Chapter 75

Uncle led Altair and me into the room with a calm demeanor, as if he were not at all flustered.

“This was Nadia’s room.”

The room, visible beyond the wide-open door, was perfectly lit, with the warm sunlight of midday shining down. The room was filled with a pleasant fragrance thanks to the fresh flowers, and the furniture and decorations were impeccable. Of course, this was not the room I used, but I knew very well what kind of room it was.

‘…This is Melissa’s room.’

It seemed Uncle had been boasting about me being his precious niece in front of Altair, so he couldn’t show us the room I actually used. In the entire mansion, the only room decorated to the taste of a lady my age was Melissa’s, so Uncle must have resorted to this as a last resort.

‘Well, I did use it before Melissa took it over…’

Uncle’s statement that “this was Nadia’s room” wasn’t entirely false. Melissa, who had suddenly been deprived of her room, was pulling on Uncle’s arm with a sullen face, but Uncle ignored her protests. He seemed determined to smooth over the situation and then pacify Melissa later. Whether Altair knew this or not, he looked around the impressive room with interest and tilted his head.

“Amazing. Nadia has been married to Eilsford for a long time, yet this room feels as if someone was using it just a moment ago.”

No matter how well a room is maintained, it inevitably feels cold if no one has lived in it for a long time. But this room was warm and smelled of people, making it clear that it hadn’t been left empty for long. However, even in this obvious situation, Uncle didn’t flinch.

“I’ve been taking good care of it so that Nadia can use it whenever she wants. When I heard she was coming to the capital for the Silver Jubilee, I tidied it up even more over the past few days. It’s all thanks to my efforts.”

“I see.”

Altair narrowed his eyes and began to inspect the room slowly. The large room, which included a bedroom, a connected bathroom, a dressing room, and a huge terrace overlooking the garden, took quite a while to tour. Anna, who had never seen such a room before, was busy looking around with her mouth wide open. Unlike the rough and rugged elegance of Eilsford, the Bain mansion was exquisitely and lavishly decorated, making it a feast for the eyes. Moreover, Melissa’s clothes, jewelry, and cosmetics were scattered all over the dressing table and dressing room, making Anna’s jaw drop in amazement. In contrast, Altair, who had calmly inspected the entire room, asked Uncle with a smile.

“Is all of this what your wife used to use?”

The clothes and jewelry tailored to Melissa’s taste were very luxurious and, of course, expensive. Altair, who had noticed the stark difference from the items I usually used, probed Uncle, who nodded confidently.

“Yes.”

“I thought your wife was a simple person when she came to Eilsford with very little luggage, but it seems she didn’t live that way in the capital.”

“Well… she lived comfortably in the capital. But Eilsford is different. There aren’t many parties there, and there aren’t many occasions to wear fancy dresses, so she came here with a simple luggage.”

He replied with a smile, but it was essentially a jab: “Eilsford is a backwater; do you really need such precious things here?” Indeed, he was a noble of the capital, sharp-tongued. Worried that Altair, unaccustomed to such rhetoric, might be offended, I turned my head, but it was just a worry. Instead, Altair looked as if he had found a good opportunity, with a rare smile on his face.

“Indeed, that was the case in the past. But now, thanks to my wife, Eilsford has changed a lot, and I often need such precious things. So, I’ll take everything with me this time.”

“…What?”

“I said I’ll take everything. All of it.”

At Altair’s declaration, Uncle looked as if he had been hit on the back of the head, his mouth wide open, and Melissa had a similar expression. The first to regain her composure was Melissa, the owner of the precious clothes and jewelry scattered around the room.

“Father…!”

Melissa jabbed Uncle’s side with her eyes darting around, but the cunning Duke, who had been adept at handling such situations, was speechless. Since Uncle himself had called this “Nadia’s room” and acknowledged that everything in it was mine, there was no reason to stop the owner from taking her belongings.

“Well… this is also the property of the Duke’s family…”

“Surely… you’re not going to be stingy?”

Altair cut off Uncle’s attempt to stop the situation.

“Of course not. For the Duke of Bain to stop his niece from taking her personal belongings… all the other nobles would mock him.”

This was a veiled threat: “If you stop her from taking them, I’ll spread the word about your stinginess to all the nobles.” Uncle, who was particularly cunning among the capital’s nobles, couldn’t miss the hidden meaning.

“There’s no reason to stop her from taking her own belongings.”

“Father!”

The Duke’s lips trembled, and Melissa turned pale, stomping her feet. Altair, observing the scene with ease, turned to Anna and Marie.

“Collect all the jewelry. These are precious items, so we can’t afford to lose even one.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Marie, who had grasped the situation, quickly responded and began to collect the jewelry, and Anna, who had been blinking in surprise, finally understood and hurried to help Marie. I was just bewildered by the unexpected turn of events.

‘This is a real villain’s plunder…’

But it was comforting to have such a villain on my side. When I looked at Altair with a subtle feeling, his eyes seemed to say, “Did I do well?” A smile slipped out.

Melissa, realizing that the situation was difficult to reverse, stomped away with a sullen face, and Uncle, who had lost his initial calm smile, gritted his teeth. His fierce gaze made me shrink, but I wasn’t as afraid of him as I was before leaving this place.

‘Maybe it’s because I have a strong ally now.’

I felt a sense of relief. ***

“Father! Are you really going to give all of that to her? What about my room?”

Melissa burst into the Duke’s room with a pout. She had been happily waiting for Altair, but this was like a bolt from the blue. She was already annoyed at having to give up her room, and now she had to give up all the precious clothes and jewelry she had collected. Some of them were originally Nadia’s, but that didn’t matter to Melissa. Once they were in her possession, they were hers. What did she care about the rights of the previous owner?

“I don’t like it! I won’t give them to her!”

Melissa whined and tugged at the Duke’s arm as usual. But the Duke, who would normally take her side and take back what Nadia had, pushed her hand away coldly.

“Be quiet. I already have a headache; do you want to make it worse?”

“But… but…”

Melissa, with tears in her eyes, slumped into a chair. The Duke sighed deeply at the sight of his sulking daughter.

“Just bear with it for a while. Her arrogance won’t last long. Tell her to take everything. In the end, it will all be ours.”

“What do you mean?”

Melissa, puzzled by the Duke’s confident attitude, tilted her head. If it was taken, it was taken. How could it end up being theirs? The Duke, seeing his daughter’s confused expression, clicked his tongue.

“Think about it. Why did the Baron of Eilsford rush into this marriage?”

“Well… he said he needed an heir.”

The Baron of Eilsford was known to be ugly and mean, and the idea of him getting an heir by taking a wife was so ridiculous that she had laughed at it.

“Yes. The Baron desperately needs an heir. In the past, he only had his title to protect, but now he has wealth as well. Without an heir, everything he has built will go to some stranger.”

“I see. But why?”

“Why? Obviously, Nadia the girl… can’t give the Baron what he wants.”

The Duke, who had been speaking with frustration, suddenly clamped his mouth shut. When Melissa urged him to continue, he hesitated for a moment before speaking in a low voice.

“Nadia the girl can’t give the Baron what he wants. But if you give him what he wants, it will all be ours.”

“What do you mean? Are you playing a riddle with me?”

Melissa, frowning and tilting her head, made the Duke shake his head and punch his chest.

“Sigh. Why should I explain to you? Just remember this: this marriage was a position too good for Nadia the girl. I just didn’t realize it.”

The Duke looked at his daughter, licking his lips.

“Don’t worry. Everything Nadia the girl has will be yours. Have I ever broken my word?”

Melissa shook her head. Her father had always kept his promises. The title of lady she had envied so much, the wealthy and prestigious family, the beautiful clothes and jewelry—her father had given them all to her. So, this time would be no different. The Duke, seeing the trust in his daughter’s eyes, raised his chin arrogantly.

“This is our home ground. No matter what, the Baron of Eilsford is in the palm of my hand.”

***

“It was really satisfying!”

Marie, rarely giggling, showed me a jewelry box filled with the jewelry Melissa had collected. There were several more boxes of similar size, all filled with beautiful items, but I didn’t think I would enjoy using them.

“Marie, sort out the jewelry that originally belonged to me and dispose of the rest before we leave the capital.”

“You won’t get the full value if you dispose of them.”

“Yes, but I don’t want to take what Melissa used.”

Marie nodded with a slightly bitter smile, understanding my feelings.

“Should I contact Dillion?”

Dillion was the artist who had helped me dispose of my jewelry when my family’s situation was dire after my parents passed away.

“Hmm… I’m not sure if he’ll help me this time.”

“Is there a problem?”

“Altair and I had a bit of a misunderstanding over a ring… He seemed to have interrogated Dillion with a sword.”

“I’ll talk to him properly.”

“Yes, Dillion will listen to you