Chapter 29

“…”  

“I’ve never found it easy to persuade His Majesty in all my years working with him. So hearing your account is fascinating to me.”  

Seeing Sabrina’s puzzled expression, Aaron waved a hand dismissively.  

“Don’t overthink it. It just means you’re doing well. It shows how well you and His Majesty work together. Seems I have a good eye for people.”  

At his warm encouragement, Sabrina finally smiled.  

“Thank you, as always.”  

“Thank me? I should be thanking you. If you hadn’t been there at the right time, I’d have had to grind my bones for a few more years.”  

Aaron laughed heartily. Judging by his healthier appearance and glowing complexion, retirement clearly agreed with him.  

Then Aaron suddenly asked Sabrina a question.  

“By the way, are you seeing anyone?”  

Pfft.  

Sabrina nearly spat out her tea. Coughing, she cleared her throat and responded in surprise.  

“Pardon?”  

“I mean, is there a young gentleman you’re considering for marriage?”  

Sabrina quickly denied it.  

“Absolutely not! I don’t have time for anything but work.”  

Why was he suddenly bringing up relationships and marriage? 

Aaron wasn’t one to bring up personal matters without reason, so he must have heard something.  

Sure enough, Aaron murmured as he sipped his tea,  

“I figured as much. I thought it was odd for someone so busy to suddenly consider marriage.”  

Sabrina asked urgently,  

“Is there a rumor going around?”  

Aaron nodded.  

“I don’t know how widespread it is, but I’ve heard it, so it must be out there. Any idea where it might have come from?”  

Aaron listed the names of those who are involved on the rumor. Some were familiar to Sabrina, but none stood out.  

“And then, Leon Seitz.”  

At the mention of a name both unfamiliar and familiar, Sabrina froze.  

‘Seitz…?’  

Where had I heard it before?  

After a moment of pondering, realization struck her.  

‘Frederick’s closest friend.’  

He was her second brother Frederick’s friend, someone she had seen several times at the Viscount of Wintlet’s residence.  

It could just be a coincidence. Yes, that was more likely.  

But intuition is a powerful thing. Sabrina’s instincts kept pointing her toward her family.  

‘No way.’  

Her chest tightened with unease. Pale-faced, she clenched her fists.  

‘Why do I have such a bad feeling about this?’  

***

Meanwhile, Chase’s expression as he met Elena was equally grim.  

‘It’s already been an hour…’  

Chase glanced briefly at the pocket watch placed on the table and let out a short sigh. He wanted to return to Sabrina as quickly as possible, but Elena, who sat across from him, had not stopped talking since earlier.

Unable to wait any longer, Chase parted his lips slightly.

“I believe I’ve sufficiently accommodated the requests you made.”

Crossing his long legs, Chase continued.

“We’ve met in public enough times, and rumors have spread to some extent. Just in case, I’ve also stationed several people around you.”

“……”

“I’ve also been thorough about keeping things confidential. Even my aide doesn’t know the details of the relationship between you and me.”

Chase emphasized the word “my aide” and furrowed his eyebrows slightly. The fact that there was an unspeakable secret between him and Sabrina made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

He wanted to resolve this matter as soon as possible, but Elena, who held the most critical key, was hesitating, leaving him feeling stifled.

Chase continued in a businesslike tone.

“What you tell me here today will only be shared between me and Clayton. If necessary, others might be involved, but I promise to get your permission before that.”

“……”

“I think I’ve done everything I can to accommodate you. Now, I’d appreciate it if you stopped delaying and told me what you promised.”

Chase picked up his pocket watch, indicating he was pressed for time, and then set it down again.

Elena, clasping her hands together as if in prayer and biting her soft pink lips tightly, hung her head low. Taking a deep breath as though mustering courage, she began to speak in a small voice.

“Do you remember when my parents passed away three years ago?”

“Of course.”

Chase nodded.

Even if it weren’t him, there probably wasn’t anyone who didn’t know about it. The sudden death of the Duke of Evenheim, one of the most powerful figures in the empire, had shocked many people.

Not long after, the Duchess also passed away, and the misfortune that befell the Ducal House of Evenheim dominated the front pages of newspapers for days.

‘But the Duke died in a carriage accident, and the Duchess passed away from an illness caused by grief.’

What does that have to do with today’s conversation? 

Chase tilted his head inwardly as he replied.

“I remember.”

After hesitating for a moment, Elena cautiously opened her mouth.

“Not long ago, I found out that my father’s death was planned.”

“What?”

Chase couldn’t hide his surprise at Elena’s unexpected confession. Even Clayton, who usually showed no change in expression, couldn’t conceal his agitation this time.

The Duke of Evenheim was one of the wealthiest and most influential figures in the empire. Despite that, his naturally cheerful disposition had always earned him the goodwill of those around him.

And now she was claiming he had been murdered.

Looking directly into Chase’s shaken eyes, Elena continued.

“My mother didn’t die from an illness either. She was poisoned.”

Chase gazed silently into Elena’s eyes. Though her eyes were slightly bloodshot, her pupils remained calm and steady.

It wasn’t a lie.

Chase quickly realized that Elena wasn’t making baseless assumptions or spouting nonsense. However, to confirm it, he asked once more.

“Are you certain? Do you have evidence?”

Elena slowly nodded.

“Yes. That’s what I came to tell you today.”

After moistening her throat with cold tea, Elena began recounting the events in a trembling voice.

***

Looking back, that night had been truly strange.

“Meow… Meow…”

“…Roy?”

The cat, which Elena often fed, slipped through the open window and cried noisily.

Just as she was about to go to bed, Elena got up due to Roy’s sharp cries. It was unusual for the cat, which had never acted like this before.

“What’s wrong, hmm?”

Elena rubbed her eyes and reached out toward Roy. However, the black cat twisted its body and avoided her touch, moving ahead as if beckoning her to follow.

“Roy, be good.”

They say cats are spiritual creatures.

Following Roy across the dim corridor, Elena heard an unusual sound coming from the unused storage room at the end of the hall.

“…This isn’t what we agreed on! You can’t do this.”

Startled, Elena froze in place. Roy leaped onto the windowsill and moved further away, but Elena’s attention shifted entirely from Roy to the suspicious voices.

‘Who could it be?’

The voice, filled with anger, was hard to recognize. Elena tiptoed closer and pressed her ear against the door.

“Shut up, will you? If you blabber recklessly, you’ll end up dead at their hands too. Got it?”

“What? Are you threatening me?”

Focusing her hearing, familiar voices began to emerge. Elena immediately identified the two people.

The one ranting was a seamstress maid, and the one silencing her was the maid who had attended to Elena’s mother. 

Both had worked in the household for over 10 years, so Elena knew them well.

“Hah, do you think you’ll survive? You’re just a pawn.”

The seamstress maid’s voice came through, now cold and biting, as she continued.

“Do you really think they’ll protect you? Someone who betrayed the master they served for life? You think they’ll trust you?”

“Why, you…! What do you know? And what’s so great about your loyalty, bought for a few coins? Don’t act like you’re different from me—it’s disgusting.”

Betrayed the master they served for life? Loyalty bought for a few coins?

Elena’s expression hardened as she struggled to make sense of the conversation.

‘What are they talking about?’

Her heartbeat quickened. While she couldn’t grasp the full meaning, she could tell there was a significant secret hidden in their exchange.

‘Stay calm. I need to stay calm.’

Gulp.

The sound of her dry swallow echoed like thunder. Clenching her fists tightly, Elena pressed her ear even closer to the door.

“At least I’m not a murderer like you. You’re the one who poisoned Madam’s tea every time, not me.”

“Lower your voice!”

But the words that followed completely shattered Elena’s composure. Her mind went blank.

‘Poisoned… my mother’s tea?’

It felt as if someone had struck her head with a hammer. Elena covered her trembling mouth with her hands.

Drip.

Hot tears welled up and fell to the floor in an instant. Elena stared blankly at the closed door, frozen in place.

Should I burst in and demand the truth?

Or call for help?

Or collapse to the ground, screaming?

Her broken mind couldn’t decide. As she stood there, paralyzed, the seamstress maid’s revelations continued.

“Why don’t you just admit it? The master’s accident was staged too. What are the chances that sturdy carriage would break down on that cliff?”

Thud.

Her heart dropped to the floor once again.

‘Father too…?’

The blood drained completely from Elena’s face. Her legs gave out, and she clung to the wall for support. The thought that making a sound would spell her doom was the only thing keeping her upright.

“It was strange that the master suddenly returned that day. His schedule was supposed to be for the next day.”

“……”

“You were involved in that too, weren’t you? Funny how your name was conveniently left off the return list.”

The seamstress maid let out a bitter laugh, her sharp voice continuing.

“You must’ve been well-compensated, but now they’re throwing you a few measly coins to keep quiet? Do I look like a fool?”

A grating voice responded immediately.

“Are… are you insane? You’re just making things up. Do you have proof? Do you?”

“If there is, what of it? You should’ve been more careful not to get caught. And if you were caught, you should’ve obediently listened.”

The seamstress maid sneered as she continued.

“You seem to be getting along well with the new master. Is that person your superior? What are you planning next? Are you thinking of killing the Young Lady as well?”

“You little—!”

Thud.

At that moment, a dull sound came from the storage room. It was the sound of something hard striking with great force. Then, silence followed.

A very ominous silence.

Elena, who had been trembling while clinging to the wall, suddenly came to her senses.

‘I must not let them know I was listening.’

Instinctively, she hid behind the decorative curtains by the window.

Thump-thump-thump.

Her heart pounded so loudly it felt like it would tear through her eardrums. Wrapping her arms tightly around herself, Elena began to mentally prepare herself.

‘Stay calm. Stay calm until the end. That’s the only way to uncover the truth.’