Chapter 87
This was not something she hadn't thought about before. She had thought about it many times, but the endings were always the same, so she made an effort not to think about it deliberately.
“As for me… whatever the outcome, I will accept it. I have already received a great favor from the Count, so it is not appropriate to wish for more.”
He didn't like Edel's expression when she said that. She seemed to be trying to smile, but the sadness that accompanied her smile hadn't completely disappeared from him.
“Whenever this happens, I think back to the moment when you were trying to open the carriage door. You looked like someone who would kill themselves at any moment when things got tough.”
“No, that’s not what I meant! That’s not what I wanted to say…”
“He who wants to live craves life. Therefore, be greedy. Do you understand?”
He looked at her in surprise as she bowed apologetically, then he stood up from his place.
It was strange for him to feel both anger and pain in his stomach at the same time.
***
“Marquis Winblier!”
Isaac's office door was violently opened and Leandro entered, looking very angry.
Despite his rude manner, Isaac showed no reaction, but asked with a worried expression:
"What's wrong, Your Highness? You don't look well."
"Do things look good? They say Count Bliss tried to sell Angela to that despicable mercenary!"
“Does that mean Angela… is she the daughter of… perhaps the younger Count Bliss?”
“Yes! I have said repeatedly that I will make her my wife!”
"Yes…"
Ever since he saw Angela at the party, Leandro has fallen in love with her at first sight, and ever since he hasn't stopped complaining that he will make her his empress.
'What? He wants to make Count Bliss's younger daughter, not the older one, Empress? He's stupid.'
Isaac swallowed the anger that was beginning to rise within him. Leandro should be the emperor. Therefore, he shouldn't shout at him yet. Not now.
'He's a useful person. I have to put up with it until then.'
If Leandro dies before it is completed, it will be difficult to push him to become emperor.
Isaac smiled with the utmost kindness.
"Where did you hear this from?"
"Does the source of the news matter? The woman who should be my empress is being insulted!"
“Of course, it’s important. If false information is passed on to you, the person who passed it on should be punished.”
"What? False information?"
Isaac could almost imagine where Leandro might get such information from, and nodded.
“Count Bliss has no intention of obliging Angela to Sir Crises. The most enthusiastic person on this matter is Angela herself.”
"What? Has Angela fallen in love with that man?"
“I cannot know her inner intentions, but in any case, it is clear that Angela was the one who was most enthusiastic about the marriage. Sir Crissius also rejected this proposal.”
“What? Is that unbelievable? How could he reject Angela? This man must be a pervert! Check it out.”
Isaac tried with difficulty to restrain himself from letting out an angry sigh.
“From Sir Crissius’s point of view, there is no point in him marrying the younger daughter of the Count of Bliss. Even if she were the daughter of the powerful man, the conditions themselves would still be questionable, let alone the daughter of the youngest.”
"But it's so beautiful!"
“Remember, outward beauty is of no use.”
But such advice was not going to reach the ears of a man who had fallen in love. On the contrary, it would only make him angrier.
“If it were up to Laszlo, he might have to consider the conditions of the woman who would become his wife, but I, the Emperor, do not need to. Imperial power is the strongest power in itself.”
“That’s true, but…”
“I will marry Angela to be my empress. You need to know that, and I will arrange a meeting with her. I can’t wait any longer.”
Isaac was about to complain about Leandro's obsessive behavior towards Angela, but he suddenly stopped at a new thought.
'No, I cannot allow this. It would be detrimental to me for him to marry the daughter of a powerful family.'
If Leandro marries into a powerful family, it will reduce the benefits he can reap.
If that's the case, there's no reason why Leandro can't make Angela his empress, just as he wishes. The Count Bliss family are nothing more than ants that can be crushed.
“That’s right, Your Highness. And since you are of a suitable age, I have delayed the matter of marriage a little because I have been busy with other matters.”
“Am I a little late? I’m twenty-eight years old now! If I’m any later, they’ll consider me old!”
“I apologize. Anyway, I will make her your wife and we will have a tea party. I will invite Angela too.”
"Really? When?"
"I will have everything ready soon."
Leandro clenched his fist tightly.
“This time I will make Angela love me. Don’t stop me.”
“Smok, you shouldn’t reveal your identity yet. There are assassination threats…”
"So, give me a decent position! Let Angela feel that she can rely on me!"
Leandro had always used the title "distant cousin of the Marquis Winblayer who came from abroad to study." But since he had no inherited title and was a foreigner, his situation was unattractive to the other party in the marriage.
Isaac became annoyed by Leandro's behavior, as he moved from woman to woman, but he agreed knowing that Leandro was of marriageable age.
“Okay, then… tell her you’re the heir to ‘Tel Amand’ in Peace.”
In the small principality of Besse, near the empire, there was a secret region called "Tell Amand" owned by the Marquis Winblayer family.
The area was large and no less than imperial lands, and it contained a huge silver mine that made it very rich.
“Angela will like this.”
"You should have done this from the beginning, okay. Do it quickly, start preparing for the tea party... and ask the jeweler to pick out a gift for Angela!"
"Okay. Would you like me to bring in a skincare specialist as well?"
“Oh, good! I should take care of my hair too.”
Thanks to Isaac, who fulfilled all his wishes, Leandro returned to his good mood, unlike his previous entry.
Although friendliness and smiles were evident in the end, Leandro did not know how cold and gloomy Isaac's gaze was as he watched his back, nor did he see the sly smile that appeared on Leandro's lips.
***
Since Angela left, Laszlo has been preoccupied with the talk he heard about that woman.
“There are a lot of rumors about a ‘housekeeper’ in our house. That maid who used to work in the laundry room was promoted to housekeeper within a year, and then replaced the servants as she pleased immediately after becoming housekeeper… She seems to have great skills.”
Although these were obvious fabrications, the story was difficult for someone who did not know the details to invent.
Laszlo immediately asked Nathan to come to him.
“Check where the rumors about our family are coming from. It seems that someone with inside knowledge has started spreading them maliciously.”
“Hmm. At the moment, it’s unlikely that the servants are the source. We explained everything to them very well when they were hired.”
"Do you mean they were threatened?"
“That was at the lady’s request. In fact, she has a very strict side.”
Laszlo was surprised to hear that it was Edel who had requested it, as he knew that Edel maintained a good human relationship with the servants and was respected by all of them, but in order to maintain secrecy, she was prepared to use threats.
“I asked them to use men from to look up the details, but I didn’t expect them to be this accurate…”
While Laszlo was in a state of astonishment, Nathan began to arrange the next steps with great precision.
“I will start by investigating the people who were dismissed from the house. If I can’t find anything, I will expand the search to include current servants and people who may have had animosity with the family.”
“First, check who Angela Bliss has been in contact with.”
“I’ve been in contact with more than one person, but if you investigate, you’ll find someone suspicious. It might take time, so don’t rush.”
Nathan said that as he was leaving the place.
But just two days later, Nathan returned with the investigation report.
“I didn’t expect results to emerge so quickly from the person at the top of the investigation list. Is she bold or stupid?”
Laszlo handed over a report on Marsha Bohin.
Laszlo glanced through the document, smiling sarcastically.
“A woman who was fired without a recommendation is working as a maid in the home of a respected nobleman?”
“Yes. She is from the Baron Owen family, which is related to the Marquis of Tollen. The Winbler family is also closely related to the Aix family, and is also close to the Milton and Tishin families, who invested in Baron Owen’s businesses.”
In other words, her family belongs to the old aristocratic class.
“A lot of suspicious links.”
“In any case, for those cunning people, this family seemed like an ideal target. Baron Owen was trying to increase his notoriety in society, so he had no reason to refuse this offer.”
Baron Owen was seeking to expand his business, and it is likely that Marsha was hired to spread rumors about the family, especially within the Crisis family.
In their world where people are known for spreading gossip, they were probably drinking tea with Marsha while asking questions about Crisis as if they knew nothing.