Chapter 27
27.
“Oh, I see….”
Did he have someone he loved?
Lobelin felt a spark of curiosity, but seeing the lonely shadow on Cedric’s face, she couldn’t bring herself to pry further.
She simply gazed at the hydrangeas in silence.
Cedric, who had been watching Lobelin with interest, spoke again.
“It must have been a bit dull today, wasn’t it? Since I entered the House of Nobles so abruptly, the guest list ended up being quite formal. Still, I insisted on inviting you, Lady Dines, and it seems I’ve left a lady bored.”
“Not at all. I’m just grateful to have been invited.”
While it was true she’d been a bit bored, she couldn’t exactly say that to his face.
Lobelin waved her hands in dismissal as she spoke.
Seeing her reaction, Cedric gave a light smile.
He gestured to one side.
“It was my own stubbornness, but you did suffer a terrible ordeal because of that man, Bolton. I wanted to offer my consolation in my own way.”
Cedric’s butler, who had approached unnoticed, handed Lobelin a bouquet.
It was a bouquet made of the hydrangeas blooming all around them.
“T-this is for me?”
“A small token of comfort for what you went through last time.”
Cedric placed a hand over his heart and bowed slightly at the waist.
Lobelin looked down at the bouquet of hydrangeas with a slightly dazed expression.
‘Goodness, I suppose living a second life means I actually get to receive flowers from a handsome man like this.’
It was a bit surprising, but flowers were beautiful regardless.
A soft smile played on Lobelin’s lips as she looked down at them.
Watching her, Cedric continued with his business.
“As you may have heard, Duke Bolton has been stripped of all speaking and voting rights in the House of Nobles. Furthermore, His Majesty has ordered him to remain under house arrest until the end of the year.”
Cedric smiled faintly.
“I intended to press him further on his other crimes, but his personal physician has already fled. Even so, no one in Heriot will ever accept Bolton again.”
“That is truly a relief. Most of all for the ladies.”
Lobelin nodded, genuinely pleased.
How many women had suffered because of that one wretched man?
It was a great relief that such a person had finally been socially buried.
“Thank you for looking out for us in so many ways, Marquis.”
“Think nothing of it. It’s only natural for a gentleman to do so.”
“Still, I’m not sure how I can repay this kindness….”
“In that case… would you walk with me for a moment?”
Cedric smiled and gestured toward the inner part of the greenhouse.
Lobelin found herself nodding instinctively at his dazzling presence.
For a while, only the sound of their rhythmic footsteps echoed through the greenhouse.
‘Ugh, I don’t know what to say.’
Come to think of it, she didn’t really have any topics of conversation to share with Cedric.
She couldn’t exactly gossip like she did with her friends.
Nor could she shamelessly interrogate him about his personal life.
‘And it’s not like I can just say whatever comes to mind like I do with Ian.’
Thinking that this was all because Cedric was excessively handsome, Lobelin hugged the bouquet of hydrangeas tighter.
She felt Cedric look her way at the rustle of the wrapping paper.
“Ahaha.”
When their eyes met, Lobelin offered an awkward smile.
Seeing this, the corners of Cedric’s eyes crinkled softly.
“Ah, my apologies. I’ve made the lady bored again.”
“Oh, no!”
“This greenhouse is where I come to organize my thoughts. I fell into the habit of being lost in thought and committed a discourtesy.”
Cedric smiled and looked down at the ground for a moment.
After a brief pause, he lifted his head again.
“My Lady, may I ask you something?”
“Oh, yes! Of course!”
Lobelin nodded as if to say it was fine.
Whatever it was, she welcomed the chance for small talk.
However, Lobelin felt her heart drop at Cedric’s subsequent question.
“Lady Dines, do you happen to know anything regarding the news of Prince Ian Heriet’s engagement?”
“……Pardon?”
For a moment, Lobelin’s grip loosened, and she nearly dropped the bouquet.
She quickly adjusted her hold, avoiding the disaster of flinging the flowers to the ground, but her startled heart pounded wildly.
“Ah, I-I’m sorry. I was just lost in thought for a second. More importantly, may I ask why you are asking me about that?”
Lobelin asked back cautiously.
Logically, if he had questions about Ian, it would be more appropriate to ask other nobles of higher rank than Lobelin.
To begin with, no one thought Ian and Lobelin were close.
They had never shared a private conversation in a public setting.
‘Wait, did he see me and Ian together?’
At the sudden possibility, Lobelin felt her heart grow anxious.
However, Cedric continued as if it were of little consequence.
“From what I understand, Lady Bennett and Lady Spencer are being mentioned as candidates for the next Crown Princess.”
“Ah, yes…. That’s true.”
The image of Ian dancing with Amelie suddenly flickered through her mind, but Lobelin hastily brushed the thought away.
Cedric watched her quietly for a moment before speaking with a smile on his lips.
“I heard that Lady Dines is close friends with Lady Bennett, so I took the liberty of asking. The identity of the next Crown Princess is an important matter for the operation of my merchant guild as well.”
‘Thank God. He didn’t see anything.’
Lobelin breathed a sigh of relief inwardly at Cedric’s words.
As it was, the fact that Ian had danced with Amelie at the last banquet was on the lips of everyone in society.
If Lobelin’s name were to come up in the midst of that….
She didn’t even want to imagine what would follow.
“It’s true that I’m close with Lady Bennett, but I don’t know the details. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help, Marquis.”
Lobelin decided to be as tight-lipped as possible regarding this matter.
Even though Ian had said on the balcony that night that he would call off the engagement, it wasn’t her story to go around spreading.
“I see. It was merely a question born of curiosity, so please do not take it to heart.”
Cedric gave a mysterious smile as he looked at Lobelin.
When an awkward atmosphere lingered, Lobelin hurried to change the subject.
‘We’ve talked about hydrangeas enough. Isn’t there anything else…?’
Just then, a vine on a wall in one corner of the greenhouse caught Lobelin’s eye.
Lobelin immediately pointed toward it and asked.
“By the way, what is that vine over there? It looks like there’s a wall built behind it.”
“Ah.”
Cedric’s gaze turned toward where Lobelin was pointing.
“It’s nothing special. It just stores the landscaping tools used by the gardeners.”
“Oh, I see.”
When the conversation ended so flatly, Lobelin clamped her mouth shut again.
Fortunately, this time Cedric was the one to change the subject first.
“Come to think of it, I heard the Spring Festival is approaching soon.”
“Yes. It’s next week.”
Relieved by the change in topic, Lobelin answered readily.
Cedric showed a great deal of interest in the Spring Festival.
He added that festivals were quite important events for running a merchant guild.
“If it’s alright with you, could I ask Lady Dines to accompany me to the festival?”
“Oh.”
Lobelin faltered at Cedric’s words.
She already had another commitment.
‘I’ll do what you asked, so how about going to the upcoming festival with me?’
The events at 4th Avenue were still vivid in Lobelin’s memory.
How could she forget?
Thanks to that, she had prevented the fire on 4th Avenue and changed Cornelia’s fate.
Lobelin spoke with an apologetic expression.
“Um, I already have a prior engagement for the festival. I’m afraid I won’t be able to accompany you.”
“……I see.”
Lobelin had declined politely, but for a split second, Cedric’s expression fractured.
Seeing his face, which somehow looked wounded, Lobelin hurried to apologize.
“I’m sorry. I feel like I’ve been doing nothing but apologizing to you today, Marquis.”
“Not at all.”
Despite her apology, Cedric’s face returned to its usual composed state.
It was as if nothing had happened.
“I suppose I shall have to wait for another opportunity. I hope you will join me then.”
“Gaaah! Dammit! Bring me wine, wine!”
At the Bolton Ducal Estate in the capital.
Bolton, who was now in a position where he couldn’t take a single step out of his mansion, was throwing a tantrum and hurling furniture.
After the recent investiture ceremony, the Bolton family had collapsed in an instant, their prestige as a ducal house rendered meaningless.
The mansion, which had always been bustling with guests and servants, was now desolate as everyone had left.
Even the few remaining servants spent their time avoiding Bolton, waiting for the day they could leave the estate as soon as possible.
“Curse it! Is everyone ignoring me?! I am a Duke!”
Bolton screamed at the top of his lungs, asserting a title that was now nothing but a hollow shell, but no one came to him.
Finally unable to contain himself, Bolton was just about to hurl an empty wine bottle at the door.
