Bab 200: [Chapter 200] The Woman Reflected in the Mirror
"It has been handled as instructed."
Talfrin reported enthusiastically. Neris smiled and praised him.
"Well done. Now that we all have the necessary information, the rest will be taken care of by Megara and Natasha."
"That's right. Who do you think will win?"
"In my opinion, they will both lose."
With a confident tone, Dora, who had been listening from the side, looked at Neris with an admiring gaze. Was she planning to eliminate everyone? She seemed fragile, but there was no one as trustworthy as the mistress.
Smart. Claudwin, who entered without waiting for an answer while knocking on the door, looked puzzled at his subordinate's appearance.
"You were supposed to go to the palace, but you stopped by here first."
Indeed, Talfrin was Claudwin's subordinate. Reporting in detail about the results of the tasks assigned by Neris in her study should have been done after carrying out Claudwin's orders.
Neris felt a bit sorry.
"Oh, you had other things to do. I'm sorry, you. I had something to ask Talfrin."
"It's not a problem. If you have something to ask, that takes priority. Just like I do."
Claudwin shrugged and approached Neris, then kissed her on the lips.
"Smack." It was supposed to be just a brief sound and part ways. However, the short kiss gradually continued. "Smack, smack, smack."
Talfrin left the study looking disgusted. Dora, glancing around, followed him, closing the door tightly behind her.
As if it were natural for the two of them in the given space, Claudwin held his wife's shoulders and kissed her deeply on the lips. Neris felt a bit dizzy.
Fortunately, she had drunk the herbal tea that Joan had sent, claiming it was good for health. If not for that, she wouldn't have been able to endure her husband's relentless advances.
"Ha."
After sharing their breath for a while, Claudwin reluctantly pulled away. Neris blushed slightly, but casually glanced at his moist lips. Feeling embarrassed even by that gaze, she quickly looked at the desk.
"When will you get used to it?"
"I don't know. Someday?"
She fanned her flushed face for a moment to cool down. Claudwin smiled and kissed her cheek once more.
"You're cute."
Even fanning herself was futile. Despite hearing such words from him at least a dozen times a day, each time it felt like a strange resonance in her heart. And that resonance, instead of fading as it became familiar, was growing.
The growing wave felt like it was tickling her small confined heart. It was unsettling. She murmured softly.
"Did you come here to do this instead of working? I had more instructions for Talfrin."
"Tell me. Instruct me on my way out. And shouldn't you come for this?"
"Nothing is impossible, but..."
Is there a reason why a husband would go to a specific place in his own home to kiss his wife? Neris raised her chin, puzzled by the answer.
Seeing her puzzled expression, Claudwin chuckled. She had always maintained such a formal and dignified posture to hide her emotions, even from the past. Now, those around her had noticed that sudden refinement in her perfect posture indicated emotional turmoil.
"In fact, I had something else to discuss. The moonwort and the cord touched. It's much easier to progress with the work while in the palace."
The simple words belied the fact that Eunwol, the masterpiece that Kamil had nurtured with all his might since childhood, was exceptional. A monster that greedily devoured all the secrets of the royal family under an extraordinary master.
Even the so-called great noble families vanished without a trace under Eunwol's merciless blade. Knowing this fact, Neris looked at Claudwin with renewed admiration.
Claudwin raised the corner of his mouth.
"I'm glad my wife seems to view me favorably. But I'd rather receive a rating of charm than competence from you. Especially when we're alone."
He seemed out of his mind. In over thirty years of her life, Neris had never heard such words from anyone else. She didn't even know if there was anyone who actually said such things.
Neris's face turned as red as if pricked with a finger, as if red liquid would come out. Claudwin smirked slightly.
"My wife, shall we prepare to go see the play you've arranged? There's too much money at home and nowhere to spend it. I hope you can indulge in spending some for your hobby."
It was a suggestion to go shopping for clothes. One large room was so filled with dresses that it seemed like the dresses had taken over even other rooms. Initially, Neris couldn't understand. Weren't they supposed to leave soon?
"Aren't there too many dresses now? I only have one body, how can I wear them all?"
"Then you should buy a gem that can be worn multiple times. Gems are small in size, so it's convenient."
It felt awkward for her when her husband occasionally felt like this and wanted to buy her something. But once he mentioned it, he wouldn't let go until she agreed, so she had no choice.
"You mentioned the moonwort and all, and that's why you came here."
"It's my hobby, sorry, but you have to accompany me."
Neris sighed and stood up. Claudwin hugged her waist and chuckled.
"It's amusing to see your face, which perfectly digests the most dazzling gem to the point of being stubborn, and yet you call it all just stones. You're so beautiful."
Another compliment.
Neris casually turned her gaze towards the door. Suddenly, she saw her reflection in the mirror by the door.
Since entering the academy in her previous life and enduring the relentless torment that began, Neris disliked looking in the mirror. The reflection was always an ugly monster with grotesque eyes. Except for one time.
But today, strangely, she just saw a woman.
She tried to smile awkwardly but failed.
Neris remembered that appearance. It was the same as when Diane visited last year. No, there was something more lively about it than back then...
"Should I clear the mirror?"
Neris snapped out of her reverie at Claudwin's voice. She averted her gaze from her reflection in the mirror and nodded slightly.
The dimly lit chamber in the palace.
Since being insulted by Natasha Grunehalz a few days ago, Kamil had been quieter than usual. Her subordinates knew her mood was uncomfortable and didn't dare to breathe too loudly.
In such a state, her most trusted subordinate cautiously approached her.
"Your Highness."
"What's the matter?"
Kamil responded with a growl. The subordinate reported as gently as possible, flinching.
"We have received intelligence about the daughter of the Lycanderos family."
"About Megara?"
Kamil, who had been half-slouched in the armchair, straightened up. She blinked suspiciously.
"What has happened to Megara in the end?"
"No, Your Highness. The issue was caused by the marquis."
The story was so astounding that even the subordinate was cautious. Secret agents like Eunwol naturally encountered many unusual incidents in noble families. However, a thorough deception that had deceived others' attention for so long, like this incident, was rare.
Especially if it was a dreadful lie undermining the purity of noble lineage from the very foundation.
After the report, Kamil opened her mouth in disbelief.
"The marquis and his wife must have lost their minds."
"Yes. But they must have gained something for being so thorough."
"To be thorough, they should have killed those who cared for me at the recuperation site. What's the point of being so thorough if they are going to be exposed like this just for foolishly bringing up a child?"
It was a cruel statement. However, it was also a typical Kamil-like statement, reflecting her preference for caution.
She asked while observing her subordinate's reaction, "What should we do? Should we silence the woman who claimed to have cared for the marchioness 20 years ago?"
The subordinate understood the value of this secret. If the truth from 20 years ago were to be revealed, the marquis would face at least a reprimand from the nobility. He might even end up in prison for deceiving the royal family or have to pay a hefty fine.
But the value of a secret lies in keeping it known to as few people as possible. If everyone knew about it, Kamil wouldn't be able to use the secret as leverage over the marquis.
With thoughtful eyes, Kamil responded, "For now, just monitor her closely without interfering. While the woman's words may not hold much weight as evidence, they might be useful in some way. More importantly, look into Rebecca Shirley's actions to be able to prove her relationship with the child at any time. Finding someone who can confirm that she gave birth would be ideal."
Kamil quickly suspected that Rebecca might be Megara's biological mother. This way, both the marquis and his wife would gain something from this deception.
Even to outsiders, it seemed as if the marquis and Rebecca were practically married, so Kamil continued to wonder why the marquis and Rebecca hadn't officially tied the knot.
"Now I understand. He kept it to himself because his child's future was important to him."
Kamil, who had always prioritized reason and pragmatism, also believed in love. More precisely, she believed in the fact that humans make foolish choices repeatedly due to the strange emotion called love.
In her view, the marquis loved both Rebecca and Megara. Little did she know that this belief in love would sow the seeds of tragedy.
"I understand."
The subordinate replied politely.
Kamil grumbled with a displeased look.
"Now that it's come to this, I suppose we have to let Natasha deal with Megara. Both are arrogant, and I don't want to take sides, but if Abel's first child is born from a commoner, that would be troublesome."
In Kamil's eyes, Megara had become a commoner. Even if the marquis offered Kamil sufficient compensation to keep this secret buried, it wouldn't matter.
Megara could never take the prince's place, even if Natasha were to die tomorrow.
She couldn't allow such impurity to taint the noble bloodline of the royal family.
"Shall we intervene?"
Kamil shook her head at the subordinate's question.
"Natasha is a clever girl in her own right. If she finds out the truth, she'll know that I would have turned a blind eye. Just leave it be."
***
A brocade dress dyed in Tyrian purple and embroidered with gold thread.
A brilliant tiara adorned with sunlight-like golden locks and purple diamonds.
White silk gloves revealing a status that touches nothing but books.
Neris, dressed in attire that only someone who truly had "nowhere to spend their money" could dare to wear, looked at herself in the mirror.
The dress had a high neckline to suit her narrow shoulders, and the skirt maintained a full silhouette without dragging on the ground, striking a perfect balance. Dora clapped happily beside her.
"You look beautiful, my lady. Of course, you're always beautiful, but in this attire, your eyes sparkle so brightly that they dazzle."
"Thank you."
Beautiful? Neris was slightly surprised to feel somewhat human-like in the mirror today. She seemed decently presentable, not outright ugly.
"But inside, I'm utterly broken."
She still couldn't forgive.
A solemn determination filled Neris's eyes. She approached the door and said, "Let's go, Dora. Let's see the most interesting story unfolding in the palace for the next ten years."
And the child who had always cruelly oppressed her from a young age would lose what was most important to her.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone