Chapter 30
Miller nodded and quietly explained to Eliano. Eliano listened carefully, occasionally asking questions.
“Did you say ‘Asta’?”
“Yes, my lady. But they don’t accept requests through letters. And…”
“I see. You just told the curious eldest lady that such a place exists. I know Isabella often asks you for various favours.”
Eliano opened a jewellery box and took out a piece of jewellery. A small emerald brooch was placed on the table. Pushing it towards Miller, Eliano said,
“Use this for Rosana.”
“Thank you, my lady.”
Saying it was for Rosana was just a formality; it was a kind of payment for Miller. Understanding this, Miller quickly accepted it with gratitude. Eliano shook her head gently.
“It’s money for Rosana, so no need to thank me.”
Miller swallowed dryly and bowed her head.
“I might need to go out at night, and I need your help.”
“W-what? My lady, going out at night is too dangerous. Absolutely not.”
“Sometimes, we must take risks.”
“But…”
“Miller, I’ve never been in a situation that wasn’t dangerous.”
Miller tilted her head. What danger could a noble lady possibly face? To her, it seemed like Eliano was naively walking into danger.
Eliano smiled and gestured for Miller to come closer. As Miller leaned in, Eliano whispered something secretively. Miller nodded with a tense expression.
“And I have another favour to ask.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Who receives the mail addressed to the Rosana Duchy first?”
“There’s a boy named Tom who receives it.”
Miller explained the process of how mail was delivered to the owner. First, Tom received the mail and handed it to the assistant maid. The assistant maid sorted it by recipient and gave it to the head maid, who then passed it to the chief butler. Finally, it reached the owner.
“Is it necessary to be so complicated?”
“There’s a lot of mail every day… We can’t deliver everything. We can’t show you advertisements, my lady.”
Even if it wasn’t just advertisements, considering the prestige of the Rosana Duchy, there would be countless gifts sent by people trying to make connections. Some might even be dangerous. Therefore, sorting was essential. Delivering unnecessary mail could lead to scolding from the owner, so the job couldn’t be taken lightly.
The mail sorting process was also a way to protect the children, but it was also an effective method to block information. Usually, once someone became an adult, the mail would go directly to them. Then, the sorting was handled by the owner’s close aides.
“Isabella is still young, so the chief butler would sort her mail before delivering it. What about Damian?”
“The young duke receives all his mail. Billy and Belita take turns sorting it, and sometimes the young duke asks for all the advertisements too.”
Miller shrugged, saying Damian enjoyed looking at advertisements. Eliano, tapping her skirt with her fingers, spoke.
“Pamela used to manage my mail, right? Then what about now?”
Miller detailed the delivery process. Eliano’s face gradually darkened.
“Miller, go and bring me all the letters addressed to me right now.”
Miller agreed and left the room. She returned shortly and sat down again.
“As you said, I brought them to you first. Is there something bothering you?”
Miller took out a bundle of mail about a handspan high from her bosom. When Eliano nodded, she began to untie the bundle and spread the letters on the table one by one. Miller gathered the advertisements to one side, leaving only half.
There were quite a few invitations and letters. One caught Eliano’s eye, and she reached out without realising. Picking up the letter and checking the wax seal, Eliano’s eyes sparkled.
She had found the perfect bait.
Eliano picked up a few more letters, murmuring the senders’ names to herself. It was to remember them. Placing the letters back on the table, she stared at one letter, deep in thought.
If she put it back among the bundle, it might not return to her. Then she would never know its contents.
It was disappointing. She could explain and ask directly, but she wanted to open the letter and see its contents. However, once the wax seal was broken, it couldn’t be used as bait.
Her face clearly showed her dilemma. Eliano quickly tucked the letter into her bosom. Then she stood up and took out a blank envelope from a drawer.
Taking out the problematic letter from her bosom and staring at the front, she dipped her pen in ink and began to write the sender’s name on the new envelope.
After carefully mimicking the handwriting, Eliano smiled. She sealed it tightly with wax and approached the table, dropping the letter.
“Miller, re-bundle these and deliver them.”
While Eliano bathed, Lavender and Jane attended to her. Soaking in hot water and receiving their attentive care made her drowsy. As Eliano nodded off, the other maids began preparing her bed.
After confirming their mistress was in bed, all the maids left. Eliano’s eyes snapped open. She took out the hidden letter, her heart beating with a strange anticipation.
“Flint Howard”
The sender’s name on the front was written in a neat, formal handwriting, as if it were the master’s own. Eliano smiled shyly and turned it over. The wax seal bore the Howard Duke family’s crest. Carefully breaking the seal, Eliano’s face filled with embarrassment and disappointment.
Inside was only an invitation.
It was a polite but formal invitation to a banquet hosted by the Howard Duke family in the capital.
She felt embarrassed for getting excited, thinking it might be a love letter. Perhaps she had overestimated her appearance and their previous meeting. She knew he wasn’t the type to be swayed by looks, yet she had hoped. Eliano bit her lip.
“Such unnecessarily high-quality paper.”
Eliano grumbled. The excessively smooth texture of the paper was clearly expensive, making it seem too lavish for a simple invitation.
‘Why did he write his name by hand, making me expect something… Oh, it probably wasn’t his handwriting. The butler must have written it.’
Eliano carelessly shoved the invitation back into the envelope and tossed it into the secret compartment of her drawer. Bang. The drawer closed with a harsh sound.
Eliano fell into thought. At this rate, how could she ever win over that stone-faced man? Should she consider another target?
Among her potential husbands was Crown Prince Heraith. Though he seemed narrow-minded, his background was formidable. Being royalty, her father wouldn’t easily hand her over just because she asked. He might be petty, but he wasn’t foolish.
Also, if she helped him, he might survive and become emperor in the future. If Heraith ascended the throne and later asked her to step down as empress, Eliano would gladly bid farewell and disappear.
In fact, she preferred that. Eliano was tired of fighting for the emperor’s favour. She had experienced enough wealth in her previous life. She didn’t need glory. She just wanted to live peacefully in a quiet place. Being the emperor, he would surely provide a generous allowance for her dignity. If he was stingy, she’d have to prepare a secret fund beforehand.
Though he was cunning and not trustworthy, he wouldn’t fully trust Lady Rosana either, so it didn’t matter. They couldn’t rule the empire together, but she could be his companion on the path to the throne. That level of bond was sufficient. If he wanted her to play the role of a woman, well. She had the appearance, so as long as he fulfilled his duties as a man, there wouldn’t be a problem. Rumour had it he wasn’t violent towards women, unlike her previous husband. She could endure his blond hair and blue eyes.
If he needed an heir, she could have a child. If he asked her to leave the child behind, she would. If he didn’t want the child, she would take and raise it herself. Watching her own child grow up and living together for life seemed nice.
But Eliano had to revise her plan. She had calculated everything regarding Herace, but his dislike for her was deeper than expected.
Dropping the hairpin in front of Flint Howard was an impulsive act, driven by the emotions of meeting again after turning back time. Bringing up marriage through the ribbon was also somewhat impulsive.
She couldn’t deny that.
Remembering that he would, in the future, bring down her father and destroy Rosana made her unable to resist. All her patience crumbled, and her premature feelings surfaced.
— Lady Rosana, I do not favour the combination of marriage and politics.
Eliano recalled Flint’s words and chuckled.
He had a face showing no interest in women, yet he seemed to have a surprisingly romantic side. Disliking political marriages? Was he waiting for a woman who could awaken his desires?
In the end, men were all the same. No matter how unique, they all succumbed to their lower desires. Her previous husband, who had sworn eternal love, was a prime example.
— I will keep the token you gave me, Lady Rosana, and I will not forget today’s events.
She didn’t know what had changed, but he seemed interested in her now. That was enough. Eliano decided to keep it simple.
— When I gain the courage, I will tell you.
Eliano didn’t have time to wait for his courage to grow. She planned to place that courage directly into his hands. Just once, at the decisive moment.
Early in the morning, the maids summoned to Eliano’s room were at a loss.
“My lady, how about this sky-blue dress? The colour is lovely and will highlight your figure.”
“This design is so outdated.”
“Then the pink one…”
“The colour is too bright and tacky.”
Eliano rejected all the dresses Lavender and Jane had chosen. They busily brought more dresses, but their mistress only voiced negative comments. She even seemed slightly irritable.
“This is frustrating! I’ll choose myself.”
Eliano left the room and headed to the dressing room. Surprised by her unusual behaviour, the maids anxiously called after her and followed. Since Eliano walked leisurely, they only needed to stay close behind.
Even in the dressing room, Eliano didn’t say anything positive. Eventually, she burst out in frustration, and the maids’ faces turned pale. Lavender and Jane couldn’t hide their apologetic expressions.
Saying there were no suitable clothes, the colours were tacky, the styles outdated and should be thrown out, and questioning if these were all the accessories. Complaining that Pamela must have squandered her dowry, the maids broke into cold sweat. It was true.
Lavender tried to match dresses with jewellery, suggesting that together they would look much better, but Eliano suddenly lost his temper. Lavender’s eyes welled up with tears of embarrassment, but Eliano just snorted.
“You’re really trying to look down on Liliana!”
“I’m sorry, miss. I just don’t have the right perspective…….”
“It’s not enough to just look better!”
Lavender and Jane rolled their eyes. It was pitiful to see them poking each other in the ribs and telling each other to do something. Eliano blurted out, feeling frustrated.
“I’ll have to call a tailor. Pamela bought them all, they’re all crappy.”
