Chapter 45. Charity Event

When I asked with sparkling eyes, the Duke responded positively.

“There’s no better place to emphasize your good relationship with Francis. It’s a good idea.”

With the Duke’s support, Isabelle reluctantly added,

“Should you really ask that? People might think I’m excluding you.”

“Of course not. Who else cares for me as much as you do, Mother?”

As I smiled exaggeratedly, Isabelle gulped down water. Unable to speak harshly in front of the Duke, she seemed to be quenching her frustration with water.

My voice grew even more cheerful.

“Feel free to call on me anytime. I want to get closer to you, Mother. You’ve always been my role model.”

My textbook-perfect daughter-in-law response made Isabelle’s face sour, while the Duke looked pleased. It must have been amusing to him that Francis wanted to resemble Blanche.

Isabelle’s lips trembled at my honeyed words. She seemed to be holding back, knowing she’d look foolish if she lost her temper now.

“There’s no one like Isabelle when it comes to being a noblewoman.”

The Duke’s compliment seemed to ease Isabelle’s discomfort a bit.

Meanwhile, Sezad shivered at my fawning response, finding it cringeworthy to see me cozying up to the Duke and Duchess of Blanche

Still, he shouldn’t stare so blatantly.

He seemed unaware of Helen’s increasingly hostile gaze towards me.

Feeling good about easily getting what I wanted, I decided to continue my flattery.

“Father, I hope we can have more gatherings like this in the future.”

That way, Isabelle would have to give me more tasks, right?

The Duke laughed heartily at my words.

“Yes, it’s nice to see the family so harmonious since you joined. They say having a good woman in the house is important.”

The Duke glanced at Helen as he spoke. Helen, who had been glaring at me, looked taken aback. The Duke didn’t stop there.

“How can two people of the same age be so different? Tsk.”

The Duke shook his head, openly comparing me and Helen. Helen seemed deflated, indicating this wasn’t the first time she had been compared to me.

Helen then glared at me with a sharp look, like I was the cause of all this.

It was ridiculous. It’s as if she believed she wouldn’t hear such things if it weren’t for me. I had long since developed a tolerance for such jealous looks.

I shrugged as if to ask what she was looking at. Surprisingly, Helen didn’t pick a fight, likely because she was wary of her parents.

Seeing this, it was clear how much the domineering Duke and the duplicitous Duchess had tormented Helen.

‘This wretched household.’

With parents who thought only of marrying off their daughter for profit, it was no wonder Helen had gone astray.

But I have no sympathy. It only solidified my resolve, confirming that this was a dysfunctional family as expected.

‘So, was the accident that day orchestrated by the Duke, the Duchess, or both?’

I had no way of knowing whether they had cooperated from the start or made a deal later. What was certain was that the Duke couldn’t be unaware of the Black Shadow’s involvement.

‘One day, I’ll see that shameless face crumble in humiliation.’

As I made that vow, I noticed Aster had been unusually quiet. He seemed a bit dazed. I lightly spoke to him.

“Aster, what are you thinking about?”

“Nothing.”

Aster shrugged with a sly smile. His voice was as usual, making me wonder if my worries were unfounded. I quickly forgot my concerns and focused on the meal.

* * *

After the meal, Aster moved to a quiet place. Camilla had been called away by Isabelle, likely to receive some brief instructions about the upcoming charity event.

‘Maybe they were looking for something other than a person.’

Camilla’s words lingered in his mind. He hadn’t confessed that he was the target that day out of fear.

He couldn’t predict how Camilla would react when she learned that truth. She had a seizure just from glimpsing a small memory fragment.

She might even regret entering into a contract marriage with him.

When it came to Camilla, he became a coward. It would have been better if he could be satisfied just being her sword of vengeance.

‘Aster.’

He loved the way Camilla called his name with a bright smile. He loved her kindness in excluding him from her plans to destroy Blanche. He loved everything about her, including her love for family and pursuit of justice.

There was nothing about her not to love. Aster often felt an inexplicable anxiety.

He feared that this happiness would become just a fleeting memory, like a shooting star.

He feared he would eventually be abandoned. He feared seeing that cold expression again.

As he was sorting through these unresolved emotions alone, the communication stone buzzed with a familiar name. Seeing the name, he steeled himself once more.

Right now, Camilla’s revenge and his mother’s revenge were more important than his feelings.

— I’ve arrived. I’m thinking of visiting my sister…

“There’s a suitable occasion coming up. The Duchess is hosting a charity event soon.”

— I can greet her then. And scare her a bit.

“Don’t cause too much of a commotion.”

— I know that much. Oh, and Joseph came along too. It was a struggle to bring him, but I managed.

The woman laughed brightly, her accent from the Kingdom of Kamatie making her cheerful voice even more distinct.

“You did well. I didn’t expect him to come.”

— He needs to see what was taken from him.

Her voice turned cold as if she had never laughed.

— Anyway, I’m curious to see how Isabelle is living now. How much has she changed from before?

Despite her words, her tone was as cold as frost in midsummer.

Knowing the feelings she harbored towards Isabelle Blanche, Aster understood she was restraining herself. He chuckled and said,

“She’s still shameless and selfish.”

— Of course. People don’t change easily. She’s probably even more ruthless now. By the way, will I get to meet your fiancée this time?

“She’s my wife now.”

— Right, your wife.

The woman chuckled, showing interest in Camilla. Thinking of Camilla brought a gentle smile to Aster’s lips.

“I’ll introduce you soon.”

— I’m very curious. I heard she’s had her share of troubles with Isabelle too. I think we’ll get along well.

After some light conversation, Aster asked seriously,

“Since Joseph is here, does that mean what you mentioned last time is confirmed?”

— Yes, it’s confirmed. We’ve verified the evidence. No matter how much she denies it, she can’t argue against the evidence. But I’d like you to keep this from your wife for now. Joseph doesn’t want it revealed yet.

“Understood.”

With that, Aster ended the communication. He then moved towards where Camilla was.

* * *

On the day of the charity event at Bella.

I attended the event as the daughter-in-law of the Blanche family. Though I was more of a guest since I joined in the final stages, my main purpose was to gauge the atmosphere.

A charity event was the perfect place to identify who was close to the Duchess of Blanche and who remained neutral.

I slowly walked around the tables, observing the people. Some openly displayed their closeness, while others seemed to have been dragged there reluctantly.

What was somewhat surprising was the presence of people from our family, likely due to my marriage with Francis. They seemed curious to see if the old grudges between Francis and Blanche had truly been resolved.

They gave me awkward smiles upon noticing me, embarrassed at being caught spying.

I returned a vague smile and shifted my gaze elsewhere. As I continued to observe, I recalled what Aster had said that morning.

‘I have someone to introduce to you.’

‘Why are you suddenly offering to make introductions, Aster?’

‘Because this person is crucial to our plans.’

By ‘our plans,’ he meant our effort to bring down Blanche. Seeing my serious expression, he suggested we discuss it in detail when we met.

‘Who could it be?’

Unlike Brix or Christopher, this person seemed to have a personal grudge against Blanche. Otherwise, they wouldn’t join our plan to confront a grand noble of Ahivith.

I shook off my thoughts and focused on the event. Isabelle’s charity event was essentially a festival to open the purses of the noblewomen. As a large-scale event, it was already bustling.

From a bard with a delicate voice to a graceful harp performance, the entertainment was designed to delight the senses, and the noblewomen were already halfway to opening their purses. With the addition of alcohol, the atmosphere was becoming even more lively.

It was then that I noticed Isabelle was nowhere to be seen. I wandered around but couldn’t find her.

For the host to be absent meant something must have happened. I immediately headed towards the office to find Isabelle. The office was quiet since all the staff were busy with the event outside.

As I crossed the hallway, I heard a sharp voice. It was Isabelle’s. I quietly approached the source of the sound.