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"Do you even know how much the Prince Regent hates being approached by women? And you you want to be his consort?" Fletcher''s voice dripped with scorn as he tore into her. "Who do you think you are? What makes you think getting close to him won''t make him want to slit your throat on the spot?”
He stepped forward, eyes sharp, words cruel. "A lowborn girl like you should go back to your embroidery hoop and stop dreaming up these ridiculous schemes. I don''t have time to listen to your nonsense. Get out”
"I know one of the Prince Regent''s secrets," Isabelle said suddenly, her voice calm, precise. "If I use it, he won''t reject me."
Fletcher narrowed his eyes, lips twisting into a cold smile. "You know a secret of his? What could you possibly know?"
"I got it from Eliza," Isabelle replied, not a flicker of guilt on her face, not a tremor in her voice.
"Eliza?" Fletcher''s expression darkened. "Didn''t the two of you fall out over that incident? Why would she tell you anything?"
"It''s true we had a falling out," Isabelle said with practicedposure. "But Eliza''s too soft-hearted. All I had to do was cry in front of her, and she forgave me."
"Of course it''s true," Isabelle said. "If you don''t believe me, feel free to send
someone to verify it. We met again this afternoon, talked things through, and she forgave me. I even escorted her to Regent''s Manor afterward."
Fletcher stroked his chin, thoughtful. "So? Wh
this
you
secret I im to know?"
Isabelle offered a ''smile that was just a little too sweet. "Forgive me, I can''t say yet. If I told you now, it might get you into trouble."
At that, Fletcher instantly lost interest in prying further. "Fine, have it your way."
"So... about what I mentioned earlier..."
Fletcher cut her off. "The Prince Regent isn''t someone you mess with lightly. I''m not risking everything for a lowborn daughter like you. If you really want to be his woman, then make hime ask me himself. If he says he wants you, I''ll step aside."
''Old fox,* Isabelle cursed inwardly. Always leaves no cracks to squeeze through. But that was fine. Even if it wouldn''t be easy, she had her ways.
What neither Nn nor Eliza knew yet was that they''d both just been dragged into Isabelle''s schemes without the slightest warning.
At that very moment, Eliza was in the study at Regent''s Manor, calmly reporting to Nn everything about Gilbert- including the deal they struck.
Nn leaned back, a faint smile curling his lips. "And you''re confident going up against him on your own?"
"I''m not exactly alone," Eliza replied, chewing a piece of pastry before continuing. "I''ve got Tina. She''s more than enough to make up for what Ick. I may not be the best in a fight, but Tina''s strong-and when you add my poisons into the mix, Gilbert won''t know what hit him."
"Good. If you think you can handle it, I won''t interfere," Nn said. "But if anything goes wrong, I want you toe to me- no hesitation, no matter what happens. Understood?"
Eliza nodded hard and kept nibbling her pastry.
"That''s the only reason you came to see me today?" Nn asked after a pause.
11:08 Thu, 17 Apr
"That''s right. Just this."
Ungrateful brat, Nn thought, amused. And here I was hoping she came
because she missed me.
85%餘
Still, he didn''t really expect her to figure things out so quickly. The road ahead was long, and with Eliza, it would have to be taken one step at a time.
"Oh, that reminds me," Nn added. "I do have a piece of news for you.
"What is it?" Eliza stopped mid-bite and looked up with interest.
With practiced case, Nn reached out and wiped a crumb from the corner of her mouth with his fingertips. She stiffened slightly, instinctively leaning back-but before she could fully retreat, he said calmly, "One of my men recently tracked down a member of the Padi family-from the ones who once lived in Hasen City."
Eliza froze. Her entire body went still. "Wait... Really?"
"Of course," Nn said, withdrawing his hand and dabbing his fingers with a handkerchief. ''Do I look like someone who''d lie to you?"
“No-it''s just...” Eliza shook her head quickly. “I''m shocked, that''s all."
She wasn''t doubting him-but as far as she knew, all members of the Padi family in Hasen City had long since been wiped out, except for a few distant rtives who fled years ago. The idea that someone from the original family had survived-it was staggering.
"Want to go see him?" Nn asked. "He''s not far. Just outside Hasen City."- "Right outside...?" Eliza murmured, then said quickly, "Yes. I want to see him." If this person really was from her mother''s side of the family, she had to know. "Alright. Let''s head out now," Nn said. "I already had the carriage prepared." He had expected this reaction. He knew Eliza so well by now, sometimes it felt like he knew her better than she knew herself. She was still caught up in her thoughts when, two hourster, the carriage rolled up to the outskirts of Vonalo Vige.
What a coincidence.
If she had time after the visit, she might as well look for the old man too.
Soon, the carriage stopped outside a modest farmhouse with a wooden fence.
"Mr. Padi-another fancy visitor for you!" someone called out.
Visits like this weren''t unusual in Vonalo Vige. People often came looking for Mki Padi.
But when Eliza heard that name, her eyes widened.
''Wait... could this Mki, the herbalist Jackson mentioned, be the same Padi from Hasen City Nn was talking about?''
"I''ming, I''ming-who is it this time?" a weathered old voice called from inside the house. "I''m too old for this, I can''t-"
An elderly man stepped out, grumbling as he moved toward the gate. But the moment he looked up and saw Eliza stepping down from the carriage, he froze.
A young girl''s face ovepped in his mind with a woman long gone. 11.00 TITU, TAPT
And then, barely above a whisper, he callerd out with trembling rence Gestion is
fur pones
田