It Turned Out to be a Useful Fraudulent Marriage Chapter 17 - 3. In Bluebeard's Dark Basement

Lily spoke urgently. “We don’t know for sure yet, don’t we? Duke Orleans may have sided with Prince Robert, but it’s too early to say anything about treason. We also need to verify the authenticity of the evidence. If you give the order, I’ll go after Emeline Wedgwood immediately and retrieve the document–”

 

Lily looked ready to leap out the window any second, but Eric shook his head.

 

“Why are you doing this? Is it because of that photo…?”

 

Lily coughed awkwardly and brought up the photo. Eric’s expression is distorted.

 

He recalled the wicked smile that had been on Emeline’s face when she had been on top of him.

 

‘Crazy woman….’

 

Emeline had run off with the film showing two people entangled on a bed—two people who were supposed to become siblings by marriage in just a few days.

 

The desire to immediately retrieve that film was strong, but Eric held himself back. His honor wasn’t what mattered to him. Eric thought of Emeline, a country bumpkin with brown eyes and red hair.

 

“This guy…. Why did you steal it?”

 

That chilling expression of hers. Eric began to think that perhaps the real Emeline was even more terrifying than she appeared.

 

“Don’t catch her, just follow her. She’ll return to the estate, so Dame Lily should also head there.”

 

“Young Master think Emeline Wedgwood will return to the estate after threatening you like this?”

 

Lily looked incredulous, but Eric nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He knew that Emeline cared deeply for her family.

 

It was strange because, as Eric had learned from his investigation into the Wedgwood family, Emeline wasn’t even Helena’s biological daughter.

 

“Report everything about Emeline’s movements in the next 24 hours. And… yes. As you said, it would be better to postpone reporting to the princess until we have solid evidence.”

 

A look of relief crossed Lily’s face, but Eric’s expression remained grim as he gazed out the window.

 

“When the time comes, I will report it myself. Whether it brings shame to my family or detonates a bomb that destroys it.”

 

“Yes, Young Master.”

 

Lily knelt briefly before Eric, then swiftly climbed out the window, descending the hotel’s outer wall with ease.

 

Left alone, Eric felt a sense of confusion. Because–

 

“What if these documents aren’t the whole story? What if there’s more, and the additional pages prove that Duke Orleans is a psycho? If those get into the hands of the princess or the royal family, the duke’s household will be completely destroyed….”

 

Eric knew where the missing page that Emeline had mentioned was hidden.

 

Eric quickly opened the hotel door and stepped out. As he walked, heading out of the hotel, a strange feeling took hold of him.

 

If he went back to the Duke’s mansion to retrieve the document on his own, leaving Lily behind– 

 

What if, as Emeline said, there was truly something strange about his father?

 

Then what? What would he do? Why was he acting alone without informing Dame Lily?

 

Eric went down the stairs with an anxious expression and paused in his tracks.

 

‘Don’t try to know too much. Because if all good people turn bad, who will protect love and justice?’

 

For the first time, Eric felt a foreboding sense that the world he had been protecting was about to reveal its true nature.

 

A world where you can be rewarded for living a good life.

 

With the feeling that he was walking on thin ice, Eric resumed his steps. 

 

The moment he stepped outside the hotel, Eric knew he would no longer be able to trust anyone.

 

✵ ✵ ✵

 

When I climbed through the window into my room, I found Philip sitting on my bed, staring blankly.

 

I was so startled that I nearly fell back down from the windowsill I had just climbed up.

 

“Ah, you scared me! What the heck! I thought you were an undead!”

 

Philip responded, incredulously. “Who do you think made me an undead, huh?”

 

I muttered as I easily got down from the window sill.

 

“I thought you’d be asleep by now…” I muttered as I lightly stepped down from the windowsill

 

I distinctly remember getting him so drunk last night that he passed out before I left.

 

Philip, his face pale, asked me, “Why have you been acting like this lately?”

 

“Like what?”

 

“Why have you been doing whatever you want recently? I mean, Mom’s wedding is around the corner, and you stay out overnight? Overnight!”

 

“How did you know I stayed out?”

 

“Because I’ve been guarding your room, that’s how!”

 

“What I’m asking is, why were you guarding my room?!”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, Philip covered his mouth as if he was about to vomit. After a brief moment to compose himself, he sighed.

 

“Ugh… Where did you go last night? You didn’t happen to go to the ‘Roses That Bloom at Night’ did you?”

 

He seemed to remember me asking him about the Roses That Bloom at Night while getting him drunk the previous night.

 

Feigning innocence, I smiled and walked toward the wardrobe as if to change clothes. Philip quickly averted his eyes, not wanting to watch me change.

 

I knew it would happen. Which brother in this world would want to see their sister changing, after all?

 

Seizing the moment, I quickly pulled the film and documents from my chest and stuffed them into the drawer with my underwear.

 

“I’m becoming a noble lady the day after tomorrow, right? Before I start living a life of dignity, I thought I should know something about the city’s nightlife.”

 

“Don’t give me that nonsense. You expect me to believe that?”

 

Philip’s voice had an edge of coldness. After changing, I turned to face him.

 

Philip, unlike his usual self, was glaring at me with an icy expression.

 

“W-what…?”

 

Does he know something?

 

Feeling a sense of unease, I leaned against the wardrobe after closing it. 

 

Philip walked toward me with a suspicious look and asked, “Have you… been dreaming?”

 

A dream…? What did he just say?

 

Feeling as if I had been hit hard in the back of the head, I hurriedly asked him, “Did… did you have one too?”

 

Instead of answering, Philip licked his lips and said, “A dream where our family dies, gets hurt, or something terrible happens to them?”

 

“What…? What do you mean…?”

 

Did he really dream that?

 

I ran my hand over my arm, which was covered in goosebumps.

 

Philip, staring into the distance, continued, “Sudden urges, insomnia, a need to go out wandering…

 

However, the moment I heard the next sentence, my mind snapped to full attention, as if doused in cold water.

 

I shouted, “You’ve been reading the astrology column in the newspaper again, haven’t you?!”

 

“Yeah, so?”

 

This fool! He scared me!

 

“You’ve been acting strange lately, and I was so unsettled that I read today’s newspaper. It said, ‘Capricorns will face a major crisis this week. To avoid it, they must beware of men, money, and metal.’ And you just happened to stay out overnight today! So, who were you with? Huh?”

 

At those words, I clenched my fists tightly.

 

Men. Money. And metal.

 

It couldn’t be a more ominous horoscope, could it?

 

I discreetly shifted to the bed, trying to avoid Philip, who was inching toward my wardrobe as if he were about to open it. He glanced at the wardrobe before sitting down next to me.

 

“Did you hurt your head? Do you want to get some counseling or therapy? There’s a well-known royal hospital in the west–”

 

“Enough.”

 

I waved my hand dismissively.

 

My entire body was sore. It must’ve been from all the tension while moving and tying up Eric Orleans.

 

As I reached down unconsciously to take off my shoes, I suddenly froze. My bare feet were covered in dirt.

 

“So, what’s going on? We’re about to become part of the Duke’s family. Shouldn’t you be happy?”

 

I  suddenly remembered Eric.

 

A part of the Duke’s family. It sounds grand, but in the end, the Duke doesn’t see us as family. We’re just tools to be used and discarded.

 

“Part of the Duke’s family, huh? Has any of Mom’s husbands ever really considered us family?”

 

Philip’s face twisted at my words.

 

“Why are you talking about people who’ve already crossed the River Styx?”

 

Right, they’ve all passed away.

 

“Shouldn’t we have learned something from those failures, Philip? The Orleans might be no different from the others.”

 

“Then let’s use him too. What’s so hard about that?” Philip muttered, looking oddly hurt for some reason.

 

After taking a stroll through the Duke’s estate, he seemed to have oddly warmed up to the Duke. Feeling uneasy, I looked at him, but the more I stared, the more anxious I became. So I turned away.

 

My gaze fell on the wardrobe.

 

Inside was the film with the photos of me and Eric Orleans and the Duke’s financial documents.

 

Eric Orleans hadn’t responded to my threats properly. But surely, with all that evidence, he couldn’t ignore me now.

 

‘To be more sure, I need to find the rest of the documents.’

 

I recalled Eric Orleans hiding behind the bookshelf.

 

The rest of the documents must be behind that bookshelf. The ones containing Duke Orleans’ true secrets.

 

24 hours.

 

That was the time I had given Eric. Once that time was up, I would break into the office again and take the documents.

 

To protect my family, I had to.

 

And—

 

“Aren’t you tired of being used and using others? Can’t we try living, I don’t know, maybe a good life for once?”

 

I heard Philip chuckle softly.

 

But I was serious. As soon as we returned to the South, I was going to make ‘good triumphs over evil’ that the naive young master talked about as our family motto and live by it.

 

To be happy with my family.