Chapter 81: Trouble

Stunned, Oliver asked, “Duke of Blackmoor, what do you mean?”

“Were you hiding this from me to prevent me from tipping you off?” the Duke of Blackmoor demanded, his voice rising. “I discussed this with you privately before. This was not the time to act. I thought we were on the same side, that we’d reached a consensus. But you abandoned me and acted alone. Did you not trust me? Or was there another reason?”

Oliver was taken aback by the Duke of Blackmoor’s questioning. He began to explain, “Duke of Blackmoor, you’ve misunderstood—”

Isolde’s voice cut him off from behind. “It was my idea. I told them not to tell you.”

The Duke of Blackmoor turned to see Isolde leaning against the door, Helena holding her hand. Isolde looked pale but stubborn. A sudden chill ran down the Duke’s spine at her apparent indifference.

Oliver left the room, believing it best to avoid the confrontation between father and daughter.

Obvious anger burned in the Duke of Blackmoor’s eyes. “Is this your idea of revenge?” he demanded.

Isolde replied, “We don’t owe each other anything, so revenge is irrelevant. Simply put, fewer people knowing about this, the better. Most importantly, I proposed the plan. Only those who completely trusted me participated.” She continued, “Duke of Blackmoor, I wonder how much you trust me. If I had proposed this plan to you, what would you have thought? Would you have dismissed it as ridiculous and useless? Would you have insisted on doing nothing?”

Isolde remained calm, but her words stung the Duke of Blackmoor. Each word felt like an accusation. He was enraged but speechless. Finally, he snapped, “You are vicious and violent! You’re unfit to manage your mother’s assets. For now, I’ll hand them over to Michelle. Even if you’ve registered everything in your name, I can add mine to the deeds. I’m warning you: leave Michelle alone. Regardless of her mistakes, she’s already been punished. If you still care about your relationship with her, don’t make things more difficult for her.”

Isolde looked at him with deep disgust. “Everyone says you love my mother deeply. Let me ask you now: do you truly love her?”

The Duke of Blackmoor’s expression was grim. Anger and sadness flickered in his eyes, but beneath it all, Isolde saw disgust—the true emotion hidden in his heart. “You should not sully the concept of love,” she said, before turning and leaving. She felt a strong urge to cough up blood several times during their exchange.

Outside Britney Hall, Michelle stood silently, a chilling smile twisting her face, making her appear even more hideous.

Michelle scoffed internally, Isolde, you’re foolish for never understanding our father’s temperament. As long as you’re obedient, he’ll turn a blind eye, no matter how much he hates you. The smile gradually morphed into a sneer. Michelle vowed revenge.

Meanwhile, Helena helped Isolde lie down. “Why is the Duke of Blackmoor’s attitude so strange? He wasn’t so heartless to you before,” she worried.

Isolde replied, “He’s a disgrace to the Royal Court for blindly believing the words of some spiritualist.” She slowly regulated her breathing, suppressing the urge to cough.

Jacqueline entered the room stealthily. Helena exclaimed, “How dare you show your face here!”

Jacqueline stammered, “I’m here to apologize to Miss Langley!” She knelt, pleading, “Miss Langley, I was wrong. Mr. Brady asked me to serve you earnestly from now on.” (Mr. Brady was the butler, Ryker Brady.)

“You are not needed here. Get lost,” Isolde said coldly.

Jacqueline begged, “Miss Langley, I am truly sorry. I was blind—”

Isolde interrupted, “You’re blind. I’m not. Go back and tell Michelle. If she wants a spy, send someone new. Does she think I’ll trust someone who’s already been exposed?”

Jacqueline looked surprised, then stood, saying resentfully, “Isolde, you think too highly of yourself. You think you can stand up to Miss Michelle Langley?” She turned and left.

Helena was furious and wanted to chase after Jacqueline, but Isolde closed her eyes and said indifferently, “Forget it. To each their own.”

Helena’s eyes reddened. “Why are so many people bullying you here? It’s better for us to go back to Windermount.”

Isolde chuckled. “Helena, that’s life. Windermount is a memory now. When we encounter problems, dwelling on the past only saps our fighting spirit. Instead of dwelling on what was, we should adjust our mentality and live for what is to come.”

“Well said!” Doug’s voice came from outside the door. He wore a green robe and stood in the doorway, a dignified expression on his face. He looked at Isolde with doting admiration. He admired her attitude more than anything.

Helena hastily greeted, “Greetings, Mr. Becker.”

Doug glanced at Helena and teased, “Helena, why are you treating me like an outsider? Aren’t you used to calling me ‘elongated monster’?”

Helena blushed, “I’ve never called you that! At most, I called you ‘elongated master.’”

Doug instructed Helena, “Make me some coffee.” He stretched his long legs onto a stool, saying, “I’ve been busy today. I didn’t even have a meal or a sip of water.”

“What were you busy with?” Isolde turned sideways, supporting her head with her hand. Her eyes sparkled as she leaned close to Doug, clearly treating him like a father figure.

“I was at the Princess’s estate too,” Doug said, glaring at her. “But I didn’t reveal myself. If I had, wouldn’t Milton have been on high alert? He wouldn’t have given himself away with me around.”

Isolde smiled. “I told you I could handle this myself, but you didn’t believe me.”

Doug responded dotingly, “Alright. You are called the Tyrant of Windermount for a reason. However, you’re seriously injured because of this case.”

Isolde smiled. “I don’t mind as long as I successfully complete the mission.”

Doug praised, “You prepared well to take down Milton so easily.”

Isolde grinned. “It’s all thanks to the Great Marshal. He ordered people to spread the rumor that Wolf Mountain’s members had fled to Argentum, creating the impression that the bandits intended to surrender. If the Great Marshal hadn’t done so, Milton wouldn’t have believed my trick so easily. He followed me after noticing from afar that I was interacting with that person. He was flustered.”

Isolde had purposely chosen the pavilion. Milton could see her interaction, but not clearly. After entering the woods, that person deliberately lowered his voice. In his panic, Milton couldn’t distinguish anything accurately.

Doug said, “Yes, Oliver is meticulous and smart. He knows that to defeat the enemy, we have to break down their defenses. Milton is an old fox. Without careful planning, he wouldn’t be easily fooled.” He looked at Isolde and teased, “So, you’ve been with Oliver for the past few days?”

“Yes,” Isolde said, knowing where he was going with this. “Don’t try to matchmake us. I’m not some leftover nobody wants. Oliver’s already engaged.”

“As I said, he’ll have a hard time following through with that engagement,” Doug sneered. “I’ve done a background check on Cristina. I don’t know what Oliver is thinking. He dares to accept the marriage Agnes arranged for him.”

“He…” Isolde recalled Oliver’s ordeal before she time-traveled. “He just wants to avoid trouble. If he rejects Cristina, someone else will be chosen. His marriage will always be decided by Margaret.” (Margaret was Oliver’s foster mother and had absolute authority over his marriage. If she didn’t find him a wife, she would be criticized.)