Chapter 111
Amanda glared fiercely at the dress the maid brought her.
“Is this all? These are all dresses I’ve already worn! I’m going to a tea party, and you expect me to wear something I’ve worn before? How embarrassing!”
“…There are no new dresses left in the wardrobe that you haven’t worn before, Madam.”
“What? Already? Then what am I supposed to do about today’s tea party?”
Amanda looked shocked and mumbled,
“…Kaiden said not to buy any more clothes this year.”
Right now, they couldn’t afford to buy new dresses.
Trouble really does come all at once. Recently, Kaiden’s business expansion wasn’t going well, and their finances were in chaos.
If things got worse, all of his other businesses might collapse too.
Just a few days ago, these money problems wouldn’t have even mattered.
As the next head of the Baisen family, Kaiden had no trouble borrowing money when needed. He didn’t even have to ask anyone for favors—it was that easy.
But ever since Harold regained his health, what used to be “no problem” had turned into a real problem.
Now, it was hard to get loans from banks, and all the nobles who used to treat him kindly just laughed him off and turned him away coldly.
Because of that, they had to start cutting costs, starting with Amanda’s luxury expenses.
“I can’t live like this…!”
Amanda, unable to hold back her frustration, ran to Kaiden.
“Kaiden! Don’t you think it’s time to do something about Harold?”
She shouted emotionally while Kaiden was getting ready to go out.
Kaiden didn’t even look at her. He asked calmly,
“Do you have a plan in mind, Mother?”
“I planted someone in the duke’s mansion—a kitchen assistant. If we just slip poison into Harold’s food while he’s still happily letting his guard down, we can get rid of him without anyone knowing.”
“How can you be sure that person isn’t a double agent?”
“W-Well…”
Amanda hesitated, remembering that the Baisen family’s trusted doctor had turned out to be one of Harold’s people.
“Then, how about hiring an assassin?”
Kaiden frowned at her second suggestion.
“You really think my brother would be taken out by something like that?”
“…”
Kaiden glanced at her and sighed.
“I’ll take care of it. You just stay out of it.”
“You have a plan then?”
“I’ll tell you after I return.”
Amanda felt relieved that he didn’t deny it.
‘My brilliant son must have a plan!’
She clutched her chest, holding back the urge to ask what the plan was.
“Then I’ll be going. No need to see me off.”
Kaiden finished getting ready and left the room.
He gave a faint smirk as he looked at the now-empty mansion.
‘All it took was one moment.’
After it was revealed that Harold had recovered, the nobles who came daily stopped all at once.
Most of the staff had also been fired, leaving only the minimum to maintain the townhouse. The mansion felt more deserted than ever.
This was the price of not realizing Harold’s recovery sooner.
‘How the hell did he get better from that illness?’
No one had ever recovered from it before. That disease should have taken Harold’s life. But something that wasn’t supposed to happen happened.
‘Damn Harold.’
Kaiden clenched his jaw, thinking of Harold surrounded by people celebrating his recovery.
And then… he thought of Diana, smiling brightly beside him. His throat tightened.
Diana.
He whispered her name with the tip of his tongue.
‘Is that why you’re smiling by his side and not mine? Because you knew he was going to live?’
…Yeah, that must be it.
Even though he knew how she looked at Harold, Kaiden kept telling himself lies to make it hurt less.
‘If that’s the reason, then maybe again…’
Kaiden clenched his fists and got into the waiting carriage.
The carriage took him to Count Tatum’s estate.
A grand party was being held to celebrate the Countess’s 55th birthday.
“You must be Lord Kaiden.”
“It’s been a while since we’ve seen you at a party.”
As Kaiden entered the ballroom, the nobles glanced at him with curiosity.
Their eyes followed his every step, and whispers filled the room.
Even with everyone watching him, Kaiden held his head high. He walked confidently to the countess and greeted her politely.
“Happy birthday, Countess Tatum.”
“Oh my, thank you for coming and brightening up the party, Lord Kaiden.”
He handed over a prepared gift and then moved to stand quietly near the wall.
Though some nobles watched him with interest, no one bothered to speak to him.
It was very different from how he used to be—always surrounded by people. But Kaiden stood there without moving, as if he didn’t care.
Eventually, the party reached its peak, and the nobles who had been watching him got swept up in the excitement and forgot about him.
Kaiden checked the time.
‘Almost…’
He looked around and slipped out of the ballroom.
He headed directly to a small building with a green roof.
“You can’t go in.”
A Tatum family knight blocked the entrance firmly. Kaiden took a folded invitation out of his pocket.
From the outside, it looked like a regular party invitation, but inside was another, secret one.
Kaiden handed it over. The knight quickly bowed and stepped aside, all suspicion gone.
“My apologies. Please go ahead.”
Inside the building, the Tatum family’s butler was waiting and led Kaiden to a reception room.
“My lord, I’ll open the door now.”
The butler opened the door, and Kaiden entered.
He locked eyes with someone sitting at the head of the table, with dull, reddish-orange eyes.
Kaiden quickly bowed deeply and greeted him with proper formality.
“This is Kaiden Baisen. I greet the only sun of the empire, His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Welcome, my lord. Since you came here, I assume you’re open to my proposal.”
The emperor laughed warmly and welcomed him.
It was the start of a long conversation.
***
The next day, the guild master of Aneis came to meet Harold.
After seeing Harold take the duchess away with such a scary expression last time, the guild master had been reluctant to face him again.
But the matter was too important to send someone else. So the guild master sighed deeply as he went.
When he saw Harold again, the first thing he did was rub his eyes.
The cold, terrifying Harold Baisen was gone—and a completely different person was sitting in front of him.
The guild master looked Harold up and down. It was definitely the same person… but somehow not.
With a forced frown, the guild master started his report.
“Our members have gone to the training center dressed as recruits selected by the Tatum family. They will be picked up in two days, according to the Tatum family.
“Good work.”
“…”
The guild master’s eyes were visibly shaking.
Did Harold really just say “good work”… with such a kind face?
Ugh.
The guild master covered his mouth, feeling sick. But Harold simply gave a vague, unfocused smile.
Blegh!
The guild master couldn’t hold it in and gagged. He never thought he’d see that expression again.
“Is there anything else to report?”
“Y-Yes…”
The guild master, still half out of it, eventually couldn’t hold back his curiosity.
“So, uh… things with the Duchess… are going well, I take it?”
Pls the guild master is so funny 😭😭😂 he gagged last time too when Diana had said “I like him” 😂😂
What is with love and guild master~
I bet the emperor is planning to take down the duke, that’s why kaiden is on board. stupid~