The early darkness brought on by the grim weather made Great Hill feel eerily ominous.
Diane, who had been tracing Johan’s shoe tips with her downcast gaze, slowly raised her head.
He never paid attention to the portrait when it was hanging.
He was indeed a strange man. Of course, that was part of the charm of Duke Johan Leopold.
She chose a drastic measure.
“That painting was done by the artist I mentioned.”
His eyebrows raised slightly, as if asking, “Who?”
“Andreya Nikolai. The painter I told you about before.”
The painter she had mentioned before…
Johan narrowed his eyes, staring at the spot where Olivia’s portrait used to hang. In its place, the Duke of Edinburgh seemed to be saying with his imposing expression: What a fool.
“Ah, that painter.”
He recalled a name he had casually listened to among others – not particularly caring unless it was Edgar Lancaster Lancelot.
It had been about three months after their wedding. Faced with the empty walls of the Leopold family’s Great Hill, lacking historical art, the Crown Prince had recommended this painter – a top graduate of the Royal Academy of Arts and a winner at the Salon exhibition.
Johan wasn’t concerned about such tedious matters. He left everything to Morris.
He had merely commissioned three paintings and knew the artist was contracted to stay and work in the annex for five months.
Johan turned his head slowly from where he had been chasing the afterimage of Olivia, glaring at his portrait.
He remembered the face of the man who had painted him – a refined appearance, seemingly knowing nothing but art. He had recognized the man’s talent upon seeing the finished painting.
For five months in the annex…
Johan scoffed.
What fools.
“Remove them.”
His emotionless face turned as he climbed the stairs to his study.
The shadow of a decorative tropical plant on the staircase seemed to grasp at his ankles.
‘I love you.’
It was hollow.
Perhaps Olivia’s ‘I love you’ was not a confession to him at all.
A woman sold for money, trapped in a filthy scheme by his grandfather. From Olivia’s perspective, he was just a buyer who purchased damaged goods for a title.
There was no reason for love.
Shortly after the portrait incident, Morris called Diane Brook to his office.
“Please, take a seat.”
Could anyone perfectly hide their emotions? If so, Diane Brook was one.
It was unclear if she realized her overstepping or not. Her attitude seemed brazen, acting as if nothing had happened.
Morris had always disliked how she acted as the lady of the house in place of the Duchess.
“I wanted to confirm a few things.”
“Go ahead.”
“That day. The day of the lake incident.”
Diane looked surprised.
“Why bring up that day all of a sudden?”
“I’d like you to recount your activities on that day in chronological order.”
Diane’s face stiffened but she maintained her composure.
“It’s not difficult to explain, but why so suddenly? Is something wrong?”
“The Duke himself wishes to know.”
“The Duke?”
Morris nodded.
“It’s strange. Why is he interested in that day now?”
Diane’s gaze lowered slowly, as if reminiscing. Her heart raced. Before her eyes lay the dark lakeshore, the air heavy and the mist moist.
Olivia was unaware. Diane had seen the ad for the secretary position at the Leopold family in the newspaper and made up her mind.
Thoroughly, perfectly.
To destroy her.
“……That day, it had been raining since morning.”
Diane began her story slowly.
“The roads were jammed due to a carriage slipping on the wet road, so I arrived about thirty minutes late to work. It was the first time I was late since I started working at the Duke’s residence, so it’s clear in my memory. But it was an ordinary day otherwise. For the Lady too.”
Diane methodically narrated, while Morris intermittently glanced at her as he jotted down notes.
“When I arrived, there were two letters for the Lady. One was a letter of well-wishes from the Earl’s family, and the other sender was unknown. As far as I remember, the Lady seemed angry after reading that letter.”
“Do you have any guesses about the sender?”
“Of course, I do. But if you consider the Lady’s reputation, please don’t ask any further. It’s just my speculation. My thoughts aren’t important, right?”
It was a hint at Olivia’s lovers. Quick-witted Morris couldn’t have missed it.
“There were similar incidents before, so I didn’t pay special attention.”
“Letters without a sender?”
“Yes, there were a couple of times.”
Diane implied that those letters were farewell letters from lovers, always spinning the story to her advantage.
“The Lady skipped lunch, so when I took food up to her, she seemed to be crying. It wasn’t a good sight, so I just left without entering.”
“Is the letter preserved?”
“No, she burned it.”
“I see…….”
Morris trailed off, looking disappointed.
“Then she stayed in her bedroom until she called me up, saying she needed to order summer dresses.”
“Was she alone in the bedroom?”
“She was with a maid.”
“Anything unusual?”
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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