Chapter 276
Sebelia calmly explained her original plan. Instead of using her ‘specialty’ to pry into Rosalyn’s memories, she’d intended to simply hand over Yuria’s bracelet.
“But I don’t think that’s necessary anymore.”
She placed the box into Rosalyn’s hands.
“I found out during the interrogation of the culprit. The hunt for relics was just a pretext; you were really going around auction houses, secretly searching for the former Duchess’s belongings.”
How did things get so tangled? Sebelia felt a headache coming on.
Who would have thought Flora would end up selling off some of the late Duchess’s keepsakes?
Dehart had only realized what was happening after the fact—Flora had meddled just enough to stay unnoticed.
“You must have tried your best to sneak around the auction houses without the Third Prince knowing. But there were limits. So you got a few noble ladies you were friendly with to bid on items from the North in your stead, right? Lady Fria was one of them, wasn’t she?”
Rosalyn didn’t answer; she simply fell silent.
Sebelia was right. She’d never even considered the possibility of a trap, nor that Fria would betray her.
Swept up in emotion, Rosalyn had rushed to the first-floor lounge as soon as she was summoned—Fria had claimed to have won an item belonging to the late Duchess at auction and insisted Rosalyn come immediately.
Sebelia sighed softly and gently moved Rosalyn’s hand to close the box.
“That’s enough. I don’t need to see your memories. No matter how perfectly someone acts, there’s no way to fake feelings for one’s own parents.”
Rosalyn said nothing, only staring silently at the faded bracelet in her hands.
Sebelia rose to her feet.
“Try to get as much rest as you can. I can’t keep you here for long anyway. The Third Prince is already sending people in a frenzy, looking for you.”
“I can’t go back like this.”
“What?”
Rosalyn had raised her head, now clutching Sebelia’s sleeve.
“Let’s proceed with the negotiation as originally planned. Let me show you my memories.”
Her eyes shone, brilliant and fierce as the sun.
“But don’t get the wrong idea. This is just payment for saving my life.”
* * *
Sebelia left the room, still a little stunned. She’d just come to believe Rosalyn was genuine, and now the girl herself was volunteering to reveal her memories. It was all so contradictory.
As she walked down the hall, lost in thought, Claude suddenly appeared from around the corner.
“Bella.”
“Oh, goodness! Were you waiting for me?”
Claude nodded, casting a quick glance toward the room where Rosalyn was staying before turning back to Sebelia. His eyes were filled with anxious hope.
“She’s awake?”
“Yes, thankfully she doesn’t seem too shaken. But you never know—being nearly strangled isn’t exactly a trivial experience.”
Sebelia’s voice faded, and she turned to Claude, who, despite his middle-aged appearance, was clearly waiting for her to continue.
“Now that I think about it, you’ve been keeping up that form ever since you came to the capital.”
“Sorry? What, this? I’m fine, really. Don’t worry about me. I’m only doing what I can handle.”
Claude touched his cheek with a sheepish grin. He must have worn himself out maintaining his illusion for days on end, but pretended not to mind.
Sebelia frowned, folding her arms and contemplating deeply. Claude tilted his head in curiosity.
“I don’t think I can let this go.”
“What do you mean?”
“Could you fetch Dehart for me? There’s something I need to tell you both, right away.”
Claude nodded almost automatically, caught off guard by the bright determination in her blue eyes.
* * *
After kicking the Third Prince’s frantic messenger out the front gate, Dehart spotted Claude coming his way and frowned.
“What’s going on?”
Claude whispered into his ear.
“The lady is awake. And Bella says there’s something urgent she needs to tell us.”
With his lips pressed in a firm line, Dehart ordered the knights to refuse any more of the Third Prince’s envoys. Turning away, he asked Claude as they walked.
“Did she tell you what this is about?”
“No. She said she’d explain everything once we’re all together.”
Dehart nodded, and soon they reached the drawing room, where Sebelia was waiting by the window.
Dehart went in first; Claude shooed away the servants and locked the door before joining them. Sebelia looked at them from her place by the window.
“What is it, Bella?”
“Lady Rosalyn has agreed to let me draw out her memories.”
“Is that true? But—wait, wasn’t that the plan we decided to scrap?”
In shock, Claude stepped forward as Sebelia nodded and motioned for them both to take a seat.
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