NRAL | Chapter 57

~Chapter 57~

Catching a Weakness

“Miss, a letter just arrived from Countess Annabel.”

The morning after her visit to the Imperial Palace, Hilda brought the news Eleanor had been waiting for.

The letter said exactly what Eleanor had expected—it was an invitation to have tea together after a long time.

Looks like mentioning the tea yesterday paid off, Eleanor thought as she began writing her reply.

“Thank you for the invitation, Madam. Unfortunately, I’ve caught a cold and won’t be able to see you for a while. I wouldn’t want to pass this awful illness to someone as noble as you. How about we have tea together a week later, when I’m fully recovered?”

“You’ve caught a cold?”

Hilda, who was reading the letter beside her, asked in surprise. Eleanor shook her head.

“No, of course not. It’s summer—I just lied to buy myself some time to prepare.”

“Prepare for what…?”

“Before I go into battle, I need to make sure I’ve got my enemy’s weakness in my hands.”

Eleanor already knew about Countess Annabel’s weakness. The problem was, it wasn’t something she could use yet.

‘The Emperor’s mistress, Countess Annabel, has a young secret lover.’

Everyone knew about it. It was fairly well-known among noblewomen that Countess Annabel, while the Emperor grew old and ill, was seeing other men behind his back.

Many nobles were surprised the gossip hadn’t reached the Emperor himself—but Eleanor was certain he already knew.

Given Empress Genevieve’s personality, there was no way she hadn’t informed her husband. The fact that both the Emperor and Empress stayed quiet about it meant they were choosing to look the other way.

The Emperor didn’t want to lose his mistress.

The Empress didn’t want people to know how obsessed her husband was with another woman.

In any case, Countess Annabel at least pretended to keep her lover a secret. There’s a big difference between something everyone suspects and something backed by actual proof.

That’s why the Countess had very few places where she could meet her lover. Among those limited options, her favorite spot was none other than Hotel Mercedes.

And Hotel Mercedes was no ordinary place. It was the most luxurious, elite hotel in Cardiff, where only the richest and most arrogant nobles stayed.

 Even one night in the cheapest room cost as much as a month’s living expenses for most nobles.

Especially the two top-floor rooms, which were only available to a tiny number of VIP members. Countess Annabel was one of them.

Thanks to that exclusive membership, her lover’s identity remained a mystery.

First, I need to figure out who her lover is.

She’d have to think through the details more, but if she played this right, the Countess could be very useful in Eleanor’s revenge.

There was just one problem: The Astria family wasn’t a member of Hotel Mercedes.

It wasn’t because they were too poor. If they couldn’t afford a hotel membership, they would never have been able to push Arlo as crown prince in the first place.

No, the real reason was that the Duke of Astria was notoriously stingy.

 He hated spending money on unnecessary things, and there was no way he’d waste it on something like a hotel membership he’d never use.

They say you can’t even get near the top floor without a membership. Even the entrance is separate. So what should I do…

She couldn’t think of a solution just yet. She’d need more time to figure it out.

“Miss, it’s almost time to leave.”

Eleanor, deep in thought, was pulled back to reality by Hilda.

She checked the time—and sure enough, it was almost time for her appointment.

Today, she was meeting Madam Corcos, who had finished a dress and wanted Eleanor to try it on.

“How did it get so late? I better get going.”

Eleanor stood up and patted her skirt to smooth out the wrinkles in her dress.

 She glanced at the mirror and saw a naturally beautiful reflection—styled to look effortless.

This should be enough so no one asks why I dressed up so much.

Satisfied, she let out a small sigh of relief.

But sharp-eyed Hilda didn’t miss a thing.

“But Miss… you seem to be paying extra attention to your appearance today…”

Eleanor flinched. She definitely looked like someone with a guilty conscience.

“Are you meeting someone besides Madam Corcos today?”

…Like, say, the Grand Duke Royster, perhaps?

Hilda’s guess was uncannily accurate.

Eleanor quickly looked away and started walking.

“Hmm? I don’t know what you’re talking about. Anyway, let’s hurry. We’re going to be late.”

“I knew it! Miss! Wait! Don’t wear that dress—change into another one!”

Strangely enough, lying didn’t come easily when it came to Hilda.

Eleanor could lie to the nobles with a straight face, but with Hilda… it was different.

Hilda insisted they couldn’t leave just yet and tried to fetch different accessories. Eleanor had dressed in something easy to put on and take off, thinking she was just going to try on a new dress. But if she was going to meet Duke Royster, it was a different matter.

Surprisingly, even though Eleanor hadn’t said a word about her conversation with Karsian at the ball, Hilda had guessed that he had confessed to her. When Eleanor asked how she knew, Hilda’s answer was simple:

“How could I not notice, with the way he looked at you?”

Apparently, even Hilda had found his gaze to be unusual. As Eleanor thought about it, Hilda added an even more embarrassing comment:

“It was exactly the look of someone in love. A deep, passionate, pure kind of love.”

Love? That seemed a bit much.

While Eleanor looked horrified, Hilda seemed even more delighted. From then on, she became obsessed with pairing Eleanor and Karsian together. She’d often chatter about him, saying there were hardly any men who were that handsome and well-mannered, even if Eleanor was far too good for him.

Eleanor figured the part about her being “too good” was just flattering nonsense. Even though Hilda was just a maid, her favoritism was a bit much. Still, Eleanor avoided talking about Karsian in front of her. Otherwise, Hilda would probably talk about him nonstop all day.

“Miss! Please wear this dress instead!”

Hilda, excited by the rare opportunity, held out a new dress. But Eleanor ignored her, picked up only what she needed, and walked straight out of the room.

She understood Hilda’s desire to make her look her best, but Eleanor didn’t want to appear overly dressed up in front of Karsian. She was worried it would seem like she was trying too hard or caring too much.

At the same time, she didn’t want to look dull like before, either. That bothered her, too. It was probably because she didn’t want to disappoint someone who said they liked her.

Eleanor had never worried about things like this before. She had never cared about whether someone who liked her might one day be disappointed in her, nor had she ever put this much thought into how she dressed for anyone.

It was all very unusual for her—but her mind was too occupied with thoughts about Countess Annabel and her secret lover to notice this strange new behavior in herself as she headed out.

***

The meeting with Madame Corcos was to take place at none other than Karsian’s townhouse—the same place they’d met last time.

So far, nobody knew that Eleanor had been wearing dresses made by Madame Corcos. The golden gown she wore to the ball had become a huge sensation, and everyone was dying to know which boutique made it. But no one imagined there was any link between Madame Corcos and the so-called “fake noble lady.”

Eventually, people would find out about their connection. But Madame Corcos wanted to delay that moment until the perfect time. That’s why she needed a private place for their meeting, and the townhouse was ideal.

“My goodness, it suits you perfectly! The moment I saw that fabric, I knew it was meant for Lady Eleanor.”

Madame Corcos smiled warmly, clearly pleased as she admired Eleanor in the new dress she had made.

In the mirror, the dress was breathtaking—just what you’d expect from Madame Corcos. Like the last one, it used chiffon for a light texture, and the dark blue skirt sprinkled with pearl powder sparkled like a starry night sky.

“But… have you lost some weight? I might need to take the waist in a little more.”

“Oh, yes. I’ve been watching what I eat lately.”

“What’s there to lose! Please eat more, Lady. It’ll be better for your health.”

Eleanor nodded obediently.

She had been managing her diet all her life under her father’s strict control. He forced her to stay thin so she would sell at a high price someday.

But the recent weight loss hadn’t been intentional. She’d been suffering from leg wounds and inflammation, and hadn’t been able to eat properly in days. That’s why she’d gotten thinner.

Thanks to the chemise-style dress hiding her injuries, Madame Corcos didn’t seem to suspect anything that had happened after the ball. That was a relief. Eleanor wasn’t ready to share her condition with anyone yet.

“Maybe I’m being nosy. I’m sure you know what’s best for yourself. I’ve just lived a bit longer, so please think of it as advice from someone who cares.”

“Of course, Madame. I was actually thinking I should gain a little weight too. Thank you for your advice.”

Her calm answer made Madame Corcos smile even more brightly. After dealing with so many demanding clients, it was refreshing to work with someone young and polite.

However, Madame Corcos soon realized that this young lady was not as innocent as she seemed.

“By the way, I almost feel guilty keeping such a beautiful dress for myself. Don’t you think something so fine should belong to someone even more important than me?”

At first, it sounded like a humble statement—but that wasn’t what she meant.

In this society, there were hardly any women considered more important than the Archduke’s daughter. Perhaps only Empress Genevieve or the Emperor’s sister, the Marchioness of Reeve. But they were too mature for this dress’s style.

There was only one woman around Eleanor’s age who was treated like the Empress in unofficial events—Countess Annabel.