Confrontation with Orlando

Today was an incredibly important day for Evelyn.
It was the finals of the International Piano Competition, a day that presented a crucial opportunity for Selene to take a step towards becoming a world-renowned pianist, not just a promising one within the empire.
So, Evelyn had tossed and turned all night, as if she herself were competing in the finals.
Consequently, her under-eyes were hollow, requiring meticulous makeup, and she had to endure the vicious cycle of waking up even earlier in the morning.
But that was just a minor incident.
Because while rushing to get ready, Evelyn had heard a shocking piece of news from a maid.
“What? Grandmother is in Cantora right now?”
Evelyn, who was searching for a flashy pair of earrings in her jewelry box that would befit Selene’s already certain victory, asked again in surprise.
“Yes. Mrs. Gwendolyn from the ducal estate called a moment ago to inform us.”
It seemed she wasn’t the only one who was excited.
‘For grandmother to make the trip all the way to the capital.’
Although the whole country was abuzz with a compatriot reaching the finals of a major competition, it was a surprising event, considering her grandmother had been in seclusion for a while, trying not to even cross paths with her father.
Evelyn wondered if her father also knew about this.
‘He probably does, right? Then will the two of them have a conversation after a very long time?’
Evelyn inadvertently imagined such a thing and then frowned.
Come to think of it, Theron Cox might be more important than the relationship between her father and grandmother.
More precisely, the relationship between that man, Theron Cox, and her father.
Evelyn still suspected the two’s relationship.
Although it felt a little strange to say she suspected their relationship, since they were not in a secret affair, she thought they might be plotting something suspicious.
If it hadn’t been for the incident at the Velora Competition, where her father had tried to make Selene win by bribing the judges, she wouldn’t have cared much, but that incident kept coming to mind.
Of course, the judges of this competition were composed of pianists from various countries, so it would be impossible to bribe them, but she felt anxious that her father might try to get to Selene in some other way.
‘It would be the absolute worst if Theron Cox was involved in that.’
Evelyn, who had been excited that today was the day of Selene’s great achievement, gradually withered like a flower on a cloudy day.
Instead of agonizing over it alone like this, it might be better to just ask her dad directly why Theron Cox was in his office that day.
“Oh, right, my lady. The Colonel said he would be at the concert hall first and told you to come slowly.”
Just as she was having that thought, a maid suddenly informed her.
“Really…?”
“Yes. I’ll have the bouquet you prepared put in the car in advance.”
“Ah… okay.”
Evelyn had ordered a bouquet filled with bright red roses.
Not to give to Selene when she won, but to give to her in the waiting room before she started playing.
It was, perhaps, a conviction.
A conviction that Selene would surely win.
She hoped that feeling would reach Selene.
‘Though I do feel a little sorry…’
She had wanted to go and support Selene with many people, but her fiancé Rupert had gone on a business trip at this very time, and her mother didn’t particularly like Selene.
Because she thought, like others, that the ducal title had been stolen from her.
Still, Evelyn, who had bravely straightened her back, decided she just had to fill that empty space better and headed to the concert hall.
Evelyn looked out at the scenery from the window, enjoying the fresh scent of the flowers that flowed from the bouquet.
‘Dad will think I’m late again today because I’m being lazy.’
‘That I’ll arrive at the hall just 10 minutes before the finals start.’
But thanks to finishing her preparations early, she arrived at the concert hall a full two hours early.
Choosing her clothes the day before had been a great help in hurrying.
Evelyn looked around, searching for Orlando, who would have already arrived.
She was soon able to find her father’s adjutant.
He always had a scary face, but since he was a person who followed her father like a shadow even to private events, it wasn’t difficult to find him.
“Where’s my dad?”
As Evelyn approached and asked, the adjutant’s stiff face changed, as if he were quite flustered.
“The Colonel is at a nearby hotel.”
“At a hotel?”
“He said he has someone to meet… He’ll be back soon, so if you wait here.”
Even at the unremarkable guidance, Evelyn narrowed her eyes like someone who had noticed something.
It was because she had a feeling that the person her dad was meeting right now was her grandmother.
Because her grandmother, with her personality, would have arrived early for such an important event, yet she was nowhere to be seen.
Or the person her dad was meeting right now could be Theron Cox.
Whatever it was, it meant it was a chance to dig into her dad’s suspicious activities a little.
“Alright.”
Evelyn, who had answered coyly, disappeared from the adjutant’s sight nonchalantly, contrary to her inner thoughts.
Then she tried to deduce which hotel’s drawing-room her dad would be in.
Before long, a hotel nearby that her dad often visited came to mind.
‘There’s still time.’
It seemed it wouldn’t be too late to go there for a moment and check who her dad was meeting.
She just had to come back here 30 minutes before and give the bouquet she had prepared to Selene, who would be in the waiting room.
Having finished her plan, Evelyn started to move.
A staff member greeted Evelyn kindly as she entered the nearby hotel.
“What can I do for you?”
“Hello. I’m here to see Colonel Ashcombe.”
Although she didn’t know if he was here, Evelyn acted as if she had an appointment to meet Orlando here.
“If you don’t mind, may I ask what your relationship is?”
It seemed her luck was good.
The staff member asked as if her father were here.
“I’m his daughter. I’m Evelyn Ashcombe.”
As she held out her ID, the staff member checked it carefully and nodded.
“Please follow me.”
Evelyn, who was cheering inwardly, followed the staff member’s back calmly on the outside.
And after following the long, carpeted corridor for a while, a closed door appeared.
A small sound was leaking from the closed door.
“Lord Orlando Ashcombe is here.”
“Thank you.”
As Evelyn replied, the staff member gave a light bow and disappeared.
Evelyn, left alone in the quiet corridor, pressed her ear against the door like a spy from a movie.
Thanks to the very quiet corridor, she could vaguely hear the conversation, although it wasn’t clear.
“…Do you have to… call me on a day like this…?”
“If you… hadn’t done it, I wouldn’t have… had to do this.”
‘Grandmother.’
Evelyn noticed that her dad’s conversation partner was her grandmother, as she had expected.
Even though it had been a long time since she had last seen her, there was no way she would forget her grandmother’s voice.
‘But what are they talking about?’
Evelyn was so frustrated that she pressed her ear even closer.
“So, you believe the ridiculous claim that I did such a thing to steal the title from Selene.”
Orlando’s voice became much clearer.
Evelyn’s brow furrowed as she heard the exact content of the conversation.
‘Steal the title…?’
‘Did I hear that right?’
At the shocking story, Evelyn’s mouth went dry and her heart began to pound.
However, she couldn’t judge rashly yet, as her dad didn’t seem to be admitting to it.
Evelyn pressed her ear against the door again, suppressing her pounding heart.
She had to listen a little longer.
“Stop it, Orlando. You’ve sinned enough. If you’ve seen countless people die in war, you should know what happens when you covet what belongs to others.”
Her grandmother’s voice was cold.
It was a rebuke as harsh as ice.
Evelyn knew her grandmother was originally blunt and cold, but she had never seen her speak like this before.
That fact alone was surprising, but what followed was even more unbelievable.
“So just admit it. That you did something so low as to attach a man to Selene to steal the title from her. You may have intended to tarnish Selene by making her a divorcee, but as long as I’m alive and well, that will never happen.”
‘Attach a man…? Make her a divorcee…?’
Evelyn covered her mouth.
Theron Cox immediately came to mind.
The relationship between her dad and Theron Cox, which had been confusing her mind lately, gradually fit into the current conversation.
Theron Cox, who had suddenly started courting Selene one day, and her dad, who had secretly met him in his office.
‘If the two of them really were conspiring to deceive Selene…’
Creak.
Evelyn couldn’t stand it anymore and opened the door.
“…Dad, is everything I just heard true?”
Orlando frowned deeply at his daughter, who had suddenly burst in.
“Evelyn…”