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Chapter – 37
A few days later, Rachel went to see Berengella together with Sian, who had concealed his identity with an eye patch and a cloak.
Buzz—buzz.
Only after the doorbell rang several times did Berengella open the door.
Rachel bent her knees slightly.
“It’s been a while, Lady Berengella.”
Though they were of the same social standing, Berengella was older, so Rachel offered a measure of courtesy.
However, instead of returning the greeting, Berengella frowned as she looked at Sian standing behind Rachel.
“What is this?”
Suppressing the urge to say, This is His Grace the Grand Duke—someone you wouldn’t even dare stand before, Rachel replied calmly,
“He’s a guard hired by the guild.”
“My goodness. How ridiculous. Anyone would think I was about to eat you alive.”
She seemed to have already forgotten what she had done to Jane. The shards of glass embedded in Jane’s palm had been small and numerous, nearly leaving serious aftereffects.
“Well, whatever. Come in. Someone might see.”
Berengella turned abruptly and went inside.
Once Rachel and Sian entered, the maid Peanut, who had been standing nearby, quickly closed the door.
Unlike a mansion, the townhouse had no hall; the entrance led directly into the reception room. Perhaps she had sold off everything of value, because the house felt bare and empty.
What was interesting was that there was only a single chair in the reception room.
She must have removed the others on purpose. Honestly, Berengella—inviting guests and then clearing away the chairs. What a nasty person.
Berengella sat down in the lone chair and spoke.
“There’s no point looking for Theodore. If he were here, he’d just whine noisily again, so I sent him out on an errand for a while.”
Rachel hadn’t been looking for Theodore at all, but Berengella seemed to have misunderstood.
“Sometimes women need a chance to talk among themselves. Don’t you agree, Rachel Elossa?”
“I think you’re mistaken. I’m not an Elossa. And it doesn’t look like you’ve prepared to have a conversation, Lady Berengella.”
“How could that be? I prepared very thoroughly.”
“Then why didn’t you even prepare a chair for your guest? You sent letters threatening me to come all this way.”
“Why would you need a chair?”
The smiling Berengella suddenly bared her teeth and snarled.
“You should be kneeling before me and begging.”
Rachel hadn’t come expecting courteous treatment, but Berengella’s attitude was far more overbearing than she had imagined. It was so obvious she was deliberately trying to humiliate her that Rachel didn’t even feel angry.
She let out a sigh.
“Kneel and beg? I have no intention of doing that when I’ve done nothing wrong. I’ll be leaving now.”
“Leaving? W-wait!”
As Rachel turned away without hesitation, Berengella sprang to her feet.
“If—if you leave like this, I’ll send threatening letters again! I won’t give you another chance to beg me for forgiveness!”
“You’re welcome to send letters. And I’m fine without any chances.”
“What…!”
Rachel knew very well that if she left, the one who would regret it was Berengella.
“‘You’re welcome to send letters. And I’m fine without any chances.’”
At Rachel’s words, Berengella’s face turned pale.
What is with that attitude? Why isn’t she afraid of me? Didn’t she come all the way here because she was scared of my threatening letters?
Trying not to reveal her panic, Berengella listened as Rachel spoke softly.
“I actually came here to give you one last chance. You kept sending letters, so I thought perhaps there was something I could help you with. But it seems I was mistaken.”
At the words chance and help, Berengella bit her lip.
She did need help. While she wanted to put Rachel in her place, she also desperately needed her money.
Stripped of all her assets and reduced to nothing, Berengella couldn’t afford proper clothes or meals. She hadn’t been able to pay Peanut’s wages last month. Soon, the townhouse rent would be due.
If only Rachel comes back. If Rachel returns and marries Theodore again, we can get back the money given as alimony. With that money, I wouldn’t need to hide in this wretched townhouse.
Lost in her absurd fantasies, Berengella panicked when Rachel turned away without hesitation.
If Rachel left, she would be left sucking her fingers for quite some time. Though she pretended to be fine, even the cost of paper to write letters had become burdensome.
Her trembling lips finally burst into a shrill shout.
“W-wait! Since you’re already here, shouldn’t you at least hear me out?”
“Without even a chair? You want us to talk standing up?”
“Th-then… P-Peanut!”
Peanut hurried up to the second floor and brought down a chair.
Once Rachel sat down, Berengella began to speak.
“I never thought I’d have to say this much. Listen carefully. We must start with how the two of you were originally paired. When I first met your father, Count Jamesworld Fram, back in my youth…”
Exaggerated gestures, lies mixed in with truth, and plausible embellishments dragged the story on endlessly.
Unable to endure it any longer, Rachel interrupted and summarized,
“So, you’re saying I should remarry Theodore.”
“Remarry? You were promised to each other since birth, and until just recently you were married! I’m saying we should return things to how they were.”
“I refuse.”
“Why! Why not!”
“Because I don’t want to.”
At the blunt answer, Berengella trembled with rage.
No matter how much of the eloquence she had honed over decades in high society she unleashed, Rachel didn’t so much as twitch an eyebrow. She truly had no intention of reconciling with Theodore.
No! If those two don’t reunite, the Elossa family—and my own old age—are finished!
But there was no way. Rachel was far more resolute than expected. She wouldn’t yield to threats or sweet persuasion.
To Theodore and Berengella, Rachel was their last hope—no, their last source of money.
Theodore was under suspicion of plotting a rebellion. He lived in hiding, afraid of being discovered, unable to dream of the lavish life he once enjoyed. Should they continue living like this?
Absolutely not. Berengella was very clever in matters like this.
We’ll move to some remote countryside. If I say I’m a former countess from the capital, those bumpkins will believe it. I can live out my days being treated decently.
The problem was money. To pose as a former countess from the capital, she’d need a respectable villa and several dresses in the latest fashion.
She bit her lip.
Yes, money! Marriage doesn’t matter. I just need money! If I have money, I won’t ever need to see that detestable Rachel again! Money, money… how do I get money?
As Berengella glared at Rachel, something suddenly flashed in her mind.
There was something.
Something Rachel had given Theodore, something everyone knew belonged to Theodore, something extremely valuable—and something the Emperor had failed to reclaim for his treasury!
After frowning in thought for a long while, Berengella suddenly raised her voice.
“How shameless! You stole our belongings and still act so proud! If you hadn’t taken everything from us, we wouldn’t be living in such poverty!”
What kind of logic was that?
Rachel hadn’t taken anything. When she left the Elossa estate, she brought only a few necessities. She hadn’t even glanced at the expensive jewelry or dresses.
If anything, there were items that hadn’t ended up in Cigar’s vault because of Rachel—like the love letters Theodore had written, which Lailus had burned.
She felt a yawn coming on. Seeing no reaction she had been waiting for, Rachel felt the urge to stand up and leave.
That was when Berengella shouted,
“The cufflinks!”
A lightbulb flashed over Rachel’s head.
At last, Berengella had taken the bait. Rachel had worried she might not remember, but Berengella obligingly recalled the very item Rachel had hoped for.
“They’re Theodore’s cufflinks! Give them back! Now!”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t. You saw it that day, didn’t you? His Grace the Grand Duke took them.”
“You foolish Rachel Elossa! Do you know how precious those cufflinks are? You just gave them to the Grand Duke for free? You should go and get them back—or at least get compensation!”
“Unfortunately, that won’t work either. As you know, I’m a commoner now. How could I possibly dare ask the Grand Duke to return something he’s taken? It’s terrifying.”
“Useless thing!”
“Come to think of it, I heard some news about His Grace recently. As you know, he rarely attends parties or events. But apparently, he’s hosting a party.”
“A party? Hosted by the Grand Duke?!”
Berengella wriggled excitedly in her seat.
If I can just meet the Grand Duke at the party! Not only could I get the cufflinks back, I could also use my eloquence to squeeze compensation out of him—just like I did with Rachel!
Reading Berengella’s scheme, Rachel curled one corner of her lips.
For someone like Berengella, who had only maintained shallow connections in high society, to think she could talk Sian into anything—how laughable.
Unaware of Rachel’s thoughts, Berengella grew more excited.
“Good! Very good information! Rachel Elossa, the day has finally come when you’re useful to me!”
“But since it’s a party hosted by the Grand Duke, commoners won’t be allowed in.”
“That doesn’t matter. I know parties well. Sneaking in is nothing.”
Like mother, like son—they thought exactly alike.
Rachel had originally planned to secretly let Berengella in herself, but if Berengella intended to sneak in on her own, there was no need to help further.
Berengella abruptly stood and flung open the townhouse door.
“That’s enough. Get out, Rachel Elossa! Once I have those cufflinks, I won’t even need to consider reuniting you with my precious son!”
Rachel didn’t bother responding to the insults. Before long, Berengella would regret every word she had just said.
After leaving Berengella’s house, Rachel stopped in an alley a short distance away and bowed politely to Sian.
“I’m sorry, Your Grace. I ended up making you host a party because of me.”
“As I told you when I first heard the plan, don’t concern yourself with that. If you still had a title, the capital guard would have handled this immediately. Rather, I should be the one apologizing.”
It was a ridiculous apology. Granting titles and restoring noble status was the Emperor’s domain. No matter how capable Sian was, it wasn’t something he could resolve quickly.
“Please don’t say that. What you’re doing now is already more than I could ever ask for. I feel bad for always being the one to receive help. Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Something you can do for me?”
“You said you’d ask me to stand on your side when the time comes, but you haven’t asked for anything yet.”
After a moment of thought, Sian spoke.
“Now that you mention it, there is something that requires a woman’s help.”
