Reincarnated As My Husband's Mistress-Chapter 41: [] To investigate a death

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Marie, a maid who had only been working at the Duke of Trovika's manor for less than a year, was of a different social class than the other servants selected at the emperor's behest. Most of the manor's staff were ambitious commoners hoping to climb the social ladder one day. Among them were some from fallen noble families who refused to do any menial labor, one of whom was Annie.

"Stop it! Stop it! What have I done wrong?!"

"Waaah... it's the middle of the night, it's the middle of the night!"

"What are you trying to do by not letting me sleep? Just hit me, you damn bastards!"

Marie, a poor commoner, had hoped her life would change for the better when she entered the ducal manor.

"If I catch whoever's doing this, I'll make them pay!"

Annie, trapped in the closet, screamed in rage, and Marie wiped the sweat dripping down her face and trembled. Not just Marie, but the other servants who had been building up resentment for a long time, gathered and kicked the closet relentlessly, insulting Annie's group. It had started because the countess had ordered them to, but as Annie, who couldn't even drink a sip of water or eat a piece of bread for nearly four days in the closet, gradually went mad and howled, they even began to feel a sense of satisfaction.

After about five days, when they heard a scratching sound from inside the closet, they knocked and a barely alive voice came out.

"That woman... that woman... bring her here..."

Apart from Annie's closet, dry sobs leaked out from other closets. Marie hardened her heart and kicked the door. BANG!!

"If she asks for me, kick the closet harder instead of answering. Don't bring her until she begs politely."

As the countess had instructed, Annie started looking for the countess. Marie kicked the closet hard a few more times, then ran to find the countess who was eating.

Meanwhile, Gaspard, the steward of the Duke of Trovika's manor, watched Blier, who was wandering around the mansion as if it were her own home.

"There's less of a commotion than I expected."

The countess, who came down to the dining room for dinner, began to eat elegantly while being served by the maids she had brought from her own estate. Watching her, Gaspard felt a strange heat on his face.

"Is there anything you're uncomfortable with?"

"?"

Gaspard had been feeling the countess's gaze on him lately, and whenever their eyes met, she would give him a meaningful smile that made his heart pound. That was why...

"I will do everything in my power to ensure your comfort, madam."

Originally, according to the Duke of Trovika's instructions, the countess should have been under stricter surveillance, but he had loosened the reins a bit. Gaspard wanted to make it clear that it was his doing.

The countess looked at Gaspard with a calm smile.

"You seem to be quite important in this manor. Are you that capable?"

"Although I am currently serving as a steward, if you ask His Grace who he trusts more than Sir Jimsker, his aide, I would dare say it is me."

"You must be very useful then."

"I won't stay like this forever."

Gaspard couldn't control his pounding heart and bowed his head close to the countess who was showing interest in him.

"If I make a contribution and obtain at least the title of baron... I will serve His Highness the Crown Prince as a new noble."

For a moment, the countess's eyes seemed to sparkle. Gaspard wanted to attract her attention even more. A young and capable man like him would need a wife of noble birth if he were to become a new noble. But he knew very well that there were no noble families who would give their daughter to a newly risen noble. But what about a divorced countess? Or better yet, a widowed countess? Blier Acacia's status had already been washed once by marrying the Count of Acacia. The moment Gaspard became interested in this countess, he had a strong feeling that she was a gift from the gods for him. If the master discarded her, his servant could have her. The deceased Grand Duchess was like an unreachable mountain, but Blier, who resembled the Grand Duchess, was a woman he could obtain if only the master discarded her.

***

I looked at Gaspard, whose eyes seemed to be dipped in oil today, and suppressed my disgust, probing him.

"...I'm curious why His Grace trusts you so much."

"I handle more of His Grace's administrative affairs than Sir Jimsker."

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I wanted to wipe that smug look off his face, but I forced a slight smile.

"For example?"

"It's top secret..."

"Is it too difficult to give me a simple example?"

"Gifts sent to the late Grand Duchess were always sent through my hands, not His Grace's. She appreciated my taste. I also wrote letters on His Grace's behalf."

"You wrote letters on behalf of His Grace."

"Yes, I'm sure you already know that."

I managed to swallow my food and rinsed my mouth with red wine. Gaspard was staring at me, as if hypnotized.

'Perhaps the letters we exchanged after our marriage weren't from Noévian but from this guy.'

Or maybe Noévian received my letters and asked Gaspard to reply like this. My mouth felt gritty, as if I had swallowed sand.

"Of course I know. I also appreciate your talent for imitating others' handwriting. You might need my help sometime."

"Just say the word."

Clang! The fork I was holding was thrown sharply onto the plate. I wanted to slap Gaspard in the face for so easily taking the bait from my probing question. Roardnes, Noévian, and Gaspard didn't have the same handwriting. It was just that Gaspard, who could imitate Roardnes's handwriting, was being used by Noévian. With a defeated expression, I finished my meal.

"Ma'am, excuse me—"

Marie, who had quietly entered the dining room, came up to me and whispered in my ear. I gave Gaspard a perfunctory smile, thanking him for his small favor, and went to find Jonah.

***

The second prince, Roardnes's palace, was as silent as ever. He had turned down requests from both the emperor and the crown prince, leaving his subordinates to fend for themselves.

"Can I really keep this?"

"Yes."

Neil clicked his tongue, watching Roardnes reject the letters and packages sent by the Countess of Acacia. The prince, who had been confident that he could seduce the Duke's mistress and get what he wanted, had changed his mind after just one day. For several days, he had received numerous letters and gifts like homemade cookies and pudding from the countess. She had even sent him a bouquet of flowers, showing her talent for flower arrangement. As Neil took the gifts from the countess, Roardnes's eyes sank again. For several days, he had been staying in his study, sitting and sleeping without even entering his bedroom. The study, which had once been filled with a refreshing fragrance, was now filled with the smell of alcohol. Roardnes had decided not to handle all matters related to Blier Acacia himself.

'I shouldn't meet that woman.'

Just because he had promised to help, it didn't mean he had to do it himself. Since he couldn't avoid her, he decided to help her without meeting her. He had many talented people under him, including Vincent and Neil, as well as the Second Imperial Knights. After biting his lip and clenching his jaw for a while, Roardnes hesitated and opened his desk drawer. A package of cookies, the first one she ever made, was still rolling around in the drawer, with the ribbon still intact.

"Adrien..."

If he could confirm her death and accept it, could he let her go? As soon as he thought that, he let out a bitter laugh.

'What a ridiculous thought.'

Just because he saw and touched someone else, could he forget her? If he could forget her, he wouldn't have loved her so much in the first place, and he wouldn't have been so tormented by the fact that she was someone else's wife. It was a meaningless hypothesis. Just because he felt his heart sink every time he encountered someone who reminded him of her... could he forget her? Or should he forget her? Adrien was the only person who made him want to be a better man, and she was his sanctuary. Even though it might seem pathetic to others that he was acting like she was still his wife, he couldn't let her go. No...

'I don't want to let her go.'

Whenever he dreamed, Adrien appeared and silently shed tears. Even when he woke up from his dream, her face was blurry and it made him miserable.

'Don't be sad, Adrien.'

Your husband betrayed you, but I didn't.

'If I were to be drawn to that woman even after confirming your death...'

...I would end my own life and go to you. Even if I could only be by your side until your husband dies. If I don't do that...

'I feel like my neck is being strangled.'

"Your Highness! Your Highness!!"

Roardnes, who had been silently screaming, slowly turned his gaze to the sound of someone knocking loudly on the dark study door. Neil, whose face was flushed as if he had run quickly, entered his study with a maid.

"The Countess of Acacia sent someone again!"

"...Isn't that what I said? Ignore her."

"It's not a letter this time. She sent a message to be delivered in person!"

Neil hurriedly brought the maid forward.

"She said she found the person Your Highness was looking for, and asked you to come and confirm it immediately."

The young maid, with a solemn expression, spoke clearly despite her trembling voice, and all the color drained from Roardnes's face. Roardnes immediately understood what it meant. It meant that they had found Adrien and he should follow this maid to confirm the body.

I ordered her to take care of the maids who were lying in the closet, sweating profusely, and quietly headed to the basement. I opened the underground prison, which had always been empty, with my own hands. The thick iron door creaked as it opened, as if it hadn't been oiled properly.

"Madam, madam, is this really okay...?"

"Did you do as I told you?"

"I opened the wine cellar, drugged them, and made them all fall asleep. Luckily, only the outside of the ducal manor is heavily guarded. Since there are few servants inside, there were almost no people in this side building."

Marie, who had been called to me in the middle of the night, was worried but carried out her task like a seasoned maid. Annie had practically begged me, saying that all she knew was that Noévian often went to the underground prison in the annex building. It was the moment my guess that he might have hidden her in the annex building where guests stayed became a certainty. Once the location became more specific, the rest was easy. Because the number of people guarding the area was kept to a minimum to prevent the location of the corpse from leaking out, I didn't have to deal with many people. I ordered everyone working in the annex to be put to sleep and had the back door opened wide. While Marie went out to keep watch just in case, I descended into the dark underground prison, guided by a single candle. I followed the moonlight streaming in through a small window and looked at the corpse in the glass coffin. The underground prison on a winter night was as cold as ice.

"...Hello."

I stumbled over and finally greeted the one I hadn't seen in a long time. The corpse was still as beautiful and peaceful as if it were asleep. I felt relieved. I thought it would be very sad if Anne saw my corpse and remembered the last ugly sight. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. The sound of clearly military boots and the sound of someone following him grew steadily from above the underground prison. When the sound of footsteps and heartbeats overlapped rapidly, I saw Roardnes standing at the entrance. The prince's face, which had always been polite but arrogant and relaxed, was nowhere to be found, and his beautiful eyes were shaking violently like the candle I was holding.

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