For the Lady's Wise Regression - Chapter 31

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 31
Sender Unknown?
Vanessa tilted her head curiously as Dia handed her the documents.
Ah. Could this be the file on House of Ruscliffe’s servants that Denian mentioned?
She felt a twinge of guilt for having secretly commissioned a background check on House of Ruscliffe without Ian’s knowledge.
Meeting Denian, the butler of House of Ruscliffe, at La Fond Dunever had been almost serendipitous, and for Vanessa it felt like a stroke of genius.
She’d been mulling over what to do with a dress she’d purchased from the dressmakers in Primadela when she saw him, and a plausible excuse had struck her immediately—why not gift it to a servant of the ducal household?
She hadn’t expected that her offhand question about whether there was anything she ought to know regarding the servants would prompt him to send her a prepared file like this.
Vanessa set down her teacup with a soft clink, then carefully opened the envelope.
“Dia, could you brew me another cup of milk tea? Something cool this time.”
“Shall I bring some refreshments as well?”
“Ah, yes—I brought some desserts with me. Just plate a few for me, and you can have the rest.”
“You mean the Pont du Chocolat, don’t you? In that case, I’ll prepare a different tea to pair with it.”
“Yes, that sounds perfect.”
The fact that he’d prepared an entire dossier in response to such a casual inquiry suggested this was more than mere courtesy.
Perhaps it was a warning of sorts?
As Vanessa began reviewing the documents, her eyes grew wider and wider.
“This is…”
Why were all these servants concealing such considerable power and influence?
One of them operated a three-story workshop in Pommelde as family business—and yet served as a handmaiden here?
With a legacy like that, they could live comfortably for generations without lifting a finger. So why become a servant to the ducal house?
And this one—an owner of the Elbayum Mines in the Northern Region?
Northern mining rights alone cost a fortune just to purchase from House of Parvian, let alone to own outright.
Even with ownership, extraction would be nearly impossible without their consent.
…Wait, a distant branch family member?
Someone who fishes in the Glendarr Waters?
…Wouldn’t that require an Imperial-licensed shrimping vessel?
Every single one of them was far too valuable to waste in service as a mere handmaiden.
How on earth had Ian managed to recruit such exceptional individuals and keep them in his household?
What struck her even more was that their tenure ranged from a minimum of one year to a maximum of twenty years.
In other words, once they joined the household, most of them put down roots and never left.
Vanessa glanced sideways at Denian, whose record showed twenty years of service.
‘Come to think of it, I’ve never actually seen them being given orders.’
There was a saying: if you wish to know a master’s true nature, observe his servants.
From what these documents revealed, Ian would have to be an exceptional master to inspire such loyalty.
So it made sense that they would set aside their family wealth, power, and prestige to serve in his household.
Still, it wasn’t uncommon for actions and reputation to diverge.
Even if she couldn’t fathom what lay beneath his surface, he must be an exemplary master to them.
In any case, she would have learned the truth eventually with time—so why volunteer this information now, unprompted?
Vanessa studied the documents more carefully, and her eyes widened further.
The butler’s background was far more striking than the others.
He was illegitimate.
A bastard of House of Chelia, no less.
If this became known, the scandal would be considerable.
Only then did Vanessa review the papers with deliberate care, a thin smile playing at her lips.
Hidden beneath the background information were titles.
Each and every one of them bore scars.
All fallen nobility, or those stripped of their place in the line of succession.
When she checked their salaries, Vanessa could no longer deny that Ian was the finest master any of them could ask for.
This wasn’t charity—he was helping them from the shadows.
So by showing her these documents, what was he hoping to achieve?
‘Not to judge them by prejudice,’ she thought.
And to prevent his own reputation from suffering as a result.
A master’s ignorance reflected directly on the household’s standing.
Claiming unfamiliarity with one’s own servants was merely an excuse.
Had she discovered this too late, it would have become a vulnerability she could exploit against him someday.
But she hadn’t expected to find the owner of the Elbayum Mines among them.
“Charlotte…”
This would prove invaluable for what lay ahead.
To utterly destroy House of Leonard, she would need those mines.
Four days until the wedding.
Once I enter the Ruscliffe Duchy, it’ll be difficult to find time alone like this, won’t it?
“Right then. I suppose I should make a trip to the Northern Region soon.”
The timing worked perfectly—four days left meant one day traveling north, one day returning, and one day to secure the Calming Herb.
If everything went according to plan, I’d arrive late the night before the wedding, but what did it matter? I wouldn’t be arriving on the day itself.
I already had a method in mind for obtaining it, so House of Parvian wouldn’t be able to refuse my proposal.
Perfect.
The timing was ideal—a trip north to fetch a remedy for the Grand Duchess’s granddaughter, who would soon arrive in the empire.
***
“Princess Charlotte… or is it the Duchess of Ruscliffe now? Congratulations on your marriage.”
Vanessa could barely manage a smile as she regarded the Crown Prince who had appeared before her, Tessa Decart.
“Your Highness, it is an honor to receive you. Forgive my lack of propriety—my attire prevents me from observing proper etiquette. I am grateful not only for presiding over the ceremony, but also for graciously offering the Wedding Venue.”
Despite her words, Vanessa ground her teeth internally.
The wedding date, the Gown Dress, the convincingly orchestrated dates.
And gifts arriving at the most inopportune moments.
Her plans to visit the Northern Region had been completely derailed by an endless stream of presents suddenly pouring in from House of Ruscliffe, and she’d exhausted herself organizing them.
Worse still, Ian had personally delivered each gift every single time, forcing her to spend four days doing nothing but receiving him.
Perhaps that was why.
She’d overlooked “Wedding Venue” written at the very bottom of the letter—a careless oversight on her part.
She’d never imagined the Crown Prince would use the palace where he’d stayed as a child as the venue!
No matter how old friends they were, this would definitely become the subject of gossip!
But with the ceremony now just an hour away, there was no changing the location.
“I’m grateful you understand my position. Ian found a good match. When your husband issued that edict without any prior notice, I thought I’d been left with some entrusted object, truly.”
The Crown Prince spoke with an easy laugh, but the person listening found nothing amusing about it.
“If I say more, I’ll catch an earful. Be careful yourself. Your husband is more… ick.”
The Crown Prince had been speaking in hushed tones as if sharing secrets, but he suddenly let out a soft exclamation as he glanced toward the entrance of the bride’s waiting room.
Vanessa turned her gaze without thinking and found herself meeting Ian’s eyes—he was staring at her intently from just outside the waiting room.
“In any case, congratulations once more on your marriage.”
With that, the Crown Prince swiftly exited the waiting room, said something to Ian, and disappeared somewhere.
Ian remained alone afterward, gazing at Vanessa for a moment before turning and disappearing in the direction the Crown Prince had gone.
A bed of nails would’ve been more comfortable, truly.
She’d known since her previous life that Ian and the Crown Prince were quite close. But Vanessa herself had barely any connection with the Crown Prince—she’d never even managed a proper conversation with him.
Though the Crown Prince had approached her a few times in the past…
‘Oh my, another bird that flew away before I could get my hands on it.’
Every time he uttered such cryptic remarks, she’d only distanced herself further from him.
One unpredictable person in Ian alone was more than enough, but this time it seemed like there would be two.
Vanessa exhaled softly and turned to offer a smile to the three women entering the waiting room.
Word had already spread among the nobility about how much had been spent on her wedding.
‘Really, do they all have nothing better to do?’
Well, considering that at Lady Ernasia’s wedding she’d openly clashed with House of Leonard, it was inevitable that a rumor or two would emerge.
‘Have you heard? The Marquess of Leonard’s wife…’
‘I suspect even a child must have heard something. Otherwise…’
‘Hush. Do you all want to lose your heads at this gathering? Such talk…’
Vanessa heard the noblewoman’s whispers as she left the waiting room, laughing as if nothing were amiss while offering congratulations on the marriage.
‘I hear everything, you fools.’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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