Chapter 200
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
“Marquis, wouldn’t it feel relieving if the person you hated died?”
“Hmm, well… If someone is filled only with hatred and resentment, they would likely feel a sense of release, along with emptiness. However…”
He paused, rubbing his chin. Emilia tightly gripped her teacup, waiting for him to speak.
“If it were another emotion, wouldn’t it be different?”
“…Another emotion?”
Emilia blinked. He couldn’t have felt any other emotion toward her. If he had, he wouldn’t have acted that way.
Her hatred was different in size and depth from his. What she felt had only developed after meeting him, while he had nurtured those feelings for her over many years before they met.
“If it were the death of someone you loved, wouldn’t it be hard to accept?”
“Well, isn’t it more of a frustration, bordering on obsession?”
“Ultimately, the Duke is looking for his wife, isn’t he? Maybe he knows about the child…”
“I’ve thought about that, but I don’t think he knows.”
“If you say so, Madam. The Duke’s face looked quite distressed.”
“Really?”
Did he really want to kill her that badly? Couldn’t he just forget and live his own life?
Emilia forced a smile, tightening her grip on her teacup.
He wouldn’t stop until he found the body, would he?
Perhaps he wouldn’t believe it until he saw her death with his own eyes. Even though she had disguised herself as someone similar, Mikhail was sharp enough to know the difference.
“When will the newspaper be published?”
“It’s still undecided. The royal family’s movements are strange, so we had to halt it for now. We need to keep an eye on it.”
“I heard the hotel business is doing well. And I also heard the public opinion is leaning toward bringing in the train service…”
“Yes, that’s right. Bartsch needs change. We can’t keep holding onto the past and being so closed off. I hear in other countries, goods are already bought and sold via railroads.”
“Is the royal family just sitting back?”
“The Elta Club is leading the charge, so it seems the royal family is still just observing for now.”
“They might stick to a different approach this time. If they pretend it’s for the comfort of the people, it wouldn’t hurt the royal family either.”
“Do you know what Duke Heinrich is thinking, Madam?”
“Who would know the Duke’s intentions?”
“From his interest in development projects, it seems he doesn’t feel completely bound to the royal family…”
“But that doesn’t mean he’s interested in anti-royalist groups.”
A duke with royal blood had no reason to oppose the royal family. If he was planning to bring them down, it would be even more unlikely.
“Does this mean his perspective on business and the royal family is different?”
“Yes. Exactly. Capital is power. If there’s a good investment opportunity, there’s no reason to turn it down. The Duke doesn’t have to worry about the royal family’s opinions.”
“If he truly has Bayern blood, then that makes sense.”
Emilia nodded lightly. He sighed, then picked up his jacket.
“Then, I’ll go find a woman to match the story about the perfume I mentioned earlier.”
“Thank you.”
“And just in case, always be careful.”
The Marquis adjusted his hat, pulling it low.
“The guards can’t stay here, so you need to protect yourself.”
“I know. This is the back streets of Delphora.”
Even the guards avoided coming here because it was uncomfortable. Of course, for those who enjoyed debauchery, it was different. But for gentlemen and ladies, it was a place to avoid. Just rumors of anyone wandering around would spread uncomfortable scandals.
“Marquis, is it all right for you to come and go here?”
“There’s a back door here, so there are no witnesses. But I’m worried about you.”
The Marquis adjusted the end of his hat. He seemed ready to leave but remained rooted to the spot.
“I will protect myself and everyone here, so don’t worry.”
Emilia subtly showed him the sword at her thigh.
The Marquis glanced at the wardrobe in the room.
“When you need it, open it. It may help.”
He then tipped his hat, gave a slight bow, and left the room. Emilia got up and opened the wardrobe door.
“There’s only clothes here?”
As she gently shifted the clothes, a long sword was placed inside.
“It’s better than a dagger.”
Emilia checked the position of the sword and locked the wardrobe door.
❖ ❖ ❖
Dahlia quietly observed the situation in the mansion.
“Without Boestin, it will be easier to move around.”
She didn’t like the way Boestin acted like a watcher. And she didn’t like her brother’s behavior, pretending to be overly concerned about some illness. In fact, after Emilia disappeared, her brother had allowed her to roam freely on the third floor.
“He’s saying I was dangerous to her.”
It was laughable. The most threatening person wasn’t her, but Emilia. Even if Dahlia had a fit of madness, Emilia was a knight.
If Emilia had just been handed a sword, she could have easily subdued her.
“Serina, it’s stuffy. Help me get ready to leave.”
“Yes! Understood.”
Serina immediately began helping Dahlia with her dress up.
“But is it really okay to go outside? There will probably be a lot of talk.”
“They’ll look at me differently. With faces that say, ‘Could it be?’”
Dahlia acted as if she had completely forgotten her actions at the banquet.
‘They will reach out soon.’
They surely knew she had the blood of Bayern in her veins.
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