Chapter 66: [Chapter 066] Because I miss you
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"Noevian has started drinking heavily on a regular basis. Or perhaps, I didn't know he'd been doing it since I died. The boxes of fine liquor delivered to the servants every morning were familiar, and the complaints of the family doctor, Spino, didn't seem new at all."
"The Duke's complexion doesn't look good at all. Is he doing his job properly?"
As soon as I met him in Spino's room, which I had visited without any prior notice, I began to blame him. The Spino I knew was a very diligent and intelligent man. So, I'm sure he's choosing the right words to protest, his face flushed red with injustice.
"Well, if he had done his job properly, the Grand Duchess would have lived a little longer."
"!"
Spino looked at my smiling face as if he were facing the corpse of Adrienne. No wonder. He was the one who knew the face of the deceased Grand Duchess as well as anyone in this mansion, and he was the one who saw me dying up close.
"I hear you've been taking some kind of medicine with your alcohol. Do you know what it is?"
"With alcohol? I clearly told you not to..."
"That means you know what kind of medicine it is."
"I know, but I can't just tell you. As the family doctor of this household, I cannot arbitrarily reveal the health status of my lord."
"Even to me, his wife?"
Spino's eyes shook violently. I slowly approached him.
"I have a duty to take care of the health of my husband. You have a duty to help me."
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"I respect you, Madam. But since you haven't officially entered the Trovika family yet, naturally..."
"If you're so loyal, why didn't you save the Grand Duchess? Ah-"
I clapped my hands as if I had just thought of something. When Spino looked at me startled, I raised the corners of my lips.
"Maybe you contributed to the Grand Duchess's death."
"...What?"
I clearly saw the color drain from Spino's face in an instant.
"...I know more than you think. In a way, I might be here thanks to you."
"Wh, what are you talking about, Madam! It's absurd."
"So tell me. What kind of medicine is the Duke taking?"
"Never..."
"Before people suspect that the Grand Duchess of Trovika died from poisoning rather than illness."
Spino collapsed into his chair, his body trembling violently. Sweat beaded on his wrinkled forehead and hollow, unsightly cheeks, making him look more ill than Noevian.
"I did my best, really! I have nothing to be ashamed of! The Duke's medicine is just a common sleeping pill! I swear on everything... I haven't done anything shameful as a doctor! Only..."
"...Only?"
"It's a very strong sleeping pill, and when taken with alcohol, it causes powerful hallucinations. If the Duke is taking the medicine continuously for those hallucinations rather than for sleep, it must be stopped. So please help me, Madam."
"That's a very serious problem. If he continues to work in that state, he won't be able to make proper judgments."
Spino nodded vigorously. For a moment, the anxiety of having leaked information about his lord's health to an outsider crossed his face, but he seemed reassured by my words, agreeing vehemently.
"It's really a serious problem."
That is, until he saw me smile and show my teeth.
"Thank you. I'll put my suspicions about you aside for now."
Despite being thanked, he looked as if he were engulfed in another anxiety.
***
Noevian had been running around quite busily for several days. In the occasional letters from Madame Leblé and Irene, I was informed that Noevian was under immense pressure from his vassals. They, being quite interested in the love stories of men and women, usually added comforting messages along with their letters. 'The Duke is being tougher than expected, so don't worry and just follow whatever he does.' I burned the letters in the fireplace and looked up at the clock. Today was the day Noevian said he would be home late, but I checked the time out of habit. It was because, a few days ago, the man I thought I had met as 'Adrienne' had headed towards the Grand Duchess's bedroom around this exact time. After that day, Noevian had lost his entire set of keys and turned the whole house upside down, carrying an emergency set of keys. I had taken only the key to the Grand Duchess's bedroom from the set of keys I had stolen from him and had been entering that bedroom every day since. The reason was simple. I wanted a confession from Noevian, who was half out of his mind. The damned 'truth' that Blier Acacia wanted to reveal, and the truth I wanted to know, could all be solved at once if only Noevian Trovika, the master of this mansion and the culprit of everything, would open his mouth. Whenever he came home drunk and drugged, I would inevitably go to the Grand Duchess's bedroom and whisper.
'Live a new life with Blier Acacia.'
'Forget about me, whom you couldn't have, and find your new love and happiness.'
Every time, when he would cry in agony, then have a relieved expression as if all his sins had been forgiven, my heart would twist violently. It was because he reacted to those words, unlike the important questions of why he betrayed me and who Blier was. However, every time that happened, his attitude towards me when he was sober became a little gentler.
"Madam, Madame Leblé and Baroness Noura have arrived."
"Baroness Noura?"
"Yes."
I pushed the already ashed letters deeper into the fireplace and shook my hands. As I went downstairs with Marie, I found Madame and Noura there. Madame looked at me with admiration as I came down from the mistress's second floor, and Noura, after looking around the dukedom restlessly, avoided my gaze when our eyes met.
"Your face is glowing, Madam. You're radiant!"
"You're too kind, Madame."
"Really, I am! My hands are itching to start designing."
Noura only gave a formal greeting and watched as Madame and I discussed what kind of dress we would wear for the end of the debutante season. Madame, as if on purpose, began to sketch in her seat and appeal how many jewels would be nice, and I agreed. Noura's eyes, which had been flickering noticeably, became quite firm after Madame left the mansion first, promising to come back later.
"...What should I do?"
The usually displeased look was noticeably softened. I wasn't just waiting for Noura either. According to Madame, Noura had started a jewelry store to pay for the enormous medical expenses of her husband, Baron Jusetta. The reason she was still by the Crown Princess's side, despite the Crown Princess's contempt, was that the jewelry store's popularity was maintained thanks to the noblewomen who followed her whenever she bought expensive jewelry. But since Doris followed me, she didn't even glance at the things Noura subtly recommended. In other words, it meant that Noura needed to win my favor to maintain her family and pay for her husband's medical expenses. I looked at her for a moment and replied.
"Tell me everything you know. Everything you know about me, about Her Highness the Crown Princess. Anything."
Noura, who had been clutching her skirt and trembling, soon regained her composure and told me various things. She said that recently, the Duke of Castagna had urged the Crown Prince to choose between her and Noevian, and that the intensity was much stronger than before, so Doris was intoxicated with victory. The Crown Prince was visiting the Crown Princess's palace more often than before.
"From what I judge, honestly, the Duke's base is in the royal family. And since the Duke of Castagna is a great noble who controls the entire West, even if the Duke is very capable, the cooperation of the Duke of Castagna will be absolutely necessary for His Highness the Crown Prince to ascend to the throne without any hindrance in the future."
"It seems like Your Highness the Crown Prince should at least pretend to give up on the Duke, so that there will be no noise when he becomes the Emperor in the future."
Noura's eyes widened in surprise at the insightful words coming out of my mouth, but soon she was watching me. And thinking that I was asking these things for the Duke, she stammered.
"E, even so, His Highness the Crown Prince won't be able to give up on the Duke so easily after relying on him for so long."
Yes, that was the problem. But judging from Noura's words, this seemed like an opportunity given by heaven. If the Crown Prince couldn't let go of Noevian because of personal feelings, why not create a reason for him to let go of Noevian?
'What if the Crown Prince, who said he would do anything for this country, found out about Noevian's shady past?'
It was time to seize the opportunity to enter Noevian's office, which had been waiting for an opportunity. ***
"Madam! Madam! Something terrible has happened!"
"What is it?"
While I was gathering a bundle of keys to inspect Noevian's office, Yona urgently found me.
"The Royal Second Knights and the Capital Guard are at the front gate, confronting the soldiers, saying they will investigate the Duke's residence!"
"At this hour?"
It was a great disrespect to barge into a nobleman's residence late at night without permission, unless it was a crime close to treason.
"They say it's because of the disappearance of Baroness Kuroseda!"
"Even so, they visited the Duke's residence without permission?"
"Yes! The butler even ran out and there's a big commotion now!"
"...I guess I have to go out.
Can you wait for me with my coat on the first floor?"
"Yes!"
Perfect timing. While the servants' attention was focused on the front gate, I could enter Noevian's office. As I was looking in the mirror to tidy up my clothes, I saw the window reflected in the mirror shaking with a tap, tap sound. As soon as I approached and opened the window, Roardnes was below.
"Adrienne."
Startled, I looked around and opened the window wide, and Roardnes climbed up the wall and entered through the window.
"How did you know this room?"
"Your maid told me. Why, this little one."
Roardnes spread his hands on my chest and smiled faintly. Ah, I then remembered that Yona had said, "Royal Second Knights," with a slightly flushed face.
"Yona wouldn't have thought you would come like this. No, she wouldn't have."
I quickly corrected my words, realizing that I had forgotten to be polite because I was too surprised, and Roardnes made a slightly mischievous expression.
"There was a scuffle at the front gate, so is it okay for you to come here like this?"
"Ah, that was done on purpose to make the security here lax. Neil will be very tired from arguing pointlessly."
"Since he's already trained through arguments with you, Sir Neil will carry out the order very well."
I patted my startled heart and replied to his words, which were so calm despite surprising me.
"Suddenly, without any notice... How did you come here? If the Duke had been at the mansion..."
Roardnes, who had ruffled his hair slightly, stared at me for a moment before opening his mouth.
"...Because I missed you."
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