Episode 117

‘One of them was a Dom Industries’ executive, and the other two…’

Ethan sat on the reception room sofa, pressing his temples with his fingertips.

‘Didn’t I meet them at a social gathering, they were dressed like aristocratic young men that night, why are they there?’

He’d gone to see what George Bell was all about and unexpectedly witnessed something suspicious. Ethan searched his memory and finally remembered who the young men were from the factory district.

‘Conservative nobles.’

These were people from the lowest tier of the conservative noble group. They were often those whose family’s fortune had rapidly declined or those who were originally from humble backgrounds.

If their family completely collapsed, they had to live as poorly as commoners or disappear like George Bell, pretending to be someone else.

They were full of dissatisfaction with society. They were nobles by birth, but even their authority seemed precarious, so they were all very sensitive.

The ones who managed to barely participate in conservative noble gatherings were always busy flattery. Ethan didn’t like them much, as they had no skills and were full of ambition, but he treated them as allies on the surface.

‘Why were they there? And with a Dom Industries’ executive, no less?”

The Duke of Conway was the leader of the conservative nobles, and Ethan was at the heart of the conservative noble members.

‘I don’t know what’s going on.’

It was discomforting and worrisome. Gangsters, Dom Industries, fallen conservative nobles. There shouldn’t have been any connections between these forces.

If one of the noble youths did something strange, the reputation of the conservative nobles would undoubtedly plummet. The opposite faction would be eager to tear them apart.

There wasn’t much time left until the regular session of the parliament where several controversial bills were to be discussed. Reputation management was more critical than ever.

Ethan felt anxious at the thought that something might be happening outside his sight, and he might not be able to control it.

“Damn it…”

Ethan chewed his lips thoughtfully. It seemed that he needed to find out more about the people and the current situation.

And he also had to call Jasper and give him a stern warning. 

Ethan headed to the study to write a letter to Jasper. His face was more serious than usual due to the many concerns.

He thought that he should talk to Charlotte as well, but that idea was pushed to the back of his mind, almost forgotten once again.

* * *

The day after the festival came to an end, the Academy still buzzed with the remnants of the celebration. 

It was the weekend, so most students were sleeping in their dorms to recover from the fatigue of the festival. 

Jasper woke up earlier than usual and arrived at the front gate, where Conway’s carriage was waiting.

In Jasper’s hand was a crumpled letter. When he woke up in the morning, he found that Ethan had sent him a special delivery. The message was brief:

[Come home immediately.

There’s something you don’t know about Rose Bell. That woman is no good.]

Even with just a few lines, it had the power to infuriate a person. Jasper couldn’t help but scoff at how effective Ethan was in getting under someone’s skin.

‘I can already guess what he’s going to say.’

Baron Verden, forced marriage, and all that nonsense. Ethan had probably figured out that Jasper was looking into Rose Bell recently.

Jasper knew his brother very well. If it were Ethan, he wouldn’t give up on the arranged marriage plan he had crafted for his younger sibling. 

‘He’s so obsessed.’

Jasper clicked his tongue in frustration as the carriage sped along. Since it was obvious that Ethan would use any means necessary, Jasper needed an ally who was close to his brother and could influence him.

From the moment Jasper realized his love for Rose Bell, he vowed to never let anything outside of himself sway her. As long as he held Rose’s heart, he could handle the rest. 

“Yes, I’ll become someone who fits you as soon as possible.”

When Rose said this yesterday, his heart sank. He felt anxious and sad as he watched her talk about the realities of the situation.

‘I need to prepare more thoroughly…’

What if Rose Bell gets tired and runs away? He was making a strong effort to prepare the seat next to him neatly, but he realized he needed to work even harder.

If Rose hadn’t kissed him awkwardly on the cheek like a nervous animal and hadn’t kissed him passionately, he would surely have been plagued by various anxieties until now.

‘She was so gentle.’

Suddenly, Jasper remembered yesterday’s kiss and bit his lips carefully. Various thoughts and emotions swirled through his mind.

“Haah….”

Jasper sighed and leaned back, his hand clenched tightly into a fist. He tried hard to calm down. His body was hot.

Yesterday, he had to gather the greatest patience of his life to control himself. Rose Bell was so delicate and soft. It felt like she might break if he hugged her too tightly without restraint or kissed her harder than the first time. 

Even a light kiss caused Rose’s face to turn red, and she didn’t know what to do. The impulse to pull Rose close, kiss her again, and press harder than before surged within him, but he had to hold back.

Slowly, slowly. He must have repeated those words hundreds of times in his mind.

Rose was so lovely and precious that he had to be careful. While he thought about protecting her, on the other hand…

‘Enough.’

To clear his mind of distractions, Jasper splashed his face with rough, cold water. Just then, the carriage arrived at the Conway Townhouse in the capital.

Stepping outside into the crisp air, his overheated body cooled a bit. Jasper suppressed the wavering in his heart and walked towards the front gate. He needed to focus on how to deal with Ethan.

As soon as he entered the house, he saw Ethan in the lobby, wearing an unusually harsh expression, filled with impatience, which was out of character.

‘It looks like everything went according to plan.’

The ally he had placed by Ethan’s side a while ago had been a source of great comfort.

Ethan spoke with a sharp tone.

“You went to see Rose Bell’s birth father, and now you’re involved in the dirty work, getting shot in the shoulder.”

Jasper calmly passed by Ethan with a faint smile. 

“You know which family that girl is from…”

Ethan’s words poured out quickly and sarcastically, but Jasper interrupted him.

“She’s the daughter of Baron Verden, until a few years ago.”

“Ha. You knew?” 

Ethan exclaimed in disbelief, laughing in amazement.

Jasper gazed at his brother with a steady gaze as he settled on the sofa. Ethan sat across from him.

“You knew, and you still stirred up all that trouble?”

“Why. Are you going to press charges?”

“Why not?”

“It seems the Duke’s heir has a lot of free time on his hands.” 

Jasper retorted, a mocking tone in his voice.

Ethan scoffed and visibly tensed as Jasper mocked him.

“This rascal… If I have to see you act like an aristocrat, I’ll do whatever it takes to get rid of her.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“So far, it’s a suggestion. If we go further, it will become a threat.”

“But where’s my sister-in-law?”

Jasper looked around conspicuously, diverting the topic. Ethan scowled and responded sharply.

“Why bring Charlotte into this?”

“I don’t see her around.” 

Ethan paused for a moment, then answered with tension in his voice.

“Maybe she went to some social gathering.”

“I doubt it.”

“What?”

Just then, a special delivery post arrived, held by an attendant who approached Ethan. Ethan seemed annoyed by the interruption but checked the letter, and his face tensed.

Ethan quickly examined the letter with a puzzled expression. Jasper watched him silently.

The envelope bore the seal of the Atwood family, and the sender’s name was Charlotte Atwood, not Charlotte Atwood Conway.

Ethan’s hand trembled slightly as he held the letter. Then, he glanced at Jasper with a confounded look and spoke in a low, restrained voice.

“You…you did something to Charlotte.” 

“I didn’t do anything.”

Jasper shrugged. Ethan, in a more agitated voice than expected, exclaimed.

“Unless you instigated it, why would Charlotte…!”

“Are you getting a divorce?”

Ethan’s lips trembled, and he fell silent. 

Charlotte was Jasper’s ally, positioned close to Ethan, and opposed to Ethan’s plans. 

She had already informed Jasper about Ethan’s investigation into Rose Bell. 

Eventually, she decided to leave, dropping a problem big enough to make Ethan neglect his brother’s marriage issue like a bombshell.

Jasper watched Ethan’s shoulders trembling, then asked.

“Did you remember your anniversary yesterday?”

Ethan suddenly seemed to snap back into reality. 

“You didn’t know.”

“Have you… done something to Charlotte?”

“Me? What have I done? Charlotte wanted to break up with you long ago. Remember when she ran away to the country house before?”

Ethan shouted in frustration.

“That was…! Charlotte came back, and the misunderstanding was cleared!”

“It seems like it was your idea. With the divorce papers and the Atwood family seal on it, it seems Charlotte had already discussed it with the family.”

Ethan’s shoulders quivered. He looked extremely frightened. Jasper hadn’t seen his brother like this in a long time. Ethan’s pupils shook anxiously.

“Perhaps it’s not the right time to be worrying about my love life. You’ve had enough of the Atwoods, and if news of the divorce spreads, it’ll also tarnish the Conway family’s honor.”

“…No, she hasn’t been gone for long, so I can find her and bring her back.”

“Well, to get a divorce, it probably says to come to the Atwood’s territory in person, right? If I’m not mistaken.”