Chapter 119: The Perfect Witness

Chapter 119: Chapter 119: The Perfect Witness

"Of course it went smoothly!"

The round-faced servant puffed out his chest, his eyes gleaming with self-satisfaction.

"Do you doubt me?"

The maid remained uneasy.

"Are you certain you didn’t arouse his suspicion? The master specifically warned us that the Duke of Draevenor is notoriously cautious. He isn’t someone who can be easily deceived."

The servant chuckled.

"Perhaps marriage has dulled his wits. The moment I mentioned Duchess Elysia, he was hooked."

He seemed particularly pleased with himself.

"His Grace didn’t even question me for long. Once he heard that Her Grace was waiting for him, he followed without hesitation."

Seeing that she was still unconvinced, he hurried to reassure her.

"I swear it’s true! I sent Bran away and wheeled His Grace into the room myself. He’s probably face-to-face with Miss Adela by now."

The certainty in his voice finally eased the maid’s doubts.

A sly smile curved her lips.

"Good. At least all my effort wasn’t wasted. Getting Miss Adela out of the house was hardly easy."

She had spent considerable effort arranging everything without attracting attention. One mistake could have ruined the entire plan.

The servant nodded.

"Now everything depends on her getting him to drink the wine."

The maid gave a knowing smile.

"Even if he refuses, it won’t matter much."

She glanced towards the room.

"The incense burning in there is just as potent as the wine, if not more so."

The servant’s eyes gleamed.

"So all we have to do is wait until the Duke succumbs to the effects and gets tangled up with Miss Adela..."

"Once that happens, the master’s task will be complete!"

The maid shook her head.

"Not quite."

The servant frowned.

"Huh?"

"The Duke merely sleeping with Miss Adela isn’t enough. The master said that given the Duke’s influence and power, he could simply deny everything afterward."

The servant’s eyes widened.

"Ah, that’s true!"

He slapped his forehead.

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

"We need to get them caught together," the maid whispered.

Understanding dawned on the servant’s face.

"Should I lure some of the guests from the garden party over?"

The maid snorted.

"Why would you risk exposing yourself when our part is already done? If someone remembers your face, they might eventually trace you back to the master. Also..."

She paused, clearly pleased with the solution she had already devised.

"I already have someone far better suited to draw a crowd."

The servant’s curiosity immediately spiked.

"Who?"

The maid tilted her chin towards the neighbouring room.

"Lady Deborah. The Lord Chancellor’s daughter and the future Crown Princess."

A calculating smile appeared on her face.

"She’s supposedly close to Duchess Elysia. Who better to gather a crowd when she discovers that the Duke is with another woman?"

The servant’s face lit up.

"Brilliant!"

He lowered his voice excitedly.

"And today she’s already accused Duchess Elysia of pushing her into the pond. If she finds out the Duke is involved with another woman, she’ll make certain the whole thing becomes a spectacle!"

"She’ll drag everyone here, spread the story throughout the capital, and make sure Duchess Elysia is utterly humiliated."

The servant chuckled.

"She’ll probably do half our work for us."

"Exactly."

The maid’s smile deepened.

"All we have to do is give her a hint of scandal."

Meanwhile, inside the room, Cassiel remained completely still.

His gaze rested on the wine cup in Adela’s hands.

The faint fragrance from the censer continued to drift through the air.

His fingers rested loosely against the armrest.

Then he spoke.

"Who helped you leave the house?"

Adela’s expression softened.

"I arranged everything myself, Cassiel! I love you so, so much... I just can’t bear the thought of being apart from you any longer."

She moved a little closer, still holding the wine as her voice turned sweeter still.

"Cassiel, please drink this."

She extended the cup towards him.

"I’ll do everything I can to please you. I only want to make you happy."

The room was not soundproof.

Every word carried clearly through the door.

And every word reached the ears of someone standing right outside.

Deborah.

Her eyes widened.

For a moment, she simply stood there, hardly daring to believe what she was hearing.

Then a spark of vicious excitement gleamed within them.

After changing her clothes, Deborah had been preparing to return to the main garden when she overheard voices outside the west-wing window.

A servant and a maid were speaking in hushed tones.

From their conversation, she gathered that Duke Cassiel had just arrived at Merlinspire Manor—and, more importantly, he had come without Elysia.

The two seemed to imply that he had been led somewhere privately, as though he were secretly meeting someone he did not want his wife to know about.

Anything involving Elysia immediately caught Deborah’s attention.

She quietly adjusted her hair, slipped out of the room, and followed the voices.

What she overheard next was far more astonishing than she could have imagined.

The man inside the room was undoubtedly Cassiel.

But the woman’s voice...

It certainly wasn’t Elysia’s.

Deborah’s eyes widened.

So he really had come to meet another woman.

There was no misunderstanding this time. She had heard the woman’s intimate tone, heard her asking Cassiel to drink, and had even heard her declare her feelings for him.

And judging by their conversation so far, there could be little doubt about what they intended to do.

A slow, triumphant smile spread across her face.

What perfect timing.

Oh, Elysia.

Aren’t you always so proud of yourself?

Don’t you rely on Cassiel to protect you, using his authority to humiliate me whenever you please?

Well, now her own husband was secretly meeting another woman.

Deborah could hardly wait to see how Elysia would react when the truth was exposed.

The defeat and humiliation she had suffered earlier suddenly seemed insignificant compared with the spectacle waiting to unfold.

Deborah’s smile grew colder and she slipped away from the west wing without making a sound.