Translator: Nox

Ch#58

“Your Grace.”

After a moment of silence, Jared turned his head at the sound of the small voice calling him.

Sixteen years old. Though she looked the part of a lady, the Baron’s daughter was still a girl, and she didn’t resemble her older sister in the slightest. Her bright blonde hair, her blue eyes, and the doll-like face looking up at him—none of it was similar.

“Do you love my sister?”

Her unhesitating attitude in asking such a thing was also something that would have made her sister faint with shock.

The thought was so absurd that Jared couldn’t help but laugh. He could vividly imagine Rosalyn’s horrified expression, and a soft chuckle escaped him. Perhaps it was because the situation had been somewhat resolved and the tension had finally broken.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Do you think such a question is appropriate for this situation, Miss Fairfield?”

“Because if not now, I won’t have another chance to be alone with my brother-in-law.”

Her logic was quite sound. Jared continued the conversation, the smile still lingering on his face.

“Your reasoning is valid, but your premise is flawed. If you think it’s alright to ask such questions of others, you should change that mindset from now on.”

“Can’t I even ask my sister’s husband?”

“You might ask your own husband someday.”

“Of course I will. I’m definitely going to ask before I get married. I won’t accept a proposal from someone who doesn’t love me.”

Andreana spoke clearly, looking up at him. As Jared looked back at her, a bitter taste filled his mouth. He understood exactly what his young sister-in-law was trying to say.

“Your Grace, you are a gentleman, aren’t you?”

“…….”

“A true gentleman?”

“…….”

“They say a true gentleman loves and respects his wife. Are you like that, Your Grace?”

Jared remained silent at the unpredictable questions. Seemingly determined not to miss this opportunity, Andreana did not back down. A strong will to hear an answer from his lips was evident. He felt it was a relief she was his sister-in-law and not his mother-in-law.

‘They say a true gentleman loves and respects his wife.’

Where had she heard such stale, sage-like words? No doubt her sister had taught her. Jared chuckled inwardly and lifted his chin. With just a slight hardening of his expression, the girl’s momentum quickly withered.

“More importantly, Miss Fairfield, I need you to make a promise to me.”

“……What kind of promise?”

“A promise to keep today’s events a secret.”

“…….”

“This matter stays between the two of us. From now on, and forever.”

“Are you saying I shouldn’t even tell my sister?”

“Anyone, including your sister.”

He spoke in a firm tone, looking Andreana straight in the eye to ensure she understood the gravity of the matter.

“Today, Miss Fairfield stepped out of the ballroom alone. You got lost, and you happened to run into me when I came looking for you. No one else was involved in this disturbance besides the two of us. Do you understand?”

Andreana blinked her eyes slowly as if deep in thought.

“……Did I put my sister in a difficult position?”

“If what actually happened becomes known, it could very well be so.”

Only then did she lower her head like a repentant child.

“I promise. I won’t tell anyone.”

“And that you will never make a mistake like this again.”

“I promise that too.”

Andreana nodded, accepting his terms obediently. Her attitude softened immediately at the mention of her sister being troubled. Jared had learned the most efficient way to handle his tomboy sister-in-law, and he hoped he would never have to use that method again.

The reason he wanted to hide this even from Rosalyn was simple. Alexander was a Glan. He didn’t want her to know that his cousin and a close successor to the title had done such a thing.

He didn’t want to see her disappointed or shocked. He didn’t want her to feel distressed every time she met Alexander or his other cousins in the future.

He didn’t want to show her any unsightly flaws. Not in any way.

“I was wrong. It was my mistake. It won’t happen again.”

Jared gazed down at the girl as she apologized repeatedly. He didn’t know why he only just realized that Andreana smelled of rosewater.

The same fragrance that came from Rosalyn. Did the sisters use the same perfume? They did have some similarities after all.

“I’m glad you realize it was a mistake. You just need to make sure you don’t repeat it. One learns the greatest lessons from past mistakes.”

“That’s what my sister said, too.”

Andreana lifted her head slightly to look at him. Jared also met the girl’s gaze with a softened expression. Meanwhile, the dance music that had briefly stopped began again.

Had she accepted another request to dance? She really needed to learn the knack of refusing.

Reaching that thought, Jared finally came to his senses. Rosalyn would be waiting for the two of them. Even while busy fulfilling her duties, she would be looking for her sister at every opportunity, anxious that something serious might have happened.

“Let’s head back. Your sister will be waiting.”

“Yes, Your Grace. Thanks to you, I’ve had plenty of fresh air.”

Andreana chimed in quickly. Jared couldn’t help but chuckle at her commendable willingness to follow the script he had provided. He naturally offered his right arm, and the young lady accepted his escort with a poised stance.

They encountered no one on their way back to the ballroom. No one was particularly interested or curious about the Duke and his sister-in-law being absent for about ten minutes.

---

The family concert ended late at night. Those living in the city all returned home, but about twenty people were shown to guest rooms. Since they had to gather several times during their stay at Maxville, the concert was essentially a week-long event.

On that first day, Rosalyn spent a night that was no less grueling than her wedding day. Dancing until her ankles throbbed was hard enough, but the people were even more overwhelming.

Being relatives of the family didn’t mean they were any easier to deal with than strangers. On the contrary, she had to think more and be even more careful with her words and actions, keeping her nerves on edge the entire time. Combined with the incident with Andreana, Rosalyn had truly endured a very long night.

By the time she finally managed to leave and return to her room, she was exhausted. She lay in bed, fighting off sleep while waiting for her husband, but eventually fell asleep before he appeared, listening as the sound of water from Jared’s bathroom gradually faded into the distance.

I need to thank him properly. Rosalyn fell asleep with that thought, and she woke up in the morning with the same thought.

Last night, Jared had played the role of a dependable husband to perfection. Yesterday, the two of them felt like a true pair. Not just pretending to be a harmonious couple in front of others, but a husband and wife who trusted and helped each other. Isn’t the ideal form of a couple to fill in each other’s gaps and become whole?

‘You handle the guests here. Leave your sister to me.’

He had reliably found Andreana and brought her back, and he had smoothed over the fault of her sister, who had left the ballroom without permission. At the time, Rosalyn hadn’t shown it, but she had been deeply moved. It was the first time she had felt such an emotion toward that man.

I have to tell him I’m truly grateful, that he was a huge help.

With that thought, Rosalyn pushed herself up from the bed. Her husband’s bed to the left was empty. He was likely in the breakfast room by now.

Since ladies usually left their bedrooms late, they mostly had breakfast in their rooms, but it was common for gentlemen to receive guests or eat alone in the breakfast room. Thus, Rosalyn didn’t share breakfast with her husband unless there was a special guest she needed to join. All nobles did so, and it felt natural.

Rosalyn rang the calling bell as usual and headed to the bathroom. After washing her face and roughly tidying her hair, she returned to the bedroom and threw on an indoor robe. Her usual routine was to wait in the empty drawing room for the maid to arrive, and then begin her grooming after the meal.

However, unexpectedly, the drawing room was not empty today.

“Jared?”

Rosalyn knew it was him the moment she opened the bedroom door. The thick scent of coffee wafted through the gap. She didn’t like coffee, but her husband always drank it at breakfast. Rosalyn could never quite enjoy the flavor of that black tea that looked bitter just by looking at it.

“You’re awake. Good morning.”

“Did you have breakfast here?”

“Just coffee.”

Jared replied, looking up from the newspaper he was reading.