I was lost in thought for a moment.
Knock-!
Knock-!
“Ma’am, this is Randon.”
“Come in”
Lately, Randon has been diligently following Zenon on my advice, and proudly tells me every morning what he has done.
As soon as Randon entered the room, he began to tell me about yesterday's activities as usual.
“Yesterday, I followed Zeno closely to show my diligence.
But...”
Even if he spoke, there would be no clues about Zenon.
As I sighed at the beginning of yet another boring conversation, something caught my eye.
“Zenon went to see the Grand Lady?
When?”
“Well, it's not a specific time, but it was between three and four o'clock yesterday afternoon.”
As far as I know, Zenon has not had any significant interactions with the Grand Lady.
Since he became part of the duke's family, he has always been Eric's assistant.
Moreover, even if he was temporarily supervising the affairs of the house, was there no reason for him to report to the Grand Lady?
The Grand Lady controls the accounts of the Duke's estate and the keys to the vaults.
But in the end, the budget is within the authority of the Duke, not the Grand Lady.
Therefore, there was no reason for Zenon to visit her regarding household affairs.
However, Zenon met the Grand Lady first.
There may be a connection between them.
I smiled briefly at my realization, and spoke to Randon, who was looking at me with a puzzled expression.
“Understood.
Congratulations.”
“Excuse me?”
He asked me in confusion, and I smiled as I continued speaking.
“Don't you understand yet?”
Randon looked at me with a puzzled expression before looking away.
“Thank you for your sudden congratulations, but I didn’t understand what you meant.”
“I see.
I must have misspoke.”
Then I explained to him the reason for my words.
"You know, the real lady is still my mother-in-law.
Why do you think Zenon visited her?
Maybe it means you can return to your position as a servant?"
“What profound implications...!”
But soon a puzzlement appeared on Randon's face.
“But, why didn’t the lady ask me to come back and be a servant?”
“Well, maybe you're not convinced yet.”
“Are you convinced...?”
Concern crept onto Randon's face as he thought about this.
I reassured him and encouraged him.
"Don't worry.
Zenon recognized you, right?
If you make a good impression on the Grand Lady, she might as well acknowledge you."
Randon seemed to gain confidence from my words, so he quickly nodded.
“Yes, I am really grateful for your words of encouragement ma’am.
I will do my best.”
“Yes, but I should be the one thanking you.”
I was thinking about how to woo the normally reserved lady, but having Randon around to catch her attention was a relief.
“Stay strong.
Your efforts will undoubtedly lead to your return as a servant.”
“Thank you, ma'am.”
After Randon left, I laughed to myself.
It's time to implement the plan in earnest.
Do you know when people feel most comfortable?
When they feel that the annoying problem that was bothering them has disappeared.
If Zenon didn't see Randon, he would inevitably start taking action.
He would most likely contact the noble family that introduced him.
I called Sardin immediately.
“It's about Zenon.
I think it's okay to track him down again.”
Sardine nodded in understanding, “Finally, it's time.
Understood.”
“Oh, and about Zenon’s past with the Information Guild...”
And before I gave him a secret order,
Knock-!
Knock-!
With the sound of knocking, a maid's voice was heard from outside the door.
“Ma’am, someone has arrived from the jewelry store.”
With the news I was waiting for, I raised the corner of my mouth.
“Ah, finally”
I answered the maid immediately.
“Show them to the reception room first.
I'll be down soon.” Of course, the jewelry was important, but I couldn't ignore Zenon's true identity.
If Zeno was in someone else's identity, his motives were likely...
If the eldest lady had a connection to Zenon, we would naturally suspect her first.
“Find out if there is anyone associated with Viscount Argin who resembles Zenon.”
After giving orders to Sardin, I applied light makeup and groomed myself.
Although it was necessary for me to appear as pathetic as the heroine of a tragic drama before today's visitor, it would be annoying if I appeared too pathetic.
Therefore, I made sure to present myself as an elegant and somewhat dignified duchess.
That's enough to make me look like a tragic heroine.
With a calm expression, I left the room.
ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
In the reception room of the Brant Palace, Rune, the director of the “Brilliant Stone,” sat with a tense face.
Why worry?
I prepared everything with great care.
When she first received the assignment, she was excited.
In the end, the client was Princess Cornelia, the Emperor's daughter, and the recipient was the most influential noblewoman in society.
Furthermore, the matriarch was known to only buy jewelry from Al Wameed, a jewelry store that rivals Shining Stone.
Therefore, Ron wanted to earn the praise of such a prestigious lady and make her a regular customer this time.
But I almost ruined our reputation when the grand lady refused the contract.
But…
By attributing the cause of the broken necklace to the Duchess herself, the “Shining Stone” has maintained its reputation.
It's something you don't normally do...
Despite its reputation as the best jeweler used by the nobility, the standards of the nobility were not as high as one would think.
Customers who blame jewelry for failed marriage proposals, get angry because someone they don't like bought the same jewelry, or threaten to return it after they wore it to a dance and didn't like it — they all blame the jewelry store.
But the Duchess said it was not our fault, even though she knew her reputation would be damaged.
That's why her sister, Russell, the owner of the place, shaped the jewel into a bracelet out of a desire to help the Duchess restore her relationship with her mother-in-law and restore her tarnished reputation.
I hope her mother-in-law won't reject him this time.
At that moment, the door opened without warning.
When the manager saw the beautiful Duchess, she stood with a stunned face and then hurriedly bowed down.
“Hello Duchess, it has been a long time.”
“Yes, it has been a long time indeed.
Miss Ron Felton.”
“Do you know my name?”
Ron couldn't help but feel touched that the Honorable Duchess knew her name.
“By the way, Miss Felton, I believe you have a reason to visit our palace today?”
Ruona blushed at first, then calmed down.
“Yes, this bracelet… will definitely benefit the Duchess.”
She opened the jewelry box she had set up on the desk.
This is the bracelet I ordered previously.
Even in Ron's eyes, the Jade Bracelet was exceptionally beautiful.
Its soft luster shone against the opaque green body, and platinum branches and gemstone decorations adorned the jade, adding splendor to what would otherwise have been a dull stone.
Furthermore, we made this piece to reflect Cornelia's point of view.
“I never imagined that serious people could be this beautiful.”
Ron, the jewelry store manager, never imagined that a jewel with its dull luster could be transformed into such a beautiful piece.
“The Duchess's outlook is truly exceptional.”
At this moment, Ruona was looking at Cornelia.
Praises poured in on her.
“Really, you made it better than I described.
It is really beautiful.
Anyone who sees this bracelet will definitely be amazed.”
“In that case, should I deliver him to the Grand Madam?”
Cornelia's response exceeded her expectations.
Therefore, Ron hoped that the Grand Madam would happily receive it this time.
However…
“Honestly, I'm also hesitant.
It's very beautiful in my eyes, but… I think we should evaluate the atmosphere first.”
Hearing this response, Ron sighed inwardly.
“You made a special effort to prepare this as a gift for Mrs.
Brant...”
One was rejected and broken, while the other was treated as if it were dim.
When Ron saw the carefully prepared jewelry being wasted, she felt disappointed and hurt with pride.
But since the Duchess liked it, I will find comfort in it.
I thought about that at that moment...
“Oh, did you bring the necklace?”
In response to Cornelia's question, Ron quickly placed the jewelry box she had brought on the table.
“Here he is”
Cornelia's long white hand opened the jewelry box and took out the necklace.
The necklace, decorated with large first-class rubies, platinum and small diamonds, exuded dazzling and elegant beauty.
While Cornelia seemed satisfied with the necklace, a feeling of contentment washed over Ron.
“It's really beautiful.”
After she finished her words, she held the necklace on her neck and asked Ron.
"What does it look like?
Does it suit me?"
“Yes, it suits you perfectly.”
At first, Ron intended to respond superficially, but she found herself speaking sincerely thanks to Cornelia's striking beauty with the ruby necklace that matched her fair skin.
I don't understand why someone like her is rumored to be such a troublemaker.
While Ron stared at Cornelia in amazement, Cornelia continued:
“You must have wondered why I insisted on repairing this necklace, right?”