NIYTR 51

Chapter 51

The Limping Woman

“What’s all the fuss about?” Rosemary frowned, her irritation plain.

“All the flowers in the garden have… have wilted!”

“What?”

Rosemary slammed the table and shouted. She bit her lip, then suddenly asked, her eyes wide,

“Don’t tell me—the hyacinths too?”

“Yes…”

When Jane replied that even the hyacinths had wilted, Rosemary’s face twisted in shock.

“The hyacinths were perfectly fine this morning—why all of a sudden! What were you even doing to take care of them?”

Her voice rose, sharp with frustration, and Jane squeezed her eyes shut.

“Sister.”

Edelweiss called to Rosemary in a voice full of sympathy.

“Don’t get too upset—go check on them first. I have things to do, so I’ll get going.”

“…Alright. See you next time.”

Biting her lip, Rosemary left to inspect the flowerbeds, leaning on Jane for support.

Just before leaving the room, Edelweiss took the ruby necklace and slipped it into her sleeve.

The green butterfly perched on Edelweiss’s finger, folding its wings, as if asking for praise for a job well done.

“You really drew her attention. Good job.”

Edelweiss spoke fondly, amused by the butterfly’s cuteness.

Soon after, as she was about to board her carriage, the coachman tilted his head and handed her an envelope—completely sealed, with no clue as to its contents.

“Young Miss, a maid named Jane asked me to give this to you if you came by.”

Edelweiss climbed into the carriage and opened the envelope to check inside.

‘So Jane’s finally made her decision.’

Inside the envelope were documents—evidence of Rosemary’s embezzlement and the double ledger showing how she’d siphoned off charity funds to create her own secret slush fund.

The amount was considerable.

As the carriage rolled along, Edelweiss carefully read through the double ledger.

The money Rosemary had embezzled over two years was almost enough to purchase a mine.

‘…She gave it all to Count Sandor.’

Almost all of it had gone to Count Sandor—a truly touching display of filial piety.

‘If it’s revealed that Count Sandor is her real father and these double ledgers come to light, the scandal will be enormous.’

Edelweiss wanted to expose it all right away, but she restrained herself for the sake of the perfect timing.

A letter from Rosemary’s biological mother to Count Sandor, and the double ledger—these alone weren’t enough to completely ruin Rosemary.

Edelweiss pondered what to do about the ruby necklace.

She considered simply hiding it and waiting for Empress Roxanne to ask Rosemary if she’d lost it.

‘But Rosemary will notice the ruby necklace is missing right away.’

Since she had left the room with Jane, Rosemary would be certain Edelweiss—who had been alone in the room—was the one who took it.

Then Rosemary would definitely go to Empress Roxanne and cry injustice, mentioning Edelweiss by name.

‘Maybe I can use that situation.’

Edelweiss thought carefully: what kind of scenario would make it seem like Rosemary deliberately framed her?

As she pondered, Edelweiss spotted Countess Lumire, Empress Roxanne’s younger sister, entering Quentin House.

Quentin House—an anonymous, extravagant auction house where everyone wore masks.

‘Why would Countess Lumire be going there… Oh.’

She remembered something Isabella had told her in a past life.

‘Edelweiss, look at this white fox—Aunt got it for me!’

‘Aunt? You mean Countess Lumire? From where?’

‘Yeah, I told Mother I wanted to raise a white fox, so she asked Aunt, and Aunt went to an auction at Quentin House and got it for me.’

Now Edelweiss understood why Countess Lumire was headed to the auction.

‘Even after Isabella’s death, the Empress wants to get her that white fox.’

That’s how much Empress Roxanne longed for Isabella.

‘If this ruby necklace is auctioned today, Countess Lumire will recognize it instantly.’

Edelweiss bought a robe from a nearby stall, pulled up the hood, and entered Quentin House wearing a mask.

She went to the owner’s room to consign the necklace for auction, deliberately limping as Rosemary did.

“You’re saying you want to put this ruby necklace up for auction?”

She nodded slightly, lips sealed, not letting her voice be heard.

“You won’t even give me your name, but want to donate something like this and participate in the auction…?”

“……”

“Are you serious?”

The owner gave her a puzzled look, but Edelweiss offered no further answer, simply limping out of the room.

She felt his gaze linger on her leg—she’d been limping on purpose since she entered, just for this.

‘Countess Lumire will definitely ask who consigned the ruby necklace. And the owner will answer: “A limping woman brought it in, moving urgently.”’

Edelweiss entered the auction hall and sat behind Countess Lumire.

As the countess, delighted after winning the white fox, stood to leave—

“We will now begin the auction of a ruby necklace made with stones from the Dino Mine! The starting bid: 50,000 crowns!”

The owner of Quentin House presented the ruby necklace.

Naturally, Countess Lumire immediately recognized it and sat back down.

“60,000 crowns!”

“70,000 thousand crowns!”

She watched the price climb rapidly, then raised her hand with determination.

“100,000 crowns.”

In the end, the ruby necklace was won by Countess Lumire.

‘If they go this far to recover it, will the Lumire family send the Stern family a separate bill?’

A hundred thousand crowns, converted to gold, was a dizzying amount.

After the auction ended, Edelweiss saw Countess Lumire seek out the owner of Quentin House.

In the luxurious hall adorned with grand chandeliers, there were private rooms where secret deals took place.

Edelweiss entered one of the private rooms, took off her mask, and threw it into the fireplace prepared at one side of the auction hall.

She waited until the mask was reduced to ashes, then pulled her robe tightly around herself and slipped out during the confusion.

When she returned to the Marchioness of Blossomweaver’s residence, a maid from the Marquess of Riche’s household was waiting for her.

“My lady wishes to formally thank you for your help last time. She asked if it would be alright for you to visit whenever convenient.”

Edelweiss thought for a moment.

‘She even gave me a fountain pen. She really doesn’t have to go out of her way for this. Is she still thinking about the help I gave concerning the Marchioness of Riche’s matter?’

It hadn’t been a particularly difficult favor, and Edelweiss had benefited quite a bit herself.

“If it’s about the Marchioness of Riche’s matter, please tell her there’s really no need to worry about it.”

She initially refused, wondering if she had made the lady feel unnecessarily indebted.

At Edelweiss’s answer, the maid looked troubled, as if the young lady had a particularly important reason for insisting on a meeting.

“What date did she say would be convenient?”

“She said she would do her best to match your schedule, young lady.”

It was a little curious, but she couldn’t refuse such sincerity.

‘If she’s gone so far as to send a maid and match my schedule, there must be something urgent.’

She didn’t know what it was, but whatever the young lady from the Marquess of Riche’s family wanted to give her, it didn’t seem ordinary.

“Please tell her to come around noon tomorrow.”

The maid’s face brightened.

“Yes, I’ll let her know, young lady.”