Chapter 25: How About You Marry the Grand Duke? 

Eirene sat on the bed until Gemma came in to help her prepare for sleep. Due to Clive’s sudden visit, she had barely managed to change into a dress after her bath before going downstairs. 

She hadn’t even had time for makeup, let alone properly drying her hair. 

She had judged that being less adorned was better than keeping him waiting, but upon seeing his face, she realized she was wrong. 

The man who had typically been gentle in both tone and expression greeted her with a hardened face. 

Perhaps she should have maintained proper etiquette even though they were only pretending to be lovers for their own purposes. 

He usually smiled even when looking at her with sharp eyes. His gaze reminded her of when they first met in her life before time turned back. 

No, thinking about it carefully, perhaps it wasn’t quite that severe. 

Regardless, it was uncomfortable to face him. His gaze trapped people, making them unable to move, unable to breathe comfortably. 

The short breaths occasionally escaping his lips sometimes felt like those of a predator steadying its breathing before a hunt. 

Maybe it wasn’t about her appearance. Considering what she knew of Clive, he didn’t seem like someone who would get angry over such matters. 

She wondered if something had happened before he arrived.

“The Grand Duke must have really wanted to see you, miss.”

Gemma, who was brushing Eirene’s hair from behind, smiled brightly.

“Why do you say that?”

“The way he looked at you suggested so.”

“Is that how it seemed to you? To me, he looked upset.”

Gemma paused her brushing and tilted her head.

“Perhaps I saw wrong?”

“Well, I don’t know which of us is right, but I hope it’s you.”

Despite her words, Eirene thought Gemma was mistaken. Clive wasn’t the type to visit simply because he missed her. 

Eirene concluded that something unpleasant must have happened to him today.

* * *

Late into the night, Count and Countess Phineas and Aishe still hadn’t returned. Wondering if there might be something in the office she had missed, Eirene asked Gemma to keep watch while she went inside. 

No matter how she looked, there didn’t seem to be any spaces beyond what she had already found. 

Could it possibly be under the floor? 

That seemed truly impossible. Eirene walked back and forth across the carpet, stomping and listening for any unusual sounds. She knelt down. 

Figuring her hands would be more sensitive than her feet, she swept her fingertips across the floor, checking inch by inch. Nothing unusual could be felt. 

Knock. Knock-knock-knock. Knock-knock. 

Gemma signaled. It was their secret code telling her to come out. 

She quickly went to her bedroom and pretended to be asleep after being informed that the Count and Countess and Aishe had arrived. 

The voices of the servants and the Count and Countess could be heard from outside, but fortunately, nothing happened. Some time passed. 

Just as Eirene was drifting off to sleep, her eyes flew open at the sound of the door opening noisily. 

She didn’t need to look to know who had entered. She sat up and spotted Aishe approaching in the darkness.

“I heard the Grand Duke came?”

Her voice was quiet, contrasting with her noisy entrance.

“He hadn’t seen my face for over a week.”

Eirene revealed the reason for Clive’s visit before Aishe could ask.

“What did you talk about?”

“We just made plans to meet tomorrow, and then he left.”

“I see. Hmm. Listen, Sister Eirene.”

The affectionate way Aishe called her name made Eirene uneasy. What did she want to say now?

“Yes, Aishe.”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about something.”

Eirene wished she would just say it outright, but Aishe paused after trailing off.

“What thoughts?”

“About you and the Grand Duke.”

Eirene silently waited for Aishe to continue.

“How about you marry the Grand Duke?”

Eirene couldn’t fathom Aishe’s intentions. Was she testing her, or was she sincere?

According to Kailro, Aishe had been furious with Siaran at the possibility of Clive and Eirene marrying. So why was she suddenly suggesting marriage to Clive? 

Eirene was speechless and ran her fingers through her hair instead of answering. She disliked this approach. Though she had decided to pursue Clive while staying at Dervel, she didn’t want him handed over to her like this. 

Moreover, if Aishe didn’t suffer in the process of Clive and Eirene being together, it would be meaningless.

“What do you mean?”

“What do I mean? I’m asking how you’d feel about becoming Aishe and marrying the Grand Duke.”

“I don’t want that.”

“Really?”

“Really, I don’t want it. I told you. I’m only playing your role. Do you sincerely want me to marry the Grand Duke?”

“You two seem particularly close, so I thought it might be good.”

Laughter tinged Aishe’s voice. So she had been testing her.

“I have no such intentions.”

“I understand. Sorry for disturbing you while you were sleeping. Go back to bed.”

Aishe left with a voice much brighter than when she had entered. Eirene laughed at the quiet click of the door closing.

* * *

The morning sky was dark. After days of clear weather and rising temperatures that suggested spring was near, it seemed winter had returned. 

Eirene finished her preparations early and boarded the carriage with Gemma. Once the carriage started moving, she lifted the stifling veil that obscured her vision. 

The sun didn’t seem likely to appear today.

“Why was breakfast so abundant? It seemed excessive.”

Her stomach felt uncomfortable. Unlike the light meals she usually had in her bedroom, today’s breakfast had been substantial. 

She had intended to eat as usual and leave the rest, but considering the effort of the kitchen staff who had worked since dawn, she tried to finish everything, which was too much.

“The mistress gave instructions to the kitchen last night. She said she was worried because you were too thin and asked them to prepare meals that would help you become healthier. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. She ordered nutritious meals that would help you gain weight whenever you dine at the mansion.”

The meals had improved since her return from Dervel Palace. Back then, Aishe, whom she had met at the ball, said she would tell the Count and Countess to take better care of her, and that’s what happened. 

She had been quite satisfied and lacked nothing, so why this concern about her health now?

“I’m not eating poorly like before, so why would she do this?”

“When the mistress left, the kitchen staff were completely stunned.”

“Stunned?”

“Of course. The reason you’re thin is because the mistress ordered them not to give you food, but now she’s worried because you’re thin and wants nutritious meals prepared? Everyone was baffled. They keep quiet and do as they’re told because they’re well-paid, but honestly, it’s a bit… you know.”

Gemma held back her next words. She couldn’t bring herself to describe the incomprehensible and ridiculous situation to Eirene. She thought about Aishe’s strange visit last night and this morning’s breakfast. 

Though different issues, they were both peculiar. It was almost like the three people who had been away from the mansion for a day had discussed something externally. 

Looking at her hands neatly placed on her knees, she pondered why the three were acting this way. 

Bump, bump. 

The carriage shook violently as it traveled over a gravel path. Feeling dizzy, she looked up at the window. Suddenly, the carriage stopped, nearly throwing Eirene forward.

“Oh my! Miss, are you alright?”

Thankfully, Gemma sitting opposite caught her, or she might have hit her forehead.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“What happened?”

Gemma opened the small window facing the coachman and asked.

“Good grief. A pig suddenly jumped in front of us. Is the young lady alright? Are you okay too?”

“Yes, we’re fine here.”

When Gemma opened the window to confirm the coachman’s words, a boy appeared. He was repeatedly apologizing while trying to catch a runaway pig.

“Ah! Get back here! Are you going to be like this? If you don’t listen, I’ll fatten you up and eat you!”

The boy shouted in frustration when the pig wouldn’t cooperate. At that moment, Eirene’s mind flashed to this morning’s breakfast and the Countess Phineas’s words that Gemma had told her about. 

They’re not planning to fatten her up and eat her like that pig, so why are they doing this? 

It seemed both understandable and incomprehensible at the same time. It felt like looking at something with a foggy outline. If only the fog would clear a little, everything would become clear. 

It was frustrating. Her head hurt. 

Just as she raised her hand to press against her temple, a piercing noise sounded in her head. 

Ah, she understood now. 

Thud. 

Eirene’s hand fell limply onto the seat. As the boy’s shouts and the pig’s squeals faded away, the coachman announced they were departing.

* * *

It was just past noon. Despite the unfavorable weather, the streets were bustling with people. The cloudy day didn’t deter merchants preparing for the approaching spring. 

A merchant selling dried mushrooms sniffled and asked the merchant selling decorative items at the next stall:

“I wonder who that prince is waiting for?”

He pointed at Clive, who stood rigidly with his hands behind his back.

“Who knows? He’s been standing there for quite some time.”

“Is he waiting for another woman?”

“Would he do that when he has a fiancée?”

“Is he the type to look only at his fiancée? That habit won’t change so easily.”

“I heard rumors that the two of them get along well. They say the Grand Duke is completely smitten.”

“Come on, that’s ridiculous. Why would they call him the Empire’s rogue otherwise?”

The skeptical merchant clicked his tongue, but not long after, a scene unfolded proving him wrong. A carriage approached. Judging by the family crest, it belonged to nobility. 

Shortly after, a person appeared where the carriage had departed. Despite the distance, everyone’s attention was drawn to the woman whose flowing black hair contrasted starkly with her snow-white skin. 

The prince kissed the woman’s hand and then embraced her. His expression was unmistakably that of a man in love. 

The merchant who sold decorative items laughed and patted the shoulder of the merchant beside him.

“What did I tell you? You were wrong.”

* * *

Fortunately, Clive showed no signs of last night’s demeanor. Before getting out of the carriage, Eirene had hesitated, wondering what she would do if he was the same as last night. 

But the man she faced was the one she had known all along, which reassured her. She had been right that something unpleasant had happened yesterday. 

After entering their private space and taking a moment to catch her breath, Eirene began speaking. When she told him everything she had seen in the secret space, Clive’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Was there no indication of the year?”

“No. But judging by the deterioration of the paper, they seemed to have been collected over a long time. Some papers looked new, suggesting they’re still collecting them now.”

“Why would they keep such sparse personal information?”

“Please look at this.”

Eirene pulled out a paper and showed it to him. Clive took the paper, read the writing, tilted his head to the side, and slowly closed and opened his eyes.

“These are noble families, right?”

Names occasionally written at the end of the children’s basic personal information. 

At first, Eirene thought they were names. They seemed random, written at the end, making her suspect the children had changed their names. 

But after examining many documents, she realized they weren’t first names but family names. They included nobles not only from the Bainfelt Empire but also from other countries. 

She had even checked and confirmed this in books from the underground room.

“Yes, they’re nobility.”

“No matter how much I think about it, I can’t find the connection.”

“I have a suspicion. I hope I’m wrong, but it seems the Phineas family…”

Clive stopped speaking and sighed. Eirene waited for him to continue, watching him, and discovered sadness and disgust in his ash-gray eyes. 

In that moment, one hypothesis flashed through her mind. It could be possible. She had forgotten that the Count and Countess Phineas were capable of such things and worse. And the numerous documents were evidence that not just the current Count and Countess, but the Phineas family had been doing this for a long time.

“The Phineas family has been trafficking children.”

Speaking slowly, Eirene covered her mouth, feeling like she might retch. Though the words came from her own lips, they were horrifying.