Chapter 6

Before she knew it, a profound darkness had settled.

The wind coming through the open window fluttered the curtains.

Elise's body appeared and disappeared behind them.

She pondered long on how she should live her life from now on.

The first goal was easy to set.

Revenge.

'But with what I have now, I can't do anything.'

Chase's established position was solely his. It was because Elise had always moved discreetly behind the scenes.

'Asking for it now, Chase wouldn't give it to me. I should have created a secret ledger and set aside some money.'

Elise of the past was naive.

So, even though she managed several businesses for Chase, she never looked after her own interests.

'Embarrassingly foolish.'

To counter Chase and get revenge on the magician Iris, she needed money.

'And I need my own people.'

But that alone felt insufficient.

'What more do I need?'

Elise began to calmly list the things she had to do as her thoughts organized.

When she had somewhat settled her mind, Regina entered with a knock.

Turning to see Regina, with her brown hair neatly pinned up, she came in holding a letter and a small box.

"Lord Chase sent a gift for you."

"A gift from His Highness?"

Elise was dumbfounded.

Chase, having grown up in poverty, was stingy in giving to others.

Before becoming the crown prince, it was even worse. When dating Elise, most expenses came out of her pocket.

Naturally, she had never received a decent gift from him until he became the crown prince.

His only gift was a hastily scribbled poem.

Back then, Elise thought it was romantic.

She believed she was receiving his time and effort, which money couldn't buy.

But it turned out the poem was written by his aide, and Chase only changed a few words.

Even knowing this, she tried to understand him, claiming choosing the right words for a poem was the harder task.

'I was crazy.'

Elise received the letter and box with a cold expression.

This was unlike Chase.

"Oh my, ruby earrings. They're small and cute, just like you, miss. They'll suit you well."

Although it might count as a gesture from Chase, Elise was unimpressed.

She carelessly pushed the box aside and tore open the letter envelope without a paper knife, startling Regina.

"Miss, I'll get you a paper knife."

"No need."

Elise waved her hand and read through the letter.

Was it written by his aide again? The first sentence was literary and full of pathos.

After reading, Elise tossed the letter onto the table.

"What does it say?"

Regina's eyes sparkled. She had supported Elise and Chase's relationship as much as her own.

Regina believed that Elise's status as the overlooked daughter of a baron would change by becoming a princess.

Even now, as lovers, things had changed. The Warton baron and baroness didn't openly mistreat Elise anymore. But the covert harassment continued.

'They gaslighted me, claiming it's all thanks to them.'

The more she thought about it, the angrier Elise became, so she pushed the memory aside.

"If you're curious, read it. And take the ruby earrings."

"What? You're giving me something so precious? But it's a gift from His Highness."

"It doesn't seem to suit me. Gifts should go to those who appreciate them. By the way, what's Iris up to these days?"

"Madam, sir and the madam went to the hot springs, remember?"

Regina said, glancing around.

The winter hot springs, Elise thought quietly. She knew exactly what they were up to.

'Will it go as you want, sister?'

Elise imagined the place where the baron, baroness, and Iris would be, lifting one corner of her lips.

Regina took the box away, and Elise resumed her thoughts.

She had no intention of forgiving Chase, who had thoroughly exploited and abandoned her.

Nor was she going to let Iris go unpunished for not only taking what was hers but also ensnaring her in scandal.

'I won't just watch Prince David perish in vain.'

Being engaged to Chase meant Elise and David inevitably did not have a good relationship, but David had always treated Elise with respect.

Even when he became the deposed prince because of her, he blamed Chase instead of cursing Elise.

"He must be a fool to misuse a good person like me as his brother."

To save him, she had to prevent the marriage between David and Iris.

"This life will be different."

Elise's eyes shone fiercely.

The baron and his wife traveled with Iris to escape the heat and the cold of winter.

During those times, the baron's mansion's heating and cooling magic devices were turned off, and the fireplaces were idle.

No wonder it was cold.

"Don't feel too bad, miss. Next time, you'll go with them."

Regina offered the same consolation she had for the past ten years to Elise, who was rubbing her arms from the cold.

Elise didn't believe her but nodded and smiled.

'It's better without father. There's no one to interfere with my plans. I have to end things with Chase before they return.'

Elise's smile brightened Regina's face, who then started chattering.

"Just the other day, Baron Photon was caught meeting Lady Jane secretly, away from his wife's eyes. Baroness Photon scratched his neck severely. That's why he wears a scarf to the gentlemen's club these days."

Regina rambled on endlessly, mostly about high society but also included information about the royal family.

"Did you hear? His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is going hunting with Lord Chase. They're heading to Count Joshua's territory."

'He's going to meet Iris.'

The love story between Iris and David was well-known. Iris, strolling in Count Joshua's domain, accidentally lost her way and ended up in David's hunting ground.

There, she befriended a bird.

'Prince David ends up shooting the bird. Iris cries bitterly.'

David feels sorry for Iris and sends her a bird made of jewels when they return to the capital, marking the start of their romance.

'Iris claimed she lost her way by accident, but it wasn't. How did she know? It's difficult to find out where the princes hunt due to security issues.'

The current Warton baronetcy didn't wield much influence in politics.

That's why they were relatively oblivious to royal news.

'Either she was in contact with Chase from the start or…'

A flash of insight struck Elise. She looked at Regina.

Her gaze must have been intense, as Regina, who had been happily talking, suddenly fell silent and looked wary.

"Miss?"

"Regina, where did you hear it?"

"What, what do you mean?"

"The stories you just told."

"Oh, those? I read them in a gossip magazine that the maids share. We get it every two weeks. It's cheap and full of interesting news. Some of it even turns out to be true."

"Can I see it?"

"What? It's not really suitable for you, miss…"

Regina lost her confidence rapidly.

Elise cocked her head, making Regina wave her hand.

"It's not weird! It's just that not all the content is suitable for you."

This made Elise even more curious.

"Bring it to me. All the ones you have."

The magazine had accurately pinpointed the prince's hunting ground. If it were the past, she would have dismissed it as a coincidence, but this time, she wanted to check.

Regina reluctantly brought the gossip magazines. The amount was substantial.

"Wow, that's a lot."

"Ah, well, I've been collecting them for three years. They started publishing three years ago. Initially, they were only the size of a palm, but gradually they got bigger. Now they're almost the size of a regular newspaper. The publication frequency has also increased."

Indeed, as Regina explained, the early issues were on poor-quality paper, likely due to a lack of funds, resulting in some parts being faded or erased.

"I'll read these and return them."

"I doubt there'll be anything you'd like in them…"

Regina trailed off.

The Elise of the past would have agreed.

But the current Elise was different.

If Iris had used these magazines to orchestrate her meeting with David as fate, Elise needed to start with these to alter that fate.

Elise sent Regina away and meticulously went through every issue from three years ago to the most recent publication.

Elise spent days reading the gossip magazines and identifying the publisher.

Finally, she had checked the last issue.

'It's all true. Some falsehoods are mixed in, but they're cleverly intertwined. If you look closely, they're all real events. Written from what people have seen, experienced, and heard…'

She needed someone who could be the eyes, ears, and mouth in the social and political circles.

Elise's eyes sparkled as she spread out the gossip magazine again.

'Regina said they don't know who it is, but they've left traces everywhere.'

Analyzing the content of the regularly published gossip magazine, Elise could infer the areas of activity.

Special parties, specific events.

She listed these events and their dates and compiled a list of people who were invited to them.

The last thing to check was the handwriting. Elise rummaged through her desk drawer and pulled out some stationery.

She sent out tea invitations to those she suspected of publishing the gossip magazine.

"Let's wait for the replies."

Elise got into bed. It was early for sleep, but she had an important plan for the evening and needed to rest now.

It was a plan to completely turn Chase away, who was stubbornly refusing to break up.

'He has to help me for it to work. He will, won't he?'

Elise felt an inexplicable confidence.

That evening, her heart beat low but fast at the thought of meeting that man.

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This novel has been translated up to chapter 30.

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