Chapter 94

Ellen had a confused face.

“Are you talking about Princess Lillian and Young Master Croix?”

“Yes.”

Payne answered calmly.

He had a thoughtful look on his face as if he was thinking of something.

The subdued gaze contained complex signs that could not be described.

Ellen was even more confused after hearing the answer.

He had heard that there had been an affair between the two before.

Contrary to rumors, however, there was no contact between the Princess and Young Master Croix.

Except that their parents were close friends when they were very young.

At first, no one could not understand why such an indifferent and cold-hearted person as the young master would go all out to help Princess Lillian.

But it made sense if they were childhood friends.

The reason he helped the princess was probably because of old times’ sake.

It was hard to completely understand, but there was no other reason to explain it.

But now that the second prince asked to investigate the relationship between the two... was there something else?

Ellen nodded and answered, hiding the doubts in his mind. “Yes, I understand. I have some work left, so I’ll just leave. Please rest well.”

***

Soon the sun was setting.

The sky was colored with a twilight light, and a crescent moon suddenly appeared. As the sun began to set, the lights of the shops went out and the doors were closed and the people started to leave one by one.

The festival was over at once, and as evening came, the street quickly became quiet.

In the back of the alley, where there were few people, children were gathered.

The children’s attire was shabby and very old.

Some children were barefoot without shoes.

Not only did they look scruffy as if they hadn’t washed for a long time, but they were all thin as if they hadn’t eaten properly.

Normally, no one would have cared about the children.

But today, for some reason, a man stood among them.

He was dressed in a black robe and the hood was pressed down to cover his face.

His clothes were neat and his shoes were clean, so he didn’t look like a slum dweller.

The man gave the children a few coins and said something.

“Do not worry. That’s what we specialize in.”

The child who took the coin had twinkling eyes.

His clothes were messy, but his eyes were bright in the dark.

The man stroked the boy’s head once and got into the carriage.

The carriage he rode into the upper street after running for a while and then stopped in front of a certain building.

The carriage came to a complete stop, and he scrambled down and entered the building.

He walked through a long hallway and opened the door to a room that looked like an office, and inside, someone was sitting at his desk.

It was Noah.

His complexion was haggard, and next to him was a pile of unfinished papers.

He looked up at the man with a tired face and asked.

“Did you have a good trip?”

“Yes.”

The man took off the robe he was wearing only after entering the room.

His face was revealed in the yellow lamp.

The man was the same man with Sarah who had overheard the conversation between the Crown Prince and Roxana a few days ago.

He grumbled in a disgruntled voice.

“It is certainly surprising that the Crown Prince killed and silenced the people for his government, but is there any reason for such a rumor? If the Empress Dowager or the Crown Prince finds out, they will not remain still.”

He glanced at Noah, who didn’t answer, and added.

“Isn’t the risk too high? Why would you want me to do something like that... the master of Hermes said he doesn’t even accept money.”

It was already rumored within the organization that Elvin had told the princess that he would not accept her service money.

The Duke of Lillian was one of the wealthiest families in the Empire, and his daughter was known for being extravagant and vain.

So when the man first found out she had visited the organization, he was thrilled with the idea that he was going to make big bucks sooner or later, but he quickly realized that his expectations were in vain.

In addition, the tasks that the princess commissioned were complicated and mixed with risks.

He was even more dissatisfied when he had to do jobs without knowing what was going on.

Every time the Princess came to the organization, the master would deal with her directly.

Joan looked at me and added.

“It’s only been a few days, so let’s wait a little longer.”

I slowly turned to the next page of the newspaper.

“You haven’t gotten any reply yet?”

“No.”

After a short breakfast, I got up.

“Well, there’s nothing to rush. But it’s not going to be resolved if we keep pushing time.”

“Right.”

Tien nodded as she cleaned the empty dishes.

Joan, who was most startled by the news of the breakup of my marriage, began to express her dissatisfaction and spoke ill about the Crown Prince.

“The Crown Prince will be fine as long as he is there. He had been taking care of that woman so far, but the young lady asked him to break up the marriage, so will things be resolved if he pretends not to know?”

“Even so, His Excellency is upset about that. It seems that he will be entering the palace to attend an audience with His Majesty sooner or later... Maybe when that time comes, even the Crown Prince will not be able to help it.”

***

“The princess was ill again?”

At the empress’s question, the servant quietly nodded her head.

The Empress looked down at her and frowned and clicked her tongue.

She sighed as she touched the flowers in the vase next to the window.

“What was the illness this time?”

“The princess has caught a cold.”

“A cold? In this kind of weather?”

At the words of the Empress, the servant looked out and saw that the sun was shining bright and there was no cloud in the sky.

Perhaps she wasn’t expecting an answer in the first place, as she looked down at the purple petals and sighed.

“Perhaps her body is weak.”

“The soon-to-be Crown Princess is not in good health, so His Highness must be very concerned.”

The woman sitting at the table put down her teacup and said.

The Empress looked back at that moment as if she remembered her existence.

She was a beautiful lady with brown hair.

She had a flower-like face with a pretty figure, and an elegant and virtuous aura added to her, so she couldn’t take her eyes off her.

“In the past, I was weak, so I often suffered from colds. It used to worry people around me. At such times, having someone comfort you by your side is a great help. When I was sick, my husband stayed by my side all night. I was really grateful for that.”

“Are you talking about the Grand Duke of Croix?”

The Empress asked with a surprised face.

Then the Grand Duchess of Croix smiled softly.

A look of shyness appeared on her face, perhaps recalling the memories of that time.

“Yes.”

She was not young anymore, but she was undoubtedly

as beautiful as one.

“I can’t imagine.”

The empress blinked her eyes as if she did not believe it.

The Grand Duke of Croix had a reputation for being cold and indifferent.

And when she met him, he was indeed cold and arrogant.

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t imagine such a man would watch and nurse his wife all night.

But looking at the woman in front of her, she seemed to understand a little.

It would be hard to find a woman as beautiful and tender as the Grand Duchess anywhere else.

She was smart and quick-witted, so it was natural to be cherished.

Even the empress herself a woman, she couldn’t take her eyes off the lovely Grand Duchess.

“The time has already come. I have an appointment with my husband, so I’ll leave first.”

The Grand Duchess of Croix stood up after looking at the clock on the wall once.

“I had a good time thanks to Your Majesty. It will be a pleasure if you call me again next time.”

“I have received a good present. The tea was very good and fragrant.”

“I am glad that you liked it. Let me know when the tea leaves run out. We will have someone send it to you.”

“Thank you always.”

“No, the pleasure is all mine. Then I’ll leave. Rest well.”

The empress looked thoughtful for a moment, as if thinking about something.

She then immediately instructed the attendant by her side.

“Call the Crown Prince.”