Ch#32
“To be honest, I wanted to observe His Majesty the Emperor’s movements a bit more, but my mother wished to meet the Count. I think you know the reason, Count Criserus.”
Laslo nodded briefly.
He roughly guessed that this meeting had come about solely due to Barbara’s will.
“It took a month after Edel sent her reply for the invitation to arrive, which means it took the Marchioness Dowager a month to persuade the Marquis, right?”
Then Barbara, who had been sharply scrutinizing Laslo until now, asked.
“Is Edel doing well?”
Laslo recalled the things Barbara had pondered over and given up on asking. For now, he still held the upper hand in this relationship, but who knew what the future might bring.
He finished the remaining black tea at the bottom of his cup and answered.
*Spoils of war*
“Do you think it’s easy for someone born and raised a noble to live as a maid? Moreover, recently she fell ill due to a scheme by the head maid who was jealous of her.”
*Duchess*
At those words, Barbara’s eyes widened.
“What? You’re saying a mere head maid harmed a noble?”
Truly written by Lemon Frog
“Mind your words, Marchioness Dowager. She is no longer a noble.”
Laslo’s response hurt Barbara’s heart. Edel, who had been more noble than anyone in high society, was now in a position where she could do nothing against a mere head maid’s schemes.
Barbara clenched her molars and suppressed her surging emotions.
“And you took no measures despite such an incident in your own house?”
“For now, I called in a skilled doctor for an examination and prescribed medicine. I had her recuperate in a guest room. She’s much better now.”
“And the head maid?”
“I warned her, so she won’t act rashly anymore.”
“She might be plotting even more meticulously now that she’s been humiliated.”
- 2 -
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“If Edel’s letter is true, then you’re someone who knows how to protect the weak. But now you say she fell ill because of the head maid, so I’m a bit confused.”
Laslo chuckled at that.
Seeing the deepening wrinkles between Barbara’s brows, Laslo let out a short sigh.
“You must know what happened to those who ignored my warnings...”
“This incident was due to my oversight. Once she fully recovers, I plan to have her work somewhere other than the laundry room.”
He tilted his head, then looked back at Barbara and said lightly.
“Even so, she’s just a maid...”
“You know what rumors might spread if you treat her differently.”
“If they still ignore my orders after that, well, that woman just isn’t fated to live long.”
The Celestine Marquis seemed slightly tense at Laslo’s adept way of pressuring her, but Barbara stared at him without flinching—in fact, glaring.
Of course, making her work as a maid wouldn’t completely prevent scandals, but all the servants of House Criserus knew the fact that Edel was working as a maid.
That was why scandals hadn’t proliferated in high society.
“What happens to a mere head maid is none of my concern. What I want is for you, Count Criserus, to guarantee Edel’s safety with your name. Before she falls victim to those mongrels.”
“I plan to have her live as a maid until people’s interest dies down.”
“Is that the condition for House Celestine pledging loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor?”
“Once the interest dies down?”
“I never said that.”
“That is a bit tricky. So...”
“But calling me all the way into this noble marquis residence means that much, doesn’t it? You know well that I have more than one or two eyes on me, Marchioness Dowager.”
Laslo asked Barbara directly.
A brief silence fell between them.
As Laslo said, news of his visit to the Celestine Marquis residence would already have spread to the three great houses and other key figures.
“How much consideration do you intend to give Edel’s situation, Marchioness Dowager? What are you willing to do for her?”
With the Lancaster Duke’s house, which had held the greatest power, annihilated by the Emperor, the Emperor’s faction nobles seeking to solidify imperial authority, the old nobles trying to protect their existing power, and the moderates caught in between—all had their senses sharpened for the coming upheaval.
Others might have seen it as an incredibly rude question, but not Barbara.
It was only natural for someone like Laslo, a key figure in that matter, to have numerous watchers.
She answered as if she’d been waiting.
Laslo glanced at the Celestine Marquis.
“Just let Edel go. I’ll handle the rest.”
“Is the Marquis fine with this? To put it bluntly, isn’t this a major decision that could harm the house due to your mother’s personal connections!”
“If you don’t, you look ready to steal her away by force.”
“If necessary.”
The Celestine Marquis smiled faintly at that.
Laslo quite liked Barbara’s aggressive yet haughty demeanor. He’d never felt this drawn to a woman so much older than him.
“If Miss Edel had been taken to another house, my mother would have kidnapped her outright rather than arranging a meeting like this.”
“...Should I consider it an honor that you attempted dialogue first?”
“You might find it unpleasant, but I think you and I could get along very well.”
“Hahaha. What I mean is, Miss Edel’s matter was merely the trigger that hastened our decision. Our house’s stance wouldn’t have been much different anyway.”
“They say love knows no age, but a gap this wide is hard to overcome, Count.”
“Hahaha! That’s a pity.”
But the fact that it hastened their decision wasn’t something to brush off lightly, meaning Edel’s matter was that important—especially to Barbara.
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