Ch#84
Spoils of War
Duchess
By Lemon Frog
Episode 84
"Haa... I'm really sorry. I don't even know what's wrong with me lately."
"Hmm... Usually, people know best why they're acting that way. You probably have some inkling yourself, miss."
At those words, Linia clamped her mouth shut and stared down at the floor.
With anyone else, Edel might have sighed and left upon seeing Linia avoid her gaze, but she didn't miss the tips of Linia's ears turning red.
"A man?"
Linia's head snapped up in surprise at the question.
"N-No? It's not?"
Her answer screamed otherwise, and Linia fidgeted restlessly.
Edel smiled gently.
It wasn't hard to guess who it was if Linia, who had shown no interest in such matters until recently, suddenly had a romance problem.
"The son of House Talon, right? The second son, or was it the third?"
"............How does Edel know everything? Can you read my mind?"
Linia's eyes widened as if truly amazed, making Edel chuckle fondly at how cute she was.
"What's his name?"
"I-Ian Talon, the second son. But it's not like I like him or anything. I met him for the first time that day, we just danced a bit... And anyway, since he's the second son, my brother would hate it. For House Creaser's sake, it would be better if I married the eldest son of a powerful family. Of course, House Talon is quite prominent too, but if he's not the eldest, he won't inherit..."
Without being asked, Linia rattled on with explanations, as if preemptively bracing for heartbreak.
"Did the count say that?"
"No. But my brother doesn't talk to me much anyway."
.
"The count I've seen so far wouldn't decide your marriage for the sake of the family's interests."
"Maybe not before, but things have changed now, haven't they? You said so yourself. House Creaser's status will completely transform."
Edel found Linia adorable for asking that, but at the same time, deeply envious.
Edel's father had pondered how to sell his daughter for the highest price without hesitation, whereas Linia’s brother, despite vowing to become a central noble of the Emperor's faction, prioritized protecting his sister's happiness above all.
"Linia's marriage partner? Why would I decide that? Linia should bring someone home herself."
"You have no intention of using marriage alliances at all?"
"What meaning would power gained by selling my only family member have?"
She had asked knowing the answer, but hearing the firm response made her envy Laslo even more.
"The count truly knows what's important. He sees your marriage and the family's prosperity as separate matters."
"R-Really...?"
Linia's cheeks flushed even deeper.
But soon, a sigh-mingled hollow laugh escaped her lips.
"But I'm ridiculous too. Talon Young Master has no interest in me, so why am I worrying about marriage?"
Edel had no particular words of comfort for that. At this point, there wasn't much Linia could do.
*She said they met for the first time that day, so Ian Talon was likely just following his father's orders. Waiting for him to approach first is hopeless, and approaching him herself would hurt her pride...*
Edel squeezed Linia's hand with a comforting smile.
"No need to decide your heart so soon. As I said last time, plenty of men will ask you to dance from now on. Of their own accord."
"Right! This is just excitement from my first dance request. Once I get more used to society, I'll forget Talon Young Master completely."
"Maybe."
True to her spirited nature, Linia quickly shook off her gloom and poked Edel's side with a playful expression.
- 3 -
"Does Edel remember who she first danced with? Not your father or brother."
Caught off guard by the question, Edel smiled awkwardly.
In truth, she had never danced with her father or brothers. Not even at her wedding reception.
*Why did they look at me like a stranger? Even if we weren't close, I was still their daughter and sister...*
She quickly banished the bitter memory and recalled her debut into society. But that memory wasn't pleasant either.
"I remember. At fourteen, on my society debut. Father made me dance with him. He was the eldest son of a family that's declined now."
Back then, they had been a rising star, full of promise. They had allied wrongly with House Lancaster and fallen during the recent 'treason.'
Oblivious to that, Linia asked with wide-eyed curiosity.
"Did it make your heart race too, Edel? Did you feel like you were falling in love?"
"No. There were whispers behind us, he wasn't as handsome as Talon Young Master, and he was twelve years older than me."
"Twelve yeaars? Well, twenty-six is still young, but to a fourteen-year-old, he must've seemed like an uncle?"
"Exactly. It felt like dancing with an uncle."
Unfortunately, her partner hadn't felt that way.
For a while after, whenever he saw Edel, he would make crude jokes about having taken her 'first.'
Having learned all of society's innuendos and being precocious, Edel found his jokes toward her mere fourteen-year-old self distasteful, but with the adults around laughing uproariously, she could only follow suit.
*No pleasant memories at all...*
But there was no need to burden Linia with such trivial tales. Linia wouldn't face that, and Edel didn't want to scare her with bad stories.▲
The next morning, as Edel sorted the mail for Laslo and Linia on separate silver trays, her hand suddenly stopped.
"Ian Talon?"
The sender of the letter to Linia was 'Ian Talon'!
.
Without realizing it, Edel grabbed just that letter and hurried to Linia's room. Enough to draw surprised stares from the other servants.
"Miss!"
"Edel? What's wrong? What happened? Is something wrong with my brother?"
Only after Linia jumped up in alarm did Edel feel embarrassed, wondering if she'd overreacted.
"I'm sorry. I thought it might be the letter you've been waiting for... Of course, it might not be anymore."
Realizing belatedly she hadn't even put it on the tray, Edel held the letter out to Linia with both hands.
Linia, puzzled about what letter would make Edel rush like this, widened her eyes upon seeing the sender's name on the envelope.
"I-Ian... Talon...? Am I seeing this right?"
"Yes. See the Talon family crest with the swan emblem stamped on it."
Linia examined the envelope front and back several times, took a few deep breaths, then tore it open. Her fingertips trembled faintly.
"It's probably nothing much. Maybe just thanks for the dance that day. Or demanding something in return for asking you."
To avoid disappointment, Linia imagined the worst as she pulled out and unfolded the letter.
"No way."
"If not, why would Talon Young Master write to me out of nowhere... Kyaa!"
"Miss! What's wrong?"
Linia suddenly shrieked while scanning the letter, startling Edel this time, who rushed over.
Linia waved the letter frantically in front of Edel.
"What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?!"
"Calm down, miss! If you think calmly, you can handle anything...!"
"He wants to come for tea! Not with my brother—with me!"
Linia's hands shook far more violently than when she'd opened the envelope.
Edel took the letter from her and read the main part.
"......It was an honor to meet you that day, and thank you so much for accepting my clumsy dance request. I can't forget how you smiled like an angel throughout the dance.
I recently received Elbenya Mountain tea leaves as a gift from a relative who returned from abroad. If it wouldn't be rude, I'd like to share some with you too.
Would you invite me at a time convenient for you?"
It went on at length to say he had no intention of burdening her, that she could refuse if it felt rude, and he wouldn't misconstrue the refusal.
It clearly reeked of a man mustering courage for his first love.
"Wh-what should I do?"
Linia clung to Edel's hand, staring at her like she was a god.
Edel couldn't help laughing, caught up in Linia's fresh first romance.
.
