~Chapter 73~
Two days had passed since the Lady’s Reading Circle.
During that time, Gwenndolyn and Countess Crenbel had been very quiet.
The Dowager had not even left her room.
Then, an invitation arrived—from Constantine, addressed to me. It came before breakfast.
I had received many invitations after becoming the Grand Duchess of Constantine, but this one was different.
[…Therefore, we sincerely hope that Your Grace will attend and honor the gathering with your presence.
I wish to create a new memory to cover the embarrassment of that day.
I look forward to sharing a good day with good people.
—From Marjorie Raynglass.]
The other invitations were all ordinary. The people who sent them did not leave much of an impression.
But Countess Raynglass had left a strong impression on me that day.
After all, she had greatly helped me escape the reading circle.
I called for the head butler.
“Please tell me about Countess Raynglass. Her personality… I think I understand that much. But what kind of gifts does she prefer? And what sort of gatherings does she host?”
“If you met Countess Raynglass in person, you must have noticed her upright nature. Even the most vicious noble ladies become gentle lambs in front of her. She prefers heartfelt gifts over expensive ones. She has built a long-standing foundation in high society and is highly educated. She graduated from the Academy with excellent grades.”
“The Academy?”
Even now, female students at the Academy were rare. But compared to her youth?
Back then, women’s rights were even lower. Were there even five female students in total?
She truly was remarkable.
“The gatherings hosted by Countess Raynglass are meaningful. She was the one who first created the Lady’s Reading Circle. In addition, she serves as an advisor to many organizations.”
I handed the invitation to the head butler.
“What kind of gathering does this seem to be?”
After reading it, the head butler spoke.
“This is also a long-standing gathering. It began during Countess Raynglass’s mother’s time. Most of the prominent noble ladies in society belong to it. They lead many social events. The theme of this gathering is the Summer Banquet.”
The Spring Banquet had been held in Constantine. As the highest-ranking noble house, it marked the opening of the social season for the year.
Spring had passed, and now it was summer. The season for the Summer Banquet.
The Summer Banquet was hosted by the Empress.
“Since the banquet is led by Her Majesty the Empress, it should normally be held at the Imperial Palace. Countess Raynglass is one of Her Majesty’s closest aides. Until three years ago, she served as the Empress’s lady-in-waiting. Even now, Her Majesty relies heavily on her. As a result, the preparation for the Summer Banquet is greatly influenced by Countess Raynglass. It requires much delicate handling. With Her Majesty’s delivery approaching, all matters of the Summer Banquet have been entrusted to the Countess.”
As expected of someone who practically coordinated Constantine, the head butler knew everything—especially matters involving the nobility.
There was no need for me to struggle to gather information myself.
“I strongly recommend that you attend.”
“Strongly?”
I laughed without realizing it.
This was the first time I had seen the head butler emphasize something so strongly. Perhaps because he always wore such a stiff expression, it felt even more special.
If he said this much…
Maybe I should go.
Since getting married, I had never accepted an invitation. Between Gwenndolyn and Countess Crenbel tormenting me, I never had the time.
On top of that, I had work to do.
“When choosing which gatherings to belong to in the future, Countess Raynglass will be of great help.”
So he was telling me not to miss the chance to build a connection with her. Advice from someone as serious as the head butler was worth listening to.
I smiled gently and replied,
“I think I can just follow behind her.”
The head butler nodded enthusiastically.
“Then I should write a reply.”
It was the first letter I would write as a Grand Duchess.
“Is there a proper letter format suitable for the House of Constantine?”
“I will prepare it immediately.”
Since it was Countess Raynglass, I felt the need to be extra careful.
“Please assist me, Mr. Rosewood. So that I don’t make a mistake.”
The head butler bowed deeply.
Writing the letter delayed breakfast slightly. Baldwin was already on the balcony, waiting for me.
Breakfast on the balcony, just the two of us, had become something like a tradition.
Baldwin handed me bread thickly spread with butter. As I added orange marmalade on top, I said,
“I’ll be attending Countess Raynglass’s gathering next Monday. Thankfully, it’s on a Monday. My schedule happened to be free that day.”
At this point, it felt like fate.
Moreover, after the deal with Constantine, most meaningless connections had fallen away. With them gone, useless promises disappeared as well, leaving me with a little more breathing room.
I finished speaking and took a bite of the bread.
The rich and refreshing flavors filled my mouth.
I paired it with honeyed apples and brie cheese. It was a perfectly refreshing breakfast.
“So, about that—would you like to go to a bookstore together this weekend?”
Baldwin looked at me quietly.
“There’s a bookstore I visit when I want to buy old books. Since they’re rare editions, they’re a bit expensive, but they have many hard-to-find titles. We might even find a first edition of Kaelersk. I think Countess Raynglass would like it.”
Was it because Baldwin listened to me so well?
Whenever I was with him, I found myself talking more than usual.
His gaze lingered on my lips. I wondered if there were crumbs stuck there.
My lips felt strangely ticklish.
What color lipstick had I worn today? It hadn’t smudged, had it? I shouldn’t have eaten. It felt like all my makeup must have been ruined.
Every time I spoke with Baldwin, I worried about such trivial things. He lifted his gaze again and met my eyes.
Baldwin smiled softly.
[That sounds good. We should eat lunch outside on Saturday as well.]
“There’s an amazing seafood restaurant nearby. Their pickled herring and sautéed salmon are delicious. With white wine, Saturday afternoon would be perfect.”
Baldwin’s expression brightened.
Every time our eyes met, I smiled without thinking. Just seeing Baldwin made a smile escape me.
“While we’re at it, we should buy a gift for Professor Dellerman too. I really loved his classes when I was at the Academy. If my grandfather hadn’t pushed me to graduate so urgently, I might have even considered adding another major.”
[Classical literature?]
“Yes. Of course…”
I scratched my cheek with a shy smile.
“I don’t know how to write it, though.”
Reports, business letters, contracts—those I was confident in writing.
But poetry and novels?
Just thinking about it felt overwhelming. I had never written anything like that.
“So I gave up because I knew I couldn’t manage it.”
[If you had tried, you would have done well.]
“Mm, I don’t think so.”
Baldwin’s smile deepened.
[So you’re thinking of buying books?]
“Yes. Even until the day his health worsened and he had to retire, he never let go of his books.”
[It sounds like it will be a pleasant weekend.]
“Me too!”
Thanks to that, my whole day felt brighter. Spending time with Baldwin was becoming more and more familiar.
Even as I told myself I would never rely on anyone again, I was slowly becoming accustomed to him.
Like water soaking in—very slowly.
And for someone else, it was a morning with no joy at all.
“Do you have any final words for the deceased?”
The undertaker asked politely.
Sophia and Chris were dead.
They were found as bodies that morning. They were tightly holding each other, and Sophia’s bruised face looked impossibly peaceful.
Egbert stared at Sophia with an expressionless face.
Why?
Just like Anais, and now Sophia—why did they both leave him? He couldn’t understand. What had he done wrong?
They had enjoyed and possessed so much in Graham.
“Why couldn’t they be satisfied with that? What was lacking?”
He never thought about what he gave—only that they always wanted more. Seeking that “more,” Anais and Sophia both left him.
Egbert’s indifferent gaze shifted to Chris. The small child’s face looked pitiful.
Egbert looked back at Sophia.
“Murderer.”
He was not the one at fault. Sophia was. Her greed, which had dragged even her son into this fate, was horrifying.
Egbert spoke coldly,
“Remove them from my sight at once. Both of them.”
