Chapter 35
Dunswell tried to make casual conversation, but the atmosphere at the table remained heavy.
Evelyn, having anticipated this incident, wasn’t extremely shocked or bewildered, but seeing Dunswell pretending to be unaffected made her feel uneasy.
‘There’s no worse wife than that.’
In the original story, Amelia orchestrates incidents like this to undermine Evelyn.
Among the dishes Amelia instructed to prepare for Dunswell was crab soup. Unaware of his severe shellfish allergy, Evelyn prepared the banquet, and Dunswell, equally unaware, ate the soup and collapsed, turning the evening into chaos.
Not only did Dunswell have an allergic reaction and collapse, but he was also bedridden for two days, missing the equestrian competition. Evelyn tried to explain that it was written in the note Amelia had given her, but there was no evidence. Amelia’s confidant, Harry, had already disposed of it.
Amelia always schemed and conveyed her plans in writing, fearing that spoken words could be altered or overheard.
However, she always destroyed the incriminating papers immediately.
Evelyn’s baseless explanation was met with accusations of trying to blame the Duchess.
Although Dunswell was well-regarded, he had already been influenced by Amelia’s near-brainwashing and viewed Evelyn unfavorably. This incident planted doubts about whether Evelyn was fit to become the future Duchess of Liwonoc.
‘That’s why evidence is crucial.’
Unlike the original story, Evelyn preserved the note, preventing Harry from destroying the evidence. Harry had even searched her room earlier to confirm if she had torn it up. The note was that important.
But Evelyn kept the note intact with her, so Harry couldn’t find it, and the note that should have disappeared ended up in front of Dunswell.
Evelyn didn’t miss the flicker in Dunswell’s eyes. For a while, his faith in Amelia would be in a fierce battle with doubt.
She hoped this incident would make Dunswell realize what kind of person his wife truly was, but Amelia would likely find a way out of the situation.
‘Still… this is a satisfactory outcome.’
Her goal was to clear her name regarding the crab soup and to warn Dunswell and Dyffrin about Amelia’s true nature.
Even so, feeling sorry for the now gloomy Dunswell, Evelyn cheered him up by recounting episodes about her grandfather and the former Duke of Liwonoc from the original story.
At first, Dunswell responded half-heartedly, but soon he was lost in nostalgia and actively continued the conversation.
Evelyn felt relieved seeing him like that.
* * *
After the eventful dinner ended, Dunswell, quite drunk, returned to his bedroom.
Evelyn spoke to Dyffrin.
“You must have been surprised today. You should get some rest.”
“The one who was surprised must have been you.”
Dyffrin offered a gruff comfort. Evelyn, though startled, gave a weary smile.
“Yes, that’s true. I’ll be more careful next time.”
Evelyn replied calmly and then looked up at Dyffrin. A sudden curiosity arose.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“What do you think would have happened if I hadn’t mentioned the crab soup before dinner, and the Duke had collapsed from his allergy?”
Dyffrin pondered the unexpected question in silence.
‘…What would have happened?’
It would have been a critical situation. If his father collapsed from an allergic reaction, it would have had a chain reaction affecting his responsibilities as a lord. The impact would extend to the residents, employees, and administrators.
The Duke of Liwonoc collapsing wasn’t just about one person being bedridden for a few days.
Yet, he also thought there was nothing he could have done about an accident he knew nothing about.
Perhaps it was his fault for not giving any warning to her while she was preparing the meal.
Dyffrin no longer found such thoughts unfamiliar.
“Is it difficult to answer?”
Evelyn pressed on, her eyes showing a hint of disappointment.
“I would have instructed you to be more careful next time so that such a thing wouldn’t happen again.”
Dyffrin didn’t say that if such an incident occurred, it would be his fault. He couldn’t say it. His throat felt scratchy, preventing him from speaking his true feelings.
“Is that all?”
“Do I need to say more?”
Despite his curt response, Evelyn smiled as if satisfied.
“No. That’s enough.”
Evelyn left the dining room with the words, “I’m tired, so I’ll go up first.”
Dyffrin soon followed her out of the dining room. At the entrance stood Dunswell’s escort knight.
Dyffrin asked,
“Where is Sir Harry?”
“Viscount Galpachi is in the upstairs bedroom. He went up first during the meal.”
Dyffrin nodded.
“Tell him to come to my office.”
“Yes, sir.”
Dyffrin sat in his office, waiting for Harry. Before the minute hand of the clock could move a few times, someone knocked on the door.
“…Sir Dyffrin, it’s Harry Galpachi.”
“Come in.”
Creak. The door opened, and Harry, looking troubled, entered. He was trying to compose himself, but his guilt prevented him from appearing as relaxed as usual.
Approaching the desk where Dyffrin was seated, he asked,
“What did you call me for?”
“I wanted to ask about what happened earlier.”
Harry swallowed dryly and straightened his back.
“Are you referring to the crab soup?”
“Yes. No matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand why Mother would make such a mistake.”
Dyffrin raised his gaze to Harry.
“Do you happen to know anything about it?”
“…”
Under Dyffrin’s piercing gaze, Harry bit his lip slightly. But he couldn’t back down now. Doing so would ruin not just him but his children as well.
“…I believe a mistake is just that—a mistake. Considering how much the Duchess cares for the Liwonoc Ducal House and the Duke, such suspicions seem inappropriate.”
Harry mustered all his courage to respond to Dyffrin, whose mere gaze could turn him into an ice statue.
Dyffrin lightly tapped his fingers on the desk.
“Well, you’re not entirely wrong.”
“Thank you for understanding my sincere advice.”
“But, Sir Harry.”
At the low call, Harry responded tensely.
“Yes.”
“Once is a mistake, but if this happens a second time, it won’t end with mere suspicion.”
“…”
“You may go.”
Harry bowed respectfully and exited the office.
Left alone, Dyffrin relaxed his body and leaned back into the plush chair.
His mouth felt astringent, like he’d eaten an unripe fruit, due to the unpleasant suspicion.
He didn’t want to believe that Amelia had done it on purpose. But that was just his wish.
He had a premonition that the truth might be close to the dark scenarios he imagined.
‘Why?’
What could his mother gain by harming his father? If she were plotting something grand, she would have used a more definitive method than an allergy.
At that moment, Evelyn’s question flashed through his mind.
‘What do you think would have happened if I hadn’t mentioned the crab soup before dinner, and the Duke had collapsed from his allergy?’
In the past, he would have blamed and resented Evelyn even more.
He frowned at the thought.
He wondered if it could be that his mother wanted that.
He knew his mother didn’t like Evelyn. But acting to this extent was beyond comprehension.
It was a mystery. There were too many questions and no satisfactory answers, leaving him feeling stifled.
However, Dyffrin decided to set aside his thoughts for now.
He couldn’t confront his mother over what was insisted as a mistake. After all, as Harry said, she had dedicated her life to the Liwonoc Ducal House and the Duke.
Instead, as he told Harry, if such an incident occurred again, he would thoroughly investigate to find the cause and assign blame.
Dyffrin left the office. He saw Merrilyn heading towards her quarters after tidying up the dining room.
Having something to ask, Dyffrin called out to Merrilyn.
“Merrilyn.”
Startled by his call, Merrilyn approached.
“Yes, Master.”
“How is Evelyn’s health these days?”
Wiping her hands on her apron, Merrilyn replied with a bright face.
“From what I’ve observed over the past few days, she seems much better after taking her medication. The Madam also mentioned that she would recover soon.”
It was news that somewhat alleviated his uneasy feelings.
“Still, if anything happens, inform me immediately.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Merrilyn bowed her head. She seemed about to leave but then hesitated, as if she had something to say.
Noticing this, Dyffrin spoke first.
“If you have something to say, go ahead.”
“Ah… I might be overstepping, but… I thought it would be good for you to know.”
Merrilyn hesitated before continuing.
“Recently, the Madam has been very pleased with how kindly you’ve been treating her.”
“……”
“I hope the relationship between you two improves… I just want the Madam to be happy.”
Dyffrin didn’t think the maid was overstepping her bounds.
“……Understood. You may go.”
In fact, he found her quite commendable.