To The Traitor in My Bed - Chapter 15 - Edelweiss Heights

Chapter 8. Edelweiss Heights

[The following lost item is being held.
To reclaim the portrait of a beautiful young woman and her hair, please visit the address below between 12 PM and 6 PM on weekdays.]

A week after the intruder visited the estate, Deirdre had Bertha place an announcement in the local newspaper.

She had waited a few days, as preparations were necessary.

She was planning to set a trap, and so, she couldn’t simply include the Count residence’s address.

As the Countess, it would be easy to secure a dozen different addresses within Rochepolie, but she wanted to avoid the possibility of the military police, who patrolled all over Antwerp, discovering the foreign-accented man before her.

The military police was the law enforcement agency responsible for everything from arresting suspects to investigating them, and its authority had expanded significantly in recent years, especially under King Roderick and King Christian, who had strengthened it.

Deirdre didn’t particularly desire judicial power, but due to the vivid nightmare from five years ago, she never wanted to get tangled up with the military police. So, she sought a place where she could operate freely without attracting attention from them.

There was only one such place nearby: Edelweiss Heights.

Edelweiss Heights was the home of Lady Perpetua Fairchild, the aunt of Frederick, the sister of the former Countess Fairchild.

The fact that she still used the Fairchild title meant she was still single. It was a rarity in the kingdom, as most noblewomen married at a young age. Rumors had long surrounded her, from stories of a runaway fiance to gossip about her having secretly given birth to a child.

However, over time, these rumors lost their power, and by the time Deirdre married the Count, Lady Perpetua was no longer the subject of much public attention. Perpetua was a peculiar person, and her relationship with her only nephew, Frederick, was not particularly close.

With this in mind, Deirdre went to visit Lady Perpetua, fully expecting to be turned away.

“Audrey, isn’t it?”

“It’s Deirdre, Lady Perpetua.”

Lady Perpetua inherited the slender physique characteristic of the Fairchild family, making her taller and more imposing than Deirdre. At fifty-five years old, her dramatic black dress added an air of authority, which she always wore.

Perpetua’s hair, once a brilliant buttery blonde like Frederick’s, had now faded to a pale cream blonde. Her eyes were darker and deeper than Frederick’s, a soft ash-gray. Despite her age, traces of her youthful beauty still lingered on her face.

“Ah, yes. It was a difficult name to call. Well, so is ‘Lady Perpetua Fairchild.'”

The name, with two P’s, one T and CH that almost sound the same, and one F, always made Deirdre tense up every time she had to say it.

When she learned that Perpetua actually had a middle name, ‘Penelope,’ she began to wonder if Frederick’s grandfather had some hidden agenda when naming her.

“You’re not here to chat with an old woman like me, are you? From the fact that you came alone, it seems my nephew is still in the capital.”

A young butler brought in tea.

Despite inheriting a significant fortune, Perpetua chose to live in a small three-story house situated alone on a low hill. Her household staff was small in number.

Among them, the one who held Perpetua’s affection the most was her cat, Pearl. The cat was less shy than its owner and spent the entire conversation perched on Deirdre’s lap.

“Yes, he has some work in Swinton.”

“And you have business here?”

“Actually, I have a favor to ask of you, Lady Perpetua.”

Deirdre gently pushed her hand through the cat’s long fur.

“….But it has to be a secret from Frederick.”

“Oh, old women like me love secrets. Well, let’s hear it.”

Perpetua spoke with a cynical tone, but Deirdre didn’t feel as tense as she had expected. If Perpetua truly didn’t want her there, she would have never opened the door.

“I found something that was lost. I don’t think the owner will come to the Count’s residence to claim it, so I was wondering if I could use your address instead. I’ll leave Rex… my servant… here.”

“What’s this lost item?”

Deirdre hesitated. She was unsure of how much she should reveal.

‘I’m not sure of anything yet…’

She wanted to approach the matter cautiously.

“I believe it’s a token exchanged between lovers.”

“Ooh.”

Perpetua’s eyes lit up dramatically.

“A token? Now you’ve sparked an old woman’s imagination. Leave it here.”

Her answer was so nonchalant that Deirdre instinctively grabbed the cat’s fur. Pearl meowed in protest, and Deirdre quickly patted the cat to calm it.

“Is it okay if I leave it here…?”

“Why are you surprised after asking? And you don’t need to leave your servant behind. My butler can handle things just fine.”

“But…”

Leaving Rex behind was primarily for Perpetua’s safety, and also so she could follow the man who would come looking for the necklace. Deirdre planned to figure out his identity and confront her husband.

So he wouldn’t be able to deny anything.