Chapter 4
A Mouse in a Trap
[Around 20:00, a two-hour secret meeting with Lady Crawley by the Licht riverside.
After changing clothes, an intimate encounter with a mysterious woman in front of the red-roofed house on Terdo 10th Street.
The woman has silver hair and light violet eyes. Quite beautiful.]
Last night. It was the observation log sent by the mercenary regarding his half-brother. The mercenary reported in real time whenever he detected suspicious movements.
Leopold let out a hollow laugh over the displeasing report.
He had told him to meet only the women he arranged. Yet that parasite—no, his half-brother Hugo Otero—had gone ahead and acted on his own. Naturally, it irritated him.
“A silver-haired woman, huh.”
Who is she, and what kind of nonsense is that bastard up to now?
‘Could you at least give me the barony that’s left?’
Hugo’s shameless request—to inherit even their mother’s title—filled Leopold’s mind again.
He had already tolerated his birth and his parasitic existence. But the way he acted without knowing his place was exactly like his mother. Still, no matter what he did, he was just a mouse trapped in a snare.
‘Use my identity to have an affair. You’d be good at it, wouldn’t you? Like mother, like son.’
‘Th-then your reputation…’
‘Womanizer, stud—it doesn’t matter. Just make sure the engagement with the princess is broken. Then I’ll give it to you. The barony you covet. What do you say?’
That was the deal Leopold had offered his naive yet audacious half-brother: a reward in exchange for acting as his proxy in an affair.
His eyes narrowed with a sly glint as he recalled it. Leopold slightly drew back the navy velvet curtain covering the carriage window. A faint beam of sunlight fell across his pale silver eyes.
From outside, the carriage was so dim that no one could even tell it was occupied. Moreover, it was an ordinary hired carriage with no family crest—there was no way his identity would be revealed.
Leopold leisurely looked up at the sky beyond the window. It had been clear when he left the estate, but dark clouds were now rapidly swallowing the sky.
“Looks like it’s going to rain.”
Lowering his gaze, he looked at another sheet of paper in his hand.
[Around 14:00, a meeting with Lady Crawley at Amor Park.
Around 15:00, the silver-haired woman from last night also appears. No contact yet.]
It was today’s observation report, received just moments ago. The gloomy light filtering through the curtain faintly illuminated the paper.
Leopold crossed his long legs leisurely and pulled out a gold pocket watch from his vest.
The time was now 15:50. It would take about ten minutes to reach the park. Since the meeting was set to last at least two hours, he would be able to witness Hugo Otero’s suspicious dealings with the silver-haired woman at just the right moment.
Of course, he could have left this to the mercenary—but Leopold was the type who had to see and judge such suspicious behavior himself to feel at ease.
He had graduated top of his class from a four-year military academy at seventeen, served five years as an officer, and after discharge continued the family’s moneylending business. His persistence could be called a professional habit—but in truth, it was simply his nature from the beginning.
From the observation envelope, Leopold took out a palm-sized portrait.
“I didn’t even ask for this.”
He smirked.
“How much did he like her to work this fast?”
The portrait showed a young woman—the one who had apparently had an intimate encounter with Hugo.
Leopold lifted the curtain a bit more, letting more light into the carriage, and examined the worn edges of the portrait carefully.
Her silver hair resembled a galaxy in the night sky. Her pale violet eyes recalled violets, and her fair skin resembled moonlight. Her bright red lips, contrasting with her pale complexion, held a fresh smile like a ripe peach.
“So the report wasn’t exaggerated…”
Thinking he could trust the mercenary with more tasks in the future, he flipped the portrait over. On the back was brief information he had requested.
[Violeta Hernandez.
Five years ago, Baron Hernandez was accused as an accomplice in a railway investment fraud, leading to the family’s downfall. Her fiancé, Gray Peter, fled overseas as a suspect.
The baron and his wife died in the Bern Station shooting incident.
She currently lives with her nanny on Terdo 10th Street with her younger brother.
Her brother, Lucas Hernandez, is a scholarship cadet, one year away from graduating.
She makes a living by taking requests for “affair consultations.”]
In short, the cruel reality of a fallen noblewoman supporting her family.
“Violeta Hernandez…”
Leopold tilted his head slightly, fingers brushing his chin. He felt like he had seen her somewhere before. Just as he tried to trace back that vague sense of familiarity—
Knock, knock.
The coachman announced their arrival at the worst possible moment.
Leopold set aside his thoughts for now and looked up. Through the rain-speckled window, he saw the ornate arched iron gates of the park. People holding umbrellas hurried past the open entrance.
“So it really is raining.”
He murmured indifferently and looked back down at the report.
His eyes landed on the last line.
“Among men, she’s already famous for her beauty. But after breaking up with her, all her former lovers have found success… so she’s called a ‘stepping stone’…?”
What kind of ridiculous rumor was that? He almost laughed—but then his lips slowly flattened.
‘After breaking up, things go better…’
Could that be Hugo Otero’s real goal?
Annoyance crept back in.
Whether the rumor was true or just superstition didn’t matter. What mattered was that his half-brother had intended to betray him.
“Ha… that bastard.”
Leopold flipped the portrait again irritably, his gaze lingering meaningfully on Violeta Hernandez.
* * *
Violeta’s plan to head straight home fell apart easily.
Just as she was about to exit the park, Dante Lopez roughly grabbed her arm.
“Haah… w-wait, just a moment, Vivi…”
He must have chased after her in a hurry. Bent over, he supported himself on his knees, panting.
“Let go. I have nothing to say to you.”
“I do! I’m the one who’s wronged here!”
The one who should be angry was clearly her. Violeta glared at him, trying to pry his hand off her arm.
“You’re hurting me. Let go first.”
“Just listen to me first! Please?”
Their struggle drew attention from nearby people. Shame and embarrassment flooded her.
Her face flushed red as she snapped in a low voice:
“What is there to say? That it wasn’t cheating? That she’s just a friend? That the princess offered to invest in you? Those kinds of excuses?”
“H-how did you…?”
“How much more are you going to make a fool out of me? How much more are you going to humiliate me? Stop it—while I’m still asking nicely.”
Even after being caught cheating, even when she offered a clean breakup, all her past lovers had acted like this—clinging to her with the same excuses.
‘Do they think I’m that ridiculous…?’
Tears threatened to spill. Her lips trembled. She clenched her fists tightly.
Hold it in. Don’t cry here.
When she glared at him firmly, Dante hesitated and slowly released her. But then he looked around nervously and shouted:
“Th-that’s right! This is all because of the Duke—Duke Otero!”
“The duke?”
“I still love you! We barely even dated properly—”
“No. Why is this the duke’s fault?”
She cut him off sharply. His eyes darted around.
“Well… the duke came to see me once…”
“And?”
“He kept telling me to break up with you! Said he’d introduce me to a woman of my status!”
What kind of absurd excuse was this now?
“But I refused! And then the princess contacted me—how was I supposed to know it’d turn out like this?!”
“What?”
“If the duke hadn’t tempted me, I wouldn’t have fallen for the princess!”
“And you call that an excuse?!”
Violeta snapped before clamping her mouth shut. Dante’s face flushed red as he shouted back:
“You don’t believe me? You think I’m lying?!”
“Of course not. It’s cheating, no matter how you spin it.”
“Wow… this is infuriating!”
He tugged at his shirt in frustration.
At that moment, lightning split the sky. A cold flash reflected in Violeta’s pale violet eyes.
“So… let’s break up.”
“Ha… seriously.”
Still gauging her reaction, Dante couldn’t control his anger.
“Your family’s ruined, but your face is at least decent—that’s why I dated you! Do you even know what men call you?”
“….”
“They call you a ‘stepping stone,’ you know? Once they pass through you, everything works out!”
“….”
“And yet you act so high and mighty! As if you’re still the Hernandez of the past!”
A thunderclap roared.
Something inside her snapped.
Stepping stone. The Hernandez of the past…
Those words tore through her heart again and again. Her eyes burned, her nose stung.
This was exactly what she had feared. That’s why she wanted to end things cleanly. To avoid seeing something like this.
To hear such degrading words from someone she once believed loved her…
At last, the tears she had held back spilled over her face.
At the same time, cold rain began to pour down as if it had been waiting.
At least the rain could hide her tears—that small comfort was all she could cling to.
Otherwise, even this brief shower might sweep her away entirely.
‘A short-lived rain…’
Yes. This was just a passing shower.
It had to be.
