-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Rachel's Scheme (7)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Stop right there.”
At Ariana’s cold command, the man who had just entered froze.
A slender build, a handsome face. Ariana inwardly scoffed as she confirmed the man’s features.
She knew this man.
Rounder, a scoundrel who had impregnated a naive noble lady from a certain count’s family and successfully married into their ranks. Even after gaining status, his nature hadn’t changed; he was known for flirting with many noblewomen.
It was the same with Ariana.
Every time they met at various parties, Rounder would approach her, and her husband, Viscount Ingow Albrecht, would misunderstand, thinking Ariana was having an affair. He would then assault her upon their return to the estate.
Every time her husband beat her, Ariana resented Rounder.
*Why did you talk to me? Why did you smile at me? Why were you kind to me?*
She never dreamed she would encounter this man at such a time, in this way. She had thought she wouldn’t meet him in this life.
Rounder smiled at Ariana. It was a smile that would elicit a favorable impression from anyone who didn't know him.
“Second Duchess. You don’t need to be so wary.”
Rounder took a step closer.
“I said stop.”
“I’d like to, but…”
Rounder took another step closer.
“I owe someone a favor, you see.”
Ariana drawing her dagger and Rounder grabbing her arm and pulling her were almost simultaneous.
Rounder skillfully spun Ariana around and wrapped his arm around her waist. Ariana, in turn, stabbed his arm with her dagger.
“Ugh!”
But Rounder, accustomed to such situations, merely groaned and didn’t release Ariana. Instead, he tightened the grip of his left arm around her waist.
Ariana tried to pull out the dagger and stab him again, but—
“My, my… You carry dangerous things.”
Rounder roughly snatched Ariana’s wrist with his right hand. Ariana gripped the dagger tightly, unwilling to drop it.
“Just relax and let go. The Second Duchess can’t beat me. Do you think this is my first time dealing with something like this?”
Yes, of course it wouldn’t be.
*But it’s not my first time dealing with something like this either.*
Ariana lifted her foot and stomped hard on Rounder’s instep.
“Ugh!”
Rounder only groaned, not appearing significantly impacted, so she stomped repeatedly, *thud, thud*. Unable to endure the persistent attack on one spot, Rounder’s arm lost its strength.
At that moment, Ariana spun her body instead of escaping.
If she had fled, Rounder would have regained his strength and secured her waist, but turning directly towards him was unexpected. In his embrace, Ariana boldly lifted her knee.
Ariana’s knee struck his sensitive spot.
“Agh!”
Even the hardened Rounder couldn't endure this attack.
Rounder gasped, unable to even scream, and threw Ariana aside, bending at the waist.
Ariana straightened her posture, clutching the dagger tightly with both hands, and glared at Rounder. He was groaning, doubled over.
“How much did the Duchess promise you?”
At her calm voice in such a situation, Rounder merely lifted his head to look at Ariana.
Ariana, unlike a woman who had just suffered a rough encounter with a man, stood composed, looking down at Rounder.
“Six gold.”
Ariana was dumbfounded by Rounder’s answer.
Only six gold. The price for me was only six gold.
*How truly pathetic you are, Ariana.*
Her heart grew cold.
Any lingering hope for Rachel, who would sell her own daughter for a mere six gold, had vanished.
“If you disappear quietly from here, I’ll give you double that.”
As if the pain had subsided, Rounder straightened up. He looked at Ariana, who was proposing a deal, as if amused, then spoke.
“Does the Second Duchess have that kind of money?”
“Yes. Plenty.”
“Ha, double would be twelve gold…”
“You’d do well to accept. If you lay a hand on me here, you won’t return safely.”
“I wonder. If push comes to shove, I might even become the Second Duchess’s husband. No nobleman would accept a flawed Second Duchess, after all.”
“You dream big. Do you really think you could marry the Second Duchess of the Bronte Ducal family?”
“Who knows? Why not? If we love each other.”
Rounder lunged at Ariana again. Ariana swung her dagger, but Rounder easily dodged it and struck her wrist with the edge of his hand.
*Clang!*
The dagger fell to the ground.
Rounder pushed Ariana back onto the sofa inside the pergola. Climbing on top of Ariana, he gently gripped her neck and whispered,
“If I say we were doing something like this, they’d have to let us marry, wouldn’t they?”
“You’re going to die.”
“No, I won’t die. Can’t you tell by the fact that I’m still alive?”
“No, you will die. I’m different from other noblewomen and ladies.”
“You’re the same.”
Rounder brought his face closer. His damp breath brushed Ariana’s nose.
“No, perhaps even worse?”
“…”
“People like us are quicker to hear rumors than the high-and-mighty.”
Rounder’s hand gently caressed Ariana’s neck.
“Everyone who matters knows that the Second Duchess of the Bronte family is treated worse than a maid.”
“So marrying someone like me is no problem?”
Rounder smiled.
“Yes, that too… but I like the Second Duchess. You’re much prettier, more mature, and much bolder than I heard. You’re the first woman who isn’t scared in this situation. Oh, stop that.”
Ariana, seeing an opportunity, tried to lift her knee to attack again, but Rounder pressed her leg down with his thigh.
“You won’t trick me twice, Duchess.”
Ariana knew it was difficult for a woman’s body to overcome a man’s. But she hadn’t expected to be so utterly defeated.
*It’s hard to win even with a weapon.*
It was natural that a scrawny girl’s body, malnourished, couldn’t overcome a man.
Ariana had expected this outcome.
The problem was that Rounder was dumber than she thought.
Rounder was dreaming of marrying Ariana. He had no idea he would be killed to ensure his silence as soon as this was over.
Even if Ariana was treated as less than a daughter within the estate, she was still, by blood, the Western Duke’s granddaughter. The Western Duke would never let a man who defiled his granddaughter go unpunished.
But such persuasion wouldn’t work on this man, who was lost in his dreams.
Ariana decided to use her next move.
No matter how accustomed to such acts this man was, he surely hadn’t had his tongue cut out.
As Ariana closed her eyes and stopped resisting, Rounder seemed to believe she had accepted her fate and leaned down towards her face without a hint of caution.
Ariana visualized her movements, waiting for Rounder’s lips to touch hers.
It was then.
Suddenly, the weight above her lightened.
“Ah! Who are you?!”
Rounder’s shriek came from beside the sofa.
Ariana opened her eyes and turned her head.
Cyrus, looking somewhat annoyed, stood holding Rounder by the scruff of his neck.
Rounder struggled to break free from his grip, but Cyrus easily restrained him without much effort.
Ariana envied the significant difference in strength. *If only I were that strong.*
“Were you eager for this man’s lips, or did you offer your lips to set up your next move?”
“Let go! I don’t know who you are, but I’m here at the Duchess’s request! You won’t get away with treating me like this!”
Rounder, whose neck was held, couldn’t see Cyrus’s face and seemed to mistake him for a knight of the estate.
As Rounder’s voice interrupted Cyrus’s low tone, Cyrus moved his hands as if annoyed.
*Crack!*
It was just once.
With that single, effortless movement, Rounder’s neck twisted unnaturally, and he stopped moving.
Ariana was greatly shocked but didn’t show it. She remained still, as if the death of a person before her eyes was nothing.
Cyrus threw the lifeless Rounder onto the floor.
Even after killing a man, Cyrus’s expression was no different than usual. He was calm, as if he had simply finished washing his hands or eating a meal.
“Is he dead?”
“Yes. Are you afraid?”
She couldn’t show weakness to Cyrus by saying she was afraid.
Ariana got off the sofa and nudged Rounder’s corpse with her foot. Rounder didn’t stir.
“He really is dead.”
“Indeed, you continue to amuse me. Most women would faint after a scene like this.”
“Why would I faint when the man who tried to harm me is dead?”
Cyrus picked up the dagger from the floor, turned the hilt towards Ariana, and offered it to her.
“Did you think you could defeat a strong man with something like this?”
“One always thinks of the next move, and the one after that.”
“Even if that means defiling your own lips?”
“Would someone who seeks to drag others into the mud fear the mud splashing onto themselves? However, thank you for stepping into the mud on my behalf. I will surely repay you someday.”
Cyrus silently gazed at Ariana, then spoke.
“Are you staying here?”
“I should go now. I’ll take my leave first today.”
Ariana took a handkerchief from her pocket. It was a handkerchief she always carried, thinking there might come a moment when she would need it.
Ariana casually dropped it on the floor.
She couldn’t even guess why Cyrus had appeared at such a moment to help her. But if he truly had the intention to ‘help,’ he wouldn’t remove this handkerchief.
After Ariana left without explanation, Cyrus confirmed what she had left behind.
It was a handkerchief.
Cyrus’s lips curled into a smile as he saw the name embroidered on the handkerchief.
“Noah.”
At his call, Noah appeared.
“Go to the Investigative Bureau as quickly as possible and send an investigator here. An investigator from the Empire.”
Each territory’s administrative offices had one or two officials sent from the Empire.
If the investigator was from the Western Territory, the Western Duke’s influence might quietly suppress the incident. But the Western Duke’s influence wouldn’t reach an Imperial official.
Noah replied briefly and disappeared. Cyrus then took a dagger from his pocket, stabbed Rounder’s chest a couple of times, and vanished.
+++
Victoria was hurrying through the forest.
It was because of the letter that had been slipped under her door earlier.
[Victoria.
I need your help regarding Ariana. Come to the pergola by the central pond in the forest.
Burn this letter as soon as you read it.
-Rachel-]
It was strange that Rachel, who had told her not to come out today, was suddenly calling for her, but it wasn’t suspicious enough to be alarming.
Perhaps Rachel had told Helena to stay in her room so she wouldn’t ruin things, then secretly called only Victoria.
As she walked towards the pergola, she heard voices. Rachel’s voice and those of other noblewomen.
Victoria rushed towards the source of the voices.
Rachel, who was heading towards the pergola with the noblewomen, seemed surprised to see Victoria suddenly appear.
“Victoria?”
“Mother, I…”
“Why are you here? Go back to your room immediately.”
Victoria was flustered by Rachel’s attitude.
*I came because I received Mother’s letter…*
Perhaps this was part of the plan.
“Yes, Mother.”
Victoria replied politely and left the spot.
