Chapter 114. Chartreu, Part XII

"The princess seems to want to get rid of you and me. I'm sure she doesn't like anything that reminds her of Julietta. The Duke might have decided that it would be better to get rid of those who know this for the sake of the future."

Simone looked at Maribel as if she could not believe it.

"He must be trying to get rid of Raphael and me. I wasn't sure about you, but I think I'm right to hear that he is trying to get you out of Tilia."

Maribel breathed a sigh and waited a breath before continuing. "I thought about it so easily. I should have kept in mind that he would never leave his weaknesses in the world. But the moment he mentioned it, I had no choice. So, I tried to have Raphael marry the princess and save my life, but it seemed to be useless."

Simone had a splitting headache and rushed to drink her tea with trembling hands. A moment later, as the headache seemed to have barely subsided, she looked at Maribel.

"But Regina or my brother wouldn't want to kill me. They are not going to go that far."

Maribel said, looking at Simone who drinks tea again with an anxious look.

"Madam, don't you think the taste of the tea you're drinking is different from the usual laya tea?"

Simone nodded at Maribel's words. "That's right, it's a little fresher and doesn't have the same aftertaste. It's very easy to drink."

"In addition to the letter I've shown you, there's another letter I've received." Maribel pulled out another letter. The paper quality was significantly different from that of the previous time, although it was clearly sent by the same person as it had the same elegant masculine style of writing. This was a rough, cheap letter.

"Raphael went to the tea-growing area of Tilia, and he hurried to tell us what he had overheard."

After hearing the short story, Simone gave Maribel a curious look. "Isn't this about my headache tea? What is this about? Oh, are you trying to tell me how you found out what my favorite tea is?"

"Would I even show you the contents of the letter if it's not important?"

"So what the hell are you trying to say?" Simone was angry because Maribel always seemed to enjoy getting a reaction by talking around and around.

"I've heard that Lady Regina has always taken care of your headache."

"That's right. She has been very interested in tea leaves since she was a kid. I think it's because it's a family business."

"Maybe, or maybe not."

"Explain to me so that I can understand."

Maribel carefully chose what to speak when she saw Simone getting louder.

"It's true that blending tea leaves around these days is a trend, but the combination method for your special headache is strange."

"Blending? I'm a person who doesn't like to mix tea leaves. What I drink is laya tea, which is good for headaches."

"Yes, that's right. It's always the tea that Lady Regina has taken special care for you."

Simone then looked at Maribel, as if she finally understood what she meant, and could not believe it. "You're saying it's not just a laya tea?"

​ "Yes, ma'am. Your daily laya tea leaves are very slightly mixed with basa grass."

"Basa Grass?"

"Basa grass is good for stomach-ache, but it's also a grass that causes headaches. So, the private sector uses this grass to heal the stomach while preparing for headaches. When you mix that headache-causing grass with the headache-reducing tea leaves, you start with a lingering headache, and then after a while it subsides."

Simone recalled the headache that had been bothering her for a moment. The headache which weighed on her used to settle down after drinking laya tea, and then started again.

"What the hell? For what?"

"Why? I don't know. I guess Lady Regina wanted you to rely on her."

"So, she deliberately made me drink tea that causes headaches?"

"Mostly, if your body hurts, your heart hurts too."

Simone grasped her fists as if she could not stand it. "I can never forgive her. How dare she do this? How much I have suffered from that headache! Are you going to be attacked like this by my brother and Regina?"

"No. If you make up your mind, I'll tell you about my plan."

"What is your decision? It's a matter of life."

"That's right, ma'am. But there is a saying that bad luck often brings good luck. This could give you the power of the family of the Duke."

"Do you have a plan?"

"I didn't plan for sure, because I didn't know what you were thinking. As soon as I get a little bit more organized, I'll contact you."

"Okay, I'll wait for a call." Simone rose from her seat after she calmed down her trembling... while drinking the remaining tea.

"The day after tomorrow, the Marquis of Anais is coming. It looks like blood is pulling. I invited him because I had no reason to refuse his visit, so I hope you will let me know as soon as possible how to behave."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll contact you as soon as it's sorted out," Maribel said, seeing off the Marquise.

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"Your Highness, hand the doll over to Ian. It's ugly."

Oswald frowned at Killian, who was messing around with a blonde-haired doll.

"The Marquis, the more I look at it, the more it looks like the princess?" Killian looked at the doll as if it was highly praiseworthy, not caring about Oswald's astounded expression. When Killian's hand holding the doll tried to raise the skirt of its dress, Oswald took it with fright.

"Your Highness, I'm afraid someone will see you.""No one sees me. You, Ian, and I are all in this wagon, right?"

"Well, well, anyway, the act of raising a lady's skirt is something you should never do as a gentleman."

"As I am a gentleman, I lift a lady's skirt. A lady can't raise a lady's skirt. And this is not a lady, but just a doll."

"You just said it looked like the princess."

"The atmosphere is similar, but if you look closely, one place is different."

"It's a doll, so it's all different."

When Oswald tried to take a closer look at the doll, Killian took it back. "Keep it out of the public eye and put it in my office."

Ian took out the thin blanket from the carriage and wrapped it around the doll, saying carefully,

"Your Highness, your office has a lot of people coming and going, so how about putting it elsewhere?"

"Then put it in the bedroom."

"I, I think the bedroom is going to be more weird. How about a dressing room?"

"Then I can't see it very well. I want the doll to be placed within my sight."

At Killian's disapproving voice, Ian quickly lowered his tail. "Yes, Your Highness, then I'll keep it in the bedroom."

Oswald struggled to look at the colorful blonde doll hidden by the blanket. Killian muttered that he was thinking of getting rid of the doll before his master was rumored to be a pervert.

"Where should we attack?" Oswald asked what he had been curious about, leaving his loyalty aside for a while.

"Why didn't you ask the princess about Julietta's whereabouts?"

"What is the reason?" Killian grinned at Oswald.

"Well, I have no idea."

"Then you'll find out where we are going this time. Ian, tell the driver to turn the carriage to the Eileen Theater."

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When Killian arrived at the Eileen Theater after turning the carriage on his way to the Imperial Castle, he arrogantly ordered the theater officials, "Bring up Maribel, the owner of the theater."

Killian was not as daunted as he had been during his previous visit, and ordered them to call in the troupe leader before heading to the VIP seat.

After sending Mrs. Raban back, Maribel was about to watch the evening performance, and looked over at Liam, conveying the sudden call of Prince Bertino.

"Did His Highness call me? Who came with him?"

"He has come with Marquis Oswald."

"Was he feeling bad or angry?"

"No. He didn't seem particularly bad, as he was smiling."

Maribel thought for a moment before sending Liam out with the words, "I will go soon."

After talking to Marquise Raban today, she thought she'd soon meet the Prince, but she didn't expect to be caught off guard so soon. Given that the Prince visited her first, chances were high that he might have noticed or figured out something.