Though the threat from a woman who could be easily subdued was as laughable as a dog’s bark, the man raised both hands to calm Diane down.

“Now, now. What a temper.”

These were items from the duke’s report. How could they compare to the shabby loot brought by petty thieves? So he had to endure.

“Calm down. Calm down. I’m about to wet myself in fear.”

The man mockingly lowered the gun barrel pointed at him.

“If you understand, start drawing the design.”

This wasn’t the first time. Diane skillfully gave instructions.

It was always like this whenever the Brook baronial family needed quick money.

The method of receiving counterfeits from the man and swapping them with the originals. There were already four fakes in Greathill’s vault. By now, they must all be fake.

Even if discovered after Diane left, they wouldn’t be able to find her then. And even if the man was caught, there was nothing to worry about.

“Who commissioned this job?”

The wind rushed in through the gaps in the worn-out wooden window frame. One candle flickered violently. Following that flicker, the shadows cast on Diane’s face wavered grotesquely.

“Olivia Blanchet.”

The man revealed his hideous teeth in a grin and turned his bag upside down. Diane burst out laughing as she watched the jewels spill onto the table.

This would be made to look like it happened before Olivia demanded a divorce.

River Side 3rd Avenue was a quiet residential area located in the lower reaches of the Vichen River.

Clear sunlight draped over the street lined with high-end townhouses, making the water’s surface sparkle. The increasingly warm wind passed over the river, rustling the thin muslin curtains by the window.

Spring was fading.

Having finished a simple breakfast, Olivia sat on the windowsill, hugging her knees, and gazed out the window with calm eyes.

The people enjoying rowing on the river and the white yachts cutting through the water looked peaceful.

An engagement…

She suddenly wondered what kind of person the Grand Duchess Kranz was. The princess who would become Johan’s new wife instead of Olivia Blanchet. The one who might die in her place.

Will they really get married?

“I told you it’s dangerous. Please come down.”

Olivia, lost in thought, turned her head in surprise.

Mrs. Mary, who had been bringing coffee, exclaimed in shock at seeing Olivia sitting so precariously like a tomboy. Olivia smiled and obediently came down to sit in a chair.

The maid Mary was dispatched from the hotel to attend to Olivia.

This was Edgar’s arrangement, said to be for managing the athlete sponsored by the House of Lancelot.

For quality meals and a balanced lifestyle. Anne was clumsy with kitchen work, and Olivia had no intention of hiring a maid here, so she silently accepted his consideration.

As she took a sip of coffee while waiting for Anne, who had gone on an errand to the bookstore, the sound of the front door opening was heard.

It seemed Anne had returned with the gossip magazine featuring an article about the Grand Duchess Kranz. The footsteps coming up the stairs were unusually quick for the normally calm Anne. The knock and hasty opening of the door were also unlike her.

“Miss! A guest has−”

“Olivia!”

True to her impatient nature, Elaine pushed past Anne and called out to Olivia cheerfully as she entered.

“Lady Elaine!”

Olivia, startled, jumped to her feet. It was she who had returned to Londos after the Rose Ball. Reappearing in less than five days, she looked somewhat disheveled.

“What brings you here?”

“I had to come back urgently. Anne, a glass of water please.”

Before the surprised Olivia could offer her a seat, Elaine sat down at the tea table.

“Have a seat. I have something to tell you. Luckily I ran into Anne. The hotel wouldn’t give me your address. I almost left without seeing you. Really.”

“You came without knowing my address?”

“I thought for sure the manager or someone would tell me. Or that you’d have left a note for me.”

“Oh! I’m sorry.”

Olivia gave an awkward smile.

Elaine, who had practically run up the stairs, drained the glass of water Anne brought in one go and caught her breath. Once her breathing settled, she took out a velvet box from her bag.

“Surely you didn’t come back just to give me a gift?”

Olivia said with a laugh. Despite the light joke, Elaine’s expression remained serious.

Puzzled, Olivia lowered her gaze to the case placed on the table. In the center of the square black leather case, the word ‘Gloria’ was embossed in gold.

As she raised her eyes from the lettering to meet Elaine’s, the latter slowly opened the box.

“This is…”

Olivia’s eyes widened slightly. The unexpected item was the problematic pink diamond necklace.

“Why this.”

Olivia asked, looking down at the brilliantly sparkling necklace.

“This necklace.”

Elaine lowered her voice as she continued.

“It was real.”

“!”

Olivia’s lips parted, speechless.

Elaine still felt dizzy thinking about that day. She had nearly divorced her upright husband, accusing him of being the most shameless adulterer in the world.

“I intended to corner my husband. So I told him I was tired of this necklace and asked him to sell it. Saying I wanted to reclaim my grandfather’s land. You should have seen his expression when I said that.”

Olivia listened to her words quietly.

“As I expected, he looked very troubled. Of course. When did he ever show off with a fake? Now he was saying it would be difficult to resell it. I really wanted to kill that husband of mine then.”

Elaine moistened her lips with the strongly brewed herbal tea.

She said she had caused a scene, bringing up her husband’s infidelity and demanding he hand over the money he had diverted to his mistress under the pretext of the fake necklace. Her husband, asserting his innocence, had flown into a rage and eventually left the house, she said.

“After he left, I started to doubt myself. Did I misunderstand? Or was that man such a good actor?”

Elaine closed her eyes for a moment, as if recalling that day. Her hands holding the teacup trembled slightly.

“So you had it appraised.”

Olivia, growing impatient, urged her to continue the story.

“Yes.”

“And it was genuine.”

Elaine nodded. Olivia couldn’t believe it.

“I went to four more places. I couldn’t believe it. When I kept doubting, the appraiser said he could even write a certificate guaranteeing it on his career.”

“How could this be.”

“That’s what I said.”

Elaine said, finishing her tea.

“I had to ask my husband. How on earth did he get his hands on this item. And then.”

Elaine, who had let out a long sigh, suddenly pressed her lips tightly together.

“And then? What did your husband say?”

Olivia couldn’t help but ask again.

“He said he couldn’t tell me unless he was drunk…”

Elaine’s cheeks flushed as if she were already intoxicated.

“Come on, it’s alright. Tell me.”

Elaine let out a long sigh, then moistened her lips.

“W-well… you see… s-sto…”

Elaine, who had been stammering, squeezed her eyes shut with a bright red face and spoke rapidly, almost shouting.

“…He said he bought it as stolen goods!”

“!”

Olivia furrowed her brow.

Stolen goods?

Whatever the reason, in the end, her husband’s anniversary gift turned out to be something dishonorable. Elaine sobbed.

“Just who could have been brazen enough to steal a treasure from the duke’s family? My heart still races when I think about it. What if the truth comes out and my husband gets arrested too? I’m so scared, Olivia.”

Her husband’s act of knowingly acquiring stolen goods was clearly a crime, if he indeed knew.

“So I came to return it. To its original owner.”

Elaine closed the necklace case and pushed it towards Olivia. Flustered, Olivia blinked her widened eyes before belatedly speaking.

“…No. No. What do you mean, owner? Elaine, you should have gone to the duke.”

Olivia pushed the box back towards Elaine.

“How could I go there? I can’t do that.”

Elaine averted her gaze, and the black leather box traveled back and forth across the table a few more times.

“Please! Olivia. You take care of it.”

“…”

“I’m begging you.”

Elaine twisted the hem of her skirt before bursting into tears.

“If only I hadn’t kept going on about the necklace. Then he wouldn’t have done such a reckless thing. It’s all my fault. I’m sorry, Olivia.”

Elaine sobbed at the dire situation brought about by her vanity and desire to stand out in high society.

Olivia watched from the room’s window as Elaine departed, bid farewell by Mrs. Mary and Anne. As the carriage set off, Elaine leaned out of the window, lifted her head, and moved her lips towards Olivia.

Help my husband. She said that as she faded from view.

Turning away from the window, Olivia felt troubled at the sight of the solitary box.

Johan would soon be married, and the princess who became the new mistress of Greathill would surely check the inventory of jewels owned by the family.

Having always been surrounded by precious things, she would, unlike Olivia, have an excellent eye for distinguishing jewels, so it was only a matter of time before the fact that the pink diamond necklace was a fake would be discovered.

Naturally, the first person to come under suspicion would be none other than Olivia Blanchet, herself. Moreover, the real one was right here.

Olivia heaved a deep sigh.

Who could it be?

Returning to the table and sitting down, Olivia placed her fingers on the smooth, glossy box and tapped it lightly.

“Who on earth could have taken the necklace…”

Her thoughts unconsciously slipped out between her lips.

“Diane Brook. It must have been that woman.”

Anne, who had approached unnoticed, broke through Olivia’s worries with a voice tinged with anger.

“Diane Brook?”

“Yes, Miss.”

Olivia quietly sifted through her memories. The secretary hired by Johan. The times she had trusted and relied on her like a sister, being of similar age, came back vividly.

“That woman?”

Olivia’s eyebrows raised slightly in disbelief.