Episode 119

Ethan thought that Jasper had no special talent for rolling heads, but in fact, Jasper was quite wicked. 

He could read the opponent’s moves and twist them in the direction he desired. That’s why he excelled at card games.

Jasper didn’t dislike physical fights, but he wasn’t bad at it. Perhaps it was because he had seen Ethan struggle with politics since childhood, but Jasper wanted to keep his distance from such a life.

But now wasn’t the time for that. 

Edwin had disappeared, and Dom Industries, which had been in contact with Edwin, was up to something. Jasper was thinking of cleverly intervening in the game currently unfolding. And he would overturn the game.

To declare Rose Bell as his own.

Moreover, as the conservatives gained power, it would become even more difficult for Rose to excel in society. There was no reason not to shatter this game.

‘First, inform Her Majesty, and I’ll investigate the ones my brother informed me about.’

Jasper’s mind had already forgotten that Ethan had urged him to stay put in his letter.

‘While it’s a stretch to assume that they are connected to Edwin at this point…’

Jasper’s instincts were telling him to dig deeper into this. And Jasper always trusted his gut feeling.

* * *

After the lively fall festival came to an end, the midterms were fast approaching. 

Since the memories of the festival were still fresh, it was difficult to suppress the excitement and focus on studying.

Adela Bluewood also belonged to the honor students, so during this time, she was usually holed up in the library. However, these days, her mind was troubled, so she applied for a weekend pass and headed home to see her family.

As Adela entered the townhouse, her entire family warmly welcomed her.

“You haven’t visited recently. You seem to have lost some weight for some reason.”

The hostess of the place said, Countess Priscilla Bluewood. 

She embraced her youngest daughter tightly. Adela exchanged hugs with her brothers one by one before asking.

“Where is Father?”

“He’s at the estate. He’s been quite busy lately.”

“It’s a pity I couldn’t see him.”

Priscilla gazed at her only daughter, seemingly composed as usual, but the worry in a mother’s eyes could sense her daughter’s distress.

After a harmonious and elegant dinner, Priscilla visited Adela’s bedroom separately. Sitting side by side on the edge of the bed, Priscilla took Adela’s hand.

“Is something bothering you?”

Adela hesitated for a moment and didn’t speak easily. Priscilla patiently waited without pressing her. Eventually, Adela spoke.

“It’s about Conway and the engagement. Could it… be canceled?”

“Why all of a sudden? You said you liked Jasper.”

“But I’m not in his heart.”

“Does Jasper have someone else? I didn’t know that. It must have been hurtful.”

“At first, it was a bit like that, but now it’s okay. I’ve completely lost.”

“Lost?”

“In the size of one’s heart. My love for them wasn’t great enough to stand in their way. Sometimes you need to let go, as Mother always says. But… if the engagement were to be canceled, would it strain relations between our families?”

Priscilla gazed at Adela, who was speaking hesitantly.

“You’ve come because you’re troubled by this. There have been instances where engagements caused tensions between families, but don’t worry about that. You should marry the person you want.”

Adela’s face, which had subtly stiffened, relaxed slightly. Only then did her youthful expression start to appear.

Priscilla affectionately brushed Adela’s hair and asked.

“By the way, who is this lady that has stolen the heart of Conway’s second son? I’m sure it’s all over social circles, but I had no idea.”

“Um… well.”

Adela hesitated in her response.

“It’s someone unknown in the social circle. If it becomes known, both of them could be in trouble. Mother should pretend not to know.”

Priscilla tilted her head.

“In trouble? Is the other party a commoner?”

Adela held her breath slightly. To an outsider, she was maintaining a perfect poker face, but she couldn’t avoid her mother’s gaze, who had raised and nurtured her.

Priscilla’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh my, she’s a commoner. That’s unexpected for someone as well-known as Jasper Conway. You’re right; it’s better to keep it a secret. If it gets out, the social circle will be in an uproar.”

“Exactly. I don’t want to cause any harm to them.”

“You don’t feel any resentment toward the girl that Jasper likes, do you?”

Adela shook her head.

“She’s a great senior, too. I have a lot to learn from her. I can be quite aloof, you know. That’s why I don’t have many friends my age, and Senior Rose is warm-hearted…”

Adela was singing praises for Rose, but she accidentally blurted out the name and immediately stopped, startled. 

Her eyes darted around, and uncharacteristically, she lost her composure and tightly grabbed Priscilla’s hand.

“Oh… Mother, please pretend you didn’t hear that.”

Priscilla chuckled softly at her daughter’s flustered state. 

“I won’t say a word. Your mother is quite reserved, so you can rest assured.”

“I know, but…”

“You also dislike people who gossip about various things, right? Don’t worry. By the way, I’m really curious about this friend Rose. Seeing you call her a senior, is she a commoner scholarship student at the academy?”

Rose. Priscilla silently contemplated the name. It was one of the common names in the Republic Empire. But at Berkley Academy, there should be only one commoner scholarship student named Rose.

‘I never thought she’d get involved with her.’

She already knew that the eldest daughter of Baron Verden was currently attending Berkley Academy.

Priscilla recalled the time last year when she went to the North and met her old friend, Anna. She thought it was a chance encounter, but it turned out to be different.

Curious about how her friend, who had fled and sold her title, was living in the North, Priscilla visited the Verden household while she was in the area. Now, it wasn’t the Verdens but the Bells.

Anna was wearing a worn dress and fidgeted with an old bonnet, looking embarrassed.

As a commoner selling milk from her cows to make a living and Lady Priscilla, the mistress of the Count Bluewood, the two were leading vastly different lives. 

Seeing Anna’s reaction, Priscilla regretted having visited her.

“Priscilla, how have you been? It’s nice to see you like this. A few years ago, you helped me when I moved to Quilts. I’m truly grateful. I feel ashamed, but at that time, I couldn’t properly express my thanks.”

Priscilla knew about Baron Verden’s disgraceful actions but had chosen to remain silent. She had even lent her carriage to ensure that they could quickly escape the capital without making a scene.

However, Priscilla felt a sense of guilt for not helping Anna more actively, despite knowing her circumstances. Back then, her position within the Bluewood family wasn’t as stable since her husband’s mother was still alive, and she always had to be cautious of her husband and mother-in-law’s judgments.

To maintain the dignity of the Countess Bluewood, she had to associate only with cultured individuals. Helping those who had committed such disgraceful acts was something she shouldn’t have done.

‘But Anna was simply… going through tough times.’

Is it truly noble to ignore an old friend for the sake of honor? 

In this day and age when discussions about nobility laws were causing a stir in both houses, Priscilla happened to be caught up in such dilemmas.

But Adela was friends with Anna’s daughter, and their relationship was far from simple. It was intertwined in quite a complex way.

The matter of taking Jasper away had something to do with the Division Law, and when Adela talked about Rose, she appeared livelier than usual.

“Senior Rose is truly a genius. It’s natural for someone who entered as a scholarship student to be exceptional, but she’s more than just talented. Sometimes, she even teaches me magic engineering…”

Priscilla watched her daughter’s eager expression with a sense of satisfaction. Adela’s eyes were filled with pure admiration.

Adela had been conversing with Priscilla in their bedroom just before. As she began to delve into topics related to magic engineering, her choice of words became so specialized that Priscilla wouldn’t be able to follow along when she transitioned into magic engineering.

Given that there were only a few girls her age who could engage in such conversations, it was understandable why Adela had a particular fondness for Rose.

After gently kissing Adela’s forehead, Priscilla left the room. 

Once the door closed, she sighed without realizing it. Her thoughts were complex in many ways.

“If we were to break off the engagement from our side first, Ethan might take it rather badly.”

As the Countess, if her youngest daughter expressed her unwillingness to proceed with the engagement, she would promptly challenge it, given her willingness to listen to her every word.

The problem was Ethan Conway.

‘Does Ethan also know about Rose’s presence? He might suspect that the engagement is in jeopardy because of Rose.’

Deep wrinkles formed on Priscilla’s forehead. 

‘What if Ethan decides to investigate Rose?’

In the process, if Baron Verden’s disgraceful actions were exposed, it wouldn’t just affect Rose but might reach Anna in Quilts.

‘That can’t happen.’

Priscilla turned her head to look at the closed door of Adela’s room. Adela’s voice, filled with genuine admiration for Rose, echoed in her ears, regardless of her social status.

Should she risk the Countess’s honor to help Rose and Anna, or should she continue to quietly observe, maintaining her position as a somewhat passive onlooker?

Confusion filled Priscilla’s face.