Translatorâs Note: Sorry I wasnât able to post during the weekend since I wasnât feeling well. Two chapters today hehe The bonus chapter and the usual Monday update! Thank you, Danika and Rivkael, for reaching the goal!
Raw Provider: Jessica
TL: Ms MTLer
âEven if my mother had a lover, that doesnât prove Iâm not the daughter of the Grand Duke.â
Like before, Count Weinbergâs scheme didnât work out the way he wanted, so he seemed to devise such low-level tricks.
She thought about how theyâd provide evidence and manipulate it.
But that composure was broken in the next instant.
Michael: âSo someone is claiming that. Then what?â
âB-But, Your HighnessâŠâ
Michael: âItâs okay, so go on.â
The man glanced at Keira, swallowed hard, and said.
âHe⊠He asked for protection. He claims that Marquis Edinburgh is trying to silence him because of Rowena Weinbergâs assassination. AndâŠâ
Clangâ!
The sound of tableware falling on the plate interrupted him.
Michael turned to the source of the sound to see Keiraâs eyes wide open as if in shock.
Michael: âUm, Lady Keira. Donât worry too much about what heâs saying just because some people claim that.â
ââŠâ
Michael: âIf itâs a false testimony, wonât he get caught quickly?â
The Crown Prince couldnât have known it wasnât necessarily the case.
What was even more significant was that it was true that the Marquis had Rowena killed.
What evidence could they have gotten there? There was no way Keiraâs grandfather would handle such work sloppily, could he?
No, even monkeys sometimes fell from trees, so thereâs no guarantee he didnât make a mistakeâŠ
Thoughts ran through Keiraâs head, but she tried not to express her agitation. She wiped her mouth with a napkin and answered.
Keira: âOf course. It just made me a little uncomfortable thinking about what people might say.â
Michael: âIâm sorry. If I knew it would be unpleasant, I should have moved away for a while to listen to it.â
Keira: âNo. They said itâs better to find out early. Wouldnât it be better than hearing about it through rumors?â
At least she could plan for the future.
Keira firmly stayed in her seat until the moment the dessert was served. She barely suppressed the desire to run to her grandfather immediately and ask him what had happened.
She couldnât even remember how she endured the socializing time that followed after dessert.
Finally, after the long supper, Keira managed to get up.
Michael: âThat was a good time.â
Keira: âIâm grateful for the invitation.â
Michael: âBy the way, Iâll give a gag order about today, so donât worry. Well, I mean⊠Until things get too big for me to cover.â
It meant that it would be kept secret until it was made public.
Keira: âThank you.â
As Keira expressed her gratitude, Michael offered to shake hands. Giving a handshake with a smile couldnât have been so daunting.
The smile Keira had barely created disappeared the moment she left the room and entered the carriage.
As he watched the carriage leaving, Michael asked.
Michael: âHow did it look?â
Bella: âWhat do you mean?â
Michael: âThe look on the ladyâs face when she heard the news from Rio.â
Bella: âI think she was a little surprised. But⊠Iâm not sure even I would be surprised if I heard that Mother had a lover and Grandfather murdered the concubine.â
Michael: âEven if itâs a conspiracy?â
Bella: âYes.â
Michael: âWellâŠâ
Michael nodded his head softly. Itâs not that he didnât understand.
Before the carriage could even disappear from their sight, he turned and walked into the Imperial Palace.
Bella: âBrother? Where are you going?â
Michael: âIâll be busy for a while, so Iâll get ready.â
Bella: âYes?â
He answered his younger sister, who tilted her head as if she didnât understand yet.
Michael: âWhether itâs true or not, there will be a hearing.â
It was also a hearing that would attract the attention of the entire capital.
Keira got into the carriage and ordered them to head to the Edinburgh Marquisate instead of home.
Rose anxiously asked what was going on, but she couldnât answer.
Keira: âItâs nothing.â
Rose: âYou donât look like itâs nothingâŠâ
Keira: âIâll tell you when Iâve sorted it out.â
Rose didnât ask anymore.
âWhether the manâs testimony is true or not, itâs certain that Cosette and the Weinbergs are behind itâŠâ
Keira could only think that they resorted to using a scheme they had not used before because they failed to take her place.
Cosette had accused her multiple times, but it was a little different this time.
It was the fact that the Marquis of Edinburgh really killed Rowena. That was the problem.
âIt looks pretty plausible when you mix truth and lies.â
While nervously chewing her lips, the carriage arrived at Edinburgh Streetâs front door.
She jumped out as soon as the coachman opened the door.
âOh my gosh. M-milady?â
Surprised, the guard guarding the front door looked at her face and the emblem on the carriage alternately.
âDid you come to see the Marquis?â
Keira: âI have something to tell him, so tell him that I must meet him.â
âDo you think the Marquis will drive out milady? This way, please.â
Keira followed the guards into the mansion. While crossing the garden, Keira saw the butler rushing out.
Keira: âWhereâs Grandfather?â
The butler, catching his breath, answered.
âThe Marquis is, haa, busy with work. But if he finds out milady has come, heâll meet you immediately.â
As he explained that, Keira was led straight to the office.
Her grandfather was on the way downstairs to meet his granddaughter as if forewarned that something unusual had happened.
The two met on the stairs to the second floor.
Marquis: âDid something happen, Keira?â
Keira: âHow do you know? Did you hear anything beforehand?â
Marquis: ââŠIf nothing happened, you wouldnât have come to me like this.â
ââŠâ
Marquis: âYouâre a kid who didnât write a single letter even on my sixtieth birthday.â
Keira couldnât really respond to it, especially since the Marquis had said it so matter-of-fact.
Keira coughed awkwardly and changed the topic.
Keira: âLetâs go inside and talk.â
Marquis: âShall we?â
As soon as Grandfather entered the office, he dismissed all secretaries and servants.
Since they were in his office, Keira didnât have to worry about eavesdroppers.
As soon as Keira sat, she brought up the subject.
Keira: âKilling Rowena Weinbergââ
Marquis: âKeira!â
Startled, Simon Edinburgh cut her off. Then he glanced around anxiously, a strange sight for Keira.
Keira: âWhy are you like that? You sent everyone out.â
Marquis: â⊠Iâm sorry. I guess Iâve been a little sensitive.â
He sighed and ruffled his hair.
Was it guilt? Or was it the fear that he might get caught? Keira thought it was the latter.
Marquis: âBut why are you bringing up that story?â
Keira: âI was just on my way to dinner with the Crown Prince. During the meal, their aide said there was a man at the gate guard who had requested protection.â
ââŠ?â
The Marquis looked confused. So a troubled man had been wandering outside the Palace by the guard gate. But was it serious enough to interfere with the Crown Princeâs dinner?
However, the next words of his granddaughter made him realize the urgency of the situation.
Keira: âHe was allegedly motherâs secret lover.â
Marquis: âWhat?â
Keira: âDo you happen to know about it?â
Marquis: âImpossible! I know everything about my daughter. I had complete control of her. She couldnât have had a lover I didnât know. Never!â
He said it with so much conviction as if he said that the sun did not rise in the west.
âComplete controlâŠâ
She swallowed her vitriol and continued.
Keira: âThis person said that he killed Rowena Weinberg at your behest, and now that the crime is coming to light, youâre trying to kill him.â
Marquis: âThatâs absurd. Even if your mother had a secret lover, how could I, who didnât know he existed, have asked him?â
ââŠâ
How much of it was the truth, and how much was the lie?
Keira pressed her finger to her forehead, suddenly exhausted. There was too little information.
Keira: âFirst of all, we need to find out about the man.â
Marquis: âIâll handle that, donât worry. Youâre the only daughter of the Grand Duke. So thereâs no need to worry.â
Keira remembered what he had said before.
Rowena Weinberg was found dead, and what was inside her womb was a dead babyâŠ
âSo, even if the prophecy was wrong, thereâs no chance that Cosette is Rowenaâs daughter.â
Letâs say thereâs evidence that Keiraâs grandfather tried to frame and kill Rowena.
But thereâs no proof that Cosette was Rowena and Ludwigâs daughter.
Even if her grandfather was incriminated, they wouldnât be able to do anything about her, the next elementalist.
âIs it your goal to uncover grandfatherâs sins?â
Keira continued to ponder about it. Count Weinberg was well-motivated to do so. After all, Rowena was his older sister.
His sister, whoâs been with him since he was young, was framed and divorced, and the person who framed her even killed her.
It was something that would make anyone furious.
Then Simon Edinburghâs voice broke her thoughts.
Simon: âOnce I mobilize all the information networks to find out what happened, I will contact you. Do you want to go home first?â
Keira: âYes, I understand.â
It would be unreasonable for her to conduct her own investigation under Ludwigâs eyes.
She left the office with Simon. Outside the door, Rose and the butler were waiting for them anxiously.
Keira: âRose, letâs go home.â
Rose: âY-yes. Okay.â
There were many things she wanted to ask but could not speak. Keira said goodbye to her grandfather and then walked down the steps.