(22) Feel it too, despair. (1)
The noblewoman, watching Victoria leave, said,
“I think it would be okay if the youngest Princess joined us for a walk.”
Rachel smiled awkwardly.
“We ladies were planning to spend time together today, and a child would only be a distraction.”
“But isn’t the youngest Princess of this house much more mature than her peers? I hear so many compliments about her.”
The noblewoman, watching Victoria leave, said,
“I think it would be okay if the youngest Princess joined us for a walk.”
Rachel smiled awkwardly.
“We ladies were planning to spend time together today, and a child would only be a distraction.”
“But isn’t the youngest Princess of this house much more mature than her peers? I hear so many compliments about her.”
The noblewoman’s compliments didn’t reach Rachel’s ears.
'Why was Victoria here?'
She had strictly instructed her not to leave her room today. Helena might not have noticed, but Victoria was a clever child, so she wouldn’t have disobeyed Rachel’s orders.
“What happened?”
Rachel watched Victoria’s back as she walked away. If something had happened, she would have turned her head and given her a subtle nod, but judging by her simple departure, it didn’t seem to be a problem.
“Yes, no matter how mature she is, she’s still a child.”
'Why was Victoria here?'
She had strictly instructed her not to leave her room today. Helena might not have noticed, but Victoria was a clever child, so she wouldn’t have disobeyed Rachel’s orders.
“What happened?”
Rachel watched Victoria’s back as she walked away. If something had happened, she would have turned her head and given her a subtle nod, but judging by her simple departure, it didn’t seem to be a problem.
“Yes, no matter how mature she is, she’s still a child.”
"I wondered what would happen."
With such an important event imminent, there was no time to worry about Victoria.
Ten ladies had been invited to this tea party, including Countess Catirean of the Empire.
She hadn't yet returned to the Empire, so she'd invited her to witness today's events and spread rumors among the Imperial ladies.
Countess Catirean had harbored ill feelings toward Rachel because of the garden party incident, but she didn't want to openly betray her, so she accepted Rachel's invitation.
Rachel knew Countess Catirean had been sullen the entire time she'd been visiting Bronte Manor.
'That feeling will change now.'
Her heart was in turmoil as she caught sight of the white-draped pergola.
What was about to happen would completely change Ariana's life.
Rounder, a famous prodigal son among the women of the West. Ariana was secretly meeting him, drinking aphrodisiacs, and rolling around.
Even if an unmarried woman were caught with another man, her marriage would be blocked. Ariana's reputation would plummet to the bottom for luring a man into the mansion's forest and making a scene.
What happened at the garden party would fade from people's memories, leaving only eyewitness accounts of what transpired inside the pergola.
Ariana, using her birthright as the daughter of a Northern Duke, acts selfishly. Ariana, who ignored her mother, Rachel. Ariana, who acted selfishly toward her sisters. Ariana, who pretended to be abused at the garden party, was trying to embarrass her family. Ariana, driven by mania, dragged a prodigal son into the mansion.
No matter what she did, an indelible mark would be etched into Ariana.
As they approached the pergola, Rachel said,
"Shall we rest for a moment before we go? It's chilly, but the view of the winter pond from there is exquisite."
The inside of the pergola was quiet. Not a single shadow was cast on the thin white cloth, but Rachel didn't find it strange.
By now, it was enough time for the couple to fall asleep, hugging each other, after the act was over.
Rachel secretly took a deep breath and pulled back the cloth.
“Oh my, this is...!”
Rachel was about to scream without even checking the situation inside, but she realized too late that the sofa was empty.
At the same time, the lady standing next to her screamed.
“Gyaaaaaaaah!”
A scream so loud that the quiet winter forest shook.
The other ladies who looked inside the pergola over the lady’s shoulder also screamed, and two of them turned pale, trembling, and then passed out.
Only then did Rachel discover “it”: a man collapsed with his neck twisted strangely.
Rachel stared blankly at it.
“What is this?”
Her mind went blank at the unexpected sight.
“What is this? Why... why is this man like this? Why is he lying there in such a hideous way... like that?”
The thought of a corpse hadn't even crossed Rachel's mind.
There was no reason for the man she'd summoned to be found dead.
Rachel's eyes were wide open when Countess Cettirean's voice reached her ears.
"How... pitiful."
Rachel came to her senses as if splashed with cold water.
She had failed.
She didn't know why Rounder had become like that, but what Rachel had intended hadn't happened.
A man had died in the heavily guarded forest of the Bronte Dukes' Manor, and the ladies had witnessed it.
If that was the case, she had to take advantage of this situation.
Rachel muttered as if she was deeply shocked.
"Ah, Ariana... why... why..."
Then, as if she had made a slip of the tongue, she covered her mouth with one hand.
Countess Cettirean, who was next to her, heard her words.
“Ariana... are you referring to the Second Princess? Why is the Second Princess’s name mentioned here? Is there some connection between that man and the Second Princess?”
“T-That can’t be. That can’t be, Countess. I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“But didn’t the Duchess just call the Second Princess’s name?”
“No. That’s not true. You misheard.”
Rachel faithfully played the role of a mother trying to protect her daughter.
Countess Cettirean didn’t ask any further questions, but her eyes studied Rachel’s face with suspicion. That was enough.
‘Suspicion has sprouted. You talkative ladies, so they’ll probably start speculating and spreading rumors. I don’t know why that man is dead, but I can certainly exploit this situation.’
It was time to send the ladies away. If she waited any longer, they might discover something suspicious.
“I’m sorry for causing such an unpleasant experience today. I need to send someone to the investigation office, and I have a lot of work to do, so I think we’ll have to conclude our meeting here.”
Some ladies seemed inclined to stay and watch what was happening, but the host had issued an order to evict guests, and they couldn't resist.
As the ladies slowly prepared to leave, the sound of horse hooves echoed. Three men appeared on the forest path.
Rachel's face paled when she realized they were wearing detective uniforms.
"Why are the detectives here?"
It was strange that the detectives, who hadn't even been summoned, had come here as if they had already known something had happened.
Rachel concealed her bewilderment and approached the detectives with a faint smile.
The detectives dismounted and bowed politely to Rachel.
Rachel asked,
"What brings you here...?"
With such an important event imminent, there was no time to worry about Victoria.
Ten ladies had been invited to this tea party, including Countess Catirean of the Empire.
She hadn't yet returned to the Empire, so she'd invited her to witness today's events and spread rumors among the Imperial ladies.
Countess Catirean had harbored ill feelings toward Rachel because of the garden party incident, but she didn't want to openly betray her, so she accepted Rachel's invitation.
Rachel knew Countess Catirean had been sullen the entire time she'd been visiting Bronte Manor.
'That feeling will change now.'
Her heart was in turmoil as she caught sight of the white-draped pergola.
What was about to happen would completely change Ariana's life.
Rounder, a famous prodigal son among the women of the West. Ariana was secretly meeting him, drinking aphrodisiacs, and rolling around.
Even if an unmarried woman were caught with another man, her marriage would be blocked. Ariana's reputation would plummet to the bottom for luring a man into the mansion's forest and making a scene.
What happened at the garden party would fade from people's memories, leaving only eyewitness accounts of what transpired inside the pergola.
Ariana, using her birthright as the daughter of a Northern Duke, acts selfishly. Ariana, who ignored her mother, Rachel. Ariana, who acted selfishly toward her sisters. Ariana, who pretended to be abused at the garden party, was trying to embarrass her family. Ariana, driven by mania, dragged a prodigal son into the mansion.
No matter what she did, an indelible mark would be etched into Ariana.
As they approached the pergola, Rachel said,
"Shall we rest for a moment before we go? It's chilly, but the view of the winter pond from there is exquisite."
The inside of the pergola was quiet. Not a single shadow was cast on the thin white cloth, but Rachel didn't find it strange.
By now, it was enough time for the couple to fall asleep, hugging each other, after the act was over.
Rachel secretly took a deep breath and pulled back the cloth.
“Oh my, this is...!”
Rachel was about to scream without even checking the situation inside, but she realized too late that the sofa was empty.
At the same time, the lady standing next to her screamed.
“Gyaaaaaaaah!”
A scream so loud that the quiet winter forest shook.
The other ladies who looked inside the pergola over the lady’s shoulder also screamed, and two of them turned pale, trembling, and then passed out.
Only then did Rachel discover “it”: a man collapsed with his neck twisted strangely.
Rachel stared blankly at it.
“What is this?”
Her mind went blank at the unexpected sight.
“What is this? Why... why is this man like this? Why is he lying there in such a hideous way... like that?”
The thought of a corpse hadn't even crossed Rachel's mind.
There was no reason for the man she'd summoned to be found dead.
Rachel's eyes were wide open when Countess Cettirean's voice reached her ears.
"How... pitiful."
Rachel came to her senses as if splashed with cold water.
She had failed.
She didn't know why Rounder had become like that, but what Rachel had intended hadn't happened.
A man had died in the heavily guarded forest of the Bronte Dukes' Manor, and the ladies had witnessed it.
If that was the case, she had to take advantage of this situation.
Rachel muttered as if she was deeply shocked.
"Ah, Ariana... why... why..."
Then, as if she had made a slip of the tongue, she covered her mouth with one hand.
Countess Cettirean, who was next to her, heard her words.
“Ariana... are you referring to the Second Princess? Why is the Second Princess’s name mentioned here? Is there some connection between that man and the Second Princess?”
“T-That can’t be. That can’t be, Countess. I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“But didn’t the Duchess just call the Second Princess’s name?”
“No. That’s not true. You misheard.”
Rachel faithfully played the role of a mother trying to protect her daughter.
Countess Cettirean didn’t ask any further questions, but her eyes studied Rachel’s face with suspicion. That was enough.
‘Suspicion has sprouted. You talkative ladies, so they’ll probably start speculating and spreading rumors. I don’t know why that man is dead, but I can certainly exploit this situation.’
It was time to send the ladies away. If she waited any longer, they might discover something suspicious.
“I’m sorry for causing such an unpleasant experience today. I need to send someone to the investigation office, and I have a lot of work to do, so I think we’ll have to conclude our meeting here.”
Some ladies seemed inclined to stay and watch what was happening, but the host had issued an order to evict guests, and they couldn't resist.
As the ladies slowly prepared to leave, the sound of horse hooves echoed. Three men appeared on the forest path.
Rachel's face paled when she realized they were wearing detective uniforms.
"Why are the detectives here?"
It was strange that the detectives, who hadn't even been summoned, had come here as if they had already known something had happened.
Rachel concealed her bewilderment and approached the detectives with a faint smile.
The detectives dismounted and bowed politely to Rachel.
Rachel asked,
"What brings you here...?"
"We've received a report of a suspicious man breaking into the Duke of Bronte's mansion."
"Hey, over here! There's a body here!"
Rachel was trying to buy time to think of her next move when one of the ladies screamed. At the word "corpse," the investigators' expressions changed, and they ran towards the pergola.
Rachel clenched her fists and squeezed her eyes shut.
This was clearly Rachel's plan, but nothing was going as she wanted.
Her stomach was boiling. Rachel barely suppressed the urge to scream and turned around.
The investigators were quickly investigating the pergola.
The ladies, who had stopped at the investigator's appearance, gathered in small groups, watching with fascination as the investigator examined the pergola.
Rachel said cautiously,
"For now, you should go back..."
"No, Duchess. The body has been found, so please remain here until the investigation is complete."
The investigator shouted upon hearing Rachel's voice.
Rachel's chest tightened at the thought of this situation not going her way.
If only she knew why Rounder was found dead, it would ease some of the frustration.
''Did Ariana kill him? No, that can't be right. How could Ariana break his neck like that? No, maybe he fell badly during a fight and died like that...’
It was doubtful that Ariana’s power could have reduced a sturdy man to that state, but if not for her, no one could have made Rounder like that.
The problem was that the investigators didn’t know that Ariana had been to this pergola.
‘We need to subtly let them know that Ariana had been there... Is there a way to tell them without it seeming like I’m a tattletale, but in a way that protects Ariana?’
At that moment, the investigator who was examining the body said,
“Director, it looks like he was stabbed in the chest with a dagger. It looks like he broke his neck when he fell.”
Rachel’s expression darkened at the word ‘Director.’ The director of the investigation office was an Imperial official, free from the influence of the Western Duke. It meant that just because something happened in the Bronte ducal family, it wouldn’t be passed over quietly.
‘No, it’s actually a good thing. If they discover it was Ariana's doing, they'll deal with it according to the law, no matter how much I try to stop them. Then, if I call the maid and have her mention Ariana's name...'
When Rachel had thought that far,
"Chief! There's a woman's handkerchief here!"
The investigator shouted.
The ladies watching gasped, and Rachel's eyes widened as if they were going to pop out.
'Whose handkerchief is it? Ariana doesn't have a handkerchief...'
The chief investigator took the handkerchief, looked it over, and then fixed on Rachel. Rachel swallowed, seeing the subtle sparkle in his eyes.
An ominous feeling came over her. The corners of her lips, barely able to form a smile, stiffened and trembled.
The ladies also seemed to notice something was wrong, glancing between the chief investigator and Rachel.
Finally, the chief investigator spoke.
“It says ‘Victoria Bronte’ on this handkerchief. Is that the name of the youngest Princess of this house?”
Rachel’s eyes went black.
On her way back to the main building, Ariana wiped the bloody handle of the dagger and threw it into the bushes.
As soon as she entered her room, she removed her makeup, changed into her regular clothes, and left the room.
A solemn expression came over Ariana’s face as she walked down the hallway.
‘Now that they’ve found the body, there’s going to be a bit of a commotion. I have to make a scene for the ladies who came with me and send them away, so I have at least 30 minutes.’
Ariana didn’t know that Cyrus had summoned the investigator, so she thought she had bought herself about 30 minutes.
‘I have to get my hands on it today.’
The evidence that would be both Rachel's and the Western Duke’s weakness, and a weapon that would allow her to rely on the Northern Duke.
While Rachel was married to the Northern Duke and in her lordship, she secretly exchanged letters with her father, the Western Duke. The Western Duke ordered the letters burned immediately after reading them, but Rachel saved a few for when they would be needed.
When Ariana was around 20, Rachel, facing another threat from the Western Duke, used the letters to escape his grasp.
'I took a letter in my hand and sent it to the Northern Duke. Let his wrath pour down on me.'
Rachel pulled the letter out in front of Ariana. Ariana went to the Northern Duke with the letter and relayed Rachel's message, but he beat her and confined her to Rosen Castle for a while.
The Northern Duke took out all his anger toward his daughter, whom he could not reach, on Ariana.
From the moment Rachel had called Ariana into her room and dressed her up, Ariana had suspected what she was planning. She had a hunch that if she avoided it, this moment would surely come.
We must hurry. We absolutely must get our hands on those letters.
'They are mine now.'
Ariana's eyes gleamed as she opened Rachel's door.
'They will now be used for my freedom, not yours.'
"Hey, over here! There's a body here!"
Rachel was trying to buy time to think of her next move when one of the ladies screamed. At the word "corpse," the investigators' expressions changed, and they ran towards the pergola.
Rachel clenched her fists and squeezed her eyes shut.
This was clearly Rachel's plan, but nothing was going as she wanted.
Her stomach was boiling. Rachel barely suppressed the urge to scream and turned around.
The investigators were quickly investigating the pergola.
The ladies, who had stopped at the investigator's appearance, gathered in small groups, watching with fascination as the investigator examined the pergola.
Rachel said cautiously,
"For now, you should go back..."
"No, Duchess. The body has been found, so please remain here until the investigation is complete."
The investigator shouted upon hearing Rachel's voice.
Rachel's chest tightened at the thought of this situation not going her way.
If only she knew why Rounder was found dead, it would ease some of the frustration.
''Did Ariana kill him? No, that can't be right. How could Ariana break his neck like that? No, maybe he fell badly during a fight and died like that...’
It was doubtful that Ariana’s power could have reduced a sturdy man to that state, but if not for her, no one could have made Rounder like that.
The problem was that the investigators didn’t know that Ariana had been to this pergola.
‘We need to subtly let them know that Ariana had been there... Is there a way to tell them without it seeming like I’m a tattletale, but in a way that protects Ariana?’
At that moment, the investigator who was examining the body said,
“Director, it looks like he was stabbed in the chest with a dagger. It looks like he broke his neck when he fell.”
Rachel’s expression darkened at the word ‘Director.’ The director of the investigation office was an Imperial official, free from the influence of the Western Duke. It meant that just because something happened in the Bronte ducal family, it wouldn’t be passed over quietly.
‘No, it’s actually a good thing. If they discover it was Ariana's doing, they'll deal with it according to the law, no matter how much I try to stop them. Then, if I call the maid and have her mention Ariana's name...'
When Rachel had thought that far,
"Chief! There's a woman's handkerchief here!"
The investigator shouted.
The ladies watching gasped, and Rachel's eyes widened as if they were going to pop out.
'Whose handkerchief is it? Ariana doesn't have a handkerchief...'
The chief investigator took the handkerchief, looked it over, and then fixed on Rachel. Rachel swallowed, seeing the subtle sparkle in his eyes.
An ominous feeling came over her. The corners of her lips, barely able to form a smile, stiffened and trembled.
The ladies also seemed to notice something was wrong, glancing between the chief investigator and Rachel.
Finally, the chief investigator spoke.
“It says ‘Victoria Bronte’ on this handkerchief. Is that the name of the youngest Princess of this house?”
Rachel’s eyes went black.
***
On her way back to the main building, Ariana wiped the bloody handle of the dagger and threw it into the bushes.
As soon as she entered her room, she removed her makeup, changed into her regular clothes, and left the room.
A solemn expression came over Ariana’s face as she walked down the hallway.
‘Now that they’ve found the body, there’s going to be a bit of a commotion. I have to make a scene for the ladies who came with me and send them away, so I have at least 30 minutes.’
Ariana didn’t know that Cyrus had summoned the investigator, so she thought she had bought herself about 30 minutes.
‘I have to get my hands on it today.’
The evidence that would be both Rachel's and the Western Duke’s weakness, and a weapon that would allow her to rely on the Northern Duke.
While Rachel was married to the Northern Duke and in her lordship, she secretly exchanged letters with her father, the Western Duke. The Western Duke ordered the letters burned immediately after reading them, but Rachel saved a few for when they would be needed.
When Ariana was around 20, Rachel, facing another threat from the Western Duke, used the letters to escape his grasp.
'I took a letter in my hand and sent it to the Northern Duke. Let his wrath pour down on me.'
Rachel pulled the letter out in front of Ariana. Ariana went to the Northern Duke with the letter and relayed Rachel's message, but he beat her and confined her to Rosen Castle for a while.
The Northern Duke took out all his anger toward his daughter, whom he could not reach, on Ariana.
From the moment Rachel had called Ariana into her room and dressed her up, Ariana had suspected what she was planning. She had a hunch that if she avoided it, this moment would surely come.
We must hurry. We absolutely must get our hands on those letters.
'They are mine now.'
Ariana's eyes gleamed as she opened Rachel's door.
'They will now be used for my freedom, not yours.'
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