It Turned Out to be a Useful Fraudulent Marriage Chapter 20 - 3. In Bluebeard's Dark Basement

“Helena Wedgwood’s daughter, Emeline Wedgwood.”

 

I glanced around nervously and bowed deeply before the King, Princess, and Prince.

 

In fact, I should have introduced myself when I first arrived in the capital and entered society.

 

Our family was a weak noble house with little power on this continent that the royal family didn’t even acknowledge our presence. It wasn’t like we would ever be invited to any royal social gatherings anyway.

 

However, after my mother arrived in the capital and started dating the duke she met by chance at a gathering, we found ourselves naturally attending various social events without formally introducing ourselves to the royal family.

 

So here we were—my mother, Philip, and I—bowing low before the royal family with expressions that practically screamed, ‘We’re sorry for the late greeting.’

 

“Oh, you’re Helena Wedgwood’s daughter. I suppose we’ll be seeing each other often.”

 

The King, with the air of a generous man, accepted my greeting with a smile.

 

He meant, of course, that now that I was to become the adopted daughter of a duke, I would frequently be seen as a “lady.” It was a political statement.

 

On the other hand, Prince Robert, seated on the right, barely managed a polite smile, too uninterested to even acknowledge my greeting. And the princess–

 

“So you’re going to be Eric Orleans’ sister? Pleased to meet you. I like your hair color—red is the color of passion, is it not?”

 

She spoke to me in a friendly manner, with a strange smile on her face. But the aura and dignity she exuded were not those of an ordinary person. The tension she radiated was comparable to the ‘killing intent’ that aura knights were said to give off.

 

I felt a genuine sense of fear, not mere acting, as I pressed myself flat against the floor, spouting words like ‘grateful,’ ‘honored,’ and ‘blessed’ before quickly leaving her presence.

 

Once we came out of the audience chamber, my entire body ached. I gave Philip a nudge on the shoulder.

 

“Even if you’d gone to Roses That Bloom at Night last night, I doubt the princess would’ve taken notice of you.”

 

Philip, usually quick to anger at my teasing, simply nodded, cowed by the princess’s overwhelming charisma.

 

“That’s true. These days, the princess is only interested in Eric Orleans.”

 

“Eric Orleans?”

 

I flinched at the unexpected mention of his name.

 

“Yeah. They spent a passionate night at Roses That Bloom at Night yesterday– Anyway, there’s a rumor that the princess, who’s always been a bit of a flirt, will eventually settle down with Eric Orleans. People are saying they’ll get engaged this year.”

 

I frowned. Eric and Princess Ella would get engaged?

 

I glanced back at the distant throne. The princess was seated gracefully on an ornate chair, casting lascivious smiles at handsome young noblemen and knights.

 

Last night, I had thought their relationship was merely a political arrangement. But if they were truly lovers– 

 

‘Will this disrupt my plans? Would love trump family interests?’

 

However, if that were the case, why had Eric gone out of his way to chase after me when he left the princess’s room? And why was Princess Ella so nonchalant, even after what had happened that night?

 

More importantly, 60 percent of the things Philip said were usually false, and 20 percent were exaggerations. Still, I had to prepare for the possibility that the remaining 20 percent might be true.

 

“So thanks to Eric Orleans becoming the princess’s man, and the princess ascending the throne, we would be part of the royal family. Ha! All thanks to Duke Orleans, you know that, little sister.” Philip babbled on excitedly.

 

I wondered how smug he’d be once he found out that same Duke Orleans might put a bullet in our heads someday.

 

As I thought this, I searched for Duke Orleans and Eric with my eyes.

 

‘I need to find out more…’

 

“By the way, why hasn’t Duke Orleans arrived yet? Shouldn’t he be here by now?”

 

Usually, the higher the status of nobles, the later they would arrive at the royal parties.

 

But according to the dream I had, Duke Orleans would have already arrived by now to romantically save my mother, witnessing Vivian Cavendish’s outrageous behavior, and publicly proposing to her when she ran out crying.

 

That should be happening about now, right?

 

“Do you think he’d be here? It’s only lowly nobles like us who arrive at this time.”

 

“No, but… I’m sure that–”

 

–I saw it in my dream.

 

Just then. A woman entered from the royal ballroom entrance, dazzling in her excessive jewelry. The guard at the door announced in a loud voice:

 

“Presenting Marquess Cavendish, his wife, and their two daughters!”

 

‘Huh? The duke usually arrives before them..’

 

I frowned as I watched the Cavendish family make their grand entrance in their fancy outfits. Among them, Vivian Cavendish looked at me with a spiteful expression.

 

“Hey, didn’t you pull all her hair out? Looks like it’s still attached,” Philip whispered, scowling at the sight of Vivian.

 

I felt an ominous sense of foreboding as I responded to Philip. “Yeah, I should’ve shaved her head clean back then.”

 

Feeling anxious, I gulped down the soda I was holding. Far from being sweet, it was bitter.

 

✵ ✵ ✵

 

Baldrick swung open the bookshelf door with a leisurely expression.

 

“Come out. Unless you plan on severing ties with your father over a few stolen accounting books.”

 

“…”

 

Of course, his father knew Eric had taken the accounting books. But didn’t he say it was just a few pages of accounting records?

 

Eric realized then that his father assumed he didn’t know the full contents of the accounting books. After all, Eric had left behind the most important pages, making it a reasonable assumption.

 

Because of his father’s rational deduction, Eric now saw an opportunity to escape this situation. He obediently stepped out from behind the bookshelf, Eric glanced towards the inner part of the room.

 

There were no letters left there.

 

‘Invisible ink doesn’t disappear until it’s exposed to water.’

 

Before opening the bookshelf, Eric had concealed the writing on the wall again. It was thanks to what Emeline had said the night before.

 

Was that writing really from his mother? If so…

 

Eric looked at his father, seated in front of the reception table. Still dressed in his hunting trousers, there was a rifle leaning against the desk, and the strong smell of gunpowder wafted from its barrel.

 

Eric’s hand drifted toward the sword at his waist.

 

Duke Baldrick gazed at Eric with his piercing red eyes and asked: “Did you check the contents of the accounting ledgers? You must have planned to take them to the princess.”

 

Baldrick’s eyes gleamed.

 

‘I gave birth to a monster child!’

 

Eric remembered his mother’s words. Those cursed words that had haunted him for years, ever since he left the ducal estate at age fourteen.

 

Now he realized those words weren’t directed at him.

 

Baldrick Orleans.

 

‘She said those words about him.’

 

“Did you know?” Eric asked, sitting calmly across from his father.

 

Despite his middle age, the duke maintained a strong physique from regular hunting and exercise, and his long legs added to his imposing figure.

 

The duke crossed his legs and smiled faintly. “What do you mean? That you still swear loyalty to the princess, even after stepping down as a knight commander? Or that you tampered with the duke’s accounting ledger?”

 

“Both.”

 

The duke looked at Eric with a strange smile.

 

Eric had no memory of ever having a long, friendly conversation with his father. His father often showed a stricter side rather than the tender one he showed Emeline, Philip, or Helena.

 

‘Weakness is bad!’

 

‘If someone steals from you, cut off their wrist.’

 

‘You are Baldrick’s son.’

 

His father’s ways were harsh, even violent at times. But Eric regarded it as a typical attitude of an aristocratic patriarch in the capital.

 

‘Emily, you left me…’

 

Eric remembered his father’s long period of mourning after his mother’s death. As a child, Eric feared losing his father as well.

 

Now, looking into the same red eyes as his own, Eric felt a strange distance. That same closeness he once felt was now miles away.

 

Eric realized just how agonizing it was to feel so distant from someone you had thought was close. He had felt this way when he lost his mother, but the pain hit anew.

 

“A few days ago, I found out you took the accounting books, and I naturally assumed you were bringing them to the princess. I also heard you spent the night with her yesterday.” The Duke was speaking in a roundabout way.

 

Eric realized that his father was trying to figure out whether Eric had only stolen the books or whether he had discovered the existence of the invisible ink.

 

How much should he reveal? How much should he hide?

 

After a brief moment of contemplation, Eric quickly made up his mind and spoke. “I discovered the hidden ledger written in invisible ink. Were you conspiring with Prince Robert?”

 

Duke Orleans’ eyes narrowed ever so slightly. It was brief, but Eric didn’t miss the shadow that passed through his father’s gaze.

 

This moment, that look. It was for this confirmation that Eric had decided to tell the truth.

 

“I won’t deny it.”

 

However, despite the brief faltering of his gaze, Baldrick confidently admitted it.

 

There was no point in trying to cover up something that had already been exposed. Besides—

 

“But it’s not as dangerous as you think. It was merely to assist the prince in his expedition to explore new territories in the North next summer, by purchasing weapons and providing him with some financial aid. You can ask His Majesty directly about the expedition tonight. It has already received the Emperor’s approval.”

 

Only then did Eric realize why Baldrick was so confident.