ILTDAMH|CHAPTER 126

Chapter 126

Countess Susan Théor (1)

In the early dawn, Mercian woke and, wrapping herself in a robe, stepped out of the villa.

The sea breeze at this hour was colder than she had expected, yet somehow the chill felt refreshing to her.

Huu…

Drawing in the crisp air deep into her lungs, Mercian sat on a chair outside the villa, closed her eyes, and listened to the sound of waves crashing against the rocks.

“Why are you awake so early?”

Mercian lifted her eyes, and Ruan approached, wrapping her tightly in a blanket as if shielding her from the cold.

“Ruan? Why are you out here?”

“Because you weren’t beside me, madam. I felt emptiness in my arms.”

Ruan sat behind Mercian, drawing her into his embrace.

“The sound of the waves at night is different… somehow it feels like being in another world. It calms the mind, and listening with eyes closed feels wonderful.”

“Is that so? If you say so, then it must be true.”

“Ruan, close your eyes and listen too. The waves sound so lovely.”

Ruan closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the waves like Mercian, before whispering into her ear.

“Do you have worries on your mind?”

“Worries? Not at all. I only hope our shop does well. By the way… what happened to those who tried to set fire to our shop?”

Ruan pulled Mercian closer into his arms as he replied.

“Ruan?”

“They’re all dead.”

Dead?

Mercian turned her head in shock.

“Dead? But the guards surely took them away, didn’t they?”

“Yes. I had planned to participate in their interrogation personally, but the day before I was to join, they all committed suicide.”

“Suicide? All three of them?”

“Yes. From appearances, at least.”

“They weren’t even successful in setting the fire… and now they all committed suicide? That doesn’t make sense.”

“It seems that those who gave the orders eliminated them to conceal their identities.”

“Are they really people from the House of Riffade? That would only make them more suspicious.”

“Even if suspicion arises, without evidence we can’t definitively connect the vagrants to the Riffade House.”

“So the arson case is over?”

“Not necessarily.”

Ruan tightened the blanket around Mercian.

“Your face is red from the cold. Let’s go inside. Since we’re both awake, we can continue this conversation comfortably indoors.”

“Alright, Ruan.”

As Mercian stood, Ruan lifted her, still swaddled in the blanket, and carried her inside the villa.

“It’s warm… Ruan, you should have some too. It feels like it warms the whole body.”

Mercian handed him a cup of warm jasmine tea.

“Thank you, madam. Fortunately, one of the three vagrants had a notebook in their belongings.”

“A notebook?”

“It’s like a journal, and it was quite detailed. They recorded the amount of money received, the addresses they were to set on fire, and descriptions of the person who gave them the money—from hair color and skin tone to the clothing they wore and even the scent they emitted.”

“They even wrote down the scent? What a meticulous person. So do we know who it was?”

“We are currently searching for that person. Hopefully, we’ll find them soon.”

Mercian sipped her tea, nodding with relief.

“The day is already breaking. Shall we have breakfast early? I’m hungry after waking at dawn. You haven’t tried the new sandwiches yet, have you, Ruan? Wait here—I’ll make them quickly.”

Mercian began preparing vegetables and bread, and Ruan stepped closer.

“I’ll wash the vegetables. We said we’d do it together while at the villa, remember?”

“Yes, please.”

Ruan smiled as he began washing the vegetables.

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Monday morning arrived, and Mercian came to work early to make sandwiches.

“Yani? Try this.”

She handed a sandwich to Yani, who was sitting at the side of the shop, and he smiled.

“Thank you, madam. Wow, this is delicious!”

“How does it look—do you think it will sell well?”

“Yes, this will sell really fast.”

“Oh? Boss, you’re already here?”

“Yes. Cat, Elena, come in. And greet her properly. This is my bodyguard, Yani. Yani, these are my employees, Cat and Elena.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Yani? Isn’t he quite famous in the guild these days?”

Cat approached Yani, pretending familiarity, making his cheeks flush.

“You know me?”

“Of course. I was part of the information guild, and I’ve heard a lot about you, Yani.”

“Please, just call me Yani.”

“Alright, Yani… or shall I call you Yani-ssi?”

Mercian smiled at Cat’s cheerful friendliness toward Yani.

As Mercian prepared sandwiches, a line had already formed outside, waiting to enter the shop.

“Wow… it’s two hours before opening, and people are already lining up?”

Cat muttered in amazement, gazing out the window.

“Cat, I’ve finished making the sandwiches, so I’ll head out. Let’s have a good day. Elena, too.”

“Yes, madam.”

Watching Elena bake cookies, Mercian left the shop with Yani.

Word that the Duchess was selling sandwiches had surprisingly piqued people’s curiosity.

Within a week, Mercian increased production from a limited 50 sandwiches to 100. Word of their delicious taste spread, and by the second week, her shop became the most popular in the city.

“Wow, Boss, if this keeps up, we’ll get rich fast!”

Seeing people lining up at dawn before the shop even opened, Cat exclaimed.

Mercian, making sandwiches, quietly watched Paulo standing across the street, eyeing her shop, and murmured:

“Well… not everyone is happy our shop is doing well.”

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“What happened?”

Dominic slammed his hands on the desk, unable to hide his anger.

He had some faith in Mercian when she said she would run a shop. Dominic had tried a few business ventures in his youth, all of which had failed, so he knew how difficult it was to run a store.

Through his investigation, he learned she was the daughter of a poor viscount family. Although noble, they were so impoverished that they couldn’t afford even a single servant, and had certainly never operated a business.

Hearing that she had opened a sandwich shop, Dominic had naively assumed that city and countryside were different. He was furious at the unexpected news that her shop was thriving.

If Mercian’s shop continued to prosper, the city’s merchants would no longer heed his commands. That would leave him with nothing. The hollow title of head of the Emperor faction meant nothing.

He had made Pinea empress purely for power. If she couldn’t become empress, then at least money should remain in his hands.

“I’m sorry, Marquis. I never expected the shop to do so well.”

“Get out! Go and find a way to shut that damned shop down. If you fail, I’ll send you back to where you came from.”

“Marquis, I… I’ll find a way immediately.”

Paulo bowed and left the study. Dominic, unable to contain his anger, pushed the papers and ink across his desk aside.

“Oh my… I’m surprised to see the usually calm Marquis showing such a temper. Who could have provoked you?”

Countess Susan Théor entered the study with a bright smile.

—

Susan Théor.

A socialite with unparalleled connections, known as the source of all rumors. She excelled at stirring discord among noblewomen while mingling with a few loyal followers.

Especially skilled at undermining any woman who received even slightly more attention than her, she would discover their weaknesses and ruin them socially, driving some heiresses back to the countryside.

While the Empress Antwait lived, Susan held the title of “Queen Bee of the Social Circle” and “Little Empress,” feared even by higher-ranking noblewomen. After the empress’s death, she reportedly withdrew from society, but her nature could not be suppressed.

Dominic had asked Liam to find someone who disliked the Duchess—and it turned out to be her.

Annoyance flared in Dominic, but he quickly changed his mind. No, he couldn’t afford to be picky. Perhaps someone like Susan could handle the Duchess better.

Dominic greeted her with a charming smile, approaching Susan to kiss the back of her hand.

“Countess, I showed you my ugly side. Welcome.”

“I always thought you calm and composed, but seeing you like this is… refreshing.”

“Stop teasing me and sit here.”

Dominic guided Susan to the sofa and summoned the butler to serve tea.

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“So, you want me to shut down the Duchess’s shop?”

Susan asked, sipping tea as Dominic replied.

“I heard you and the Duchess aren’t close. Surely you wouldn’t want her shop to succeed either.”

Indeed, it was true that Susan was displeased. She was the daughter of a poor viscount, neither particularly beautiful nor shapely, yet had become a duchess and now opened a shop that drew crowds.

Seeing Mercian’s modest success irritated her, yet she feared Ruan’s protection if she dared confront her directly.

Susan’s expression reflected her discomfort at the situation.