Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 51
“You were there for a while, Miss Lilith.”
Cecilia greeted Lilith, who had been waiting in the Garnet Room.
“You didn’t discuss anything else, did you?”
“Of course not! Don’t you trust me?”
“Of course I do.”
Obviously, she didn’t trust her. Lilith probably couldn’t even fully trust herself.
From the moment she entrusted the task to Lilith, Cecilia had given up on the idea of a perfect crime. She would have had to go herself if not for Lilith.
But if she had gone, the perceptive Guinevere would have noticed her change and been on guard.
On the other hand, even if Lilith claimed a hundred times it was her own plan, no one would believe her. They would suspect someone else behind it, most likely Cecilia herself or…
‘Father.’
It was clear where Guinevere’s hatred would then be directed.
Lilith asked with an uneasy tone.
“Do you think she found out?”
“Of course not.”
She definitely did.
It’s fine. In the end, it would work to Cecilia’s advantage. Once Guinevere’s suspicion went to Adam, it meant forever losing someone he could trust and depend on.
Adam tended to underestimate and look down on his sister, but Guinevere would have surely seen him as a complete enemy.
‘One less nuisance to deal with.’
Adam might not forever distance himself from Guinevere. The Rosencrantz family still held significant value.
‘It’s possible to forgive but not to rebuild trust.’
Even if it takes several years to unfold.
What about Guinevere? The family affection she once had, akin to love-hate, must have turned into sheer hatred.
It’s uncertain which side she would take in the future, but at least she won’t be a pawn for the Count, relieving one of Cecilia’s concerns.
‘I’ve even secured a chaperone for my debut.’
Guinevere was well-known in high society. With her as a chaperone, Cecilia could easily make acquaintances with members of notable noble families.
‘Funny. I used to envy hearing that Caroline’s chaperone was Marchioness Rosencrantz.’
Having her now did not evoke any emotion in Cecilia.
No sense of victory, satisfaction. Nothing.
It’s too costly a feeling for just gaining Guinevere as a chess piece.
‘I won’t be satisfied until I have someone like Duchess Pierce.’
If she were to get contented without even getting close to her target, she’d easily give up on her goal.
Cecilia spurred herself on, remembering her miserable past.
The internal discord of the Lasphilla family, the friction between two allied families, the collapse of the second heir Ulysses.
She had achieved a lot in a short time. It’s good to be confident, but premature celebration was unwarranted.
It’s just the first step. There were still many steps ahead.
Beyond Lasphilla, the steps leading to the Pierce Dukedom—
‘…I need to review the noble directory.’
New strategies were needed. The bigger the game, the more effort required.
In her past life, Cecilia was distant from social circles. Already betrothed early, she lived like a caged bird in the Lasphilla estate after her debut.
If only she had friends to share invitations with. But no one wanted to be associated with her, given her ambiguous status and inherent gloom.
‘That’s why I even wrote to Caroline… out of loneliness.’
Cecilia had sent many letters to Caroline. Every day, she eagerly awaited a reply.
Even if it was just a few lines of perfunctory greetings.
But even those curt responses eventually stopped.
The day that Caroline stopped responding to her letter… When was that again?
‘Ah, the day I fell into the lake.’
That day was Ulysses and Caroline’s wedding anniversary, a joyous occasion as Caroline, after much effort, was pregnant.
Everyone from the Rosencrantz and Lasphilla families gathered to celebrate.
Cecilia was there, too. Naively admiring the grand orchestral performance.
Will I ever hear such beautiful music again? She remembered thinking something like that.
‘…Fool.’
A self-deprecating smile curled the edges of her lips as Lilith approached from behind, noticing her troubled expression.
“What’s wrong? Do you feel unwell?”
Cecilia was reading the certificate Lilith had given her. It contained nothing surprising, so there was no need to scrutinize it.
The contract, neatly categorized, was thorough. It clearly stated the mutual obligations of both parties for confidentiality. There was no sign of any tampering.
‘Indeed, it wasn’t just talk that the discipline within the Rosencrantz Marquisate’s internal affairs had been straightened out ever since the new Marchioness entered the household.’
Malicious and cunning as she was, the woman’s work ethic was impeccable.
Did Lilith know that Guinevere managed the accounts instead of the Marquis? That a noblewoman’s virtues weren’t limited to just captivating beauty or eternal love?
