CH 28
There was no vase.
Marienne scanned Odette’s private lounge, which was far nicer than the public ladies’ lounge. No matter how many times she closed and opened her eyes, the situation didn’t change.
“What in the world is going on?”
Unable to give up, Marienne crawled around the lounge floor.
If the furniture were flush with the floor, she might have pinned her hopes on that instead of the vase. But every piece of furniture that looked heavy enough had legs.
Getting angry because the plot was deviating from the original novel was a new experience.
Even if the culprit had the earring now, shouldn’t the vase the footman said he left behind still be here?
“At this rate, I’ll have no choice but to strip that bastard again.”
The shameless face of that northern bastard came to mind. The missing earring, which she had only found disappointing because it wasn’t Vileon’s to find, was now infuriating, knowing it was the northerner’s own setup.
“He’s putting his people through all this trouble. How many have been mobilized by now? And after all this, he’s the one who gets to win Odette’s trust?”
A sudden realization flashed through her mind.
So this is why the book description had the ‘Scheming Man’ keyword! I was wondering why he was the Scheming Man when Odette was the one constantly using her head while the northern bastard just used his body.
Marienne lamented her late understanding. At the same time, she was furious.
‘You should be scheming to protect the female lead, but what? You push her into a pit you dug yourself, and then you’re the one who saves her?’
What kind of Scheming Man is that? The very definition is wrong.
In Marienne Didi’s world, a guy like that is called a villain.
“That bastard… black hair, black heart.”
Marienne threw open the lounge door in a fury. Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. It was true.
She had only been cursing the northern bastard in her head, and there he was, standing large as life beyond the doorway.
“Crazy Rabbit, shall we talk?”
◇ ◆ ◇
That bastard Cain must have been following her on purpose. Marienne guessed as much from the look on his face when the door opened.
Cain Blackwood looked bored. Like someone who had grown tired of waiting for the person inside to finally open the door and come out.
“You’re aware that this is the Fourth Princess’s private lounge, provided by the Opera House, I presume.”
Cain stepped inside, one foot at a time. Marienne stood her ground, not backing away. The distance between them closed until her nose was nearly touching his chest.
Then came that familiar scent of cold northern winds, snowy fields, and broken branches.
‘Th-this… this damn cliché! How would I even know what a snowy field smells like! I’ve never smelled one in my life. So why do I recognize it as the scent of a snowy field!’
Marienne glared at him, her eyes filled with rage. She was steadily pushed backward.
It was only natural. The man was a monster who could stop a freight wagon with his bare hands. He could probably flick Marienne Didi’s tiny body away with his pinky finger.
“You’re aware my fiancée is still in the box seat. I’d like to hear why the Chancellor’s Third Aide is emerging from the Princess’s empty lounge.”
Cain closed the door behind him. A soft click echoed as the lock engaged.
“Searching for the earring, of course.”
Instead of taking another step back, Marienne tilted her head as far back as she could to look up at him.
“Weren’t we all looking for the earring, Duke Blackwood?”
“What’s gotten into you today? You’ve been using proper honorifics from the start.”
“The southeasterly winds were blowing this morning.”
Marienne suddenly stepped away from him and snapped open her fan. She didn’t wave it gracefully like Chloise, but with enough force to blow him away.
“I’ve answered you. Now it’s my turn to ask. Why have you, an engaged man, blocked my path and locked the door?”
Marienne tilted her head.
“This is a situation where the more people we have searching, the better.”
“…Did the Byers Family concoct some kind of intelligence-boosting potion for you?”
The corner of Cain’s mouth twisted.
“You suddenly sound like my fiancée.”
“How could I possibly compare myself to Her Highness, the noble and brilliant Princess?”
“You certainly can’t.”
Cain cut her off sharply.
“Odette Rose is ten thousand times more brilliant than you, Crazy Rabbit.”
Not ten times, but ten thousand? That’s a bit harsh. What am I, a trilobite?
Marienne pressed her lips together tightly. It was the only way to stop the curses from spilling out.
“We both have questions for each other. Let’s not waste time and get straight to the point.”
Cain told Marienne to drop the act. He then added that she could ask her question first. He would speak after hearing what she had to say.
It was annoying, but he was right.
He had deliberately followed her. And she wanted to confirm the earring’s whereabouts.
“You hid the earring, didn’t you?”
“….”
“Your turn.”
“….”
“Cat got your tongue?”
“…Do you know the secret of my hair?”
The question exchange was over. Marienne told him it was his turn to answer, but Cain shot her down without mercy.
“No, you first.”
He really was an insufferable bastard.
“You want to get rid of me. Yet you didn’t reveal my secret to Priest Anais on the day of the engagement ceremony. Why?”
Cain’s voice dropped low.
“And how do you know my secret?”
So he even knew she’d run into Priest Anais. Marienne’s fanning became agitated. He’d been receiving reports on her movements since then.
A wave of irritation washed over her.
Odette was the original female lead, her decisions were always justified, and she was the woman Vileon loved.
Therefore, it was fine for Marienne to be swayed by Odette. After all, everyone in the empire was one of Odette’s chess pieces.
But being played in the palm of that bastard Cain’s hand was another story entirely.
“The only thing I want to get rid of is your hair, not you.”
“That’s…”
“If Cain Blackwood dies, who will protect the North? Besides, Leslie Anais is an associate of the Second Prince. Why would I leak your secret to his faction? That would be like handing them a weapon to use against Odette.”
A strange expression crossed Cain’s face. It was as if he were experiencing genuine confusion for the first time in his life.
So this is the face that northern bastard with a heart of ice makes when he’s completely baffled. Marienne had unexpectedly broadened her horizons.
“In any case, you’re saying you support my fiancée.”
“I’m glad you at least understood that much.”
“Does that also mean if I were to shave my head right now, you would stop bothering me?”
“Yes.”
“You… what on earth.”
Cain muttered, too loudly for it to be a thought just for himself.
“Did you pass the civil service exam by cheating?”
How did the conversation jump to that? Marienne scowled.
“Tell me my secret again, properly this time.”
“The source of Cain Blackwood’s monstrous strength is his long, black hair. The shorter it’s cut, the more his power fades. Satisfied?”
“You really do know. To think I would let you live…”
“Enough.”
Marienne raised her fan and smacked Cain’s mouth with it. Perhaps he was too busy delivering his dramatic line, but he failed to block it.
“You shameless bastard. You think you can just extract information one-sidedly? Now it’s your turn to answer my question.”
Marienne glared at Cain.
“The Fourth Princess’s earring. You hid it, didn’t you?”
Cain met her gaze, a strange light in his eyes.
“And how is it that you know even that?”
“Ha.”
Gotcha, you bastard.
Marienne made no effort to hide her exhaustion.
“Lady Byers knows the truth as well. If I don’t return soon, she’ll come with Sir Byers. Hand it over yourself before his men search you.”
“And if I do?”
“If you do, what?”
“What will you do with it?”
They call him a Scheming Man, but did his brain stop working halfway? Marienne replied as if the answer were obvious.
“Return it to its owner, of course.”
“Then wouldn’t it be simpler for me to give it to the Princess directly, without you as a middleman?”
“No.”
Marienne said flatly.
“This was a setup to make the Fourth Princess feel indebted to you. And you’re going to deliver it to her yourself? That’s just letting you get your way.”
“I’ll confess that it was a setup.”
“Still no! Absolutely not. Hand it over to me. Or else…”
Cain gestured with his chin, as if to say, let’s hear it.
“Hand it over to Sir Byers.”
Cain stared at Marienne in silence. Then, he suddenly broke into a strange smile.
“So all this you’re doing, Crazy Rabbit… it was all for the sake of Chancellor Byers. It makes sense. You like your superior, and your superior likes my fiancée.”
“Think whatever you want. Just hand over the earring.”
“To go against me and then turn over the entire achievement to your superior. Does Byers know you’re doing this?”
I can’t give this bastard an inch. Look at him. It’s his turn to answer, but he’s subtly asking another question.
“What’s so great about Byers anyway?”
“Just you wait until you’re bald. See if I’ll still waste my breath arguing with you like this.”
Marienne snapped her fan shut with a loud crack.
“Give me the earring.”
“I don’t have it.”
“Stop talking nonsense.”
“You can call your escorts and have them search me, but they won’t find it.”
Marienne was about to tell him to stop with the tricks, but she paused. If Cain had come here knowing everything, he would have prepared for a body search.
“…Where did you hide it?”
Cain smiled.
“You look like you’re ready to jump into the fires of hell.”
He continued.
“I put the earring in a pink envelope. Go find it. I left it in the darkest, scariest, and filthiest place in this building.”
◇ ◆ ◇
“So, I was wondering. What do you think is the darkest, scariest, and filthiest place in this building?”
Marienne asked the janitor, her hands clasped as if in prayer. Chloise stood beside her.
In truth, the two had disagreed before approaching the janitor.
Upon hearing the culprit’s hint, Chloise had immediately suggested they go to the theatre owner. His office was bound to have blueprints of the Opera House. He also had the authority to summon all the employees to one place.
Marienne had wagged her index finger. The blueprints wouldn’t tell you if a place was scary or filthy.
And this was something she’d learned from being a low-ranking civil servant who got pushed around: it’s hard for an employee to speak freely in front of their employer.
The moment they mentioned the darkest, filthiest place, they were likely to be reprimanded for not keeping it clean.
The conclusion?
As you can see, Marienne had won. Chloise looked a little flustered, admitting she hadn’t considered the perspective of a subordinate.
In any case, upon hearing Marienne’s question, the janitor answered immediately, without a second thought.
“The darkest, scariest, and filthiest place? That would have to be the Underground Storage.”
Wow. Just hearing the name was enough to paint a vivid picture of the place. Marienne swallowed a sigh.
The Opera House, with its 250-year history of repeated expansions and repairs. And beneath it, the Underground Storage.
“It must be a pit of dust.”
“Oh, Miss. Dust isn’t the problem. The last person who went in there… was it five years ago?”
The elderly janitor said calmly.
“The fellow who went in five years ago was a footman who’d made a bet with his colleagues. A so-called test of courage, you see. He went in all cocky, but came out less than thirty minutes later, babbling incoherently. They say he ran straight to a priest and begged to be saved.”
“Begged to be saved?”
“Yes, Miss. Haven’t you heard? They say the Underground Storage is cursed. Everyone who enters sees a hallucination of what they fear most and loses their mind.”
Having said this much, the janitor’s tone suddenly grew cautious.
“But Miss, you’re not… thinking of going in there, are you?”
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