Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: The Prepared Villa
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Juliet was sitting in the moving carriage, reading a letter.
['The cleric named "Daliah" could not be found.']
It was a report on the inquiry she had commissioned to the information guild a few days earlier.
Just in case, she had provided as detailed a description of Daliah's appearance as possible and asked if anyone matching it existed.
She might be using a different name.
The result was the same.
['No one has seen a woman matching that description.']
Juliet gazed out the window for a moment, lightly furrowing her brow. The scenery was rushing past.
'What ghost is she?'
Her mind was a mess.
It was hard to believe such a woman didn't exist when Juliet had clearly encountered Daliah.
Three times, no less. Each time in a different location.
'What is her true identity?'
Once at the Carcason auction house, once at the Lucerne banquet hall. And just recently, at the capital's grand temple. The varying locations nagged at her too. It was almost as if she was stalking Juliet.
'It's not certain, but...'
Just in case, she had contacted Cardinal Guilliam, but she only received an angry reply: "There is no priest by that name in the order."
The cardinal might be lying, but that seemed unlikely. There was no reason for it.
'Then she was posing as a priest without being one?'
What about in her first life?
Juliet tilted her head.
Daliah had appeared with the full backing of Pope Sebastian.
'But that Sebastian is in prison now.'
Could that be why Daliah hadn't shown up?
"Juliet, what are you looking at so intently?"
"Ah."
Juliet looked up. Sitting across from her was a young lady gazing at her with eyes full of curiosity.
"It's nothing, Emma. Sorry."
"It's fine. We're almost there, by the way!"
Juliet was traveling south with Emma.
"You'll get to see Grandma soon."
Emma said happily.
The grandmother in question was the famous Lady Ilena Lindberg.
Lady Ilena Lindberg, commonly known as Lady Ilena, had been an acquaintance of the late Count Monad couple.
She had even attended Juliet's salon at her invitation not long ago and helped her out.
Lady Ilena had divorced her notorious playboy husband and now spent her leisurely old age surrounded by friends and granddaughters.
And just recently, the lady, who owned an estate in the south, had invited Juliet. "Why don't you come stay with my granddaughter for a bit?" Without much thought, Juliet had accepted.
She wanted some distance from the complicated affairs for a while.
After struggling for days in the snow-covered forest.
She was thoroughly sick of the cold.
In fact, ever since the day Roy and his brother had ambushed her in the forest, both Roy and Elsa had left for Katia Forest, and Juliet hadn't seen them since.
So, when the lady's granddaughter Emma, who happened to be staying in the capital at the time, suggested they go south together, it worked out perfectly.
Though the imperial capital was偏 toward the southwest, Lady Ilena's estate was quite a ways further.
Even so, the lady generously offered a carriage via gate and covered the costs.
Emma, who had debuted not long ago, was a cheerful girl.
"My sister Charlotte is about to have her baby!"
Throughout the journey south, Emma chattered nonstop about 'sister Charlotte's' baby.
Charlotte, the lady's eldest granddaughter, had returned to the family estate in the south to give birth.
"I'm going to be an aunt!"
Emma was visibly thrilled.
'How cute.'
"When sister Charlotte's baby is born, I'll love it so much."
Juliet smiled at Emma.
She had no experience with aunts herself, but Emma seemed like she'd make a great one.
***
The south was a popular resort destination where everyone dreamed of owning a vacation home.
Bathed in sunlight, elegant mansions dotted the landscape at polite intervals.
Every evening, they threw open their doors for intimate concerts or balls.
However, Juliet wouldn't be staying at Lady Ilena's mansion.
The accommodations provided by Lady Ilena weren't just a room in her villa.
"You'll need to go a bit further for where the lady will be staying."
The dignified butler led them to a quaint villa on a quiet hill a short distance from the mansion.
"Wow!"
Emma, who had followed along with a puzzled expression, couldn't contain her admiration.
"Did Grandma buy this villa? How? When?"
It seemed overly lavish just to lend as temporary lodging. Though modest in scale, the meticulously tended garden, fountain, and all...
"It's a bit much for staying alone."
When Juliet turned to look, the butler replied politely.
"She said it would be better here since running into people might be inconvenient."
With that explanation, Juliet had no choice but to nod.
"Please convey my thanks to the lady."
"Yes."
After the butler left, Emma stuck around under the pretense of helping Juliet unpack, exploring every corner of the villa.
"I had no idea Grandma bought this place. She'd always wanted it, but said it was too expensive. There's even a fountain?"
As Juliet slowly toured the villa's interior, she suddenly felt a sense of incongruity.
'Hmm.'
The space was infused everywhere with meticulous care.
It was the ideal home she had once dreamed of owning.
A sunlit living room, cozy bedrooms. The garden brimmed with fountains and well-pruned flowering trees, and there were even two large dogs.
As she looked around, the layout felt strangely familiar. As if someone had peeked into her mind.
Juliet spotted a silver platter brimming with fruit on the drawing room table.
Exotic fruits only available in the south this season. Picking up a large peach, Juliet scanned the interior with slightly chilling eyes.
*
Lady Ilena was sitting gracefully in the drawing room.
Ilena Lindberg, with her stylishly swept silver-gray hair, had once reigned as the queen of high society but now spent much of her time at her southern estate, a bit removed from the capital.
Especially in chilly winters like this, she enjoyed inviting friends to escape the cold and pass the season together.
Yet the high society doyenne lifted her teacup with a hint of tension.
Lady Ilena glanced at the young man before her.
He was someone rarely seen.
In a way, he was trickier to deal with than even the emperor.
"I hope the tea suits your taste, Duke."
"It's fine. Excellent tea."
Though he hadn't even touched his cup.
The young man replied curtly.
Despite being the guest, he lounged in the drawing room chair as if it were his own home, exuding effortless poise.
To put it grandly, it was a gravitas beyond his years.
'Hmph, cheeky young pup.'
Lady Ilena pouted slightly as she sized him up from head to toe.
She had heard countless rumors, but even for a high society veteran like her, this was her first private meeting with Duke Carlyle.
His cool gaze was impeccable, a strikingly handsome man no one could look away from.
That balanced physique. Contrary to rumors, his appearance was not just neat but almost saintly.
The only flaw was the bandage on his left hand, for some reason, but even that piqued curiosity. No wonder the capital's nobles obsessed over Duke Carlyle's fleeting romances.
But as the saying went, handsome men were only worth their looks, in Lady Ilena's philosophy. Like her first husband.
"You're far handsomer than my ex-husband. Better than the rumors."
"You're too kind."
He responded politely to the flattery, with impeccable manners. As if honoring the elderly.
His unexpectedly courteous demeanor prompted Lady Ilena to grudgingly revise her opinion upward.
In truth, as a close friend of the late Count Monad couple, she hadn't much cared for Duke Carlyle.
Fine, taking the orphaned boy to the distant north after losing his parents. But what she couldn't forgive was keeping a woman who wasn't even his fiancée for years.
'He should have let her go ages ago.'
She had thoroughly divested and banished her own ex-husband, but Lady Ilena was a conservative at heart.
Tsk. She clicked her tongue lightly.
She could have helped him make a good match.
But things had taken a strange turn.
They said even walls had ears in the palace. The tale of Duke Carlyle drawing his sword at the banquet had spread across the empire in mere days, unknown to none.
Lady Ilena had found it quite amusing.
'After pretending not to know for years, what wind blew this now?'
In any case, that incident had made Lady Ilena change her mind and accept Duke Carlyle's suspicious request.
"I heard you were close with the late Count Monad."
When Duke Carlyle suddenly visited, Lady Ilena was quite surprised. His business was rather dubious.
"Here are the deed papers for the villa you purchased."
He had bought one of the notoriously expensive southern villas, renovated it for a few days, then.
Out of the blue, asked her to invite Juliet to stay there.
"Please hand it over to Juliet at an appropriate time."
He said, sliding an envelope of documents across the table.
"A debt owed to the late Count Monad should suffice as an excuse."
'...Well, look at this guy.'
He had even prepared a perfect pretext. His airtight demeanor increasingly intrigued Lady Ilena.
"Why not give it to her yourself?"
"Juliet..."
At the name, the duke paused briefly. Lady Ilena didn't miss the first hesitation from the otherwise flawlessly composed man.
"...won't accept anything from me."
Surprisingly perceptive.
Before the duke left, Lady Ilena generously offered.
"If you wish, you may stay at my mansion while in the south."
But Duke Carlyle merely inclined his head once and departed the drawing room.
"Thank you for the kindness."
He thanked her for the kindness but didn't accept. Lady Ilena understood the unspoken refusal.
"Tsk tsk."
After the duke left, Lady Ilena clicked her tongue with a highly amused expression.
"Men, honestly."
Always missing the timing and doing pointless things. But what could be done now.
"How do you rekindle a cooled heart?"
Savoring the spectator's delight, she instructed her maid.
"Dear, fetch the guest list.
Who among them is still unmarried?"
She would grant the duke's request, but Lady Ilena had no intention of simply helping him.
"Hmph. Time to make him sweat a bit."
Lady Ilena chuckled meaningfully.