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Chapter : 41
Come to think of it, he said he was chosen as the successor by the previous Marquis Marcus.
So much had happened recently—Nomen’s forged documents, kidnapping attempts, the mansion attack—that Anna hadn’t really thought about it until now.
How did he get noticed by the Marquis? He left his hometown long ago, didn’t he?
She guessed maybe it was because of the martial arts tournament around the time he disappeared. The church’s tournaments were popular with the Emperor and all the Empire’s nobles.
I’ll have to ask him about it someday.
Anyway, Anna agreed with Lucy—it was a relief that Raiden didn’t know about John’s rumors.
Lucy seemed to relax, feeling that her lady understood.
“Well, it’s all in the past now. And since it happened at the Evercline mansion, it won’t leak out anymore.”
“Yeah. That’s true.”
Anna nodded, but inside, she was anxious.
Is it really safe…?
After Anna fell asleep again, Shilla went to Louis’s office to give the morning report.
When she explained Anna’s condition, Louis frowned.
“Afraid of water?”
“Yes. When she was a child, she almost drowned. Since then, she can’t get into water past her neck. She can’t put her head underwater at all.”
“I see.”
“A few years ago, she fell off a boat by accident and had a seizure. Lucy is always careful about it.”
Louis sighed in disbelief.
“Was she raised in sugar? She’s so delicate.”
“….”
As usual, Shilla’s face was unreadable, like she was wearing a mask. Louis glanced at her, then waved his hand.
“Anyway, I’ll have to report it. Good work.”
“Yes.”
Shilla bowed and left. Louis folded his arms and tapped his bicep with his finger.
“The Marquis doesn’t know about this…”
He shrugged. Even someone madly in love can’t know everything.
“Wait.”
Suddenly, he had an idea.
I might be able to use this. Like, once she’s no longer useful, I could use it to separate her from the Marquis.
Louis opened his drawer and pulled out a thick stack of papers. He flipped to the last page and wrote a note with the new information. He blew on the ink, made sure it was dry, then locked the paper away.
One warm morning, good news arrived: a letter from the Evercline mansion. Anna opened it eagerly.
**It has been a while since I last wrote, My Lady.
The mansion has finally been put in order.
We investigated all the staff, especially the newer ones, and found several with fake recommendations. Some were connected to Marquis Nomen.
Even among the long-term staff, there were problems. The best example is Tom, the coachman who was hurt during your kidnapping at the Beskin estate.
The plot was so well hidden that it shocked us. I never expected such interference from another family.
With help from the Marquis Marcus’s aide, we discovered and dismissed Tom, plus three more old staff members. I’m so glad you’re staying at Marcus Castle, My Lady.
The secret passage used by the attackers is sealed now, just as the Marquis said: ‘A secret that’s known isn’t a secret anymore.’ You agreed to this, right?
New staff were brought in from a reputable agency, and all recommendations were carefully checked. For suspicious cases, we even met the previous employers in person.
I can finally say we’ve gotten rid of all the rats. I’m sorry it took so long.
Please let us know when you and the Marquis decide on your return date.
Until then, I will keep the mansion safe.
Wishing for your health and safety,
Henry**
Anna sighed softly after reading.
Lucy immediately asked,
“What did Mr. Henry say? Is it all over?”
“Yes. He says it’s all cleaned up.”
Anna folded the letter neatly.
Lucy beamed with relief.
“That’s such good news! He really worked so hard, you know. He had to stop the staff from rebelling and couldn’t even explain why he was investigating. If anyone found out, there could be rumors about you being kidnapped.”
Lucy shook her head as she cleaned the tea cups.
“I don’t know much about nobles, but Mr. Henry was really worried you might get tangled in bad rumors, especially since the family almost went bankrupt.”
Anna nodded.
“He’s right.”
Even if Evercline didn’t do business with other nobles, a single rumor could shake the family. For nobles, reputation is everything.
“At least all the effort paid off.”
Lucy smiled widely, then gasped.
“Oh! Does this mean you can go back to the Evercline mansion?”
“Ah…”
Anna stared at the letter in her hands. She remembered Henry wanted to know the date of her return.
Just then, there was a knock and Shilla came in.
“My Lady, Aide Louis invites you to dinner.”
“….”
Anna blinked and glanced at Lucy, who made a face, showing her disapproval. Even the easygoing Lucy could see Louis didn’t respect her lady.
Before Lucy could say anything, Anna replied quickly,
“All right. I’ll get ready and come out.”
“I’ll let him know.”
When the door closed, Lucy punched a cushion and growled like a little dog.
“Does the Marquis know how Louis slouches around and looks down on people like a squid?”
“Squid…”
Anna pictured Louis shuffling around, arms swinging tiredly, and laughed.
“Never mind that. Pick me a dress—one that will really impress Mr. Louis.”
“That’s easy!”
Lucy flashed a predator’s smile. Dressing up her lady was her favorite task.
“You look beautiful. I’m amazed,” Louis said for once, truly admiring Anna.
Before Anna could be surprised, he quickly added his usual sly comment.
“You must be so pretty that Lord Haimel can’t forget you.”
“…Whatever the truth is, we’re still engaged, so of course he cares.”
Anna felt uncomfortable at the sudden topic.
She thought for a moment about telling him the truth, but changed her mind.
Henry said a family no one expected planted a spy. Maybe it’s the Haimel family.
Anna bit her lip, feeling uneasy.
It’s not the first time…
She raised her head, recalling what Louis had just said.
“Is something wrong with Lord Haimel?”
“….”
Louis, who was eating soup, glanced at Shilla.
Shilla gave a small cough and shook her head.
Louis just smiled.
“People say he’s very worried about his fiancée’s health.”
“We were childhood friends before we were engaged.”
Anna answered coolly and kept eating.
Louis shrugged and poked at his food.
“Oh, and I heard you fired a head maid named Lisa.”
CLANG!
A sharp sound echoed through the room.
Everyone looked at Anna. Her fork had fallen to the floor.
“….”
Shilla glanced at Lucy. Lucy’s face was pale.
“Oops, be careful,” Louis said as someone brought Anna a new fork.
He’s showing me my weak spot, right to my face…
He went on, not missing a beat.
“Did Lisa go back to her hometown?”
Anna surprised him by answering directly.
“No, I drove her out.”
“!”
Louis flinched. So did Lucy.
“Why are you asking about that?”
Anna, now calm, stared at him so he couldn’t read her thoughts.
Louis felt a bit disappointed that she recovered so fast.
He covered up with a laugh.
“It’s just surprising. The Marquis remembers her as a trusted servant.”
“She was.”
Anna answered briefly and quietly went back to her meal.
She acted as if nothing had happened, but her heart was pounding hard inside.
