Lea inspected the Hamilton General Store run by Rapha grandfather’s brothers. Fortunately, they had a knack for business and were operating it well without losses.

“Our Chainer’s lace products are selling out. Despite the high price, we keep getting advance orders.”

“Are you also keeping track of the situation at general stores in other areas?”

“Of course.”

“Soon, good products will be released. Make separate flyers for those and insert them into daily newspapers. Make sure to properly compensate the newspaper delivery boys as well.”

“Understood, miss.”

As there weren’t any suitable dresses at the general store, Lea headed to the boutique she used to frequent.

The Hamilton women always had their dresses tailored at this boutique… But the nostalgic moment was brief.

“The boutique door is locked?”

“It seems they’re not open for business.”

Seeing the sign saying the store was up for sale, it appeared they were no longer in business.

Instead, Lea bought dresses for herself and Pauline at a store selling ready-made clothes. Though not as elegant as custom-made dresses, they were decent enough to wear.

To attend the dinner Allen invited her to this evening, she needed to change clothes at the very least.

“Miss, I just don’t have a good feeling about that man.”

It was disgusting to see him shamelessly flirting with Grace even with his mistress by his side. Also, his desire for Grace was palpable.

“It’s not just a feeling, he’s a bastard.”

“What? You’re still going? If the Duke finds out, there’ll be a huge commotion.”

“He runs the largest company in Galdencia. He’ll have a lot of useful information for us.”

After finishing their preparations, the two headed to the hotel lobby.

Although Allen said he would send a carriage on time, she declined.

‘Why should I ride in that bastard’s carriage.’

Though she wasn’t particularly keen on today’s invitation, she accepted because she had a feeling there would be a great gain. And she wanted to see them properly once.

‘You bunch of enemies. I’ll watch your ugly faces closely. And I’ll never forget until I bring you down.’

At last, the carriage arrived at Allen’s mansion.

Although it used to be the house where she and her father lived, it had now become someone else’s home. Lea’s heart pounded so much that she had to alternate between walking and resting.

She barely held back tears as her emotions suddenly intensified. She couldn’t show such a strange sight to Pauline.

“Lady Bizac, you’ve come.”

Allen, dressed neatly in evening wear, came out to greet them.

* * *

As soon as his high fever subsided, Terran wanted to go to Galdencia right away. But reality didn’t allow him to move even a step outside his bedroom.

James and Luke glared at him and nagged incessantly.

“Now, now, Your Grace, I’ve brought news so you can grasp the young lady’s current situation at a glance without having to go to Galdencia yourself.”

Luke handed Terran a paper.

He already knew that she was staying at the Brassel Hotel with Pauline.

As expected, he was pleased that she was going around inspecting the general stores. But the problem was the appointment set for the evening.

“You’re saying she received a dinner invitation from Allen MacDowell?”

“Yes.”

Terran felt chills.

Chainer’s words hit the nail on the head.

“Luke, bring Chainer here.”

“Pardon…? Understood.”

Even after Luke left, Terran stared intently at the paper detailing Grace’s activities.

But the truly incomprehensible part was that Grace was attending Allen’s dinner. She must know how impure that man is.

He was curious about her intentions. No, even if he didn’t know her true inner thoughts, what was certain was that his current mood was absolutely trash.

Just then, Chainer came to see Terran. She held Luke’s hand tightly and was delighted like a child.

Of course, Luke’s face wasn’t particularly pleased.

“Chainer, why did Grace go to another man’s house?”

“Why? I dunno well.”

Chainer tilted her head and answered blankly.

“But last time you spoke as if you knew everything?”

“That was, just what popped in my head then.”

Ha! It was hard to know which tune to dance to. Of course, what did he expect from Chainer?

It was his mistake trying to borrow a cat’s paw because he felt too frustrated.

Luke also had an expression that seemed to find Terran pathetic.

“Alright, you can go.”

“Okay!”

Chainer hopped towards the door. But then she stopped and turned back.

“What now?”

He shouldn’t believe anything Chainer says anymore. Earlier was just a momentary lapse of reason.

Chainer put on a serious expression and glared at Terran.

“Sis really really hates that man.”

That was welcome news among what he’d been hearing.

“But, that man is very handsome. And he wants to have sis. To marry.”

“That’s absurd…!”

He was already well aware, so it was irritating. The only reason Allen invited Grace was for that.

Moreover, that man’s arrogance that he could have anything he wanted had reached its peak.

“Sis wants to shoot the man with gun, bang! So… I mean Grace sis is dangerous.”

At Chainer’s words, Terran’s body turned ice cold.

He tried to laugh off Chainer’s words as a joke, but it was true that Grace had a gun.

He knew full well that she had secretly stolen it from his desk, but he pretended not to know. He thought it wouldn’t be bad for her to carry it on her body for self-defense.

‘Dangerous?’

Only that word swirled in Terran’s mind, making him imagine the worst case scenario.

‘Did that bastard try to touch Grace carelessly, so she pulled out the gun?’

It sounded like a prophecy that a tragic accident would occur where someone gets shot during a scuffle.

Terran jumped up from his seat with a pale face. His patience had run out due to all sorts of anxieties and worries. But Luke strongly restrained him.

“Your Grace, it’s still too much for you.”

“Get out of my way! Before I kill him!”

He grabbed Luke’s collar and threw him roughly. Then Chainer ran over crying and hit Terran wildly.

“Why you hit our elder brother! Mister, bad!”

Terran left the bedroom, roughly running his hand through his hair.

He couldn’t stand it anymore as Chainer’s crying was deafening. He was already in a panic because of Grace, and now Chainer’s words were about to make him have a fit.

“Your Grace, I apologize.”

Luke immediately ran over and apologized.

‘Your Grace is not in his right mind. It would be better to go together to fetch Lady Grace.’

“We’re going to Galdencia. Get ready.”

“Understood.”

“Luke, stop by the police station first.”

“The police station?”

“Go there and relay exactly what I say to the police chief.”

“Please tell me.”

But Terran couldn’t even speak properly because Chainer was wailing as if struck by lightning inside the bedroom.

He regretted showing such a harsh side to Chainer unnecessarily.

“No, comfort her first. Hug her or kiss her, please just make her stop crying.”

Luke ran into the bedroom. Soon, the sound of Luke coaxing and soothing Chainer like a child could be heard from outside.

After about 5 minutes, it finally quieted down. However, Terran’s cough worsened and his fever rose again.

‘I need to go find Grace.’

As soon as he took a step, his vision spun and the floor surged upwards. With a thud, Terran collapsed in the corridor and lost consciousness.

“Gr…ace.”

She was all that covered his consciousness.

* * *

Lea felt sick seeing the three of them together.

The police chief Tuazo who fired a shot during the wedding, the cargo ship captain who framed her father by saying there were dried poppy flowers on the ship, and Allen MacDowell, the root of all this.

She forcibly held back the urge to vomit and smiled.

“Richard Hamilton, to think such a traitor is still alive. The Emperor was too lenient,” said Tuazo as he chewed on meat. Lea barely restrained herself from wanting to set his curved mustache on fire.

“The Emperor held Richard Hamilton in special regard, didn’t he? Even for a traitor, it must have been difficult to execute him.”

“By the way, to think the one who bought Hamilton General Store was such a delicate lady.”

Tuazo leered at Grace with a lecherous smile.

“I’m not delicate.”

“Pardon? I’ve committed a faux pas, hahaha.”

Lea listened intently to the conversation between the three. Where they were investing and how they were trying to make money. Though they didn’t speak in detail, one thing was clear – they were aiming for a windfall through reckless investments.

In particular, they spoke of major projects like buying cheap cotton textiles from the Eastern Continent to build factories, or investing in railroad businesses in countries lagging behind in industrialization.

“Since the lady is also interested in business, how about meeting with us often to share information?”

Allen spoke persuasively to Grace.

“I’ll just sell small lace items I make. I’m too timid to do big business like men.”

“Well, it is too much for women. Business requires boldness and the ability to quickly grasp the flow of affairs.”

Tuazo only made despicable remarks.

‘You youngsters don’t know. How easily money can betray you.’

Just then, Allen’s younger sister Rivet urgently joined the dinner. She had rushed over at the news that a merchant selling Chainer lace had arrived.

“Miss Bizac, I have a request. I need to attend the Crown Prince’s selection banquet soon, and I’d like to have a dress made with Chainer lace. Would you accept my commission?”

Lea stared at Rivet, whom she knew well. She was as much of a snob as her brother, often visiting to extort money from her even when she was dating Allen. Now she wants to become the Crown Princess?

“Cost is no object.”

Rivet pleaded earnestly to Grace. Well, being selected as the Crown Princess would change her fate.

Above all, Rivet was very beautiful. But she wasn’t Crown Princess material.

“It would be my honor. To have the future Crown Princess of Galdencia commission a dress from our store, I’ll gladly accept.”

Lea felt that Rivet’s life somehow needed a dramatic twist.