It Turned Out She Wasn't a Favored Concubine - Episode 11

From the beginning, my goal was to sell Arne’s luxury items and distribute compensation to everyone in the Arlin Palace. The strategy of winning hearts with something as trivial as cookies took far too long.

And that wasn’t all. Arne’s notorious reputation was so overwhelming that the tactic barely worked. Just thinking about the poisoned cookie incident still pains me.

So instead, I decided it would be far more effective to publicly apologize for Arne’s past misdeeds and provide substantial compensation to the palace staff—even if it raised some suspicions.

Although I got caught in Erich’s trap midway, my original goal was more or less achieved. The pile of gold bars before me was proof of that.

The emperor’s appearance and the astronomical sum of five hundred million drangs had thrown the auction house into chaos.

So many people tried to approach the box seats to verify the truth that Erich and I had no choice but to return to the imperial palace. Louis stayed behind to observe the rest of the auction.

According to Louis, the aftermath of the Motus auction left the remaining proceedings feeling somewhat anticlimactic.

However, one item alone drew gasps from the crowd—a gold ring engraved with a miniature painting by Frantino Zran.

Louis forgot the artist’s name and called it the “Love Ring,” but I managed to recall and correct it. That ring ended up in the hands of the masked man.

“He astonishingly bid ten million drangs right from the start.”

Though it wasn’t as shocking as Erich’s five hundred million, bidding ten million for a single ring was still remarkable.

Louis, who always remained composed except when it came to matters involving me, explained in an excited tone.

“As soon as the auction resumed, he shouted ten million drangs. Even those still talking about the Motus auction were stunned and began whispering. But he seemed to be after only that ring—he left the auction house immediately after winning it.”

“Really? He must’ve only wanted that ring.”

To pay ten million drangs for a single ring and leave without hesitation… I wondered if there was some story behind it, but there was no way to find out now.

Thinking of the ring, I stopped what I was doing and opened the diary. I needed to identify meaningful items like wedding rings in advance to avoid future mistakes.

Thankfully, I had this reliable diary.

As expected, Arne’s diary listed not only her wedding and engagement rings but also all the important jewels Erich had publicly gifted her.

They were at the end of the extensive diary, which I hadn’t checked before. I was once again amazed at the wealth of information it contained.

Where else in the world would you find a diary that even included detailed drawings of each jewel? Arne may have had a nasty temper, but she could certainly draw well. The wedding ring I pulled out for comparison looked almost identical to the sketch. But the problematic gold ring that had thrown me into crisis was nowhere to be found in the diary.

If it was the first ring Erich had given her, and even carried the meaning of a confession, it should’ve been recorded. Yet there was nothing.

Not a single word.

In terms of significance, it rivaled the wedding ring—so why wasn’t it mentioned?

Of course, Arne was human and couldn’t record everything in her diary, but it was still strange. All the jewels listed were gifts received in official settings.

There wasn’t a single mention of private gifts exchanged in romantic or marital relationships.

Even if Erich only pretended to favor Arne, surely he would’ve given her secret gifts for the sake of the act. Those are usually the most meaningful.

But there was no record of such gifts.

Diaries are meant to contain secret experiences and feelings. Even letters exchanged with others reflect personal emotions and daily life—how much more so a diary?

Yet Arne’s diary revealed nothing personal or secretive.

I picked up the half-written letter on the table. I had been writing to Jiskal, mainly about what happened at the auction.

I had intended to go alone, but Erich insisted on coming, which meant dozens of knights had to be mobilized. I even felt sorry for Count Melton’s pleading eyes…

As I wrote, I found myself including trivial details. I was sharing parts of my daily life with Jiskal, whom I’d never even met in person.

We exchanged letters quite frequently, so it happened naturally. At first, I filled the pages with polite weather updates, but I couldn’t keep repeating “It’s hot” or “It’s cold” forever.

Eventually, Jiskal began sharing his own daily life and directly expressed interest in mine. So I started writing more openly.

About Arlin Palace, about Louis, about the other maids, and about how I interacted with them.

The letters grew longer, richer, and more honest. I feared he might notice the gap between me and Arne, but I couldn’t stop. My correspondence with Jiskal was my only outlet.

Conversations with Erich were performances behind a mask. I had to stay alert to avoid his traps. The other palace staff were too far removed in status to confide in.

Even when I tried to approach them, they acted overly respectful and uncomfortable. Louis was closer than the other maids, but even she didn’t cross the line.

And beyond that?

No one.

Jiskal was the only person I could be somewhat honest with, as an equal. Without our letters, I might’ve lost myself in frustration.

He was a good pen pal. He read my letters carefully and always replied.

Jiskal empathized with my life, gave thoughtful advice, and respected my feelings. Most importantly, he never doubted me.

Did Arne write letters like this too? Did she act differently with her brother, even if she ruled over others like a villainess?

Jiskal seemed completely unaware of the difference between me and Arne. His letters showed no trace of suspicion. I felt guilty, but the joy and comfort I gained from our correspondence were undeniable.

I turned the page and picked up my pen again.

A cool breeze blew through the open garden, fluttering the shawl Louis had draped over me. Even though I said I was fine, Louis insisted I wear it to avoid catching a cold.

I usually disliked anything frilly, but this shawl was soft, didn’t hang too much, and was easy to wear. Under the shade of the trees, it was chilly enough that I was glad to have it.

I resolved to listen to Louis more often.

The sky was high and blue, and the breeze was refreshing. Two days ago, I had distributed generous compensation to all the staff at Arlin Palace, so the plan had succeeded.

Even if their thanks were just polite words, hearing them while strolling along the breezy path should’ve lifted my spirits.

But unfortunately, the person walking beside me ruined that.

“Arne, isn’t the wind too cold?”

“No, it’s perfect. I really like this path. I’d love to walk a bit more.”

“Hahaha, I’m glad Arne likes it. I’ll order more walking paths to be built in the palace.”

“The current ones are plenty. Please don’t say such things.”

“If Arne wishes, I can create a path just for you, lined with ever-blooming flowers.”

“Hohoho, I’ll just accept the sentiment. Just the sentiment.”

I turned my head toward the leaves, pretending to admire them, and wrinkled my nose. I was confident I wouldn’t fall for such cheap tricks anymore.

Building a walking path for one person—what a waste.

The rumors about the five hundred million drang Motus hadn’t died down yet, and I couldn’t let him start another pointless project. In fact, the Motus rumors were only growing hotter.

Naturally, the source was Erich, smiling brightly beside me. He had placed the Motus right in his official office—not his private chambers.

Countless officials passed through that office, and they eagerly gossiped about the Motus, which had become a bragging point. The social circles were still buzzing about it.

“Where do you keep the other half of the Motus, Arne?”

Was he reading my mind? Jiskal’s question made me flinch.

“Oh? Uh… Well, I keep it safe. It’s tucked away securely in my jewelry box.”

“Is that so? I placed mine on my office desk, where I can see it just by lifting my head. It makes me feel like I’m always with you.”

Ha, his silver tongue was unmatched. A perfect disguise for his sinister intentions. I forced a stiff smile.

“Ha, ha, ha. I see.”

“Yes, if I could, I’d remove the barrier and be by your side always. But with the threat of assassins, I can’t. So instead, I’ll visit you often.”

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