Translator: Nox

41 - Chapter 41

The sky began to turn red. Long, feather-like clouds drifted with the wind, leaving traces like waves, followed by darkness dyed in various colors.

Later than usual, Eloise was sitting in the dining room with Ryan.

They weren't the only ones in the dining room. Mrs. Parker, who always prepared the food, and Mr. Palmer, the butler, were also standing beside them.

Moreover, several wines were placed on the table along with the food.

It was all to prepare for the upcoming Banquet.

The menu for the Banquet had been tentatively decided, but more detailed adjustments were needed.

They were creating the exact same setup as the Banquet to check for any problems during serving and to determine which wines paired best with the dishes.

So, they deliberately started dinner at 10 o'clock, the same time as the Banquet.

Normally, it would be the time to finish work and quietly read a book or offer prayers. Yesterday, Eloise had arrived home around this time.

'But I have to prepare at the same time as the Banquet.'

It was common for the upper class to start dinner around this time.

In the capital, Banquets often started at midnight.

However, in Feltham and Cambon, everyone seemed to struggle with opening at that time, so they decided to start the Banquet at 10 o'clock, which was considered a relatively normal time.

"I think this wine goes better with the Quail roast. According to the list, there are three boxes in Cambon. How about using that? Since it's the main dish, guests will likely ask for a lot of wine with it, so I'd like to go with something we can prepare plenty of."

Eloise checked the price. It wasn't too expensive, but it wasn't cheap either.

It was the perfect price for the main wine for the Banquet.

At Eloise's words, the three of them cut off a small piece of the Quail roast in front of them and took a sip of the wine.

The taste was so well-matched that the three nodded. Having obtained everyone's agreement, Eloise placed the next dish in front of her. This time, it was pea soup.

"Hmm..."

Mrs. Parker waited for Eloise's words with a nervous expression.

"It tastes a bit grassy. How about using more spices?"

"Is it that bad?"

"It's actually ordinary, but since there are many picky people at the Banquet, it would be better to get rid of the smell a bit more. The grind is just right, though."

Eloise continued to express her opinions and asked for the opinions of others as well.

By the time they had identified the points for improvement and decided on the wines to pair with the dishes, it was well past midnight.

While Mr. Palmer was clearing the dishes, Eloise began to prepare to go home. Then, Mrs. Parker followed her out and said with a worried expression.

"Miss Eloise, it's too late. Why don't you just sleep at Blissbury tonight?"

It was a good suggestion. She had been staying at Blissbury from morning to evening recently, and she had brought clothes to change into as the weather was getting warmer.

Besides, thanks to the maids' hard work, there were many rooms ready to be used immediately.

But Eloise shook her head.

"No. I have a lot to prepare at home. Besides, I'll be staying here from tomorrow anyway, so I need to bring my luggage."

As the Summer Ball approached, she would be staying at Blissbury as she had done every year. And Mrs. Suberton would be playing the role of the hostess again this year, so she would be staying with them as well.

Moreover, Emily would also be joining. Emily had been participating in the Blissbury Summer Ball since she joined Suberton House.

In fact, Mrs. Parker seemed to be looking forward to Emily's arrival more than Mrs. Suberton's. She was a talent who would support her more reliably than anyone else in the kitchen throughout the Summer Ball period.

"Oh dear, there's nothing I can do. Sergeant Thornton is the one who's suffering, not me."

Mrs. Parker said that and excused herself to go and tidy up the kitchen, saying goodbye until tomorrow.

Eloise tied the strings of her bonnet and waited for Sergeant Thornton. Then, she suddenly realized that she was now waiting for him as a matter of course.

It was not an easy task, even as a gentlemanly duty, to escort her home every day.

Was it easy to drive back and forth for two hours in the middle of the night? But Sergeant Thornton had accompanied Eloise on her way without missing a single day.

'He must be even more tired today.'

He had been working with the laborers all day, sweating profusely. Thanks to that, the dead tree stump in the garden had been completely uprooted and disappeared before sunset.

The guests coming to this year's Summer Ball would not see the dead tree, let alone its traces, and would only see the beautiful garden.

Soon, she saw him coming down the stairs with his coat on.

"You must be very tired today. I'll go back alone."

"Don't make me out to be an inconsiderate man. And aren't you tired as well?"

The word "you" coming from Sergeant Thornton's mouth particularly struck her ear.

Since when had Sergeant Thornton started using the word "you" instead of "Miss Eloise" so often?

At first, she wondered how comfortable he was planning to be. Unless they were very close, it was rare to call someone "you" instead of their name.

Especially, as if to tease her, he would deliberately call Eloise "you" after a disagreement with her, as if to make fun of her.

Of course, every time, Eloise prayed that there would be a worm in the apple he was eating, but God never granted that prayer.

"Let's hurry. It's late."

As she said that and was about to go outside, a loud noise came from the basement. Listening carefully, she heard harsh curses and the sound of something breaking.

"What's going on?"

As Eloise was panicking, a small wooden door used by the employees opened, and one of the laborers staying in the basement hurriedly came up.

"Someone, please come quickly! Four of them suddenly started fighting, and it's a mess!"

He was also involved in the fight, as he had a nosebleed, and his clothes were torn and the buttons were ripped off.

It seemed like a big fight had broken out.

"Oh dear. Wait a moment."

Mr. Palmer, being old, would have difficulty stopping a fight between laborers.

Besides, the one who could silence them in an instant was Sergeant Thornton, the manager of this place.

He handed the coat he was wearing to Eloise and went downstairs with the laborer.

A moment later, Mr. Palmer appeared in a hurry.

"What's going on?"

"There's a fight downstairs, so Sergeant Thornton went down. Should we go down too?"

"Oh, no. A fight between laborers is usually very rough, so it wouldn't be good for you to see it. There will be very foul language going back and forth, you know? Just wait here for a moment."

Mr. Palmer also went downstairs.

Eloise waited for the commotion below to end, holding Sergeant Thornton's coat. But the shouts from below did not stop easily.

Amidst the curses, she heard vulgar words directed at the other's spouse.

The moment she heard those words, Eloise sensed that this fight would not be easily resolved.

Looking at the clock, it was already past one o'clock.

Her mother would be waiting without sleeping until she returned home. Emily would be standing in front of the village with a lamp again.

Even though it was a summer night, her body would shiver in the night breeze if she stood there at this hour. Emily was also an important asset for the upcoming Summer Ball, so she couldn't leave her like that.

Eloise placed the coat she was holding on the drawer near the entrance and found paper to leave a note.

It looks like it will take a long time, so I'm going ahead. You don't have to worry about the deserter. He's already been caught. See you tomorrow. -Eloise-

Eloise put the note on the coat and went outside. Outside, her horse, prepared by the coachman, was waiting.

"We're going to go back quickly without making a fuss today. Let's hurry."

The horse neighed loudly in response, as if it understood.

Eloise slowly picked up speed. As she got a little further away from Blissbury, the surroundings became dark.

The moonlight made it possible to distinguish the road to some extent, but it was not as bright as a full moon, so she could not pick up speed.

Thus, Eloise headed to Feltham alone.

And a few tens of minutes later, when she entered the forest path.

Rustle.

She heard the sound of something moving.