35.
The next day, shortly before 7:30 AM.
The steam automobile carrying Norman arrived in front of the Duke Edenbahir Residence.
Norman stepped out, his early autumn coat fluttering behind him, and asked the servant who had come to greet him.
“Is Anita Edenbahir inside?”
Even for an elder of the family, the tone was blatantly arrogant for someone addressing a Duchess.
However, the servant lowered his head out of habit.
“Yes.”
“Ahem.”
With a dry cough, Norman strode across the garden and into the mansion.
He checked his wristwatch; the minute hand was pointing exactly at the 20-minute mark.
‘The train to Hixen departs at 7:40 AM, doesn’t it?’
Considering the departure time, they had to leave the residence by 7:30 AM at the latest. That meant there was only a ten-minute window, which meant…
“What? What are you saying? The golden sword is gone?”
At the shout echoing from inside the mansion, the corners of Norman’s mouth curved into a long arc as he reached the door.
“Yes, yes. Butler. I definitely confirmed it was in the box until last night…”
“How can this be? Have you searched the room thoroughly?”
“I have instructed all the servants in the mansion to search every corner.”
“What should we do, Butler? Should we inform the Duchess of this?”
“That goes without saying! Immediately inform the Duchess of this…”
*Creeeeak.*
As the servant opened the door, the gazes of the servants, who had been deep in discussion, all turned toward Norman.
Every single one of them wore a look of “oh no.”
‘It seems the plan is proceeding just as intended.’
Norman put on a stern expression, feigning total ignorance.
“The household atmosphere is utterly vulgar with servants gathered in front of the door. What are you doing here?”
“Lord Norman.”
The servants stepped back with embarrassed expressions.
“I asked what all this commotion is about.”
When he asked again, one of the maids reported the truth as if she had been waiting.
“The golden sword has disappeared.”
Even though he was the cousin of the late former Duke, Norman was, strictly speaking, an outsider to the Edenbahir family.
Therefore, such an important matter as the loss of the golden sword could only be reported to Norman with the explicit permission of the Duke and Duchess.
The fact that he could pry into household affairs so easily meant that his existence held significant sway over the Edenbahir family.
Norman was extremely satisfied with that realization.
“What did you say? The golden sword is gone? Does Anita Boellony—or rather, Edenbahir—know of this as well?”
“We were just about to inform…”
“Lord Norman.”
Just as Norman was about to raise his voice, a woman who had come down the stairs on the second floor called him quietly.
It was Anita.
“Welcome. You arrived a bit early.”
As he had felt at the enshrinement and the wedding, Anita, dressed elegantly, looked like she would not pale in comparison even to Viscountess Grisha, known as the greatest beauty in Hixen.
‘What a pity. If only I had discovered her first…’
No matter how much he clicked his tongue, she was currently Lancelot’s wife.
Recognizing that fact made the beautiful Anita’s face feel truly repugnant to him.
“Ahem. So that is the case. Yet you appear so composed! Have you not heard that the golden sword has vanished?”
“I have only just heard about it myself.”
To be so calm even though that precious golden sword was missing.
Was it because she was of such ignorant stock that she didn’t know the value of the sword? Her unwavering, calm attitude incited Norman’s temper.
“Anita Boellony! The golden sword is the proof of our Edenbahir family’s loyalty to the royal family. It is a highly precious treasure that symbolizes the honor of our house. Now that such a treasure has vanished into thin air, what do you intend to do?”
“I intend to hold the person responsible for their wrongdoing accountable.”
“You? You intend to hold them accountable yourself? Ridiculous, truly ridiculous. …What are you all staring at? We must leave the residence in ten minutes. Find it at once!”
Startled, the servants scattered in all directions.
There were quite a few of them, but finding the golden sword within ten minutes would be difficult. Because those who hid it would be busy sabotaging the search themselves.
Five minutes later, the head butler, who had taken the lead, came down and said in a sorrowful voice.
“Duchess. We cannot find the golden sword no matter where we look.”
“Have you checked all the servants’ quarters?”
“Yes.”
Now was the time.
Norman ordered the butler with a face that showed no hesitation.
“Tsk, tsk. We have no time, so there’s no choice. We have no option but to present a fake golden sword. You, bring the box loaded in the carriage.”
Before long, what the butler brought from the carriage was a box containing a fake golden sword.
“What can one expect? Having not been properly taught since childhood, you end up making such absurd mistakes. I, doubting your pedigree, prepared a forgery just in case.”
He displayed the fake golden sword toward Anita as if to show it off.
The way it was sloppily painted with yellow paint was utterly pathetic.
‘If she presents a golden sword like this to the King, it will surely turn into a laughingstock.’
The scenario the Grand Duchess wanted was likely a much bigger picture, but Norman didn’t care.
If he could strike a blow to his cheeky niece-in-law, that was enough for him.
“Consider it a great debt you owe me. In any case, that foolish Lancelot. Marrying a woman who falls so short of his status leads to such disasters, really.”
Anita, who had been silent for a moment, asked him with the same calm voice.
“Lord Norman. You said the honor of the family rests on the golden sword, did you not?”
“Yes.”
“The person responsible for the disappearance of such a precious golden sword will have to pay a fitting price. You think so too, don’t you, Lord Norman?”
It was a tone that felt strangely like it was scratching at his nerves. Norman shouted, as if the thief were guilty of his own conscience.
“It seems you know very well yourself what a great mistake you have committed! Enough of that, take the fake and get in the carriage. Thanks to the stupid Duchess, our family is on the verge of facing great disgrace!”
“Five minutes is enough. I think I know where the golden sword is hidden. Please follow me, Lord Norman.”
What?
‘You think you know?’
Who does that girl think she’s trying to intimidate?
“If we don’t leave now, we will miss the train…”
However, Anita ignored Norman’s words and headed up the stairs.
Norman gnashed his teeth as he glared at the back of her head.
‘Just like the girl Lancelot chose. How insolent.’
The Grand Duchess had instructed him that Anita must arrive in Hixen with the fake golden sword. If she did not bring the golden sword, the succession ceremony could be postponed.
‘I’ll just play along for now and drag her to the station.’
Anita’s steps stopped in front of the corridor in the west wing of the fourth floor.
She scanned the length of the corridor and looked at Norman.
“Did you know, Lord Norman? They say the Edenbahir mansion replaces every curtain in the house once a month.”
“Hmph. Do you think I don’t know that? When I was young, they changed them every season. It started being changed monthly to keep the mansion as clean as possible while Lancelot was suffering from illness.”
“Yes, that is what I understand as well. Yet, for some reason, the maids were hanging new curtains in all five rooms in the west wing of the fourth floor this morning.”
“So what do you want me to do about that? Maybe a month has passed.”
“No. The most recent time the curtains were replaced was for the wedding half a month ago. And coincidentally…”
Continuing her steps slowly, Anita opened the door to the nearest room.
“These rooms are the ones furthest from the room where the golden sword was kept.”
Just as she said, only the curtains in these rooms were autumn curtains that didn’t match the season. Jill, who had entered the room, checked behind the curtains.
“Duchess. It is not here.”
Anita turned her back and opened the door to the next room. Jill opened the curtains of that room wide to check as well.
A drop of cold sweat trickled down Norman’s back.
‘It couldn’t be.’
In truth, the person who had hidden the golden sword was Norman.
It was the Grand Duchess’s scheme, but he was the one who had carried it out. However, he hadn’t acted directly; he had ordered it through a maid he had planted in the mansion.
[Hide the golden sword secretly in the morning. Hide it on the 3rd or 4th floor where Lancelot’s maids are not present. You must move it carefully so you aren’t seen.]
[Lord Norman. Wouldn’t it be better to hide it outside the mansion? We might get caught inside.]
[The box with the golden sword will be loaded into the carriage right before we leave anyway. It will be a tight schedule to search every corner of the house, so there’s no need to worry about being caught. I will step in and create a distraction.]
[Yes, I understand.]
‘But surely the place where the golden sword was hidden…’
Jill, who had entered the third room, pulled back the curtains. His steady gait came to an abrupt halt.
“Duchess. Please come this way.”
Norman followed behind Anita into the room, feeling as if he were walking on a path of thorns.
Behind the thick, dark red autumn curtains.
On the wall, which could only be seen if one pulled back the curtains, stood the treasure, glistening as it caught the sunlight.
The golden sword, the symbol of loyalty to the royal family.
“I was wondering why only the curtains in these rooms were being replaced, and only after hearing the news of the golden sword’s disappearance did I understand the reason.”
Holding the sword, Anita turned to Norman with a soft smile.
“That there is no better deception for hiding the long, slender shape of the golden sword… than autumn curtains.”