Chapter 48
#48
I left Maria in the room and returned to the gathering.
The atmosphere was still convivial, and the discussion, led by Ricardo, had now moved on to swordsmanship.
Ricardo aside, I doubted the other two had ever even held a sword.
I sat down, and my eyes met Ricardo's.
"...Don't you think so, Lord Wincaiser?"
The moment our eyes met, Ricardo, who had been about to say something, closed his mouth and turned his head at the sound of someone calling him.
It was for the best. I had things to do.
"Bianca is not here."
I had been with Maria until just now, and I was the one who had left her behind, but I spoke to Reintar as if I knew nothing.
"Ah, so she's not."
Reintar nodded, looking at his half-sister's empty seat.
"Poor thing. She hasn't been in the capital long, so it must be unfamiliar and difficult for her, and to lose her mother on top of that, how hard must it be?"
He muttered to himself, looking at Maria's empty seat with a small sigh, as if truly saddened.
Of course, it wasn't a soliloquy, but a remark meant for Reintar to hear.
"Yes, indeed."
Reintar glanced at me and chimed in, which meant he knew the rumors about me.
But he didn't seem to believe them. If he had believed the rumors, he wouldn't have treated me the way he had earlier.
Reintar simply didn't want to have an awkward conversation.
"You must be worried about your sister."
But his discomfort was not my concern.
"Indeed."
"Were you well acquainted with the deceased when she was alive?"
"Ah, no. I never even met her."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes, yes."
He wanted to escape this topic, but I wouldn't let him go, so Reintar just nodded and raised his glass.
"Well, it must be difficult for you in the middle."
I nodded as if I understood everything.
And in my mind, I was wondering if Reintar's statement that he had never met Meggy was true.
"Would you like more wine?"
"Yes, please."
In fact, I had already drunk enough wine, but I readily nodded to continue the conversation with Reintar.
As I watched the crimson wine fill our empty glasses, I made a conscious effort to smile when I met Reintar's eyes.
If I was going to keep talking about a topic he disliked, I had to win his favor with a kind and gentle attitude.
"Actually, I have met the deceased."
"Maria's mother? Bianca?"
"Yes. And it was on the day she died."
Reintar's eyes widened at my words, as if he were hearing it for the first time.
It was such an innocent and naive expression. If that was a feigned expression, Reintar would be a naturally talented actor.
"That's why I got caught up in strange rumors. I never thought the kindness I showed would come back to me like this."
I picked up my wine glass with a truly bitter expression.
I tilted the glass, admiring the ruby-like color, and slowly took a sip.
And Reintar was watching me.
"I apologize on her behalf."
As soon as I put down my wine glass, Reintar apologized.
"Yes? Apologize?"
"For such... rumors."
Reintar's face was slightly flushed.
"It's embarrassing enough that my father had such a woman, but I'm sorry that Bianca has been caught up in the problems that have arisen from it."
I couldn't tell if the flush on his face was due to embarrassment or anger.
Perhaps it was both.
And at least one thing was clear. Reintar did not like Meggy.
I didn't know exactly what "such a woman" meant, but he couldn't possibly like someone referred to as "such a woman."
"Bianca has been a great help to Maria, but my sister must have misunderstood something to make such remarks and trouble Bianca... I will make sure Maria understands."
Reintar looked at me with a resolute expression, as if to leave it to him.
"No, thank you for your kind words."
Knowing that the problem I was facing now was not something Reintar could solve, I politely declined.
But I didn't forget to give Reintar a grateful smile.
He willingly showed me that he was ashamed of Meggy and his father's actions.
I didn't know if it was enough to commit murder, but at least there was a motive.
"Do you happen to know Angela's Confectionery?"
"Yes! I know it. It's a very famous place for cupcakes."
Pleased that the topic had changed, Reintar replied with a bright smile.
"But in my personal opinion, I think their cookies are better than their cupcakes. Especially the oatmeal cookies, which are not too sweet and very savory. They go very well with milk or black tea."
"I see. I haven't tried the oatmeal cookies yet, but I'll have to try them next time."
Reintar knew Angela's Confectionery.
If so, it would be possible to buy cupcakes there, poison them, and feed them to Meggy.
Since Angela's Confectionery only takes orders, perhaps he had been planning to poison Meggy from the start, but by chance, on that day, and by chance, I bought Angela's cupcakes and visited, which led to such a misunderstanding.
Perhaps what was found was not the cake I bought, but someone else's...
"...would you like to?"
Oh, dear.
I was so lost in thought that I didn't hear what Reintar said.
"I wonder."
I had previously agreed to something just to fit in with the atmosphere and ended up being misunderstood by Maria, so I didn't do that this time.
I just gave a slightly ambiguous smile and postponed my answer, and Reintar's face, which I thought had lost its redness, turned red again.
"Ah, of course, Bianca must be busy. I'm not forcing you. But as you know, it's a place that only takes reservations, and since Bianca hasn't tried the oatmeal cookies yet, I just thought I'd mention it."
I guess we were talking about Angela's Confectionery.
"I'm not trying to put you under any pressure, I just want to have a good time... Ah, no! The good time I'm talking about is really a good time. It's not meant to have any other meaning!"
Reintar's face turned even redder.
Judging by his attitude, he must have been suggesting that we go to Angela's to eat oatmeal cookies together.
"Speaking of a good time, I was wondering... did you tell the Marquess of Wendsbury about me?"
"Yes?"
Reintar blinked, stammering with a red face.
"I mentioned that I wanted to see the Marquess before I left today."
"Ah, ah... you mean that."
"I don't know when I'll be leaving, so I'd like to see her before I go."
I tilted my head slightly, looking at Reintar as if asking for a favor.
"I'll ask my mother right now."
I hadn't even said I wanted to go right away, but Reintar jumped up from his seat.
"Oh, would you?"
"Of course."
I watched Reintar walk out of the banquet hall with a very pleased expression.
Thanks to Reintar, I would be able to meet the Marquess of Wendsbury, who had been reclusive since Maria's appearance.
Just as I was about to turn my head, thinking about what I should ask her, my eyes met Ricardo's.
Unexpectedly, his expression was... well...
Very, very fierce.
Of course, it would be boring to have a discussion about swordsmanship with people who have never even held a sword, but I didn't think he needed to make such a scary face?
"Shall we get some air together for a while?"
This time, the moment our eyes met, Ricardo spoke to me without hesitation.
And the words that came out of his mouth were clearly an invitation, but Ricardo's expression as he looked at me was closer to coercion.
'Another new side of him.'
That was what I thought as I looked at him, his lips pressed tightly together as if refusal was not an option, his eyes gleaming as he stared at me.
I, who had only ever seen the 'indifferent Ricardo,' had met the 'Ricardo suffering from war trauma.'
I had also met the 'Ricardo smiling casually,' the 'Ricardo angry that the annulment could not happen,' and the 'Ricardo hurt by my words.'
And even the sublime 'Ricardo who showed faith' that I had met a few days ago.
I thought there would be no more new Ricardos, but the side of him he was showing now was... let's just say it was 'ferocious Ricardo.'
If I keep discovering these new sides of him, will I also see things like 'cute Ricardo' or 'sensual Ricardo'?
"Do you dislike it?"
Ricardo frowned slightly when I just stared at him instead of answering.
Could it be that the expression just now was 'sensual Ricardo'...
What am I thinking right now!
"No. It's not that I dislike it..."
I glanced back.
Now, the two people who had never held a sword were having a heated discussion about spears.
They were clearly two people who had never even held a spear.
"Then let's get up for a while."
Ricardo held out his hand.
And before I could even place my hand on his, he grabbed it firmly.
"Excuse us for a moment."
Ricardo gave a smile for public consumption and excused himself to the people at the table as he pulled me up.
Just then, Maria was on her way back inside.
Her gaze turned to me, and she stood still, looking at Ricardo next to me as well.
"Are you leaving already?"
The Marquis of Wendsbury asked with a disappointed expression.
"No, of course not."
I wanted to meet the Marchioness and have a chat with the Marquis of Wendsbury, so I quickly replied before Ricardo could say anything.
"We're just going to get some air."
I guessed that if I said this, the Marquis of Wendsbury would say something about us being a well-matched couple and a good-looking pair.
The Marquis of Wendsbury's words were a little embarrassing, but they were always nice to hear, so I was secretly looking forward to it.
Especially now, I wanted to hear those words in front of Maria.
"Ah, I see."
But the Marquis of Wendsbury just nodded as if he understood, and soon continued talking to the person next to him.
A little deflated, I looked at Maria and soon realized that there was no need to do so at all.
Maria's gaze was fixed on my hand, which Ricardo was holding.
With a sharp look in her eyes, as if she would cut off my wrist.
