Translator: Nox

Chapter 79

79

Maid

Mathias spotted Leila first. Then Claudine, followed by the father and son duo, Dr. Etman and Kyle, whom he regarded slowly. That was enough to grasp the situation.

“You’re back early, Duke Herhart.”

Claudine, who had quickly regained her smile, broke the icy silence.

“Yes, Lady. The business wrapped up sooner than expected.”

Mathias crossed the drawing room leisurely and stood face-to-face with Claudine. Leila, who had been at Claudine’s side, hesitated and retreated step by step until she reached the window.

“I suppose this is your guest, Lady.”

Mathias asked in a relaxed tone as he looked at Leila, who stood trapped in the shadow of the window like a prisoner.

“……No.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Claudine chose the truth over an obvious lie that would be seen through.

“My personal maid injured her hand badly, so Leila has been filling in for her for a few days. I’m truly grateful for it.”

With each word she spoke, Claudine’s mind grew calmer. In fact, she even thought it might be for the best. It was a chance to test how the Duke of Herhart would treat his mistress in front of his fiancée.

“Ah. A maid……”

Mathias, who had scanned Leila thoroughly, stood beside his fiancée with an expression devoid of any particular emotion. Claudine naturally linked her arm with his to maintain her dignity.

“Then the guests must be the Etmans.”

Mathias glanced at Dr. Etman and Kyle, who were plunged into utter confusion.

“Yes. These gentlemen are my guests.”

Claudine’s voice was simply bright and cheerful as she answered without hesitation.

“We were just about to have tea together after so long. Oh! And come to think of it……”

As if only now recalling the awkward relationship between Leila and Kyle, Claudine suddenly wore a troubled expression.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think of that and committed a great discourtesy.”

“……No, Lady Brandt.”

Dr. Etman replied with an effort to sound gentle, but his face had already stiffened.

“Then let’s have tea with the guests.”

Mathias acted as if there was nothing odd about this ridiculous combination, maintaining a perfectly ordinary demeanor. Claudine’s eyes wavered slightly at the unexpected reaction.

“We’ll be taking our leave now.”

Kyle, who had been breathing deeply in and out repeatedly, said coldly.

“There’s another patient I need to visit, and I momentarily forgot. Right, Father?”

“Ah. Yes, Kyle. That’s right.”

Dr. Etman hurriedly chimed in with his son’s words. As he glanced at Leila, who had her head bowed deeply, his eyes were filled with unmistakable pity.

“What a shame. Then next time, I’ll invite you properly.”

“Yes, Your Grace. We’ll be off, then.”

For the sake of that poor girl, if nothing else, Dr. Etman wanted them gone as soon as possible and quickly bowed before turning away. But Kyle remained rooted to the spot, staring at Leila.

“Leila, let’s go!”

Kyle’s forceful words rang loudly through the drawing room.

“You’re not a maid. Why are you acting like one here?!”

Dr. Etman was stunned by his son’s unfamiliar, unabashed display of anger and could only let out a sigh, at a loss for words.

Even as all eyes focused on Kyle Etman, Mathias’s gaze remained fixed solely on Leila. Leila blinked for a moment with a face that didn’t quite comprehend the situation, then looked at Kyle with desperate eyes.

Clinging to him, pleading, as if he were the only one in the world.

“The Etmans should go take care of Etman family business. I’ll handle Arbis matters as the master of Arbis.”

Mathias extinguished Kyle’s outburst with a calm command.

Kyle Etman stood firm, as if he wouldn’t budge until he took Leila with him, but in the end, he couldn’t hold out. He couldn’t bring himself to ignore his father’s distress or Leila’s trembling lips silently begging him.

Unable to contain his frustration, Kyle roughly raked a hand through his hair and turned away. Dr. Etman hurriedly followed after his son, who stormed off with heavy footsteps. Mathias signaled with a glance to the servants hovering anxiously at the door. Now, the only ones left in the drawing room were Leila, Claudine, and him.

“Then it looks like it’ll just be the two of us for tea.”

Mathias casually escorted Claudine to the tea table. As she sat in the chair he pulled out for her, her face had noticeably paled.

Before taking his own seat, Mathias looked at Leila, who still stood blankly by the window. Her large eyes, gazing at the spot where Kyle had been, were filled with sorrow.

He’s not coming, Leila.

Instead of whispering those words, Mathias smiled. Leila, who happened to turn her gaze at that moment, glared at him and bit her lip.

Her beautiful eyes now flashed with sharp anger.

Mathias’s mood improved considerably.

“The ladies who went out will be back soon.”

It was Claudine who broke first, swallowing her pride. She couldn’t endure this composed tea time any longer—it seemed endless.

“I think I should prepare for dinner now. Shouldn’t you as well, Your Grace?”

“I’ll finish the remaining tea, so please go ahead, Lady.”

“……Yes. Then I’ll excuse myself first.”

Claudine rose from her seat in surrender. Mathias, sipping his tea with his legs casually crossed, now seemed downright chilling.

“You’ll need a maid to prepare for dinner, Lady.”

After taking a sip of the cold tea, Mathias turned his head to look at Leila. The woman who had stood silently by the window like she was being punished throughout their entire tea time.

“I don’t think that’s necessary.”

Claudine, who had glanced alternately at Leila and Mathias, gave an awkward smile unlike herself.

The Duke of Herhart had certainly behaved impeccably.

In front of everyone’s eyes, he had upheld his fiancée’s honor and treated the mistress like a shadow, maintaining perfect decorum. It was the ideal picture, exactly what Claudine had hoped for—yet it left her breathless and chilled. It might have been better if Mathias had exploded in rage instead.

“You did well, Leila.”

Before leaving the drawing room, Claudine praised Leila to salvage her final shred of pride. At her signal, a waiting maid approached and placed money into Leila’s hand. Mathias watched the scene without so much as a twitch of his eyebrow.

As Claudine and the maid departed, the silence in the drawing room deepened.

Leila remained there quietly, as if she had erased all emotion from herself. If not for the faint tremble in the hand clutching the money, she could have passed for a doll. Her eyes and lips seemed even redder against her drained complexion.

Mathias set down the teacup he had gripped so tightly it might shatter and rose from his seat.

“Wait for me at the annexe.”

Mathias commanded as he approached Leila.

“If you don’t come, I’ll go to you—so choose whichever you prefer.”

To Leila, who offered no response or sound, he whispered in an even lower voice. She still didn’t look at him. Her hand clutching the money merely trembled a little more.

Leaving Leila behind, Mathias also left the drawing room leisurely. Instead of heading to his bedroom, he went to the study and rang the bell to summon Hessen.

“Please call Dr. Etman again.”

Hessen’s eyes widened at the unexpected order from his master.

“But, sir, Dr. Etman clearly has house calls this afternoon……”

“There’s a very important patient in Arbis, so ask him to make one more trip despite the inconvenience.”

Cutting off Hessen, Mathias issued the dry command in a flat, emotionless tone.

“Yes, sir.”

Though worried about what might unfold, that was the only response Hessen could give.

Claudine changed into a dress and returned to the drawing room. The noble ladies and gentlemen who had returned from their outing filled the spots vacated by Mathias and Leila. Deep in lively chatter, they spotted Claudine approaching with light steps and burst into exaggerated exclamations of admiration.

“You look so beautiful, Claudine.”

“Claudine’s tall and has such a lovely figure—she makes any dress look good.”

“Oh my, madam. With Marquis Lindman here, such frivolous words.”

The playful noblewomen’s gazes turned toward Riet, seated at the end of the sofa. Claudine’s eyes, which had been modestly smiling in humility, also stopped there. Riet had returned from visiting a social club in the city. Just that fact lifted Claudine’s spirits.

Yes. Maybe it’s not all that bad.

Trying to think positively, everything started to feel fine. Leila had behaved meekly, knowing her place, and Mathias had shown he knew how to treat a mistress as such.

The drawing room’s atmosphere, growing ever more lively with pre-dinner pleasantries, shifted the moment Mathias entered. Bizarrely, he had brought the family physician, who had visited just hours ago.

“Dr. Etman! Didn’t we just meet this afternoon?”

Katarina von Herthart asked, unable to hide her surprise.

“I heard there was a serious patient in Arbis and came back, madam.”

“A serious patient? Who on earth is ill?”

The noble ladies and gentlemen exchanged puzzled glances. Only Claudine stared at Mathias with a face drained of all color.

No way.

Clutching and twisting her dress skirts, Claudine repeated like a prayer.

No way that man would.

But Mathias shattered her hopes with a casual smile.

“Please call that maid, Lady.”

“The maid……?”

“The one who was badly injured, your maid.”

Everyone listening intently to Mathias’s words widened their eyes.

“Good heavens, Mathias! You called Dr. Etman back just to check a mere maid’s injury?”

“I understand it’s a maid Lady Brandt is quite fond of, Mother.”

Even before his frowning mother, Mathias remained composed.

“With such a maid badly hurt and unable to use her hand, Lady Brandt’s heart must not be at ease. Isn’t that right, Lady?”

“That’s true, but…… you don’t need to go to such extremes for her, Duke Herhart.”

“No. Since she’s special to you, Lady, we should take care and treat her properly.”

Before Claudine could respond, Mathias ordered the attendants waiting at the door.

“Bring Lady Brandt’s maid. Right now, here.”