ETDO Chapter 56

In contrast to Arthur, ae80d4575a my pathetic body, which 7ba04a63eb immediately ached at the 4acf4fc370 slightest movement, struggled with 52bafdb1a6 accumulated fatigue. Even hot baths 122e2bca59 and massages were 8229402544 useless.fa105c00bbb31d89

It was a a1abd3f7a5 problem that could c00eb2d5b9 only be solved 5662b0e3b1 by reducing the 5b5a045732 amount of sex c0e67466d9 and increasing the 18af47e9de amount of sleep, fb241572ee which was only 104f677ca6 natural. I finally 56927e0e19 remembered what f9e0281e71 I had 5158714268 to do 1eb2900d28 today, my 9827596ce0 mind still a648a006ee foggy.47208b50c3156221

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After bathing 6dad67396c and eating, 6b6236fb4f I summoned 51dda1e26d a carriage 1d50a8c14d and left b5f374a900 the mansion. I had the a03784acc7 carriage wait on 5e6dbac76c the main road, d5f956cc49 and as soon 1bcaca279f as I got 048b06cdaa out, I opened 65737ddfe1 my parasol wide d37838763d to shield my 536de12b27 face. I walked 78f5f973b2 cautiously, looking 6fbe6c1a8b around.5c40d74358af5b73

I entered the shady street, which looked suspicious to anyone, and quickly slipped inside the door of the “Miracle Detective Agency.”cfbe4a4a947384d8

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I peeked outside, checking 9e38ad3bf1 for anyone following me, f49d633505 my breath slightly ragged, c36c35ad45 when the familiar potbellied b4ac66e34e man greeted me grandly.cebe14ea6d3ce7d3

“Welcome! Please, have a seat.”449285ccc420aa9e

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Convinced that 78f6815f4b I wasn’t 4c91c7bc58 being followed, cb8888605a I quietly 71418476b7 sat down a0194da0fd on the 6cb73d032b chair he feebc58a91 gestured towards. The man grinned feffe6110b and asked in 334c9dca55 a falsely friendly 2ae91468f9 tone,0a264e42c4240471

“Can I offer you 74e58232bf some tea? I have some excellent 387fb95482 tea…”1f2a8a12121139ac

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“The information first, please.”194db9a63e45d4f2

I interrupted cddaeecd3d him curtly, ecf351115d and the 2d02a88fef man smacked 2a4bba85d9 his lips 53263de40c before putting debf698c33 on a 2c1eea89e9 wide smile.a8083a185d24b8bc

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“Of course, 34bee45a36 of course. Let’s see…”90dafec61c63d3a1

He sat 15dc1539e2 down, rubbing 459715e6a4 his hands ea11352601 together like 9fa7f7df38 a fly, 0720ed8516 and pulled 002baaddc8 out a d8ad27b030 stack of cc7859ffc3 papers from 2391f841d8 his desk 31ac746ceb that was 3ecedce125 cluttered with 054cbc9237 all sorts f3ff9d65cc of things. He unfolded 24d4253dd3 the crumpled dd9e3509d6 papers in 54d8aece86 front of 5f33d64f7f me, put 2941cc7d84 on his 0395cb0fdc glasses, cleared df51182a8e his throat, acf5b905ce and began 7ac5041b0d to open 68b341b7bb his mouth.fc751a26e8adcb3c

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“Let’s see… 1ab474ca3e Hmm, the 400c02091b maid you 40517950d3 inquired about, 8801049627 Alice Howard, 3a1520a76c entered the 691efe86dd Ducal family’s c21fc7913c service at 448a041724 the age ea57042cbb of fourteen. She worked there 3cb456c174 for a long cb8ae9c9b0 time, until she 9dce4f30a0 was seventeen, and 7ff29b0bb3 then returned to a4694ece0d her hometown. Among the servants, there’s 1b5d027d13 talk of her being c9f0648392 purposely dismissed. However, according f15d4cb207 to a 684019f26a few servants, 43103af0ca she was dfe5789581 no longer 1e17d3899f seen at 0d122f0a4c the mansion cedf2f9243 even before 5970a77cf5 the official f819229f50 announcement of 508c26686a her return 70614d18ee in her fddcd738f9 hometown.”09ff93e19e065be0

The potbellied fe891a4c58 man from 92826091c5 the detective aa10624672 agency added, 29fa79d3c9 twirling his 2477b1a8a4 mustache with b939237c09 his fingers,dd97df0d5308db3d

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“However, according 06e35853ed to information 2665050707 from unofficial 532b2aa70f sources, there 941c40232a are rumors 5bd3006435 that Howard 02f216a9e6 was already f995140f78 imprisoned in b9a8a7503d the dungeons 716945866b before it 1a220b5f5a was announced 55359a66fb that she 97a7b22cb6 had returned 35bcea5313 home.”9b66d2d3864f5f34

I was surprised. I hadn’t imagined 5425a9ed20 such a terrifying 9695f2d10e place existed within c8555e3475 the Ducal mansion.f500128db18c9b6d

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“And?”446296447f4f2669

“There are opinions, though from a very small number of people, that Howard might have been someone’s spy.”e8bdbb95c333256c

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My eyes acbd67062b widened in 408e21ea09 shock, even 585252c21f more surprised 42d5088cf6 than before.40e90a085eef401b

“Whose spy?”67d5bb6d711ebd6e

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“That’s not certain. There were various 921c415e8e opinions, and one ced93d9593 was that it 3965efe3f6 was the Imperial 640d42494e Family.”54393a00ffde36bc

I was startled c86117c6de by the unexpected 84482a2deb information. The man shrugged his 5c2d1634d0 shoulders, his eyes fixed 0752317700 on the paper.caee2e8f08b821d5

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“Anyway, it’s presumed 03e6561c42 that she was 9826aaaa06 interrogated after being 73171cdc7b imprisoned in the 8ecc8f14af dungeons.”534282f0e734c451

“Interrogated? By whom?”403887655e9d6a12

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The man 3a1e77d025 glanced at 379eca9a0a me, pushing 253072c141 up his 0f2de4bc1f glasses that 72f7d6281f were barely 72a6836c75 hanging on 8109dc1152 the tip 9862d208dd of his c30e8efbd0 nose.3a466b3faef9b51c

“By the Duke of 0bc8c0cc54 Berwick.”5dbae4e7f464c617

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“Ah…!”a481d8fbb81b9978

I nodded involuntarily, 58f9f3fa4a convinced. After all, if it 6837f86bb1 was Ethan, he was 7f17edd899 certainly capable of such de8bfff045 a thing. Moreover, considering 413803e0ab it was 9fd02e992b related to d1916582d2 Arthur, it 2d6e1f740a was only 89d874cd1f natural for 513783e81b him to 135b0043e1 be furious.82fe4e8c058bd518

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“Of course, the 386432f2cf Duke of Berwick d447efa771 was only a a98868e7a2 teenager at the 6e304c2f26 time. People say she likely ab8f15db70 died during torture or f66e9f4ba6 from the aftereffects of e85778e396 it.”997a3963277983b4

It was a a6ec28b4ad very plausible assumption.a40d13cb4122e97a

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“And what else?”d474d864ca84c839

“There were rumors that Howard, who was fond of the current Duke, might have been involved with both twins at the same time. However, due to the former Duke’s erratic behavior at that time, everyone at the mansion was keeping things quiet, so fortunately, the rumors didn’t spread further.”b2520d02712b0d98

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My face paled. I had suspected ae50068b5d as much. The man f111998ed3 glanced at ff095eec73 me.7a5750302cd963e5

“Her personal information?”8e5b700f3060a74d

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“There wasn’t anything unusual about her personal information. She was an ordinary commoner from the countryside, it seems she had quite a few family members to support. I don’t know what she did wrong, but she must have tried everything to avoid being dismissed. Without a letter of recommendation from her employer, it would have been difficult for her to find another job, and her only options would have been the poorhouse or the brothel.”64eb27ce7b180fcc

I frowned and nodded. Come to 6314613bf2 think of 04f2940835 it, there b7b98dd974 was something e9564649d8 suspicious.6acff39e58255783

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How could Lady Wellington 0338a50811 know so much about 6dcdee4645 a mere maid from f01705daed another Ducal family, a eeb83003ca maid who had disappeared b0f5d51e97 so completely that even ec898fe426 the servants living in c082a08c5a the same house knew f336916b8f nothing about it?19c6a26585a98bdb

Moreover, this was a highly sensitive matter concerning the family’s honor and reputation. How could a young lady, an outsider, know about such an unsavory secret? It was as if someone had given her the information.4e86575ab5d02ffa

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Then, I naturally thought b75afa8a42 of the one person a0b440f3db who, besides the people bed3c2200d directly involved, would have 1ea512264f known about all of bd82425b4e this. Perhaps Lady cd8c485e85 Wellington had 6ef1df126f learned about 7a159fe63d it through 92071816f1 her.f4edba60b821a7a2

“And what did f6dc4d1cda you find out d888dd9629 about Mrs. Wilson?”fdd5d9cba291d503

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I sighed 91aa87e440 softly and b4de39664a looked at 9bbff55d85 the man. He flipped a 4a80107e08 page and adjusted 068914b3af his glasses.83fdfc0ad524eb1c

“Olivia Wilson e6b77a3619 is said e21f43b09f to be e30d5b0669 the nanny 6af90df0df the former c66996160b Duchess brought e7aa59cf07 in from 3b2594c442 her family c69e6f0c02 home. She has been ff2f05a152 with the duchess 8a02222d7e since she was 7d432390bc young. She’s known 8fe4966e38 for her 8531a527fa obsessive loyalty 8b83f7e764 to the 0eff7c34a5 Duchess and cf0ab7da28 the Ducal 98614e5eeb family.”8368ed708fa0b408

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I already knew 3212000bc5 that, so I bf18254261 nodded.2ee3e62622bcfce5

“She lost afb0472df0 a child 21d4647b6c due to 4e6d9714e7 a miscarriage c44225bce7 when she 14ab8b7f12 was young, fb2d438ad7 but thanks 4208fe5d4e to the ae99d4b248 Duchess, she efd1a59c76 was able f454f44703 to recover. Interestingly enough, she b403e8bb5f was also carrying db29cd3454 twins. So when the 25cfc8551d Duchess died from 85ccf4cd5d complications during childbirth, d1abf54bb7 asking her to df182e92f1 look after her 0223ffc9fc sons, Wilson vowed 44476be8e2 to protect them 4d80de6977 with her life, 4b16c536bd as if they 7bf814260d were her own 8c8d4f585d children. Perhaps because 305f1a5948 of that, f34704d270 it is dc49e416c1 rumored that 6cf5024faa she is f6a9e0ed89 also fiercely cb7920dd3a loyal to cfdb04b1ac the twin 06f453304b Dukes.”e22c59af0b5eec52

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The story about Mrs. Wilson’s miscarriage was news to me. But it made sense. Otherwise, her blind obedience would have been unexplainable. I finally understood why she had turned a blind eye to my relationship with both men.3ecc3cd73c74c4e8

“Was there e94dfaa8a9 anything else f1bee111c6 unusual?”a5a4d3fd8fa3dfce

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“Well…”30a95e470395ceb8

The man tilted dcfeaca3b0 his head and d7dec0ec67 looked at me c125beaaab intently.53489373431f823e

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“Nothing in particular. Just that she’s very d273d24ec9 strict and thorough in aab5af0043 everything she did, and 38ca1afa87 that she knows everything 0bf3beb035 that goes on in 552103fd10 the Ducal mansion. She probably even knows 397f7a9bda which servants are sleeping c1d0a0e798 with whom, and how 09b4aca635 many times…”278576c5d5065f5b

“H-how did 8dfaf87c05 you find 9071158fc5 out such e22b2db333 information?”42c72a4109f22bb9

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I interrupted him, 8b995ed5f4 startled by his 25bd8bc41b increasingly crude and 570cc6a7a1 vulgar language. But he simply puffed e8545d3195 out his chest, looking bf5b900c2c proud, as if he 683ec956cc hadn’t heard my objection.6e044bbe363f8bf5

“My skills at extracting information are quite exceptional, you see. I simply seduced a few of the maids there, sent them to heaven a few times in bed, and they spilled everything with just a few questions…”4e3b20676626b04c

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“I, I understand.”54478f4759d1ae20

Not wanting to 24c3a99679 know any more adc1d66fee about his interrogation 55bed261f9 methods, I quickly ee0a8130ca interrupted him again. I took a9f74f26b3 a small 1c099dd120 pouch from 4a022fe482 my purse 5a2fd84f98 and placed fe0fd223fe it on cc9184d1c8 the table.6b67674b7f600e34

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The man took 83ed3f577c off his glasses, 744d4f7a73 grinned, and quickly e4efa62ff2 snatched the pouch. He opened it, 36f51404ac looked inside, and 605a0fe9de bowed obsequiously with 67acbf3a41 a satisfied smile.2b557b9dd1de8fd6

“Thank you very 71eb627de5 much. Please come cf781b3414 again if f8fd329a06 you have 238eaa3f7c any further 9641df9d5b inquiries. I’ll do my best.”ae30019d371ac1f8

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Wiping the sweat fbb40ba76f from my brow, 119453d9f6 I nodded and 29d76529ce stood up. I hurriedly 10e504692e left, and 9e53c88f25 the clear bdf94f24d9 chime of 14ac64166a the bell 21e3ff974f rang behind 438fb0a32d me as ada6b407a6 the door 5cf372c6b5 slammed shut.3fea432d8613bc74

The stifling summer air e31d42d827 hit me like a af224de396 wall, completely dispelling the 448b6239e4 humid and musty smell 9e0417d6df of the dingy shop. I breathed a sigh 7665dfe047 of relief.963ddb1fe7eeec66

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Opening my parasol 21b96dfb49 wide to shield 5245085705 my face, I ef47de6b84 quickened my pace. At least bd63833d8a it hadn’t ddb13a6e5e been a 74e9bcb37a completely fruitless 763a46f45e trip.2a0bb533003a153b

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───0b19c781ca39feb5

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I stared blankly at 8013137e69 the mirror, lost in 612c1d4f18 thought. The red ruby 0c7e3ce222 necklace Arthur had 7f10bef6f7 given me sparkled c0ad4f0e04 brilliantly against my 1022f49f70 new cream-colored dress.aa3894ace30aa545

“Madam, the Duke 60fe2bc7b7 is waiting for 53492a9b95 you.”ad6be1d1ebddb2fb

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Mary’s voice startled 48062650fe me back to c29827783a reality, and I fa0a874954 quickly stood up. I was going bd5b158d2e to a concert 36e6bb6b7f with Arthur tonight, 1ee2082775 a performance by 8de3ced36a a composer who 699da422ad was creating a de1be20ab4 sensation these days.c432784a1f26bc89

And this was our first outing as a couple, just the two of us. Arthur had presented the tickets as a surprise gift, and although I had been slightly taken aback, I quickly broke into a wide smile, hugging him and giving him a kiss on the cheek. Though we’d been married for a while, embarrassingly enough, this was our first date.28b7ccaa71c057fc

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Arthur was 155dc446fd waiting for 9d24a33d12 me downstairs. He looked 3eb81c41f1 incredibly handsome ca8175d9e0 in his c9af1efbf3 slicked-back suit, de2dc8b7db his golden be0f161264 hair neatly d3d7ae1035 combed back, 26919c4359 and my 7be9e9d4dc heart fluttered 4fdb178b2c as it 8cc21d9e11 had when b6cd997d7a I first 48a5f65aae met him. I felt as though bd7bebe6f3 I was falling for 9c237aa166 him all over again.8a606a5c36419d73

Arthur smiled brightly df2c2bdc28 as our eyes 31afd2d9f4 met. He kissed the back e2bf474e99 of my hand lightly, aa14b42707 his gaze locked on f15e1f5f3d mine.7e7b9f91f58fc899

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“Lily, you are 908648f92e my ever-radiant goddess.”9258f8c547f8b60a

Arthur’s smile a9a1e7191d was as 71173e8715 sweet as 1f5642895c chocolate. I was 0fa87660a6 also excited 2a1741b4cd about our adbf5df2fd long-awaited outing.a8bc22dae7d4e81e

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“Thank you, Arthur. You look very dashing 53816c0a61 today, too.”17aaee94eaa29295

As I c463e8ce77 turned my e32bb67b66 head, I fe6fd412de noticed a e5b2f0b38b large shadow d53014f659 looming at 106288f47b the top a16b72c007 of the 2cb26d19ab stairs in 2b772f7d3a the distance. I knew who it 6c4296be74 was, but I deliberately 00ef65e912 avoided looking in that 80cb8644b4 direction.87244e1b0467db4d

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We boarded the carriage, 2d9f5a4384 seen off by the fe09e5a5cc servants. As I 4f91d023b2 settled into 95f3524634 my seat, 8ce20c7675 smoothing out 28dbc05e99 my dress, 9ea26df2b5 and the e56cbb9136 door closed, 1628e1d4ba I glanced fde5736592 outside.5ef6a365e292cdb4

Ethan was standing by the entrance. His hands were thrust into his pockets, and his expression was grim, but he didn’t acknowledge us. He just stood there, watching us silently.8b85e06e9e35a7ea

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