Chapter 4 – Part 12

“It’s okay now.”

In a familiar and gentle voice, Emily finally released the tight grip on his neck.

“I don’t want my brother to change badly as well.”

With a tear-streaked face, Emily murmured.

“What?”

Eli, who was handing her a handkerchief, stopped in his tracks.

“Mother has changed too. Lately, she’s been scolding and hitting the younger maids, some of whom are younger than me, and that’s not right. It’s venting, not discipline.”

Emily knew that there were nobles who used their position to torment others. She had heard rumors of such nobles even in Shuban. Every time, she knew how much Marie disliked it and found it wrong.

Now, her mother was behaving like those nobles, and Emily’s eyes saw pain in Marie. It seemed like her heart, not her body, was hurting.

“So, I came to my brother… What if my brother is also in pain? What should I do? I…!”

With these words, Emily’s sorrow exploded, and she cried out loud, just like when she was very young.

Although she spoke while crying, one could still sense the atmosphere in the mansion from her explanation. Contrary to the confident announcement, things did not seem to be going as Marie wished. It looked like she was venting her frustrations on the servants.

“Is it because of sister Ruby? Just bring her here. You said you were going to the villa, right?”

“Ruby can’t come.”

“I’ll go and talk to her, okay? Will that make my brother feel better? Will he not hurt anymore?”

“I ride horses well now. I’ve ridden all the way here by myself,” Emily continued.

Emily must have realized that something inside Eli was broken. Eli let out a long sigh, suddenly aware of his vulnerability.

“For now, go back home.”

There was nothing he could do about what Emily was saying. What he’d felt when she’d explained earlier was a sense of inadequacy, but Marie’s collapse was only the beginning.

“And don’t come here alone. If you have something to say, tell Damon, it will be conveyed to me right away.”

Left alone in the mansion, Eli, who was quiet earlier, laughed softly. His laughter echoed emptily throughout the mansion.

***

“Do you know what’s wrong with my brother and my mother?”

Emily asked Leton.

They were riding in the carriage toward the Marquis of Grit’s manor.

Leton shook his head silently.

Emily’s head snapped up at his behavior, assuming he wasn’t going to tell her.

But he really didn’t know why.

The ostensible reason was Marie’s downfall, but he didn’t know why he would go to such lengths to disgrace his mother. All he knew was that discrediting the Dowager Marchioness of Grit was part of his plan.

* * *

“How did it go?”

When Emily returned, Eve rushed into her room.

“Did you meet my brother? What did he say? Is he going to fix everything?”

Emily shook her head helplessly. Her shoulders slumped, and Eve’s energy level dropped as well.

“Well, do we have to keep enduring this? I can’t get used to the atmosphere in this house.”

Eve lay down on Emily’s bed.

“We should change it.”

“How? I thought you said your brother wouldn’t help?”

“We have to make him help us.”

Emily clenched her fist.

***

“Thank you for having us.”

Lynn and Iana hugged Ruby tightly, saying their goodbyes.

They’d been here for over a month now, having taken their time picking a date.

It wasn’t until they’d received about five letters from their husbands asking when they’d be back that they felt up to heading to the capital.

“Next time, we’ll come again.”

Iana emphasized this while bidding farewell.

“Sure.”

Ruby said, inviting them to come anytime.

With their departure, the summer villa felt quiet. After spending a few days together, the silence felt awkward.

“Madam, a letter has arrived.”

It was a letter from the capital.

Lynn and Iana had only just returned, so it was too early for a letter to be mailed and too early for it to arrive.

Curious, Ruby took the letter and checked. It was a letter from Emily.

Unexpectedly, it was a person she had little communication with, and they were not close enough for letters. Ruby tilted her head.

The content of the letter was a concern that Eli seemed to be in a lot of pain. Although many words were omitted, it seemed like there was a change in his emotions, his actions were different from before, and he needed Ruby’s help. Emily asked if Ruby could visit the capital.

“Could it be true that he’s seeing another woman?”

Recalling the unintentional eavesdropping on Lynn and Iana’s conversation, Ruby thought. Gathering information from various places, it seemed that Eli was indeed meeting women, and not just that, it had escalated to the point that it was spreading in high society.

However, even so, there was nothing she could do for her.

Ruby gently conveyed the rejection, stating that there was nothing she could do for Emily.

“Dominic.”

Ruby quietly called her as she was finishing up the cleanup.

Luckily, the maids who were helping her with the bedding had already left.

“I have a favor to ask you, will you do it?”

“Of course, My Lady.”

“Please send this letter tomorrow. And…”

“…”

“I’m planning to write another letter, but I want no one else to know about it.”

Ruby brought up the matter quietly.

“I only want that letter to be the one that is written to your ‘report’, if you know what I mean.”

It seemed that Dominic, being the closest maid to Ruby, was the one reporting about Ruby’s overall life to Miss Bacara. She was quite surprised that Ruby knew about it.

“I don’t blame you, and I know he’s only doing it out of concern for me. It’s just that…….”

It seemed like she even knew where that report was going.

“Can you omit the part about what I asked for in your report? It’s an important matter for me.”

Ruby tried to choose her words carefully.

“An important…… matter to you?”

“Yes. So, I really need your help.”

This was the first time Ruby had asked for such a favor. Dominic, who seemed to be deep in thought, nodded after a moment of contemplation.

***

“I’ve been hearing some strange rumors about Marquis Grit lately.”

During an imperial lunch, Emperor Shannua asked Kane.

“What kind of rumor is it?”

Knowing the rumor already, Kane made a momentarily awkward expression but quickly recovered.

“He asked for a leave of absence out of the blue, and I wondered what he was up to. A scandalous affair with an indecent woman doesn’t sit well with the Marquis, and a woman from the countryside?”

Emperor Shannua, playfully sipping wine, laughed as if finding it amusing.

As the person who mostly dealt with the emperor in Eli’s absence, Kane was often summoned by the emperor. In this situation, he realized that he might understand Eli’s distress a little more.

“If he’s going to cause unnecessary trouble, he should come back and do some work.”

Emperor Shannua quietly clicked his tongue.

Kane remained silent and smiled awkwardly.

“Is there something wrong with Eli?”

Arlen, who was having lunch with them, asked with a worried expression. Her voice was full of concern.

Even though the rumor was spreading and he had visited Eli several times, he didn’t ask him further. He simply worried about Eli, who might completely break down and let go of himself.

“Something must have happened while he was away at the manor.

As she did most of the time at balls, Arlen called Eli by his first name.

Kane was uncomfortable with that. Eli and Arlen had been close friends since childhood, but it was still not a friendly title to use in his absence or in the presence of three people he was not close friends with.

“As I mentioned, I don’t know either. I apologize.”

Kane honestly replied, just as he did with the emperor.

“Perhaps I should write to Eli, I’m worried about what’s going on.”

Arlen, who seemed lost in thought at the strange situation, said when the meal was over. Her voice was full of concern..

***

Eli’s life did not change significantly.

While continuing the task of personally checking the list of properties to be given to Ruby and debating its usefulness, he also continued to hold masked balls once he returned to the capital.

The reputation of Grit Marquis in the social world was now at a level that was difficult to mention.

However, Eli did not care about such a reputation. If he had cared about it in the first place, he wouldn’t have caused such trouble.

“I won’t ask why, but can’t you at least return from your vacation?”

Kane sought out Eli as soon as the luncheon with the Emperor was over.

Since the rumor of Marquis Grit’s confusion in the social world spread, Kane visited the mansion and witnessed Eli, who looked unhappy.

Realizing then that something was seriously wrong with Eli, Kane did not inquire further as he was unwilling to explain.

He simply stopped by whenever he could, worried that Eli might break down and let himself go.

“If you don’t want to return, can I at least not have lunch with your childhood friends? By the way, the masked ball is in the evening, right?”

Kane’s plea was met with Eli’s mocking look.

If he was going to throw a masquerade ball to start a bad rumor, why not just go back to being a good worker and earn the Emperor’s trust?

Despite Eli’s bruises, Kane was sincere: he hated those stuffy, stifling luncheons.

“If you won’t go, at least sneak in some work during the day.”

Eli didn’t even pretend to hear the other option.

Kane sighed heavily.

“Forget it, I’d rather collapse in my stifling meal.”

Kane remained in the parlor, unwilling to leave.

Kane and Eli were quietly enjoying their time in the parlor.