He opened his eyes wide as he read the contents of the note Grace had given him.
“There’s no way you don’t know what happens to a hunting dog that betrays someone? It’s better to pretend to betray and work as a double agent.”
‘Being called incompetent is just a baseless rumor, after all. ‘
Tom Birkin had doubts about whether any of the rumors about Grace were true.
Even if the person standing in front of him was Duchess of Felton’s stand-in. If the stand-in she chose was of this caliber, it meant she had a keen eye for people.
He swallowed hard and tightly gripped the note in his hand.
⋆★⋆
‘Did… Did I get caught?’
Meanwhile, Grace’s insides were drying up with anxiety.
She appeared calm and authoritative on the outside, but in reality, she had no such composure.
In the darkness, Grace observed Tom Birkin’s expression and confirmed that she still held the upper hand.
‘Thank goodness.’
As Grace examined Tom Birkin’s bag and saw the contents he had gathered during his investigation, she thought to herself, ‘This is it!’
If there was no information dealer in this world, she would create one who could provide her with the information she needed.
Furthermore, Grace easily discovered what he wanted through his belongings. Tom Birkin may have abandoned his ideals for the sake of his family, but he was clever.
‘As long as he is properly rewarded, he won’t betray anyone, even if someone proposes it. He’s not a fool who would fall for the words of a betrayer or a double agent.’
Grace glanced towards the corridor leading to the door. She felt uneasy, wondering if someone would come in.
In reality, the members of the Duchy would never allow Grace to confront Tom Birkin alone. Regardless of her position within the family, Tom Birkin was a criminal who posed a threat to her. No matter how much Grace pleads, Benjamin would never give permission, so what Grace said to Tom Birkin was a lie.
Noble estates often have several hidden passages. The older the history, the more likely they are to have such passages, and the Felton ducal estate was no exception.
‘I don’t know how Grace, or I, know about it.’
That information was also in Grace’s mind. And it was quite vivid.
Thanks to that knowledge, Grace was able to sneak in unnoticed from the annex to the underground prison without being detected by anyone.
There was nothing good about revealing the truth to Tom Birkin. She had to show that everything was happening under the authorization and will of the duchy.
So, even though she was putting on a false front, she felt like her insides were being torn apart as if she were dying.
‘The information she provided is quite useful.’
Tom Birkin’s heart was already leaning towards Grace. The note she handed him contained one crucial piece of information.
Information that would make him willing to be her eyes and ears.
Tom Birkin carefully read the contents of the note as if trying to memorize them, then folded it tightly and placed it in his mouth.
“…So, what can I do for you?”
‘It’s done!’
Grace suppressed the urge to let her face light up and inwardly rejoiced. She felt like poking a stick at the negative voices swirling in her mind.
See? Did you see?
I’m different from Grace Felton. I can do something, I can!
“It’s impossible to uncover the source behind the unfavorable rumors about you. Rumors, in the first place…”
“But that’s not what I’m asking.”
“What?”
Naturally, he had assumed that Grace would be asking for that favor, and Tom Birkin’s expression became strange.
“Well, it seems like you need to learn how to hide your emotions. You’ll have a lot to do after the trial. Until now, you’ve mostly been working alone, so there was no need to conceal yourself… It would also be good to create a code.”
Grace interrupted, prioritizing the tasks at hand.
“After the trial, you’ll receive a punishment greater than the actual price you have to pay. It’s not a good time right now.”
To make matters worse, Benjamin and Grace were in the midst of preparing for a divorce, and a report on contamination in the West was soon to reach the royal court.
He was the perfect target to divert attention away from those matters.
‘The royal court doesn’t necessarily want Grace and Benjamin to divorce, but they will see this as an opportunity to suppress the power of the Duke of Felton.”
A scandal attached to a duchess who already had enough bad rumors to go around would do the duchy no good.
‘But if Tom Birkin can make proper use of the information, he can get out within a month.’
Grace never intended for him to be acquitted from the beginning. But he wasn’t truly innocent.
“They say that priests visit the royal prison to see prisoners every week. The rank of the visiting priests may vary each time, but I heard that they have the freedom to hear confessions or offer repentance. Don’t miss that opportunity and make good use of it.”
“….”
Grace paused here, thinking about what needed to be resolved next.
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