Translator: Nox

Ch#59

Jared was sitting at a round table that served as both a dining and tea table. Rosalyn glanced over the square tray, coffee pot, and saucer placed before him. He never added cream or sugar to his coffee or tea. He drank at least one full cup of coffee, brewed dark and strong.

He had just finished his cup as Rosalyn quietly closed the bedroom door. Dressed impeccably and sitting with perfect posture, he was the very picture of a gentleman. Seeing his well-brushed morning coat and neat hair, Rosalyn felt a pang of embarrassment at her own disheveled appearance.

“Good morning, my lady. You called?”

The head maid entered just then. The middle-aged Mrs. Weber showed no surprise at seeing the ducal couple together in the drawing room. It was likely because she knew the Duchess was the one who had brought the Duke his coffee, but her composed demeanor—as if this scene were a daily occurrence—gave Rosalyn a slight sense of dissonance.

“Good morning, Mrs. Weber. Could you prepare breakfast?”

“Of course, my lady. I shall have a meal prepared for both of you. Shall I serve coffee as the drink?”

At the head maid’s question, Rosalyn stole a glance at the man’s face before nodding naturally.

“Please do. Thank you.”

Jared kept his eyes on the newspaper and said nothing, and Rosalyn did not move until the head maid had withdrawn.

Once they were alone again, awkwardness filled the drawing room. Rosalyn stood hesitantly in front of the closed bedroom door, debating for a moment.

Should she go back and change? However, it was difficult to dress properly on her own, and even more difficult to do so before breakfast arrived.

After a quick mental calculation, she had to accept reality. The best she could do was smooth down her messy hair and straighten her indoor gown.

Though they had shared a bedroom for over a month, this was the first time she had shown herself to her husband in such a state. Moreover, it was broad daylight, and she had barely even washed her face.

In that vulnerable state, Rosalyn sat down across from him. The round table was not large, so the man opposite her felt very close. Sitting face-to-face like this, her heart finally began to flutter. It was the first time the two of them were having breakfast together here.

It was rare for an aristocratic couple to take breakfast together. It was something only very intimate couples did occasionally, and thus, Rosalyn couldn’t help but feel somewhat encouraged by the fact that they were doing that very thing. Combined with the events of last night and her feelings of gratitude, this moment felt even more significant.

It felt like an omen that, from now on, they would truly become an intimate couple.

As his wife sat down, Jared folded his newspaper and placed it on the table. He then lifted the pot from the tray and poured the remaining coffee into his cup. Rosalyn watched his practiced movements, finding it somehow endearing how the pot looked so small in his large hand.

“I apologize. There is only one cup.”

“Don’t mind it. Mine will be here soon.”

When she replied brightly and smiled, Jared set the pot down and looked at her while lifting his cup. Rosalyn met his green eyes—which were neither cold nor warm, just as usual—and prepared to start a conversation.

As the man took a sip of coffee and slowly set the cup back on the saucer, a vague sense of anticipation filled her chest.

“You worked hard yesterday. Everyone had nothing but praise for you. Thanks to you, I heard many good things as well.”

“It’s thanks to you. You were the one who invited Sir Rudolf, Your Grace.”

“The event itself was excellent. You did well.”

Jared was not a man stingy with praise. He often told her she had worked hard or done well. Every time she heard those words, Rosalyn felt a mix of complicated emotions, but today, her heart swelled with pure joy.

The fact that she was being helpful to him, and that he was proud of his wife, made her feel more accomplished than ever.

“I was truly grateful for yesterday.”

Feeling as though she were walking on air, Rosalyn continued.

“Regarding Andy. I don’t think I thanked you properly. I was so flustered last night. It would have been quite difficult if not for you.”

“It is not something that requires such gratitude. I only did what I ought to have done.”

Jared lifted his cup again. Rosalyn watched in silence as he took a sip and lowered the cup to his chest.

The harmony of his black morning coat’s lapels, his white shirt collar, and his navy silk tie was marvelous. Her gaze drifted to his prominent Adam’s apple and his cleanly shaven jaw. And then his lips. As she found herself staring blankly at those moist lips, the man’s closed mouth opened.

“Speaking of your siblings. Why don’t we send Miss Fairfield back now?”

Rosalyn looked up, startled by the unexpected words. The man’s green eyes were watching her with the same level temperature as before.

“Tomorrow marks one week, so let us have her return home. I don’t think it would be good for her to stay here much longer.”

Jared wasn’t asking for her opinion. He had already decided and was instructing her to carry it out.

While staying for a week as a guest usually satisfied the basic etiquette for both host and visitor, it was common for close relatives to stay for weeks or even months. Therefore, suggesting Andreana be sent back already was tantamount to turning her out.

To leave the girl, who was so lonely after her sister’s marriage, all alone again after only a week…

“Is it because of what happened yesterday?”

Rosalyn could not hide her hurt. And her sense of injustice.

“It’s true my sister made a mistake. But I was at fault yesterday too. As her chaperone, I didn’t watch her closely enough.”

“Then it would be the same even if she stayed longer. You have your own duties; you can’t be guarding your sister every moment, can you?”

Jared’s point was correct. It was so frustratingly correct that she had to fall silent. Mention of her sister made Rosalyn more agitated than usual. She tried her best not to let her emotions show, but she wasn’t sure if she succeeded.

“Regrettably, it seems Miss Fairfield requires much preparation before she reaches adulthood. Consider hiring a more professional governess.”

Jared spoke in a calm tone, without any hint of aggression or criticism. However, to Rosalyn, his judgment and concern regarding Andreana felt like an insult. She herself had always worried about her younger sister’s immaturity and thoughtlessness, but hearing it from someone else felt different.

“I can help if necessary. Whether it’s finding a suitable person or covering the costs.”

“It is a generous offer, but I don’t believe my father requires assistance.”

“I hope you remember that Miss Fairfield’s issues are not unrelated to me as well.”

“…….”

“I would prefer it if no one forgot the fact that Andreana is the Duchess’s sister.”

Jared was calm and resolute as he spoke. His attitude was so firm that it was impossible not to understand what he was worried about. Rosalyn understood his position perfectly well, but that did not stop the negative feelings from rising.

The eyes of high society were greedy and their tongues were ruthless, loving nothing more than to blow small matters out of proportion. The best way to avoid those eyes and tongues was to leave no openings.

In that sense, Andreana had certainly committed a great blunder yesterday. For an unmarried lady to move about alone without a chaperone was, without excuse, close to misconduct.

She knew this well, yet even knowing everything, Rosalyn could hardly manage her feelings of hurt and unfairness.

“Of course, I am well aware. I mustn’t let my sister bring any dishonor to the ducal house.”

She couldn’t help but let a thorn slip into her words. There was no way Jared would have missed it. He fell silent, and a heavy quiet settled between them.

Rosalyn lowered her eyes and struggled to calm her heart. Her father’s birthday banquet was in four days, and she had planned to go to Fairfield House together then. It was disappointing, but there was nothing she could do. Perhaps it would help Andy herself to realize the gravity of the situation.

By the time she had composed her thoughts, there was a knock, and the servants entered. Drinks and food were placed on the table one by one, carrying a savory aroma. The couple sat opposite each other, silently watching the table being set.

Rosalyn looked down at the coffee in her own cup. It smelled fragrant, but she knew the taste would be otherwise. However, since she didn’t care for cream or sugar in her drinks, she had no choice but to take a sip as it was.

The darkly brewed coffee was more bitter than anything. As she tried to find some flavor within it, a thought suddenly occurred to her.

Was this setting also something this man had intentionally orchestrated? To let the guests know that the Duke had taken breakfast in his rooms. Just like a very intimate couple.

The man across from her began his meal. Rosalyn looked down at the food on the plate before her. A potato omelet. It was a dish the Duke liked.

Looking down at it, she brought the coffee cup to her lips again. This black, hot tea was merely dark and bitter, forcing Rosalyn to knit her brows ever so slightly.