Chapter 3 (Part 4)

At the guild office, Therese compiled information from various places and recorded it in the ledger.

“The price of oil is rising.”

Such minor changes eventually impacted the market, if not the entire empire. So it was always crucial to understand the flow of the empire.

“Ah, it was this man.”

Therese finally found a person related to the missing woman among the compiled information. Her expression hardened as she held a paper with a simple portrait and introduction.

“Count Geoffrey Pablo.”

He was a pervert who had tried to harm Susanna, who was raising two children. Thinking he was worse than expected, Therese’s eyes gleamed.

She was already thinking of giving this guy a good beating when she found him.

“Sophia, I have somewhere to go for a moment.”

Sophia, who had prepared a cloak, acted as if she would follow her anywhere.

“Madame, I will escort you.”

“I’ll be back soon, so prepare to have lunch together.”

Reassuring Sophia as much as possible, Therese stopped by a small room attached to the office to change clothes. Instead of the neat attire of a Duchess, she chose a flashy dress she used to wear at the gambling house.

After putting on a bonnet with a mesh veil, Therese painted her lips red.

‘I’ll handle this bastard myself.’

Though she rarely took action herself, the nauseating memory of that day made her stomach churn.

If someone hadn’t helped her, Count Pablo’s foul-smelling lips would have touched her.

Shortly after, she arrived in front of a club where gentlemen held social gatherings. This place, without even a signboard, was a club where only the empire’s elite nobles could become members, not just anyone with wealth.

‘Spending the money made from selling people to frequent such a place.’

The more she thought about it, the more disgusted she felt, making her head spin. But it was necessary to remain calm in such times. She only knew Geoffrey was involved, not the detailed circumstances.

‘I need to catch him and make him confess the truth.’

Without Roshan, she had to exert more effort than usual.

While watching the club entrance from the carriage, she spotted a short, stout man coming out.

Recognizing his face, Therese hurried to approach him. Being a man weak to women and alcohol, she was confident he would fall for a simple seduction.

And since he was drunk that day, he wouldn’t recognize her without a mask.

She had placed a few subordinates in the alley. She couldn’t afford to be reckless and end up in trouble.

She got off the carriage, crossed the street, and was only a few steps away from speaking to Geoffrey.

‘All I need to do is talk to him, lure him to the carriage, and signal the others.’

As she slowly reviewed her plan, a long shadow suddenly loomed over Therese.

“……?”

A tall man holding flowers stood in her way.

‘Why is the Duke here again?’

He, too, was dressed in a lower knight’s uniform with a hat pulled down low. As their eyes met, Therese accepted the flowers under the peculiar pressure in the Duke’s eyes.

They looked like a young couple often seen on the streets, and Geoffrey passed by right next to them.

‘……Ah.’

And several escorts, hiding weapons inside their coats, followed behind him.

‘I was too hasty.’

‘Because of you, I missed that bastard!’

As Therese bit her lip, Duke Richard spoke slyly.

“Since I bought you flowers, may I be treated to a cup of tea, beautiful lady?”

“…….”

Ruining her plan entirely and then asking for tea, she was so dumbfounded that she couldn’t speak.

When she remained silent, the Duke pressed further.

“Wasn’t it something worth a thank you?”

Stepping closer, he lifted the veil covering her face as if to tear it off.

In the breeze, she met Duke Richard’s unfathomable black eyes directly.

“I’m asking if I interrupted something.”

He was smiling as he spoke, but the Duke’s mouth was firmly set.

‘Then why do you only show me your back?’

‘I’m rather straightforward, so it’s hard for me to tolerate that.’

She couldn’t understand why the Duke’s words echoed in her ears.

‘This situation is too uncomfortable.’

To avoid hearing such words again, it was more effective to quickly give him what he wanted.

Reluctantly, Therese, who was looking around, pointed to a street café.

“I’ll buy you a cup of tea.”

Her voice was serious, as if repaying a debt.

This place was a bit different from Oxford Street. It was noisy, and all kinds of people were mixed together.

There was a man pulling a cart, and a woman dragging a crying child shouted loudly.

Moreover, as a street café, there were only a few tables set outside, without a shop. The tea and other utensils were loaded on a cart.

“Two cups of tea here, please.”

Sitting in a corner of the street café, Therese naturally raised two fingers. The clerk, confirming the signal, hurriedly brought a kettle and poured the tea like performing a trick.

Just as he was about to place a lemon slice in the tea with tongs, Therese reached out and covered Jeremy’s cup.

The quick-witted clerk understood and only placed a lemon in Therese’s cup before quickly returning to his place.

“…….”

Jeremy, with a steaming cup in front of him, suddenly found himself at a loss for words. Truthfully, it was his first time at a street café. Being frequently on the battlefield, he never thought of coming to such a place.

Born the heir of the Duke’s family, he was used to sipping tea while listening to symphonies in carpeted cafés, not at a table placed over all sorts of filth on the street.

‘Why does she look so natural?’

Therese, with her veil half-lifted, quietly took a sip of tea. Then she began watching the people passing by on the street. There was a newfound liveliness in her eyes.

‘How did she know I don’t like lemon in my tea?’

This was a personal preference he hadn’t disclosed publicly. Usually, he didn’t show any dislike even if served tea with lemon.

“It won’t kill you to drink it, Your Grace.”

Therese spoke to the Duke, who was just staring at the tea. She, too, felt like her head was about to explode.

Today’s failure was practically due to Duke Richard. She bit her lip hard while feeling the dagger hidden in her thigh.

‘He must be tailing me.’

Even after changing carriages twice, he had followed her, showing how persistent he was.

‘Disguised as a knight and even prepared flowers, he must have been watching me all along.’

How much more of the miserable and terrible depths did he want to see?

Was this marriage, done against my will and now his only blemish, his way of punishing me?

Or was it mockery for daring to love him?

As she gulped down the remaining tea, a dark cloud loomed over Therese’s face.

“……”

Therese set down her teacup and glanced at the blue hydrangea bouquet on the empty chair. It was the first gift she received from the Duke.

It was surely a meaningless item, yet it felt strange.

‘Why go to such lengths?’

“Do you like the flowers?”

“…Ah.”

She wasn’t particularly fond of flowers. It was just that she was aware of them because they were given by the Duke.

Then she remembered the meaning of blue hydrangeas.

‘Coldness, heartlessness, arrogance.’

All were negative, and a bitter smile appeared on Therese’s face. She admired the Duke’s meticulousness in not leaving even such trivial things to chance.

‘It’s probably to prevent any misunderstanding on my part.’

“I bought them from a little girl at the corner.”

The Duke, cautiously tasting the tea, replied. The poorly dressed girl was selling various flowers, among which the blue hydrangeas caught his eye, reminding him of Therese’s blue eyes.

‘I knew she’d like them.’

Seeing Therese unable to take her eyes off them, a faint smile appeared on his face. Then Jeremy’s expression hardened.

Since arriving at the street café, he had almost forgotten why he came here.

After releasing Count Pablo from the gambling den, he had been secretly monitoring him and discovered his connection to illegal drugs spreading within the knights.

‘There were too many eyes at the gambling den to take proper action, but to be involved in such crimes…’

He couldn’t let such a person go unchecked. So today, he disguised himself to approach and follow him.

‘I never expected to run into her here.’

Upon spotting Therese in the carriage, he decided to prioritize her safety over pursuing Count Pablo.

After all, Therese was his wife.

Just then, a passing street musician began playing the violin energetically, and some people stood up to dance. Such scenes were common, so Therese sat still without a stir.

“……?”

Until she saw the large hand extended towards her.

“Let’s dance too.”

“No, no.”

Therese had danced with him only once in her life and didn’t want to repeat it.

“……Uh, uh.”

Despite her refusal, the Duke firmly took her hand, lifted Therese, and led her into the dancing crowd.

“Having been on the battlefield for so long, I’m a bit clumsy with dancing. I can’t afford to embarrass myself at the Emperor’s ball.”

Meeting Therese’s eyes, he spoke as if worried. But she knew well that it was a blatant lie. It wasn’t him but her who was bad at dancing.

Sure enough, she stumbled from the start and almost fell. Therese lowered her head, staring at the ground.

‘That’s why I didn’t want to dance.’

She couldn’t count how many dance teachers had quit teaching her as a child. One teacher, with sad eyes, left her with a peculiar farewell, saying one could still be happy without dancing well.

“People of the Richard family do not bow their heads.”

“……”

Therese looked up, her gaze intertwining with the Duke’s. He was dressed no differently from others on the street, yet his forehead under the hat and his deep-set eyes exuded dignity.

“I’m not good at dancing.”

“If you follow my lead, there will be no problem.”

“…Ah.”

Therese almost collapsed as her legs gave way. They had had the same conversation once before.

“You seem unwell. We should head back.”

Holding her with one arm, he spoke in a deep voice. As she tried to signal the coachman after shaking off the Duke’s arm, he whistled.

From somewhere, the Duke’s horse appeared, and Therese found herself mounted on it.

As they left the street, the street musician’s performance reached its peak, and laughter and chatter filled the air.