Chapter 19

“Pardon me, but did you personally select these items, Young Lady?”

The chamberlain asked as if testing her. Evelyn racked her brain, trying to figure out how to answer without leaving room for criticism, and replied,  

“Yes. I chose them with the help of the head maid and others. I wanted something neutral but also exchangeable for money if disliked.”

“Oh, exchangeable for money?”

“My gifts can’t possibly suit everyone’s tastes.”

The chamberlain nodded silently before posing another question.  

“Some might think it unfair to receive the same gift as others, don’t you think?”

“That’s why I divided them into three tiers—upper, middle, and lower—based on rank. For the middle tier, I added a silverware set, and for the upper tier, I included a roll of silk.”  

That decision had cost a fortune.  

Particularly devastating was that most of the knights fell into the upper and middle tiers.  

“Is this what you mean?”  

The chamberlain placed two boxes on the table. Inside were a sparkling silverware set and a beautifully wrapped roll of silk.  

‘Why ask when you already know everything?’  

Seeing Evelyn’s reluctant expression, the chamberlain chuckled softly.  

“These are truly thoughtful gifts. Don’t you think it would be nice to offer the same to guests visiting Freesia Palace?”  

Hmm, it sounded like a compliment, but there was an unmistakable hint of a trap. Evelyn thought carefully before responding.  

“The items I prepared are practical, aren’t they? But I don’t think practicality is particularly important to the visitors here.”  

“Is that so? Then what would be suitable?”  

“For distinguished guests, I’d suggest personalized gifts. For regular visitors…”  

Evelyn listed items that could showcase extravagance. The chamberlain, nodding repeatedly, burst into laughter once again.  

“You are truly wise.”  

‘Does that mean I passed?’  

As the chamberlain stroked his beard with a satisfied expression, he spoke.  

“Since I’ve gained valuable insight, I must repay you. Madam Reed, shall we begin?”  

“Yes, we are fully prepared on our end.”  

The head maid replied confidently. At the chamberlain’s nod, he rang the table bell. The door opened, and attendants entered, each carrying a long, thin box.  

The attendants carefully opened the boxes in front of Evelyn, revealing their contents.  

“This is a necklace adorned with 17 emeralds and diamonds.”  

“A necklace, earrings, and ring set featuring yellow diamonds.”  

“A hairpiece and belt crafted with opals, gold, and diamonds.”  

The jewelry sparkled so brightly it was almost overwhelming. The attendants brought box after box, while the head maid and maids meticulously checked and recorded each item.  

Evelyn, looking bewildered, turned to the chamberlain.  

“Grandfather, what is all this?”  

“These are the assets left to you by Princess Catherine, Your Highness.”  

‘What? Who?’  

Noticing Evelyn’s confused expression, the Chamberlain smiled and explained.  

“She was your mother-in-law. A princess of the Kingdom of Castia.”  

‘Ah, so Seth’s mother was a princess. Not particularly surprising.’  

“The princess was adamantly against sending her second son to the temple. To oppose her husband’s insistence, she prepared all of this.”  

Evelyn recalled hearing that Seth had followed the path of priesthood from a young age. It seemed his mother had opposed it. Judging by the dowry she had meticulously prepared, she had intended to see her son married.  

“The inheritance includes 135 pieces of royal jewelry from the Kingdom of Castia, 170 personal ornaments, lands, vacation homes, and shops in the capital. They are now all yours, young lady.”  

“Gah!”  

‘No, this is poison! Accepting this will kill me!’  

Desperate to survive, Evelyn pleaded earnestly.  

“Grandfather, I don’t need all this. What the Duke has given me is more than enough.”  

“Hoho. Madam Reed, is the young lady’s claim true?”  

The chamberlain dismissed Evelyn’s words as a joke and turned to the head maid. The head maid, rushing over, looked at Evelyn as if she were speaking nonsense.  

“Not at all sufficient. What His Grace provided covered only the basics, but much is still lacking.”  

“But I noticed the budget for the annex remains untouched.”  

“That’s because you are so frugal that you avoid calling for merchants. You even discard the dresses that were barely prepared, Young Lady…”  

The head maid sighed heavily, looking as if she might lose her mind. Evelyn quickly offered an explanation.  

“Grandfather, I already have plenty of dresses. Even if I change five times a day, I wouldn’t run out before the seasons change. Dresses go out of fashion after just a year, so I kept only the ones I’d actually wear and gave the rest away.”  

The dresses weren’t even ones she had chosen herself; Seth had bought and hoarded them.  

While it was natural for an owner to want to dress up their pet, Seth had taken it to an extreme. The dress room was bursting at the seams with new outfits every day.  

Unable to bear it, Evelyn had eventually sorted through the dresses and distributed them among the maids. It was better for someone to wear them beautifully than for them to go to waste.  

After listening to Evelyn’s rational explanation, the chamberlain burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.  

“It seems the rumors about maids fighting to work at the annex were true.”  

“I am truly embarrassed.”  

The head maid lowered her head in shame.  

Evelyn looked back and forth between the two, puzzled. 

‘What did I do wrong?’  

The chamberlain, finally calming his laughter, spoke kindly.  

“You may do the same with the princess’s inheritance. Keep what you like and sell or give away the rest.”  

‘Selling foreign royal jewels? What kind of disaster would that bring?’  

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Evelyn tried to reason with him.  

“Grandfather, please reconsider. Just because I’m the Duke’s fiancée doesn’t mean I should accept all of this.”  

“If you are unworthy of receiving it, then no one is.”  

‘Please, just let me live.’  

When Evelyn looked at him with a near-tearful expression, the chamberlain relented.  

“Madam Reed, could you dismiss the others for a moment?”  

“I must remain by the young lady’s side.”  

“You may stay.”  

Nodding, the head maid sent the others away. Meanwhile, the chamberlain retrieved a golden box and placed it before Evelyn.  

“You’ll understand once you open this.”  

Hesitant, Evelyn opened the box. Inside was a plate adorned with gold leaf and jewels. 

‘A plate?’  

“This is a commemorative portrait plate created to celebrate the birth of Lady Margaret.”  

Upon closer inspection, the plate featured what appeared to be a family portrait.  

“This is Princess Catherine.”  

The chamberlain pointed to a slender woman with brown hair holding a baby. She was a delicate beauty with refined features that resembled Seth’s.  

“And here are the late Duke, Lord Arthur, and Lady Margaret.”  

Seth’s father, whom Evelyn had mentally cursed, was a handsome man with black hair and a sharp, irritable expression. Seth’s brother, despite resembling their father, looked kind, while the youngest sister was merely a swaddled infant.  

‘I didn’t know Seth had a younger sister.’  

Evelyn tilted her head and pointed at the child half-hidden behind the princess.  

“Is this the Duke?”  

“Yes, it is. You recognized him immediately.”  

‘…He’s the only one with silver hair.’  

Still, Evelyn understood why they might think she wouldn’t recognize him.  

Young Seth looked like a cherubic angel sculpted from sugar. His tiny hands clutching his mother’s skirt were so endearing Evelyn felt an urge to hand him a stuffed bunny.  

‘How did such an angel grow up to be as cold as an air conditioner? What happened?’  

The box was supposed to provide answers, but it only raised more questions.  

The chamberlain, gazing wistfully at the plate, began to speak.  

“The late Duke struggled greatly because of his exceptional younger brother. Perhaps because of this, he wished for his eldest son to avoid the same pain. When his second son was born, he raised him with severe discrimination.”  

According to the chamberlain, Seth’s father had deeply disliked Seth.  

While his wife was alive, he at least maintained appearances, but after the princess passed away following the birth of their youngest, his mistreatment became blatant.  

Eventually, Seth was sent to the temple, barely returning home except on the anniversary of his mother’s death.  

“And then, 11 years ago, it happened on the princess’s death anniversary.”  

That night, a fire broke out in the Duke’s estate.  

Seth’s younger sister, who had been staying in the annex, was caught in the flames.  

Realizing she hadn’t escaped, Seth ran into the burning building. His older brother, noticing this, followed in an attempt to save them both… but only Seth emerged alive.  

Evelyn blinked slowly. The atmosphere felt so heavy it was hard to breathe.  

“Because of that incident, His Grace suffered malicious accusations.”  

He was accused of killing his brother to secure his inheritance, murdering his sister to cover it up, and plotting murder to steal his brother’s lover. The vile rumors were endless.  

“People were quick to slander and belittle him without any evidence.”  

The chamberlain sighed heavily. Behind him, the head maid was wiping away tears. Evelyn hesitated before asking.  

“Did the Duke’s father also believe those things?”  

“He was the worst of them all.”  

The chamberlain’s face twisted with disdain.