Garden of May - Chapter 105
Edgar stared blankly at Theodore, at a loss for words. He couldn’t decide whether to be more surprised that his cousin wasn’t denying the existence of a hidden woman, or that he was going to such lengths for a mere mistress. Rubbing his face repeatedly with a dry hand, Edgar finally let out a disbelieving laugh.
“You’re going to pour millions of pounds into the King’s greedy hands for a single royal charter, stake the Batenberg name on a horse race, and then tell me you’re not serious?”
“The King hosts his own races, so it’s hardly a novelty.”
“And yet, I recall Your Grace disliked such things.”
“I have no reason to prefer them. No matter how elegantly the nobles sit and enjoy it, at its core, it’s still just gambling.”
“…And with that in mind, you really intend to get your hands dirty in this.”
Theodore leisurely clasped his hands together.
“Is there any reason I shouldn’t? It’s not as if I’m putting the family name up for sale.”
“And if you don’t sell that precious family name of yours? Who, then, will you put forward as an investor?”
“De Muerse.”
“The diamond processing company.”
Edgar, who had been staring at Theodore in surprise, burst into a hearty laugh.
“Now that’s a jackpot.”
The news that De Muerse—the Batenberg business with the highest percentage of cash assets—was in on this meant that a new racetrack, the largest not just in the South but on the entire continent, might be built. And that meant the Duke was truly serious about this venture…
So he just means he won’t be putting the family name on display, then.
In truth, everyone knew that Batenberg was behind De Muerse. Whose deep pockets, ruthlessly buying up every mine in the New World, could possibly be so common? Edgar looked at Theodore, his face now completely devoid of laughter.
“Be honest with me.”
“About what.”
“You’re really going to all this trouble for a single woman? No matter how I think about it, it doesn’t make any sense. It’s more logical to assume you’re hiding something.”
“…”
“If you don’t tell me the truth, I’m not letting this go.”
Theodore looked at his cousin with an incredulous expression.
“And what if you don’t let it go?”
“Then I’ll go running to the Dowager Duchess and tell her everything about your little affair. Like the faithful dog I am.”
“You sell yourself so cheaply.”
“And who knows what information this cheap mouth might leak to the reporters?”
Though it sounded like a childish complaint, the threat was very real, given Edgar’s ability to carry it out. The rare seriousness in his eyes as he looked at him suggested it was no empty bluff.
Theodore picked up the teacup from the table and tilted it, as if inspecting the color of the liquid. Dust floated on the surface of the clear, vermilion tea, which had begun to cool. Just like this space—respectable on the outside, but shoddy upon closer inspection.
“I’m not kidding about this. If you don’t explain yourself properly, I’ll call the Dowager Duchess right now…”
“There’s an emerging gang that has been rapidly gaining power recently.”
Theodore opened his mouth, placing the teacup back on its saucer. Edgar, who had been on the verge of shooting up from his chair, quickly sat back down.
“A gang? And that’s related to this?”
“It seems they’ve made a bit of money running an illegal horse betting ring. They started in the East and have now expanded their territory to the South. In the process, they’ve been greasing palms here and there to legalize their business.”
“I see.”
“And when they ran short on capital, they started dealing in moonshine.”
The words Theodore uttered so matter-of-factly contained information explosive enough to turn all of Ingram upside down. Edgar, his mouth agape, waited for his cousin to continue.
“They say they started selling moonshine about three years ago. Nine pounds a gallon, two hundred gallons a week, and it seems they’ve been exporting the entire stock to North in the New World.”
“W-wait a minute… two hundred gallons? Is that even possible for an up-and-coming gang?”
“It’s not entirely impossible if you have the right backing. There are members of Parliament who have been receiving regular political contributions from those moonshiners.”
Edgar repeatedly rubbed his face with his dry hands. If this information was true, it was only a matter of time before Ingram’s House of Lords was thrown into chaos.
“It sounds like it’s more than just one or two.”
“At least three to five. His Majesty believes that at the center of it all is the Morley family, the Prime Minister’s.”
“The Prime Minister… I can see why His Majesty would be seeing red.”
“He’s been looking for an opportunity to oust him for years now.”
- Protected: Garden of May Chapter 152 - Jun 16, 2026
- Protected: Garden of May Chapter 151 - Jun 16, 2026
- Protected: Garden of May Chapter 150 - Jun 16, 2026
