Chapter 10
When Rachel finished talking with Sian and stepped out alone, Theodore entered from the opposite side of the hall.
Seeing the grim and unfamiliar man, Theodore became cautious.
“Rachel. Who is this?”
“He’s an informant from the guild. I gave him a request.”
“Guild… informant… request.”
The guilty always stumble on their own feet. Feeling uneasy, Theodore tensed and glared at Sian.
Sian, noticing Theodore’s hostile gaze, bowed politely toward him.
“You must be Count Ellosa. Pleased to meet you. I am Alias, a guild informant.”
“I see. You were hired by Rachel?”
“Yes.”
Even behind the blindfold, Sian’s gaze was fixed directly on Theodore.
Already on edge after feeling his son’s murderous intent that morning, Theodore deliberately straightened his hunched shoulders and strengthened his voice.
“What’s this about?”
“I thought the Count would be very happy.”
Theodore raised one corner of his mouth, as if he had heard something ridiculous.
“Happy? You speak carelessly without knowing anything.”
“My apologies. I assumed anyone receiving ‘such’ a gift from the Countess would be happy.”
“Such a gift?”
Theodore glanced at Rachel, and she shrugged.
It was an item without special meaning; it was better to deal with it quickly.
“I prepared it as a gift for you. It’s meant to say, ‘I will love you forever.’ Tomorrow at the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet, if you attach it to your cuffs, it will make me happy.”
Berengela, watching from afar, hurried over and opened the box. The pink diamond sparkled brilliantly.
The laughter of the middle-aged woman rang out, and Theodore forced a look of pleasure.
While answering the mother’s questions about how such a gift had been prepared, Sian quietly disappeared.
The reactions at the banquet were exactly as expected.
“Oh my, Count Ellosa! Aren’t these the rare cufflinks that no one can get!”
“People always wondered if the Count and Countess were distant because only the Count showed up at public events, but now I see it was all nonsense. I’m truly envious, Count Ellosa.”
“This must have cost a fortune. How did you even get this?”
“They say only one was imported from a neighboring country into the Empire. Everyone wondered who would get such a rare item, and it’s amazing that it was the Count, not the Emperor or the Duke!”
“Ahahaha…”
Theodore laughed awkwardly, while Berengela excitedly chatted with the ladies around her.
“Our Countess, Rachel Ellosa, is wonderful. She hasn’t been able to appear at public events due to her health, and this gift is her apology. She is wise and considerate.”
“Oh my, Mrs. Berengela. You must be so happy. How did you get such a daughter-in-law?”
Where she had previously subtly mocked, now she exaggerated and gushed without restraint.
Unlike Berengela, Theodore responded briefly to those speaking to him and stayed near the corner of the banquet hall.
“Count, are you feeling unwell? Did you overexert yourself preparing for this banquet?”
“Oh, yes. A little tired, but I’m fine.”
He did not look fine at all.
Since entering the hall, Theodore had been glancing around restlessly, like a nervous puppy. He seemed to be searching for something, but too many people approached to talk because of the cufflinks, leaving him unsure what to do.
What could he be looking for?
Hadn’t he prepared the banquet to impress the high-ranking nobles? Yet now, when prominent nobles spoke kindly to him, why did he act like this?
Berengela, dissatisfied with her son, poked Theodore’s side several times.
He pretended to converse while glancing at her a few times, but then returned to scanning the hall.
Then, with the blast of a trumpet, the guest of honor appeared.
The ten-year-old Crown Prince Atreiu entered the hall in a golden carriage. Following him were Emperor Sigar, Empress Beatrix, the Dowager Empress Belwinder, the Grand Saint Titienis, and finally Sian.
It was a spectacular procession, but Rachel only noticed Sian.
So that’s what he looks like.
He had barely been mentioned in the original story. She had never imagined his appearance—but he was far more striking than she expected.
Jet-black hair perfectly hidden under a hood, golden eyes that flashed beneath, a sharp nose and jawline, and red, neat lips—all harmoniously handsome.
Tall, broad-shouldered, muscular, and well-proportioned, he moved with elegance, grace, and a commanding presence. His gaze alone was imposing.
It seemed a shame that such a handsome man was hidden under a cloak and blindfold. Of course, revealing his face would defeat the purpose of his secret identity.
The difference in level is clear. I thought Theodore was handsome, but compared to the Archduke, he’s just a monkey.
As the group ascended the dais and took the throne, nobles bowed respectfully.
“Long live Emperor Sigar!”
“Today is the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet, so everyone should enjoy themselves.”
Following the Emperor’s command, the hall buzzed with activity.
Even as the banquet continued, Theodore still seemed restless, searching for something.
“What are you looking for?”
“Oh, nothing… huh.”
He gasped when he saw the person speaking—it was Sian.
People nearby started to gather.
“It’s the Archduke! Why did he come here?”
“Even if he attends, he usually just sits and leaves.”
“Does he have some connection with Count Ellosa?”
“Anyway, he’s truly beautiful. Just looking at him makes me happy.”
Berengela didn’t miss the chance and rushed forward.
“Your Highness, pleased to meet you. I am Berengela Ellosa, Count Ellosa’s mother.”
“I am Sian Dikarsniak.”
The reply was neutral, neither kind nor cold. Quite different from when he was undercover as Alias.
Rachel then bowed.
“Pleased to meet you. I am Rachel Ellosa, Count Ellosa’s wife.”
Sian nodded and met Rachel’s gaze.
Are you ready to receive the evidence?
Of course.
Finally, Theodore greeted them, his voice trembling from obvious nervousness.
“Ah… hello, no. I mean, pleased to meet you. I am Count Theodore Ellosa.”
“So, you are the rumored Count Ellosa.”
In a low voice, Theodore flinched.
“I hear the Countess gave you pink diamond cufflinks as a gift.”
“Ah, yes.”
“I also wanted those. I envy you. You must have a very happy marriage.”
Even hiding his affair, and Rachel preparing for divorce secretly, they were natural—but Sian outshone them all. He looked at the gift he had obtained with genuine envy, as if seeing it for the first time.
Rachel marveled. He acts so well—truly enviable. He really seems genuinely impressed.
Once greetings ended, noble ladies rushed to him, eager to speak. Their cheeks flushed as they tried to engage Sian.
“Your Highness, if my gift is acceptable…!”
“I can tell you about the Ellosa couple’s marital harmony…!”
“If you’re curious about how they were promised to each other in childhood…!”
Like a swarm of zombies chasing a fresh victim, Berengela and the other women crowded around Sian.
Rachel shook her head and stepped back.
When the crowd cleared, Theodore was gone.
After the brief storm, the hall dimmed. It was time for dancing. People paired up and moved to the center of the hall.
Sian refused subtle hints from several women to dance but Theodore, who should have invited Rachel, was nowhere to be seen.
The two of them stood together in a corner as the dance began.
Sian’s gaze briefly met Rachel’s.
“You won’t dance?”
“I didn’t come here to dance.”
“I see.”
“When will you give me the evidence? I’m anxious.”
The lights were dim, people’s eyes had wandered, and now was the perfect moment to exchange something secretly.
Sian straightened from leaning against the wall.
“Good. It seems the perfect time to give it. Follow me.”
Rachel followed Sian around the corner of the hall to a terrace lined with curtains.
Every terrace had curtains drawn—signaling private meetings.
A couple entered a terrace, drew the curtain, shared a private moment. No one could open it until they exited. It was an unspoken noble rule.
Terraces were a favorite place for noble children and adults alike, often used for secret, sometimes beautiful encounters.
Sian stopped before one curtained terrace.
“What I am about to give you will be undeniable evidence of your husband’s affair. I worry you may be shocked or surprised. Is that alright?”
“I already know. Why would I be shocked?”
“The human heart is rarely that simple.”
“Even if I am, it doesn’t matter. I won’t resist.”
“…Understood.”
Sian grabbed the edge of the curtain. Nearby nobles gasped but dared not question him.
He raised his arm as if to pull the curtain completely. More nobles noticed, some paused their dancing.
He waited, seemingly for all eyes to focus on him. The music stopped.
Is he really going to open it? Can he do that even as the Archduke?
Numerous eyes questioned silently. Rachel wondered the same.
What is he doing? Isn’t he just going to hand over something inside the terrace?
Sian raised his index finger to his lips and shushed.
“Excuse me.”
With a loud rip, the thick curtain tore at Sian’s touch and fell to the floor.
“Ahhh!”
Young, timid, or shy nobles screamed and closed their eyes. Most, however, stared at the couple inside.
Inside, Theodore and Jane froze in a tangled embrace.
The pink cufflinks Rachel had gifted glimmered on Theodore’s cuffs.
Sian whispered:
“What do you think, Countess? The ‘certain’ evidence I prepared of your husband’s affair.”
Theodore, wearing a gift from his wife while embracing another woman, had been exposed to all nobles at the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet in the most disgraceful way.
