Throughout the journey to Sinclair’s mansion, Earl Wallace repeatedly bit his lip.

Moreover, the coachman hurried the horses more than usual, noticing how the Earl kept tapping the floor of the carriage with his cane, making sharp tapping sounds.

He had sensed just how irritated Earl Wallace was right now.

A distant clock tower rang six long chime. It was around the time when the capital’s residents were finishing their work and heading home to prepare dinner.

Because of this, the carriage occasionally had to stop for passing pedestrians.

“Can’t you go any faster!”

Each time, Earl Wallace’s angry voice erupted from inside the carriage. The coachman repeatedly bowed his head and replied.

“I’m sorry! These lowly creatures are blocking the way…!”

Lowly creatures.

At those words, Earl Wallace shouted even louder.

“Use your whip if necessary to make them move! That’s your job!”

His booming voice startled people near the carriage, causing them to step aside.

Even at a glance, it was clearly a carriage from an authoritative household. No matter how much the nobility’s power had diminished compared to the past, it was best to avoid getting on their bad side.

As people moved away, the coachman quickly drove the carriage forward. Despite gliding swiftly through the capital’s streets, Earl Wallace’s face remained deeply furrowed.

Lowly creature.

That phrase echoed in his ears. It was what his wife had said to him the previous night.

“Ryan Wilgrave is still alive… You can’t do anything properly.”

After saying this, Vivian had glared at Earl Wallace and muttered.

“A lowly creature can’t help itself, I suppose.”

She hadn’t even shown deep contempt. It was just the kind of emotionless remark nobles would make about a stray dog that had crept into their mansion.

That made Earl Wallace feel even more humiliated. He felt once again that to Vivian, he was nothing more than a mongrel with a golden collar of an earldom around its neck.

Still, he had to wag his tail diligently to protect that golden collar.

“But it’s certain that he’s still in Gilia. This time, I’ll pass the information directly to the Gilian royal court.”

“Hmm.”

At Earl Wallace’s words, Vivian had looked at him as if bored, then stood up from her seat.

“Henry’s condition is getting worse. The sisters say that black stars are approaching, and before summer, we must remove the malevolent star overshadowing my Henry.”

The sisters Vivian referred to were obviously the astrologers associated with her family.

Earl Wallace gritted his teeth again. Despite spouting nonsense, these astrologers had expanded their influence after the war, and now even some members of the royal family were said to be consulting them.

These astrologers conveyed their information to Vivian, who then passed it on to Earl Wallace.

The purpose was singular: Kill Ryan Wilgrave.

Vivian and the astrologers firmly believed that because Ryan was born before Henry, he had taken the fortune that should have belonged to Henry.

‘So they say he must be killed to return that fortune to Henry!’

While he held no particular fondness for Ryan, Earl Wallace found it absurd that Vivian and those around her believed in such outdated superstitions.

But he was in a position where he had to follow them.

By then, the carriage had arrived at Sinclair’s mansion. There were several carriages parked in front, suggesting another gathering was being held today.

Earl Wallace’s expression lightened slightly when he recognized the carriages of some high-ranking nobles among them.

It seemed that despite being criticized as too rowdy a place for high-ranking individuals to attend, the quality of guests had improved somewhat.

‘It wouldn’t be good for someone like me to go to such a lowly place.’

But if others were attending now, it wouldn’t be beneath his dignity to attend as well.

Once inside, he immediately looked for Sinclair. Fortunately, Sinclair recognized him and approached.

“Let’s talk quietly in the reception room.”

Sinclair led him to the reception room. After going to a secluded corner and confirming no one else was nearby, the Earl hastily asked.

“What about him?”

“Still no news.”

At this calm response, the corners of the Earl’s eyes turned upward.

“Gilia’s surprise attack failed.”

He expected Sinclair’s expression to contort at these words. But she nodded calmly as if she already knew, lighting a cigarette.

“I know that. I was informed just a short while ago.”

“Yet you remain so composed.”

“I don’t have a habit of dwelling on failed endeavors.”

Exhaling a long stream of smoke, Sinclair looked at the Earl.

“So? Did you come to check on news of Colonel Wilgrave?”

“Yes. You guaranteed that if I provided information, he could be killed.”

At the Earl’s words, Sinclair’s eyes narrowed.

‘A father desperate to kill his own son!’

Taking another long breath, Sinclair pondered the information she had received an hour ago. The surprise attack had failed. And there was still no information about Ryan being killed.

In other words, they had failed.

‘But can I end it like this?’

She couldn’t turn the failed surprise attack into a success. The Gilian army’s morale would have hit rock bottom, and the troops they had managed to gather would have disbanded on their own.

‘Then…’

Not everything had failed yet. While they had failed to restart the war, there was still a chance to kill Ryan Wilgrave.

“Don’t worry too much.”

Sinclair recalled Eloise whom she had seen at the gathering.

“We still have bait left.”

A stupid bait who could be persuaded to join her side.

* * *

At gatherings, champagne was meant to help people converse more pleasantly.

But for Eloise right now, it was medicine to soothe her churning insides.

Seeing Eloise sitting on the sofa and downing an entire glass of champagne in one go, a young lady sitting nearby hastily got up from her seat.

She seemed to have decided there was nothing to gain by sitting next to someone who was clearly very angry.

‘Bait?’

Sinclair’s voice using that word echoed in her ears.

Today, Eloise had attended a gathering at Sinclair’s mansion. Although Sinclair had invited her several times before, she had always declined with suitable excuses. Sinclair hadn’t seemed inclined to be persistent, as she didn’t press further after being refused.

But today, Eloise hadn’t rejected her invitation.

The gathering was ordinarily splendid. The only difference was that the attendees were more diverse than before.

Since people from all walks of life gathered here and everyone seemed to enjoy that atmosphere, even people in distinctive Lensk attire were simply regarded as interesting guests rather than drawing any special attention.

In the past, Eloise too would have glanced at them once and paid no further attention.

But not today.

Eloise desperately maintained a composed smile while trying to remain inconspicuous as she hovered around Sinclair.

Once, their eyes met, but instead of being flustered, Eloise approached her and said:

“I feel quite lonely with hardly any friends in the capital.”

This was a phrase young ladies in the capital used when they wanted to be introduced to new acquaintances.

At those words, Sinclair smiled brightly and made a fuss about introducing her to some respectable and knowledgeable gentlemen later.

There was no suspicion in her gaze. She seemed to think that Eloise was trying to find someone else out of disappointment with Ryan.

After that, Sinclair lowered her guard against Eloise and resumed her conversations with others.

Meanwhile, Eloise noted who Sinclair was talking to, for how long, and in what manner.

But while she was failing to find anything noteworthy, she saw Sinclair, who had been in the gathering hall, heading to the reception room. So she quickly followed.

Fortunately, there were other people in the reception room too, so her pursuit didn’t appear suspicious.

‘And that’s how I ended up hearing everything.’

She had known that Sinclair looked down on her, but hearing herself referred to as “bait” made her blood boil.

Still, she suppressed her anger and waited for the conversation to end.

The conversation ended quicker than expected, and the person Sinclair had been talking to soon left.

Watching the carriage disappear instantly, Eloise asked a servant who was organizing the carriages about the identity of the gentleman who had just departed.

“Ah, that was Earl Wallace.”

In that moment, she guessed.

‘So it’s him.’

At the same time, she was surprised by the title “Earl.”

‘Why would someone of that rank be involved?’

Moreover, the Wallace earldom was a prestigious, historic family that even Eloise knew about.

Unable to understand, she tried to recall his face again, and suddenly Eloise could see another very familiar face in the Earl’s features.

Just as she stood up in shock to get another glass of champagne:

“Terrible news! Breaking news! Breaking news!”

Suddenly, a man rushed in through the entrance and shouted.

“Colonel Ryan Wilgrave has died!”