* * *

Though he had hoped otherwise, this confirmed once again that the necklace had not come from Edwin.

“I compared the description of Hans with someone named Taylor. The resemblance isn’t perfect, but it’s close enough.”

Henry laid two sheets of paper on the table—one containing Taylor’s profile and the other a sketch of Hans based on a merchant’s memory.

Though time had likely blurred the details, the similarities were undeniable.

Seeing this, Henry began to piece together Taylor’s intentions more clearly.

Herze, who had conducted the investigation, appeared to have reached the same conclusion.

“Unfortunately, young master, you fell prey to a deceitful man who doesn’t hold you in the slightest regard,” Herze said, her voice laced with disdain.

“We’ll have to make him pay, won’t we?” Henry’s tone was calm, but his smile held a dangerous edge.

Sending Hena to disrupt Taylor’s plans hadn’t been enough. Now that he was back, it was time for a proper counterattack.

Herze nodded in agreement.

“Absolutely. If you hadn’t woken up, who knows what could have happened to both you and the Reve Trading Company.”

She produced another document, this time detailing Taylor’s own trading company.

The report outlined suspicious activities originating from there.

“They’ve been trying to replicate items like the pheromone stone.

They’ve already reached out to some of our staff.”

Apparently, Taylor had hoped to take over the trading company once Henry was out of the picture.

However, blocked by the powerful Timothy Ducal House, he had resorted to subtler means.

“They offered a significant sum to our artisans in exchange for the techniques used to create the pheromone stones.”

Though Herze’s voice remained steady, her furrowed brows betrayed her frustration.

“As if they could ever understand how hard we fought to rebuild the Reve Trading Company…”

The remaining merchants in Reve were those who had staked their entire lives on it.

None would betray Herze or Violet, and they had shared everything about Taylor’s schemes with their leaders.

This bond was something Taylor had underestimated.

“Since they won’t get the techniques from us, they’ll likely resort to other means—like stealing them by force or spreading false rumors to tarnish our reputation,” Herze predicted.

Henry, who had been listening intently as if hearing a captivating story, nodded.

“That man will stop at nothing.”

No one understood Taylor’s underhanded tactics better than Henry.

Although he had been caught off guard once by the pheromone amplifier, Henry had survived and was determined not to fall for Taylor’s schemes again.

He had gathered plenty of information in preparation for his next move.

“Time to strike back, don’t you think?” Henry said, his expression alight with anticipation.

Herze studied him for a moment, intrigued.

As Henry outlined his plan, a similar spark of excitement appeared in her eyes.

“An excellent idea,” she said, rising briskly. “I’ll get started immediately.”

“Thanks, Herze,” Henry replied, watching her leave with gratitude.

Her enthusiastic participation only deepened his appreciation for her loyalty.

Once alone, Henry stretched, determination flickering in his gaze.

“I won’t let him get away with it a second time.”

A few days later, Taylor found himself facing a cascade of misfortunes that left him seething with rage.

The carriage carrying Henry as he returned to the Timothy Ducal House attracted many curious gazes.

People were desperate to uncover the fate of Henry Timothy, who had entered the Lorenz Ducal House, but finding out wasn’t easy.

The Lorenz House was heavily fortified, with high walls and numerous protectors, making it difficult to obtain any information.

Yet, when Henry finally left the Lorenz estate, it was only natural for many to focus their attention on him.

Among those observers was one of Taylor’s subordinates, who had hoped Henry would never wake up properly.

The knight, who spotted Henry emerging from the Timothy Ducal House, quickly reported back to Taylor.

“Luck is on his side,” Taylor spat, slamming his hand on the table in frustration.

He had been waiting eagerly for confirmation that Henry had completely lost his sanity.

Taylor had remained in the capital, halting all external activities, in anticipation of just one piece of news: that Henry was utterly broken.

The reason was simple—he feared Duke Timothy’s wrath if he discovered who had brought Henry to such a state.

Yet, against all expectations, Henry had walked out of the mansion on his own two feet, seemingly unscathed.

“What the hell did he do to suppress it?”

Taylor muttered under his breath, referring to the pheromone amplification—an ability he had kept hidden until now.

It was an ace up his sleeve, one he had intended to use only in extreme circumstances, and even then, only in absolute secrecy.

He had been confident that no one could discover his involvement, but the carefully laid plan had spectacularly backfired.

“What’s the atmosphere at the Timothy estate like?”

“They seem to be observing the situation for now,” the knight reported.

Taylor wasn’t overly worried.

Even though Duke Timothy cherished Henry deeply, he knew the duke wouldn’t act without solid evidence.

That confidence allowed Taylor to maintain his composure—for now.

“Keep a close watch.”

With a wave of dismissal, Taylor sent the knight away and leaned back, massaging his throbbing temples.

“It would’ve been better if he’d just stayed insane,” he muttered bitterly.

Taylor was certain that Henry, now recovered, would retaliate somehow.

The very thought of countering Henry’s moves gave him a headache.

Just then, a merchant from the Nurak Trading Company, one of the few allowed to visit Taylor’s hideout, entered the room.

“My lord, we have a problem.”

“What problem?” Taylor asked, his irritation evident.

“Someone has posted accusations against the trading company on public walls.”

“What?! Take them down immediately!”

“It’s not just one or two,” the merchant replied, shaking his head in dismay.

He handed Taylor one of the posters, which had been carefully removed.

Taylor snatched it angrily and began reading.

The more he read, the more his face darkened.

The accusations were a detailed recount of every misdeed he had committed, without exaggeration, accompanied by irrefutable evidence.

“These are posted not just in the capital but across every territory where we have shops.”

“Who did this?”

“We’re still investigating.”

“Find them. No matter what.”

After the merchant left, Taylor paced the room, unable to suppress his growing frustration.

Whoever orchestrated this had insider knowledge.

Perhaps it was Henry Timothy’s sponsored Reve Trading Company, but Taylor couldn’t be sure.

Henry hadn’t been active for long enough to pull off something this intricate.

“Could it be Hook? No, that doesn’t make sense.”

The name Hook crossed his mind, but Taylor quickly dismissed the thought.

Hook, as far as Taylor knew, had no reason to support Henry, who was close to the crown prince.

If anything, Hook shared more in common with Taylor—both harbored grievances against the imperial family, albeit for different reasons.

Still, Taylor couldn’t shake the feeling that someone with precise information was targeting him.

Having given instructions to investigate, Taylor focused on devising his next steps.

Time wasn’t on his side.

* * *