Chapter 4 – Suspicion (Part 1)

Due to the whirlwind engagement and move to the Ducal estate, Elysia von Serenze arrived here with little preparation, bringing only what the Serenze family had packed for her. Once she settled in and her mind calmed, she realized she had come to her new residence with almost no preparation.

‘The Duke must have thoroughly investigated me, but I know almost nothing about him.’

Asking the staff at the Ducal estate was unlikely to yield honest answers about their master. Cassius himself was so reticent that it was doubtful he could say more than five words in a casual conversation, and he certainly wouldn’t appreciate questions about himself.

Currently, the only way Elysia could learn about the Duke without much risk was through one method. Elysia sighed and pulled out some stationery.

‘If Mother finds out I’m asking for this, she’ll be smug, saying, “See, I told you to always research your potential suitors.”‘

Elysia picked up a quill pen for the first time in a while and began to write a letter.

[Dear Mother, it’s Elysia. I’m doing very well at the Ducal estate. I hope Father, Marion, and everyone else are well.

The Duke is busy, but he tries to spend time with me by dining together often. However, it’s hard to have a natural conversation because we have no common topics, and I know so little about him.

Could you send me a few of those ‘dignified books’ you used to read that relate to the Duke? It would help me adapt to life at the Ducal estate.

Wishing you peace,

Elysia

P.S. Please don’t send all the volumes; I don’t want to cause unnecessary misunderstandings. I would appreciate it if you could send them as soon as possible.]

After writing the letter, Elysia placed it in an envelope and sealed it with special wax her father had given her the day before she moved to the Ducal estate.

“Elysia, this wax changes color if someone tries to secretly open the letter. Even if they reseal it perfectly, it will show. There shouldn’t be a need, but if you ever need to write a very secretive letter, use this.”

Elysia used the special wax not for any particular reason. This expensive wax was considered a valuable item, so when she unpacked, she stored it in the desk drawer with her stationery for easy access.

Ordinary sealing wax was stuffed somewhere haphazardly, and she couldn’t remember where it was. She thought it might be somewhere in the wardrobe, but she was too lazy to look for it. There was also the rationalization that if someone else accidentally saw the contents, asking for the ‘Ladies’ Newsletter’ could be embarrassing, so using the special wax seemed like a good idea.

The letter Elysia handed to Millie to send caught the attention of the butler, Pedro, who checked all outgoing mail from the estate. The letter, having passed through Pedro, came into Aaron’s hands. As usual, Aaron intended to check the contents first but immediately recognized the wax on the envelope. It was the special wax occasionally used in secret transactions by high-ranking officials.

Aaron promptly took the letter, still in its envelope, to the Duke.

“When was this supposed to be sent?”

“Not long ago.”

Cassius took out a liquid from his desk that temporarily neutralized the special wax.

It was developed by Cassius’s friend and alchemy professor, Emilliano van Gottree, at the request of the Duke and the King. It was used to intercept letters from noble families to understand their movements or to inspect the mail entering the royal palace for dangers. Developed in strict secrecy, even high-ranking nobles were unaware of its existence.

When the liquid was applied to the wax, the sealed part easily came apart without changing the color of the special wax. After reading the contents, the Duke handed the letter to Aaron. After Aaron finished reading, Cassius spoke.

“It seems she’s asking her mother to investigate me.”

However, to Aaron, it seemed like an ordinary letter from someone wanting to know more about their fiancé. Cassius continued, breaking Aaron’s thought.

“Using special wax to seal the letter suggests she thought the contents must not be exposed.”

The contents seemed ordinary, but the wax used was anything but. Special wax wasn’t easily obtainable, and due to its cost, it wasn’t used for ordinary letters. Aaron thought his superior’s suspicion was likely correct.

Based on his impression, Miss Serenze didn’t seem like someone who would plot anything, but that was just an assessment of her outward appearance, not her inner thoughts. There must have been a reason she wanted to hide the contents by using such expensive and rare wax.

Cassius put the letter back in the envelope. The wax resealed the letter without any color change and was returned to the butler and then to the hands of the coachman who would send the mail.

***

In accordance with the additional contract requiring 30 minutes of physical activity per day, the Duke had instructed the butler to ensure Elysia moved for at least 30 minutes each day. Thus, Pedro accompanied Elysia around the estate under the guise of educating her about the Ducal estate. As a result, Elysia received detailed explanations about every corner of the estate, more than necessary.

She once subtly suggested that she could listen while having tea, but the butler insisted that it was the Duke’s request that she see everything firsthand as the future lady of the house.

‘It’s more of a command than a request. It’s boring and tedious.’

The day after sending the letter, Elysia was again dragged along for Pedro’s tour of the estate. Tired and annoyed, Elysia listened with one ear and let it out the other, while Pedro, seemingly not expecting her engagement, led the way without checking if she was paying attention.

As the two headed back toward the entrance of the estate, young coachman Seti, who was looking around the entrance, spotted Elysia and greeted her brightly.

“Madam! Hello!”

Pedro frowned at the loud and cheerful greeting, which didn’t match the somber atmosphere of the estate. Seti, though only in his late teens, was more skilled at driving and managing horses than anyone else. Thus, he performed most of the coachman duties at the Ducal estate in place of his father, who had back and leg issues.

It was also Seti who drove the large black carriage to the Serenze estate to escort Elysia.

Seti was completely smitten by the bright and sophisticated atmosphere of the Serenze estate, the attire of the servants, and the sight of Elysia stepping out to board the carriage. He couldn’t believe someone like her was coming to the gloomy Ducal estate.

Since her arrival, Elysia had rarely gone out, so he hadn’t had the chance to meet her. Seeing her now, he was so delighted that he greeted her loudly.

Realizing his actions belatedly, Seti looked around nervously, but Elysia, liking his bright demeanor, smiled at him. Seti’s face turned beet red from his neck up. He handed over the item wrapped in a silk cloth that he held dearly.

“It’s something sent by the Madam of the Serenze estate.”

‘Already?’

It had only been a day since Elysia sent the letter. She thought it would take time to sort through the numerous past issues of the ‘Ladies’ Newsletter’ to find those related to the Duke, but it arrived much sooner than expected. In her surprise, Elysia took the item from Seti, missing the butler’s distressed expression behind her.

“I asked my mother to send the books I used to read at the Serenze estate, and it seems she sent them right away. I’d like to check them in my room, so today’s explanation about the estate should be sufficient, right?”

Feeling it was necessary for some reason, Elysia added an excuse to Pedro, who was staring intently at her. The butler quickly averted his gaze and bowed, telling her to rest well in her room.