Chapter 25
Nadia instinctively perked up her ears, but she could hear nothing beyond that.
To rein in such intense emotions so quickly—he truly was a dangerous man.
Besides, what did he mean by “that man must be…”?
The “man” Count Crimson was referring to was most likely Heinrich.
Count Crimson wanted Yulia to marry Heinrich, so the words that followed were likely something like persuading or seducing him.
There were far too few clues to draw any real conclusion.
Nadia turned to Vivian, who had been standing nearby like a shadow.
“When Archis takes Lady Yulia away, follow Count Crimson.”
Vivian smiled sweetly like the perfect maid she appeared to be—and in an instant, vanished from sight.
It was unfortunate that someone with such skill only dreamed of living as a “cute maid.” Her talent and aspirations did not match at all.
Seeing Archis approaching in the distance, Nadia quietly slipped out from behind the curtain.
It would take time for Count Crimson to learn about House Hess, so it was not yet the right moment to meet Yulia.
Nadia greeted a few people before the party ended and left the venue early.
Now that she had achieved her purpose, she wanted to escape the crowded place.
Since Vivian had not yet returned, she decided to wait for her carriage on the main road.
Have I not worn heels in too long?
Her heels, calves, and even knees felt stiff and sore. Lifting her dress slightly to her knees, she carefully massaged the back of her calves.
“Ha…”
A relieved sigh escaped her lips.
She decided she would take a warm bath once she returned to the townhouse.
However, her peaceful thoughts did not last long.
Rattle.
The carriage door was abruptly opened, and someone forced their way inside.
“Excuse me.”
A polite greeting followed the rude intrusion.
Startled, Nadia quickly covered her exposed knees and calves.
“What is the meaning of this rudeness?”
Her voice was cold as ice as she rebuked him.
A tall man with broad shoulders stood at the carriage entrance. With him blocking the doorway, Nadia could not even step out.
Conrad was likely nearby watching, but the man was close enough that he could kill her at any moment.
Only then could Nadia make out his face through the darkness.
Ah.
“Y-Your Grace… Heinrich Baldwin.”
His voice was so different from what she remembered that she hadn’t recognized him immediately, even though she had heard it recently.
And yet, the face still carried traces of the boy she once knew.
Heini…
Just as she was about to sink into sentiment, she recalled their last encounter.
“How dare someone like you touch my wife…”
“Do not appear before me again. You are unpleasant.”
Yes. He had told her never to appear before him again.
Nadia gave a bitter smile. There was no longer any sense of caution in her.
Not because she felt safe with Heinrich.
But because, for whatever reason, if it was Heinrich, it would be fine even if he killed her. There was no need to be on guard.
Still, she was curious why he had come to find her after telling her never to show herself again.
“I am Nadia of House Hess, greeting Your Grace, Duke Baldwin. May I ask what business brings you here?”
She asked with lowered eyelids.
Heinrich said nothing and simply shifted slightly aside from the carriage door.
There, another man was holding a limp woman in his arms.
Nadia recognized them both at once.
The man was Heinrich’s secretary, Allison, and the woman was…
“Oh my goodness… Vivian.”
As Nadia tried to rush out of the carriage, Heinrich waved his hand sharply.
At his signal, Allison moved and placed Vivian inside the carriage.
Nadia knelt down and checked Vivian’s neck. Fortunately, her pulse was steady.
“Is she your lady’s maid?”
Vivian had been following Count Crimson. So why was she now with Heinrich—and unconscious?
This was clearly not a normal situation.
After steadying herself, Nadia lifted her head.
“Yes, she is. My maid seemed to have been unwell today. Thank you sincerely for your concern. Since she is under my care, I must properly repay this kindness…”
“You do not need to say things you do not mean.”
His voice was colder than frost formed on northern cliffs.
Even knowing he likely didn’t realize she was Livenia, it stung a little.
Misinterpreting her silence as confusion, Heinrich continued.
“Earlier, your maid and my secretary were following the same person.”
So Heinrich had also been tailing Count Crimson.
It now made sense why Heinrich had appeared at this party, even escorting Yulia.
“Unfortunately, it seems my secretary was less competent than your maid. The thing I was looking for was found first by your maid.”
“…So you harmed my maid?”
“That is correct. However, I do not wish to harm innocent people. Just hand over the item.”
He and Allison were holding Vivian. They could have searched her at any time.
Or had Vivian hidden it quickly?
“…I will ask Vivian about it once she wakes up.”
“You speak as though you will hand it over willingly. How am I supposed to believe that?”
“I don’t feel the need to monopolize any information.”
Especially not if the opponent was Heinrich.
Heinrich stared at her with crimson eyes that dominated even the darkness.
And from his equally red lips came words beyond expectation.
“Then we must hurry. She swallowed it.”
Nadia understood what she had heard immediately—but comprehension and acceptance were different.
“Vivian? Swallowed? What did she swallow?”
Heinrich sighed as if her questions were bothersome. Allison, standing behind him, answered instead.
“She swallowed the item Your Grace was looking for.”
“So…”
“It was a magical device. I did not see it clearly, but it was a small artifact.”
A magical device?
No matter how small, could someone really swallow that?
Nadia carefully took Vivian’s hand. Only now did she notice how pale her face looked.
Allison added from the side.
“She may need to vomit it out.”
“She needs to go to a hospital.”
“At this hour, is there even one open?”
“We’ll have to find one. She swallowed a magical device.”
With Allison’s help, Nadia laid Vivian down on the carriage seat. She worried that sitting her upright might cause the device to move further inside.
Just as she was thinking about which hospital might be open at night in the capital, a sharp voice cut through the air.
“No hospital.”
Only Heinrich could speak so firmly.
“But Your Grace, we don’t even know what the device looks like. Forcing her to vomit without information could be dangerous. We should go to a hospital and see a doctor or mage…”
“My situation is different from yours, Lady. I do not wish to share information with others. We must find another way.”
Heinrich’s voice remained relentlessly cold.
And yet, for the first time, Nadia felt shocked by his words.
The Heinrich she knew was kind and warm. Whatever he was searching for, he was not someone who would risk a person’s life for it.
But the man standing before her now was… the very “beast of the north” people spoke of.
“Didn’t you just say you don’t want to harm innocent people? If you force her to vomit without a doctor, Vivian could be in danger.”
Nadia’s voice trembled.
She desperately wanted him to reconsider.
She wanted him not to be such a cruel person.
At that moment, someone grabbed her wrist.
“Ah, m-mistress…”
Vivian’s grip had no strength at all. Whether from unconsciousness or the artifact, Nadia could not tell—and that made it worse.
“Vivian, are you okay? Are you awake?”
“Mistress, I’ll try to throw it up. We don’t need a hospital…”
Vivian slowly tried to sit up.
“No. What if your organs are damaged?”
“…I swallowed it intending to vomit it anyway. If we delay any longer, the artifact might be damaged. It’s… a recording device.”
Vivian frowned as if her head hurt, but did not stop speaking.
“Don’t look too closely, Mistress. I’ll go throw it up quickly.”
“What are you even saying!”
Nadia rarely raised her voice. No—it might be accurate to say she never did.
She bit her lower lip hard, anxiety spilling over.
Then she suddenly lifted her head as if remembering something. She clenched her left hand tightly with her right, cutting off its circulation until it turned pale.
Heinrich narrowed his eyes at the sight.
That’s one of Livenia’s habits.
When she became anxious or deep in thought, she would clench her left hand like that until it nearly trembled apart.
But tightening one’s body under stress was also natural.
After a short pause, Nadia seemed to have reached a decision and looked at Heinrich.
“Your Grace, I will retrieve it with magic. Isn’t it fine as long as no one outside finds out?”