Chapter 35

As I looked at Count Sasha and gave a slanted smile, he smiled back at me.

“Do you have something to say to me?”

He was a foolish man who couldn’t even grasp the meaning of my smile. When humans start to become greedy, they also become arrogant. He seemed to see nothing, riding on the coattails of Prince Cain.

“Count Sasha.”

It’s truly laughable. He doesn’t even know who has locked Prince Cain in the palace.

“I intend to use every penny from the donations raised at this charity party for the Glary slums.”

In my words, Count Sasha’s expression became subtle. It seemed he had finally grasped my intent. He really couldn’t be more foolish.

Count Sasha stroked his mustache and cleared his throat, looking displeased.

“The Glary slums fall under my territory. It’s only right that I be involved, even if it’s troublesome.“

“You’ve spoken well.”

I covered my mouth with a fan and smiled with my eyes. Anyone could clearly see that my smile was mocking.

“The Glary slums indeed belong to Count Sasha’s territory. Everyone here knows how much the Emperor and Empress have supported the Glary slums to help them.”

At my words, people nodded and looked at Count Sasha. The meaning of my words was clear.

‘Where did all that money go?’

Everyone in the room likely thought the same as they looked at Count Sasha. His pig-like pale face flushed red with anger. He shouted as if feeling wronged.

“Are you suspecting me, Your Grace? The Glary slums are filled with lazy, filthy commoners! No matter how much money you pour into them, most won’t appreciate its value!”

“Count Sasha, are you saying this charity party is meaningless from the start?”

I pretended to be angry and looked at him directly, lowering my fan. Count Sasha, realizing his mistake, started to sweat. I didn’t have the time to wait for him to pull out a handkerchief and wipe his forehead.

“Count Sasha, you seem unfit to attend this event.“

“How rude! I am the lord of that territory!“

“How dare you!”

I shouted loudly, glaring at Count Sasha.

“How dare you raise your voice to me, the Grand Duchess!”

To Count Sasha, I was probably still the daughter of the Winsley family. Or, more accurately, the young daughter of an old friend. That’s why he could act so arrogantly towards me.

But when I asserted my status as Grand Duchess, he likely thought of Grand Duke Zan, who stood firmly behind me.

“Your Grace, I…”

There was no reason for me to fear Prince Cain, who was confined to his palace, not even the country’s Emperor.

“The donations collected at this charity party are very precious. Therefore, I can’t entrust them to someone as negligent as Count Sasha. I will inform Her Majesty the Empress of this matter and seek her assistance.“

“The Empress…”

It would be very troublesome for him if I entrusted this matter to the Empress. Count Sasha was Prince Cain’s man, and the Empress was strictly on the Crown Prince’s side. The Empress would undoubtedly welcome managing this donation. It would also give her the excuse to check if Prince Cain had embezzled any funds.

I cut off Count Sasha’s words firmly.

“Count Sasha, you are unqualified to be involved in this matter.”

I gestured to the head of security waiting at the edge of the party hall.

“See that Count Sasha is escorted out properly.”

My command caused not only Count Sasha but also other nobles to look startled. This was not just a simple expulsion. This act showed my intent to sever ties with Count Sasha and confront Prince Cain. It was almost a declaration of war.

Of course, no matter how much of a Grand Duchess I was, I couldn’t physically drag Count Sasha out of the party hall. It would have been quite a spectacle.

Regretting this, I turned my gaze to the corner of the party hall. Shuan was still standing there, intently watching the entire scene.

I clinked champagne glasses with the nobles until the party atmosphere matured.

As it grew dark outside and some guests began to leave the party, I looked around for Shuan. I thought it was time to talk to him. But no matter how much I looked around the hall, he was nowhere to be seen.

“Anna, have you seen Lord Eriant?“

“Well, I saw him leaving the party earlier. Maybe he went home?”

“What?”

Leaving without even seeing me? I felt a surge of anxiety. The party was already winding down, and I couldn’t leave my post as the host. I had a duty to bid farewell to the guests.

“Anna, send a carriage to catch up with Lord Eriant.“

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Though Anna still seemed puzzled, she quickly moved to follow my order. I also hastily began wrapping up the party.

As the guests dwindled from three to two and then to one, I grew increasingly anxious, wondering if the carriage I sent had managed to catch up with Shuan.

I entrusted the empty party hall to the butler and climbed into a carriage without changing my clothes. As we drove past the other carriages leaving the Grand Duke’s residence, I looked out the window for any sign of a stopped carriage.

After some distance, I was relieved to see two carriages stopped side by side, not too far away.

I stopped my carriage nearby and approached one of the carriages, knocking on the door. It opened promptly, revealing Shuan.

“Lord Eriant.”

He did not look surprised, as if he had been expecting me. Shuan greeted me formally, his expression stiff.

“Your Grace.“

“There’s no need for such formalities. We’re friends, aren’t we?“

“In that case, please call me Lethe.”

Shuan made a light joke, smiling briefly. However, the atmosphere quickly turned serious again. He looked at me and then sighed, lowering his gaze.

“I thought you might be in a difficult situation when you were with Count Sasha.“

“Not at all.“

“It seems that way. There wasn’t anything I could do to help.”

The night hid much of Shuan’s face in the shadows of the carriage, but his voice conveyed his emotions clearly. His face must have shown a weary smile and a deep sigh.

I already understood Shuan’s decision.

“The help I want from you isn’t that kind.“

“I know.”

As the moonlight shifted, it illuminated Shuan’s face. The usually sly expression was now sunk in a somber mood.

“Lord Eriant, I need your help.”

Shuan shook his head slowly.

“I thought I already gave my answer.“

“I haven’t heard any answer. Are you so cowardly that you avoid saying it directly?“

“Yes. I always thought I was brave. But with my family involved, I can’t help but be a coward.”

I narrowed my eyes, looking at him. Yes, there was indeed a coward here.

“Shuan Eriant. I didn’t show you mercy. I made a deal with you because I wanted something. I paid you sufficiently, and now it’s your turn.”

My words seemed to touch Shuan’s guilt, and he frowned painfully. He might seem light-hearted, but he wasn’t someone without a conscience.

“…As Your Grace said, I barely know my sister.“

“Everyone harbors ambitions.“

“But why, if she had aimed to be Prince Cain’s consort and become Empress, I might have supported her. Why settle for being a mere concubine…?“

“I want you to find that out.”

Shuan covered his face with his hands. After sitting like that for a while, he lifted his darkened face.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. I’ll find another way to repay you.”

Just as I was about to say something, Shuan slammed the carriage door shut. He then instructed his coachman to depart. I quickly stepped aside and climbed back into my carriage.

“Your Grace, should we start moving?”

The coachman asked urgently. But I realized that chasing him now wouldn’t easily change his mind. It would be better to find another way to persuade him.

“Let’s return to the Grand Duke’s residence.”

At my order, the coachman turned the carriage back towards the Grand Duke’s residence. Several carriages passed us as they left the residence. Just as Shuan had done earlier, I pressed my hand to my forehead and sighed deeply.

Not only had I failed to meet Ari Eriant, but I had also lost the key informant I had invested so much time in. In my past life, since I showed no interest in Ari Eriant, Shuan had remained one of my few allies until the end. But this life was different.

I couldn’t blame Shuan. I couldn’t even think of turning my back on Kazak before I lost my family. People can do unimaginable things when something precious is at stake, sometimes even against their principles.

So, persuading Shuan might depend on Ari. Or I could find out about Ari alone and make Shuan owe me a more significant debt through his guilt.

I needed to think. To think carefully.

Suddenly, a severe headache hit me. My vision blurred, and an afterimage appeared. I saw a woman sobbing at a grave. The tombstone read “Isaac Zan.“

“Why again…?”

I was about to grab Anna while pressing my temples with my fingers.

Bang!

A loud crash and the sound of horses screaming filled the air.

I felt a sharp pain all over my body and a sense of bewilderment.

A carriage accident? Another carriage accident?

TL NOTE: A more advanced chapter of this story is already up on the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories.