While Therese was observing journalists publishing provocative articles, she decided to tame them.
With money and nothing else
I realized that feeding them money was the easiest and quickest way, rather than threatening or harming them.
So she ordered Delphine to provide luxurious meals and gifts to the journalists.
Only now are the fruits of that labor beginning to appear.
After Daniel left, a handsome, elegantly dressed man who looked like an employee entered and placed the plates of food in front of the Baron and Thérèse.
“Please work while you eat.”
The man smiled attractively and placed a glass of wine in front of her.
Then he placed in front of the Baron a plate filled with fresh meat that looked freshly made, along with a drink of tequila.
"Thank you."
“Pardon.
It is an honor.”
The man was smiling like someone who charmed women.
"Help yourself."
The woman urged the Baron to eat, while she just spontaneously raised the glass of wine placed in front of her.
As for the Baron, he did not even look at the food, and raised the glass of tequila.
Until the Second Prince was lured to the operation site, he was extremely nervous at the prospect of screwing up the matter, and was not in the mood to chew anything.
But how could this woman appear so calm?
She looked really cool to him.
“It would be better for the Baron to hide with his family for a while and rest in the palace I have prepared.”
She said this with her eyes shining.
“Isn't there more I should do?”
“You made a good effort despite the seriousness of the mission.”
She said that and smiled a small smile towards the Baron.
Then she held out to him a rather heavy bag that was behind her.
“Use this money if you need anything during your break.
It is a humble gift of my gratitude.”
When the Baron opened the closed mouth of the bag, he saw that it was completely filled with Louis gold coins.
It was enough to live and entertain for ten years.
“This…Ma’am, this is too much.
Please take it.”
“Do not hesitate, Baron.
Doesn’t your eldest daughter play the piano very well?
Use it as a contribution towards her studies abroad.”
“But this nonetheless...”
Baron Barbier played with the luxurious fabric of the bag while hesitating.
But since Therese didn't back down, he finally gave in and took the bag.
“Good idea.”
Baron Barbier thanked her again gratefully.
Then he began by saying that there was a matter that had been occupying him for a long time.
“What are you concerned about?”
“I was really wondering where you get so much money from.”
Barbier was the son of a generationally impoverished noble family.
Decades have passed since he came from the west to the capital, but he still bears the air of a simple rural nobility.
If we were to give a reason, it might be due to his lack of connections with close nobles, but in truth, there was something preventing him from mingling with the capital's nobles no matter how hard he tried.
When he first came to the capital, how much effort had he put in to ingratiate himself with the high-ranking nobles?
He tried hard to get invitations to the parties of the high nobles and mingle with them, but it was all in vain.
The old nobles of the capital did not care much about a petty baron like him.
They were used to people like him.
Many nobles were trying to get close to them until they got tired of them.
But this did not mean that the baron could mingle with the new rising nobility either.
Even those who had become nobles with their huge wealth did not invite him to their group.
This is because his origin is different from that of the new nobility.
Despite his extreme poverty, he was from a noble family since the time of his father and father.
In the end, the Baron had no choice but to rely on himself.
His family's safety was in his hands.
With the intention of improving his financial situation, he once invested in trending commodities in the capital, and even made an effort to obtain investment information, but he never made a significant profit.
From then on, Barbier lived his whole life believing that wealth was something completely beyond him.
“Don't you want to make money?
I'll help you.”
While he was contemplating whether he should return to the West, a saving hand came to him.
She was the first Crown Princess.
The Baron had nowhere else to retreat, so he grabbed that hand.
Baron Barbier's narrow world was suddenly shattered into pieces, then expanded, thanks to his meeting with her.
There was someone making a lot of money that he couldn't even imagine, sitting there.
Without flattering anyone, and without attending parties every night.
Is this possible?
Before he even felt let down towards himself, he felt reverence towards her.
“Okay...”
Thérèse showed a calm and mysterious smile to the Baron, as if she would reveal the secret or she would not.
Then she gave the answer as if she was giving him charity.
“The answer is: information and also information, the timing of obtaining it is the most important.”
“I understand.
I don’t know if it’s appropriate to say this, but I respect you.”
This was from the bottom of the Baron's heart.
“Stop being so polite, Baron.
You know very well that I'm not doing this for the money.”
This is correct.
The princess was doing all this with only one faith: to raise the first prince to the throne.
“I also hope that the First Prince will reach a higher position.”
“Good.
I have prepared a carriage.
I hope you will pray often at the temple when you return.”
"Good."
Baron Barbier saluted and went out the door.
He has a small fortune in his hand.
Even if he doesn't understand the bigger issue, he knows very well that money is a good thing.
When everything was over, he could return to the capital.
After the Baron left, Melby, who was standing behind her, came forward and offered her food again.
“Madam, have you had your dinner?”
“No, I'm not in the mood to eat.”
I rejected his offer with one sentence.
“This is a dish I specially asked the kitchen to prepare.
Don’t you taste it a little?”
Therese looked at Melby smiling invitingly, without saying a word.
“You...”
Will he have a request?
This is what he wished for.
Melby looked defiantly into the woman's eyes and replied:
“Yes, ma'am.”
“Do you need money?
Looks like you spent all the money I gave you last time?”
“Oh.”
Melby laughed lightly.
“There are many noble ladies other than my lady who give me money.
I have enough gold coins to trample them with my feet.”
“Then why?”
Therese asked him innocently, as if she didn't understand.
This was the only woman who did not fall into his trap despite his insistence.
The most noble woman in the country.
The woman who owns a man as if he were sculpted by a master of beauty.
He worked as a waiter at a casino, and played the role of gathering inside information thanks to his exceptional handsomeness.
Through love affairs with noble ladies!
As a side job, he would get a rain of Louis gold coins from them.
Sometimes their husbands would come and beat Melby, but it didn't happen very often.
Because the marriage relationships between most nobles were often based on mutual love affairs.
It was common for nobles to close their eyes to each other's relationships and pretend to be loving couples in public.
But this couple... is a special case.
Melby looked stubbornly at the woman's clenched chin.
Don't both the prince and my lady live without any romantic relationship?
News of their dispute appears daily in the newspapers, but they are a devoted couple to each other?
This is as illogical as a goat walking on two legs!
Melby recalled asking Thérèse one day:
'Madam, don't you have romantic relationships?
If I were you, I would find many men willing to sacrifice for you.'
What was her reaction?
Didn't she rebuke him, saying: 'Stop babbling and get to work!'
A small smile tugged on Melby's lips.
"Because I'm worried.
You're missing meals every day."
Melby pulled out his plate of food and moved forward to be next to her.
His strange, enchanting scent crept into Therese's nose.
“Melby.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
He looked up, smiling with his most confident look.
“The smell of perfume is very strong.
Can you open the window?”
"… Yes."
He got up as if it didn't matter and opened the window.
"When's Danielle coming back?
Melby."
“Yes, ma'am.”
“Go get Danielle.”
"… Yes."
Once again, today was Melby's day of defeat.
[Title Two - The Second Prince holds a loud party in a secret place immediately after his retirement]
[Fickle Public Opinion – Where is the Crown's Path Heading?]
[Exclusively from our newspaper - shocking confessions from Miss A, who served the Second Prince!]
The temperature was gradually dropping.
Therese sat down in her office early and began reading the newspapers.
I also checked the safety of all the people I sent.
Fortunately, none of them were injured or sick.
Because of her delay there, when she returned to the palace it was already dawn.
She didn't sleep even an hour.
She sat at her desk upon her arrival.
However, her mood was uplifted.
“You published the articles well.”
Danielle and Ellie let out a long breath of relief upon hearing Therese's words.
She moved her finger.
She seemed to be thinking about something.
“Now, let us raise the prince’s support.”
"Good."
Danielle told her her agenda.
“You have an appointment with the Marquis this evening.”
“Don't worry, I'm aware of it.”
When Therese yawned slightly, Ellie placed a steaming hot cup of coffee on her desk.
“Thank you.
You can leave now.”
"Good."
Her eyes were tired.
Because she didn't sleep well last night.
How much time has passed?
Knock knock
“Yes.
Come in.”
He walked forward with a bright smile, carrying a plate of food, and looked at her from above.
“I heard you haven't eaten?”
"Yes."
Therese answered calmly.
She missed mealtime because she was waiting for the morning paper.
.
I got up like a charmer and sat down in front of Denise.
“Eat while you work, wife.”
"Thank you."
“The husband must help his wife while she works.”
Therese did not answer.
She couldn't tell if he was saying that knowing something or not.
"But where did you go yesterday?
My wife."
I took out the answer I had prepared earlier.
“I was in the temple praying, and I didn’t realize it was late.”
"Understood."
Dennis was staring at her with his piercing gaze.
She couldn't tell if he was ignoring it, knowing she was lying, or if he was just staring.
She put the sandwich in her mouth as she contemplated.
She was even wondering whether she was chewing properly or not.
Therese was surprised by the sudden closeness and swallowed the food she was chewing in one go.
"my wife."
“Yes, Your Highness.”
He was looking at her from above.
He lifted a lock of her hair and inhaled her scent, as if he was about to kiss her.
“Why does someone who returned from the temple smell of perfume?”
Dennis added with a very serious smile:
“A man's fragrance too.”