How To Get Revenge On My Sister Who Stole My Husband (16 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 14
The next day.
Marquis Uston sent a letter to Viscount Miles’s townhouse, inquiring whether Christine and Danae would be able to attend the Viscountess’s birthday party scheduled for the coming weekend.
Viscount Miles sent a reply in less than half a day. The letter conveyed that his daughter was overjoyed to hear Christine and Danae wished to attend, and that he himself was equally delighted.
I took one of the several invitations enclosed with his letter, attached a brief note asking Leonard to accompany me to the party, and sent it off to his residence. In less than half a day, he replied with a letter brimming with sweet, flowery phrases, expressing his eagerness to attend the party with me.
Things were proceeding smoothly.
I gave a derisive snort and tossed his letter onto the table.
At that moment, Annie—who had been hovering around me all day with a bright expression—spoke up in an excited voice.
“Oh, a party! It’s always such a thrilling word, isn’t it? Miss, you’ll finally wear that new dress you had made last time, won’t you?”
“No. I’m sorry, but I won’t be wearing that dress.”
I shook my head firmly in reply. Annie blinked, eyes wide with surprise, and asked,
“Why not?”
“Because I’m going to have a new one made. I’ve already decided on the tailor. I’ll meet with them in person two days from now.”
“What? You’re not summoning them to the townhouse?”
“No.”
I gave a short reply and walked over to my dressing table, still holding the letter containing the invitation from the Viscount’s household. I drew out another invitation, then shoved Leonard’s letter into a drawer already crammed with miscellaneous correspondence.
Then, taking out a sheet of parchment and a quill, I said to Annie,
“Oh, and I might need the carriage tomorrow afternoon. Please contact the Carriage Guild, just like last time—make sure they don’t let it slip that I was the one who called for it.”
“…Yes, Miss.”
Annie replied with a bewildered look, clearly confused. I paid no attention to her gaze and continued writing my letter.
It was addressed to Duke Elliott Haven, stating that I wished to meet him the following afternoon.
* * *
And the next day,
I received a reply from the Duke, inviting me to meet him at four o’clock in his townhouse’s reception room.
As soon as I received the letter, I slipped out through the rear gate of my townhouse and took the carriage Annie had arranged, heading straight for the Haven Dukedom.
As usual, I had the carriage stop near the alley with a clear view of the Duke’s residence, walked a short distance from there, and approached the main entrance—arriving about five minutes past the appointed time.
The butler waiting at the front door escorted me to the Duke’s reception room. The Duke stood by the window, where the faint afternoon sunlight filtered through.
As I stepped inside, he turned toward me and said,
“You suddenly wrote, ‘I have something urgent to discuss. Please make time for me tomorrow—any time works.’ But then you show up late? Whose imperial etiquette is that?”
“I’m sorry. I walked a bit after getting off near your townhouse. As you well know, it would be troublesome if anyone found out I was meeting you. You’ll understand graciously, won’t you—like a true gentleman?”
I replied with a shameless smile. The Duke let out an incredulous chuckle and gestured toward the sofa.
“Sit down first. I’ll hear this urgent matter of yours once you’re seated.”
“Thank you.”
I walked over and sat in the chair he indicated. The Duke took a seat across from me and instructed the butler to bring tea.
Once both the butler and the maid had left the room, I slowly began to speak.
“First, I’d like to apologize for not contacting you for several days. I’ve been rather busy with various matters.”
“…I recently heard news that the Anwort territory was sold to some ‘merchant.’ Supposedly, a middle-aged man with a foolish air about him. Could he possibly be your agent?”
“You can’t hide anything from you, Duke. That’s correct. I bought it at an extremely steep price—so much so that I had to spend nearly all the reward you gave me back then.”
At my words, the Duke raised one eyebrow slightly and asked,
“What value could a territory possibly hold—its only income sources being a salt pan producing low-quality salt and a nearly ruined port—that you’d pay such an enormous sum for it? Is there a particular reason?”
I answered with a meaningful smile.
“Of course. In six months’ time, that port will bring me immense wealth. Just you wait—extraordinary things are about to happen.”
“I don’t know what scheme you’re plotting this time, but please don’t drag me into anything troublesome. I’d rather avoid getting tangled up in irritating affairs.”
The Duke replied indifferently. I shook my head and said,
“What are you talking about? This is only the beginning. If you’re already complaining about trouble, that’s a problem. Didn’t you say you wanted to place Princess Ella on the throne?”
“…I have no idea what you’re referring to. What connection could there possibly be between your acquisition of Anwort Port and Princess Ella’s ascension?”
When the Duke pressed me further, I looked straight at him and answered,
“At the moment, the nobles supporting Princess Ella possess far less wealth and military strength than those aligned with Prince Louis, wouldn’t you agree? In fact, aside from you, most of her supporters are either young knights who earned baronial or viscount titles through wartime merit or newly risen nobles.”
In contrast, Prince Louis’s faction consists largely of this empire’s established elite. As I elaborated further, the Duke asked again, as if prompting me to clarify,
“…So?”
“In simple terms, relying solely on knight-led land troops and income from fiefs will never close the financial gap between the two factions. Therefore, we must seek avenues elsewhere.”
“…Elsewhere? You don’t mean…?”
“Yes. If we can’t win on land, then we must win at sea.”
I declared firmly and gave him a bright smile. The Duke frowned openly and said,
“So you’re suggesting I build up a navy?”
“You’re quick on the uptake, as always. Exactly. I’d like you to develop a navy based at my port—Anwort. I’ll gladly lend you the land as a training ground. Oh, don’t worry—I won’t charge you any fees.”
“…Ha!”
“But I will need you to invest in the costs of feeding, clothing, and training the troops. Admittedly, it’ll require quite a sum—but not so much that your income couldn’t cover it. What do you think?”
Upon hearing my words, the Duke let out another incredulous laugh.
“You truly enjoy the most absurd jokes, don’t you? Was this ridiculous proposal all you wanted to discuss when you asked to meet? Do you even understand how much money raising an army actually costs?”
“…”
“…Fine, let’s assume—against all reason—that I follow your advice and pour a colossal amount of money into building a navy. Then who would command it? I’m skilled with land forces, but my experience with navies is practically nonexistent. There’s no way I could provide proper training.”
“I appreciate your honesty, Duke. I hadn’t realized you were so forthright about your own weaknesses.”
“Enough with the wordplay. And besides—you clearly want to keep this army hidden from your uncle and Prince Louise’s faction. Do you really think a force large enough to rival the Prince’s side could remain concealed so easily? If you try that, your old port will be burned to the ground before you even get a chance to properly deploy your troops.”
The Duke brushed aside my playful remark with a series of logical counterpoints—certainly logical given the current circumstances.
But those circumstances would soon change. I tilted my head slightly, adopting a faintly arrogant air, and said,
“That’s precisely why I intend to personally assign you one of my finest retainers.”
“What are you talking about now? You claim to have a capable naval commander among your people?”
“Yes. I plan to recruit them shortly. While I’m at it, I’d also like to present you with a little ‘gift’ I’ve prepared. I’m certain you’ll be quite satisfied. …Which brings me to this.”
I paused meaningfully, drawing a slow breath. The Duke fixed his full attention on me, clearly curious about what I would say next.
His dark eyes seemed capable of swallowing everything whole.
Feeling an inexplicable shiver under his gaze, I pulled an invitation from within my robes and handed it to him. Then I spoke slowly,
“Duke, would you please attend Lady Emily Miles’s birthday party next weekend?”
“…What?”
“And, if possible, could you prepare a gift for her? I already have a specific item in mind. You’ll do it, won’t you?”
I smiled sweetly as I spoke to him.
The Duke kept chuckling in disbelief, his gaze filled with questions—as if asking why, after discussing matters that could upend the entire empire’s political landscape, I’d suddenly bring up a viscountess’s birthday party.
He opened and closed his lips several times, evidently unsure what to say first, before finally addressing me in a slightly deflated tone,
“I have absolutely no idea what ridiculous scheme that little head of yours has cooked up this time. Kindly explain—why exactly must I attend the birthday party of a viscountess whose face I’ve never even seen, and bring her a gift no less?”
“Of course. I’ll explain everything to you now. …So, may I borrow your ears for just a moment?”
“…What?”
Before he could say anything further, I abruptly stood up.
Then, approaching him—who now looked slightly flustered—I covered my mouth with one hand and began swiftly whispering my plan into his ear.
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
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