Translator: Nox

Chapter 16

The opened letters and invitations were placed on Rosalyn’s lap one after another. She read through the final letter slowly, as if savoring a tedious formal dinner, before leisurely raising her head. Her movements were elegant as she folded the paper neatly and slipped it back into its envelope.

“It looks like the sailing date will be pushed back a little further.”

Rosalyn took a teacup and saucer from Mary, shaking her head with a sigh. The faint aroma of black tea drifted through the room along with the rising steam. After taking a graceful sip, Rosalyn added with a charming smile.

“Of course, I’m happy to spend more time with you, Vanessa. Don’t misunderstand.”

“Naturally. I find strength in having you here, too.”

“Father says he has business in the south. It seems he wants to take the opportunity to hand over a chartered company to Blair.”

“A chartered company nearby… do you mean that textile mill?”

“That’s the one. To coordinate the schedule, I think we’ll have to delay things by a few more weeks. Your uncle will probably be appalled to hear his troublesome houseguests are staying longer, though.”

Vanessa laughed and shook her head.

“If the Marquis of Winchester himself is coming, he’ll likely welcome it with open arms. Especially if it involves business.”

There was only one reason for the Marquis of Winchester, a high-ranking noble from the capital, to come south for business. It was for the Duke Battenberg—the man rumored to be living in near-total seclusion in the south.

It was a well-known fact that the Duke was handling all his affairs via mail and telephone while keeping his whereabouts hidden. It was also common knowledge that the Duke’s mail, delivered to the ducal estate every week, bore the postmark of the Bath post office.

Gossips speculated that his eccentric behavior began when the Dowager Duchess Battenberg pushed for a royal marriage. Whenever they gathered, they would chatter away, claiming he had a scandalous mistress, that his emotional stability had crumbled due to the war, or that his face had been horribly scarred. In these rumors, the Duke was sometimes a misanthrope who loathed women, and other times a man with five illegitimate children.

‘When he was eight, he was praised as the angel of the era.’

In any case, it was safe to say that all eyes were currently fixed on Somerset. Even now, the front page of the local newspaper Rosalyn held was about that very Duke….

“…….”

Caught by a strange sense of dissonance, Vanessa stared intently at the front page of the newspaper in Rosalyn’s hands.

“What is it, Vanessa?”

“…Hm?”

“Is something wrong?”

“No… it’s nothing.”

As soon as she gave her dazed reply, Rosalyn arched an eyebrow. Following Vanessa’s gaze to the front page, Rosalyn’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Don’t tell me you’ve taken an interest in the Duke?”

“Vanessa’s interested in who?”

Just then, Blair entered the room, tossing his coat over the sofa as he tilted his head curiously. The smile on Rosalyn’s lips deepened.

“Duke Battenberg. It seems Vanessa has finally taken an interest in a man.”

“It’s not like that. It’s just… that photo. I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere.”

“The Duke’s face? All the photos released to the public are as blurry as this one.”

“Let me see it for a second.”

Vanessa took the newspaper from Rosalyn and carefully examined the photo on the front page. It looked like it had been taken secretly from a distance, showing several soldiers standing together. The paper was cheap and the print quality was abysmal. While it was the best newspaper available in the area, even the finest things in Somerset tended to pale in comparison to those in the capital.

Regardless, it was unlikely a better photo could be found even in the capital. The Duke Battenberg’s face had only been revealed to the public when he was eight years old; since then, every photo in the papers had been so blurry that his features were indistinguishable.

‘People still rave about him being a great beauty based on nothing but that.’

All one could tell from a photo like this was that the soldiers had straight posture. The fleeting sense of dissonance she had felt earlier vanished. Vanessa soon lost interest and set the paper down.

“There are faces that make you want to plan your future just by looking at them. This man’s face is exactly like that.”

Rosalyn, who claimed to have seen him in person once, whispered while haughtily fluttering her fan. Against the background of Blair’s faint snort of derision, Vanessa thought of River Ross. Thinking of him made Rosalyn’s words feel understandable. He was a man who made her feel like she wanted to be deeply entangled with him just by looking at him.

“I heard his private life is quite messy. They say more than a few women have shown up at the Battenberg estate claiming to be pregnant.”

“That’s the rumor, but who knows if it’s true. Not a single one of those women could properly describe the Duke’s appearance.”

“The fact that he hasn’t agreed to a single photo since he grew up means he’s hiding something. They say he hasn’t even sat for a portrait since he was ten. And even those aren’t public.”

“Well.”

Rosalyn said, her lips curling into a cynical smile.

“As someone who saw him personally, even from a distance, the Duke was perfect. He probably doesn’t release photos because of the fraudsters. If things are this bad now, imagine what would happen if a portrait were released.”

“I doubt it’s because of fraudsters.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“There’s always a reason for a man to vanish. Usually, it’s a hidden woman.”

At Blair’s sharp assessment, Rosalyn laughed as if she saw right through him.

“Men are always like that. When there’s a man better than them, they act like they want to kill him….”

“You just have to trample on your other half to feel satisfied, don’t you, Rosalyn?”

“Both of you, stop it.”

“Keep this in mind, Vanessa. When a man turns away every woman who comes his way, there’s a reason for it.”

At Blair’s biting warning, Vanessa sighed and pressed a hand to her throbbing head.

“Sometimes I think Rosalyn has ruined you too much. You were so cute when you were little.”

“We ruined each other. Ever since we were in the Marchioness of Winchester’s womb.”

Vanessa was speechless at the sight of their proud expressions.

“Anyway, it’s a good thing to be curious about the opposite sex, Vanessa.”

Rosalyn set her fan down on the table and rejoined the conversation.

“In that sense, you need to be perfectly healthy within two weeks, Vanessa. Unless you want to miss the Wilton picnic.”

Rosalyn’s reminder brought to mind the flamboyant invitation she had forgotten. Vanessa let out a deep sigh and buried her heavy head back into the pillow.

“I’ll do my best.”

---

— Regarding the Boville matter, I will send a lawyer to handle it as you instructed. We have donated the usual amount to the Riverton charity event, and the acquisition of the shipping company is proceeding smoothly. Once it’s finalized within the week, Lord Edgar says he will bring the documents down to the south himself.

“Good. I’ll be waiting.”

— Um, Master. Also….

The voice of the butler, which had been coming clearly through the receiver, faltered slightly.

— Is there any chance you might plan to return even a little earlier than scheduled?

Theodore rubbed his tired eyes with his free hand. The sunlight pouring through the general store’s large glass window was exceptionally intense. Out of habit, he let a smile touch his lips that the other person could not see.

“I told you during our last call that I would spend this vacation here. Have you forgotten already?”

— Of course, I remember.

The butler, Norman, chose his words carefully.

— It’s just that the Dowager Duchess has been struggling quite a bit lately. She has cut off all social activities and only moves between her bedroom and the garden. She only keeps one young maid nearby to attend her.

“I don’t see how that’s any different from usual. She always protests in that manner.”

— The Dowager Duchess is truly worried about Your Grace. She may seem cold because she doesn’t express it outwardly, but more than anyone….

“I know, Norman.”

He gently cut off the butler’s long-winded explanation.