Chapter 28

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 28

Chapter Title: Pink Diamond Necklace

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A threat from a woman he could easily subdue was as laughable as a dog's bark, but the man raised both hands to calm Diane.

"Oh, dear. Such a temper."

These were items from the duke's residence reports. Hardly comparable to the shoddy stolen goods petty thieves brought in. So he had to put up with it.

"Calm down. Calm down. I'm scared enough to piss myself."

The man played it cool as he lowered the gun aimed at him.

"If you understand, start drawing the design."

This wasn't the first time. Diane issued instructions with practiced ease.

Whenever the Brooke barony needed urgent cash, it went like this.

The scheme of taking fakes from the man and swapping them for the real ones. There were already four fakes in Great Hill's inventory. They were probably all counterfeit by now.

Even if it was discovered after Diane left, they wouldn't be able to find her then. And if the man got caught, there was no cause for worry.

"Who put you up to this job?"

A breeze slipped through the weathered wooden window frame. One of the candles flickered wildly. The shadows playing across Diane's face twisted grotesquely in the wavering light.

"Olivia Blanchett."

The man bared his rotten teeth in a grin as he upended his bag. Diane burst into laughter at the sight of the jewels spilling onto the table.

This deed would have taken place before Olivia demanded the divorce.

Riverside 3rd Street was a quiet residential area located downstream on the Bichen River.

Clear sunlight filtered over the row of luxury townhouses, making the river surface sparkle. The suddenly warmer breeze swept across the water, fluttering the thin muslin curtains by the window.

Spring was coming to an end.

After a simple breakfast, Olivia climbed onto the windowsill, hugged her knees, and gazed quietly out the window.

The people enjoying rowing races on the river and the sleek white yachts cutting through the waves looked so peaceful.

An engagement...

I wonder what the Archduchess of Krantz is like. Olivia suddenly grew curious about the princess who would become Johann's new wife. The one who might die in place of Olivia Blanchett.

Would they really get married?

"I told you it's dangerous. Get down."

Startled from her reverie, Olivia whipped her head around.

Mrs. Marie, who had been brewing coffee, freaked out at the tomboyish sight of Olivia perched so precariously and scolded her. Olivia smiled and hopped down gracefully to sit in a chair.

Marie the maid had been dispatched from the hotel to attend to Olivia.

It was Edgar's arrangement, supposedly for managing the player sponsored by the Lancelot family.

For quality meals and a balanced lifestyle. Anne was no good in the kitchen, and Olivia had no intention of hiring local maids here, so she quietly accepted his consideration.

As she waited for Anne, who had gone on an errand to the bookstore, and took a sip of coffee, the sound of the front door opening rang out.

Anne must have returned with the gossip rag featuring the Archduchess of Krantz's knight. Her footsteps on the stairs were quicker than her usual calm pace. The urgent knock and door-opening matched that too.

"Miss! You have a vis-."

"Olivia!"

True to her impatient nature, Elaine pushed past Anne and called out to Olivia cheerfully as she entered.

"Miss Elaine!"

Olivia jumped to her feet in surprise. She had returned to Rondos after the Rose Ball. Appearing again in less than five days, she looked a bit disheveled.

"What happened?"

"I had no choice but to rush back. Anne, water please."

Before the startled Olivia could offer her a seat, Elaine plopped down at the tea table.

"Sit down. I have something to tell you. Lucky I ran into Anne. The hotel wouldn't give me your address. I almost left without seeing you. Really."

"You came without even knowing the address?"

"I figured the manager or someone would tell me. Or you'd leave a note for me."

"Ah! Sorry."

Olivia gave an awkward smile.

Elaine, who had practically run up the stairs, downed the glass of water Anne brought in one go and caught her breath. Once her breathing steadied, she pulled a velvet box from her bag.

"You didn't come back just to give me a gift, did you?"

Olivia said with a laugh. Even at the lame joke, Elaine's expression remained serious.

Puzzled, Olivia's gaze fell on the case on the table. In the center of the square black leather box was the word "Gloria" embossed in gold leaf.

Lifting her eyes from the lettering to meet Elaine's, she watched as Elaine slowly opened the box.

"This is..."

Olivia's eyes widened slightly. The unexpected item was the pink diamond necklace in question.

"Why do you have this?"

Olivia asked, staring down at the brilliantly sparkling necklace.

"This necklace."

Elaine lowered her voice and continued.

"It's real."

"!"

Olivia's mouth fell open in shock.

Elaine still got dizzy thinking about that day. She had nearly branded her upright husband a scandalous adulterer and divorced him.

"I wanted to corner my husband. So I said I was sick of the necklace now and wanted to sell it. To buy back Grandfather's land. You should have seen his face."

Olivia listened quietly to her story.

"Just as I expected, he looked so troubled. Of course he did. All bold when showing off the fake. Now he says it's inconvenient to sell it back. I really wanted to kill the bastard right then."

Elaine wet her lips with the strong herbal tea.

She said she had made a huge fuss, accusing her husband of using the fake necklace as an excuse to siphon money to his mistress. Her husband, insisting on his innocence, flew into a rage and stormed out of the house.

"And once he left, now I'm the confused one. Did I misunderstand? Or is that man just that good an actor?"

Elaine closed her eyes briefly, as if reliving the day. Her hands trembled slightly around the teacup.

"So you had it appraised."

Growing impatient, Olivia prompted her.

"Yes."

"And it was genuine."

Elaine nodded. Olivia couldn't believe it.

"I went to four more places. I couldn't believe it. Since I kept doubting, the appraiser said he could stake his reputation on it and write a certificate."

"How could that be."

"That's what I said."

Elaine finished her tea and said.

"I had to ask my husband. How the hell he got his hands on it. And then."

Elaine let out a long sigh and suddenly clamped her lips shut.

"And then? What did your husband say?"

Olivia couldn't hold back and asked.

"He said he couldn't say it sober..."

Elaine's cheeks flushed like she was already drunk.

"Come on, it's fine. Tell me."

Elaine sighed deeply and pursed her lips.

"W-Well... a st... stolen good."

Mumbling awkwardly, Elaine squeezed her eyes shut, her face beet red, and blurted it out fast.

"...He bought it as stolen goods."

"!"

Olivia furrowed her brow.

Stolen goods.

No matter the reason, her husband's anniversary gift had ended up being something shady. Elaine sniffled.

"Who the hell had the guts to steal a treasure from the duke's house? My heart still races thinking about it. What if the truth comes out and my husband gets dragged in too? I'm so scared, Olivia."

If her husband hadn't known, it might have been different, but knowingly acquiring stolen goods was definitely a crime.

"So I came to return it. To the original owner."

Elaine closed the necklace case and pushed it toward Olivia. The flustered Olivia blinked her wide eyes before responding belatedly.

"...No. No. Original owner? Elaine, then you should have gone to the duke."

Olivia pushed the box back toward Elaine.

"How could I go there? I can't. Me."

Elaine averted her gaze, and the black leather box went back and forth across the table a few more times.

"Please! Olivia. You handle it."

"... ."

"I'm begging you."

Elaine twisted the hem of her skirt and soon tears streamed down her face.

"If I hadn't obsessed over the necklace. He wouldn't have done something so reckless. It's all my fault. I'm sorry, Olivia."

Elaine sobbed over the grim situation born from her vanity to shine in high society.

Olivia watched from the window as Elaine departed, seen off by Mrs. Marie and Anne. As the carriage pulled away, Elaine stuck her face out the window, tilted her head back, and mouthed words toward Olivia.

Help my husband. That's what she said as she faded from view.

Turning from the window, Olivia felt troubled at the sight of the now-lonely box.

Johann would marry soon, and the new lady of Great Hill would check the family's jewel inventory.

Raised surrounded by only the finest, unlike Olivia, she would have a keen eye for gems. Discovering the pink diamond necklace was a fake would only be a matter of time.

Naturally, the first suspect would be none other than Olivia Blanchett—herself. And what's more, the real one was right here.

Olivia let out a deep sigh.

Who could it be?

Returning to the table and sitting down, Olivia tapped her fingers on the smoothly gleaming box.

"Who the heck took the necklace..."

The thought slipped unconsciously from her lips.

"Diane Brooke. It has to be that woman's doing."

Anne, who had approached unnoticed, broke Olivia's reverie with a voice laced with anger.

"Diane Brooke?"

"Yes, Miss."

Olivia quietly rummaged through her memories. Johann's hired secretary. The times she had trusted and relied on her like a sister came back vividly.

"Her?"

Olivia's eyebrows rose slightly in disbelief.