Chapter 27

Translator: Nabi

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Chapter 27

The answer came right away.

“There was nothing going on.”

“It did not look like that.”

“Hey.”

I looked straight at him.

“The fact that the Lord has come all the way means that the Lord’s informants have found me. Didn’t they tell you about my every move?”

The silence was as if he agreed to my words.

“Then, you will know. As your fiancée, I have never done anything inappropriate.”

* * *

Since then, Cassius never once asked about Gabriel.

I, too, tried to get rid of the thought of him, because I knew that Gabriel would be safe that way.

‘Yes, let’s think about a way to waste the Duke’s finances now.’

A flashing word popped into my mind.

Stock.​​I had never done stocks before, but I knew at least that it was not for everyone.

In fact, the reason I did not even go near the stock market was because of my cousin.

My cousin took the money he did not have and invested it in stocks, though he failed and went bankrupt in less than a year.

Why, isn’t there such a saying…?

If you want to own one hundred million in stock, you have to invest two hundred million.

I smiled brightly.

This was the best way to waste money.

If I lost Duke Brudenell’s fortune in stocks, Cassius would be disappointed with me. Naturally, the obsession with me will disappear, too.

‘Something like stocks… What is it…?’

There is no easy way to buy and sell stocks in a world without restructuring. Of course, if I borrow the power of the Duke, creating the world’s first joint-stock company would not be a hassle…

Though such a big move will soon be blocked.

With that thought, I made up my mind. Even without stocks, the concept of investment will exist. Since human history and investment have always been together.

‘I need to invest.’

It was also an event that is bound to fail!

I rang her bell and called the maid.

“Guide me to the study.”

“Study… Is that what you say?”

The maid seemed anxious.

Not surprisingly, the reason I looked through the documents at the Duke of Brudenell was because I had no choice but to think about how to waste more money.

Of course, she must be anxious.

“Yes. Right now.”

However, unfortunately, I could not go to the library because the Duchess’s handmaiden visited.

“ Lady of Garneid, the Duchess has invited you to tea time.”

“…When?”

“Right Now.”

The maid, who apparently had a higher status than me, smiled mischievously.​​At that moment, I had a gut feeling.

The fact that this was the beginning of what is often said to be a ‘common married life.’

‘Was it like this in the novel…?’

I frowned, trying to figure out if Ophelia had ever been married in the original story.

‘Well… She was not.’

The reason why it did not exist is simple.

The Duke and his wife oppose the marriage of Ophelia, so Cassius turned them into plant humans!

The reason they were against Ophelia was because of Ophelia’s status as her illegitimate child, and since I was a full-fledged Count’s daughter, there was no objection whatsoever.

Obviously, the lives of the Duke and his wife were also spared.

It was a really funny situation to be married without knowing that I saved their lives, though this was also an opportunity.​​‘If it was Ophelia… I am sure that she would have obediently accepted.’

If she were that child, she would not have rebelled at all because what she had been receiving from the Countess all along was neglect and abuse. The harsh life of marriage will also be endured by the child’s characteristic, hardened wick, without complaining to Cassius once.

‘I have to do the opposite.’

I immediately followed the maid.

She complained, saying it was rude for the maid not to dress me appropriately when I was going to see the Duchess, but I did not care.

I am certain she is going to pour some tea on my head, so what is the use of decorating it pretty?

The maid let out her sighs and led me to the tea-time spot, which was the huge conservatory.

The greenhouse was filled with colorful flowers, yet strangely, it did not smell at all. It was not to hide the aroma of tea, but for some reason, it overlapped with the inhumane behavior of Cassius, which gave me goosebumps.

“Welcome.”​​Duchess Brudenell smiled gracefully at me.

“How have you been?”

“Yes.”

I answered simply, wondering when the bad news would fall.

The Duchess let out a soft laugh.

“You do not have to be so nervous. I did not call you to reprimand you, Young Lady.”

“…Then, what is it you called me for?”

I licked my dry lips.

My body, stiff from tension, felt unnatural.

“Garneid Young Lady, I will speak succinctly.”​​The Duchess gave me a strange glance.

It was clear that Cassius Brudenell’s shiny golden eyes were inherited from his mother.

“Young Lady, this is the first time my son has truly loved someone.”

Clink.

At her words, I dropped an expensive teacup that has been passed down from generation to generation on the marble floor.

“I, I apologize.”

“It is okay. It is not very valuable.”

Saying so, Duchess Brudenell gracefully waved her hand. She seemed to think that the cause of my panic was breaking the teacup.

No way. Obviously, that would not be the case.

My goal was to put the Duke of Brudenell at risk, so if I broke a teacup and inflicted a loss, I’d be happy to have my arms crossed.​​I swallowed only dry saliva.

I cannot believe it is the first time Cassius Brudenell has truly fallen in love with someone.

I wanted to deny it, but the words did not come out.

If she changes it to obsession instead of love, she would be right. And, for Cassius Brudenell, an obsession was synonymous with love.

“Seeing how surprised you are, it seems that the Young Lady herself must not have known either.”

“….”

Duchess Brudenell then called in the maid to clean up the broken cup and bring in a new cup. And soon, in front of me was a cup that looked ten times more expensive than what I had broken.

I was not stupid, so I quickly realized the implications.

‘Try to waste the Duke of Brudenell’s wealth as much as you want.’

After all, they were rich enough to hire any craftsmen they wanted, no matter how much money they wasted, so I could just try to dry their sea of money.

“That was what I thought. Though… Young Lady does not have any feelings for my son, right?”

“….”

Silence again.

As I was nervous, the strength went straight into my back.

The Duchess of Brudenell was by no means an easy match. She was, in a way, a more difficult opponent than Cassius.

At least, Cassius was obsessed with me, but the Duchess will judge whether I would be of any help to him and them.

“As expected, that is true.”​​The Duchess let out a small sigh.

“I had high expectations for you…”

“What did you expect?”

At my words, the Duchess’ golden eyes narrowed and she spoke, “Young Lady would have noticed, too.”

“I do not know.”

I answered honestly because I really did not know what the Duchess wanted from me. Well, I do not think she would be telling me to film the love of the century with Cassius.

“My son has been emotionless since childhood.”

I did not know what to say, so I stayed still.

Emotions…

Doesn’t the Duchess not think obsession is an emotion?

“But, the same was true for him.”

I did not ask who ‘he’ was. Essentially, there was only one person whom the Duchess could call so friendly.

…Duke of Brudenell.

The protagonist of the love story that shook up the Empire in the past, and in the original story, a man who became a vegetative man by the hand of his son.

She paused for a moment.

“I remembered the first time I met him. At that time, I thought there was no one like this. He did not seem to be interested in anything.”

“I see.”

“However, after meeting me, it changed… the great Duke of Brudenell.”

I could not figure out why all of a sudden I had to listen to the duchess’ love story, although I responded politely.

“That is incredible.”

“I did not mean to hear that kind of answer.” She said, snorting.

“Anyway, that was the point. The men of the Brudenell family truly are beasts until they fall in love.”

“…Pardon?”

Hearing that, my mouth widened.

Beast… What?

As if the Duchess had expected my reaction, she shrugged.

“Well… I understand why Young Lady hates my son. Sometimes, I get goosebumps myself. It felt like he would kill anything to get what he wanted.”

“….”

I was at a loss for words.

It was not because the Duchess’ words were outrageous.

It was because it was so accurate…

In the original novel, Cassius Brudenell really turned the Duke and Duchess of Brudenell into vegetative humans because he wanted to marry Ophelia.

It really fits the Duchess’s conjecture.

“But, after he fell in love with the Young Lady, my son has changed. He will continue to change in the future.”

“So… you are telling me to love Lord Cassius?”

“No.”

The Duchess shook her head.

“I cannot ask for such things from the Young Lady.”

My chest was pounding with tension.

If it was not love, what would the great Duchess of Brudenell want…?

“Then, what is it?”

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