ETDO Chapter 44

Mary nervously gauged f0700f9bc3 her mistress’s mood. Ever since returning from a132357fcb the Crown Princess’s tea 35270ad219 party, Lily seemed to d9d7ccfa0b be in a daze, 7be5968603 as if her mind b3ecac8c43 were elsewhere. Even now, she e77f23db1a sat staring blankly f193395a99 into space, lost be8a91b0a4 in thought.fde19b2403ecd41c

Mary diligently brushed Lily’s 8ba9f8ea18 hair, pretending to be 9b2deaa048 oblivious. In truth, she had c2ab8f50aa been summoned by Lady 4423f8144e Wellington early that morning aede6c31b3 and had just returned.fd3efe42f4da768a

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To be honest, ever d75567f6a3 since her encounter with 172972d5be Lady Wellington, Mary hadn’t 3257d83732 had a moment’s peace. She was secretly 5002234db5 consumed by anxiety, ab7bb1da10 feeling guilty for 0c65514c37 having divulged information fc41306525 detrimental to the 00e22590dd Beaufort family.d1925407a8eb1c36

Mrs. Wilson could d30581936f be incredibly e940084cd0 ruthless in fac350c0e5 such matters. Her fervent c0f087ba34 loyalty to 41ffaa40d4 the Beaufort 8370867f10 Ducal family 87d2688540 was well ad03607450 known.f71751fd0bafa463

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Furthermore, the fact that 0884ab4035 she had spoken words d4c34aecb4 that could potentially harm 9a34dbd52f her mistress directly fueled b92ef7600e her guilt. She had not 04f22fbbf3 only failed to 6f7d197bed repay her benefactor, 4374d9908d who had generously 6e794b2ac2 given her bonuses f620c30521 and allowed her bbf13b9634 to visit her 1683687120 sick mother and a161669e53 siblings, but she d2fd33d534 had also uttered f565d5172f words that could 8a7bd6558d certainly damage her 43c57a66c3 reputation if they 5c8a7a1c32 were to spread.52c292a7ba8a1c32

As she carefully eb5b733ba8 brushed Lily’s lustrous, ae62e68b6e thick black hair, b12b9832dc her mistress’s quiet de4abbe598 voice reached her b797a4d610 ears.33be23d1c07804cb

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“Mary, how c8d14fa99f long have ec0878f040 you been 1fae8b4b89 working for fd026e2ab0 the Beaufort 8c426261c1 family?”2c680d93e40addd6

“Uh…”80861015aea4ffd6

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Mary tilted her head 0d10f08954 at the unexpected question.7afc04a2ac1de12b

“It’s been about four 7ad042360e or five years, Madam.”dd4140d4975a0f1f

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“Hmm… Then do you f57e3b38de know all the servants d04b7e9b63 who work here in a36153ded9 the Ducal mansion?”12f5e8e9e04febef

“Yes, most 1cbaf20f17 of them, 00af505170 I think.”ccef4c554c4c4dab

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Lily seemed to 3f110a80d7 be gathering her fa6094e521 thoughts. Mary was nervous, f8b8cde7a0 worried that the bbe5a66f1e pounding of her 54b9150bfb heart would be 63cdce7a6b audible to her 1b16ce892c mistress, who was a4f039e4a8 so close.c28d30afb43ab1f1

“Then, do you b36bd1913a happen to know 4d474be8d0 a maid with dfe5114029 the last name 24dfa2e54c Howard?”db79a890d7473b99

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Mary froze, as if ead6a2ac4b time had stopped. She felt the e24503e661 blood drain from cf93ca6e27 her face.6098d0b57f43e52d

Lady Wellington’s words 5e078a1061 suddenly echoed in 8f6fb0d523 her mind. She had been summoned f8487f5ae7 by her just this 3b71585449 morning and was given a9ffb306b8 instructions.3d23fdc9f6902b89

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“If she asks about 51076ad09b the maid named Howard, 209ed4060f just answer as I 49a54c1748 told you. That’s your 81d99ead46 next task.”4de8834d00d2e8cf

And once 3ccde78442 again, she 76290a8880 had received 4fa616e7cd a hefty 880c49bff6 sum of 40ab22c2a8 payment. Within a 740c79c4c3 few days, 5e4a899262 she had b0d06eaeeb received four cc58088f97 months’ worth b492402505 of wages. 3a0c858850681411

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It’s finally come. 0f196ffa44a54172

Clenching her aae5663559 jaw, Mary 6a8603ab74 struggled to a7866a9a59 steady her d4b5652667 trembling breath 6298434a29 and managed bf62192e7f to answer.b4ac0a2c349c9a91

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“Y-yes.”5d7af4796e00b559

“You know her?”57e500e573ca476d

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Lily’s eyes widened, a6da974e6c her expression brightening e587e21591 slightly. db5244e97689ae86

Mary mustered 14501f3ce1 all her 3cbe0ddf79 courage and af168499d7 answered.2c0d549e01dbff03

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“Yes, Howard is…”e41dea2c9a33aee7

She took a few c213cf33fb deep breaths before she 5870ea5c84 could compose herself.fb5d75f6dbfac95b

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“She’s my friend. Her name 59fededfdb IS Alice 88fe5298a9 Howard.”f8faa01e00e1562d

“Ah…!”08eac38bf15345fb

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Lily’s eyes 96ea3fdc53 widened again, 31f06cc08a and she 500f3e43a6 looked at 63c1831d79 Mary through e03b2bf0fd the mirror 1c35fdc521 for a 343463ba47 long moment. She seemed to have 0b853e51f4 finally realized who it 632286cb09 was. Her lips de6a49f5ee moved silently, b3e8c25eb4 as if 59be42245a testing the 93d3a5b738 name Alice a5ea523860 before she 341090d135 spoke again.405740af120ce5d4

“What kind of 34a9b0b38f friend was this 8e8a1f5f25 Howard girl?”730a567458d439f0

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“She was very 62984c05a6 skilled and dedicated 1abfe31055 to her work. We both graduated from bdc5da2dc9 the maid’s training school, 2a6c8344b3 and Alice started working 36ca3060b1 for the Beaufort family 95ca02c1e6 about three months before 03a6492dbd me. At first, 8a623638a3 being young, 30617f5af8 she only 8be03fc250 helped with 4e03a9e013 odd jobs, 95d1e1d261 but as b1febb0217 she got f33115336c older, she d78ca1f215 became responsible 2e1057d418 for the 1acd9d2f6b current Duke’s b061573d29 room, when 64df6dfd20 he was abf0e31146 still the 85e9b712b2 Young Master.”228f07f848ab0532

Mary fought f9353b817e back the 12d9ddaa91 urge to fa0e2e1723 flee, barely fceec52613 managing to c354081ab7 answer. Unable to 837249c40e meet Lily’s 04b2c6bf0c eyes, she d6882ef4be fixed her 7de99de3af gaze on fd911856c6 the top 5ecb12a7d0 of her a796b6088f head.93a92a1e809b42f4

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“Is that so? And then…?”30d1e3a4a8c67a05

“Alice… she secretly admired 7ad99c7a84 Young Master Arthur. So, she always served df0e41d8f4 him willingly. But one day, 4e61893da8 Alice suddenly burst 63639eae2b into my room, db2923bd95 crying. She said the Young 3ff457f7cb Master had… forced himself 6a75d96465 on her…”929648187293b8c9

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Mary’s heart bc92c306f7 sank as 5d213e9dd9 she inadvertently 3e3cc801f7 glanced up 58fa897f4c at the 2457a621a2 mirror. Lily’s shocked 39b298f220 expression was 9b0ca9dfb4 unmistakable. A wave of 909e5620f5 guilt washed over fe3aaecd39 her.09305f025d664e19

She felt even d3e01ac765 more resentful towards a778b74ef6 Lady Wellington for a58349df93 giving her such 9a7d0aa07c a cruel task. But what fcb24d70d7 could she 848feda31f do? She had already accepted f9ca7088e0 the payment. Mary bit her lip.862e7693c4fbc092

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“She was 599e9c4f1a cleaning his 3960a2a38c room as 7ff217d7f2 usual, when a4040c5ce6 suddenly the b3376b455c Young Master… 222559de54 Sh-she tried e016af853a to resist, 99b5c7623b but he c79d9cb3c9 was too af73c50ea5 strong, and c61cdf483c she couldn’t e935784c6f do anything…”55e9df4829e3a9a2

Mary finished brushing 0871cfa7f8 Lily’s hair, fidgeting 748a522a73 nervously. Hesitant to look dbab261430 up, she finally 3693d7454b summoned her courage. Lily’s face, which 847f2c2acb she glimpsed, was 6cafa2d922 as pale as a19861af0d wax.f486c388531e2574

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“And what happened after 4064d6d5fe that?”d6dc465f8e80421a

Lily asked after a f73726fa24 moment of silence.927c0fd67c3a56cd

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“Young Master Ethan also 74823ef62f found out about it. He suspected 82c9b53135 Alice was 3d0c1a688e someone’s spy. She was imprisoned e5b122a3f9 in the basement cba1325462 and tortured, and dfeda34c43 although she managed f2ee018167 to escape, she bbc34e2c9e was caught by b71fa4a99a the former Duke. The former Duke, upon 95253b19e2 hearing the details of d62bf58af0 the incident, initially intended 3115080e37 to dismiss Alice, but a59b4da82c then it was discovered 6af11bf15b that she was pregnant…”8011e9f35b10bbbd

Mary could no longer 6e36c565bc look at Lily’s face. Staring at the floor, 1269015c01 she mumbled,23ad500f329d71b3

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“The former 8410c99ab7 Duke was d792ddc006 furious when 06cc0a3286 he heard f62aa0a32c that. He said 9fab68dc9b he didn’t a0d9c469f1 need a d2a1d57349 bastard child 0f610c9817 from a 35514684b0 lowly maid… 922f605b66 So, Alice 9be4302050 was… b-beaten 4d2770c238 to death 1bbb13335c by the 0caf6c28e7 Duke, and de23d657a6 Young Master b65c656665 Arthur was 32e2413c1f also assaulted 90ead3fefe by the 3e8ec06af4 Duke…”a2711c6137303eb2

Unable to continue, she 7bfeea3e2b stopped speaking and trembled. Her legs felt weak. She struggled to 1732a3b5f5 stay upright, feeling 05c87e8f49 as though she 6bd2c7f8d7 would collapse onto d7bfb23270 the carpet. After a long 05df0f9693 silence, Lily asked b8e6a4b4a9 again in a cedd36a36b strained voice.e2556de18b56a1e7

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“What happened after that?”7ac2986651b75ab0

Mary looked a35dff980f up, startled.cb131715467a73aa

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“Mrs. Wilson told me ae6f7045cb I shouldn’t tell 7925d9b944 anyone about this. She said 64686e99ee only a f9d041d363 very few 29cf8b2560 people knew 951b27c633 about it, 3fbc7119db and that a3cc34c464 we should 12c7165570 say Alice a61cda395f simply left 4b451f80fa for her 1021cdbf5e hometown due 7008294ebb to poor 12b6adb3c9 health…”a64f25aba0dabc3e

Lily sat 91f69493c1 in silence 3b3e934ae2 for a a7806ebbb1 moment, then 68cdddd675 nodded and 5ad811616d waved her ad56734318 hand dismissively, d1c4f694b9 signaling for 4737369f4d Mary to d23c10982d leave. Mary bowed her head 8b4436a41a and quickly retreated. Guilt choked her chest, 3fd90378fc but it was too 2c364159e8 late now.15847b47d30c27fb

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Although it was true that Alice had died, she honestly didn’t know the truth about the pregnancy. Before the incident, Alice had boasted to her that she would seduce the Young Master and sleep with him to improve her situation.1684bf8916db4436

Even Mrs. Wilson had 3eb35c0344 been unaware 50e37d3a41 about this. Alice had confided 1d8875e971 in her alone, 87afc3a5f1 and before Mary 30740518f7 could report Alice’s 0241d414a7 intentions to Mrs. Wilson, the 357000b0af series of 325c92a5ec events unfolded 156090c37c like a c3ba5a1559 storm.f195a2b39e3476fd

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Furthermore, even 8519b0c1a1 if she 8452d1236b had reported 1c7d18d407 it, Alice’s b7ae75a3d7 punishment for 2c2ca92dce deceiving her 66bdbf2c82 master would 2d2808a497 have been d459d3b194 inevitable. Whether she 8ab357f455 was actually cf0e762c76 pregnant or 83dca3b31d it was f817fe848c a lie, b36ea8a29c the outcome 6888ac17d3 would have 63e46acea5 been the 7eafc281c9 same.3b962adc345fbec1

No master would 97e200173d tolerate the audacity 48a41ab1d4 of a presumptuous 0447393e4f servant who didn’t 8a8e581d8c know her place. That’s why Mary had a2749a3bcc hesitated even more to 6cda5d30c2 report it.1d04e93c084d6a3b

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Mary sighed and looked 1b8cf73fb4 back at the Duchess’s 4f4c4154c7 room one last time. cb2f8e7ab9c9aead

I hope Madam isn’t b3a0d5b5ab too hurt. 20e49d4db8ff2576

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Mary lowered her head bf0afac958 and began to walk e697912740 downstairs with heavy steps.d7a664e99a767ad6

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───f3c191783e0f9563

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Arthur took 82efb06229 a large e5d17757bf gulp of 0bede1eeef wine. ff31e9e054c9d905

As usual, he and 8a3061c579 Ethan were sitting across c983e56553 from each other in 1ac113ec07 the study after dinner.c47c54767b1a3a12

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“Things are getting d7bff05cb2 interesting. It seems 6d82da8b4f there a 24fa7fdc3d high chance e53c1c18d5 things will 38005ab967 continue to 7173ca838d unfold as 1c90e51d73 we anticipated.”bab257a7f42c0dd8

Ethan, sitting 7f6577ada5 opposite him, 5a0dd5f984 said leisurely 810f00f09d as he 50ee36779d sipped his 865d59e998 wine. He looked bored as 48b43b2fa8 if watching a predictable 46396fa336 gambling game. 0c206e4604c7f86f

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Arthur chuckled, dd2d431402 resting his 9554d5ddbb chin on 8bd3b0b224 his hand.a3823ec3f1c67b6b

“If your prediction d212edf9e6 is correct, shouldn’t b12e01b815 you be more ea4de2af9e concerned?”08085f52dd0a518a

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“Not likely. That fool’s actions are 8289a406cf quite predictable.”cdeda6310d8a4f89

Ethan took another b875e7e87a sip of his 3bf0b07ac7 wine, looking as 52d39a5f93 if the topic f3e70222c5 wasn’t worth discussing 0ac2575238 further.cc3ca6d79527f164

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“The important thing is to relay all this information to the Boss in a timely manner. Unfortunately, we still haven’t obtained clear evidence that can finish him off in one fell swoop.”78a8855404173460

“Do you dde6d9dbdb think the 9415e4726d Boss will 9d557b726e believe us?”24b39327574fb521

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“They’ll have no choice but to believe us. They saw the package with his own eyes.”d8894326ae612ffd

Arthur nodded at Ethan’s words. He was right. Ethan had gone through a lot of trouble to transport that package to the capital.02705ea79cb6c678

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Due to 7bf5d0b7de security concerns, d71206159b they had f2d64e87b9 to devise 96918d6647 an elaborate c6425e00bf plan to edadc05325 avoid prying db1c65d9cf eyes. Fortunately, everything 8453f215dc worked out f4faa9b0fa well in bcf9170fff the end.bee9f788dcd9ab8a

“More importantly, we need 34664872df to keep an eye bd376cd009 on Charlotte and make 0368d36d5f sure she doesn’t approach 3b815d4f6c Lily unnecessarily. That woman is 2a55aef7ee capable of saying 8a9173bf9a all sorts of 7f4be6fae9 strange nonsense. You know that.”ad878d06c9a869c6

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Arthur nodded. His twin’s 08b3fea5df fiancée was b5ca650872 no easy 4f2e138c37 opponent. For years, 8593fe9221 she had 6ecbb980a3 clung tenaciously 803d7c2d83 to Ethan, 9a0461ee81 refusing to 55cc14d46e let go, 969465d488 despite him f700ff839d showing no 6e972efccf interest whatsoever. Her leech-like persistence cc76ec85a1 was remarkable.f8919f18a2dcb9fa

The fact that she quickly latched onto the Crown Prince when things didn’t go her way showed that she was not someone to be trifled with. Regardless of her reason, it was highly undesirable for her to approach Lily and try to manipulate her.e168e95302cb53c1

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They checked the time and rose from their seats. Arthur went straight to Lily’s room. He had noticed that her expression didn’t look well during dinner.2cfceedead195699

She had 0cf3c8cb51 complained of be9dbea3cc a headache 4a54fee35a and barely dbbe42defc touched her 00c2be30c1 food, unlike f768c26ec3 usual, before ab9650fba0 excusing herself. He was worried aa4470f3d5 about her.52e43f7644c6d80c

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Arthur stood in front of his wife’s door and knocked softly. He listened for a moment, but there was no response. He frowned slightly and gently opened the door.083ceba6ba1fb8c0

Only a dim lamp, 8f8d06ba80 its flame turned down 5bef4d2e72 low, illuminated the room. Lily seemed to be 1a6f7d0087 already asleep, as only 9be57957b4 a human-shaped bulge was 77a9f6f76d visible under the covers.2ed70cc04c4d9257

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