When she arrived, she had brought an entire case of cosmetics. But when she left, she didn't even have the case anymore.
A woman's shopping desire was truly terrifying. Though Wei Wei had never intended to take that box of cosmetics back with her, she was still somewhat shocked by the fierce competition among the noblewomen.
Since there were only so many items to go around, the result was a scene almost like an auction. Wei Wei hadn't been ruthless enough to sell each piece individually—instead, she auctioned them off as complete sets.
After all, these were matching products. A single item wouldn't be as effective on its own, so it made more sense to sell them together. The highest bidder would win, and the winner could then help promote the products once they used them.
Of course, the idea of "highest bidder wins" wasn't something Wei Wei had suggested—it was the noblewomen themselves who came up with it. She had simply gone along with their wishes.
And in the end, the winner—both expected and unexpected—was once again Countess Nelson.
Wei Wei had previously investigated and learned that this countess and the queen were truly at odds. Whenever they crossed paths, it was like a battlefield. If not for their statuses preventing it, the two would likely never appear in the same place at the same time.
So unless necessary, everyone in noble circles knew it was best to invite only one of them to an event—unless you wanted to witness a full-blown war between women.
This time, Queen Mirabelle had stolen the spotlight at her birthday banquet. If she hadn't left early and avoided Countess Nelson, she would have undoubtedly mocked the countess from head to toe.
And that was something Countess Nelson did not want to see!
Of course, aside from her vanity, the countess was also thinking of her niece, Daisy. The girl had been raised under her care, and after years together, she had grown fond of her. The fact that Daisy was already seventeen and still unmarried was a headache. The countess had even considered selecting a decent knight from her husband's retinue as a potential husband for her. Otherwise, if Daisy grew much older without marrying, she would have no choice but to enter a convent.
But once the freckles on Daisy's face were concealed, Countess Nelson realized her niece was quite pretty. With such an appearance, finding a suitable husband wasn't impossible.
So she was determined to get her hands on those cosmetics.
In the end, Countess Nelson spent '380 gold coins' to buy everything—including the expensive hand mirror.
Though the price stung a little (after all, the items had been used, making them secondhand), the thought that the perfume—the most valuable item aside from the mirror—had been a gift from Wei Wei made the countess feel like she had gotten a bargain.
So while it hurt her purse, she would have done it again in a heartbeat.
She had already planned out how to use everything: the concealer and foundation would go to Daisy, along with the eyeshadow and lipstick she had used today. The rest would be hers. After all, a young girl only needed to cover her freckles and wear light makeup to look lovely. And with her youthful, good skin, she didn't need much skincare—essential oils and homemade masks would suffice.
Wei Wei had mentioned that one of the mask recipes was specifically for fading freckles, which would be perfect for Daisy.
The countess hoped these products would last until Sardinson began selling cosmetics. Otherwise, if that woman Mirabelle found out, she'd never hear the end of it.
Once ownership of the cosmetics was settled, the other noblewomen who hadn't won had no choice but to suppress their envy and instead engage Wei Wei in discussions about makeup techniques.
Countess Nelson's maids listened especially attentively, knowing that applying makeup for their mistresses would soon become their responsibility. Given how precious these cosmetics were, they wouldn't be allowed to practice with them—wasting even a little would cost more than their lives were worth.
When the gathering ended, Countess Nelson and her niece personally saw Wei Wei off, reluctant to part.
"See you at the next banquet."
"Goodbye."
Wei Wei exchanged cheek kisses with them before boarding her carriage.
The coachman flicked the reins, and the carriage set off.
Most nobles in the capital lived in the central district. The Nelsons, as an old and powerful noble family, had their estate in the inner part, close to the palace. The residence Felix had purchased, however, was closer to the outer edges. Though the two locations were on opposite sides of the district, the carriage ride around the palace's main road took less than half an hour—quite close by.
So for this outing, Wei Wei hadn't brought many people—just her maid, Penny, and the coachman. Even Qin had been left behind to work at the estate.
Countess Nelson's salon had started in the afternoon and ended around four o'clock. Since it was winter, with short days and long nights, the sky was already dimming, though nightfall was still some time away.
Inside the carriage, Wei Wei listened as Penny chattered excitedly. Though the maid had appeared composed during the salon, she had been quite nervous. Now that they were away from the noblewoman, she couldn't stop talking.
Wei Wei didn't stop her. With no one else around, hearing Penny's thoughts about the noblewomen was rather entertaining.
"Did you see Miss Clive's expression? She must have thought you'd choose her!"
Suddenly, the carriage came to a halt—far too early for them to have arrived home.
Wei Wei lifted the curtain. "What's wrong?"
"My lady," the coachman turned slightly to answer, "the road ahead is blocked. Should we take a detour?"
Wei Wei looked ahead. This stretch of road ran alongside the palace walls, with noble estates on the other side. In the middle of the path, an overturned carriage lay sprawled, with several people inspecting the horses and the vehicle. Among them, two elegantly dressed women stood shivering—whether from cold or fright, it was hard to tell.
Faintly, Wei Wei could hear the men discussing how the horse's leg and the carriage axle had broken, leaving them stranded until help arrived.
At this point, she had two choices: take a detour the other way, or—out of humanitarian concern—offer assistance. For example, she could invite the two noblewomen into her carriage, since it was snowing and bitterly cold outside.
But this road bordered the palace, with only narrow alleys between noble houses for servants and delivery carts. If they were to detour, the quickest route would be through one of those alleys—and the nearest entrance was right where the carriage had overturned.
However, after studying the group and the snow-covered ground, Wei Wei decisively ordered:
"No detour. Turn around and head back toward the palace!"
The coachman was confused but obeyed, flicking the reins to turn the carriage around.
Wei Wei cast one last glance at the group before focusing ahead, her expression wary.
Penny, noticing her mistress's tension, grew nervous. "What's wrong, my lady?"
"Perhaps I'm overreacting, but those people might be bandits." Wei Wei kept her eyes on the road, scanning every alley they passed. "Their appearance is too coincidental, and something about them feels off. We need to be careful."
She didn't lower her voice, so both Penny and the coachman heard her. The latter immediately grew tense, urging the horses to move faster.
Penny, now thoroughly frightened, moved to the opposite side of the carriage and peeked out the curtain at the group behind them.
The curved road soon hid them from view, but in that last glimpse, Penny saw the men had stopped pretending to inspect the carriage—they were all staring after Wei Wei's departing coach.
She covered her mouth. "God above, they were up to no good!"
Even after leaving the scene, Wei Wei didn't relax. She kept watch on the alleys, worried that accomplices might leap out at any moment.
Fortunately, the would-be ambushers had likely assumed their targets would take the bait and detour through the alleys near the "accident." They hadn't expected Wei Wei to see through the ruse and double back, so no ambush lay in wait further down the road.
"Don't worry too much. This is still the central district—even bandits wouldn't dare act too brazenly here."
With the coachman driving as if their lives depended on it, they soon reached the palace gates.
The guards, seeing a carriage barreling toward them, initially raised their weapons, thinking it was an attack.
If not for the noble crest on the carriage, those weapons might have struck without hesitation.
"Halt! Stop at once! The palace grounds are forbidden to unauthorized entry!"
Thankfully, though the carriage seemed ready to crash straight into the gates, the coachman managed to stop at a safe distance.
The moment they halted, guards swarmed around them. The coachman, faced with so many sharp spears, was too terrified to speak.
Wei Wei, who had nearly been jostled into thinking they'd overturn, quickly opened the carriage door.
"We are from the household of Count William."
Though the guards hadn't met her before, the William family's carriage had been seen frequently at the palace in recent days, so they recognized the crest. And Wei Wei's distinctly foreign features—so different from the people of Pradi—had already become a topic of gossip among the nobility. The guards had naturally heard of her.
Once her identity was confirmed, the captain signaled his men to lower their weapons and bowed.
"My lady, what has happened?"
Wei Wei pointed back the way they had come.
"We were on our way home when we encountered an overturned carriage blocking the road. The ladies inside seemed distressed. Could you send someone to assist them?"
She didn't voice her suspicions—those were still unconfirmed.
Hearing that nobles might be in trouble, the captain immediately agreed. "Of course, at your service."
He turned and summoned a squad of guards, leading them personally toward the scene.
Wei Wei didn't leave just yet. She wanted to confirm whether those people were truly suspicious, and she also worried that the alternate route might be similarly ambushed.
After all, this main road formed a loop around the palace. The William estate lay on the opposite side, and both routes were roughly equal in distance. If this was a premeditated attack, both paths might have been set up as traps.
But why would anyone target her?
The moment this thought crossed her mind, she remembered Miss Clive.
Just then, Penny whispered nervously, "My lady… could the Clive be behind this?"
She was the only one who seemed to hold a grudge against Wei Wei.
"Unlikely." Wei Wei shook her head. "We only met formally today. Even if she disliked me before, it wouldn't have escalated to an ambush. If this had happened after today, maybe. But this feels premeditated—which makes her involvement less probable."
Penny frowned. "Why do you think it was planned?"
"Did you notice the ground where the carriage had overturned?"
Penny thought for a moment but couldn't spot anything amiss. "What about it?"
"There were no wheel tracks." Wei Wei pointed out the flaw. "That carriage looked heavy. With six people inside, the wheels should have left deep marks. Even with the snow, they wouldn't have been covered up so quickly."
Penny nodded in realization.
"Of course, they might have come from the other direction, so we wouldn't have seen the tracks. But did you notice their clothing?"
This, Penny could answer. "Six people—two noblewomen and four men, likely servants."
"Exactly. Only the two women were of status; the rest were male servants. But look at their carriage—could the driver's seat fit four men?"
Penny's eyes widened. "Of course not! That small carriage could barely fit three people at most."
Wei Wei nodded. "And those four men looked quite burly. Two on the driver's seat would be the limit. So where were the other two sitting?"
"Inside the carriage?" Penny blurted before gasping. "No! The noblewomen would never allow male servants to ride with them!"
"Precisely. Everyone knows noblewomen are particular about such things. The only people allowed inside a carriage with them would be female maids or men of equal status. And those men didn't look like they qualified."
Additionally, the two noblewomen, though dressed elegantly as if heading to a banquet, stood in the snow without cloaks—highly unusual.
Of course, they might have forgotten in the chaos of the "accident." But the entire scene had been too suspicious. Wei Wei would rather err on the side of caution than take the risk.
"In short, there were too many red flags. It's better to be safe than sorry."
Penny nodded fervently—whatever Wei Wei said, she believed.
Sometime later, the guard captain returned and reported that while there were signs of an overturned carriage, the area was now empty.
"They must have repaired it and left."
"Is that so?" Wei Wei feigned relief. "That's good to hear. I thought I heard them say the horse's leg and the axle were broken. If they've fixed it, that's wonderful."
The captain's brow furrowed. If what the lady had overheard was true, how had that carriage managed to leave?
Though suspicious, he kept his thoughts to himself and instead offered, "You seem quite shaken. Allow my men to escort you home."
Wei Wei had originally planned to ask him to send a guard to fetch help from the William estate, so his offer was a pleasant surprise.
She thanked him profusely. "That would be wonderful! May I know your name?"
"You're too kind. I am Buck Green." As a palace guard captain, Buck had met countless nobles, but this was his first encounter with such a polite—and beautiful—young lady. He found himself unusually flustered.
"Very well, Mr. Green. Thank you for your assistance."
Buck assigned the guards who had accompanied him earlier to escort Wei Wei home. The journey passed without incident, and she arrived safely at the William estate.
Once the guards had fulfilled their duty, they prepared to leave. Wei Wei quickly instructed Penny to fetch a gold coin as thanks for their help.
A single gold coin was a generous reward for such a short escort, and the guards accepted it gratefully before bowing and departing.
Once they were gone, the carriage entered the courtyard and stopped at the mansion's entrance. Felix, having been alerted, rushed out to meet them.
"What happened? The guards said royal escorts brought you back."
"Let's talk inside." Wei Wei took Felix's hand and stepped down from the carriage.
Once seated inside, she recounted the events on the road, concluding, "I suspect they were targeting me specifically. I just don't know why."
Why? Felix immediately thought of his business ventures. His expression darkened, his blue eyes like a stormy sea.
"Either they wanted to capture you to threaten me… or they were after the essential oil recipes."
He could think of no other motives.
As for why they had targeted Wei Wei—aside from being his fiancée, many had likely already guessed that Sardinson's development was tied to her. The fact that the essential oil recipes originally belonged to her wasn't a secret either; a little digging in Stinson would reveal it. And now, the cosmetics she had gifted the queen had drawn even more attention. The profits they represented were enough to tempt many into taking risks.
Wei Wei's eyes widened. "You think they might be connected to the thieves who broke into the essential oil shop?"
Felix nodded. "Very possible. Or they could be a separate group. There's no shortage of greedy people."
He then asked, "Do you remember what they looked like?"
Wei Wei had an excellent memory and had studied them carefully during the encounter. "I'll draw them for you. But they might have been disguised."
Though their plan had seemed sloppy, Wei Wei suspected they had underestimated her, leading to their mistakes. Whether their appearances were real or fake remained to be seen.
She fetched paper and began sketching the six individuals. While others might have struggled to see clearly in the dim evening light, Wei Wei's sharp eyesight allowed her to recall their faces in detail.
When she finished, she studied the two "noblewomen" and grew even more certain she hadn't been paranoid.
"These two were likely men in disguise." At the time, she hadn't noticed, but now that she had drawn them, their features were unmistakably masculine.
"I'll have someone investigate. For now, you and Dolores must be extra cautious." Felix took the sketches, and resolved to increase their security—especially for Wei Wei. From now on, she shouldn't go out without him.
Considering the upcoming banquets—none of which were ladies-only like today's—Felix could accompany her. That was likely why the attackers had chosen today to strike.
"Remember to report this." Wei Wei reminded him. "Attempted kidnapping near the palace? These people are too bold. For the safety of other nobles—even the royal family—we must report it."
Felix smiled. Wei Wei's words were essentially using the threat to the royal family as leverage. If this matter escalated to a perceived danger to the crown, the king would have no choice but to intervene. And his resources for investigation far surpassed Felix's as an outsider noble.
"I know what to do."
The next day, Felix took newly copied sketches to the magistrate's office to file a report.
The official, recognizing the famous Count William, was startled. Upon hearing the reason for the visit, he broke into a cold sweat.
Felix adopted a stern, aristocratic tone.
"If not for the royal guards' assistance, my fiancée might have been kidnapped. That such a thing could happen in the capital—in the noble district, no less—is a failure on your part."
The magistrate didn't dare argue that the city guards, not his office, were primarily responsible for the central district's security. Instead, he groveled.
"Y-Yes, my lord! A grave oversight! Rest assured, we will apprehend these criminals with all haste!"
Better to accept blame now and let the city guards deal with the fallout later.
Satisfied, Felix left.
Soon after, news spread among the nobility that kidnappers had been targeting noblewomen in the central district—and that they remained at large. The revelation sent noble ladies into a panic, demanding increased security and pressuring the city guards to capture the culprits swiftly.
Thus, not only were the magistrate and city guards left scrambling, but the mastermind behind the plot was so furious that he smashed his study to pieces.