Chapter 23
Chapter 22
===
After pondering for a bit longer, the Marchioness finally jumped up and went to find the Marquis.
“I have a good plan.”
The Marquis, who was already fuming from work in his office, gestured impatiently at his wife.
“Tell me quickly.”
“It’s not easy to unseat Duke Richmond from Richmond Castle.”
“So?”
“No matter how much I think about it, there’s only one good excuse to unseat the Duke from the castle.”
“What is it?”
“Treason.”
The Marquis’s eyes flashed with annoyance.
“Treason?”
“We link the Duke to the ‘Unseen Ones,’ whom Her Majesty the Empress has declared traitors.”
“The previous Duke and Duchess were killed by the ‘Unseen Ones,’ and you want to pin the blame on their son? Are you crazy?”
“Don’t be so hasty. Who said anything about pinning it on the Duke?”
“Then? Uh… could it be?”
The Marquis’s eyes widened as if he had realized something, and the Marchioness lowered her voice.
“Yes. The woman the Duke brought.”
The Marquis quickly straightened up and nodded, as if urging her to continue.
“If that woman is identified as one of the ‘Unseen Ones,’ you can put the Duke’s judgment on the chopping block. How can someone who gave the room of the Duchess to the enemy who killed his parents lead Richmond?”
“But we don’t know the woman’s identity for sure, do we?”
“When I went to see the Duke earlier, I tried to find out, but he didn’t mention her last name. Why do you think that is?”
“She must be someone whose last name is difficult to say?”
“Where in the Dekan Empire are people whose last names are difficult to say concentrated? Only in the villages of fugitives near the Wall of Death, wouldn’t you say?”
The Marquis slowly stroked his chin.
“Hmm. I wondered where the Duke met the woman, but if it’s there… yes, it makes sense. But what if, by any chance, the woman clearly proves her identity?”
“We need to create a safety net to prevent that from happening.”
“How?”
The Marchioness leaned towards him.
“First, send a Hawk to Her Majesty the Empress. You should hint that the ‘Unseen Ones’ are planning to appear and disappear in Richmond for a while. And get the person I’m talking about in advance.”
“Alright, I understand. But how are you going to pin it on the woman? You’d better do it well.”
“The Inner Palace of Richmond Castle is in the palm of my hand.”
The Marchioness’s eyes gleamed cruelly.
“Two maids will be enough. I’ve already scouted out two perfect ones.”
＊ ＊ ＊
Meanwhile, Grace was reading the documents Eric had brought.
“Are you satisfied?”
Grace, who was rechecking the profit margin, looked up at him in bewilderment.
“Eric. You shouldn’t be asking if I’m satisfied, you should be asking for a reward for making this much profit.”
“If I ask for a reward, will you give me anything?”
“Of course. You’re the one who made this.”
“It was under your orders, my lady.”
Grace chuckled and turned her gaze back to the documents.
Easy money belongs to the first person who uses it.
The Empress, along with many nobles in the capital, treated the Taylor Dukedom’s money as easy money. It was only natural. The current Duke Taylor regarded the family’s wealth as if it were easy money. He cherished the Taylor signet ring as if it were his life, but he acted as if he had to spend the family’s wealth as quickly and as much as possible.
As if he might be kicked out at any moment.
‘Grace! Stamp all these documents and send them.’
‘Let me review them first….’
‘These are things I’ve already approved! How dare you review them?! How much are you looking down on me?!’
‘…….’
‘Just stamp them and send them!! Do you understand?!’
The trust, honor, and wealth that the previous Dukes Taylor had built up like layers of strata were shaking and twisting as if they had been hit by an earthquake.
She couldn’t afford to be caught off guard by a sudden disaster and die. Grace decided to use Taylor’s easy money in reverse.
One of those things was embezzling money herself. The current Duke Taylor didn’t know what the documents looked like anyway. He wasn’t interested.
Grace entrusted some of the embezzled family money to Eric, and Eric had used that money to grow the trading company.
Grace handed back the documents and said.
“Good work. Half of this net profit is yours, so take care of it.”
At those words, Eric’s eyes deepened.
Back when the vassals of the Taylor Dukedom were meeting mysterious deaths, Eric’s father, the late Baron Napier, had also died. A young lady appeared before him, who had lost his father unexpectedly and was wandering around. And she commanded him as if she were his master.
‘Stop crying and get up. Cry after you’ve avenged the enemy who killed you and my father.’
Grace ordered him to build a trading company and make money.
They couldn’t meet often. This was another meeting after almost a year.
The young master grew every time he saw her. Her jawline had become sharper, and her eyes had deepened. Just as her eyes were deepening, so was his heart.
Grace gave him rewards every time he made a profit, but in fact, the real reward for him was not that.
“Eric?”
When he didn’t answer, Grace tilted her head with wide eyes.
Eric smiled as handsomely as possible. His long eyes curved, and his white teeth were slightly visible between his neatly curled lips. It was the smile that noble ladies who traded with him were desperate to see at least once.
Usually, most of the noble ladies would blush or be mesmerized when he smiled like that. But the expression of the master who owned him was so calm that it was almost ruthless.
“Is it not enough?”
Eric asked, feeling a chill in his heart.
“Why do you keep offering to give me a fixed percentage of the money?”
“It’s only natural to share the money earned with my capital and your efforts.”
“I am the Lady’s person.”
So even my efforts belong to you.
Unconditional trust. Sometimes he imagined that everyone who secretly protected Grace would disappear. He wanted to become all of Grace, even if it meant that only he was left.
“I trust you. I just want to commend you for your efforts.”
The monstrous imagination scattered like dust. A shimmering warmth spread over his chilled heart, when suddenly Jessie’s voice was heard.
“I think you should go!”
Grace nodded slightly, as if telling him to go quickly, and Eric gathered the documents and confessed a fact he hadn’t yet revealed.
“The Marchioness’s maid requested information about the Lady’s personal details.”
The moment she heard those words, Grace felt a tingling electricity run up her spine.
“They suspected that the Lady was a commoner who couldn’t reveal her last name. I replied that it would take three months to find out her personal information, and I hinted that she might be from a fugitive village near the Wall of Death.”
A smile formed on Grace’s lips.
“Good job. Thank you for your hard work.”
“I will let you know as soon as I have more news.”
Eric’s red eyes curved like the moon. As he turned to leave, he paused for a moment and asked the question that had been lingering in his mind.
“With Duke Richmond, it will be over once we get Taylor back, right?”
“Of course.”
A nonchalant and light answer came back immediately. At that, Eric left the room without hesitating any longer. Unlike Walter’s thoughts, it wasn’t that he didn’t recognize Walter. Eric had seen the scene when Grace entered the castle in his arms.
“Be careful on your way back. Let’s see each other again soon.”
“Okay. Take good care of her.”
“You’re worrying about nothing.”
After giving a brief greeting to Jessie, he refused Joseph’s offer to guide him and disappeared as quickly and lightly as Joseph admired.
Joseph shrugged his sturdy shoulders and muttered.
“What kind of training did you guys receive?”
Jessie answered absentmindedly, looking at the approaching figures in the hallway.
“Hunter training.”
“Hunter?”
Jessie grinned.
“Staying quiet and then biting hard.”
“…….”
Joseph made a sullen expression, and two maids appeared in the hallway. They were the same maids who had guided Grace to the Chandelier Room.
On the tray they were pushing was a plate covered with a dome. It smelled like food, so it seemed they were bringing dinner.
Jessie’s eyes flashed like a hunter who had spotted prey.
