Claude entered holding Lea Lintu's hand while the music was still playing. Yuls looked annoyed that the Crown Prince and Lea Lintu moved as if they were deliberately crossing his path, trying to attract attention. Adi didn’t attach any importance to this.
The music soon stopped. While the orchestra took a short break, the guests moved to the walls. Claude nodded to Yuls, inviting him to go upstairs. The top floor was an area closed to women.
Without giving time to think, Claude turned to Adi: “You don’t mind, do you?” Adi nodded. He did this, knowing full well that she would answer such a question with consent. Claude can be cunning at times. Or maybe completely openly.
When the men disappeared upstairs, Lea Lintu spoke to Adi, who continued to stand decorously against the wall.
-Can we talk?
Adi nodded.
— We met at Your Lordship’s Residence, didn’t we? I heard you received a knighthood, may I call you "sir"?
It seemed that Lea Lintu did not remember her from Palesa. When there was no answer or any reaction from Adi, Lea added: “Or should I call you by your name?”
- As you wish.
Lea Lintu nodded at Adi’s words and immediately got to the point.
“Your Grace told me it was time to leave.”
I've heard about this. About him telling her to leave. However, I have also heard rumors that the Marchioness of Conolly has taken some measures, so this will not be so easy. Further words were lost in omissions.
“Your Grace and you are on good terms?”
Lea Lintu continued her questions. Adi, lost in thought for a moment, asked:
— Is this your personal opinion? Or did the Marchioness of Conolly tell you to ask this?
—……The Marquise says that you are aiming for something much bigger.
- Just like you?
For a moment, Lea froze, looking as if she had been speechless. But she immediately pulled herself together and corrected her expression.
- Is there anything bad in this?
- No.
Adi answered.
“In the same way, there is nothing wrong in the fact that I am next to Your Lordship.”
It wasn't a lie. Lea Lintu tried for a long time to get closer to Duke Woodpecker, but all this time she was rebuffed. Even if she occasionally managed to dine with him, when the Duke was in the right mood, she could not stay near him.
On the other hand, Adrina Dean, who appeared from nowhere, took a place next to Duke Woodpecker himself, even if only as a knight-bodyguard.
Was there such a choice? But even if she knew this method, Lea Lintu would hardly have dared to try it.
— Do you like Your Grace? - Adi suddenly asked.
Lea opened her eyes wide, as if in surprise, looked at Adi and immediately smiled radiantly.
- Of course I like it.
Adi slightly raised the corner of her lips. She knew about this since Palesa. That Leah Lintu has her eye on Duke Woodpecker.
- After all, he has so much.
- A lot... of everything?
- Of course, he is good-looking, but I don’t care what kind of person he is. Even if he looked like a child.
“So it’s all a matter of conditions.”
- Isn't it obvious?
Lea Lintu responded as if she had heard something extremely strange. And then she quietly said: “Ah,” as if realizing everything.
- You are Adrina Dean. Niece of Sir Bert Dean.
Bert Dean was a famous and valiant knight, but whatever one may say, he was a commoner by birth. And of course, he did not understand many issues of noble etiquette.
“You must have grown up as a commoner.”
His niece also only recently received the title, so it was only natural that she would not know the ways of the nobility.
- In that case, you may not know. That the engagement is not for love at all.
Leah said this with some caution. She decided that she should enlighten her without hurting the girl's feelings. And yet, nothing can be done about the fact that the way of thinking of commoners is different from that of the nobles. Just think, you have to explain even such things. She was sincerely curious about how commoners generally lived.
Is it really possible to live guided only by love or sympathy? Of course not. She didn't believe that commoners could do things that even nobles couldn't do. They probably have everything arranged in a similar way. Unless the selection criteria are different.
— The main thing is family and profit. How useful will I be to my family and what role can I play when I enter that family?
There was still confusion on Adi's face. What Spencer Grimaldi demanded of her was too different from Lea Lintu's words.
“And I want to live under high ceilings,” Lea added.
High ceilings. Adi understood that this, of course, was an idiom. After all, the ceilings in the houses of wealthy nobles were higher and more luxurious than anywhere else. The ceilings in the Woodpecker mansion were also high. Grimaldi does the same. Was it really different in the Lintu family?
- Don't you want the same thing?
- I...
Adrianna didn't know. I didn’t know how important high ceilings are in life.
For some, this could be something irreplaceable, but Adrina knew those who were deeply unhappy under these highest arches.
- But why Your Grace?
Besides, weren't high ceilings only at Woodpecker?
- There is also a Crown Prince.
There was also one who was at the very top of this kingdom.
— There are too many contenders for the Crown Prince.
At these words from Leia, Adi thought: “This prince?” He did not seem to her the type with whom noble maidens could fall head over heels. Or did you still fall in love? However, given his high position, the option was not at all bad.
“Besides, becoming Queen is not an easy task.”
Yes, and therein lay the problem. When it came to the Queen, one had to look at origin. Even if she became Connolly's adopted daughter, the fact that her birth family were only barons from the south did not give her much weight. She had to be at least the daughter of a count in order for her candidacy to be considered at all.
— Becoming a Duchess is also not easy, but the chances are much greater than in the case of the Queen.
With these words, Lea's gaze turned upward. She seemed to be looking at Jules and Claude. Adi also followed her gaze and looked up.
Jules listened to the conversation with a completely indifferent face, and Claude, feeling his eyes on him, looked in their direction and waved his hand. Lea Lintu smiled. There was no meaning in either of their smiles. Adi was unaccustomed to such situations.
“However, it is unknown what will happen next.
Lea said this while answering him with a polite nod.
— If it becomes known about Your Lordship’s Growth, the number of competitors will increase.
Competitors. The looks that Adi felt during the dance did not belong only to Claude or Lea Lintu. They were eyes studying someone new. But if this figure is a duke.
- But you and I were the first, right?
Leah said it. At this sudden phrase, Adi turned her head. Seeing her wide eyes, Lea smiled. As if having found something in common, in a gentle voice, as if to an old friend, she said: “After all, the rest realized too late.”
- Should we at least have such a privilege?
- Indeed.
Adi answered.
“The life of a noblewoman is exactly like that.”
She knew in general terms how aristocrats lived. After all, her mother was also a noblewoman. However, she was isolated from the society of other noblewomen. The reason remained unknown. It's been like this from the very beginning.
Adrina saw only one noblewoman in her life - her own mother. That's why she didn't know. She only considered her an eccentric person who either cried, or smoked tobacco, or uttered words that sounded like curses, and in rare moments of good mood could smile once.
However, in this world they tried their best to find their way to survival. Not just nobles.
It is not known how Lea interpreted Adi’s words, but, her face darkening, she asked again.
-...Is this a reproach?
- No, pure admiration.
Adi answered.
“After all, no one explained such things to me.”
“…That’s because you’re a commoner.” Lea thought so, but did not say such a thing directly to the person’s face.
“Everyone has their own battlefield, so I have no need to blame you.” On the contrary, the life of noblewomen inspires my respect. I mean it sincerely.
But she did not seem to understand that such words should be restrained. “Lack of etiquette, nothing can be done,” Lea showed a kind of mercy towards the commoner. And, how can I put this.
- I like you.
Adi wondered what she had done. She didn't do anything to please her.
“But that doesn’t mean I’m going to lose.” After all, the Marchioness of Conolly is standing behind me.
- As you wish...
Did she even enter into this rivalry? It's hard to say. On the other hand, it cannot be said that she and the Duke are strangers, given everything that happens between them... She really didn’t know.
Lea, smiling at Adi’s indifferent reaction, looked up again. You could see people gradually gathering there. Viscount Cover appeared among them. Although his title was not high, he belonged to one of the old noble families of the Central Region.
— People are approaching His Lordship. Now everyone up there will understand everything.
Following Lea’s words, Adi also looked up. She saw Yuls, who was talking with someone.
“And they will begin to send their daughters to His Grace the Duke.” They will try to somehow make connections. Woodpecker's influence in the South is enormous. And this power is by no means limited to the southern lands.
Spencer Grimaldi stood next to him.
— Many are already starting to prepare for winter, Adrina.
Summer and Council Session are a battle of men, but the winter Social Season is a battle of women. Lea Lintu will also act for that day. Already under the new name Conolly.
Their gazes crossed.
Lea thought it would be a good idea to strike up a friendship with this clueless commoner who had just received a knighthood. Besides, if she went to Duke Woodpecker herself, it would be convenient to keep her with her. After all, having a female knight as a bodyguard for her mistress would look very dignified.
Leah stole a glance at Adi. Although she was pretty, Duke Woodpecker remained an aristocrat to the core. He would never take a commoner as his wife. That's why Lea was confident in herself.
“Let’s get along, you and I,” Leah said.
At that moment, the Marchioness of Conolly approached her. As Adi bowed her head in greeting, Lea turned around.
- Oh, have you come, marquise?
- Lea.
“I just wanted to introduce someone to you.” This...
-Sir Bert Dean's niece, isn't she? We'll meet Sir Bert Dean sometime later.
- Ah...
Leah's face showed confusion. She was about to introduce the girl, but Marquise Conolly actually cut her off. The situation was extremely rough, but Adi remained calm. Looking at this, the Marchioness of Conolly only thought that it could not be otherwise with the commoners.
“I have things to do, so let’s go, Leah.”
Having said this, the Marchioness of Conolly put her hand on Lea's shoulder and suddenly froze. She slowly turned her head and looked at Adi. Adi met her gaze with a completely calm face. A look of “really” flashed in Marquise Conolly’s eyes.
-...Malvina?
She said the name. Adi heard it for the first time. As soon as Adi looked at her in bewilderment, Marquise Conolly, looking as if this was simply impossible, said: “I apologize,” and turned around. Lea Lintu followed her.