Chapter 22
A faint flush colored Illina’s cheeks.
“How could I possibly answer a question like that?”
Though her words suggested she couldn’t respond, Illina didn’t deny Eden’s remark either. That was her clear stance—because, in truth, she had already gained the assurance she needed.
After that, a peculiar rumor began circulating within the townhouse. It was said that Eden and Illina spent time together several times a day—always without Cecilia. Upon hearing this, Lady Monte and Evie were furious.
“Just thinking about that wretched woman makes me want to jump out of bed in the middle of the night!”
However, Cecilia herself remained composed. With a bright smile, she laughed off the idea that her husband and her maid would ever betray her.
Something’s not right…
By then, Lady Monte and Evie realized they were the only ones burning with frustration. Determined, Lady Monte rolled up her sleeves.
There’s something off about her reaction to letters, and how cozy she is with the Grand Duke’s attendant. Leave it to me—I’ll get to the bottom of this!
But Count Nova and Illina weren’t so foolish. Even Cecilia didn’t expect Lady Monte to uncover the truth so easily.
“What are you doing?!”
Suddenly, a sharp, piercing voice rang out across the garden. Cecilia instinctively rose from her seat and moved to the window.
The first thing she saw was Diego and Evie, who had been lounging against a tree, now startled and standing upright.
“…What’s going on?”
Cecilia murmured under her breath, narrowing her eyes. It was hard to tell what exactly was happening—it seemed to be near the front entrance, but she could only hear the shouting, not see the cause.
“Don’t you dare touch her!”
In that moment, Lady Monte came into view—collapsing in plain sight of Cecilia’s window. Cecilia’s eyes widened in shock.
Of course, Lady Monte and Evie were servants. However, as the personal attendants of the mistress of the house, their positions carried weight far beyond that of ordinary staff.
“What are you doing?! Who do you think you’re shoving?!”
Just as Cecilia was about to shout for them to stop, Evie caught sight of her mother collapsed on the ground and ran to her aid, raising her voice. Diego followed behind, sauntering with his usual lack of urgency.
“Your mother tried to open my lady’s letter—like a sneaky little rat!”
A trembling maid screamed. Cecilia narrowed her eyes, tilting her head as she recognized the face. It was Sally, Illina’s maid.
“Who are you calling a rat, you crazy—?!”
Evie, enraged at the insult to her mother, instantly lunged at Sally, grabbing a fistful of her hair.
“What the—let go! Let go!”
Sally panicked, clearly never expecting to have her hair yanked in the middle of the estate.
“I’m not letting go.”
Evie smirked maliciously, taunting her. As Sally blinked rapidly, tears welling in her eyes from shock, Diego helped Lady Monte to her feet, subtly positioning himself to block Sally from view.
Look at that.
Cecilia silently observed the strange energy between Diego and Evie, her gaze tightening ever so slightly.
“What exactly is going on?”
Unfortunately for Diego, his attempt to hide the scuffle proved pointless. Eden, having heard the commotion, appeared unexpectedly.
“Y-Your Grace!”
Evie, still clutching Sally’s hair, gasped in surprise and immediately let go. Sally hurriedly retreated, her face twisted in disgust as if she couldn’t stand being near Evie for even a moment longer.
“What is this ruckus?”
Eden’s voice was quiet, but there was a weight to it—an unspoken pressure that made it hard for anyone to speak.
“It was just a little squabble between the younger ones, Your Grace.”
With Evie staying silent, Lady Monte hastily stepped forward, adjusting her attire. She didn’t want Evie caught up in the mess, and more importantly, she feared any trouble might reach Cecilia.
“Evie grabbed my hair first.”
Sally didn’t let it go. Rather, she seemed determined to expose everything and wouldn’t allow Lady Monte or Evie to slip away unnoticed.
“She pushed my mother to the ground first!”
Evie couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted.
“Sally did that?”
A soft, questioning voice floated in the air. Illina emerged from the front door, her brow slightly furrowed. Her dress, made of delicate fabric that fluttered with the breeze, made her look almost fairy-like. Cecilia watched silently as Eden’s gaze turned to Illina.
“Why did you do that, Sally?”
“Lady Monte was the one who stole my lady’s letter first! I was just trying to take it back—there was only a bit of scuffling!”
At Illina’s questioning, Sally responded tearfully, her voice shaking, as if aggrieved that even her own mistress was reproaching her.
“Is this true?”
At Eden’s calm question, Lady Monte blinked, her face flustered. So it was suspicious—she really had touched Illina’s letter.
“I did handle it.”
Lady Monte, looking troubled, answered honestly.
“Why?”
Eden’s low voice inquired further. He knew Lady Monte was someone who cared for nothing but the well-being of her daughter and Cecilia.
“I—I’m ashamed to say it, but I cannot read very well, Your Grace.”
Lady Monte immediately bowed her head and revealed her secret. It was a gesture of humility, as if trying to resolve the matter peacefully by exposing her own fault.
“There was recently a letter sent to the Rain duchy’s steward, and I assumed it was a reply to that.”
This had clearly been Lady Monte’s mistake. Cecilia hadn’t given her detailed instructions on what to expect, so in a way, it was partly her fault too. Cecilia sighed softly.
“I was impatient, waiting for Her Grace’s reply, and in my haste, I failed to check the recipient. That was my error.”
Though Lady Monte admitted her mistake, she insisted there was no ill intent. It was not a malicious act or an act of betrayal—so it wasn’t something that could be harshly punished.
“Even if it was a mistake, there’s still someone affected by it. And we cannot ignore that, especially if the victim is a guest of the Grand Duke’s residence.”
Lady Monte flinched. Cecilia, too, furrowed her brow slightly. She hadn’t expected Eden to respond this way.
Lady Monte was her servant. With all eyes in the estate on this matter, Eden should have downplayed it for Cecilia’s sake—simply calling it a mistake and moving on.
“You should promise it won’t happen again.”
Yet Eden required Lady Monte to apologize to Illina in front of everyone. Naturally, it wasn’t well received.
“…It won’t happen again.”
In the end, Lady Monte apologized. Though she showed no displeasure, her apology lacked sincerity.
“My apologies, Lady Nova.”
Noticing this, Eden personally apologized.
“…What?”
Cecilia let out a disbelieving laugh. This was a conflict among servants, and Lady Monte had already apologized. For the Grand Duke himself to do so was unnecessary.
“It’s fine, Your Grace! She said it was a mistake. You don’t need to apologize!”
Illina leapt up, feigning flustered humility, but her golden eyes gleamed with delight. For Eden to apologize over such a trivial matter signified the level of respect and value he placed on her.
“Let’s be cautious so this doesn’t happen again. And Sally, avoid using force.”
Illina’s tone was gentle and graceful, clearly trying to appear wise and benevolent.
“Then I’ll take my leave now, Your Grace.”
Having soothed her maid, Illina departed with a composed smile. Cecilia turned her gaze to Evie, who stood trembling, hands clenched as if to maintain a facade of calm.
“And yet…”
Cecilia wasn’t eager to see how Eden reacted—but Eden didn’t leave. In fact, he even addressed Diego.
“You’re a new face. Who are you?”
Only when Eden continued speaking did it become clear he was questioning Diego’s identity, as his face was unfamiliar.
“I am James Morak, owner of the Morak Pawnshop.”
Diego hastily bowed.
“You’ve been entrusted with nothing here, as far as I know.”
Eden’s voice was relaxed, yet something about it was unsettling. He wasn’t overly interested in Diego—but he wasn’t completely indifferent, either.
“Her Grace the Grand Duchess mentioned she had something she wished me to handle…”
The moment Diego mentioned Cecilia, Eden’s eyes slowly traced the back of Diego’s neck. His expression remained unreadable.
Something’s different.
As Cecilia tried to gauge Eden’s mood, he suddenly looked up. Their eyes met directly.
There was a flicker of surprise in Eden’s gaze—perhaps he hadn’t expected her to be watching. At this short distance, it wasn’t hard for Cecilia to read it.
“…”
Cecilia smiled—just as beautifully as the discomfort she felt. Deception was easy.
