The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 110

Chapter 110. Night of the Charity Event (2)

Emilia stepped back slightly as she replied, “Ah, I see. Thank you for telling me, Prince.”

“I’m glad I could help. If there’s anything else you’d like to know, please feel free to ask anytime,” Ian said with a pleased expression.

‘What is this? He’s only looking at Emilia.’

Lina, who was following behind the two, looked back and forth between Ian and Emilia with displeasure. Ian’s gaze remained fixed on Emilia the entire time. It was as if he had come just to see her, showing no interest at all in the items in the courtyard.

‘Why does he like her so much?’

When Ian said he wanted Emilia after the tea party last time, she thought it was just a man’s curiosity. She had only felt pleased that he would take her to the Kingdom of Billiot. But now…

‘Why is everyone so interested in that woman?’

Lina’s face twisted with jealousy. She glared at Emilia’s back the entire time as she followed them.

“Your Highness, will you also be attending the charity night event?”

“I suppose I should.”

At Ian’s question, Emilia’s expression dimmed slightly. Since Louid couldn’t attend, she felt she should at least go, but perhaps because it was her first event attending alone, she felt somewhat burdened.

“Helen, has His Majesty ever attended the charity night event?”

“His Majesty hasn’t attended many times, but Her Majesty the late Empress attended every time.”

From what she had heard from Helen that morning, the late Empress always attended the charity night event. So it was a place she had to attend, even if only briefly.

“Then I’ll attend as well. I’m curious how the charity events in the Richert Empire are conducted,” Ian said brightly.

“Yes, of course.”

Emilia wasn’t particularly pleased by his words, but she answered politely out of courtesy.

“Lina, if you’ve finished writing everything down, submit it to the monastery, and shall we go to the guest room and rest for a bit?”

Emilia said as she turned back. She had heard that if they submitted the list of items to the monastery office, the goods would be sent to the palace.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Then I’ll see you again later, Prince.”

Emilia nodded to Ian and said her farewell. She intended to naturally separate from him.

“Yes, but I don’t really have a place to stay right now. May I wait in the guest room with you? There are still about two hours before the charity night event begins, and it’s an awkward amount of time to return to my residence and come back.”

“….”

“I’ll be as quiet as a mouse. If you’d like to rest quietly, I won’t even speak.”

When Emilia said nothing, Ian’s expression turned earnest, as if pleading.

“…Alright. Then do as you wish.”

Emilia had no choice but to accept his request.

***

At that time, Louid was handling state affairs in the main palace office. But his mind was unsettled with other thoughts.

‘I wish I could just break the divorce contract altogether… How should I do it?’

Lately, he had been thinking about how to break the contract he made with Emilia. He couldn’t go back on what he had already promised, and Emilia wouldn’t agree to it either.

He had barely managed to extend it by a few months, but if possible, he wanted to break the contract completely.

I’ll have to soften Emilia’s heart first and then persuade her.

Emilia looked strong, but she was a soft-hearted woman. He was confident he could persuade her. Lately, there hadn’t been any problems between them as a couple either. A smile spread across Louid’s face as he thought of her.

“What is her schedule today?” Louid asked Eddie, who had just entered the office. Eddie had come to the imperial palace with him and was assisting him there.

“Her Highness is likely attending the charity event being held at the monastery.”

A charity event… It must be difficult for her to handle it alone.

“When will she return?”

“I’m not certain.”

Since the monastery charity event included not only the sale of goods but also the charity night event, if she attended that as well, there was a high chance she would return late. Louid began working at a faster pace.

***

“Please have some tea.”

With a blunt expression, Lina set down a teacup on the sofa table. The place they were in was the guest room next to the abbess’s office at the monastery. Emilia had stepped out briefly to meet the abbess after receiving a request for an audience.

“Thank you, young lady. So you’ve become Her Highness’s lady-in-waiting.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

After answering, Lina moved toward a chair placed near the door. Only now was she able to rest a little. For someone who had always been the one receiving assistance, the duties of a lady-in-waiting were quite exhausting.

‘So this isn’t something just anyone can do.’

It had only been a single day of following her around, yet it was already this tiring. She found it hard to believe that Helen and Lucy had been doing lady-in-waiting work for years.

“It must be difficult for a marquess’s daughter to serve as a lady-in-waiting,” Ian said, looking at her with a sympathetic gaze.

“I’m only doing this for today. The personal lady-in-waiting is someone else.”

Lina snapped back, her pride wounded by his remark. There was a strange hint of mockery in his tone.

“Serot.”

At Ian’s words, Lina’s body stiffened. Serot was the name of the poison Louid had been afflicted with.

“The Marquess of Carrion and the Kingdom of Billiot have maintained close ties for a long time. I heard the Grand Duke wasn’t in good health recently. According to my subordinate’s investigation, he was poisoned with Serot. Strange, isn’t it? That poison is produced only in Billiot.”

The Kingdom of Billiot and the Marquess of Carrion had been trading with each other for a long time. The marquess provided the empire’s information to Billiot, and in return, Billiot supplied whatever the marquess desired.

“It seems someone stole the poison from the marquess’s residence.”

At his words, Lina’s body trembled as if seized by a spasm.

“I’m not sure what you mean, Your Highness.”

Lina forced herself to respond calmly. The Prince of Billiot knew something even her father, the Marquess of Carrion, did not. Her vision swam from the shock, and she felt like she might collapse, but she barely endured it.

“You’re quite a vicious woman. An ordinary woman would have already fainted from fear,” Ian said.

“….”

“Who were you targeting with the carriage accidents?”

“That… it absolutely wasn’t Her Highness the Crown Princess,” Lina said hastily.

“Then what about those rumors? That the Crown Princess injured those young ladies.”

“….”

Lina’s light green eyes widened to the fullest. How did he know she was the one who spread those rumors?

“Spread a new rumor.”

“W-What should I say?”

Her voice trembled as she felt overwhelmed.

“Just say it was an accident. That it has nothing to do with Her Highness the Crown Princess.”

“It’s a bit difficult to change the story now….”

What am I supposed to do about rumors that have already spread everywhere? She had already spread the rumor that the three young ladies had been injured in carriage accidents because of the Crown Princess, who had been blinded by jealousy. Among those who heard it, some said the Crown Princess would never do such a thing and didn’t believe it, but she had heard that others nodded, saying it was just like the granddaughter of Duke Berthe.

It had also cost a lot of money to spread the rumor in secret….

And how could she possibly take back a rumor that had already left her hands?

She couldn’t refuse. Ian’s presence was too terrifying. If he revealed the source of the Serot poison, both the Marquess of Carrion and she would be as good as dead.

“Hmm.”

Ian glared at her with a fierce expression.

“Yes, I understand,” Lina replied, her body twitching slightly.

“Good. I like that. If you stir up trouble like that again, I won’t let it slide.”

“….”

“It means you should think carefully about what happens if you betray me. The Grand Duke, no, the Crown Prince, is a hunting dog that never lets go once it bites. If we are to work together, we must be careful, don’t you think?”

“…Yes.”

As her answer fell, the corner of Ian’s lips curled up in a sinister smile. He was making it clear that he knew her weakness in order to control her.

The countries that had been defeated by Louid had all been caught off guard. Even small matters could grow at any time. Because of this, he needed to properly tame that immature marquess’s daughter.

“Record Emilia’s every move. Who she meets, what she eats, what she does.”

With his arms crossed, Ian gave the order as if it were an ordinary conversation.

“Yes, understood.”

She answered obediently, but Lina’s face twisted. The thing she hated most was keeping records.

“And also….”

Just as he was about to continue, the door to the guest room burst open and Emilia entered. Both of their heads turned toward her at the same time.