Chapter 3.6

Although no specific instructions were given, Dean’s task had been clear ever since Evan had been allowed to leave without interference.  

“I immediately sent someone to follow him.”  

Returning to his office, Helio nodded slightly at Dean’s report.  

“Whoever it is, they’re not very clever. To use such an obvious move.”  

“Is that why you were so angry? Because they used such a visible tactic?”  

Dean, who had been watching the situation from behind earlier, could tell.  

He could sense just how angry Helio had been at that moment, and how much effort it had taken to suppress it.  

“They dared to mock me. But… Why are you laughing like that? Do you find this situation amusing?”  

Helio growled slowly. Dean’s grinning expression, which he had been wearing for a while now, was starting to irritate him.  

“Of course not. I was just thinking… Normally, you would’ve let something like this slide. That obvious move, I mean.”  

“What do you mean?”  

“You knew everything, and yet, wouldn’t you have said, ‘Oh, good, take her away quickly’? After all, one less bothersome bride candidate.”

At Dean’s words, Helio paused for a moment.  

It wasn’t entirely unreasonable. Looking back now, under normal circumstances, he probably would have done exactly that.  

Did I miss a golden opportunity? 

But at that moment, he hadn’t even had the time to think about such things.  

It had been a long time since he had felt such overwhelming anger.  

Every time that person had called Elena’s name with such familiarity, it felt as if his insides were turning upside down.  

He had barely managed to suppress the urge to crush that mouth spouting nonsense.  

Why? Why was I so angry?  

That sense of discomfort still lingered within him.  

After a brief moment of thought, Helio spoke again.  

“This is a matter of someone’s honor. Even I can’t just overlook something like that.”  

Indeed. Dean still wore his enigmatic smile.  

“What’s with that expression?”  

“Nothing. By the way, this is truly vile. What could their goal possibly be? Lady Elena must feel terribly wronged.”  

Helio knew Dean was deliberately trying to change the subject, but he couldn’t disagree with his statement.  

It really was a filthy move. Whatever their objective, the clear target of their scheme was undoubtedly her.  

Even if the tactic was obvious, it wasn’t an easy problem to solve.  

If Evan’s words were true, rumors were already circulating in the capital.  

Whether those rumors were baseless or not, once they spread, even if the truth came out later, no one would care about it.  

That was the nature of rumors. The victim was always left to bear the full brunt of the damage.  

“Investigate thoroughly. If necessary, I’ll connect you to Zeroth.”  

Zeroth was both the name of a renowned information-gathering merchant guild and its leader.  

“Oh, in that case, things will move much faster.”  

Dean disappeared quickly with a satisfied expression. Both Dean and Zeroth were highly capable individuals, so results would come soon.  

Tap. Tap. Tap.  

Helio’s fingers drummed faster on the desk.  

Yes, this was a matter tied to his own honor as well. That’s why he felt so unpleasant about it.  

The more Helio thought about it, the more he concluded that his anger stemmed from this.  

* * *  

Evan felt that things were going terribly wrong in many ways.  

Was it a mistake to trust that man’s words? 

No, even if he had refused the proposal, he wouldn’t have escaped unscathed.  

After all, the House of Marquis Botter could easily manipulate a family like his with just a word.  

So, from the moment Charles arrived at the House of Clente with a large sum of money, Evan’s course of action had already been determined.  

Inside the carriage on his way back, Evan recalled the night Charles had come to visit.  

It was past midnight, a time when everyone should have been asleep, that a strange man knocked on the doors of the Clente estate.  

The man introduced himself as Charles Botter, the third son of the House of Marquis Botter.  

“All you have to do is pretend you were her secret lover.”  

“Is that really all? If I do just that, you’re saying you’ll give me all this money?”  

Charles’ proposal was simpler than Evan had expected.  

Of course, there was the guilt of deceiving someone and the risk of being caught in the lie, but the amount of money Charles offered was incomparable to such concerns.  

“Yes. Just hint that you had a very intimate relationship with her. Then, reveal that she’s had more than just one man like you. Say that she’s a woman who toys with men and even warn the Grand Duke to be cautious of her. That’s all you need to do.”  

As Charles continued, Evan realized that this proposal was far from simple.  

Of course, they wouldn’t hand over such a large sum of money for nothing.  

There was a vast difference between telling a lie and ruining someone’s life with that lie.  

“But if I do that, Lady Bellacita’s future will…”  

“Haha! Are you seriously worried about the House of Bellacita? How pointless.”  

Charles’ mocking laughter implied, “How dare someone like you worry about them?”  

Evan’s face burned with humiliation.  

It was true—he had no rebuttal. The House of Bellacita was far beyond the concern of a poor Viscount’s family barely holding onto their noble title.  

“In a few years, the rumors will die down. When that happens, the Marquis of Bellacita will find her a suitable match anyway.”  

When Evan thought of his mother, bedridden for years without proper treatment, he realized he didn’t have the luxury to hesitate any longer.  

Charles must have known about his financial situation before coming to him.  

Evan’s expression darkened. His guess was correct.  

A man with a decent reputation, good looks, and an urgent need for money—Evan fit Charles’ criteria perfectly.  

Evan’s dim, desperate eyes were fixed on the bag of money in front of him.  

With that much money, he could not only afford his mother’s medicine but even hire the best doctor in the capital to stay at their home for a while.  

“I’ve heard that the Grand Duke of Castia is a merciless man. Are you sure I won’t be in danger because of this?”

It wasn’t his own safety that worried Evan. It was only natural to receive punishment for one’s crimes.  

However, he was concerned about his mother, who would be left alone if anything happened to him.  

His father, Viscount Clente, had left the house a month ago, saying he might be able to obtain good medicine, and had yet to return.  

At this rate, Evan was effectively the head of the household. He alone had to take care of his mother and their small estate.  

“In that case, there’s no problem. The Grand Duke won’t bother to verify the truth. He’ll just strip her of her candidacy on the spot.”  

“If the Marquis of Bellacita finds out about this, he won’t stay silent, though.”  

“You worry too much. How could the Marquis of Bellacita possibly know about all his daughter’s relationships? Even if she feels wronged, there’s nothing she can do if we insist otherwise.”  

The faint conscience lingering in Evan’s heart continued to make him hesitate.  

“There’s nothing to worry about. You’re so anxious that I’ll tell you in advance.” 

Charles leaned in close to the hesitant Evan and whispered in a low voice.  

“A lie becomes the truth if enough people say it. That’s how people’s minds work. Don’t worry about the rumors; I’ll take care of spreading them. Just go and do your part.”  

As if concluding their secret conversation, Charles straightened his back, leaned deeply into the sofa, and laughed heartily. 

“Practice your acting whenever you have time. The Grand Duke won’t tolerate sloppy performances. Once everything is successfully done, I’ll even add more to your payment.”  

Despite his hesitation, Evan couldn’t help but nod at Charles’s final words.  

Was I now paying the price for not ignoring the devil’s whispers, even though I knew better?  

The Grand Duke’s actions were entirely different from what Charles had described.  

Far from stripping her of her candidacy on the spot, the atmosphere made Evan feel as though his life might end at any moment.  

Where did things go wrong?  

He had thought that having an ex-fiancé show up to take her away would be slightly better for her honor than being branded as a woman who toyed with multiple men and cast out.  

In his shallow attempt at virtue, he had even used a pet name and displayed a passionate love. Had it come across as too excessive?  

Thinking back, it seemed to have started then. The Grand Duke, who had maintained an indifferent expression throughout, began to crack.  

The image of those golden eyes, gleaming like those of a predator, came to mind, and an overwhelming fear gripped him.  

Although every movement seemed perfectly composed, the gaze and voice directed at him carried a chilling menace that made his blood run cold.  

His life was no longer the issue. If things went wrong, his entire family might be wiped out.  

He had to meet Charles Botter as soon as possible.  

Surely, Charles would come up with a solution. At this point, relying on Charles was all Evan could do.