Jules frowned, finding himself in a difficult position. He himself had arrived here quite recently and did not expect something like this to happen so soon.
The woman in front of him brought a letter from the Marchioness of Conolly. Apparently, not even allowing the thought of refusal, she sat in front of Yuls, smiling radiantly. Juls looked at Lea Lintu. She immediately looked away, blushing.
Adi knew that most people, looking at such a girl, would consider her lovely. However, Yuls's face remained only cold and indifferent.
—Where have you stayed so far?
- In the accommodation provided in the Outer Palace. But my mother said that now that I had become her adopted daughter, it was better for me to stay in the Inner Palace. She just left later, and...
- So you are asking for a place to stay until the Marchioness of Conolly arrives?
- Yes, Your Grace.
Jules turned his gaze back to the letter. It was cleverly stated there that for the sake of his own prestige, Lea Lintu-Conolly must certainly stay in the Inner Palace. No amount of embellishment or elegant expression could hide the true essence of this request.
There were many free rooms in the residence, but allowing an unmarried and unengaged aristocrat to stay with him - he understood perfectly well how this would be interpreted.
- It's difficult.
Lintu's face froze. Jules knew what they wanted. He didn't have to indulge them. However, he also understood that if he simply ignored them now, it would certainly result in unnecessary trouble in the future. That is why the Marchioness of Conolly took such a step.
“It would be more appropriate for you to go to Her Highness the Princess.” If you linger at my residence without a good reason and strange rumors spread, it will only harm Conolly's side.
“……We are relatives, doesn’t that make the situation acceptable?”
“My relative is the Marchioness of Conolly, not you.” Even if you are her adopted daughter, you do not have a drop of native blood in you.
In fact, he was not related by blood to the Marchioness of Conolly herself, but even if Lea were her own daughter, he was not going to accept her. Did Luigi's death really hit that hard? If she still hasn't found a suitable patron and is now trying to grab every opportunity, then it was a mistake.
“I don’t mind,” Lea said to Lintu.
- But I’m against it.
Jules cut off her attempt with a decisive refusal.
“I don’t want to give rise to unnecessary misunderstandings.”
For a moment, Lea Lintu's face froze. Her lips trembled, as if offended, but she quickly pulled herself together and, forcing a smile, continued:
“In that case... could you accompany me to the ball, which will take place in ten days?”
When the Council begins and the nobles arrive in Ionadh, a feast is held to welcome all who have arrived. Often at this time, nobles bring their children with them, trying to make useful contacts even before the official opening of the social season.
Of course, Jules never attended this ball. Previously, he always arrived in Jonad after the celebrations were over.
- Ball, then.
The servants did not show this outwardly, but, apparently, they considered Lea Lintu to be very decisive and now looked at her with interest. Dimitri, on the contrary, looked at Adi. Feeling eyes on her, Adi turned her head. As soon as their eyes met, Dimitri quickly looked away.
-Are you asking me to choose one of two?
Jules asked.
— Either provide the Residence, or go to the ball together?
Surely she didn't mean anything like that. Lea Lintu only tried to get closer to the Duke in the best way she could. However, Yuls, as if not taking this into account, thought for a moment and spoke.
- Dimitri.
- Yes, Your Grace.
— Take Mrs. Lea Lintu to the room where she will stay.
Juls stood up, and after him Lea Lintu also raised her head.
“That is only until the Marchioness of Conolly arrives.”
Adi frowned. His answer sounded extremely cold; he spoke without showing a single emotion, as if he had erected a wall in front of himself. She felt a little sorry for Lea Lintu, whose hands were trembling slightly, despite her attempts to appear calm.
* * *The chambers for Lea Lintu were set aside quite far from the place where the Duke was staying.
Moving Lea Lintu's belongings, who only brought one maid with her, proved difficult. Due to the lack of escort knights, Joel and Adi eventually joined them.
Lea Lintu had more luggage than expected, so Joel called three more servants. They followed, carrying things in both hands. Lea, who was walking ahead, looked back every now and then, as if she was uncomfortable with the fact that people were following her.
If she were his owner, Joel would advise her never to do that, but now he remained silent. From his point of view, it was impossible to look at all this favorably.
What if Adi gets it wrong and decides to leave? She was the very person who could lift the curse from His Lordship. Joel didn't care what Lintu wanted, but if she came between the two of them...
Joel stole a glance at Adi. The expression on her face remained unchanged. She really didn't seem to care. This irritated him even more, so much so that he wanted to punch himself in the chest in frustration. “Your Grace, oh, our poor Your Grace.”
While Joel was worrying, they began to climb the stairs, and he announced in advance the place where Lea Lintu would live: “This is the fourth floor.” The faces of Lea Lintu and her maid froze.
If they were given the second or third floor, it would be a sign of a certain respect, but the fourth floor meant that she was considered a guest not worth worrying too much about. I felt offended, but there was nothing to object to. After all, they, in fact, were strangers to each other.
When he reached the fourth floor, Joel opened the door and entered. The premises consisted of three rooms. There was a separate reception room for the maid, but it was very tiny. In some ways, these chambers were even worse than those where the knights and servants lived.
Although there had already been talk about adoption, according to the documents it had not yet been formalized, so in terms of status they were either higher than her or on the same level. However, such treatment seemed to once again remind Lea Lintu of her true situation, and her face became increasingly gloomy. The servants immediately dropped the things on the floor in the living room.
- In that case, rest.
Joel said this, but did not bow his head. This was due to the fact that Joel was higher in status. Adi looked at her in exactly the same way, not even thinking about bowing.
“……Thank you, sir.”
That's what Lea Lintu said. Her gaze slid over Joel, and then over Adi, but she didn’t seem to recognize them at all.
Joel and Adi left and went down the stairs. The living room on the second floor where Julius was located was located on the opposite side from where Lintu was staying, so they had to walk along the corridor for a long time.
“The Marchioness of Conolly acted cunningly,” said Joel.
“I just sent the letter myself, and left everything else on this lady’s shoulders.”
- Is that so?
- Yes, she knows that Your Grace (the Duke) cannot refuse.
- But he refused.
“Well... even though he refused, in the end she still stayed here.”
With these words, Joel looked at Adi. Adi herself looked completely calm. Joel, feeling awkward, asked, “You didn’t understand it that way, did you?” Adi's gaze dropped.
— Joel.
- Yes.
“You don’t have to worry about me so much.” As much as His Lordship needs me, I need him just as much. In addition, I took the Knight’s oath to His Lordship.
Doesn't she understand that this is not what he meant?.. Joel closed his lips tightly. Looking at his face, which for some reason looked offended, Adi lightly poked his chest with her fist.
Perhaps due to his service in the knightly order, Adi's manners were sometimes reminiscent of the habits of the men in his environment. She did not take into account the fact that Joel, unlike the knights, is a fragile magician and servant.
The blow was painful.
“Even if we have to separate, the nobility orders us to warn His Lordship in advance.”
“Can’t you just not disperse and always stay in Woodpecker?”
-...If this happened, I would only be glad.
- Is it true?
Joel's face brightened. He thought that she was faithful enough not to leave until she was asked. Of course, this idea of “loyalty” was only his own purely personal conclusion.
“Be that as it may, I’m looking forward to the Ball.”
— Joel, will you be on it too?
“Well, they don’t get to the aristocrats’ ball itself, but the others are having a lot of fun too.” They hold their own receptions for the servants and maids, at which time all the footmen and maids eat and drink to their heart's content.
- Is that so? Knights usually remain at their post.
“This time you, Adi, will probably go too.”
- Sorry?
-Didn't you get the dress? The maids and maids suffered a lot, urging him on. They insisted that they would make you more beautiful than everyone else.
— I received the dress, but...
-...You didn’t leave him at home, did you?
- No, they packed my things and I just took them with me. But I didn't think it would be needed.
- ...God bless. It's good that they brought it.
If she, wondering why this was necessary, had laid it out and repacked her things, disaster would have happened. And the people who worked so hard to create it would be deeply saddened.
— When you return to the residence, your things will already be sorted.
- Fine.
Adi answered. While talking, they didn’t even notice how they found themselves in front of the reception area. Joel knocked and opened the door.
- We are back, Your Grace.
Yul스, who was sitting on the sofa and looking through documents, looked at Adi and Joel at the sound of the voice. When Lea Lintu asked to borrow someone to help, he readily agreed, but did not expect that she would even ask for Adi. Juls was speechless, seeing that she did not refuse and volunteered to go herself. However, judging by her expression, everything went without incident.
Adi also bowed to Dimitri and Bert, who stood behind Yuls. Bert beckoned to her: “Adi, come here for a minute.” Adi followed him and left the reception area. Yuls's gaze followed her every movement. Dimitri frowned. Confusion was visible on his face - he did not know how to relate to this situation.
In fact, Dimitri had long wanted to ask about this, but circumstances did not allow it. Left alone with Jules, he finally spoke.
- Your Mightiness.
At this call, Yuls raised his head and looked at him.
- I dare to ask, Adrina Dean, by any chance...
“If you want to ask if she really is Grimaldi, then yes.”
Jules answered as if he had foreseen this question. While Bert was here, Dimitri didn't ask, but now that they were both gone, he thought it was the right time.
“I hope you’re not going to say anything just because she’s a Grimaldi?”
He couldn't say anything. And there was a reason for that...
- Treat her well. She's your distant relative.
“The current Grimaldis are not on good terms with me.”
- Like Adi. You've heard about the situation, so you know.
Dimitri fell silent. He was quite aware of what happened in Pales.
- About the death of Adrian Grimaldi in Pales and the fact that Adrina Grimaldi, who was considered dead several years ago, is alive and is here.
After that, an unexpected person joined their group, but he blindly believed the words that she was Bert's niece. He himself did not understand why he showed such carelessness.
“And also that she is my Key to breaking the curse.”
“I didn’t know about the last one,” said Dimitri.
Yuls's gaze pierced him and immediately pulled away.
“Now you know, and that’s enough.”