap!”
Viscount Hardy jumped to his feet and let out a thunderous roar, silencing Erna from speaking.
"You're saying the only reason you left the party at Harbour mansion so early was because you were sick? You fooled us so well with that innocent face!"
"Father?"
“Tell me honestly. Were you really with the Grand Duke, Erna?”
He demanded, waving the newspaper in his hand.
What is the truth behind the brawl the Grand Duke had that night?
Erna's face paled at the sight of the tabloid headline. The Viscount, who had been staring at her in amazement, let out a hypocritical laugh.
“That’s true, but that’s...”
The moment she opened her mouth to try to explain herself, Viscount Hardy's large hand flew towards Erna's face. It wasn't until a loud slap echoed across her cheek that she realized what had happened.
One blow. Another. Unable to withstand the increasingly vehement slaps, Erna lost her balance and collapsed onto the carpet. Viscount Hardy flung a crumpled newspaper in front of her.
A drop of blood flowed from her split lip and fell onto the article with the Prince's picture.
The sunlight streaming through the shop window was so dazzling that Erna squinted her eyes. Even then, her upright posture, holding her teacup, remained undisturbed.
Erna, moistening her lips with the lukewarm tea, gently set down her cup. Although the cup was chipped and the tablecloth was stained, considering the price of tea here, it wasn't a bad teatime. She was a little hungry, but decided against the scone. It was a lesson learned after the ordeal of last week, when she couldn't bring herself to spit out the sandy scone and had to force herself to swallow it.
Erna, catching her breath, began to look outside the shop window with eyes filled with anxious anticipation. From the window seat of this tea room, she could see the Soldau department store. This was why Erna visited this place every Tuesday.
After enough time for five carriages to pass, Lisa appeared, her voice trembling with excitement. Erna waved at Lisa, waving widely. Seeing her joy, it seemed fortunate that this delivery was going smoothly.
“They paid more today than last week!”
Lisa, who ran into the tea room in a panic, held out her purse with a face full of emotion.
"You're truly amazing, Miss. I can't tell you how much Mr. Pent praised your skills and your quick hands."
“It’s thanks to your help.”
Erna smiled shyly and handed Lisa her share of the money. Lisa, knowing it would be useless to refuse, gratefully accepted it.
“Thank you, Miss. I mean it.”
"Me too."
Erna picked up the teapot and poured tea into Lisa's cup.
“Thank you so much, Lisa.”
Lisa's eyes turned red at the affectionate greeting that came with the teacup.
When Lisa first heard the request to help sell the arrangements, she wondered if the young lady's mind had truly been ruined. For a noble daughter to make money doing something like that? It was simply bizarre.
But ultimately, she couldn't refuse the young lady's plea. It was because she wanted to earn money to send to ers grandmother in the countryside. Lisa knew her heart better than anyone. She, too, sent half of her salary to her family back home.
The flower business with the young lady, which had begun like that, was going smoothly. At first, she only helped with purchasing materials and making deliveries, but thanks to the young lady's guidance, she was now able to make simple flowers herself. It wouldn't have been much help, but Erna always made sure Lisa had her share of the wages.
After a brief tea break, the two set out together into the bustling streets. As they chatted and laughed, they found themselves nearing the Hardy mansion.
“Let’s make more this week.”
Erna responded to Lisa's revealed ambition with a laugh. It was then that a maid, her face flushed with embarrassment, practically ran over to the two.
“Come in, young lady. The master is looking for you urgently.”
“Father, me?”
“Yes. Come into the study right now...”
The young maid burst into tears before she could finish her words.
Erna and Lisa stared at each other with bewildered faces, then hurried into the mansion's foyer. The air inside the house felt quite different from the morning. For some unknown reason, the atmosphere was deeply serious and dark.
***
As the legal review of overseas borrowings concluded, the study fell silent once again. Everyone's eyes naturally turned to Bjorn Dneister, who sat at the head of the table.
"This is what we have reviewed. The decision is now Your Highness's."
The bank's lawyer, who had finished reporting, responded politely.
"When you say that, I feel like I'm some kind of omnipotent god. Not bad, I guess."
The smile on Bjorn's lips was as refreshing as the river breeze blowing through the open window.
In this palace, where he greeted guests with such formality, it was difficult to find any trace of the prodigal son who had been criticized by the entire Letzen. But even more surprising was the fact that even when he had drunkenly summoned them to the study of the social club, the Prince's judgment remained sharp.
The middle-aged lawyer looked at the young Grand Duke with renewed admiration.
The Prince first entered the capital market at the age of eighteen. He raised investment funds by selling bonds inherited from his grandfather, the late King. Based on his own analysis, he began investing in earnest. Considering that many nobles still viewed entering the capital market as a pursuit reserved for shallow merchants, the Prince's decision was a groundbreaking one.
He couldn't even begin to imagine how much that seed money would have grown by now. One thing was certain: if he had inherited the crown as planned, he would have become a monarch who had at least built a wealthy nation. His conduct beyond that, however, was uncertain.
“Let’s proceed as planned.”
Bjorn smiled, offering a cool reply. It was then that a loud knock rang out on the study door. The unexpected intruder was the Queen, her face stern.
After dismissing the guests, Bjorn greeted his mother. It was extremely rare for her to visit the Grand Duke's residence in this manner.
“The car is ready.”
Isabelle Dneister dismissed the waiting servants with a round of words. As everyone left, leaving her alone with her son, her face darkened even further.
“Could you explain this to me, Bjorn?”
She sighed deeply and put down the newspaper she had brought. The front page of today's tabloid was entirely devoted to the story of the Grand Duke.
Bjorn quietly accepted the newspaper. Perhaps disappointed that the assault incident hadn't generated enough controversy, the article was trying to connect it to Erna Hardy.
According to an anonymous informant who attended the party at the Harbour House that night, Prince Bjorn met a beautiful noblewoman in a secret location. However, the Prince, overly intoxicated, assaulted the lady, and a bystander passing by attempted to stop him, resulting in a brawl.
However, some cautiously speculate that it couldn't have been a one-sided act of indecency. The reason is that the Viscount's daughter, who was with the Prince that night, was a prude who had been trying to seduce him for some time. In fact, it's said that the young lady is rumoured to be having affairs with numerous gentlemen, including the Prince. Rumors have also been rife that the young lady is the biggest obstacle standing in the way of Princess Gladys and Prince Bjorn's reunion.
Has Prince Bjorn, the royal toadstool, once again committed a crime? Or has he been ensnared in the machinations of a wily woman seeking the position of Grand Duchess?
Either way, it seems clear that once again, they have committed an act of great disappointment to the people. According to our investigation, the majority of the people of Letzen hope that Prince Bjorn will quickly apologize to Princess Gladys, reunite with her, and live a prosperous life, setting an example for the royal family.
I sincerely hope that this wish will reach beyond the walls of Schwerin Palace.
Bjorn chuckled and put down the newspaper. His ability to whip up sensational articles was undoubtedly the best in the kingdom, so he would surely generate significant circulation. Suddenly, a rather serious desire to take over this newspaper began to well up in his mind.
“I guess we need to raise the palace walls a bit higher.”
Looking at his mother, whose face was filled with worry, Bjorn smiled faintly as if it were nothing.
“Is that all you have to say?”
“I do have some regrets.”
Bjorn sighed briefly as he closed the cigar box he had unconsciously opened.
“I should have aimed for Heinz’s mouth rather than his head.”
There was no sign of serious concern about the situation anywhere on Bjorn's smiling face.
"Bjorn! This isn't something to be taken lightly."
“It’s not something that happened in a day or two, so there’s no reason to be particularly serious.”
"This time, Gladys is involved! And Miss Hardy too!"
Isabelle Dneister's expression was stern as she scolded her son.
“Even if a reunion with Gladys doesn't happen, I'm very concerned that public opinion is forming like this.”
“The more public opinion condemning the former Crown Prince grows, the more solid Leonid’s legitimacy will become. So don’t worry too much, Mother.”
"Bjorn, I'm worried about you right now. Not Leonid, but you. The life of my beloved eldest son, the one who hurts the most."
Her eyes, which were always calm, were filled with tears.
"What we want isn't to cast you aside and solidify our power. You've already sacrificed enough for that. I want you to be happy, Bjorn."
“It’s enough now, Mother.”
Bjorn answered calmly, his voice no longer tinged with humor. It was the most sincere of feelings, untainted by any falsehood or pretense. But the Queen, still uneasy, sighed repeatedly.
"Are you seriously considering the daughter of the Hardy family? If so, tell me honestly. I'll discuss it with your father."
“No way.”
Bjorn chuckled and picked up his glass of water.
Any woman present would have made the same choice. While it was somewhat of a headache to be entangled in such a massive scandal, it was nothing more than a passing rumor that would fade away with time.
“If not, what are you planning to do about the damage that this will cause to Miss Hardy?”
"Well."
Bjorn shrugged slightly and glanced out the window. The cloudless sky and sunlight stung his eyes. The woman's smiling face and the ash-covered silver bells briefly floated above the landscape before vanishing.
“It’s none of my business.”
Bjorn, his gaze lifted from the summer scenery, smiled broadly and offered a concise conclusion. His answer, too, came from the most sincere of hearts.
***
Arriving at the end of the second-floor hallway, Erna took a deep breath and opened the study door. Viscount Hardy and his wife, sitting side by side on the sofa, looked visibly angry.
“You came looking for me...”
“This seems so cheap!”
Viscount Hardy jumped to his feet and let out a thunderous roar, silencing Erna from speaking.
"You're saying the only reason you left the party at Harbour mansion so early was because you were sick? You fooled us so well with that innocent face!"
"Father?"
“Tell me honestly. Were you really with the Grand Duke, Erna?”
He demanded, waving the newspaper in his hand.
What is the truth behind the brawl the Grand Duke had that night?
Erna's face paled at the sight of the tabloid headline. The Viscount, who had been staring at her in amazement, let out a hypocritical laugh.
“That’s true, but that’s...”
The moment she opened her mouth to try to explain herself, Viscount Hardy's large hand flew towards Erna's face. It wasn't until a loud slap echoed across her cheek that she realized what had happened.
One blow. Another. Unable to withstand the increasingly vehement slaps, Erna lost her balance and collapsed onto the carpet. Viscount Hardy flung a crumpled newspaper in front of her.
A drop of blood flowed from her split lip and fell onto the article with the Prince's picture.
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