I Killed My Husband - Chapter 30

“In the place where I was, they would even grind pearls and apply them to the body. You should have seen how beautiful the skin’s texture looked.”

“Using ground pearls as cosmetics… that’s an interesting idea.”

“Right? And if you weave them densely into your hair and braid it, even your hair looks beautiful and shiny. Pearls have so many diverse uses.”

As Mercedes chattered away happily, Nadia finally let out an audible laugh. The cheerful light in her open smile and tanned face was very pleasant to see.

“It must have been like that. I had no idea such methods existed. Hmm. Actually, I too love pearls the most, like Mercedes.”

“Wow. We have the same taste!”

Mercedes clapped her hands once and smiled.

The surrounding nobles were momentarily surprised by Nadia’s change in attitude. But they didn’t show it on their faces.

Nadia wasn’t an easy opponent. So there must be a reason for her behavior.

Maybe she’s building her up only to put her down later.

Everyone waited for Nadia’s next words, calmly observing the situation.

“Indeed. We do have the same taste.”

But she didn’t put her down, and answered gladly. Now the nobles could no longer hide their bewilderment.

“Hehe. I hope we can meet again at another banquet, Madam Guild Leader.”

Mercedes thought this was just the right time for her to withdraw.

She had gained Nadia’s favor in front of others.

Making plans to meet separately later would be quite burdensome for Nadia at the Empress Dowager’s banquet. So she smiled innocently and retreated.

“Yes, Mercedes. Enjoy the rest of the banquet.”

Nadia politely greeted Mercedes as she left, inwardly smiling.

‘She knows when to retreat.’

Mercedes, the woman favored by the Emperor.

Though naive, she seemed to have definitely learned from the Emperor about etiquette and how to handle conversations with people here.

Seeing how she skillfully withdrew at this awkward moment to arrange the next meeting, omitting any talk of invitations. Perhaps she’s waiting for her to send a letter first.

Anyway, a strange atmosphere began to circulate among the nobles.

Meanwhile, Mercedes pretended to be hungry and picked at finger foods from the food table after retreating. She felt like she might get indigestion, but she had no choice in order to act out the role of a naive and insensitive woman.

‘Phew… How did it go, I wonder if it went well?’

She turned her back to the people and organized her thoughts.

In fact, Mercedes didn’t rush in knowing all of Nadia’s thoughts.

From what she had learned before, the pride of the East was the pearl business. However, it was in the past tense, and pearls weren’t an option when matching dresses and accessories.

In a way, it was natural, but Mercedes focused on that part.

Even if it’s in the past tense, how could a gem that was even called the pride of a region not be an option at all?

As an outsider, it was difficult for Mercedes to go against the trends of high society, so she asked the maids for their opinions on pearls.

Rhonda and Patricia unanimously answered, ‘That’s too old-fashioned a gem for someone attending a banquet to wear. Especially for a young lady!’

The pride of the East, but considered old-fashioned in the world.

Then it wouldn’t sell well. What happened to those who produced that pride?

Mercedes inquired about Nadia to Leopold.

She heard that Nadia was from the East, spent her entire youth in the East, and despite being the owner of such a large guild, she always returns, keeping her headquarters in the East.

She seemed to have a strong attachment to her hometown.

So, she thought it was a gamble worth taking once.

Did the goddess of luck raise her hand like that? The gamble seemed to have paid off.

Considering how Nadia had greeted her politely, even calling her by name.

After the chat with Nadia, she felt that the banquet attendees’ interest in her had grown.

Some were fidgeting, wanting to speak to her. But since it was the Empress Dowager’s banquet today, everyone was wary of the Empress Dowager’s reaction and couldn’t approach Mercedes.

It was rather fortunate. If she had to act more bubbly, she felt like she might collapse.

After somehow passing the time like that, the banquet ended.

Mercedes, exhausted, boarded the carriage with Carlos, just as she had arrived.

He sat across from her.

“Banquets… are really tiring, aren’t they?”

Mercedes heaved a deep sigh. Carlos looked at her and opened his mouth.

“Hmm. I have something I want to say, but if you’re too tired, should I not?”

“What were you going to say?”

Mercedes asked nervously. Did she not do well at the banquet today? Was there some problem? Was she of no use?

As she worried, he smiled and spoke.

“Just a moment, turn your head this way.”

Mercedes brought her face closer at his words. Then Carlos gently stroked her hair and whispered in a pleasant low voice.

“You were really amazing today. To the point of admiration.”

What came back from him was praise.

Mercedes stopped breathing in surprise.

She had a strange illusion that her fatigue was flying away.

Her emotions were floating. But Mercedes tried not to show it, straightened her posture back to normal, and calmly opened her mouth.

“…I must have had many shortcomings, but thank you for praising me so.”

“No, you were perfect. Mercedes. I think you could even be an actress?”

“That’s nonsense.”

“See? Where did that innocent maiden from earlier go, and the Mercedes faithful to etiquette has returned?”

Carlos smiled mischievously and unbuttoned his uniform. He even undid two buttons of his shirt, apparently feeling quite stuffy.

“Whew, I agree that banquets are tiring. Now I feel like I can live.”

What a free person. Loosening his clothes and leaning back casually in the carriage, he looked less like an emperor and more like the leader of a nomadic tribe riding a wild horse.

Perhaps because her emotions were stirred up.

She found herself strangely conscious of the thick scent of grass and musk emanating from him.

“I am a person who finds even the uniform stifling, with no talent for social skills. So having you step up like this is no different from gaining a thousand troops.”

Carlos’s voice, softly offering praise, sounded just like a song.

“…Thank you.”

Mercedes answered sincerely.

Had Carlos come to think of Mercedes as a somewhat useful card?

She continued studying partly because it was fun, but rather than hearing “I’m smitten,” she wanted to hear “You’re useful.” “Smitten” was too abstract, too easy to be capricious. But if she was useful? He wouldn’t be able to discard her.

And in the praise he just uttered, there were signs of such thoughts.

She would strive more, more to become a talent the Emperor must keep by his side. That’s how she would survive and drive a knife into Cromwell’s neck.

Mercedes closed her eyes and leaned her head against the carriage window.

The carriage drove straight to the detached palace.

The starlight in the night sky was brilliant.

* * *

For a month, she had studied a lot while preparing for the Empress Dowager’s banquet. The teacher Carlos assigned was an old woman.

The woman who introduced herself as Baroness Fisher was someone who had spent a long time as a professor at the National Academy before retiring.

She was said to be Leopold’s teacher as well.

Originally, they were going to choose one of the adjutants to send, but as none could spare the time, they brought in a trustworthy outsider.

Baroness Fisher was knowledgeable in all sorts of subjects.

Though she never had to teach it at the Academy, she taught Mercedes everything from hand signals used in high society to the different dress styles of each region, saying it would be necessary for her.

‘Young lady, you have a talent for endless learning.’

When Mercedes, getting anxious as the lesson was about to end, would frantically pour out questions, she would always say that, answering without minding that the lesson ran long.

She was truly a kind and wise person.

In the meantime, during the short breaks, Leopold would thoughtfully relay information about Chaim.

Chaim seemed to be in a state of high tension.

It was because she, whose writing skills had improved dramatically under Baroness Fisher’s tutelage, had scattered secret letters everywhere.

Of course, they were reviewed before being sent. As they had agreed with Carlos not to inform Baroness Fisher of her purpose, Carlos or Leopold mainly checked them.

And recently, she even received praise that there was nothing left to correct.

As the secret letters contained a mix of truth and lies, the nobles of Chaim were confused and began to engage in power struggles, each siding with princes of different ranks, and recently, there was even a fistfight at a noble council meeting, which was quite barbaric.

Perhaps because of this, it was said that the King was being cautious and unable to lay hands on the Crown Prince.

But what was really strange was that Count Cromwell was still holed up in his mansion, not coming out.

‘It’s not like Father.’

What on earth was he plotting?

That’s why she desperately needed Nadia. Nadia would become her key.

Mercedes waited for a letter from Nadia. It was more important to have the other side show favor than to send a letter first.

Forcibly inviting her and placing her by her side would clearly not look good.

Just like that, exactly two days after the banquet ended, a letter from Nadia arrived for Mercedes.

[The Deer Horn Guild handles only the highest quality pearls.

May I visit you sometime?

−Your friend, Nadia.]

‘To even use the word friend.’

Mercedes had to let out a silent scream of joy.

It seemed Nadia’s favor towards her was quite high.

Mercedes invited her right away without hesitation. Thus, just four days after the banquet ended, the two were able to meet again in Mercedes’s room.

“Hello, Mercedes.”

Nadia was dressed in a completely different style from her glamorous dress at the banquet, wearing a shirt and jacket with fitted pants and boots.

It seemed that in the Loom Empire, if a woman had entered society, wearing pants was acceptable. Though most still wore neat dresses or skirt suits.

Who could say anything to Nadia, a guild leader?

Mercedes had returned to the Imperial Palace the very next day after the banquet ended.

It was Carlos’s opinion that since she had shown her face at the Empress Dowager’s banquet, there was no need to hide in the detached palace anymore.

So she was able to welcome Nadia while flaunting that she was receiving the Emperor’s full favor, to the extent of occupying not just a room in the Imperial Palace, but the entire right corridor of the first floor.