The Duke Breaks His Silence

Theodore held the letter in his hand, lost in thought. Yan scanned the contents with a slight frown, but as his eyes reached the signature, his expression mirrored Theodore’s—his eyes widening in shock.

"My Lord Theodore."

"It seems the Duke of Klaus has finally broken his seclusion."

"Do you think he intends to stand against the Schwaben faction again?"

"It is far too late for that."

Theodore spoke with cold detachment. The Duke of Klaus was well over seventy, and he had no heir. Furthermore, because he had remained inactive for the past twenty years, his political influence had long since dissipated.

Yan countered, "Even so, if the Duke moves himself, the old Klaus faction could rally once more. The Royalist faction hasn't been completely eradicated, after all."

"It wouldn't last long."

"Perhaps he has discovered someone worthy of being his successor?"

That was a possibility.

The person to inherit the Duke of Klaus's political influence did not necessarily have to be the next Duke. The real question was whether that person could stand against the House of Schwaben.

Theodore considered the situation carefully. If he wasn't going to join the aristocratic faction and support the Schwabens, it might be better to join hands with the Duke of Klaus. The "Neutral" faction was nothing more than a delusion. Once the Duke of Schwaben seized the throne, the neutrals would be the next to be purged after the Royalists.

In his heart, he wanted to remain a simple Margrave, loyal only to guarding the border. The plea—I will fulfill my duties, so please just leave me alone—rose to his throat.

But endurance was not a solution. When he had refused Helmut Schwaben’s demand to hold his succession ceremony in the capital, it was highly likely that the Schwaben faction had already classified Lutgarth as a hostile entity.

'They won't try to eliminate us immediately, but we are likely next on the list after the Royalists.'

Yet, he still hesitated, driven by a deep personal aversion to the political game.

Yan suggested in a serious tone, "Why not verify it for yourself?"

"Regarding what the Duke of Klaus intends to do?"

"The fact that he reached out in this manner suggests he is already moving behind the scenes. If you intend to join the Klaus faction, you must decide quickly. Not only to secure influence within the faction, but because your own movements could shift the balance of power itself."

The House of Lutgarth was by no means small. While their primary title was only a Count, they held four counties—a feat not even the current six Dukes could claim. In an era where most high-ranking nobles had transformed into central aristocrats, it was rare to find a family with such strong governing power over four vast territories.

Above all, if the House of Lutgarth joined hands with the Duke of Klaus, other Northern nobles would likely lean toward Klaus as well.

Yan continued, "It seems Count Zeppelin considered this as well, which is why he was the one to suggest a pretext for your visit to the capital."

"True. The oath must be taken eventually."

He could not remain an heir forever. He would complete the oath-taking procedure first, and the ceremony for receiving the vows of his vassals could be held later in his own territory.

Once a decision was made, there was no need to delay. Theodore commanded Yan, "We shall depart for the capital as soon as possible. Handle the reply to Count Zeppelin yourself."

"Yes, my Lord."

Yan bowed respectfully and left the room.

Feeling bitter and stifled, Theodore walked to the window and threw it open. He had been resisting the marriage demanded in the will, fearing that holding the succession ceremony would make it unavoidable, but now, it seemed there was truly no other way.

In the capital, all sorts of rumors circulated regarding why the Duke of Klaus had broken his seclusion. The initial stories suggested that the Duke’s mind had clouded, leading him to wander out without purpose, or that he had stepped out specifically to insult Princess Roella. However, many who saw the Duke that day testified that his mind was sharp and clear.

Countless people visited the House of Krut, desperate to uncover the truth. But the lips of the Marquis and his wife remained tightly sealed.

And before four days had passed, many received an invitation sent by Lady Laila.

This invitation struck the entire capital like a bolt of lightning. Was it true that the Duke of Klaus had allowed Lady Laila to open a salon at his estate, even if only in the annex? What kind of relationship did they have?

It was only later that it became known that on the day of the party at the House of Krut, Laila had not left the estate until the early hours of the morning.

The Sunday News, which primarily covered socialite gossip, even released an extra edition to report this event in detail. Jeanette, the daughter of Count Andex, was shocked when she saw it and rushed to the annex. She had been completely in the dark.

"Laila! Is this true?!"

Olivia looked at the extra edition Jeanette held out and replied calmly, "The article is out, I see."

Jeanette shouted in excitement, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was too busy; I didn't have the time. The Wisteria Annex was a building no one had used, so it took over two days just to clear it out."

In truth, the cleaning wasn't even finished yet.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Sending out the invitations before any preparations were complete was a calculated move to dominate the conversation before suspicion could take root.

Of course, opening a salon alone would not solve her problems. It was merely a tool to widely disseminate the information she intended to leak in the future.

"Even so! How could you move into the annex of the Duke of Klaus's estate without saying a word to me?"

"That’s a bit of an exaggeration. I'm not moving in entirely. I was just granted permission to open a salon there."

Jeanette strode toward her, grabbed her arm, and turned her face to look at her. Olivia looked at her with a confused expression.

"You know this isn't a trivial matter! How did you get such permission? Don't tell me the rumors are true?"

"Rumors?"

"That your father is of the Klaus bloodline..."

"Impossible. You know who my mother was."

Olivia brushed Jeanette’s hand away lightly. Jeanette nodded, looking bewildered.

She had heard that Olivia was the daughter of her youngest aunt, but she had never been told why the mother and daughter had to live in hiding.

After all, just because the late Empress was assassinated, there was no reason for a maid to go into hiding. Jeanette had simply assumed it was out of fear for the sin of failing to protect her master, or perhaps because Olivia’s father could not be revealed.

"The Duke remembered my mother, and he said he wanted to offer me some form of compensation."

"He remembered your mother...? Ah, because she was a maid to the late Empress?"

Jeanette blinked. Olivia smiled.

Jeanette’s reactions always converged with the socialite average. Since a story that worked on her could persuade the rest of high society, she was an excellent testing ground.

"Yes. He asked if there was one favor he could grant me, so I asked for permission to open a salon in the Wisteria Annex."

"My goodness!"

Jeanette exclaimed with a moved expression.

"My goodness! The Duke is such a kind man. To care for someone who had a connection to his daughter, even after so much time has passed..."

"He seems to harbor such deep sorrow over his daughter's passing that he wants to look after anyone who had a connection to her."

As she said this, Olivia glanced away. At the edge of her vision, a hem ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of a skirt vanished through the doorway. It was likely a maid who had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠followed Jeanette.

She didn't tell Jeanette everything not only because Jeanette was in a position where she couldn't play a major role, but for this very reason. She couldn't keep a spy by her side, but she did need someone she could use when she needed to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠leak information appropriately.