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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: A Parting Gift
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The party concluded with great success.
The lights in the Viscounty of Ansi's banquet hall stayed on late into the night.
For the record, the Duke returned to his hotel a little before the party ended.
“You could have stayed at our estate, you know.”
“No. Eva is already causing enough trouble.”
As he said this, the Duke glared sharply at the Duchess.
“Hmph.”
The Duchess stuck out her tongue and hid behind my back.
“...In any case, since things have turned out this way, I leave Eva in your care until the end of today.”
The Duke continued, his gaze fixed icily on the Duchess.
“I will come to pick Eva up tomorrow.”
“Aww.”
Suddenly forced to return to the capital with the Duke, the Duchess looked up at me with a crestfallen expression.
“Well, Lady Ansi hasn't been back to her hometown in a while. You should spend a few days with your parents.”
Then, she tried to sound nonchalant as she continued.
“I'm not so inconsiderate that I can't understand that.”
Her slender, pretty hand slowly crept into mine.
“But don't stay too long, okay? I'll be bored. Got it?”
“Of course.”
I gave the Duchess a gentle, smiling gaze.
After that.
I saw off each of the guests and was finally able to return to my bedroom much later.
“Lady Ansi, you're late!”
The Duchess, dressed in her nightgown, looked up sharply to greet me.
She must have been unwrapping the gift from the Duke.
Ribbons and wrapping paper were strewn all over the bed.
“Wow, it's beautiful.”
My eyes widened.
A soft gleam.
Beneath the light, a bracelet made of strung turquoise beads was revealed.
“My brother put some thought into it this time. But...”
The Duchess, who was examining the bracelet from all angles, suddenly turned to look at me.
“What's that?”
“Oh, this? The Duke gave it to me as a gift.”
I showed the Duchess the gift box I was holding carefully in both hands.
“He said he bought one for me when he was buying yours.”
Feeling my face flush for some reason, I fiddled with the corner of the gift box.
“I'm so grateful, but I don't know how I should thank him...”
“Oho?”
The Duchess's eyes sparkled.
“My brother bought a gift for Lady Ansi?”
“Yes, he did, but...”
“Wow, what's gotten into that insensitive man?”
The Duchess sidled up right next to me.
“It feels a bit strange saying this as his younger sister, but my brother has ab-so-lute-ly no taste.”
“I-Is that so?”
“Of course. The only reason he brings back gifts from his business trips is because I trained him to. He would never buy them on his own. But~”
The Duchess gave me a sly grin.
“He bought something for Lady Ansi all by himself, did he~?”
“That's because I'm your friend, isn't it?”
“We~ll, that could be it, but.”
The Duchess shrugged and continued.
“At the very least, it's clear my brother has taken quite a liking to Lady Ansi.”
“Oh, I doubt that.”
I tried to laugh it off, but the Duchess looked at me with a serious expression.
“I'm serious! If he didn't, he wouldn't have bothered coming to the party, no matter how many letters I sent...”
The Duchess trailed off and clamped her mouth shut, realizing her slip.
But my gaze had already sharpened to a point.
“Your Grace, don't tell me you sent more letters to the Duke without my knowledge?”
The day the Duchess declared in front of Serapina and the other ladies that the Viscounty of Ansi would be hosting a party.
I had caught her in the act of sending a letter to the Duke.
“Your Grace, the Duke is a very busy man.”
“His work should be done by now, anyway.”
“That doesn't make it right.”
The Duchess pouted, clearly displeased.
But unable to resist my persistent persuasion, she had promised not to send any more letters.
However.
“Did you perhaps... ask the Duke to come to our party?”
When I asked that, I recalled the deep exhaustion that had flashed across the Duke's face.
“Well, I can't say that's entirely untrue.”
And even that weary voice!
“No matter how much Eva pestered me, I would not have attended a party I didn't wish to.”
“I am saying that I came because I wanted to.”
O-Of course, he had kindly added that, but...
Meanwhile, the flustered Duchess could only move her lips without a sound.
“Huh? No, I mean, well!”
“Really, I told you not to send letters to the Duke. But in the end...”
At the first sign of a lecture, the Duchess quickly dove under the covers.
“I-I'm sleepy! I'm going to bed now! Lady Ansi, you should wash up and sleep too, okay!?”
Then she squeezed her eyes shut and pretended to be asleep.
*Sigh.*
I let out a deep sigh inwardly.
Truly, being cute was a powerful thing.
Even though her whole body was blatantly screaming, 'I don't want to be lectured!', she was just adorable.
“I'll go wash up. Good night.”
I shook my head and got up.
***
*Click.*
The sound of the door closing was heard.
*...Lady Ansi's gone, right?*
Evanjeline peeked her head out from under the covers and looked around.
Just then.
The gift box Lalitt had left on the table caught her eye.
Evanjeline crawled out from under the covers and peeked inside the gift box.
A pair of pale pink earrings came into view.
*This wasn't just some randomly picked item.*
The delicate craftsmanship, and the color that perfectly matched Lalitt's eyes.
It was clear he had put a lot of thought into choosing something that would suit Lalitt.
*Even if Lady Ansi is my friend, he'd go this far?*
Something's fishy here.
Her blue eyes narrowed with suspicion.
***
I returned to the bedroom late.
*Her Grace is... hmm, asleep.*
The Duchess was sound asleep, sprawled out on the bed.
After tidying the golden hair scattered across the pillow and carefully pulling the blanket up to her neck,
I glanced aside.
Under the moonlight streaming through the window, the rose quartz earrings glimmered.
*I was truly indebted to the Duke today.*
He deliberately attended our family's party to put the County of Gusto in their place.
He asked me for the first dance.
And he showed consideration for my parents in front of everyone.
Furthermore.
*If it weren't for the Duke... I might have been stuck with Gregory for a long time.*
The Duke's words echoed in my ears.
“Simply tolerating another's rudeness is not the answer. At the very least, you must ensure others cannot treat you carelessly.”
“You are not someone who deserves such treatment.”
That firm voice.
I suddenly gave a bitter smile.
*I envy you, Serapina.*
Before, I couldn't even bring myself to envy Serapina.
I simply looked up to her, considering her a being so far beyond me that I couldn't even dare to compare myself to her.
But things are different now.
I resolved not to be swayed by Serapina anymore, and I was making my own efforts toward that goal.
And yet.
*There are people... I can never reach.*
The Duke, along with the Duchess, was the first person to acknowledge my abilities.
To think that such a person would one day be fated to fall in love with Serapina...
*Enough, I should stop thinking about it.*
I flopped onto the bed.
I tried my best to fall asleep next to the peacefully sleeping Duchess.
But it was strange.
Even though my body was exhausted from the day-long party.
...I couldn't fall asleep at all.
