Chapter 68 - The Banquet (3)
?Oh, I know who has a beauty mark on her left shoulder!? I exclaim as if I've just rembered.
?Whose body have you examined so closely?? Alexander inquires.
He's not even pretending to be jealous. He's just plainly asking.
?I didn't examine anyone. I just saw it by chance!? I say. Just like the mark on my right shoulder could be seen by chance.
?Ah, so that's it!? my Duke seems to realise. ?I won't need to kill everyone with a mark on their left shoulder.?
?No, my dear. You won't need to do that. Especially since it was my handmaid.?
?It was? You've already killed her??
?No, you threw her out,? I pout. ?Because you didn't like the way she was combing my hair.?
Well, it's not like what I've said. However, Patricia indeed was combing my hair when the Duke chased the maids away.
?Oh, right. Well, if I knew you were so close to the maid, though...?
?I once noticed the beauty mark on her shoulder,? I continue, pointing at a spot on the sleeve. ?About here...?
?I can call her back if you're missing her.?
What is he talking about, now? Why is he trying to avert the conversation towards torrid waters?
?I prefer how things are right now. It's better when my Duke attends to ,? I mutter. Ha, find an answer to this!
?I prefer it as well.?
Figures.
?I don't,? Princess Lyland interrupts. She crosses her arms and stares at us with a complicated expression. ?From when you dismissed the help, Duke Kyre, your wife beca lazy. I can't et her in the garden anymore.?
The poor couple in the middle of the hall is still standing in silence. They're ignored because of our exchange, and they don't know how to get back all the attention.
And I have no reason to make it easy for them to do so.
?She hasn't beco lazy,? Alexander points out, and I rember that he's tipsy. And shaless.
I can't hit him in front of all these people, so I just pull his sleeve with a warning expression. He smiles so brightly when our eyes et, and he bends over to plant a kiss on my cheek.
?We're in public,? I remind him in a whisper. The silence in the hall makes my words easy to hear, and so of the ladies smile mischievously.
?Right, right,? he sighs, desperate like a man that just lost everything. He wasn't so overdramatic before.
Still, I find his behaviour kind of cute. Should I convince him to drink more often? Only when we're alone, though.
?Wait, what if they're confusing with Patricia?? I exclaim, trying to focus back on my original goal. I'll have plenty of ti to think about the Duke.
?How is that possible??
?Well, I was just briefly presented to the court when the Emperor declared the marriage. I wasn't in my best condition either. I wouldn't bla anyone for not recognising .?
?So, your handmaid has an affair with the sa man that hurt you for no reason at all? What have you done to that woman??
?Nothing, my dear. Nothing! I've offered her to go rest early, several tis, but she never accepted to abandon her duty. I thought that you ordered her to do so. I'm not so sure anymore,? I continue. ?I feel like I've been spied now.?
I would like to know who was responsible for the leak of information this ti. It was one of the maids, but I don't know which one. Patricia was not in the room, and she wouldn't have fallen in my trap. She probably knows that I don't have a mole right where she does.
She didn't tell the Marquise details about , but she did poison the pie. She's not innocent. More accurately: she's not the only one guilty.
There are two groups of people observing my moves and attacking .
One of them is Marquise Lindell and the anonymous maid that told him about . Their goal is rather evident: have killed.
I'm not sure why they didn't try by themselves, though. The Marquise hit when I was on the ground, yet he stopped as soon as soone approached us. He could have cut my throat or sothing like that way sooner.
But who's the other one? Who is Patricia helping?
?Other than spied, I think I was defrauded as well,? I add. It's not too late to try my original plan.
?Is that so?? the Duke replies. He's not stopping , this ti.
?I noticed that my jewels were disappearing, but I couldn't be sure of it. The box is so big and so full. I thought it was just my impression.?
?But??
?But earlier this evening I noticed that so specific ornants weren't in the box. I can't be mistaken, this ti! Also, the maids serving wouldn't risk stealing under my watch. The only one allowed in the room whenever she wanted was my handmaid. Well, the forr handmaid. Her na is Patricia.?
?You can't accuse anyone without proof, my dear,? Alexander murmurs with a little grin.
?I'm not accusing her, I'm just exposing the facts. If I'm proven wrong, I'll apologise.?
There's no way I'm proven wrong, though. Kate hid the jewels under Patricia's mattress.
It's a dirty thod, but I couldn't co up with a better idea. I promised myself not to let Patricia go unscathed.
?Your grace,? one of the won from a nearby table intrudes. ?You should ask the guards to search that maid's room! If you're right, then there is a thief serving at the Palace! It's better if we know it now. On the other side, if that maid is innocent, then she doesn't have anything to hide.?
Oh, well. It took more effort than planned to provoke the first one of them. However, the rest will follow suit. It's how courts work.
In the end, a couple of guards search Patricia's room while she observes them more annoyed than frightened. Only when they find the jewels, her eyes widen in fear.
They've dragged her in front of the throne hall. Now, all the guests are surrounding us to watch the show.
It's the first ti I see that expression on her face. She's always been the one staring at with contempt.
?Why did you do it, Patricia?? I ask, while her mind is crossed by thoughts of realisation. She's starting to understand that I am the one behind this incident. Still, she's impotent. She can't do anything to now.
?It wasn't ,? she stutters. Then, she falls on her knees and looks at with desperation. ?It really wasn't , your grace! Please, look at : I'm innocent!?
If only I wasn't the real culprit, I might have been touched by her performance. She's way better than the Marquise and his comrade, that boy Carl.
?How can I, Patricia? I believed you, I let you get access to everything in my chambers. I also let you help choose what to wear and how to dress my hair... And you used my trust for this??
A single, lone, false tear appears on my eye. I wipe it away and turn to another side as if looking at the traitor pains .
?A maid of the Palace, stealing jewels...? soone whispers from the back. It doesn't even count if she turns out to be innocent. Her na has been stained with the word theft. She will be thrown out first thing in the morning, if not even earlier.
?It's becoming so difficult to find so good personnel if even the Palace is lacking.?
?I'll check my belongings as soon as I get back to my chamber. Who knows if they managed to snatch away sothing from soone else...?
?I think she considered the Duchess an easy target. She didn't complain about the maid's arrogance, so the maid thought she could act as if she was the one in charge.?
?Wait, that George confused the Duchess with the maid... What if... What if she told him she was the Duchess while wearing her clothes and jewels??
I didn't think so far, so these ideas are new to . However, I'm pleased that my plans are surpassing themselves.
?Isn't that a cri??
?I don't think so. However, I won't allow sothing like this to stay in the Palace.?
I stop listening to the court's rumours and focus back on Patricia. With a single, glacial look, I let her know my true feelings.
She was just the first to step on my way. If she helped when I was attacked, or if she didn't poison the pie... Maybe, even if she just tried being kinder, I wouldn't have organised all of this.
I don't know if I always was like this, or if it's the Ethiro court that transford into a person that I don't like too much. I'm exactly like them, right now. I don't have any right to complain about my fate if I embrace this way of leaving.
Still, it was worth the pain. I'm now holding my destiny between my fingers. It's a nice feeling: to have a bit of control over my life.
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