My goodness, is this really the same love-struck young lady?!
Jenny was stunned by her own mistress, then she solemnly bowed to Duchess Nola and apologized, “Mistress, I misunderstood you.”
“Ouch!”
Without exception, Nola gave her a sharp smack on the head.
“What did you take me for? You deserve a beating!”
“Hehe.”
Rubbing her head, Jenny then whispered, “Then how do we tell where this earring came from?”
Nola didn’t answer her but instead went straight to a jewelry store in the city.
She took out the earring and handed it to the shop owner, who had been dozing off but suddenly perked up.
He pulled out a magnifying glass and carefully examined the piece.
Not long after, his expression grew more and more shocked, followed by excitement.
“My goodness, this craftsmanship… it’s at least master-level, and the material is extremely precious—a kind of enchanted diamond with innate magical power. Wearing it long-term can beautify the skin and slow aging.”
“Miss, you should have another pair of these earrings, right? Are you selling? I can pay top price!”
Setting the jewelry down, the owner rubbed his hands eagerly, his face full of excitement.
He wasn’t exaggerating. In decades of running this jewelry store, he had never seen something of this level before.
Honestly, the total value of all the jewelry in his shop combined wouldn’t amount to half the value of this single earring set.
Whoever could afford such jewelry must be an incredibly high-ranking and prestigious figure!
Nola retrieved the earrings under the owner’s reluctant gaze and asked, “I just want to know where they most likely originated.”
Not for sale?
The owner’s burning gaze instantly dimmed, and even his eagerness to discuss it lessened until two gold coins were tossed onto his counter, spinning around.
“The Imperial Capital.”
He said:
“This kind of master-level craftsmanship is almost exclusively found in the Imperial Capital. It’s also the main source of this rare material. So the earrings most likely come from there.”
“Thanks.”
With her answer in hand, Nola smiled and walked out of the jewelry store.
Just as she had suspected, the owner of these earrings was from the Empire.
The Academy or the Archmage Tower options didn’t seem plausible at all, especially since Marquess Vanessa was an imperial noble, so connections there were unlikely.
“Miss, this is exactly what you guessed!”
Jenny was so surprised she was nearly speechless.
“Heh, she’s in the Imperial Capital of the Aos Empire, with a status higher than mine, and still young… so that leaves just a few possibilities.”
She knew the current Imperial Queen had no heirs, so that young lady was either a noble minister from the imperial upper echelon or someone from the Oracle Hall.
“Then, I’ll host a banquet in the Imperial Capital under my name and status, inviting all the major nobles.”
She smiled faintly.
“Hopefully, I’ll see her there.”
Nobles, or someone from the Oracle Hall?
Really hard to guess.
……
Outside the Imperial Capital, deep within the Crimson Forest, a carriage bearing the Guerrero Family crest sped quietly along the road.
Inside the carriage, a white-haired girl rested her chin on her hand, silently gazing out the window. Beside her, a maid said:
“Miss, once we pass through this forest, we’ll reach the Aos Empire’s Imperial Capital. We can rest there for a day before heading to Marquess Vanessa’s territory.”
“Mm.”
The white-haired girl was Fili, sent by the Guerrero Family to investigate and replace Marquess Vanessa.
She was the most promising descendant according to the Elders.
But at this moment, her expression was indifferent, her eyes dull.
“Miss, your management skills are so outstanding. If you replace Marquess Vanessa, you’ll surely govern her territory well.”
“Maybe. Vanessa isn’t as simple as she seems.”
When speaking of Vanessa, there was a trace of envy in her tone, though the maid didn’t notice.
“Really? Vanessa’s so arrogant, how could she compare to you? You’re loved by the masters of the Guerrero Family. Many young ladies are jealous of you.”
“Loved? That’s only because I’m obedient.”
Fili’s gaze darkened.
“Who says? Many young ladies are obedient, but the masters only favor you. Don’t you feel that, Miss?”
She certainly felt it.
The Elders had no interest in those other young ladies because their obedience was only skin-deep; they had the qualifications for rebellion in private.
But she did not.
She had lost her parents since childhood, her wings clipped. Besides obeying the Elders, she had no other choice.
The Elders liked her only because she was easy to control.
It was as if her life had been arranged from the start; every step she took had nothing to do with her own will. Living like this, she didn’t know what the point was.
Sigh—
Ahead came the neighing of horses, and the once-speeding carriage stopped.
Fili withdrew her gaze from the window and asked, “What’s going on?”
“I’ll go check.”
The maid stood, opened the carriage door, but before stepping down, she turned back and shouted in panic:
“Miss, it’s bandits! Get down quickly!”
Pale-faced, Fili immediately stood and moved toward the door.
But as she approached, a sharp pain struck her chest, and soon she felt a warm flow soaking her clothes.
Looking down with difficulty, she found a dagger piercing her chest, held by the maid beside her.
With disbelief, she looked at the maid and said, “You… why…?”
“Miss, I had no choice. They offered too much.”
As if worried her mistress wouldn’t die, the maid smiled and pulled the dagger out to stab her again.
Only when Fili tumbled down the carriage steps and blood stained the ground did the maid stop, satisfied.
“Rest easy, Miss. After you die, I’ll erect a memorial for you. Consider it repayment for all the years you’ve cared for me.”
“They”?
Lying on the filthy, messy dirt, Fili’s consciousness blurred, but she still knew who the maid meant by “they”—those “obedient” young ladies.
They envied her favor with the Elders and saw her as the family’s greatest enemy.
Today, they finally couldn’t bear it anymore and acted to eliminate her.
…Ridiculous.
No one truly cared about her, and no one truly liked her.
Born into such a great family, she was a tragedy from start to finish.
Dying like this was fine.
Her life of manipulation had finally… ended.
No longer struggling, before Fili’s consciousness completely faded into darkness, what she saw was the maid’s arrogant smile, a black figure approaching, and a chilling yet comforting fragrance, as if mixed with moonlight and herbs.