Chapter 13
'But what are these rumors circulating among the nobles? I have made it clear to them that I only want to employ her as a maid.'
He knew the nobles considered him barbaric, but he felt it was unjust that they would think so badly of him as to force a woman who rejected him into something. Perhaps because he had raised his sister himself from a young age, Laszlo felt that such base behavior was utterly beneath him.
The truth is that those who engaged in these animalistic behaviors were the haughty nobles who rushed forward with drooling mouths, competing with each other.
'Isn't it cruel to be looked at in this way, when I've never even held a woman's wrist before?'
Laszlo muttered to himself in annoyance, determined to ignore society's expectations and not go near Idel under any circumstances.
He took out Barbara's letter and glanced at it before returning it to the envelope. Although he decided to continue monitoring the Marquis de Célestine's family, it seemed to him that they were not allied with the Duke of Lancaster's family.
Then he suddenly remembered the mistake he had made.
“Look at you, you’re trembling as if I’m about to cut someone’s throat.”
He said it with displeasure, as if he were speaking to a woman who had lost her husband and adopted children because of him.
'What a heartless person I am. How could I say such a thing in front of her?'
Even though she had a lukewarm relationship with the Lancaster family, seeing them brutally murdered was something she could not simply ignore.
However, she replied very calmly:
“My survival is the strange thing, so there’s no need to feel embarrassed to speak, Count.”
At that moment, I felt a little surprised and found myself staring at her unconsciously.
'How can you remain so calm in such a situation?'
Even if the person you hold a grudge against is in control of your life, it's difficult to openly display hostility to their face. Despite knowing this, her calm smile, completely devoid of any trace of anger, was astonishing!
'Should I say that she truly embodies the character of a duchess in every sense of the word?'
Laszlo looked at himself, remembering the days he spent sitting in the Mercenaries Guild building, mindlessly eating peanuts, and wondered how much he had changed now, even though he only held the title of Count without any significant change.
That moment was filled with somewhat embarrassing feelings. It was a strange feeling; he had never before felt shy or ashamed of himself in front of anyone.
'Enough thinking. I have too much to do.'
He sighed and began to loosen his tie, but then he suddenly remembered something and called one of the servants. He pointed to some things he had prepared beforehand.
“Put this in 'that woman's' room.”
“That woman?... Ah! I understand, sir.”
The servant quickly realized who “that woman” was and brought out a silver tray.
Laszlo looked at the fine paper, the pen, and the ink that were neatly arranged on the silver tray, hoping that at least Edel would not make fun of those things.
* * *
"Good job today, Daisy."
“Make sure you get plenty of rest, my sister.”
Upon returning to her room after exchanging greetings with Daisy in the next room, Idil's eyes widened. On the small, worn table lay high-quality stationery, an envelope, ink, and a pen.
“Oh! Count Crisis….”
I hesitated to write a direct reply to Barbara's request, but when she saw the stationery prepared like this, her heart swelled again.
There were many things she wanted to say to her, but Edel did her best not to get too excited when she picked up the pen.
“My dear Marchioness of Celestine,”
After writing this line, I stared at it for a long time.
Previously, it had begun with the phrase “Dear and respected Barbara,” but now it seems that this would not be appropriate.
She was no longer noble, but just an ordinary maid.
“I don’t know how to express my gratitude to the kind lady who worries about this sinner without forgetting. I understand that you may be worried, but I am fine…”
It was easy to start, but she hesitated when it came to explaining her position.
Instead of reassuring Barbara with lies, it seemed better to explain how lucky she considered her current situation, but she wasn't sure which words would convey her sincerity correctly.
“I cannot disturb Count Crisis’s eyes by writing something that could be offensive…”
Unable to waste any stationery, Edel rewrote the sentences several times, pausing her pen repeatedly to review them mentally. As a result, she didn't finish the letter until after midnight.
“…Furthermore, I pray deeply for the health and well-being of the lady.”
– With endless respect and affection, Idel.
After I had put the last period in, I read the message carefully again, checking for spelling mistakes or sentences that could be misunderstood.
Fortunately, because she chose her words carefully from the beginning, there don't seem to be any major problems.
Edel folded the letter again, suppressing the urge to write more.
"Will Barbara receive this message warmly?"
She rubbed her sleepy eyes and lay down on the bed, but sleep wouldn't come easily. Only the dark ceiling stared back at her, and she found herself thinking about the day she met Barbara.
* * *
Seven years ago, it was the day of the tea party hosted by Mrs. Radrick, who is known to be a prominent figure in the community.
The tea party was the largest of its kind that year, as it was held in the middle of summer.
All attendees were carefully selected, and those invited to the party felt a subtle sense of pride.
However, if Idell knew that someone in the room had plans to make fun of someone, she would not attend.
“Oh my God, it’s Marquise Celestine! You really have come.”
"What's wrong with the arrival of the Marchesa Celestine?"
When Idel innocently asked, the friend who had come with her grabbed her arm and whispered in her ear.
“Mrs. Radrick and Marchesa Celestine don’t get along very well. Just look, their personalities are completely different.”
"Then why did Mrs. Radrick invite the Marchesa Celestine?"
“She seems to be planning something to put Marquise Celestine in her place… Oh, dear, this room is like a thorny bush.”
During that conversation, Idell felt a bitter taste in her mouth.
'It is despicable and cowardly to conspire to harass someone like this.'
It was only natural that I hated such behavior. Even at the age of seventeen, Edel already knew that the moment you made even a small mistake, you could become the victim.
“But they are all educated women. Why would they do something like this?”
It was a statement to reassure her worried friend, but it was also Idil's hope.
However, the ladies, who had been very generous and cultured in their interactions with her, revealed their true nature when they openly scorned the noble lady whom they found repulsive.
The tea party that day was held in the annex of Lady Radrick's.
The place was designed in the style of a summer villa, and it was constructed entirely of wood, which made a delightful sound when shoes hit the wooden floor with every step.
But that might only seem delightful to those with intact limbs; for those less fortunate, it could have been a very frustrating noise.
“The Marchesa Celestine has arrived.”
With the maid's announcement, Barbara entered the hall, and Mrs. Radrick nodded nearby, while her acquaintances rose from their seats to greet Barbara.
Silently, with just a smile.
At that moment, Idil realized that no music was playing.
There was an eerie silence in the hallway, and Barbara walked stiffly towards her assigned seat.
Clack, clack.
Clack, clack.
Upon hearing the sound, Edel unconsciously looked at Barbara's legs.
She was wearing a prosthetic limb. From the sound, it seemed she had a wooden prosthetic limb.
'Could it be… Did she deliberately downplay things in order to achieve that?'
Edel, as well as everyone around her, took a quick look at Barbara's legs.
"Why did Mrs. Radrick choose this place for the tea party...?"
Edel was puzzled that Mrs. Radrick, who was so proud of the marble hall in the main residence, was hosting the party in an annex.
But the belief that it was all just to humiliate one person made Edel seethe with anger.
'Whatever happened between Madame Radrick and the Marchioness of Celestine, it is unacceptable to make fun of someone's disability in this way!'
Edel tried not to show her annoyance on her face, and greeted Barbara warmly, putting aside any thoughts of what might happen next.
"What a coincidence!"
She broke the silence in the hallway, and her voice drew everyone's attention from Barbara's legs to Idell's.
Barbara, with a “What’s going on?” look in her eyes, was met by Idell’s slightly excited voice as she spoke to those around her.
“Last time, there was an accident in the city where our cart wheel got stuck in a gap. Someone from another family’s cart helped us out of the crisis.”
"Oh, really?"
“Yes. The person who helped us refused any reward and just left. I only remember the reflection of their faces in the carriage window, but it turned out to be the Marchesa Celestine!”
Edel naturally approached Barbara's side, hoping to appear informal.