IDIBC Chapter 29

Count Enehaz’s Evening Party (2)

“Duchess.”

“Speak.”

“As you know, I’m in a position where I cannot freely roam outside the ducal castle.”

At my words, the Duchess’s brow furrowed briefly. However, her questioning expression quickly changed to one of understanding.

“Don’t worry about that, Lienne. No one will know that you are the young lady of the Fennel family. Since this is an invitation that came to our family, if you take it with you, no one will be able to prevent your entry.”

I accepted the invitation she handed me. Inside, the name Paula Gardarelli Rochester, the Duchess, was written.

“Are you not attending, Duchess?”

“Naturally, I should attend, but today His Grace injured his wrist slightly while playing pallium.”

“Was he badly hurt?”

“No, just very slightly. But you see, His Grace dislikes it when I leave his side when he’s unwell.”

I simply responded with a short “Ah…” There was absolutely no way to escape.

With the heart of someone making a last desperate attempt, I asked once more.

“If I need to go because only nobles can enter, wouldn’t it be better to have one of your ladies-in-waiting go and deliver it?”

“Of course I’ll send one of my ladies along. One with experience as a chaperone. How could I send a noble lady to an evening party alone? But it wouldn’t make sense to entrust a handkerchief embroidered with the family crest to a lady-in-waiting.”

“……”

“Besides, sending only a lady-in-waiting would be disrespectful to the host. Wouldn’t you agree?”

She tilted her head as if puzzled, but it was I who was actually flustered.

“Only a lady-in-waiting”? Most of the Duchess’s ladies-in-waiting were women from count families or higher.

If she was saying this, could there be some other meaning to the family handkerchief?

“However, I have no experience attending such gatherings. If someone like me goes with the Duchess’s invitation and makes a mistake, wouldn’t that cause tremendous trouble for the Rochester ducal house?”

“Lienne.”

As if my desperation was no problem at all, she called my name ever so warmly. I wanted to lean on her warmth and ask:

Why exactly! Are you sending me there? What is the real reason?

“Taking Rochester’s invitation means that whatever you do there, it’s all considered right.”

“Even if I do a handstand in the middle of the ballroom?”

“Even if you dance while doing a handstand. Because……”

The Duchess who had been smiling like a gentle breeze just moments ago was gone. The gap between warmth and coolness that came and went freely moment by moment naturally reminded me of Ricardo.

“Paula de Serhen, my very name is Dermeier Empire’s high society itself.”

The proud way she pronounced her own name captivated me instantly.

“Paula Gardarelli Rochester, this family’s name is synonymous with law in the Empire.”

I swallowed hard. There was no more resistance I could offer. Nothing but to obediently nod my head.

How could I defy the command of a woman who was both law and high society itself?

After more than an hour of preparation, I soon climbed into the Duchess’s resplendent carriage.

Though it had the best ride of any carriage I’d ever been in, my head throbbed with discomfort as if I were sitting on a bed of nails.

****

The ducal couple’s bedroom.

Paula was lying in bed waiting for her husband. It was time for dinner, but lacking appetite, she had retired to the bedroom early. Having heard from Freddy a few hours ago that Lienne had departed for Count Enehaz’s estate, by now she must have arrived at the Enehaz residence.

Paula pondered Lienne’s questionable reaction from earlier in the day.

‘Could it be, she doesn’t know?’

Just then, the Duke entered the bedroom.

“In bed already?”

“Yes, I had no thought of dinner. It seems your meeting ended early.”

“Yes, I intended to have dinner together, but they said you were in the bedroom, so I came straight here.”

He immediately pulled the bell cord to have something light prepared. Since Paula wouldn’t eat, her husband would certainly skip the meal as well, so she rose from the bed and sat across from the Duke.

“The children won’t be coming today, will they?”

“I suppose not.”

Though this annual gathering held by Count Enehaz was distasteful, there was no choice at present.

Since Enehaz’s party satisfied the base desires of the nobles, even though some conservative nobles clicked their tongues, the gatherings continued uninterrupted every year.

The Enehaz family was geographically located in the very center of the Empire’s capital. The reason Enehaz, who only had one small manor in the provinces, could hold such lavish parties every year was because nobles secretly provided him with substantial funding.

Moreover, this gathering was also where the Crown Prince and the heirs of the three great ducal houses met regularly each year. Though it had begun as a coincidental meeting that aligned with location and timing, for the Enehaz family it was as good as holding a tremendous source of money.

Not only would the Empire’s most prominent families attend, but surely even royalty from countries subjugated by war would come.

“But doesn’t it make sense that even with only a month left until the engagement, he still hasn’t introduced his fiancée to society?”

“It’s not a conventional engagement, so perhaps that’s why.”

“Precisely because it’s not conventional, his actions should be all the more proper.”

As Paula sighed, the Duke slowly rose and stood behind her. Then he began to gently massage her shoulders.

Feeling her husband’s tender touch, she suddenly remembered something and called to him urgently.

“Darling.”

“Yes?”

“If by any chance you happen to meet Lienne, don’t use your arm. I told her you injured your wrist and that I need to stay by your side.”

The Duke chuckled softly at his wife’s cute lie.

“I thought naturally he would bring her since this is the only party before the engagement ceremony, so I had preparations made……”

“……”

“It’s unfortunate that it has to be such a vulgar gathering, but it can’t be helped.”

Paula shook her head, recalling the dismay she felt when she heard Ricardo had left the ducal castle alone.

“Indeed.”

“Moreover……”

As Paula trailed off, the hand massaging her neck paused for a moment.

“Moreover?”

“She seemed not to know.”

“Know what?”

“The fact that she’s getting engaged.”

The Duke’s brow furrowed involuntarily.

“That’s… impossible.”

“No, no matter how much I think about it, I’m certain she doesn’t know.”

Ha, Paula let out a deep sigh. Adding that it seemed they didn’t know their son as well as they thought. She didn’t notice the Duke looking at her with an amused smile.

“But is it all right to send her off so recklessly like that?”

“She wouldn’t… not know the meaning of a handkerchief embroidered with the family crest, would she?”

“She might not know. She’s not a young lady raised in the Empire, after all.”

“Of course, that’s true. But I couldn’t just bring up the engagement out of the blue without knowing exactly what the situation was. If she truly didn’t know, that would be discourteous in its own way.”

“……”

“And what would the servants say? The autumn estates are already in an uproar preparing for the engagement.”

Paula shuddered slightly as if she didn’t even want to think about it.

“By the way, I wonder if the Fennel family’s quarters were properly moved to the Camellia Mansion.”

The Camellia Mansion was the most beautiful mansion in the ducal castle’s winter district. Though it was uncertain how long relations with the Fennel family would last, in any case, they were a family betrothed to Rochester. Treating them with utmost respect was only natural.

However, it had long been considered unfavorable for betrothed families to be located near each other. Thus the Fennels were moved to the winter district, the farthest from the spring district where the main residence was located.

Winter was a place that required a long carriage ride even from spring.

“I’m sure Freddy handled it well.”

Paula grasped her husband’s hand as it continued to gently caress her shoulders. Then he slowly bent down and kissed his wife. It was a respectful kiss filled with respect and trust.

“Don’t worry so much, my dear. She seems quite clever. That Young Lady Fennel.”

“Yes, Lienne is a bright child, so she’ll quickly understand the meaning of being told to deliver the handkerchief personally.”

“I’m sure she will.”

Despite her husband’s firm reassurance, the Duchess’s worries did not easily dissipate. But it was already done. Paula quietly thought of Lienne. And also of her son who couldn’t take his eyes off that child. So the arrow she had shot would fly toward the target in one way or another.

****

Meanwhile, at that time at Count Enehaz’s estate, the Crown Prince and Ricardo, who had met after a long time, stood side by side on the second-floor balcony overlooking the ballroom.

The two watched in silence as people spun round and round dancing. Their eyes saw many things, but not a single scene actually registered in their minds—they were empty.

“Yellow roses, truly nauseating.”

Crown Prince Stuart Reid Schneider was an exceptionally sensitive person. That aspect mostly didn’t align with Ricardo, but at this moment, Ricardo felt the same sentiment as the Crown Prince. He extended the wine glass he was holding toward the Crown Prince.

“Isn’t that why they’re only serving wine made from Chardonnay?”