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Chapter 22
“His Highness bought the Sirtha mine. Did you hear that, Manuel?”
Manuel’s ears twitched hearing Sabrina’s words. The boy stopped organizing the documents and turned to the maid next to him.
“Yes, why?”
“The Sirtha mine was originally owned by the Cardinale.”
“Really!?”
Sabrina brought her index finger closer to her red lips as if only telling Manuel this secret.
“I’m a little worried if Madam is fooling His Highness.”
“But Sabrina, you were wrong before.”
While saying that, Manual couldn’t take his gaze away from Sabrina, who was sticking close to him.
Recognizing Manuel’s clumsy gesture, Sabrina put her arms together and leaned her upper body toward the boy.
“Selina said that Madam’s red soil was effective….”
Katan was cold even during Summer, but Sabrina insisted on wearing Cardinale’s thin uniform.
Seductively revealing her deep neckline and breastbone was so like her.
“But I heard the Sirtha mine has collapsed. His Highness wouldn’t have bought the collapsed mine if not for Madam.”
“Y-You’re right.”
Wearing a cunning smile, Sabrina looked down at Manuel, who nodded his head foolishly.
Manuel, ears turning red, shrugged his shoulders.
‘It’s like trying to coax a young boy. How fun.’
Even high-ranking figures such as Prince George and Count Cardinale lost their minds to Sabrina’s charms.
‘Grand Duke Katan is the weird one.’
”Get out.”
”Pardon?”
”Get out. I won’t punish you because you were my wife’s maid.”
Joseph took off his jacket, rolled a blanket around her, and threw her into the hallway.
‘It was the first time someone ever treated me like that.’
Sabrina had never been rejected by a man and now trembled in rage.
‘I’m 20 times more charming than Rita!’
She moved her round hips and pursed her plump lips slightly. Judging by the face alone, maybe Rita could have been a little better looking than her.
However, Rita was like a rose without a scent.
‘Who would like a woman who’s like a stone?’
Her lover, George, eventually fell into Sabrina’s embrace.
‘Is George going to pick me up soon?’
She just sent a tear-stained letter complaining about Rita treating her badly.
George sympathized with her and her hard life enduring Rita’s anger.
‘Before George comes for me, I have to undermine Rita’s reputation.’
She might lose his favor if George learned that Rita had been acting like a great madam in Katan.
‘I can’t let that happen.’
Sabrina, nibbling at her nails, bent her eyes to half-moons and gently looked at Manuel.
“Cardinale people never do anything that does not benefit them. There’s no way she’d help anyone unconditionally…”
“That’s right. I have heard that, too.”
“About the mine and the red soil….I really can’t grasp what Madam is trying to do.”
Manuel, who harbored feelings for Sabrina, easily took the bait.
“Ah…what? What about Madam?”
The blushing boy gulped hard when she stealthily caressed the back of his hand.
“Yeah. Don’t you think her artificial red soil is too suspicious? His Highness may be in trouble if he trusts Madam and uses that soil.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. You know her nickname, right?”
The Wicked Witch of Cardinale.
Rita had displayed talent in alchemy since young and was given that nickname.
Sabrina thought that nickname suited Rita better than her other nicknames: The Summer Rose of Cardinale and The Reincarnation of Goddess of Beauty.
“…Now that I think of it, you’re right. I need to tell Ricky about it.”
Ricky was the unofficial leader of young people in the estate. People tended to trust people whom Ricky trusted and avoided people who got on Ricky’s nerves.
“Good idea, Manuel! As I thought, you’re amazing!”
Sabrina praised the young boy as if he had done a good job figuring out Rita’s evil deeds by himself.
“Did you say people refused to use the artificial red soil?”
I frowned because I couldn’t make sense of Umberto’s words.
‘Haven’t I proved its effectiveness? What’s the problem?’
I didn’t expect the farmers to be this stubborn.
I thought it’d be better if I just persuade Joseph to enforce a law where they had to use the soil.
“Selina began cultivating using your artificial red soil, but that bastard Ricky opposed it.”
Umberto pouted as if he were trying to snitch on Ricky.
“Why?”
“These days, rumors are circulating within our community that Madam is stealing our assets. They suspect that Madam is up to something bad using the red soil.”
I’m stealing Katan’s assets, you say?
Katan didn’t even have that much money for me to steal.
‘If I wanted to live extravagantly, I would have married another man.’
I haven’t even purchased a new dress since I married Joseph. Umblerto glanced at me as I creased my brows due to the unfairness.
“I heard you bought a mine. The mine has completely collapsed….is that rumor true?”
I couldn’t deny Umberto’s words and told him the truth.
“I bought Sirtha mine because I have a plan. I wasn’t being extravagant.”
Hearing my words, Umberto let out an awkward cough and took off his hat.
“Whatever the case, I trust Madam because you found my son, but Ricky doesn’t believe you even when we showed him the Hail rice.”
“How do they know that I bought Sirtha mine?”
“Well, we’ve been hearing rumors from people who reside in the castle.”
Umberto’s answer brought a certain servant to mind, one who could talk lightly about the Grand Duke’s affairs.
“In particular, that young administrator who often comes down to the village. He’s close to Ricky, too.”
As expected, it was none other than Manuel. I nodded at Umberto’s words.
“I see. Thank you for letting me know.”
“I’m just saying, Cardinale is a wealthy estate where Madam could be extravagant without any restraint…but unlike the south, Katan is not a rich territory.”
I looked at him as he stood up while trying to convey sincere advice.
“Is there a reason why you assume I’m extravagant?”
He hesitated a bit at my question and soon pointed to wood burning in the fireplace.
“For example, that firewood. Fuel is a precious thing in Katan. I know for a fact that His Highness doesn’t even light up the fireplace in summer.”
Katan was a cold place even in midsummer, but sweat beads had formed on Umberto’s forehead. Next to the fireplace, there was a large stack of firewood that I didn’t know was there.
‘I don’t even know why that firewood is piled there!’
I felt so wronged by Umberto’s words about me. I was put in a tight position even more.
I told them countless times not to light up the fireplace, but that firewood kept appearing out of nowhere.
“….Alright. Thank you, Umberto.”
I couldn’t say that I was feeling hurt by Umberto’s words because he genuinely cared about my reputation.
“No problem. If there’s anything I can do, please call me anytime.”
After seeing Umberto off with an awkward smile, I hurried to find Manuel.
‘What kind of nonsense have you been spreading!’
What does someone who didn’t even come to Sirtha even know?
Katan’s budget was spent on buying the mine, but it wasn’t enough to drive the Grand Duchy into bankruptcy.
“Dante, where’s Manuel?”
“Perhaps in His Highness’ office.”
Just in time, I met Dante in the hallway and asked him for Manuel’s whereabouts right away.
“Did that child make any mistake?”
I hesitated to answer Dante’s careful question.
‘Should I tell Dante to scold him?’
No, it seemed useless. Dante and Joseph had always sided with Manuel.
Dante had taken care of Joseph when he was demoted from the crown prince position. And Manuel was the nephew of such an important figure in Joseph’s life.
Furthermore, Joseph sympathized with Manuel, who lost his parents to the monsters.
‘Since Manuel is precious to Dante, Joseph wouldn’t deal harshly with Manuel.’
However, Manuel was too rash and arrogant for someone who could succeed Dante in the future.
I let him slide because he was young, but I couldn’t afford that anymore.
Perhaps because of Yvonne, I was too soft when it came to dealing with children.
‘But he’s already 15, isn’t he almost an adult?’
“Manuel has been talking carelessly about the Grand Duke’s property.”
“Oh, no. Then I will scold him…”
I shook my head firmly and cut off Dante’s words.
“No. I will scold him personally.”
Although Dante was the butler, disciplining the servants was a Madam’s duty.
“Get ready and follow me.”
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