Chapter 20
Lowell’s Ribbon
2023.08.20
When Karim opened the case, its contents were revealed.
“This is… a ribbon, isn’t it?”
Karim’s face briefly registered disappointment as he examined it. After all the fuss, could it be that the big discovery was just a ribbon? Seeing Karim’s lukewarm reaction, Monique smiled knowingly and pulled the ribbon from the case.
The important part was on the inside of the ribbon.
“That’s right. It’s a ribbon. A ribbon embroidered with the Hesse family crest.”
“…!”
For a moment, surprise flickered across Karim’s face. But it was too early to be shocked. Monique flipped the ribbon over, revealing the embroidery on the inside: the initials “L.H.”
“A ribbon embroidered with the Hesse family crest and these initials. What do you think this could mean?”
“…Are you saying it belonged to Lowell Hesse?”
“No, no, Sir Grotheur. If that were the case, I wouldn’t have even called you here.”
Monique folded the ribbon and placed it back in the case with a confident shrug.
“This is proof that Lowell Hesse is alive.”
Only then did Karim understand what Monique meant. Surely she wouldn’t claim Lowell’s survival based on just a single ribbon. He knew Monique had been obsessed with “Lowell Hesse” recently. Not long ago, she had urgently summoned him to discuss exactly this.
[There are rumors that Lowell Hesse is alive. I spoke with Lady Anette, and it seems she knows something. If we handle her right, we could probably extract even better information…]
At the time, Karim couldn’t understand Monique, who was biting her nails worrying about how to coax Anette. It was one of the things he couldn’t comprehend—why she had summoned him just for such talk.
He assumed the reason for being summoned now would be similar.
“Are you saying we should… fabricate proof of Lowell Hesse’s survival?”
“To call it fabrication is odd. We’ve merely found the person who was supposed to have died.”
At first, it seemed Monique was correcting Karim, but in truth, she didn’t deny what he said.
“We discovered her by chance, really… traces of her were found in the Grotheur estate. She suffers from amnesia due to the Hesse family fire, remembers nothing, and has remained hidden until now… but we found her.”
In short, she was suggesting using this to create a fake “Lowell Hesse.”
“But even if we can’t find her, an item like this could still be sold to the Emperor under favorable terms. It’s the only memento of his first love; surely he’d pay handsomely for it.”
“That makes sense, but where did you obtain it?”
“There are ways.”
Monique’s eyes narrowed into a sly gaze. Though it seemed cunning, her method was simpler than Karim imagined.
‘I was lucky.’
Who would have guessed that when she visited the Cheyenne Palace, this item had just arrived in a package?
Monique often visited Anette without prior notice. Since their first meeting, she viewed Anette as a sheltered girl raised like a greenhouse flower, completely naive about the world. Monique took full advantage of this, freely asserting her dominance over the palace when Anette was absent.
That day had been one of those days.
[Your Imperial Majesty Dowager? Lady Anette is currently away…]
[Then wait. Bring tea. What are you planning to do without awareness?]
[Ah… my apologies…]
Aside from a new maid with lavender hair, nothing unusual happened that day. The young maid appeared flustered at Monique’s reproach and quickly disappeared to fetch tea, not wanting to get in more trouble.
Only after the maid left did Monique understand her fluster:
[What’s this? A package?]
The packages were meant for Anette. Unsure how to show them to an outsider, the maid had panicked. It worked in Monique’s favor.
She tore open a letter attached to one package and peeked inside, discovering the object she had been seeking:
Lowell’s hair ribbon—her ticket back to the center of power!
‘I couldn’t take the letter too; it would have been too obvious.’
She could claim the package had been lost in transit.
Monique waved her fan arrogantly and smiled.
“This was meant for Lady Anette originally, but I was lucky enough to get it first.”
“Now that you mention it, the one who hinted that Lowell Hesse might be alive was also her. That she knows something seems quite certain.”
“Exactly. So, to find ‘Lowell Hesse,’ I need to coax Lady Anette for more information. She knows nothing about high society.”
After a few exchanges, it was clear Anette was clueless not only about court etiquette but about the social world entirely. Martineck might have taught her basic manners, but she knew nothing of the aristocratic circles she was supposed to enter.
“If I become her chaperone, she’ll naturally rely on me. How could she navigate society without a mentor?”
“Wise words.”
“Lady Anette should be grateful to me, really.”
Monique waved her fan, reminding herself that without her, Anette would have been an easy target in high society. But Monique’s purpose in bringing up Anette was not limited to this.
“So, Sir Grotheur, I’m thinking of increasing my social activities to better influence Lady Anette. But as you know, this isn’t cheap. I’m not some idle noblewoman, yet I can’t appear too frugal…”
Karim’s eyes narrowed slightly. The real point of Monique’s long speech was simple:
‘She wants money.’
Knowing her extravagant ways and vanity, Karim could only smirk. Her lavishness had even caused estrangement from her family.
Money, after all, is the universal key.
Karim smiled warmly and handed her a small box.
“Of course. Here, take this first, and I’ll send more checks when you return. If it’s still insufficient, just say so.”
“Oh, my! That’s more than necessary. Thank you so much.”
“Not at all. I benefit from your presence, Your Imperial Majesty Dowager, so I am grateful. Your safety allows me peace of mind.”
After some polite remarks about the Emperor’s unpredictable condition, Karim left the palace with a smile.
Once alone, Monique excitedly opened the box Karim had given her. Inside lay a large diamond, dazzlingly beautiful.
‘How much is this worth!’
With this alone, she could easily buy a mansion. And he would send more checks on top of that! Just imagining it made her feel sated.
Of course, the dowager’s maintenance expenses were more than enough for her to live comfortably, but she longed for the indulgences of high society.
“Being cooped up in the palace is tedious. I am the only adult of the Imperial family, yet the only person who seeks me out is Sir Grotheur?”
She hadn’t hosted salons or tea parties, so visitors were rare. But with her income limited to maintenance funds, extravagant parties had been impossible. Now, things were different: Anette Martineck had become her financial benefactor!
She imagined a glittering chandelier, a luxurious banquet hall, gentlemen lining up to kiss her hand, young ladies calling her “patroness,” all vying to speak with her.
Standing before the mirror, she examined her reflection.
‘I’m still young. I look younger than my age.’
High-ranking noblewomen often had multiple companions; they could adopt young men or act as guardians for lovers. Why shouldn’t she do the same?
“This dull, sheltered life ends now.”
She whispered to herself, trying to brainwash herself into confidence. Opening a drawer, she revealed an item she had kept like treasure for days:
The invitation to the Tileman Commemorative Banquet. Her dream of a dazzling new life would begin there.
‘Even that wretched Peter can be useful sometimes.’
Once this banquet was over, everything would change—her life, and the eyes of the aristocracy.
She ran her fingers over the invitation, her eyes gleaming with greed.
