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Chapter – 33
There was no hesitation.
Rachel tore Berengela’s letter to shreds. She walked over to the fireplace and threw the pieces into the roaring flames.
How could she even think of sending something like this? She should be groveling and begging for forgiveness, and even then I’d have to think twice.
She bit her lip as she watched the letter quickly burn to black ash.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She could easily guess why Berengela had sent the letter, which only fueled her rage.
Katie, who had been sorting through the remaining letters, approached carefully, watching Rachel’s expression.
“Lady Rachel… are you all right?”
“I’m fine. I’m just a little angry.”
“That letter—she’s threatening you for money, isn’t she?”
“Probably. Judging by the timing, she must’ve heard from Theodore how I’m doing these days. She needs money but doesn’t want to swallow her pride, so she decided to threaten me instead.”
It seemed Berengela still thought Rachel was the same as before. Rachel hadn’t really shown how much she had changed in front of her, so it was understandable.
If I were the old Rachel, I would’ve been terrified and not known what to do. A former countess with a loud voice, wide connections, and even a tendency toward violence—anyone would’ve been scared.
But the current Rachel wasn’t someone who would fear Berengela just because she was loud.
Their statuses had been reversed, so there was no danger of being struck anymore. More than anything, Rachel knew better than anyone how thin and insignificant Berengela’s so-called connections really were.
“Well, whatever. I’ll just pretend I never saw it. I’m in a bad mood, so I should eat something delicious. Katie, could you prepare some snacks?”
“Of course. I’ll bring young master Graham as well.”
“Thanks. You really know how to cheer me up.”
“That’s because you’re almost too easy to please.”
Rachel giggled at Katie’s mock complaint.
Inside the grand conference hall of the imperial palace, a meeting of the elder nobles was in full swing.
Emperor Sigar sat at the far end of the massive table, listening to the reports with a languid expression. He wore a constant smile, as if proud of the nobles working so hard for his sake.
Duke Dyer, with his long beard, delivered his report.
“…Thus, we have identified the full amount that former Count Elrosa siphoned away.”
“Is that all? What about the former count’s whereabouts?”
“We have not yet… determined whether he is alive or dead.”
“Incompetent fools. It’s been how long since he attempted rebellion, and you still haven’t brought me his head?”
Sigar frowned as he looked at Sian, clearly implying that this, too, had not yet been discovered.
Of course, Sian knew where Theodore’s townhouse was. He simply hadn’t reported it—because of Rachel.
Duke Dyer cleared his throat and continued.
“Since the embezzlement went on for a long time, the sum is considerable. After settling the unpaid taxes and alimony, the remaining assets will be reclaimed by the treasury.”
“How much are we talking about?”
“Taxes alone amount to several thousand gold. The total assets, including the estate, are tens of thousands.”
Sigar grinned at the large sum.
“I like the sound of that.”
“The guild provided significant assistance in tracking down the assets.”
It was a subtle attempt to praise Sian. Dyer believed Sian should be emperor instead of Sigar, and he wanted to credit him whenever possible.
Though usually oblivious, Sigar quickly grasped that Dyer was trying to shift the credit to Sian. He glanced sideways at Sian, who sat quietly listening, and forced a smile.
“I see. Since the guild helped so much, that deserves praise. Commend Guildmaster Whigius generously. Prepare a reward.”
Sigar redirected the credit to Whigius instead of Sian.
In any case, Whigius was Sian’s man, so the benefit ultimately still went to Sian. Sigar simply didn’t know that.
Dyer smiled bitterly to himself.
“…Understood. Moving on to the next agenda. Rachel, the former countess of the Elrosa family, has submitted a request to restore the count title of the Fram family, to which she originally belonged.”
“Rachel?”
Sigar opened his mouth slightly, then turned to Sian.
“Are we certain that this woman named Rachel wasn’t involved in the rebellion? A foolish woman like that might’ve been tricked by her husband into helping without realizing it. What do you think, Grand Duke?”
Sian resisted the urge to sigh.
Sigar had personally granted Rachel a reward after confirming she had no connection to the rebellion, yet he had already forgotten.
In truth, Sigar hadn’t thought much when he rewarded her. He merely wanted to show off his generosity and authority to Sian, who stood before him with head bowed.
Sigar was an incompetent ruler who decided people’s fates based solely on his mood.
Sian recalled Lylarus’s words.
“In the future I foresaw, Grand Duke Sian sat upon the imperial throne.”
It was practically treasonous to say such a thing.
Sian clenched his fist, pushed the thought aside, and answered.
“Lady Rachel did not cooperate with Theodore. On the contrary, she opposed him.”
“On what grounds?”
“She was the first to uncover and expose Theodore’s hidden assets and tax evasion. If she had been on his side, she couldn’t have done that.”
“Ah… now that you mention it, I seem to recall something like that.”
“She also filed for annulment the moment Theodore’s crimes came to light. She did everything she could to separate from him. She showed no mercy in demanding alimony, and there is no evidence she helped Theodore after he fell into trouble.”
“Hmm. How commendable. She deserves a reward.”
“You already granted one.”
“Did I?”
Sian hoped it would end there.
He wished Sigar would stop mentioning Rachel altogether.
“But it’s strange. If I don’t remember her, she must not have been particularly clever or from a powerful noble house. How did such a woman manage to handle an annulment and alimony claim so swiftly and cleanly?”
So he had reached that line of thought after all.
It was a natural conclusion for anyone who thought logically. But Sian, who didn’t want Sigar paying attention to Rachel, hoped he would simply let it pass.
Sian answered quietly.
“I helped her.”
“You did?”
“Yes. It was necessary in the process of quickly identifying and dealing with Theodore’s assets.”
“Hm. I see.”
Sigar fell silent for a moment.
Rachel. A foolish woman who married a traitor. No influence in high society. No honor, power, strength, knowledge, wealth, connections, or family to her name.
…The perfect partner to block Sian’s future.
A disturbingly bright smile spread across Sigar’s face.
In his good mood, Sigar decided to show Rachel mercy.
“Very well. I will restore the count title of the Fram family. We have lands reclaimed from the Elrosa family—it would be fitting to grant those to her.”
“I obey.”
“And Grand Duke, for the time being, see to Countess Rachel’s safety. Many things have suddenly changed for her, so she must be confused.”
“…I will comply.”
“Any objections?”
“None.”
“Good work, everyone. This concludes today’s imperial council.”
As Sigar stood and walked out first, he lightly patted Sian on the shoulder.
After the meeting, as Sian stepped into the garden, his aide Nick approached.
“Did the meeting conclude well? Duke Stephan doesn’t seem to be present today either.”
“Have you ever known Stephan to be tied down by things like this? What did the merchant guild say?”
“We haven’t received a reply yet. Even they seem to be having trouble tracking down Duke Stephan’s whereabouts.”
“That sounds like him. Report as soon as you hear anything. Theodore’s assets have been fully accounted for—make sure the alimony due to Countess Rachel isn’t reduced.”
“Yes, sir.”
“His Majesty has decided to grant Lady Rachel the title of count. We’ll need to prepare a new Dolorasa dress for the investiture ceremony.”
“Shall I clear your schedule?”
“Yes. Postpone whatever can be postponed and free up time during the day. This time, we must ensure Dolorasa isn’t disappointed and that the dress suits her perfectly.”
“I’ll make the preparations.”
Nick nodded, then studied his superior as they walked.
Sian was usually calmer and more courteous than other nobles, even considerate toward subordinates. But today, his tone was stiff, and he seemed clearly displeased.
“Your Grace. Did something happen during the meeting?”
Sian let out a short sigh.
Something happened?
Nothing special, really. In fact, something good had happened. Sigar, in high spirits, had readily granted Rachel both title and land.
But Nick’s concern was justified—Sian’s mood was dark. Throughout the meeting, Sigar had belittled and dismissed Rachel.
Rachel isn’t that kind of person.
He wanted to protest, but he couldn’t.
Rachel’s unassuming reputation was something she had carefully cultivated over a long time. He had no right to destroy it carelessly.
“Your Grace, if it helps, you can confide in me. That’s why you hired me for such an exorbitant salary, isn’t it?”
At the worried words, Sian smiled.
That was true. Nick was exceptionally capable and had stayed by Sian’s side for years.
Originally the heir to a count’s family, Nick had abandoned his title because he loved the work—and Sian—and became his aide instead.
He was one of the most reliable allies who would stand on Sian’s side no matter what happened.
Sian told Nick what had transpired during the council.
Nick’s conclusion was simple.
“His Majesty seems to be considering Countess Rachel as your prospective partner.”
“…That’s what I thought.”
“For His Majesty, who happily granted her the title, that’s only natural. He believes he can give something like a countship to an incompetent woman without concern. And ordering you to look after her says it all.”
Should he be happy that he could remain by Rachel’s side legitimately under an imperial command, or worried that Sigar might someday harm her? He couldn’t tell.
Rachel has Lylarus by her side, so she should be safe. In that case… should I be happy? But something about this feels unsettling.
Nick continued his report.
“More importantly, wouldn’t it be better to deal with Theodore quickly? That would resolve at least one troublesome issue. I’ve heard His Majesty is still searching for him.”
“No. If we do that, Countess Rachel will—”
She’ll be hurt again. She’s more tender-hearted than she looks. She might even pity him being punished for crimes he didn’t commit.
Sian stopped mid-thought, startled.
A tremendous noise erupted from the nearby fountain.
SPLASH!
A massive surge of water followed, and something suddenly burst out of the pool.
“Gah! I almost drowned!”
It was Crown Prince Atreiyu.
