TVIOWHFW 8

The commander handed John a letter from the Duke of Libertan. The contents of the letter were exactly as the commander had reported. [Duke Blanchett, please allow my daughter to see her once more. If you do, I, Duke Blanchett, will confess all the sins of the Duke of Libertan’s family as you wish.] Upon reading the letter, a heavy silence settled over the room. The commander looked at Erich and spoke.

“It seems Duke Libertan truly loved his daughter more than we thought. Well, since there’s no way out of this situation anyway, perhaps he figures it’s better to see his beloved daughter’s face one more time before dying.”

“I don’t think your opinion is wrong, but Duke Libertan isn’t the kind of person to give up so easily, even if he cares deeply for his daughter.”

Erich, who had briefly scowled, adjusted his glasses and answered coldly.

“Maybe… he’s trying to hide his true intentions. What do you think, my lord?”

“Yes, I believe so.”

John responded in a nonchalant tone.

“Even if he truly cares for his daughter, setting such conditions isn’t easy. There must be some ulterior motive.”

Suddenly, a knocking sound was heard from outside the study. The three turned their eyes toward the door. Slowly, the door creaked open, and a woman peered inside.

“Is it alright if I come in now? Will I be disturbing anything?”

“Madam?”

Everyone was taken aback by Estelle’s sudden appearance. Especially since they had just been talking about her, which made the atmosphere even more awkward. John skillfully smiled and asked Estelle.

“Madam, what brings you to my study?”

“I’ve never been inside the lord’s study before, so I thought I’d see it once.”

Estelle was carrying a tray with a teacup and a teapot. Her slim arms trembled as if she was about to drop the tray at any moment. The commander, holding out his hand, took the tray from her and placed it on John’s desk. Estelle looked at John with a more relaxed smile.

“Since I won’t be attending the dinner, I wanted to do at least something for you, my lord.”

John raised an eyebrow slightly and asked with a bored tone.

“Are you upset that I told you not to come?”

“Honestly, if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed, I’d be lying. But it doesn’t really matter to me.”

As the rich aroma of tea spread through the room, Estelle smiled casually.

“You know more about the servants of the Blanchett family than I do, don’t you? If you think it’s not the right time, there must be a reason. Right?”

“Thank you for trusting me.”

“Honestly, I haven’t done anything.”

Estelle said this, then glanced at John and the two people nearby, asking softly.

Are you two servants working with the lord?”

“Oh, Lady. Nice to meet you. I am the commander—”

The commander was about to introduce himself as he saw Estelle for the first time.

“Madam, you don’t need to know about this person.”

John interrupted in a strangely displeased tone. The commander pointed at himself with his index finger, looking confused.

“Me?”

“Is there any reason why my wife needs to know about you?”

“Well, if you’re asking for a reason, it’s not necessary…”

The commander awkwardly nodded and scratched his neck, then gave a light bow.

“Good day, madam. I am just some guy you don’t need to know about.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Estelle glanced at the commander and Erich, then spoke to John.

“I think you’re quite busy, so I’ll be going now. Have a good meeting.”

John stopped Estelle from leaving.

“Madam.”

He smiled gently, with the corners of his lips slightly lifted, looking at her bewildered face.

“What if I just let you go like this?”

“Then?”

“I usually don’t put much into things like tea or food, but—”

His red eyes sparkled seductively.

“So, here. If you don’t feed me directly, I won’t eat it.”

No sooner had he spoken than Estelle’s cheeks turned bright red. When she tried to step back, he held her firmly so she couldn’t escape.

‘This is fun.’

The more Estelle reacted, the more John’s mood improved.

“Come on, do it. It’s not a flaw for spouses to feed each other, right?”

John held Estelle’s hands and kissed the back of her hands. His lips lingered on her fingertips before reaching her hand. He gave her a tempting, mischievous smile.

“If you don’t want to feed me with your hands, I don’t mind feeding you with my mouth. Which one do you prefer?”

“I won’t do either!”

Estelle’s cheeks, already as red as can be, flushed even more as she shook off John’s hands and ran away. John watched her with a bright, refreshing smile as her platinum hair fluttered behind her. The commander asked Erich.

“Did I just come back from some dreamland?”

Erich ignored the question as if he hadn’t heard it. Then the commander, crossing his arms and whistling, looked at the door where Estelle had gone.

“You really seem to get along well. If someone didn’t know better, they’d think you’re a happy couple.”

“That means your plans are going well.”

Erich summarized John’s words appropriately before speaking to him.

“Did you overhear what we were talking about outside?”

“It seems to me that Lady doesn’t have any big plans. She’s only looking at the lord with pure devotion…”

“Erich. You mustn’t let your guard down. No matter what, she’s a woman from Libertan. She might do something unexpected.”

Erich sighed and pressed his temple.

“Master, how about we just invite her to dinner tonight as planned? Then we can see how much she’s heard.”

“Erich.”

John called him in a low, commanding voice.

“When did you start questioning my decisions?”

“I, I apologize.”

Erich hurriedly bowed his head. John generally didn’t change his decisions once made. Since he had already changed his mind once, he wouldn’t do so again.

“Tell them I will go alone to the dinner tonight.”

Just as the commander was about to speak, John cut him off.

“Will you be willing to accept Duke Libertan’s request?”

John smirked slightly, lifting one corner of his mouth as he looked at the letter from Libertan.

~·~·*· . ·*· . ·*· . ·*·~·~

Outside, I was plunged into confusion.

‘Did Duke Libertan and his wife really ask to see me just once?’

The faces of the Libertan couple suddenly appeared in my mind, and I couldn’t help but feel absurd.

‘Why would they do that?’

Honestly, I wasn’t genuinely curious. Trying to figure out the reason probably wouldn’t lead to any good answer. Perhaps they had fallen so low due to treason that they were desperate enough to seek help from someone like me.

‘The real problem is me.’

While I could maintain the image of being a beloved adopted child, the Libertan couple’s stronger stance might lead to me being hated even more than before.

‘Maybe not inviting me to the dinner with the servants this time is related to this?’

Already feeling anxious, I sighed deeply. Since this was an event not mentioned in the original story, it seemed very difficult to prepare for. At that moment, Betty, who had suggested the tea earlier, approached with a curious expression.

“Madam, how did the lord react? Was he uncomfortable?”

“No, not exactly… I don’t think he was particularly pleased.”

“But it looks like you still left the tea as it was?”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“So, he welcomed it, then?”

Seeing Estelle’s empty hands, Betty shrugged.

I couldn’t believe it and asked her again.

“Did he really welcome it?”

“Of course. The lord hates having others enter without permission. And you even brought tea, madam.”

“…In other words, Betty, you might have done something the lord would really dislike.”

I scolded her, and Betty hurriedly defended herself in a more urgent tone.

“I did it because I thought it would go well. The important thing is that the lord allowed you to leave the tea you brought and even asked for snacks. That means he really liked it!”

Betty, as if she had personally gone and returned, clenched her fists in excitement. I wondered if she was trying to hide her own carelessness, but I decided not to press further. There wasn’t much point in debating with Betty about what really happened.

“Maybe he’s trying to make sure I don’t feel too embarrassed as his wife.”

“…Master?”

Betty’s eyes were full of distrust, as if she thought I was a different John than the one she knew.

“If you think that way, there’s nothing I can do about it… but he’s the type to really hate people intruding on his space.”

Anyway, I was left with nothing to do now that I wasn’t invited to the dinner with the servants, so my time was suddenly freed. I thought of visiting the study I couldn’t properly enter last time because of Erich. But since it was the day the servants were coming as guests, the door was locked with a key.

‘Should I ask Betty for the key?’

I usually wouldn’t be so proactive, but when the mansion is so hectic that they lock the doors, it might be better to find and read a book on black magic. I returned to the place where I last parted from Betty. Suddenly, I heard strange noises coming from the garden near the mansion.

-…Estelle.

Usually, hearing strange noises suddenly would send chills down your spine, but this voice didn’t sound scary at all—in fact, it sounded warm.

‘Who could that be?’

I looked around, but no one was in sight.

‘I thought I heard my name.’

So, I deliberately headed toward the garden where the sound came from. Except for the rose garden tended by the former Duchess Blanquet, who is also John’s mother, all the other gardens were beautifully maintained. Behind the mansion, there was a dense grove of trees that made it feel like a forest—quite picturesque in its own way.

‘There’s nothing here.’

I even asked myself, “Did you mean to talk to me?” but heard no reply. The bright summer scent filled my nostrils.

‘Is the summer festival about to start?’

Summer is said to be the busiest time of the empire, with many events taking place. Even after the festival ends, several events overlap in a short period, making it feel especially long. As soon as I left the garden and entered the mansion, I encountered Erich, John, and a servant who seemed to have come for the dinner.

“Madam, what are you doing here…?”

At first, John slightly frowned with his straight eyebrows, but he greeted me immediately.

“This is my wife, Estelle Blanquet.”

“Good day, Lady Blanquet.”

The servant bowed politely. When I faced his face directly, I couldn’t help but be quite surprised.

“Laxis Polman?”

It was the man I saw in the black-cloth portrait.

‘Isn’t that portrait filled only with those who served and died for the Blanquet family?’

But I couldn’t understand how a person who’s clearly alive was glaring so sharply. The man looked visibly flustered.

“Madam, what do you mean? Why are you suddenly mentioning Lord Laxis Polman…?”

“Oh, I must have mistaken something.”

The black-cloth portrait was originally a rather grotesque painting, so I probably just confused a similar-looking person with him.

‘If I hadn’t said anything, I could have just let it go.’

But I was too shocked and ended up calling his name. John’s sharp gaze turned toward the man. The atmosphere grew even more awkward. To dispel the awkward mood, I tried to observe the man’s appearance.

‘Complimenting is the best way here.’

At that moment, the amethyst brooch pinned to his chest sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight. Not only the amethyst, but diamonds were also embedded nearby, making it quite showy.

‘It looks different from typical men’s brooches.’

Still, if someone is wearing a brooch like that, it’s definitely a treasured piece.

“Your amethyst brooch is very beautiful. It matches your outfit perfectly.”

“…What?”

The servant’s face turned pale as he responded. That was definitely not the reaction I was expecting.

‘It must have a big story behind it.’

So, the moment I mentioned it, he must have been surprised. At that point, Erich seemed about to say something. Just then, John raised his hand to stop him. He fixed his gaze on my dark eyes and asked.

“Do you like the kind of brooch that Viscount Gaspier wears? Madam?”

“Anything the lord gives me would make me happy. But I don’t think I like that brooch in particular.”

From childhood, I had learned that the safest choice in unfamiliar situations is to pretend to be calm. I smiled as if nothing had happened.

“Well, I’ll be going now. I might not be able to attend, but I hope you have a good time.”

After greeting, I turned away as casually as possible. Once I couldn’t see his face anymore, I felt relieved, and a sigh of relief escaped me.

‘What’s making me so nervous again?’

Despite everything, John’s decision to block my attendance at the dinner seems to have been correct.

~·~·*· . ·*· . ·*· . ·*·~·~

After Estelle left, John looked at Viscount Gaspier with a blank expression.

“Do you understand what my wife was trying to say?”

“Uh, I, I really don’t know. About the amethyst brooch… As you can see, sir, I’m not wearing any brooch at all.”

There was no brooch on the viscount’s chest.

“Is that so? Then why did my wife call out the name of Lexierus Polman when she saw you?”

Gaspier Viscount was someone unrelated to Lord Lexierus Polman. But the significance of his words was especially meaningful because he was investigating the case of the amethyst brooch, which had been involved in the death of the loyalist Lexierus Polman at the time. This incident had also been automatically erased when the Blanquet family was accused of treason.

“I truly don’t know anything. Lady, you’re surely slandering me. After all… she’s a woman from Libertan! Surely she’s trying to cause trouble for the Blanquet family…”

As Gaspier Viscount, with a pale face, looked around nervously, Erich quickly grabbed him with practiced ease.

“Eventually, we’ll find out which side is telling the truth.”

A dry smile flickered across John’s expression, as if dismissing his words.

“Whether my wife has spoken nonsense or you’ve committed some outrageous deed—”

“…”

“If she has uttered foolishness, I will sincerely apologize.”

~·~·*· . ·*· . ·*· . ·*·~·~

As soon as Gaspier Viscount was dragged into the basement, he confessed his crimes. He had taken a bribe to cover up a scandal involving a monastery orphanage and, in doing so, received the amethyst brooch. When the truth was about to be exposed, he murdered Lord Lexierus Polman. Fortunately, the Blanquet family was destroyed, allowing him to escape the situation. John looked at the amethyst brooch he had taken from Gaspier.

‘Gaspier Viscount died bloodily as soon as he was asked about the magic hiding the brooch.’

Even John, who was well-versed in magic, couldn’t detect the spell involved. He recalled Estelle, who had been talking about the brooch, as if it were nothing special.

‘How does she know about that?’

The sudden proposal from Libertan, the inexplicable actions of the lady, and the unresolved past incident—all of this needed to be checked.

~·~·*· . ·*· . ·*· . ·*·~·~

By the time I found Betty, it was already evening. Since I didn’t need to attend the dinner with the servants, I ate dinner alone. Honestly, it was a pleasant evening because no one disturbed me. I even had seconds of dessert. But as the night wore on, practical concerns began to creep in. Since I didn’t know what I had done wrong, I needed to figure out what was happening first.

‘First, I’ll go to my study tomorrow and check John’s reaction…’

After finishing my meal and returning to my room, I found John waiting for me.

“Madam. Did you enjoy your dinner?”

He was only wearing a gown.

~·~·*· . ·**##^^##**· . ·*·~·~

Hey there, It’s Green Rose 😉

Since I human I might have make some mistakes while translating so please if you find them let me know here in the comments or in the Discord group so I can correct them and be careful in the future so they do not repeat.

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

~~~Next Chapter~~~

Next chapter will be released Tomorrow.

See you then!!