The Duchess's necklace? Esperanza belatedly blinked. Hadn't she taken it off earlier to try on the necklaces in the exhibition room? Where could it have gone?
"My necklace!"
"Aunt. Please calm down. Henry, did you look for it? It's not mixed in with the exhibits?"
"I couldn't possibly mistake the exhibits, and there's no way Mrs. Burbridge here wouldn't recognize the Duchess's necklace."
The person called Mrs. Burbridge was the Duchess's lady-in-waiting she had seen earlier. The noblewoman held her neck stiffly.
"There's no way I wouldn't recognize it. The Duchess's necklace was not among the exhibits."
"No!"
The Duchess scread and collapsed.
"That necklace was lent by His Majesty, so it has to be returned within this month!"
"If that's the case, you shouldn't have worn it out in the first place, should you?"
"I just wanted to wear it as much as possible before returning it. What's wrong with that?"
There was nothing wrong with it. If only she hadn't lost it.
"Soone must have stolen it. Just search the maids' clothes and it'll co out right away!"
But Edmund was firm.
"They are employees who have served Pinent House for a long ti. I cannot tolerate suspicion without evidence."
"Then who took it! Think about it, only I and Miss Hunter were in that room, and after we left, no one else went in except those maids!"
Esperanza felt the strangely focused gazes and smiled bitterly. She understood how the atmosphere was going.
'I expected this, but.'
But wasn't this a rather crude strategy for sothing that ca from Edmund Saturn's mind?
"Edmund, call the police right now!"
The Duchess grabbed Duke Galliston's arm frantically.
"A royal necklace disappeared in your house. Are you going to make excuses to His Majesty about this? Even knowing it disappeared, you didn't even call the police—are you going to try to explain that?"
Pinent House didn't just have the Duke. There were royal staff, journalists, guests, and even ordinary citizens in the garden open to the public. Rumors spread in an instant. Given the situation, the Duke had no choice.
"...Henry, go call Mrs. Kirkfield. Under her supervision, search the maids who entered the exhibition room. Don't show any sign of suspicion. Mrs. Burbridge, please cooperate. Miss Hunter, though you may not like it, I ask for your cooperation."
If she refused, she'd be branded a thief.
"I'll cooperate, but Mr. Beyman won't be doing the search, will he?"
"Mrs. Kirkfield will do the search."
Before long, Mrs. Kirkfield, the head housekeeper of Pinent House, lined up the maids and searched their bodies one by one.
When word spread, royal journalists began to hover.
"Go that way! Entry forbidden!"
Henry Beyman shouted and pushed away the journalists. The journalists with steam-popping caras pushed their bodies forward forcefully, but soon servants rushed in to drag the journalists out and close the doors.
"If even one wrong line gets published, I'll cut off the funding. Understood?"
The Duke's chief attendant scolded the journalists and trudged back wearily. By then, the body search of the maids was finished.
"Nothing here."
"Nothing here either."
"Are you certain?"
"Different people checked twice each, but there was no necklace."
Only Mrs. Burbridge and Esperanza remained. It was obvious how the atmosphere would flow. Esperanza put her hand into her skirt pocket. Sothing cold was felt in the small pocket that could barely fit a watch.
Mrs. Burbridge had put it there. If she hadn't been a Hunter with senses sharp enough to notice even minor weight changes in her dress, she might not have noticed. The necklace, well wrapped in white cloth, didn't even make a clinking sound.
Actually, when talking with Edmund, she had forgotten about it because she was so swept up, but she rembered at the right ti, so it was fine.
Esperanza slightly moved her hand in the pocket and threw the necklace into her inventory. Then she pulled out her empty hand as if nothing had happened. The Duke's eyes quietly watched that scene.
Mrs. Kirkfield searched Mrs. Burbridge first. Nothing ca out. Everyone thought it was natural. Mrs. Burbridge was Duchess Sherbury's lady-in-waiting, and if she wanted to steal the necklace, there had been many other good opportunities.
Therefore, though no one said it, everyone expected that the lady without title, family, or proper inherited property would have been unable to resist montary impulse upon seeing the brilliant jewels and committed theft.
"Please go in."
'Openly treating
like a thief.'
Though she knew it, she couldn't help feeling bad about it.
The murmuring sounds of the maids who had been searched first. The Duchess's glittering eyes. The expressions of Henry Beyman and Mrs. Kirkfield, like a courtroom before a death sentence. Only Edmund showed the sa attitude as before.
When Mrs. Kirkfield and Esperanza headed to the side room for the search, everyone was staring only at the closed door. And finally, Mrs. Kirkfield opened the door and ca out. Her hands were empty.
"Nothing."
Henry Beyman unconsciously looked at the Duke.
"Nothing?"
The Duchess scread. The Duchess, who had collapsed on the bare floor, was clearly more flustered than when she first heard the news of the necklace theft.
"That can't be. That can't be right. Look again! It's definitely in that wench's pocket! Selma, you look! It's definitely in the pocket...!"
"Your Highness!"
Mrs. Burbridge hastily covered the Duchess's mouth. Mrs. Kirkfield held her head. She couldn't believe it, but it had been the Duchess's doing from the beginning. To have such a thing happen after inviting a guest—the royal family's dignity was in shambles.
Given the situation, the Duke must have realized it too. Assuming he hadn't instigated this situation from the beginning.
But how could she believe in his innocence? There was no trust relationship between Esperanza and Edmund.
A battle of wills plus false accusations of theft. It was an afternoon without a single pleasant aspect. Once the tension was released, fatigue rushed in like a lie.
"May I go back now? Inviting
to teati and then suspecting
of theft. I don't want to stay here any longer."
"There were many discourtesies. I'll have you escorted to your carriage."
The Duke, who had been silently staring at Esperanza for a mont, extended his arm.
"Where's my necklace?"
"Aunt, please stop."
The Duchess closed her mouth. Though she seed to have much to say, fidgeting her body, when the Duke's gaze reached her, she flinched and forced a smile.
There was a strange hierarchy that seed odd for just an aunt and nephew relationship. But since thinking was also botherso, Esperanza let that sight pass roughly.
"I'll listen to explanations when I return. Henry, call Miss Hunter's carriage to the back gate."
Since further arguing was also tiring, Esperanza obediently followed the Duke out. Unlike the park-like front garden of the mansion, they crossed the quiet interior garden that restricted outsiders' access.
The lawn, skillfully shaped and cut by the gardener, showed a fresh green color. Water receiving multicolored light from the fountain spurted out in graceful arcs. This garden was much more delicate and beautiful than the front garden that had seed like a spacious park.
'There must be so magical engineering technology in there too, right?'
If she had co with Cider, she could have heard about that too. Though she wouldn't have understood a word. Thinking about that made her feel a little better.
"I apologize on behalf of my aunt for today's events. I deeply regret that things turned out this way."
Esperanza, who had let out a tired sigh, tilted her head sideways.
"Are you saying Your Highness had nothing to do with it?"
"It wasn't sothing I ordered."
"You could have at least condoned it."
"Miss Hunter, I don't work that way. If I had intended to condone it, I would have condoned it in a way that didn't harm the royal family's honor."
That seed likely. But if it wasn't Edmund's instruction either, why on earth did the Duchess do such a thing? Esperanza and the Duchess were eting for the first ti. They hadn't even known each other's faces thirteen years later.
"Duchess Sherbury..."
Edmund held a sneer.
"My aunt was just excited about the possibility of my marrying beneath my station. A young lady who could be legally tornted would be entering under your noble status."
It was a chilling sound. Esperanza unconsciously wrapped her arms around herself.
"Surely not ? No, why would I...!"
"That's how she is originally. She ca to Osdern as a refugee at a young age and suffered. It's already been 20 years since Uncle Ernest passed away, and she's not really treated as royalty, so she needed sowhere to vent."
Edmund looked very troubled on one hand, yet strangely seed to be covering for the Duchess. Whether this was out of courtesy toward his aunt or hostility toward Esperanza was unknown.
In the first place, failing to tornt one lady with no connections wasn't really grounds to severely reprimand the Duchess.
"I'll explain to my aunt so she understands. I'll have her send a letter of apology. I'll compensate you from my private funds. I guarantee this won't happen again."
"Since there won't be any occasion to see Your Highness again."
They had reached the end of the garden. Standing in front of the door of a carriage puffing out steam, Esperanza emphasized once more.
"Human affairs require trust. I'm not Your Highness's subordinate, nor do I have reason to receive orders. At least in this deal, Your Highness and I are equals."
Edmund listened quietly to those words. Under the scorching sunlight, even her skirt hem swelled gently with the breeze.
"So if you need my force, you must give
the compensation I want. Not blackmail. Your Highness's blackmail was quite frightening, but not enough to make
jump into sothing I don't even know about."
The Duke eventually nodded. The red cloak of the Solmon Knight fluttered in the wind.
"That you're not soone who moves by blackmail is fortunate for
as well."
What? Esperanza contorted her face.
"If you could succumb to my blackmail, you could also yield to others' blackmail, couldn't you?"
So from the beginning until now, everything was...? To test a person in such a way. What a wicked human.
When their eyes t, the Duke extended his hand.
"Next ti, let's talk under proper conditions. As equals, as you said."
When Esperanza reluctantly placed her hand on top with an unwilling expression, the Duke bent his large body and kissed it.
"Miss Esperanza Hunter, I express regret for what you experienced at my mansion. This will never happen again."
His manner of speaking had changed. Esperanza frowned. Then she deliberately raised her voice to ask.
"And where will you send Lord Avondale again?"
"If you wish, he may attend."
He answered readily and opened the carriage door for her. Just before the door closed, Esperanza, belatedly rembering the purpose of coming here, asked urgently.
"Mabelwood! Was what happened at Mabelwood this ti Your Highness's doing?"
The Duke's back stopped abruptly.
"...It was indeed my doing."
The Duke, who had given money to the coachman tired from waiting for their conversation, turned around without watching the carriage leave. The black uniform wrapped around his body under the red cloak stood out particularly in the delicate garden scenery.
Duke Galliston who created the dungeon at Mabelwood. Duke Galliston who always donated the highest amount at charity parties.
Of course, he too would have his own reasons. Perhaps quite plausible ones that might make one nod upon hearing them.
The Duke thirteen years later was exactly like now. Esperanza rested her arm on the carriage window fra and looked outside, then chuckled.
"Hypocrite."
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