CHAPTER 102
Translator: Rae
***
I Can Stay With You If You’re Scared to Sleep Alone
"I'm not sure about that. I'll ask him when I see him later.”
The Marquis of Aroche shrugged as if he didn’t know the details.
“I would like to talk to the Marquis of Aroche about business. Would you excuse us for a moment?”
Due to Lady Rotria's awkward interference in their conversation, Whitney had no choice but to let him go.
The Marquis of Aroche started to be surrounded by noblewomen from prestigious families. Whitney narrowed her eyes at the unexpected figure.
Rotria Leonhardt. She came from a Baron Family, known for their involvement in trade. She was also a cousin of the Ephirenne Family, though it was said that their relationship was anything but amicable.
Whitney’s attention shifted to Operetta, the daughter of the Count of Eddington.
‘If the Count of Eddington told her about me, she would know this situation is awkward.’
Although the debt had been obtained through a near-threatening negotiation, she hadn’t expected Operetta to attend Helene’s banquet. It was likely that she was unaware of the incident between Whitney and the Count—otherwise, she wouldn’t be here so casually.
‘Since they had once served as the vassal of the Duke of Orléans, Helene must have assumed she was on the king’s side.’
Whitney subtly leaned in, focusing on their conversation.
“We lost the diamond."
“Lost the diamond? That’s a serious problem.”
As Operetta spoke cautiously, the Marquis of Aroche let out a sigh and furrowed his brows. She glanced around nervously, as if wary of someone eavesdropping. Then, her gaze locked onto Whitney’s.
Witney reflected on their conversation while drinking wine. Her eyes flickered with anxiety before she quickly grasped the marquis’ hand and led him further inside.
At first glance, I felt like I heard a word related to diamonds. Whitney took a sip of wine, mulling over their conversation. She thought she had caught a mention of a diamond.
"Was there a diamond mine?"
The Kingdom of Luowen wasn’t exactly lacking in resources, but minerals were rare. That was why gemstones were so highly valued.
“Lady Helene, are diamonds traded within the Kingdom of Luowen?”
"They aren’t entirely absent from the market, but what they’re talking about sounds like a cryptic term."
“...A cryptic term?”
Helene nodded. Then, she explained that businessmen often used cryptic terms to keep their discoveries from being stolen by others.
‘What could diamond truly mean?’
What could they have lost? Whitney didn’t take her eyes off Aroche and Rotria. Since they were too far way by now, she could no longer eavesdrop on their conversation. However, since items like diamonds were occasionally auctioned, she assumed that the Marquis of Aroche was simply exchanging information.
"Is something the matter, Your Grace?"
Heleni cautiously asked after noticing Whitney’s lingering gaze.
“I’m just fascinating. He’s managed to settle among the nobles in the capital so naturally in such a short time.”
“That’s true. He seems to understand the people here well, and his manners are impeccable. And the way he charms the ladies with his words—it’s quite something.”
“Still, you’d do well to keep your distance. I say this for your sake.”
"I'll keep it in mind. My father always warned me to be wary of businessmen. He used to say they were dangerous men who thrived on taking risk.”
With that, Helene left to bring the evening to a close. Left alone, Whitney took a sip of the cool lemonade, her gazes settling once more on the Marquis of Aroche.
"The Duchess Regnant of Orleans."
Crunch. She bit down on the ice, the sharp sound breaking the moment. Turning her head at the voice calling out her name, Whitney found Cheston walking towards her. He stopped abruptly, his gaze naturally following hers to where it had been lingering.
“So, he’s here again.”
His eyes were devoid of warmth. He had a cold expression on his face and was mumbling lowly as if he were ready to grab the man by the collar at any moment.
“I was surprised, too. It seems he was invited because he’s become quite the socialite lately.”
"I’d like to take a closer look at his face—just to be sure.”
He seemed intent on confirming whether the man was truly the queen’s lover.
Witney asked, clutching his collar at his gaze, which still wouldn't fall. Whitney, still noticing his unwavering gaze, grasped the edge of her sleeve and asked.
"Did everything go well?"
“It will be handled.”
"There were no problems on this side either. I checked the list, and most of them are on His Majesty the King's side, so I don't think they're involved in this.”
“Then, that means the intrusion came from outside.”
“That, or there could be a spy within the Count of Owen’s household.”
Whitney and Cheston surveyed the banquet hall together. The atmosphere was so peaceful that one would hardly believe there had been any commotion.
On the surface, the banquet had ended successfully. The wine Whitney had presented received nothing but praise, and Helene had promised to keep an eye on things. With the Count of Owen’s household taking action, all that remained was to gradually tighten the net.
Whitney boarded the carriage with Cheston after the interrogation was complete.
As she felt his hand brush against her cheek, she steadied her breath. His scent filled her senses, and the calmness settled over her heart.
“We’ll find the mastermind behind this, so don’t worry too much. It’ll be in the newspapers tomorrow, so we’ll have to keep an eye on how things unfold.”
“They’ll surely cut off loose ends. It's definitely the Queen's doing."
"I think the same way. If it weren’t, those people wouldn’t have dared to stir up trouble while I was present.”
“If Her Highness the Queen was involved in the Linze Family’s wine incident, then where did all that money go?”
He seemed to have figured it out.
“There’s only one place that woman’s money would go.”
“...You don’t mean—”
“She wouldn’t abandon her homeland just because she came to the Kingdom of Luowen. If she had, she wouldn’t have turned her blade against me.”
“So, it’s not because of His Highness Prince Carl?”
“The Kingdom of Cerulo still doesn’t have an heir. That means my brother still has a chance.”
So, that was the reason.
Whitney was no longer curious about how far the queen’s ambition went. If she was sending money to build up her influence in Cerulo, then all of this made sense.
"We need to get the evidence quickly."
“You should get plenty of rest today. I can stay with you if you’re scared to sleep alone.”
As the carriage came to a halt in front of the duke’s estate, Cheston held the door firmly shut and spoke. She simply shrugged, as if to reassure him.
“Sir Zegmon is already feeling dispirited, and if Your Highness stays with me, he’ll be even more concerned. So, I’ll go alone today. I’ve hired other knights as well, so there shouldn’t be any trouble.”
He was an unwilling face, but Witney took his hand and put it on his lap, opening the door of the carriage. Though he looked reluctant, Whitney took his hand and placed it on her lap before opening the carriage door.
"Be careful, alright?"
“It’s good that you worry, but I have more than enough strength to protect myself. Please get home safely.”
Cheston rested his chin on his hand, wearing an indifferent expression. Leaning back, he tilted his head slightly, but despite his nonchalant demeanor, the corners of his lips were subtly curved upward.
***
“Duchess Regnant! What does this mean?!”
Margaret burst in with a pale, frightened face. Whitney, who was half-asleep, sat up and looked at her.
"What's going on?"
“About this!”
Whitney, the Duchess Regnant of Orléans, Showcases Her Wine—Nobility’s Interest Peaks.
[At the banquet hosted by the Count of Owen’s household, the Duchess Regnant of Orléans unveiled her latest wine. Early releases will include a special opportunity—hidden within the cork, select bottles will contain opals, a specialty of the Diorthos region.]
Meanwhile, rumors circulated at the banquet that the Duchess Regnant had nearly been kidnapped by a rival involved in a business dispute. It was said to be connected to another merchant interested in acquiring the Linze Winery, located in the town of Knightly…]
“Kidnapping? What is all this about?!”
“It was nothing serious. I returned safely, and the culprit was caught—that’s why I didn’t bother mentioning it.”
She waved her hand dismissively as if to show she was fine while looking at the newspaper. It seemed that Sir Zegmon was more tight-lipped than expected, as he had followed the order not to speak of the incident to others.
“So, have all those involved been captured?”
“By now, His Majesty the King should have received word. We’ll have to wait and see.”
If the queen was truly involved, they would have found something by now. The Marquis of Aroche was still a concern, but if suspicions arose, he would be investigated along with the others. It was only a matter of time.
Whitney received the newspaper from Margaret and carefully read it.
"There is nothing else mentioned.”
Was the issue regarding Maurice simply going to be buried like this? It was difficult to act recklessly while Violet was still here.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Your Grace, you have visitors.”
At the butler’s words, Whitney turned to Margaret. Her questioning gaze asked if she was expecting anyone, but Margaret shook her head.
“They said it’s called Kennedy Mercenary Group.”
"Oh!"
She jumped to her feet. It was undoubtedly the mercenary group that Sir Zegmon had mentioned before. He was considering merging them into the duchy, as they had been assisting Linze’s Winery.
She had already given them a hint, so they must have at least considered the proposal.
"Margaret, should I turn them away?”
"Well, if it were me, I’d gladly accept. But since they’re mercenaries, they might be more accustomed to a wandering life and may not be keen on settling down."
Whitney quickly said she would be ready soon and hurried to dress. She also asked for a warm meal to be prepared, just in case she could offer them hospitality.
***
The two people sitting idly in the drawing room continued their conversation while staring at the opposite side.
“Her Grace’s going to hire us? That sounds ridiculous."
“It wouldn’t be a bad thing, would it? Her Grace is different from other nobles. The fact that I’m here is proof enough of that.”
The Kennedy Mercenary Group consisted of 55 men. They were a group of people with skills recognized even in the Kingdom of Luowen. They were those who couldn’t stand the contempt of the nobles and the lack of proper treatment and abandoned their allegiance.
“Zegmon, I came because you asked, but do you really think we can work in a place like this?”
“Randy, at least meet Her Grace before making up your mind. The pay and treatment are quite decent, aren’t they?”
“Her Grace constantly appears in the newspapers. I sense many troubles will follow.”
“That was my fault. I should never have left her side, and what happened was because of that. So, don’t speak rudely of Her Grace.”
Rendy raised the corners of his lips in surprise at Zegmon’s words, then put on an intrigued expression.
“With you speaking like this, I’m getting curious. Just how decent is this Duchess Regnant of Orléans? I heard that when she stayed in Ninetree Village, she was indebted to you. Wasn’t she the fiancée of His Highness the Second Prince?”
If it were simply because he had followed Serene, the level of loyalty he displayed toward the Duchess Regnant in such a short time seemed excessive.
“Have you been waiting long? I hope you understand because I hadn’t received prior notice of your arrival.”
At that moment, as a woman stepped into the parlor, Randy slowly rose from his seat. The instant his gaze met hers—eyes as clear and intelligent as a summer garden—he made up his mind.
***
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