Chapter 78: I took away Yeju's first love.
On the way to the academy, I recalled the story I had heard from Lily yesterday.
The unstable family situation and the circumstances that allowed Professor Foreman to embezzle money.
Could all of this have led to today's situation?
I wanted to hear the whole story directly from Eric.
When I met Professor Foreman again, he looked resigned, as if he had known I would come.
"Didn't you say that Robert and Alison would work with me at first? I naturally assumed you would investigate us. After all, I was the one who benefited the most without any trouble."
Then he recounted the story I already knew.
His brother-in-law's business failure.
He couldn't just stand by and watch his sister be sold into slavery, so he started embezzling a little at a time.
"At that time, everyone was so busy that they ordered what they needed themselves and didn't check it properly. So I worked with the supplier to carry out the scheme."
After that, it was a common occurrence.
He created a double ledger, showing the real amounts to Alison and Robert, while presenting the manipulated ledger to the academy.
These poor friends believed each other without any doubt and ended up in trouble.
"I am prepared to reveal everything. I want to tell Robert and Alison the truth and hand over my position."
For some reason, I sensed a sense of relief in his words.
But what I wanted to know was not his unfortunate family situation.
"From what I found out, the amount of embezzlement wouldn't have been enough to pay off the debt."
Foreman's calm eyes wavered.
"Where did you get the money to pay off such a large debt?"
It was just a small research lab budget at the academy.
Moreover, it wasn't for expensive equipment but for small items like consumables and reagents.
It was far from enough to cover a family's entire fortune and a person's life.
I wanted to know who really paid off his debt.
"Tell me the truth. I have a good idea who it might be."
Finally, Eric lowered his head and mentioned a name I already knew.
"It was the Duchess. You already knew, didn't you?"
I told Eric to keep this matter quiet for now.
I asked him to gather information about the person who claimed to have paid off the debt, including their appearance, and to have the butler look into it.
"It's been too long, and people involved in illegal activities often use fake names."
The butler seemed to suggest not to expect too much.
"First, check if there are any former servants of the Duke's mansion who match the description."
The butler understood the meaning of my words and narrowed his eyes.
"Do you think the Duchess is behind all of this?"
Even though she's currently lying low like a toothless tiger, Tatiana has a knack for such matters.
The butler nodded and left.
Even though I knew who was behind it, Alison's condition was a problem.
If Tatiana could even manipulate the affection of extras, things would get even more complicated.
'But why couldn't she take Robert and Foreman with her?'
If she had that ability, she wouldn't have let Nivea slip away.
Nivea is the type who must get what she wants.
What's the difference between Nivea, Eric, Robert, and Alison?
A few days later, the report the butler brought contained exactly what I had expected.
They found the human trafficker and discovered that he had briefly worked for Tatiana.
"Some people remembered him because he was too low-quality to be brought into the Duke's mansion. How did you think he would be involved?"
I chuckled and explained it as a woman's intuition.
In the Daniel route, Tatiana, torn between her friendship with me and her love for Daniel, had briefly run away from home.
The naive noble lady was captured by a human trafficking gang, and Daniel saved her.
This incident led Daniel to actively express his love to Tatiana.
Of course, the people who tried to sell the noble lady were all caught and sent to prison, but one person.
The one who helped Tatiana escape was taken back by her.
'Human trafficking isn't common in this world, so I didn't expect it, but...'
Threatening Eric's family was likely because the Chase family was too powerful to touch.
What did these people do to deserve such cruel treatment?
After learning all the facts, I told Eric the truth.
At first, he was skeptical, but after verifying the documents I brought, he was stunned.
"Why would the Duchess destroy us like this?"
He muttered, unable to believe it.
A few days later, I took Eric to Robert's house.
As the carriage moved further out of the city, Eric's expression hardened.
"He wasn't originally from such a place."
The Chase family was one of the wealthiest, and even as the second son, Robert would inherit a significant fortune.
Right after the incident, Robert left the family.
There were many rumors, but no definite story.
With Robert gone and the family treating him as a disowned son, it was natural.
When the carriage stopped in front of an old building, the man looked almost on the verge of tears.
"Go up and talk to him properly."
This was a matter between the three of them.
I didn't need to intervene.
Alison found working for the Duchess increasingly burdensome.
After Tatiana's regular check-up this morning, she felt heavy.
Despite sleeping, she still felt unwell.
She continued this tedious and boring job only for Tatiana.
When Tatiana offered to cover up Robert's incident in exchange for her loyalty, it was a lifeline for Alison.
Alison always felt moved when she saw Tatiana, but recently, she felt bad.
It was all because the Princess of Pioneira had told her a pointless story.
Alison looked down at the letter in her hand.
It was something the Princess of Pioneira had given her during her last treatment.
She wouldn't have read it, but the writing on the envelope caught her attention.
After leaving the Duke's mansion, Alison walked along the Le Havre River in the capital.
Many people were out enjoying the river, thanks to recent renovations.
She stopped at her favorite cafΓ©, ordered an espresso, and watched the river flow.
Just a few years ago, her closest friends and respected teacher used to sit here and have heated discussions.
They talked about medicine, their major, and other subjects like magic, politics, philosophy, and history.
Back then, she believed those times would last forever.
'What a foolish thought.'
Someone had falsely accused Robert of a crime.
Without Professor Gregory, the three of them were just a ragtag group, and the lab fell apart.
Alison was angry at Robert for blaming himself.
She hated Robert for cursing the Duchess who was protecting them.
Her head felt like it was splitting again.
Alison clutched her head and curled up. To erase the swirling thoughts and suspicions, she gulped down the bitter espresso in one go.
The sticky sweetness of the sugar she had added heavily coated her throat.
Alison thought she should go back.
"It's been a while, Alison."
At that moment, a voice grabbed her ankle.
Alison thought it was a hallucination.
She must have finally gone mad from the headache, seeing and hearing things.
The man she knew stood there.
His face was much thinner than before, his expression shadowed, and his eyes dark and piercing.
The angelic young man she knew was nowhere to be seen.
"Looking for me, were you?"
The once sweet voice that whispered love was now as sharp and cold as a winter wind.
Alison opened her mouth but then lowered her head.
"Are you trying to make excuses now, and even sent the Princess to find me?"
"No. I... I never sent the Princess of Pioneira."
Robert moved his long legs and sat across from her at the table.
Alison, who had already stood up, sat back down.
Two espressos were placed in front of them again.
Alison fidgeted with her cup before speaking.
"Would I look like this if I had been well?"
Robert hated this situation.
He should have refused the Princess's suggestion to meet Alison.
But the Princess's words lingered in his mind.
After leaving the university, Robert naturally assumed Alison and Eric would continue their research together.
But Alison said she would become the Duchess's personal physician.
She talked about it as if it were a great mission.
Robert thought Alison was putting on a show.
"Still the Duchess's personal physician, I see."
"Yes. If the best doctor takes care of her, the Duchess can live in peace..."
As she spoke, Alison felt something was off.
Why did she need to reassure the Duchess?