Chapter 11 Something Happened
After resting for a few days, Isolde finally enjoyed a rare spell of peace. Helena told her that Matilda had been sharply rebuked, and the household had undergone a round of reorganization. The old maids at Pearl Tower had been dismissed, and the butler brought in three new girls from a broker.
The butler greeted her with a curt nod, speaking in a cold, businesslike tone. “My lady, these three girls were bought from outside the estate. They’ve not been taught the household rules, so I’ll leave it to you to train them as you see fit.” His meaning was clear—these maids weren’t sent by Matilda.
Isolde studied the three newcomers. Two were unfamiliar faces, but the third—a girl dressed in coarse homespun with a green bundle slung over her shoulder—was someone she recognized from her previous life. Her name was Jacqueline, the butler’s niece, the daughter of his elder brother. Before her time travel, Jacqueline had entered the household after Isolde’s marriage.
Hiding her thoughts, Isolde regarded the girls with an air of composure before asking, “What are your names?”
“Britney,” the first girl answered. “Neolle,” the second said. “Jacqueline,” murmured the third.
The three curtsied in unison and said, “At your service, my lady.”
Isolde’s gaze lingered on Jacqueline before she pointed at her and said, “You.”
The butler’s expression shifted slightly. Misreading her intent, he quickly interjected, “My lady, Jacqueline was personally approved by the Duke.”
Isolde met his gaze with icy calm. “If my father approved of her, she may serve inside.”
The butler relaxed, though he feigned authority as he turned to Jacqueline. “Since Miss Langley is willing to keep you, see that you serve her well. Please her, and you may win favor with the Duke and Lady Langley.”
Jacqueline lowered her head obediently. “Yes, sir.”
Satisfied, the butler nodded and left without offering Isolde so much as a farewell bow. Once he was gone, Isolde leaned back in her chair, her expression cool as her eyes swept over the three girls. “I have only one rule: you answer to me and me alone. Do as I say—nothing more, nothing less. Don’t meddle in what doesn’t concern you.”
“Understood, my lady,” the three said together.
“Good. Off you go. Helena will explain your duties later.” With a casual wave of her hand, Isolde dismissed the maids. They curtsied and quietly left the room.
As the door closed, Helena turned to Isolde with barely concealed excitement. “Miss, it seems the Duke is finally taking notice of you!”
Isolde allowed herself a faint smile. If he truly cared, Matilda wouldn’t have gotten off with just a scolding. Her tone carried a sharp edge. Whatever interest Geoffrey now showed was far from genuine affection. Her resentment ran deep, rooted in years of abandonment. She remembered it all too well. After her mother had died in childbirth, she had been sent to a remote country estate within months, raised by a friend of her mother on her late mother’s dwindling resources. Geoffrey neither visited nor inquired after her for years, only bringing her back when a royal court official accused him of neglecting his own daughter. She had been thirteen.
“Oh, Helena,” Isolde said suddenly, breaking her thoughts. “While you’re out, see if you can find out about Lord Chamberlain Doug Becker of the Southern Watch. Is he still in the capital?”
“Lord Becker?” Helena looked startled. “Miss, why would you ask about him?”
Lord Chamberlain Doug Becker, commander of the Southern Watch, was a figure notorious for his cruelty. Appointed directly by the Prince Regent, he had built the Southern Watch into a fearsome institution, answering only to the Regent and the Dowager Empress. Whispers in the capital said he delighted in flaying his victims, and few who entered his grasp ever returned.
These days, however, the Southern Watch was mostly under the control of Oliver Valois. Though highly regarded as one of the court’s rising stars, Valois was also rumored to have inherited Doug’s penchant for brutality. Tales of his cruelty kept noble families from offering him marriage prospects, despite his growing status. Doug himself had been absent from the capital for years, and even when he returned, he rarely involved himself in the Watch’s daily affairs.
“Just ask around,” Isolde said evenly.
“Yes, Miss,” Helena replied, bowing slightly.
Over the next few days, Isolde’s injuries improved significantly. The three maids in her household proved themselves dutiful, and even Jacqueline showed proper humility. It seemed the chaos from the Mary incident had finally solidified Isolde’s position in the estate.
Then, on the fourth day of the fifth month, the capital was struck by a shocking event. Lord Theodric, the only son of Princess Aveline, had gone missing. It was widely suspected that he had been abducted. Princess Aveline was the emperor’s favored younger sister. Married to Lord Garraway, head of the High Court, for sixteen years, she had borne her only child after years of difficulty. The boy, a cherished “golden treasure,” was the light of his parents’ lives. Now, with his sudden disappearance, Princess Aveline and Lord Garraway had set aside all other matters to search for their son, leaving the affairs of the High Court in the hands of Geoffrey. Geoffrey, burdened by the crisis, had not returned to his estate for several days.
Isolde, however, remembered these events all too vividly from her previous life. One morning, Lord Theodric’s lifeless body was found at the foot of Wolf Mountain. His corpse bore thirty-eight savage wounds, leaving him nearly unrecognizable. Princess Aveline, upon seeing her son’s mutilated body, fell into madness on the spot.
The memory struck a raw chord in Isolde’s heart, stirring her own grief. She could never forget the cruel fate of her own child, murdered at birth by William. Princess Aveline and Lord Garraway had spent years combating corruption and serving both the Royal Court and the common people. The princess’s struggle to conceive stemmed from grievous injuries inflicted during an assassination attempt by corrupt officials. Only after years of painstaking recovery had she been able to carry and give birth to Lord Theodric.
Before her time travel, it was later uncovered that the prince had been abducted by the bandits of Wolf Mountain. They had been bribed by the son of a disgraced official whom Lord Garraway had exposed. Milton had led the mission to eradicate the bandits, earning royal favor and a promotion for his success.
But Isolde also recalled that Lord Theodric’s body had been discovered early on the eighth day of the month, and the coroner had determined that he had died less than six hours earlier—meaning the murder had taken place late on the seventh day. The bandits did take the boy, but where did they hold him? Could it have been on Wolf Mountain itself?
The mountain’s steep and treacherous terrain made it an ideal hideout and a nightmare for imperial forces to navigate. This natural fortress had shielded the bandits for years and was precisely why Milton’s victory had been so celebrated. Isolde, however, knew the terrain well. In her past life, a year after the bandits were eradicated, her mother-in-law had sent her there under the pretense of planning a chapel to honor the saints and protect the Marquisate of Eldermere. In reality, it had been an excuse to send her away, as her mother-in-law feared she might harm Eleanor’s unborn child.
“My lady,” Helena’s voice broke through her thoughts as she entered the room. “I’ve asked around. Lord Becker hasn’t been in the capital for some time. Word is he left for another place last month.”
“Got it. Thank you,” Isolde said with a small nod.
Helena hesitated. “Miss, why are you so interested in Lord Becker?”
Isolde offered a faint smile. “It’s nothing. Marshal Valois once helped me petition the palace for medicine, and I was curious about the Southern Watch’s role in such affairs.”
Helena frowned slightly, the explanation leaving more questions than answers, but she let it drop.
“Oh, Miss,” Helena exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Have you heard? The emperor’s offering a reward—five thousand thalers—for finding the missing lord! Five thousand! Enough to live like royalty for the rest of your days!”