IDHGA 19

Chapter 19

Ashiad greeted me with a perfect posture, as if it had come straight out of a book on etiquette.

Then, he took one step, then two, closer to me.

“I came to report that I’ve finished the task you requested, and to see if there were any shortcomings…”

He glanced briefly at the gossip sheets placed on the table.

“It seems I was a step late.”

“You did an excellent job, Duke. Thank you.”

“Not at all. I’m glad it pleased you, My Lady.”

A bright, fresh smile flickered across his face.

That handsomeness, that kindness. No one could help but feel favorably toward him…

So why had he never been involved with a woman before meeting me?

As I pondered this belated question, his gaze shifted this time to the mountain of invitations.

“And to continue what I was saying earlier, you don’t need to respond to all those invitations. As Zena said, there will be many pointless matters for you, My Lady.”

“But I am still your fiancée, Duke?”

Even if it was fake.

At my lightly added remark, his expression seemed to crack for a moment, but a smile quickly returned.

Then, with an even more polite demeanor than before, he slightly bowed toward me.

“You may act as you wish, as much as you wish, My Lady.”

Ashiad said this in a soft voice, his eyes crinkling in a smile.

A smile that, had anyone but me been the recipient, would have surely stolen their heart in an instant.

“You sent the article out quickly. Well done.”

That afternoon, my aunt visited.

It was shortly after Ashiad had left, having flashed me a smile that could charm anyone.

My aunt conveyed that my uncle had also wanted to come, then quietly lifted her teacup with a serene expression.

I sat across from my aunt in the reception room attached to my bedroom, sharing tea together.

I was truly grateful that she had sent someone to help me in time.

It was also appreciated that she had personally come to aid her niece in trouble, and that she had visited to offer a place for counsel.

However, aside from that, I had a great deal to say.

“You told the Duke that I didn’t want to use him.”

“It was a helping hand for a foolish niece who was turning away from the best solution right in front of her. Do you have a problem with that?”

“Aunt.”

“Eloise. If you truly want something, you can’t afford to be picky about methods or means.”

Clink. My aunt set her teacup down with a sound and looked straight at me.

“Moreover, you’re talking about holding back your cards even when your life is threatened. That’s even more unacceptable.”

“My life threatened? Aunt, that’s a bit…”

“If it wasn’t, why would you jump out of a hotel window? Eloise. There’s a limit to arrogance.”

My aunt’s voice grew firm.

When on earth had she heard about the window incident?

I carefully glanced at my aunt and gave a small cough.

“Ahem. Well, that was unavoidable. Those men were trying to break the door down no matter what.”

“Then why didn’t you call a bellboy instead?”

“I used a different name when I checked in too, Aunt. But how did those knights know exactly that Eloise Mason was staying in that room? I kept my hat on until I went up to the room.”

You have to trust the people you trust.

When I added this briefly, my aunt let out a long sigh.

“I thought you were well-behaved, but you’re utterly reckless.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. My mother used to tell me sometimes that I resembled you, Aunt.”

“…Ernella?”

My mother, Ernella, whose memory I now barely recall, used to say that to me often.

That my spirited and lively nature was just like my aunt’s.

My mother, who first taught me about swords, would stroke my head as I fiddled with a wooden toy sword and sometimes say, ‘Your aunt is a great knight too.’

This was from when I was very young, a memory I no longer clearly recall.

From before my mother lost her mind after losing her younger sibling.

“She said she hoped I would become a great knight too, following in your footsteps, Aunt.”

“A knight, indeed. Honestly, she had a way of lifting people up.”

My aunt’s eyes were filled with nostalgia at my words.

Because my father married before my aunt’s marriage was arranged, my aunt, being close in age to my mother, likely spent considerable time with her.

‘*Perhaps they were even closer than I imagine.*’

Either way, it had been a very long time since I thought of my mother.

My mother, who always showed me a smiling face despite her own pallid one.

“So then, my niece who resembles me, what are your plans for the future?”

“Well, for now, I plan to sort through the invitations.”

“Invitations?”

At the follow-up question, I stopped my drifting thoughts and focused on my aunt before me.

For now, it was best to accept as much help as I could get.

I pointed to the basket Zena had prepared and brought in earlier.

“I’m still unfamiliar with the social circles here, so I wanted to ask for your help. It seems everyone is curious about the Mason and Fontaine union.”

“I was exactly like that when I first came up to the capital. The capital’s social circles are far too gossipy.”

My aunt looked at the basket of invitations with a displeased expression.

“Let me see the list. You can’t possibly check all of them one by one.”

“I figured you’d say that, so I prepared it. Here.”

After hearing that my aunt would be visiting today, Zena and I had put our heads together right after breakfast to create a list of all the invitations we’d received so far.

Ashiad had said I could do as much or as little as I wanted, even throw them all away if I wished, but I needed people on my side now.

People not connected to anywhere around me, as my aunt said, places I could immediately run to whenever I was in danger.

In my previous life, because I simply accepted invitations as they came and endured the gossip as it was, I could roughly pick out people to be wary of… but I didn’t know many truly good people, people I could ask for help.

So, wanting to seek advice, I handed the prepared list to my aunt.

“My, what a variety. They should just have their fun tearing each other apart amongst themselves, why reach out this far?”

As she read through the list, my aunt clicked her tongue.

It seemed most of the people who sent invitations were those who enjoyed gossip.

I stayed quietly sipping my tea while my aunt read the list.

Silence flowed for a while.

After murmuring to herself while looking over the list, my aunt raised her head and looked at me.

“What did the Duke say?”

“The Duke… said I could ignore the invitations, and to just tell him when I needed help.”

“I see. Well, I suppose the Fontaine Ducal House could throw away every one of these invitations without anyone being able to complain.”

My aunt nodded, saying that would be fine. I just smiled.

“Still, Aunt. Shouldn’t I have at least one or two allies in the social circles?”

“That’s true, but there isn’t a single proper person among those who sent these. We should count ourselves lucky that Her Highness the Princess isn’t on this list.”

After skimming the list once more, my aunt tossed the paper aside as if discarding it.

“For now, the places worth considering here are Countess Wade and Marchioness Ertel. As you know, Marchioness Ertel maintains a neutral stance, so she won’t treat you uncomfortably. And Countess Wade is one of the few among your peers who maintains noble dignity.”

“Wade and Ertel… Thank you for your help, Aunt.”

Feeling relieved, I expressed my gratitude, and my aunt smirked.

“Don’t be silly. More importantly, did you tell the Duke about what you saw and heard?”

“What I saw and heard?”

At the sudden change of topic, I blinked. My aunt lowered her voice slightly and leaned in.

“That, when you followed your father.”

“Ah.”

She meant when I overheard the conversation between the Crown Prince and my father.

I shook my head and straightened up, matching my aunt’s posture.

“I didn’t have the time. I didn’t think of it either.”

“Your uncle is moving on it as well, but it’s not something he can handle alone.”

“I’ll tell the Duke when he returns today.”

“And you’ll establish a position in the social circles. Right?”

“Huh?”

My aunt grinned at me.

“Not just for your sake, but for the Duke’s sake too, you need to establish a place in society. You know that, don’t you?”

“Um, yes. But that’s not so much for the Duke’s sake as it is…”

“Well, let’s put that aside. I’ll help you with what you need. But I should get something in return too, right?”

“Huh? In return?”

“Yes. Even among family, isn’t it important to have a clear give and take?”

My aunt leaned back in her chair and smiled.

A relaxed face, yet one that clearly wanted something.

I chuckled and looked at my aunt.

A wonderful husband, a good family, a peaceful retirement.

What could my seemingly perfect aunt possibly want?

I too leaned back in my chair and met her gaze.

“What is it you want, Aunt?”

“What else could I hope for? There’s just one thing left now.”

“Just one thing?”

Smiling, my aunt’s expression was not one of genuine joy, but a somewhat twisted smile.

“What I want is to hold the title of Countess Mason until your child is born.”

For the sake of more stable management, my aunt added with a smile.

Shortly after my aunt left, Ashiad returned.

And as soon as he was back, he came looking for me.

He had mentioned needing to go to the palace in the morning due to urgent business. His face looked more tired than I expected.

“I heard the Marchioness of Wellington visited today.”

“Yes. She stopped by briefly this afternoon.”

“That’s unfortunate. If I’d come a little earlier, I could have seen her. Did you have a pleasant conversation?”

He sought me out, asked about my day, and inquired how it was.

…A demeanor no different from before.

“I have something to tell you, Duke.”

“To me?”

Wishing that this demeanor would continue, yet feeling anxious about when it might disappear again, I forced my trembling lips upward.

There was a time when every word he spoke brought me joy.

A time when everything he said made me happy, and I was overjoyed just to meet his gaze.

But knowing how easily that gaze could change, I couldn’t hide the mix of fondness and unease I felt toward his current attitude.

So I hurriedly changed the subject.

Especially since I truly did have something to say.

I glanced around the corridor we were standing in and spoke in a low voice.

“I’d like to talk somewhere quiet if possible, Duke.”

Seeing my serious expression, Ashiad dropped the smile from his lips and raised an eyebrow.

“It seems to be an important matter. Very well.”

Then, as if telling me to follow, he walked ahead.

We didn’t say a word to each other as we headed to a suitable place for conversation.

Whether it was because my mind was too occupied sorting through my feelings before telling him, or because he was considerate of my seemingly serious mood, I wasn’t sure.

“You can speak freely here.”

He entered first and offered me a seat. I closed the door and sat down as well.

I paused for a moment, gathering my thoughts on where to begin.

Ashiad sat quietly across from me, waiting for my story.

Not urging me on, nor giving me any looks, just waiting silently.

“…Well, it’s about that time I followed my father before.”

Thanks to that, I felt comfortable enough to start speaking.

“Duke, are you there?”

Knock, knock. A light tapping sound was heard.

“What is it, Derrick?”

As he answered Derrick, the Fontaine household’s head butler, Ashiad wore a look of apology.

A look that said he was sorry he couldn’t keep listening, even though he hadn’t interrupted me.

Just as I was about to wave my hand to say it was fine.

“The Count Mason has arrived.”

A voice came that froze us both simultaneously.