Chapter 51
Robert threw the note into the fireplace with a self-deprecating laugh. Coleman spoke up as if to offer comfort.
“How could a parent’s heart, worrying for their child, ever be considered foolish? Besides, the young lady’s fiancé is a bit…”
“He is a dangerous man. Not just a bit, but very much so.”
That man had a history of instigating an attempted assassination of the Crown Prince. Lottie had been caught up in that affair and nearly lost her life.
‘Could it be… that Lottie is being blackmailed by him because of that incident? Is that why she went to Roy-John Prison, and why she went so far as to act out a confession of love and provide a character reference…?’
But if that were the case, the expression on his daughter’s face when she confessed her love in front of her father had been far too sincere!
He didn’t know. He couldn’t even begin to grasp how to handle this situation.
“I will eventually have to report to His Majesty that the deposed Crown Prince, who was said to be missing, is alive and well. I could petition His Majesty to protect my daughter in exchange for handing over a criminal. However…”
“However…?”
Coleman waited for Robert to finish. Robert stared gloomily at the note burning inside the fireplace.
“However… what if Lottie’s feelings for him are a hundred percent sincere?”
“…….”
“Then… it would be no different from driving a stake through my own daughter’s heart with my own hands.”
Coleman, who had expected an answer along the lines of the young lady eventually realizing she’d been bewitched by a bad man, was momentarily speechless at Robert’s solemn response.
He had briefly forgotten. The master he served was not only a great landowner of Northern Matila but also the greatest fool for his daughter in all of Matila.
“I truly despise that man. But I cannot bear to hurt my tender-hearted daughter even more.”
Since the butler Coleman was not a ‘fool for the young lady,’ he couldn’t entirely empathize with his master’s heart. However, he understood the reason why his master was so conflicted.
It wasn’t just worry that the young lady would be hurt; it was because a memory he had briefly forgotten resurfaced.
The young lady took after her late mother immensely. Not just in appearance, but in personality and taste as well.
Furthermore, the late Madam had been a truly ‘formidable’ woman who, back when she was still unmarried, had once engaged in a sword fight with a rival lady to win the master’s hand.
‘If the master says he will escort that man to the capital, the young lady, who is head over heels in love, will surely….’
“Still, you must make a decision. You cannot keep him in Dempis forever.”
Coleman shook off the dizzying thought and offered cautious advice. When Robert remained silent with an expression of deep contemplation, Coleman thought for a moment and then spoke.
“Alternatively… how about trying this?”
When Robert signaled for him to continue with a look, Coleman whispered into his ear. After hearing Coleman out, Robert looked at him with a skeptical expression.
“It’s not bad, but will it work as intended?”
“The young lady’s psychological state is indeed unpredictable, but I am certain that no matter how it turns out, it will help you reach a decision.”
Then, he added the final word that settled Robert’s dilemma.
“As they say, out of sight, out of mind.”
“A trip?”
When Lottie asked in surprise, her father tilted his teacup with a casual expression.
“Don’t we go on vacation every summer? Why? Do you not want to go this year?”
“No. It’s not that I don’t want to go….”
Lottie fidgeted with her clasped hands. Robert brought the teacup to his lips again to hide his nervous expression.
“It’s just so sudden. To tell me to leave tomorrow….”
“The, the vacation season will be over if we wait any longer. Aunt Isabel will also get busy with the affairs of House Dunchest. Then we won’t be able to go even if we want to.”
Should he have thought of a more plausible excuse? Robert regretted it, but fortunately, Lottie seemed to accept the reasoning behind this sudden notice. Robert felt a sense of relief and set down his teacup.
“Then if we leave tomorrow, the schedule for our return is….”
“One month from now.”
“What? A month? That’s more than enough time for the vacation season to end!”
At Lottie’s natural protest, Robert reflexively gripped the handle of his teacup. He brought it to his mouth, but he couldn’t drink tea that was already gone.
“It’ll be autumn by the time we return, Father. It’s too long!”
“Your, your great-aunt wishes it to be so. She says she needs a month of hot spring baths to heal her ailing mind and body, and I can hardly argue with that.”
Thanks to her unfilial nephew, Aunt Isabel had become a person who insisted on her own way due to a non-existent illness.
However, mentioning her great-aunt seemed to be quite effective on Lottie. Perhaps assuming that the reason for her great-aunt’s physical and mental ailment was herself, Lottie fell silent with a darkened complexion.
Seeing his daughter in pain made Robert feel as though his own heart was breaking. However, he endured it by sipping on non-existent tea. He kept telling himself that this was for his daughter’s sake.
And so, one day before departing for Hans Valley, one of the few hot spring villages in Matila.
Lottie left the House of Count Ix to inform her partner of this fact.
Of course, since the public purpose was a date, she did not forget to dress up more than necessary.
Today, her hair was densely decorated with various fresh flowers, including orange blossoms. It was a look Liz had spent a full two hours laboring over.
“Is the concept for today… ‘A flower bed so thick that if two bees came and one died, no one would notice’?”
Even though she didn’t receive a very positive review from the other party.
At Calyx’s serious commentary, Lottie narrowed her eyes and complained.
“……Usually, in times like this, don’t people joke around and say, ‘I can’t tell which one is the flower’?”
“If one cannot distinguish between a flower and a person, wouldn’t there be a major problem with their eyesight and mental state? I haven’t reached that point yet.”
“I am truly delighted for you. Then, I shall name today’s work, ‘How are your eyesight and mental health doing?’”
“Wait.”
Just as Lottie huffed and snorted, Calyx stopped her with a stiff face.
“What is it? Did a real bee actually fly over?”
“…….”
“Is it… real?”
When Calyx slowly nodded, the color drained from Lottie’s face.
“No… way. You’re lying.”
“I’m serious.”
“…….”
“Don’t move. It’s a pretty big one; if you get stung once, you’ll be unconscious for days….”
“Eek!”
Before Calyx could even finish his sentence, Lottie dove into his arms. She absolutely loathed bees. It had been that way ever since she was chased by a hornet while playing in the garden as a child.
“Is it gone? The bee?”
Calyx froze like a stone for a moment at this unexpected action. He looked down at the top of her head as she leaned against his chest, trembling slightly, and then he let out a low laugh.
“Not yet.”
The bee, which hadn’t existed from the start, circled around Lottie for a long time before finally flying away.
After the minor commotion passed, Calyx took out his mask and covered his face. It was a habit he’d formed since the incident at St. Viet Cathedral.
Calyx offered an arm to Lottie. As she cautiously took his arm, he matched his stride to hers and moved toward their destination.
The restaurant, <Mulbineul Tammi>. It was a famous outdoor eatery in Dempis, built into the carved terrace of a riverbank.
Sitting on the terrace, Lottie rejoiced, saying she had secured a spot with a great view of the Tenoc River. Calyx didn’t really care where the seat was, but since Lottie was happy, that was enough for him.
“Isn’t it beautiful? But actually, there’s another place that’s ten, no, twenty times more beautiful than here.”
Lottie said while resting her chin on both hands as they waited for their food. As if reflecting her excited mood, the fresh flowers pinned in her hair fluttered.
“I’ll introduce you to that place next time. So… in a month.”
Then, perhaps remembering the situation she was in, her excited voice dropped a notch.
That’s right. Tomorrow, she would be leaving for a month-long vacation with her great-aunt.
The one who had ordered this sudden and long trip was her father, Count Ix. Calyx thought he knew why the Count had made such a decision, but he didn’t bother to voice it.
“Do you not want to go? On the trip.”
He asked instead.
When Lottie nodded while resting her chin, Calyx took a deep breath and exhaled. Asking the next question, which was only a single word, took even more effort than the previous one.
“Why?”
“A month is too long.”
“…….”
“It’s not like I can pack a whole bundle of books to study, either.”
As if that were the only reason, Lottie didn’t say another word and let out a deep sigh.
Calyx, who had been gazing at her, finally let out a low chuckle after a long while.
“Is studying that important? So much so that you can’t even take a day off?”
“Of course. It’s important. There’s so much I need to know to inherit the family in the future. Also, the min… that’s supposedly somewhere in Dempis….”
Lottie stopped herself in shock, having said that much. Calyx looked at her with a puzzled face. If the food hadn’t arrived, she might have had to spit out the word she’d just barely swallowed.
She had almost mentioned that she was investigating the madness.
‘All I’ve found out are groundless rumors that the madness might be spirit possession; how could I tell him that? He’ll obviously laugh at me.’
“……Anyway, I want to catch up to my father as soon as possible. Even if it’s only a quarter of his ability, I want to become a proper heir and receive my father’s recognition.”
Lottie spoke as if glossing over it and cut the meat on her plate into small pieces. As the perfectly cooked meat entered her mouth, the savory saltiness spread. Mmm. It was as delicious as she’d heard.
“Should I come along too?”
Just as she was about to take her second bite, Calyx asked as if tossing the question out.
Since it was a sentence missing essential components, Lottie momentarily failed to understand his words.
“Pardon? Where?”
“Your vacation.”
Lottie, who had frozen with her mouth open, ended up forgetting even how to close her jaw at the words that followed.
“The things one must learn to succeed a family aren’t only found in books, are they?”
