Translator: Nox

Chapter 78

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Standing before the waiting room door, Jacqueline took a stabilizing breath and gripped the handle. A one-hour recess had been called to allow the court to deliberate before the final verdict.

Benjamin had already been escorted home by Roman, leaving Windsor and Evan to wait together in the private chamber until the proceedings resumed.

Creeeak.

The heavy, ancient door—a fixture of the courthouse for decades—let out a piercing protest that suggested its hinges were starving for oil.

At the sound, Windsor and Evan both looked up in unison. Caught in the crosshairs of their combined attention, Jacqueline lingered in the doorway, a flicker of self-conscious embarrassment crossing her face.

“Ah, Miss Somerset.”

Evan stood immediately, a warm, welcoming smile brightening his features as he moved to hold the door open for her.

“Please, come in.”

With a grateful nod, Jacqueline stepped inside. She felt the weight of their stares with every step she took across the floor.

Carefully avoiding Windsor’s line of sight, she directed a polite greeting toward the lawyer.

“You’ve done an incredible job, Mr. Knox. I don’t think anyone else could have presented such a masterful argument.”

“You are too kind, Miss Somerset. Here, please have a seat.”

Jacqueline settled onto the sofa, resting her hands neatly in her lap. She tilted her head toward Evan with practiced grace.

“What is your professional opinion on the outcome?”

“Well…”

He took a moment to reflect before shaking his head.

“It is difficult to say for certain. I won’t downplay the impact of your testimony; it was vital. Without your contribution, our position would be far more precarious. My only regret is that the judge refused to admit Master Benjamin’s words as formal evidence—even if his plea clearly moved everyone in the gallery.”

“Legal technicalities aside, they can’t simply wipe that from their minds,” Jacqueline countered. “A statement that powerful leaves a mark. People will be discussing it for a long time to come.”

Evan nodded slowly.

“You’re right. At this point, we are essentially gambling on Judge Harrison’s reputation. We have to hope he values his public standing more than he fears His Majesty’s displeasure.”

He paused, his expression turning solemn.

“Regardless of the result, this case might be a turning point for our legal system. Historically, a child’s perspective has been dismissed in custody battles under the assumption that they lack the capacity for reason. But today, Master Benjamin proved otherwise. He may have just given a voice to every child who comes after him. It’s a monumental shift.”

“I see.”

Jacqueline gave a slow nod. Finally, she allowed her gaze to drift. Though she had been acutely aware of Windsor since the moment she entered, she now acted as if she were only just noticing him.

Her eyes met his. Windsor hadn’t looked away once. Faced with that unwavering intensity, Jacqueline found she couldn’t look away, either.

She knew Evan was likely watching their prolonged silence with confusion, but she couldn’t find the strength to offer a polite smile to break the tension.

A flood of words rushed to her lips, yet she didn’t know which to speak first. She felt balanced on a knife’s edge between weeping and hysterical laughter.

While she struggled with this internal storm, Windsor was the one to speak.

“How did you manage to get here?”

She hesitated, her green eyes shimmering with uncertainty, like a small vessel caught in a turbulent sea.

In truth, Jacqueline wasn’t entirely sure why she had come, or why she had found it impossible to stay away.

She only knew one thing for certain: she had once believed that letting go was an act of bravery. She had released her mother’s hand once before without looking back.

But this time, it wasn’t Windsor’s hand she was letting go of—it was her mother’s.

“Teacher, please. Take me to the court.”

Benjamin had made the request earlier that day, looking up at her as the carriage prepared to depart. Jacqueline had pressed her hands to her mouth, her heart racing with shock.

It wasn’t just the request that stunned her; it was the realization that the boy had known about the trial all along.

“Benjamin…”

She struggled to find the right words. How do you comfort a child facing such a heavy burden? Like Windsor the night before, she found herself trapped in a clumsy, aching silence.

She knelt so she was at his level. Even if she took him there, what could a small boy possibly achieve?

She opened her mouth to gently dissuade him, but Benjamin spoke first, his gaze steady and resolute.

“I know they are deciding who gets to be my guardian today.”

“Benjamin, listen…”

The reality was too harsh to explain, and Jacqueline bit her lip until she tasted the bitterness of copper. Her heart throbbed with a dull ache.

Benjamin, however, remained composed.

“I have things I need to tell the judge. It’s about my life, so shouldn’t I be allowed to speak? I want to tell him I want to stay with my uncle. Is that wrong for a Preston heir? Would Uncle be ashamed of me?”

The boy searched her face, his expression clouding with worry. Jacqueline could only watch him, her teeth sinking deeper into her lip.

“Even if he’s angry with me… I have to say it. Maybe it will help.”

Even this child had chosen his path, sacrificing his pride as an heir for the sake of the man he loved. He was willing to risk Windsor’s disapproval to stand by him.

And yet, here she was, paralyzed by indecision, trying to keep a foot in two different worlds.

A wave of profound shame washed over her. She felt small and cowardly. Unable to face the purity in Benjamin’s eyes, she squeezed hers shut to keep the tears from falling.

Drawing a long, shaky breath, she opened her eyes and gave a firm nod.

“I believe I need to change into something more appropriate first.”

“Thank you, Miss Somerset!”

She wasn’t sure she deserved the radiant smile he gave her, but she knew the time for hesitation was over.

For the sake of the child who placed his trust in her, she had to be strong. That was her duty as his governess.

Returning to the present, she met Windsor’s slate-gray eyes with newfound conviction.

“I am attempting to rectify a mistake, even if my timing is poor. You were the one who taught me, Lord Preston—that doing so is the mark of true nobility.”

Windsor’s face was etched with a rare shadow of concern. He thought of the letter from her mother—a frantic, desperate mess of pleas and accusations.

The woman was in a state of hysteria. She would view Jacqueline’s presence here as the ultimate betrayal, and Jacqueline would bear the full brunt of her wrath.

Windsor understood exactly what this choice had cost her. His voice was thick as he asked, “Does your mother know you’re here?”

“…No.”

Jacqueline offered a small, bittersweet smile, trying to dismiss the weight of it.

But Windsor didn’t look away, and eventually, her gaze fell. In a voice barely above a whisper, she added, “Once the trial is over, I’ll need to travel to Southfield. I should tell her myself before she reads about it in the papers. Oh—”

She stopped and looked back up at him. He was still watching her intently.

“That is, assuming you will grant me leave, Lord Preston.”

“I’ll have Roman book your passage immediately.”

Jacqueline’s eyes widened in surprise. A moment later, a flustered, grateful smile touched her lips.

Evan watched them, his brow furrowing. The air between them was thick with a private, complicated intimacy that left no room for an outsider.

He tightened his fist, unnoticed. Jacqueline continued, “Mr. Miller took Benjamin back to the estate. I was meant to go with them, but… I found I couldn’t leave without hearing the verdict. Would it be acceptable if I took the morning train tomorrow?”

Windsor gave a slow, solemn nod.

“As you wish, Miss Somerset.”

“…Thank you, Lord Preston.”

She smiled again, a soft, fleeting thing.

As a comfortable quiet settled over them, Evan spoke up, clearly trying to reclaim a place in the conversation.

“Would you like some tea, Miss Somerset?”

“That would be lovely, Mr. Knox.”

“I think you’ll find I’m quite skilled at brewing a pot, believe it or not.”

Evan moved to the tea service in the corner. The second his back was turned, his smile fell away. A heavy silence filled the room as he worked.

Even after the tea was served, the atmosphere remained uncomfortably still.

Minutes ticked by until, finally, there was a sharp rap at the door.

A bailiff stepped inside. “It is time, Lord Preston. If you would follow me.”

Windsor stood, his face a mask of stoicism as he fastened his coat. Evan set his jaw, his expression turning grimly determined.

Jacqueline took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders.

The moment of truth had arrived. Whose side would the law take?

“Oh?”

Her eyes caught on a pair of spectacles lying on the floor near her feet. She blinked in surprise, then let out a quiet, melodic laugh.

She remembered seeing those glasses on the face of a man who was usually the soul of precision, yet apparently possessed a hidden streak of forgetfulness.

She scooped them up and hurried after Windsor, catching him just as he reached the threshold.

“You’ve forgotten these. I don’t believe this building employs maids to tidy up after the visitors.”

At her playful jab, Windsor’s eyebrow arched. He seemed to recognize the echo of his own past words in her remark.

“Thank you.”

Jacqueline looked at him, her curiosity piqued. “But why the glasses today? Is this another matter of fashion?”

“My counsel suggested I should aim for a more ‘intellectual’ aesthetic,” he admitted, looking slightly sheepish.

Jacqueline’s eyes crinkled as she smiled. Windsor held the door open, gesturing for her to precede him.

“Thank you, Lord Preston.”

With a graceful nod, she stepped out into the hall. Windsor followed, falling into a natural stride beside her.

Evan walked a pace behind them, watching in silence. Though no words passed between the two in front of him, they moved in perfect, effortless harmony.

Evan’s expression darkened.