Ch#63
Ch#63
Ch#63
~Chapter 63~
“Have you arrived, Uncle? I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.”
“No, no. It’s been a while since I’ve had some peaceful rest. Haha!”
Benedict replied kindly to Cedric, even though he had waited for thirty minutes.
Of course, his true feelings were entirely different.
‘How dare he make his uncle wait? What an arrogant little punk.’
For someone of Cedric’s position to keep an unannounced guest waiting—even during the busy year-end season—for about thirty minutes was actually quite prompt.
Even so, Benedict was offended.
‘To treat me so lightly! After everything I’ve done for him!’
Even at gatherings held at his own home, Benedict had essentially put Cedric front and center as the star of the show. But Cedric remained as cold and indifferent as ever.
Benedict clenched his jaw, suppressing his sense of injustice.
“I have to endure it. To get what I want, I’ll have to put up with worse than this.”
He sat back down and mimicked one of Rowan’s habitual gestures, casually straightening the lapel of his jacket.
‘Come on, Cedric. Think of your father.’
Cedric had always been close to Rowan. Their bond was undoubtedly strong.
That was why Benedict was making an effort to resemble Rowan more and more, down to the smallest gestures, in hopes of swaying Cedric’s heart.
When Cedric glanced briefly at his hand, Benedict felt he had succeeded. As the butler poured more tea, Benedict accepted it with a gentle smile.
Cedric tilted his head slightly and asked, “Is something the matter, Uncle? You seem to have come in a hurry.”
“Oh, were you worried? It’s just been so long since we’ve talked that I stopped by for a chat.”
“If you’ve made time to visit during this busy season, it’s probably not something trivial.”
Benedict faltered momentarily at Cedric’s dry tone.
It sounded almost like, “If you’ve come for something trivial, it’ll annoy me.”
Even so, Benedict didn’t consider his business trivial.
“Holy Week is coming up soon, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. The year’s already flown by.”
“Exactly. So, I was wondering… have you decided where you’ll attend this year?”
“I heard you kept last year’s location a secret too.”
Cedric leaned back against the sofa armrest, crossed his legs, and slowly sipped his tea.
His thoughts drifted back to last year’s Holy Week.
He pictured Harriet in her plain capital robes, stirring soap.
He clearly remembered the look in her eyes when she refused his financial support.
「I’ve lived without any pride until now. And this is the result. So now, I want to hold on to it. Why? Does it seem ridiculous?」
How could he forget that intense gaze?
Until then, he had never looked closely at her hazel eyes. The mix of green and brown hadn’t impressed him before. But in that moment, it left a deep impression.
‘Was I really just trying to be her business partner?’
Cedric sank into thought indifferently before replying.
“People pay too much attention to where I go, so I kept it private to avoid the hassle. I plan to do the same this year.”
“You did attend a church in Genoa, though, didn’t you?”
“I can’t disclose that. My apologies. But it seems there’s a reason you’re asking.”
Cedric already had a good idea of what Benedict was after.
As expected, Benedict began offering advice like a thoughtful uncle.
“All the great nobles attend church. Religion is an important part of our social activities.”
“That’s true.”
“And yet, you still haven’t settled on a place. That won’t do. Nobles keep their distance from anyone who seems lacking in faith.”
Cedric suppressed a sneer.
Who would dare keep their distance from Duke Kailas? But he nodded politely.
Seeing that, Benedict believed his words were getting through.
“You’re the family head now. It’s time to build ties with a prestigious church.”
Cedric raised an eyebrow, as if lost in thought.
“Hm… Come to think of it, I’ve heard good things about Elvinas Church…”
“Too crowded. Chaotic. It’s the biggest, of course, but lacks depth.”
“Ah, then what about the St. Paolo Cathedral where Mother attends—”
“Too many meddlesome women. The ladies’ society interferes in everything.”
Cedric briefly considered naming every church except the one Benedict attended, just to irritate him.
But wasting time on such childish pranks was beneath him.
Instead, he leaned back on the sofa and lightly shook his head.
“Well, choosing a church isn’t urgent. I’ll decide when the time comes.”
“The best way is to go see for yourself.” Benedict advised smoothly.
“There’s a big difference between hearing about it and experiencing it firsthand. That’s why I’m saying…”
Ah, here comes the main point.
“How about visiting Arens Church during this Holy Week? Not because it’s the one I attend, but because it’s truly excellent—I recommend it.”
Just as expected.
Cedric almost felt grateful that his uncle was so perfectly predictable.
He sincerely hoped Benedict would remain this easy to anticipate and counter forever.
“Hm. I have too many invitations, so I can’t give a firm yes. But I’ll keep it in mind.”
At those words, Benedict’s face lit up.
“Good! I’ll let them know in advance so they can prepare to welcome you.”
“That’s not necessary. I don’t want to inconvenience people on my account.”
“Oh, come on—humility is fine, but a duke sometimes needs to make others uncomfortable. People respect and follow what they fear. That’s how it is.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course! You’re still young; you’ll understand eventually. Just trust this uncle of yours.”
Here we go again. “You’re still young,” “You don’t know yet.”
Benedict’s manipulation was obvious. He was positioning himself as the wise adult.
Cedric simply nodded in response.
He took a sip of the unusually fragrant tea today and let the moment pass.
“Even if I can’t make it, please don’t be upset. I trust you’ll understand, Uncle.”
“Of course, of course. But—well, unless something comes up, you’ll come, right…?”
“Naturally.”
Satisfied with Cedric’s compliant agreement, Benedict judged he had gotten what he wanted.
Cedric hadn’t promised to go anywhere specific, but a soft acknowledgment was better than nothing.
“I’ve taken up too much of your time. I’ll be off now.”
“Take care. It’s cold out today.”
“Thanks for worrying about me. Haha!”
As Benedict left with light steps, Gerard, who had been standing silently like a statue in the corner, spoke in a low voice.
“Shall we begin preparations?”
He too must have guessed Cedric’s real answer from the start.
Cedric replied calmly, as if nothing had happened.
“Proceed with the original plan. Prepare to go to Saint Clarissa Convent.”
“How much should we set aside for the donation?”
Gerard asked the next question without missing a beat.
“The same as last year.”
“Understood.”
Cedric leaned his head back against the sofa and murmured.
“I wonder where she’ll go.”
He didn’t realize he was smiling.
“It’s snowing. Will it accumulate?”
Inside the carriage heading to Saint Clarissa Convent, Harriet quietly gazed out at the snowflakes scattering outside, worrying.
Snow in late December wasn’t unusual, but if it started piling up, securing a ride back would be difficult.
‘I can’t borrow Great-Grandmother’s carriage either.’
There were three carriages at the Pellon estate. One was under repair, one was being used by Roxana for errands, and the last one was needed for Tris to go to church today.
Trisha had worried about the weather and offered to let Harriet have the carriage, but a noble lady like Trisha couldn’t possibly take a hired coach.
‘If I can’t find a ride back, I’ll just stay at the convent for a day or two.’
Harriet decided not to stress.
Thanks to leaving early, she arrived at the convent before noon.
“Harriet sis!”
The moment Emma opened the door and saw her, she hugged Harriet tightly in joy.
