“No way…”
That’s right. Someone was trying to kill Miss Edith.”
“Oh my, that is terrible.”
It’s terrible. Layla felt rather blissful.
‘If the steering wheel of the yacht belonging to the Ludwig family was modified, it means that there is a force within the Duke family who wants to eliminate Edith!’
Who else could have broken into Killian’s yacht if not the Duke? Then she went one step further and made a hopeful assumption.
‘Could it be that Killian tried to kill Edith…?’
They said Edith was not breathing when she was pulled out of the water.
‘He pretended to save her to make an excuse for Count Rigelhoff, but that girl with a strong silk thread survived. He had eyes to see, so he couldn’t kill again…’
Rumors of a feud between Killian and Edith have already spread to the social world. By the way, the two of them went on a yacht? It’s already weird from there.
‘As expected, Killian is trying to get away from that woman!’
Layla was sure. Thanks to that, even when the story about Lise came out, she was able to stay calm without getting angry.
“However… Do you know anything about Miss Lise?”
“Yes? What are you talking about?”
“No, that… Miss Lise is being treated as a future duchess in the Ludwig duchy…”
At that, Layla and Countess Sinclair snorted at the same time. In particular, the countess actively refuted.
“This is nonsense. She was, to put it mildly, sold to the house.”
“Yes?”
“I kept my mouth shut because it was embarrassing for my family, but it seems that rumors are spreading. The illegitimate child was bought by the Ludwig family with money. Maybe she’s doing some maid work there.”
The countess who brought up her story tilted her head to the lady who had come with her and met her eyes. But the Countess said confidently.
“We borrowed some money from the Duke as the Ludwig family and my family were doing business together. It is common in business.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“By the way, it seems that His Excellency Duke Ludwig, who came to our house for a short visit, was in need of a maid. And then she said she would take him instead of exercising her bond.”
“But… If it was Duke Ludwig’s family, he could have saved her maid without having to do that…”
“How do you know what to use her for?”
It was only then that some of the ladies who understood the words blushed and rolled their eyes.
“But… Miss Lise was quite smooth.”
“It’s half and half. She resembles her lascivious mother, and is a girl who can’t use a man. I don’t even want to talk more.”
The Countess frowned in displeasure and flapped her fan. The quick-witted ladies then cursed Lise and her mother in front of them, which made Layla and the Countess feel better too. But it wasn’t Lise that Layla cared about. She wasn’t interested in anything vulgar anyway. All she cared about was Killian and Edith. As soon as the tea party was over, Layla headed to the study on the first floor where Damian and Anton were playing pool.
“Layla! You seem to be in a good mood today?”
“I know. Didn’t the talkative ladies talk a lot about getting married today?”
Despite Anton’s sarcastic grin, Layla smiled and sat down on her sofa.
“My brother is right.”
“I mean, always right. But which of them?”
“It seems that the Ludwig family has no intention of keeping Edith Rigelhoff alive for long.”
In the stimulating rush, Damian and Anton stopped playing pool and sat down on the pool table, looking at Layla.
“What did you hear?”
“They said Edith almost drowned while out on a yacht with Killian. By the way, who has touched the steering wheel of the yacht?”
“So?”
“You know that rumors of a feud between the two have spread, right? But isn’t it strange that the two of them rode a yacht?”
“But…”
When Damian nodded his head, Layla became even more excited.
“I think yes. Killian pretended to be an accident and tried to kill Edith, but he actually saved Edith by pretending to save her.”
Layla’s guess made Anton laugh at her frivolously.
“Puha! If that was true, Killian’s expression would have been worth seeing?”
“But it makes no sense otherwise. I heard that Killian Ludwig’s wife almost died, but the case just went to shreds. What could that mean?”
At those words, Damian also smiled in satisfaction.
“Layla. You know that the founding festival will be held soon, right?”
“I already ordered a dress.”
“That’s your chance. Don’t forget that the end of the year is approaching.”
Layla’s eyes lit up. The end of the year, when Count Rigelhoff’s family would fall, was approaching, and Killian was so upset that he wanted to kill Edith. In order to preempt Killian, who would divorce or bereave her next year, she had to capture him at the founding festival.
“I’ll try my best.”
A blush filled with excitement ran across Layla’s cheeks.
* * *
The yacht accident ended up as a simple happening. Then, a few days later, the body of her maid named Sabina was found in the woods to the east of the capital. She was hit over the head with something like a club and she apparently died instantly, they said.
She was nervous because she was so close to Count Rigelhoff’s house, but thanks to Rigelhoff’s people descending into the estate, she was able to pass without much suspicion. In addition, it was later revealed that Sabina borrowed money from various places around her and gave it to a certain man. Thanks to that, rumors circulated that the story that she had pointed her to as the culprit was also a ploy to extort money from her.
‘But an eighteen-year-old girl was killed by a blunt weapon… Is everyone okay?’
Ironically, the only thing that cared about the maid’s circumstances was her, who almost was framed because of her. In this world, the circumstances of extras were so light that they could be described in just one or two lines, so even those who whispered at first acted as if they had forgotten everything the next day.
‘Even if I die… Everyone will forget it the next day, right?’
She couldn’t help but think about it. But she, too, couldn’t keep thinking about Sabina or herself for long. Because the original didn’t wait until she felt better, and immediately announced the start of the next episode.
“The founding festival is already a month away.”
Duke Ludwig made the founding festival a topic of discussion at a meal with the whole family after a long time.
“This time, the atmosphere on the side of Grand Duke Langston was unusual.”
Even though it seems like it should be serious, Cliff said it with a faint smile as if it was nothing. No one was taken aback by the story of Grand Duke Langston following the founding festival, probably because everyone was aware of it.
“He will try to show off his power. Since he is foolish and greedy, he probably still believes that the throne should be his.”
She quickly recognized that Grand Duke Langston was a human not very different from Count Rigelhoff. Count Rigelhoff also believes that the dukedom of the Ludwig family should have been his.
‘It must be the episode of the ball that appears in the second half of volume 4, the construction festival featuring Grand Duke Langston. There really isn’t much left.’
She got goosebumps. After this ball, there would be events that put Edith’s life on the line.
After the meal, she returned to her room and thought about the future. She realized that this episode of the founding festival was going differently from the original.
‘Come to think of it, the original Edith was on probation, so she couldn’t go to the foundation festival!’
And Edith, who was left at the mansion, seemed to have plotted something with Sophia.
‘It’s not clear what Edith did because the narrative was centered on Lise and Cliff… That was one of the reasons Edith later died…’
After the ball at the foundation festival, a fight breaks out between the Rigelhoffs and the Ludwigs, during which Shane attacks the Ludwig mansion. Maybe Edith and Sophia made a plan to help Shane?
‘But now Sophia is gone, and I am also going to the foundation festival. Then this would be a good change for me, right?’
There were a lot of twists and turns, but somehow her heart was pounding with the feeling that she was heading towards a better future.
‘Besides, I’m going to go to romance novel’s ball! Oh my god!’
Wasn’t it the ball in the imperial palace that they always go to when she read romance novels? Magnificent palaces, colorful dresses, thrilling waltz, and romance!
‘I think it’ll be fun just watching other people!’
She smirked to herself as I recalled the countless prom episodes she had read in novels. Perhaps in this episode of the founding festival, Lise would be in the spotlight, and Grand Duke of Langston would come out. All she had to do was watch the situation wearing 3D glasses and feel like eating popcorn. It spread in such a leisurely mood, but from the next day, the Duke’s family became busier.
“Anna, what’s going on outside? I think it’s kind of noisy…”
Waking up at the same time as usual, washing the same clothes, drinking tea, and reading the <Secret Temptation>.
“Mister Cliff called the dressing room for Lady Lise.”
“Is Madame Royal here?”
“No. They said that he called the <Dwell Robe> dressing room used by Her Highness the Princess. It is twice as expensive as the Royal Dressing Room.”
“Double? The Royal Dressing Room wasn’t too cheap, right?”
The Duchess was not an extravagant person, but <Royal Dressing Room> was also quite expensive. If it was twice the price there, it meant that it was a place that even aristocratic families couldn’t call at their wish.
How do you feel?
