Chapter 101
Two days had passed since then.
From early morning, the area around the reception room was bustling. For the first time, Charlotte had invited someone to the estate as a guest.
Finally, the young lady had a close friend! The servants of the Hoo family, moved with emotion, cleaned every corner of the reception room meticulously, leaving not a speck of dust. The chef devoted all their effort to preparing desserts that were pleasing both to the eyes and the palate. Even the guards stationed at the entrance were on high alert. Perhaps in support of Charlotte’s first invitation, the weather was perfectly clear, with not a single cloud in the sky, and the sunlight streaming down was warm.
By noon, a purple carriage adorned with deer motifs arrived at the main gate. Stepping out of the carriage was none other than Lady Baroness Verbel, with her light purple hair.
“It’s been a while, Miss Blanche. How have you been?”
“Welcome, Lady Baroness Verbel.”
The waiting servants were stunned to see Charlotte greet Lady Baroness Verbel with a genuinely joyful smile. Not only that, but Aria also wriggled excitedly upon seeing the Baroness, clinging tightly to her legs and dangling from her arms.
Among the Hoo family’s employees, Aria was often described as having a lovely appearance but being cautious and hard to approach, like a wild rabbit. And yet, she was the first to stamp her little feet, signaling she wanted to be hugged!
“Aria, it’s been a while.”
“Hello, Lady Baroness Verbel!”
“You’ve grown so bold! Your cheeks have become so soft since the last time I saw you.”
Lady Baroness Verbel hugged Aria and rubbed her cheeks affectionately. Aria laughed brightly and snuggled into her embrace. Just as the sound of the child’s pure laughter bounced off the walls and reached the ceiling, someone approached them—the Marquis Blanche, who had been curious ever since he heard that his beloved granddaughter had brought a friend for the first time.
“Charlotte.”
“Grandfather.”
Hearing the word “grandfather,” Lady Baroness Verbel was surprised and bowed respectfully. This was the Marquis Blanche, whom she had only heard about in stories. Seeing him in person confirmed that firsthand experience is always different from hearsay. Despite being from the same noble class, the Marquis seemed from another world entirely. Every gesture and glance carried a composed elegance, and his dark blue eyes, just like Charlotte’s, were deep and serious.
Charlotte, who had gradually begun to think of Lady Baroness Verbel not just as a noble from the North but as a somewhat—or rather, very—close lady, hesitated for a moment before introducing her.
“This is Lady Baroness Verbel. I received a lot of help from her when I went to the North. She even rode to me personally to inform me about the Kennith couple. Without her, I might not have been able to save Aria.”
The Marquis Blanche’s eyes widened naturally. Had his only granddaughter ever taken the initiative to introduce someone in this way? Certainly not. Hoping that Charlotte would finally have a genuine friend or human connection, he quietly exhaled in relief the moment he heard the introduction.
Finally, his granddaughter had someone with whom she could enjoy heartfelt conversation. Even if it was just one person, one true friend was far better than a hundred friends wrapped in pretense.
Moreover, the Marquis already knew that Lady Baron Verbel, the Baroness’s husband, was a trusted secretary of Ash. This reassured him even further.
“My granddaughter and great-granddaughter owe you a great deal. Please continue to get along well with Charlotte. I hope you feel at ease during your visit.”
Though composed of short, concise sentences, each word carried heavy affection for his granddaughter. Realizing this, Lady Baroness Verbel nodded with her brightest smile. The Marquis, excusing himself to return to his study, walked more lightly than usual.
Charlotte led Lady Baroness Verbel into the reception room, which had been decorated with fresh flowers along the walls, giving the impression of stepping into a greenhouse. A maid poured Louisian tea for them before quietly leaving the room.
With just the three of them left, including Aria, Lady Baroness Verbel laughed softly and began sharing her first impressions of Marquis Blanche.
“What you northern ladies said was true. Despite his age, he carries himself with remarkable elegance. So, Miss, your beauty must be inherited from your lineage?”
“And Aria… what about Aria?”
“Our Aria is beautiful and adorable! She’s like a white rabbit, a pure white rabbit. Or maybe a dandelion seed? She seems like a fairy living in the clouds from a fairy tale.”
If Aria had ears or a tail, she would have surely wagged her tail and perked her ears excitedly. Aria clearly loved the affection Lady Baroness Verbel was showing. Like a little white rabbit, she bounced around happily and buried her face in the Baroness’s lap.
Suddenly, Aria lifted her head sharply. Lady Baroness Verbel didn’t notice, but Charlotte did—Aria’s behavior was unusual.
Aria’s gaze had fixed on the Baroness’s lower abdomen, tilting her head curiously from side to side. Just as Aria reached out toward it, someone knocked at the reception room door. It was Anna.
“Lady Baroness Verbel, I’ve brought it.”
“Thank you, Anna.”
Anna carried a cage that looked quite familiar. After releasing the latch and placing the cage on the floor, familiar sounds of chirping came from inside.
“Kiiing, kking.”
Aria immediately recognized the voice and ran toward the cage.
“Suu!”
When Aria opened the cage, a white fluff bolted out and leapt onto her.
“Suu, I missed you!”
Aria fell backward but wasn’t hurt. She hugged Suu tightly, enjoying their reunion after a long time apart. Having spent some time away from Aria under the Baroness’s care, Suu initially acted slightly stubborn but quickly began nuzzling and rubbing against Aria everywhere. Once Aria was covered in fur, Suu finally curled up proudly on her lap.
“Suu seems happy to see Aria after such a long time.”
“Thank you for taking care of Suu.”
“My, what a polite greeting! I should give you a delicious cake as a reward. Here—ah—”
“Ah—”
Lady Baroness Verbel fed Aria a piece of cake topped with fresh cream. As Aria chewed, her bright blue eyes began to sparkle.
“Delicious?”
“Delicious!”
“Good, now try this one. It’s buttercream, might be a bit rich, though.”
Despite the Baroness’s worry about richness, Aria loved any dessert and ate it like a little bird. Once the desserts were finished, Charlotte called a maid waiting outside to bring more snacks. Meanwhile, the Baroness seemed thirsty and lifted her teacup.
But she couldn’t drink it. Aria had grabbed hold of her sleeve. Once again, she tilted her head and stared quietly at Lady Baroness Verbel.
“What’s wrong? Is something on your face?”
Aria shook her head and took the teacup from the Baroness’s hand, placing it on the table.
“You can’t drink this.”
“Huh?”
They were all taken aback. Louisian tea was highly popular in the social circles recently. It had been specially prepared for Lady Baroness Verbel’s visit. As she brought the cup close to her nose, Charlotte suddenly remembered something she had overlooked.
‘Isn’t this tea not recommended for pregnant women?’
She vaguely remembered that some ingredients in Louisian tea weren’t harmful but weren’t ideal for expectant mothers. Seeing Aria tilting her head toward the Baroness’s lower abdomen now made Charlotte uneasy.
‘No way… does Aria know this?’
Of course not. That didn’t mean the Baroness wasn’t pregnant, but Aria could not possibly know this fact. She had never been informed about the tea’s precautions. However, it was possible the Baroness was indeed making efforts to conceive.
‘If she really is expecting…’
Though unlikely, it seemed better to switch to a different tea. Serving tea unsuitable for pregnant women to someone hoping for a child would be odd. Charlotte made a mental note to remember such precautions next time.
“Lady Baroness Verbel, we also have some other excellent teas. Would you like to try one of those instead?”
“Oh, there’s no need to worry about that.”
“No, please wait a moment.”
Charlotte quietly left the reception room to find Anna. Anna was walking down the hallway with a silver tray of desserts. Charlotte spoke urgently.
“Tell the maids to bring tea leaves made from freshly picked spring sprouts.”
“Pardon? Why all of a sudden…?”
“Just do as I say.”
Tea leaves made from freshly harvested spring sprouts from afar were beneficial for pregnancy and suitable for expectant mothers. Charlotte had prepared them as a gift for when the Baroness left. Anna didn’t immediately understand but soon realized and exclaimed softly.
“Oh my, oh my.”
“It’s not certain, purely speculation, but you never know.”
“I understand. I’ll fetch the tea leaves myself, so please stay here!”
Despite Anna’s uncertainty, she hurried off excitedly. Meanwhile, Lady Baroness Verbel continued to indulge Aria’s playful antics in the reception room.
“Please pat Aria’s head.”
“Of course, of course.”
Seeing her so fond of children, Charlotte silently hoped that her and Aria’s speculation was correct—that Lady Baroness Verbel was indeed expecting a precious child.
