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nChapter 159

nProofreader: somnium

n“Tia?”

nCedric called her curiously.

nArtizea tried to stand up from her seat. She couldn’t possibly be keeping a casual face, so she decided she would avoid the spot altogether.

nBefore that, Cedric stood up first and held her hand.

n“What’s wrong?”

n“It’s nothing.”

nArtizea tried to suppress her agitation.

n“Are you not feeling well?”

n“No. I’ve got some work to do. I want to rest upstairs.”

nArtizea said it without thinking. She was not ready to talk about the child.

nCedric pulled her up. And he gently hugged her.

n“I’m not going to force you to talk, so just stay.”

nArtizea hardened her body. She then gave strength to push Cedric.

nThen, thankfully, Freil entered the sunroom.

nFreil said after looking at the two of them for a moment.

n“Should I come back in 30 minutes?”

n“No.”

nArtizea shook Cedric’s hand away. Cedric frowned slightly.

nFreil shrugged his shoulders. Cedric didn’t say anything, but he didn’t want to be called a bother.

n“What’s going on?”

n“Her Grace has a visitor.”

n“Tia would have decided not to see anyone for a while.”

n“Someone brought a message from the East from an old friend.”

nArtizea calmed her expression. Her coolness returned.

nAn old friend was a reference to Rye Fidget.

nWhen he moved to the East, Artizea gave him the last task of finding one thing.

nIt doesn’t matter if he doesn’t find it quickly, she said. Because the thing lived in hiding, she didn’t think he would be able to find the thing easily.

nHowever, Rye seemed to have quickly fulfilled his part.

n“An old friend?”

nCedric asked. Freil looked at Artizea with a slightly perplexed face.

nArtizea doesn’t want to tell Cedric, and she shakes her head lightly.

n“I have to go.”

n“…….”

nCedric didn’t know what Artizea was trying to do, but he chose not to interfere.

nInstead, he held her hand and pressed his lips lightly to her cheek.

n“Don’t overdo it. Not only physically, but also mentally. If you care too much, you will get tired.”

n“…… Yes.”

n“Do you have anything else you want to tell me?”

nArtizea hesitated a bit. It wasn’t clear whether Cedric was talking about the news Rye had sent, or a trivial greeting, or perhaps more importantly, the most important issue she’s currently avoiding.

n“Good luck with the meeting.”

nArtizea chose the second and said.

nCedric smiled.

nArtizea turned away from him and hurriedly left the room.

nShe felt the creeping sensation in her stomach again. The air bubbles seemed to tap her heart.

n＊＊＊

nFreil brought the messenger sent by Rye Fidget to Grand Duke Evron’s residence.

nHad it been before her pregnancy, he wouldn’t have brought outsiders into the mansion.

nBut now, it was not a good choice to leave the mansion and go to a safe house.

nThe two crossed the quiet backyard and headed for the annex.

nWhen the estate landscaping was remodeled, Artizea also had the outbuildings repaired.

nAnd she hid a passage.

nAt first glance, it looked like they were considerate enough to create a trail in the backyard to make walking more enjoyable.

nHowever, if they choose a specific path and walk on it, they will be covered by tall trees.

nNow that the road was completed, it was impossible to tell who was going in and out even by looking through a binocular from the outside.

nFrom the main building to the annex, it was possible to move through an underground road.

nIn other words, it meant that there was a way out of the main building, and out of the annex without anyone’s notice.

nThere were three other similar secret passages. One of them was a blatant secret passage, and the other was a real emergency passage.

n“I brought him blindfolded, so he won’t know where he came in.”

nFreil said as if making excuses for Artizea, fearing that Artizea wouldn’t like to allow an untrustworthy person to use the secret passage.

nArtizea just nodded her head.

nThen she put on the veil that Freil had handed her in front of the annex, and smoothed her hair into the net.

nShe draped a black cloak lightly over her clothes.

nIf the other person is not an idiot, he will guess her identity. However, there is an immeasurable difference between thinking “maybe” and being certain “yes”.

nA man, blindfolded with an eye covering, was sitting in the reception room of the annex uncharacteristically.

nHe was young, and his appearance was ordinary. His face was sunburned. It proved that the excruciating fatigue from his rough hands limping and sweat soaking all over his body was not solely due to the long journey.

nArtizea looked carefully at the man’s figure. The thing that remains in her memory is this man’s younger sister, but looking at his appearance alone, the person she was looking at was definitely the right one.

nFreil handed Artizea two envelopes.

nOne was a letter of introduction that Rye handed over to this man.

nThe person you’re looking for was not completely hidden. You’ll hear the news soon.

nHis parents had already died, and his sister’s side married early and joined her husband’s household. An ordinary merchant family.

nI don’t know about other blood relatives yet.

nEnclosed is a copy of the parent’s family register and the person’s birth certificate kept at the temple here.

nArtizea put the papers back into the envelope, put it down, and said.

n“Release the blindfold.”

nFreil loosened the man’s blindfold.

nThe man tried not to roll his eyes. He seemed to know well that looking around was never a noble act.

nHe straightened his back and tried to act confidently. Curiosity and embarrassment were etched on his face.

nHe knows that not being able to act nobly will be a weakness for him.

nHe must have been educated on etiquette from an early childhood. After that, he must have worked like a commoner, and made his own meals with his own hands.

nSo Artizea could guess that his parents worked hard to keep their children from forgetting their old glory.

nArtizea said softly.

n“Nice to meet you.”

nShe knew that the man was wary of her. But she wasn’t too worried.

nWithout revenge and ambition, he wouldn’t have come here with a letter of introduction.

n“Camellia Heir Apparent.”

nThe man’s body twitched and convulsed, knowing why she was looking for him.

nIan, the man called the Camellia Heir Apparent, clenched his fists nervously without realizing it.

n“Do you know me?”

n“Yes, of course I know. Do you not know what this document you brought with you is?”

n“…….”

nIan could not open the tightly sealed documents. But he was just guessing.

nIf he wasn’t a descendant of the Camellia family, why would a stranger pay his debts? Also, why would a stranger give him a sum of money and make him run an errand to bring papers to the capital?

nEven as he was blindfolded and put in the carriage where the papers had been handed over, he was guessing roughly as he stepped on the fluffy carpet.

nShe had called him because of the Marquisate Camellia.

nIan’s mother was the eldest daughter of the previous marquis. Had it not been for the Marquis of Luden, the present Marchioness Camellia would have been his mother.

nBut it was already in the past.

nHis mother fell down and died. It looked like an accident. However, the only people who didn’t acknowledge that it was an assassination were the former marquis who had eyes for the second wife.

nAfter that, his father took Ian and Ian’s sister and ran away at night.

nThat was when Ian was 5 years old.

nIan didn’t know what happened to his uncles and cousins.

nAll he knew was that Marchioness Camellia continued to monitor them as they fled.

nPerhaps even if they survived, they probably wouldn’t be living a very comfortable life.

n“Who are you?”

nAfter thinking about it, Ian squeezed the question out.

nHe knew very little about the state of the capital. He did not know the faces of the ladies well.

n“Wrong, Heir Apparent.”

n“Wrong, you mean?”

n“I have brought you here to do you a favor. It means that Heir Apparent is not in a position to ask me first.”

nIan took a deep breath.

n“Are you saying that you will do me a favor because you need me anyway?”

n“Yes.”

n“And the reason I need it is to cause a dispute with the current Marquisate Camellia.”

n“That’s right, too.”

n“Madam is already using me just by bringing me here. I didn’t even know where I was going to be.”

n“…….”

n“But how can you say that I am wrong for asking first?”

nArtizea did not answer for a moment.

nIan said the rest while at it.

n“Also, I don’t know who madam is, how can I be sure that what madam is doing is a favor?”

nHow can he be sure that the woman in front of him, with her face covered, is not Marchioness Camellia?

nPerhaps, Marchioness Camellia herself, had summoned him to sprout the conflict.

nWhile telling him to forget the name Camellia, his father in his whole life, would always tell him.

n“Don’t be hopeful. Don’t even think about getting revenge. Even if Grand Duke Roygar falls, even if Marquis Luden also falls, what can we do now?”

n“Father.”

n“Wealth is good to have, but it is not more important than peace of mind. What’s the point of going back to such a battlefield? This father just wants you and your sister to find a good person and lives happily ever after.”

nIan nodded his head at that.

nBut when he thinks about it now, it was different.

nLittle Ian could not have known the true meaning of the words ‘hope’ or ‘revenge’.

nNevertheless, Ian never forgot those two words.

nIn the end, his father also regarded it as a ‘hope’ to reclaim Marquisate Camellia.

nThat’s why he came all the way here, though he knew it could be dangerous.

nThe sign of Artizea’s smile was felt beyond the veil.

n“You are a thoughtful person.”

n“Madam.”

n“It is better to be thoughtful than foolish. You seem to already have a good grasp of what you have and what you don’t have, so let’s be honest.”

nArtizea said.

n“My purpose is to disturb Marquisate Camellia. I don’t expect it to be knocked down. If possible, I would like to harm the honor of the family and prevent them from raising their heads.”

nIan tilted his head.

n“That said…… , are you saying you’re not interested in taking over Marquisate Camellia?”

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