Chapter 51. Lucky You

“Her hands were trembling. It seems she’s scared of what she’s done.”

Camilla mimicked Isabelle’s actions from that time and laughed. She seemed quite pleased with how Isabelle, following Paris, was now cornered.

“Later in the carriage, she asked me separately to arrange a meeting with Lady Brilly. I said okay for now, but I have no intention of doing so.”

“You can’t give her what she wants so easily.”

“Exactly. We can’t do anything that benefits Blanche. When she asks later, I’ll just say that Lady Brilly requested a formal invitation to Blanche Castle.”

“Since she’ll be curious about how Lady Brilly knows Letia, she won’t be able to refuse.”

“Right. And she’ll be cautious about asking me to arrange a separate meeting, knowing the risks involved. It would be troublesome for her if I got closer to Lady Brilly because of this.”

“Thanks to you, it looks like my aunt will be formally invited to Blanche Castle soon. The plan is going well.”

Aster smiled, and Camilla shrugged her shoulders with a smile.

Everything was going according to plan.

The reason for revealing Alyssa’s location was precisely this. By subtly showing Alyssa’s connection with Letia, they aimed to get Alyssa formally invited to Blanche Castle.

If Isabelle wanted to bring Alyssa out of Letia Castle, she had no other option. The invitation would take about a week to arrive at most.

“I’ve also leaked some false information, so she’ll keep an eye on my relationship with Alyssa for a while. She’ll be on edge, fearing I might find out the truth.”

“No matter how experienced an old fox is, they lose their judgment when cornered.”

Aster agreed with Camilla’s words and held her hand tightly. He was a bit disappointed that all she talked about was work.

He gently caressed the soft flesh of her palm as he pulled her hand towards him. Despite this, Camilla continued talking.

“In the meantime, it would be a good idea to encourage Paris to take advantage of the trust that the Duchess has left for her son. She’s normally very cautious because she manages it.”

“Yes, that would be good.”

Aster responded absentmindedly, already more interested in Camilla herself than in her words. Camilla seemed to finally notice this.

“So, I plan to meet Sezad soon to discuss the details. If we drag it out too long, the Duke might get suspicious, and we might involve unnecessary people.”

“Yes.”

“And while we’re at it… Aster, are you even listening to me?”

Camilla asked quietly, realizing that Aster was only giving mechanical responses.

“Of course. I’m listening to everything you’re saying.”

“Really? It seems like you’re more interested in my hand than in my story right now.”

Camilla softly scolded him, glancing at Aster, who was playing with her hand.

At that moment, their eyes met. His red eyes sparkled beautifully, showing no intention of refuting her words. He pressed gently on her soft flesh and murmured.

“My interest is always in you, Camilla.”

“……”

“So, pay attention to me too. Let’s talk about Sezad later.”

It seemed that was the main issue. Camilla let out a helpless laugh at his cute jealousy.

“Be honest. You just don’t like Sezad, do you?”

“If you want me to like him, I’ll try.”

Aster brushed off her words nonchalantly and pulled Camilla closer. Soon, their lips lightly touched.

* * *

A few days later, as expected, Isabelle’s invitation arrived at Letia Castle. It seemed she had put a lot of thought into inviting Alyssa while the Duke of Blanche was away.

Of course, the important thing was that Alyssa would enter Blanche Castle confidently. Once the door was opened, it would be easier to enter again.

Camilla greeted her warmly.

“Welcome, Lady Brilly.”

“Thank you for the invitation. Is my sister inside?”

“Yes. I’ll take you to the terrace.”

When Camilla behaved courteously, the servants glanced at Alyssa. It was a natural reaction since they didn’t know Alyssa’s true identity.

Alyssa had learned quite a bit of noble etiquette in the meantime. The weight she had gained added an indescribable aura to her once boisterous demeanor.

‘As expected of Mrs Ayla.’

It seemed Ayla had guided her in a way that suited her, teaching her the etiquette she needed to learn quickly. She maintained her unique free-spiritedness while adhering to formalities.

Thanks to this, Alyssa now seemed to exhibit the qualities of a neutral noble even more prominently.

When they moved to the terrace, Isabelle, who had been waiting with a serious demeanor, nodded her head while seated.

“It’s been a while.”

“Yes, it has.”

Alyssa responded plainly and sat across from her. When Camilla tried to sit down, Isabelle spoke.

“Could you give us some privacy? We have some family matters to discuss.”

“Is that necessary? Camilla is my niece-in-law, after all.”

At Alyssa’s words, Isabelle glared at her. Camilla spoke up.

“Then I’ll step out for a bit. Please, enjoy your time together.”

Camilla had no intention of getting involved in their conversation anyway. The importance lay in facilitating this meeting.

Once Camilla left, Isabelle began her interrogation in earnest.

“What’s going on? What connection do you have with the Letia family?”

“Sis, it’s been over twenty years since we last saw each other. They say even mountains change in ten years, so it would be a mistake to still see me as a naive child.”

“Stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth.”

When Isabelle growled lowly, Alyssa burst into a cheerful laugh. It seemed Isabelle had been quite anxious, given that she even dismissed the servants and Camilla to question her.

“It just happened by chance. I once hid the young marquis of Letia when he was participating in the war. Thanks to me, he survived, so the Marquess and Marchioness of Letia, as well as Mrs Ayla, the former Marchioness, cherish me dearly.”

Alyssa smiled brightly as she recounted the story of Aster and Christopher as if it were her own. Isabelle frowned at the mention of the battlefield.

It was quite well-known that the young marquis of Letia had been conscripted at a young age.

“Lucky you.”

Isabelle sneered and took a sip of her tea. She finally understood the reason behind Alyssa’s impressive connections, but it didn’t make things any easier.

“So, what’s your purpose in coming here? You didn’t come just because you missed me. State your business.”

This was her way of saying she didn’t want to talk for long. It also showed that she understood she couldn’t touch Alyssa now that she knew about her connection to the Letia family.

She probably intended to send Alyssa back to Kamatie instead.

Alyssa rested her chin on her hands and murmured.

“I just wanted to see how great this family it must be for you to abandon your family and husband and run away.”

“……”

“Now that I see it, it’s quite impressive. No wonder my greedy sister coveted it.”

Isabelle’s face cracked at Alyssa’s sarcastic remark. But Alyssa didn’t stop there.

“Of course, it would all disappear if I just opened my mouth a bit.”

“Alyssa Brilly. Are you threatening me? How dare you?”

“Oh, Sis. Don’t get so angry. What will you do if your carefully maintained face gets wrinkled?”

“Hah!”

“I just want to succeed like you did.”

“Succeed?”

“If you can do it, why can’t I? Especially since the Letia family treats me so well, it would be even better if I could benefit from Blanche too.”

“And you’re planning to bring Joseph here?”

Alyssa blinked, seemingly amused by the idea.

“Of course. Why would I just trust you and come? You tried to kill me. I need some insurance.”

“……”

“Don’t try anything foolish. Formally invite me to a gathering where the Duke will be present. I came here this time because I thought you might not understand, but there won’t be a next time.”

Alyssa stood up as though she had nothing more to say. Isabelle blocked her path.

“What do you plan to do after meeting the Duke?”

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of becoming the concubine of an old man.”

“Do you think that’s what I’m worried about?”

When Isabelle grabbed her arm and growled, Alyssa shook her off and spoke coldly.

“Shouldn’t you be more confident in front of me? Did you think I came here without any plan? If you want to stay in your position, you should make a good impression on me, Sis.”

“You…”

“You know very well that I didn’t just bring Joseph here. You’re smart. What do you think I learned from observing you?”

“……”

“One week. If you don’t invite me to a formal dinner within a week, my letter will reach the Duke.”