Chapter 56
***
It was presumptuous to even wonder how deep the trust between the two was. It implied that you do not trust Olivia's judgment. It was not something a vassal should be curious about in the first place. If that were the case, there would be no reason for Zion to be more concerned than Count Zeppelin. Zion was more handsome, and because he knew less about the relationship between the two, his heart was darkened.
Suppressing his feelings, Theodore answered as he had heard.
"You said you would take care of your own affairs. I was only ordered to protect you safely."
Then Zion hummed, touched his lips, and looked deep in thought.
"Even though I said there was no need to worry so much. You really are too kind-hearted."
“……”
“Instead of protecting me, could you perhaps help me?”
“If it’s something I can do.”
“It’s not something that would inconvenience the Count directly. There’s a letter that needs to be delivered secretly, and it would be best if it could be delivered by someone with no connection to the Marel Theater Company. If possible, someone who deserves to die would be even better.”
Theodore frowned slightly. There were now plenty of people beneath him who were neither regrettable nor a loss to the world if they died.
“I’ll do that. I’ll tell Jan, so when the time comes, I’ll leave it to him.”
“I understand. Thank you.”
Zion said cheerfully. He seemed completely unconcerned, even though he was in the most dangerous situation right now.
"Then I'll take my leave. If there's nothing else you need to tell me."
Theodore shook his head, indicating that it was fine. Zion then bowed elegantly and left the living room first.
Left alone, Theodore sat down heavily on the sofa. The frustration of not being able to fully protect Olivia and his lack of understanding of her left him feeling confused.
Why did his father leave a will instructing him to marry her?
No, he already knew the reason. If Olivia decided not to reveal her true identity, the position of Countess of Lutgard was the highest status his father could offer her.
That was all. From the beginning, she was someone who should never have been within his reach, and that was still the case.
But the scent he had smelled that day was still vivid in his mind, and he felt that he would have trouble falling asleep tonight.
***
Countess Albesleben was not particularly secretive about her private life.
She was the cousin of the Duchess of Krut, an heiress with a huge dowry, and she was also capable in business. From the beginning of her marriage, she ruled the Count of Albesleben's family with an iron fist, and every time she did so, gold coins poured out, so the people of the Count's family had no complaints.
Her husband, the Count, died without leaving any children. The title was inherited by a relative, but Countess Albesleben was able to retain her own title.
Free from all obligations, she lived her life to the fullest. She never went a day without a handsome lover by her side, and she bought whatever she wanted. She felt no need to hide it.
Zion Miller was someone she had long desired. On days when there was a performance, she never failed to send a large bouquet of flowers and expensive gifts to the waiting room, and even on days when there was no performance, she often sent a messenger to the Marel Theater Company's office.
After hearing the rumor that Laila was brokering a mistress contract, she thought it was for the best. She was confident that she could outdo anyone in terms of money. But she failed to get her business card into Laila's hands.
She felt frustrated and angry that all her efforts had been in vain. She poured out her heart to her cousin, the Countess of Krut, without holding anything back.
"It was bound to fail. No matter how much of a puppet she is, she's still the Empress. How could a mere Countess pass her?”
"Shh, Hedy. You shouldn't say such things carelessly."
"What shouldn't I say carelessly? There's only you and me here anyway."
Countess Albesleben snorted.
"And who doesn't know that the Empress is a puppet from the Schwabens.”
“They say even the walls and ceilings have ears.”
“Really, if we had met her face to face, I wouldn’t have wasted my energy worrying about it.”
The Countess ignored whatever the Countess of Krut said and continued to complain. The Countess of Krut shook her head with a grave expression.
“You didn’t see it yourself, did you? Didn’t you say that the maid just saw someone entering and leaving the waiting room? How would that maid know the Empress’s face?”
“They say it was a very beautiful lady who brought the young lady of the Krentzlin family as her companion. If it wasn’t the Empress, then who else could it be? Besides, they say she was dragged away by a guard when she was in there.”
“Oh my.”
“They said her clothes were in disarray. Her stockings were caught on her ankles.”
Even the Countess of Krut couldn’t help but be intrigued by such a story.
“Didn’t they say it was during the performance?”
“You saw ‘The Curtain Rises,’ didn’t you? The intermission is 15 minutes, but after the third act, Zion doesn’t appear. There’s plenty of time to handle the matter then.”
Even if the subject of the scandal were the emperor instead of Empress Lilian, it would still be a serious issue.
The Countess of Krut’s mind was racing. If this were to become known, would the Duke of Schwaben be able to protect the Empress?
How would Duke Klaus react?
Since his last visit to the Countess of Krut’s residence, he had been quiet again. There had been some changes in his mood, and he had invited old friends and royalist nobles to his home, but it seemed that his health was too poor for him to go out.
Zion Miller was a member of Lady Laila's theater troupe, and Laila had received support from Duke Klaus. Duke Klaus hated Empress Lilian.
"Lady Laila must know that, yet she handed over her most important card to the empress?”
She didn't seem like the type to be that foolish. So it must be one of two things: either Lady Laila was rejected by Duke Klaus, or she had nothing to do with this matter.
"It's not that Laila is caught in the middle, but rather that an actor who doesn't understand the situation jumped in blindly because of the empress's background."
If Zion had heard this, he would have been shocked to think that he was seen as such a foolish person, but from the perspective of a noblewoman like the Countess of Krut, it was a natural way of thinking.
She received the second invitation to the wisteria annex salon on the evening of the Countess of Albesleben’s visit.
[Dear Count and Countess of Krut.
We would like to invite you to a special evening gathering for distinguished guests. We are confident that you will enjoy elegant pleasures and interesting conversations, accompanied by the most beautiful voices and melodies blending with the sweet air of early summer.
We look forward to your presence and hope that this gathering will be a memorable occasion. We would be grateful if you could remember the date and respond in advance.
Date: June 15, 7:00 p.m.
Location: The pier on the Renos River. A cruise ship will be waiting.
With respect,
Lady Laila.]
No one would refuse this invitation.
***
Zion wrote the letter on June 5.
Lilian had been dragged away from his waiting room ten days earlier. In the meantime, rumors had begun to spread quietly, but no one had spoken openly about it yet. Unlike the scandals involving Laila and the Marel Theater Company, the Empress's scandal was not something that could be easily discussed, and while some had seen someone being dragged out of the theater that day, no one had been certain it was the empress.
The Duke of Schwaben showed no reaction. Sophia desperately blocked any information from getting out, not only from going out, but also from going into the Schwaben’s.
"It is true that Her Majesty the Empress had a secret friendship with Zion Miller. However, the rumor that they had a physical relationship is false."
That was Sophia’s claim.
She was doing it for Lilian. She still pitied Lilian and did not want any further misfortune to befall her.
However, the person involved did not understand that.
Confined to her bedroom for ten days, Lilian repeatedly cried until she lost her mind and fell asleep.
Write a comment