Chapter 102
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 102
“First come, first served! The Ruby Brooch belongs to whoever can snatch it from Madam Rominas!”
At those words, men lunged from every direction.
Just then, a woman’s voice rang out from the back of the crowd.
“And is there any guarantee you’ll be safe once you have it? If you make an enemy of the House of Kailas, you’ll likely disappear without a trace.”
The men poised to leap onto the stage froze. Survival instinct had finally kicked in, overriding their pursuit of a cheap thrill.
Given that a keepsake of the former Duke of Kailas had appeared, it was only a matter of time before word reached the duchy. The event itself was scandalous enough, but would Cedric Kailas truly overlook those who—knowing exactly what the item was—engaged in a vulgar brawl to possess it?
“Come to think of it, at the Victory Banquet two years ago…”
“Right. Some woman stole that brooch and nearly met her end.”
Even through their intoxication, the memory of the incident resurfaced. A few of the men who had stood up quietly sank back into their seats.
Seizing the moment of their hesitation, the woman who had raised the warning pushed through the crowd and dashed forward. Unlike the drunken guests, her movements were swift and purposeful. No one could react in time to stop her.
“Wait, what—?”
“Who is that?”
As the crowd stood bewildered, she leaped onto the stage. Madam Rominas had barely begun to rise when the woman plunged her hand into the hostess’s cleavage and snatched the brooch.
While the host stared in stunned silence, Harriet—now clutching Rowan Kailas’s keepsake—shrugged.
“There was no rule stating only men could participate, was there?”
“Ah… no, I suppose not…”
“My apologies, then.”
Harriet gave Madam Rominas a quick wink and descended from the stage.
A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd, followed by a wave of applause.
“Incredible!”
“What a wit! Who on earth is she?”
“She’s got some nerve. What will she do if the Duke actually comes for her…?”
The weight of their gazes was stifling. Harriet gritted her teeth, offering polite nods as she quickened her pace toward the exit.
It’s almost one o’clock.
She needed to disembark immediately. It was a stroke of luck that the event had taken place just after midnight. However, the man in the pig mask might come after her again now that she had drawn so much attention on stage.
Harriet hurried toward the deck doors. She wrapped the brooch in a handkerchief and tucked it securely against her chest, hidden beneath her clothes. Just as the organizers had intended, no one would be able to snatch it easily from there.
She let out a long, shaky breath. I did it.
“Ahem! The party has only just begun, and you’re already planning to leave?”
A man suddenly blocked her path. His face was hidden behind a golden mask, but Harriet recognized him instantly: Albert Kingsley.
She swallowed hard. I can’t let him push me around.
Squaring her shoulders, she spoke in a voice imitating Bella’s sharp tone. “It seems the party isn’t quite to my taste.”
“For someone who says that, you were certainly the star of the prize event, weren’t you?”
“One must move quickly when there is a profit to be made. Is that a problem?”
“If it were truly for money, there would be no problem at all… but if it wasn’t, I’d be quite disappointed.” He smiled thinly, slowly closing the distance between them. “You’re a new guest. Who might you be?”
“It’s rude to ask for an identity at a masquerade. Surely the host of such an event knows that.”
“…Isn’t that a bit unfair? You clearly know who I am, yet I remain in the dark about you.” He tilted his head, his eyes narrowing. “Come to think of it, that mole on your neck and chest looks familiar…”
Harriet instinctively covered the fake mole on her neck, hoping the gesture would be enough to throw him off.
Albert grinned and took another step forward. “Now, don’t be like that. Stay and enjoy yourself a little longer. If you dislike the advances of these men, I can offer you a VIP room. You could rest there in peace.”
“I doubt such an offer comes for free.”
“For a beautiful lady, I can make an exception—provided you grant me a brief conversation.”
Harriet hesitated, stepping back, when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps from behind.
Is it one of Albert’s men?
She turned, cold sweat pricking her skin, only for a familiar figure in a crow mask to drape an arm casually over her shoulder.
“My apologies for the wait. The restroom line was longer than expected.”
“Uh…?”
Tez smiled at the flustered Harriet before turning his gaze to Albert.
“Hmm? What’s this? Surely you weren’t flirting with my partner, were you?”
“Ah, she was with you? I merely thought the lady was trying to disembark a bit too early…”
“The lady is here without her parents’ permission,” Tez cut in smoothly, “so she needs to head home before she’s missed. I’ll be escorting her out.”
“Ah, I see! Haha! My mistake. Then, farewell. It’s dark out, so watch your step.”
Albert stepped aside and bowed, but his sharp, predatory gaze followed Harriet until she vanished from his sight. She kept her head down, careful not to betray any hint of her true identity.
As they stepped out onto the deck, the lights of El Mare Port loomed large before them. Surprised by the sudden request for disembarkation, the dockworkers scrambled to secure the ropes and drag the gangplank toward the ship.
While they waited for the ship to dock, Tez spoke up beside her.
“Did you come here specifically for that brooch?”
“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Harriet’s heart skipped a beat, but she feigned ignorance. It didn’t seem to work. Tez removed his mask and looked down at her, his dark hair fluttering in the sea breeze like a crow’s wing.
“Are you just another woman who’s fallen for Cedric Kailas? Did you really risk your life for a man like him?”
“I told you, I don’t know what you mean. I was bored, and a prize was offered, so I took it. That’s all.”
Tez let out a soft, mocking chuckle. “You’re still a terrible liar. Though I suppose that’s part of your charm.”
He reached out, his fingers caressing Harriet’s flushed cheek. Since her mask covered most of her face, his touch landed dangerously close to her lips.
“But a man of his standing won’t appreciate your sacrifice.”
“It’s not like that!”
Harriet moved to deny it again, but the ship bumped against the pier with a heavy thud. The workers lowered the gangplank.
“I’ll see you off,” Tez said, his voice dropping an octave. “It’s dark. Hold my hand tightly.”
Despite her wariness, the hand he offered seemed steady and reliable in the gloom. Harriet sighed softly and took it.
*
A servant of the House of Kailas was dead. He had collapsed suddenly while eating bread and peanut butter sent to him by his wife.
“Poison was detected in the jar,” the Imperial Investigator explained to Cedric, his tone as dry as if he were discussing the weather. “We apprehended the wife for questioning. She confessed immediately, claiming she killed him because she could no longer endure his constant domestic violence.”
“Did she confess willingly?” Cedric asked.
“Yes. She was weeping, admitting to everything. We’ve interviewed their neighbors as well; everyone seems to sympathize with her. They say the man was a tyrant behind closed doors.”
“Indeed. Appearances can be deceiving. I never suspected he was such a man,” Cedric murmured, slowly rolling a fountain pen between his fingers.
In truth, he couldn't even recall the servant’s face. It was impossible to remember every single retainer in the duchy. However, one thing was certain.
The servant had never seemed like the type to betray the House of Kailas.
He would have been thoroughly briefed on the consequences of betrayal when he signed his contract. If he still chose to steal, it means there was something out there he feared more than the Duke’s retribution. Does such a thing even exist?
Cedric was convinced the deceased servant was the one who had stolen the brooch. He was one of the few with access to Cedric’s private quarters, and he had died the moment the investigation began to close in. He had to be the culprit.
Only five people, including the butler, had access to that room. Even without this sudden death, the man would have been identified soon enough. But his death had complicated the trail.
“I want to meet the wife,” Cedric said.
“Of course. I’ll arrange it. We have some paperwork to finalize first, so it might take a little time.”
“I understand. However,” Cedric’s eyes turned cold, “take special care to ensure she doesn’t ‘commit suicide’ or get murdered before I arrive.”
The investigator’s brow twitched at the implication.