TVLT 13

Chapter 13

Cedric drank only one cup of tea in front of the Emperor before taking his leave. Then, as originally planned, he headed for the House of Rosan.

The butler was extremely surprised by the Grand Duke of Evron’s visit.

He was even more surprised when he learned that the person Cedric had come to see was neither Lawrence nor even Milaera, but Artizea.

“The young lady is out.”

“Did she say where she went?”

The butler was flustered once again.

Cedric realized just how poor Artizea’s position was within this household.

Artizea was the only heir of the House of Rosan and would inherit the title in two years.

And yet the butler did not even know where she had gone.

The butler repeatedly bowed and asked Cedric to wait just a moment before turning the maids upside down in an attempt to find out where she had gone.

Cedric stood waiting in the lobby.

He was angry.

Such a thing would have been unimaginable in the Grand Duchy of Evron.

Although Cedric had lost his parents tragically when he was young, and several of the retainers who had cared for him like their own son or grandson had met terrible deaths, the house had still been home to him even on the day he returned from their funerals.

On days when the Emperor had crushed him and he was overcome with grief, on days when he thought he could no longer accomplish anything, and even on days when he considered simply surrendering, throwing down his weapons, and living quietly for his own comfort, his home had still been his home.

It was a place where he could rest peacefully.

And it was also a place he had to protect.

The butler and servants were not merely employees to Cedric.

He regarded them as family in place of the parents he had lost, and they cared for Cedric as though he were their own child, grandson, or younger brother.

The butler of the House of Rosan became increasingly flustered as Cedric continued standing there, waiting.

Sophie happened to have the day off today.

Alice was nowhere to be seen. She had probably gone out with Artizea.

There was no one who knew where Artizea had gone.

In the end, it was nearly an hour before Cedric finally received an answer.

“I apologize, Your Highness. I was told that the young lady went to a ball at Count Endar’s residence. If you would wait just a little longer, I will have her return immediately.”

“Are you higher-ranking than the young lady in this household?”

“What?”

The butler blinked.

Cedric spoke coldly.

“I understand that the Marchioness of Rosan’s daughter is the heir to the House of Rosan. I was simply wondering whether an ordinary butler such as yourself has the authority to order her around as you please.”

“N-No, of course not.”

The butler hurriedly lowered his head and made an excuse.

“I only meant that Young Master Lawrence will be returning soon. I thought Your Highness could have a conversation with him while I brought the young lady back…”

That excuse made Cedric even angrier.

“I must have made a mistake.”

“Pardon?”

“I thought I was speaking to the butler of the House of Rosan, but you seem to be Lord Lawrence’s butler.”

The moment Cedric said that, the butler’s face turned as pale as dirt.

He had forgotten it because no one had ever pointed it out, but the true master of the House of Rosan was originally Artizea.

He was Milaera’s trusted subordinate, but as the butler of the House of Rosan, there was no denying that he had said something he should not have.

“I apologize.”

The butler bowed deeply.

Among the strict and conservative high-ranking nobles, there were those who insisted on following etiquette and formalities regardless of who actually held the power.

And Cedric especially disliked Milaera.

The butler thought he had been deliberately given something to criticize, and the only way to respond to such criticism was to apologize.

He never imagined that Cedric was doing this because he was thinking about Artizea.

He did not even consider why Cedric had come to see Artizea in the first place.

Artizea had occasionally come up with good ideas lately and received praise from Milaera because of them.

But in the butler’s mind, Artizea was still nothing more than Milaera’s punching bag.

“I will have to tell the young lady about this.”

Since it was not his household, Cedric could do no more than say that before turning his back on the House of Rosan.

“What I want is to inherit the House of Rosan in its entirety and become independent. Please protect me by maintaining a marriage of convenience for just two years.”

Artizea had said that.

Only now did Cedric begin to understand what kind of “protection” she needed.

At the ball held by Count Endar’s family, Artizea had blended into the flowers decorating the wall.

A ball held in the middle of the day was not a place for wild revelry and pleasure.

It was an occasion where young men and women gathered under the supervision of adults to socialize in a respectable manner.

Of course, the ultimate purpose of that socializing was to find a good marriage prospect.

Even now, most marriages were decided by the heads and parents of the two families after considering their respective status and wealth.

But there was no way to completely prevent young people full of youthful passion from meeting each other.

So parents wanted those meetings to happen in places and in ways they could control.

Thanks to that, young nobles of marriageable age had at least a small degree of choice in the matter.

They formed friendships with members of the same sex and spent exciting moments with the opposite sex as they experienced the social season.

It was also during this time that they learned how to judge which families could become connected through marriage, which families they had to establish a connection with by any means necessary, and which families they could afford to ignore.

Artizea was one of the girls who was not particularly popular at these balls.

If one considered only her title and status, she should have been the queen of the social season.

But Artizea was Milaera’s daughter.

Naturally, anyone who despised or disliked Milaera avoided her as well.

And those who followed Milaera around and flattered her also ignored and mistreated Artizea.

If they treated Artizea kindly, Milaera would become irritated or angry.

And at this age, looks are power.

Artizea thought this as she sipped the apricot juice she had taken from the table.

In the end, they were all boys and girls who had not even reached twenty.

Hardly any of them could see the enormous wealth of the House of Rosan standing behind Artizea.

And even if there were a boy who could see it, he would probably consider beauty and a gentle personality more valuable than wealth.

No. A gentle personality does have value.

Artizea thought so.

Even if she were given ten Houses of Rosan, she could never exchange them for Lissia’s beautiful heart.

She would gladly give up the entire House of Rosan if it meant she could possess even half of Lissia’s beautiful heart herself.

“Hello, Lady Artizea of Rosan.”

If possible, Artizea wanted to quietly return home without having to greet anyone.

But things rarely went the way she wanted.

The person who approached her was the beautiful daughter of Count Attiya.

“Why do you look so gloomy? You came so early, yet you haven’t danced even once.”

“Someone has to decorate the walls.”

“Oh my. That’s rather hurtful. All the gentlemen who came to this ball must be so rude and heartless. How could they leave a lady without a single dance?”

As she spoke, the daughter of Count Attiya lowered her long eyelashes.

“But Lady Rosan is also partly to blame. This is already the fourth time you’ve come wearing exactly the same dress. Even a true gentleman would have trouble telling whether you danced today or at the previous ball.”

The young men following her around trembled with laughter.

Artizea let out a hollow laugh.

In the past, she had lacked confidence in her appearance and been ashamed of her old clothes. Whenever she heard remarks like this, she could barely even raise her head.

But looking back now, she wondered where the daughter of Count Attiya had found the courage to say such things.

No matter how much of a flower of the ballroom she was, Artizea was the person who would become the Marchioness of Rosan.

The Attiya family was far too insignificant for Artizea to bother with.

The Count and Countess of Attiya were not even close to Milaera.

Artizea smiled.

“Even if I dressed an unattractive face in a dress worth hundreds of thousands of gold, wouldn’t that simply be a waste? Especially that dress… Judging by the embroidery, isn’t it velvet from the Kingdom of Yentz in the south? Such a precious fabric must have been made for a beautiful lady like you to wear. I’m sure the people who made it would be pleased.”

“Oh my. You have quite an eye for fabrics.”

“But are you sure it’s all right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Yentz embroidered velvet is extremely expensive. If you use that much fabric to make a dress, the raw materials alone must cost several thousand gold. And from what I can see, this is already your fourth dress made from Yentz embroidered velvet. That means the Count of Attiya’s family has invested nearly half of its annual income from its territory in your dresses.”

“What did you say?”

“Ah, don’t the Count and Countess of Attiya love you very much? Haven’t they told you? The marble mine that is the main source of your family’s income is no longer profitable. It will probably have to close within a year or two. Your income must already have fallen tremendously. As far as I know, your family is on the verge of bankruptcy.”

The daughter of Count Attiya’s face turned deathly pale.

“Still, I suppose it isn’t that much if you consider it a large-scale investment in the future of the family rather than simply spending money. You are beautiful, after all. I’m sure you’ll be able to live up to your parents’ expectations.”

Artizea smiled sweetly.

“Are you saying my parents are going to sell me off?!”

The daughter of Count Attiya shouted without even remembering that everyone was watching.

It was then that a slight commotion came from the entrance.

A new guest had arrived.

Everyone turned to look.

Cedric was handing his long sword to a servant after removing it from his belt.

The entire hall had fallen silent, even the whispers disappearing.

Only the music continued to play.

“His Highness the Grand Duke of Evron! What brings you here without any notice?”

Countess Endar spoke as she respectfully knelt on one knee and bowed.

Cedric Evron was a man who set countless young women’s hearts aflutter with his handsome features and masculine bearing, yet he had never once had a dance partner.

Unless he was absolutely required to attend a ball at the Imperial Palace, he never attended balls or parties at all.

And at present, he should have been locked in a standoff with the Emperor at the military camp outside the capital.

Yet here he was, at a social gathering for young men and women.

Why had he suddenly come to a place like this?

And what would his presence do to the status of Count Endar’s ball?

Countess Endar’s mind raced.

“I have someone to meet. I was told she was here. I apologize for coming without an invitation. May I enter?”

“Of course, Your Highness. There is no door in the capital’s social circles that Your Highness cannot open.”

Countess Endar said this.

Despite the complicated and precarious political circumstances surrounding him, Cedric was still one of the most desirable marriage prospects.

He was young, had already inherited the title of Grand Duke, was wealthy, and was a hero who had earned military achievements.

Cedric Evron could become a kingmaker.

If he chose either Lawrence or Roygar and pledged his loyalty to one of them, the current line of succession could change.

Cedric himself felt as though he were walking a tightrope with his life at stake.

But, put another way, that meant even the Emperor could not afford to ignore him.

Who on earth has he come to meet? Surely it isn’t a woman?

Questions like these floated through the air.

But Cedric did not seem to notice any of them.

He crossed the hall and walked straight toward Artizea.