As expected, Arthur was a romantic.
He was weak in front of beautiful women, and even more so in front of beautiful women in difficult circumstances.
There was no need to explain my situation in detail. The assumption that I was “a beautiful duchess wanting to escape a powerful husband” was enough.
Adding the phrase “unfairly perceived by the public” made it even more perfect.
“Thank you. From now on, let’s meet here on the last Wednesday of every month, as usual, Baron.”
“Understood”
Arthur rose from his seat, then kissed the back of my hand.
His velvet eyes sparkled as he said: “I wish you good health and wellness until we meet again, ma’am.”
With my veil still on my head, I smiled slightly.
***
It's been three weeks since then.
'So far so good'
Everything was going according to plan.
I resolved the problem with Nicholas, successfully assigned the task to Arthur, and my plan to adopt Elodie was progressing steadily.
The only problem was that I couldn't get close to Elodie.
I continued to volunteer at the orphanage once a week, so I naturally learned the children's names and faces, and became very close to them.
Even the children who initially seemed wary of me were now more relaxed in my presence.
However, Elodie remained an exception.
Honestly, I wanted to love her, appreciate her, and be closer to her more than the other kids. But my body wasn't cooperating.
Whenever I stood in front of Elodie, I couldn't maintain my composure.
The best I could do was avoid looking at her directly, which made even a conversation difficult. As a result, Elodie seemed uncomfortable with me as well.
It was sad, but I had no one to blame but myself.
However, this is probably for the best.
In the end, I will leave one day.
If we had an awkward relationship, I might inadvertently hurt Elodie's feelings. And I hated this idea. It would have been a hundred times better for her to hate me.
Good. What's important is not me, but that you get close to Ethan.
My role is simply to be a bridge between them.
With that in mind, I decided it was time for Ethan and Elodie to meet.
Our sudden suggestion to adopt a child he has never seen may be very shocking to Ethan. It's better that he has a good impression of her beforehand, that way the discussion will go more smoothly.
In the original story, Ethan and Elodie first met near an old library next to the orphanage.
I made sure that Ethan still visited the library regularly, and Elodie went there whenever she had time to read.
All that remains is to arrange for them to meet at the same time.
Okay, I have to do this.
***
“…Do you want to go out together?”
“Yes. Victor mentioned that there is a used book store that he visits often. I would like you to take me there.”
Since I read “The History of the War of Eärendel,” I have been regularly borrowing books from Ethan, not only from his own library, but also from the ducal library.
It wasn't specifically intended for this purpose, but for that reason, my request shouldn't seem unnatural to Ethan.
I even subtly mentioned the library in the conversation with Victor earlier.
Excellent, excellent. This is going smoothly too.
I looked at Ethan with a bright smile. But his expression was strangely hesitant.
“Does that mean no?”
“No, it's not that… it's just unexpected.”
“Why? This isn’t the first time I’ve suggested going out.”
During the early days of our marriage, I always suggested going to parties or the opera together.
“……”
Ethan didn't answer.
What's up? Was there something in the past?
I was a little curious, but without knowing why, I decided not to press any further.
Maybe nothing. If it becomes a problem, I will adapt as usual.
With that conclusion, I smiled at Ethan again.
"So, are you going to take me there? When will you be free?"
***
Even after Camille left the office, Ethan continued to stare at the closed door.
...we hang out, huh.
Those words sparked memories he had long forgotten.
“I'll never ask you out again!” never!"
Camille screamed at him, tears streaming down her face, and throwing things across the room. He still remembers the feeling of confusion that accompanied this memory.
This happened at the beginning of their marriage. At that time, Camille had always wanted Ethan to accompany her wherever she went.
He didn't want to, and moreover, he didn't have time because of his work. Every time he refused, Camille's face contorted in displeasure.
“My brother always went with me when I asked him to.”
Camille was eighteen or nineteen years old at the time?
To be honest, Ethan thought she was an immature woman – someone who couldn't shake the mentality of being her brother's beloved little sister, and who was completely unaware of her duties as mistress of the Dumont House.
One day, after her persistent insistence, Ethan agreed to take her to the opera.
Camille seemed very happy, and repeatedly reminded him not to forget.
But in the end, Ethan was unable to keep his promise.
A sudden accident occurred in one of Dumont's mines, leaving dozens of workers detained. Ethan went directly to the site to supervise the rescue operations.
He returns to the duchy after staying up for three nights on site, only because work demands it; He had to leave again soon after.
At that moment, Camille stormed in, screaming.
“You promised me!” You said you'd go with me! Do you know how long I waited? I was so excited; “It was an opera I really wanted to see!”
Camille, seemingly unable to handle her frustration and disappointment, threw a tantrum and began crying and screaming.
Ethan was shocked. There were people stuck, lives at stake, and she was worried about just being an opera. If she wanted so much to watch, couldn't she go alone?
That was their first big fight. Before leaving the room, Camille said that she would never ask him out again.
Honestly, until now, Ethan didn't think he'd done anything wrong.
But it still weighs on him in a strange way.
Has Camille completely forgotten about it? Or is she pretending not to remember? Did she act like this just because she was young, or was there another reason – something he still didn't know?
With a frowning brow, Ethan knocked on his desk.
Recently, the atmosphere between him and Camille had been unusually good.
“Attend the banquet together and show your close friendship to others. Then the Duchess will be secretly pleased.”
Jack had suggested this, and perhaps his effort had paid off. During the final banquet, Camille apologized and thanked him. Since then, they have never argued.
'See?' said Jack triumphantly. I was right, wasn't I?
“But don't be complacent. The real challenge starts now. Remember, with women, it doesn't matter if you do a hundred good deeds, just one omission may make them feel unloved.
«…Is this true? Isn't that a bit unreasonable?
“Even if that is the case, this is the reality. The secret is to understand the signals the Duchess is sending you. “Do not take her words seriously, but read between the lines.”
If Jack is right, then perhaps there was a hidden message in Camille's presentation today. Did I misread between the lines?
“Fuck”
Ethan muttered a curse to himself. Compared to this, the history of the War of Eärendel was a thousand times easier.
***
The day I agreed with Ethan has come.
I was completely prepared, just as I had planned.
A few days ago, I sent a message to Sister Miriam, the head of the orphanage.
[I will be visiting the library that day, and I thought I would buy some books for the children while I was there. I heard that Elodie visits the library often. Can you send her there by two o'clock? I would like to surprise her, so please keep my visit a secret.]
All that remains is to accompany Ethan to the library, find a suitable excuse to get away, and witness the first meeting between Ethan and Elodie.
I couldn't wait to witness the reenactment of Ethan and Elodie's meeting from the original story.