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Chapter – 26
“So the one who toyed with the Elosa family has crawled all the way here!”
At Berengela’s furious shout, Jane—fearless to the point of recklessness—shouted back.
“I-I didn’t toy with anyone! I’m the one who was toyed with!”
Crash!
A wineglass shattered at Berengela’s feet.
Drunk, Berengela staggered toward Jane.
Crunch, crunch—broken shards of glass were ground into powder beneath her slippers, just like Jane’s life, shattered into pieces that could never be put back together.
As Berengela approached Jane, Theodore quickly stepped back and cleared the way.
“…Theodore?”
“It looks like Mother wants to talk to you.”
Theodore looked at Jane with open annoyance, as if she were nothing more than a nuisance.
It was a look she knew all too well. She couldn’t possibly not recognize it—it was the same look Theodore used to give Rachel whenever he was with Jane.
My God. Right now…
She didn’t have time to think.
Berengela grabbed Jane by the hair.
“Ah!”
“All that effort trimming my nails paid off! Now I can grab this damn bitch by the hair!”
“Let go! Let go of me!”
As Jane struggled, she grabbed at Berengela’s dress and hair ornament. Rip—expensive fabric tore, and the ornament tangled in her graying hair came loose.
Fire shot from Berengela’s eyes.
“How dare a lowborn wench! Do you have any idea how valuable that is?!”
“You grabbed me first—ah! You started it!”
“How dare you speak so casually to me!”
“So what?! You don’t even have a title anymore! I heard everything on the way here! The Elosa family was stripped of its title—now you’re just commoners! Do you know how much people are laughing about it?! Aaaah!”
“Shut up! Are you planning to tell the whole neighborhood we live here?!”
“Yes! I will! Everyone! Theodore and Berengela live here! Aah! My hair!”
Face flushed with rage, Berengela dragged Jane inside the house and slammed her onto the floor.
Crack!
Jane fell onto shards of broken glass. Tiny fragments embedded themselves into her palm as she tried to brace herself, blood seeping out.
“Aah! It hurts!”
“Ugh…”
Having moved too violently, Berengela grew dizzy and leaned against the wall, breathing deeply.
Theodore, who had been watching like a bystander across a river, hurriedly shut the door.
It was infuriating. After whispering love to her for so long—he didn’t even try to stop his mother. Instead of worrying about her injuries, he shut the door.
Tears welled up in Jane’s eyes.
“Theodore! How can you do this to me?!”
“Th-that… I’m sorry, Jane. After everything that’s happened, I realized I was wrong.”
“Wrong?”
“Our relationship was a loss for me. I was a count, and you were a commoner. The difference in status alone made it impossible. I was always giving you money and gifts—what did you ever give me?”
“Are you serious right now?!”
“Compared to you, Rachel forgave my affair. She knew everything and still tried to protect me! She didn’t scream and pick fights like you!”
Theodore sighed deeply, shaking his head as if regretful.
“Jane, I’ve realized something. True love is sacrifice and devotion. I’m going back to Rachel. I’m going to start anew with her.”
“Theodore! You bastard! I gave you my youth!”
“How shameless. When did I ever ask you to? You enjoyed it too. You lived well off the money I gave you—warm and well-fed. When would a commoner ever experience such luxury?”
“Aaaah!”
Driven by rage, Jane lunged at Theodore. He extended his arm and shoved her away. With her short limbs, she couldn’t land a single proper punch.
Panting, Jane turned and rushed at Berengela instead.
Still dizzy and unfocused, Berengela lost her balance and fell backward with a thud, losing consciousness.
“…!”
“M-Mother! You cowardly woman!”
A maid who had been frozen in the corner hurriedly lifted Berengela onto her back and carried her upstairs.
Theodore shouted,
“Get out! Get out of my sight right now! We’re finished! Stop clinging and leave!”
Clinging?
After taking everything from her and pinning the blame on her father, how could he say that?
She wanted to scream—but she didn’t. She thought of her father.
This wasn’t why she’d come. She’d regretted throwing water on Theodore more than she could say.
Jane dropped to her knees and begged.
“Alright. It’s my fault. I’ll leave. I’ll do whatever you say—just please, release my father!”
“Release Kal?”
“The guild house and everything of value were confiscated—we’re penniless. Please tell the truth. Tell them he did it because you ordered him to. Please…”
Theodore shook his head.
There was nothing to consider.
Rachel had barely managed to clear his name. There was no reason to confess now. He didn’t want to ruin the proof of love she had given him.
Kal was already arrested. To build a future with Rachel, it was better to have as few crimes as possible.
Jane finally broke down in tears.
“Th-Theodore… you’re horrible. You’re truly a horrible man…”
“If you’re done, leave. Before I call the capital guards.”
But Jane only trembled on the floor, unable to stand.
“Jane?”
“I-I can’t go. I really can’t. I have nothing to eat… nowhere to go.”
“…Haa.”
A pathetic woman. Was this really why she came?
Theodore wasn’t kind enough to show mercy to a woman he no longer loved.
“Whether you starve or have a place to go isn’t my problem.”
He picked up a few pieces of cheese from the table where Berengela had been drinking and handed them to Jane.
“Here. Take this and leave. This is the last mercy I’ll show before calling the guards.”
“….”
Jane stared silently at the cheese. They bore the marks of Berengela’s bite; some were stained with drops of spilled wine.
Her pride burned. Not long ago, she would have thrown cheese like this away. Now she was so hungry she wanted to devour it without a second thought.
She accepted the cheese with bloodied hands. Theodore opened the door.
Jane walked out slowly. Without a word, Theodore shut the door behind her.
Click.
The sound of the lock made her chest drop, and tears poured out again.
“Sniff… hic… h-hic…”
Jane’s tears dripped onto the ruined cheese.
From a distant rooftop, Cyan—who had been watching the scene—quietly disappeared into the darkness.
Life in the new mansion was relaxed and peaceful. The servants were kind, the estate spotless, and daily life comfortable.
Graham was especially pleased that he could focus on sword training without having to clean his room.
Rachel was enjoying afternoon tea while reviewing information about the gifted estate and its staff when Katie approached.
“Excuse me, Lady Rachel. I have something to report.”
Katie was stiff and businesslike, but her work was flawless. She even prepared for things she hadn’t been told to handle. Rachel liked her a great deal—just as one would expect from someone Cyan had recommended.
Rachel set the documents aside.
“What is it?”
“There is someone watching you, Lady Rachel.”
“Watching me?”
Rachel’s eyes widened briefly, then she tilted her lips into a crooked smile.
“Must be Theodore.”
“It seems he requested the guild to gather information about you. Grand Duke Cyan instructed me to report this to you and follow your orders.”
As the chief intelligence source, he had anticipated the problem early. Moments like this made Cyan’s presence feel especially reassuring.
“Thank you for telling me. I expected it, but it still feels unpleasant to experience it firsthand.”
“The Grand Duke ordered us not to act until you give instructions, so for now, we’re letting the individual linger around the estate. How would you like us to proceed?”
“Hm…”
Rachel wanted to capture and drive the spy away immediately. She could even accuse him of spying on an estate granted by the Emperor. After all, that was why she had moved somewhere secure.
She recalled the last time she had seen Theodore. He hadn’t accepted the divorce or annulment.
If I let this go, he’ll keep pestering me. I need to make sure he never comes near me again.
After a moment’s thought, she said,
“Don’t deal with it. Leave them alone, no matter what they do.”
“Leave them… alone?”
“Yes. Don’t even hint that we know.”
“…Understood.”
Katie responded politely, but she was clearly dissatisfied.
They were stripped of their title and annulled—why allow their lackey to loiter around my estate? I don’t like pests gathering where I’m responsible.
When Katie didn’t leave, Rachel tilted her head.
“Katie? Do you have something else to say?”
“…May I speak honestly? It may come across as rude.”
Rachel liked this about her. Katie didn’t bottle things up—and she held no grudges afterward.
“Go ahead.”
“I don’t want to knowingly allow pests to come and go in this house.”
“Pests? Ahaha.”
It was an amusing choice of words.
Thinking about it, this really wasn’t easy for a perfectionist like Katie. Knowing of an intruder and not apprehending them would sting her pride as head of security.
“I’m sorry, Katie. I didn’t think that through.”
At Rachel’s words, Katie’s face brightened.
“May I capture the one watching the estate?”
“No, you can’t.”
“….”
Seeing her instant disappointment, Rachel decided to explain the plan.
“I’m setting a trap. Bugs fly in on their own once they know there’s sweet honey, don’t they?”
“A trap?”
“Yes.”
Right now, the sweetest honey for Theodore was Rachel herself. To a man hiding in ruin with nowhere to turn, seeing Rachel living in a luxurious mansion would look like salvation.
Judging by his last behavior, he hadn’t let go yet.
When he came thinking it was honey, she planned to bite back hard and teach him a lesson.
“So, Katie—don’t chase away the guild informant. Show them that we’re living very, very well. Understood?”
