Chapter 3 – Part 3

Eli returned to Grit’s residence in the capital after a few days.

“Welcome, My Lord”

Damon greeted Eli, who had returned after a long time, with a welcoming face. Although he had taken care of Eli’s clothes and necessities through Leton, he was always worried if Eli was resting properly.

Rejecting Damon, who was trying to carry the bag for him, Eli climbed the stairs.

“Is there a letter from the Viscount Rainier?”

“Viscount Rainier? Not that I recall. My Lord”

Eli nodded as if understanding.

“Shall I prepare the bath?”

With a lowered head, Eli headed familiarly to the study in the mansion.

He placed the bag he was carrying on the desk and carefully took out a hairpin wrapped in a handkerchief.

He had brought it with him at the request of Lady Blora.

The hairpin, which looked like a gem from a distance, turned out to be a cheap one made by gathering inferior gems to make it look decent.

It can’t be a gift worthy to be called from the Marchioness of Grit. There was no way Ruby didn’t know that.

Which meant she had to have had a reason to give it to her.

Eli set the hairpin on the desk and stared at it for a while, then pulled out the letter he’d tucked inside his coat.

“Now that we’re talking about it, I’ll give you this too.”

After Baroness Blora and her husband left, Kane handed Eli a letter.

“What is this?”

“A letter Lady Ruby sent to me”

“To you?”

When Eli stared sharply at Kane for a moment, he quickly waved his hands in panic.

“It’s not what you’re imagining. It’s a letter asking for help!”

Only then did Eli unfold the letter that Kane had handed him.

“She asked if I could help change the party decorations to Luberan Blue”

“Party decorations?”

“Yes.”

“But how can we prepare decorations within five days? Suddenly, there’s a need to change the decorations.”

“….”

“I think it might be related to the hairpin that Lady Blora left behind… What do you think?”

Eli couldn’t answer that question. In his desire to believe it wasn’t true, he simply turned away from the answer the two were pointing to.

Eli opened the bag he’d brought with him from the palace, Ruby’s only keepsake.

It was something deliberately left in a place where he wouldn’t forget it after Ruby died.

He took out one thing at a time from the bag.

A thin outer garment and a necklace with a mysterious pattern of pink and white stones emerged.

It was something Eli had given a long time ago.

When was it? Was it the day he had left for a long journey due to Eli’s business trip shortly after they got married?

They passed through a place made entirely of rocks, and they were selling souvenirs of stones carved into the strange shapes of the rocks.

Ruby seemed to find it pretty.

“Do you like it? Then buy it.”

“Can I?”

“Buy everything.”

Eli gestured for Leton.

“No, I just want this one”

“Even so, do you want to them by color…?”

“One in pink should be enough.”

Ruby picked up the necklace. The merchant made a regretful expression, but Ruby had already paid the price.

“I’ll cherish it.”

The expression of joy at receiving something not so expensive but meaningful came to mind.

He remembered wondering how someone who would be that happy to receive a stone like this would look when she received the jewelry he bought for her before her wedding. But then he wasn’t there at the time of the purchase, so he gave up trying to remember.

“When you see this necklace, you’ll probably think of this place.”

Ruby smiled at Eli, comparing the necklace with the rock shape with one eye closed.

At that time, Eli did not understand what she meant.

Looking at the necklace, the vivid expressions and words of Ruby at that time came back to him.

He searched the bag again.

It was a fountain pen. Eli Grit’s name was engraved on it.

‘Use this for your next trip. I’ll get you a new one later.’

“What about you?”

“Leten will carry a spare.”

She said she needed to write a letter and was looking for a fountain pen, so he gave her one from his inside pocket.

He had always carried several fountain pens just in case, and he had forgotten about it since then.

It was the kind of thing that filled most of her bag of keepsakes. Funny.

In a small pocket inside the bag, several letter papers were still unorganized.

They were the letters Ruby had started to write but never finished.

Eli read each letter.

Things that he had never done for Ruby were written as if they were real. The contents she wrote were trivial and insignificant.

Even those trivial things made him realize how inadequate of a husband he had been.

Eli was angry at himself for not even doing those small things.

***

The next day, as soon as Eli woke up, he headed to Shuban.

He didn’t even send a letter as usual.

At Grit mansion in Shuban, the party was in full swing. It was as Lady Blora had said.

“Eli. What’s going on all of a sudden?”

Marie had a surprised expression, but she quickly took Eli’s hand and smiled with a kind smile.

“What kind of party is this?”

Eli asked, looking down at Marie’s hand holding his.

“Oh… There’s something to congratulate.”

“What is it?”

Eli still asked, looking down.

“There are many things to congratulate.”

Marie smiled awkwardly.

Eli continued to stare down as if asking her to get to the point.

“Mrs. Drian had a child this year.”

“….”

“Mrs. Rose gained a new daughter-in-law. Oh, her daughter got married too. It feels like she was just a child, but she’s now married. Isn’t it amazing?”

“Haha.”

When Eli couldn’t help but burst into laughter, Marie’s face showed a puzzled expression.

“I heard that their horse gave birth to a foal, did you celebrate it as well ?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m just saying that you seem to be the godmother of all the families in Shuban.”

Mari made a face. It was the look she gave Eli when she didn’t like his behavior.

“I think it’s strange.”

“What exactly are you saying?”.

“I didn’t know mother was so caring and fond of other people.”

Marie was rather taken aback.

“They’re the ones working for Shuban. It’s only natural.”

Eli had a reaction that seemed rather new to her.

“What’s wrong with that?”

Marie asked in a sarcastic tone. Her son seemed to be in a bad mood today, but then again, so was she.

“I find it odd that someone who willingly throws parties for those who work for Shuban wouldn’t think of commemorating her recently deceased daughter-in-law.”

Marie’s smile, which had been somewhat formal, froze. Eli finally let go of her hand.

Then, he headed towards the hall where music and laughter could be heard.

Kicking the door open with a loud bang, he lifted the nearest chair and smashed a nearby candle with it.

The partygoers, startled by the sound of broken candles and candlesticks, screamed, and at the same time, the beautiful melody flowing in the hall stopped. After that, there was silence.

“…Lord Grit?”

Someone recognized Eli.

“The party is over, everyone should leave.”

It was Eli’s low and chilling voice.

“From now on, there will be no more parties in Shuban. I declare this period as a time to commemorate the mistress of Shuban.”

Eli threw the chair he was holding. In his ominous atmosphere, everyone froze, and only the sound of swallowing saliva could be heard.

“If anyone dares to host a party during this period, they will be sent to prison for disobedience. Everyone who participates, too.”

People who regained their senses hastily left the hall at his command.

“Bring me the list of everyone who attended the party today,” Eli ordered Leton. Leton nodded in understanding and disappeared.

“What… What is happening?”

Marie, who had only just caught sight of the runners, approached hurriedly.

“I plan to rectify the lax discipline. I have no intention of caring for those who do not mourn for the mistress of Shuban.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“It’s something I should have done a long time ago.”

Looking at Eli, who exuded a different atmosphere than usual, Marie twisted her head with her hand. Nevertheless, he did not bat an eye.

“I heard you refused the request to visit the tomb of Ruby from the Viscount Rainier. Why did you do that?”

“I… I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Why did you refuse the request of Baron Blora and the Baroness?”

“Well, I don’t know about that!”

“Mother!”

Eli shouted at Marie and confronted her.

Under normal circumstances, he might have stopped, but today, he had no intention of doing so.

“Are you insulting your mother because of other people’s words? In front of so many people? Is this the etiquette I taught you?”

“You’re the one who didn’t follow etiquette, Mother. You could at least pretend to mourn. You couldn’t endure a few months and hold a party like there is no tomorrow”

Eli said coldly.

“Shuban will need to change.”

Leaving Marie alone in the ruined party hall, he turned away.