Chapter 4 – Part 18

“Here are the gloves.”

When Eli got off the carriage, Leton handed him the familiar gloves.

“Just a moment.”

Before putting on the gloves, Eli took out a small bottle from her jacket. Sometime in the past, inside Eli’s jacket, there had always been a small bottle of alcohol.

Whenever he faced a moment of seeing Ruby’s possible body, he drank the liquor in one go. It was not that he was afraid of seeing a dead person, but rather the fear that she might really be Ruby. He was afraid that even in this fortunate second chance at life, he might not have been able to protect her.

He gulped down about half of the contents of the small bottle in one go before reluctantly putting on the gloves.

“This way.”

Leton signaled that he would see the corpse. The corpse, heavily decayed, had a face that was unrecognizable. Leton covered the face with a handkerchief.

Eli, touching the corpse to see if there was anything that could identify it as Ruby, mumbled,

“…No.”

Upon Eli’s muttered words, Leton signaled that it was okay to take the body away.

As the body disappeared and Leton settled the payment, Eli returned to the carriage.

‘It’s not Ruby.’

As the realization hit him, a sense of relief flooded in. Eli, who had just taken off his gloves, finally sighed with relief and covered his face.

The smell of alcohol came from his sigh.

“Take us to Devens.”

When Leton finished tidying up and returned to the carriage, Eli, leaning back in the chair, ordered.

His voice carried a hint of exhaustion.

Searching for bodies with similar features to Lady Grit began six months ago. There were no clues as to where Lady Grit had gone, and searching the vast empire took a long time. Even now, half of the empire has not been explored. After putting so much effort into finding Lady Grit, Eli ordered to investigate the bodies with features similar to Ruby’s.

“Are you talking about corpses?”

“…Yes.”

“Why… I understand.”

Leton thought that Eli might be assuming the worst-case scenario too much, but even after almost a year, he himself had thoughts of ‘what if.’

“How about news from the mansion?”

“Nothing special came. Maybe we should stop by this time.”

“Sure.”

After that, the two didn’t talk much until they arrived at Devens.

* * *

“Welcome, My Lady.”

Arlen warmly welcomed Marie.

“It’s been a while, Lady Miles. It is rare to see you around after such a long time.”

Marie genuinely smiled at the warm welcome she received after a long time.

“Sorry. I’ve been staying on the estate for a while. I thought of you as soon as I came out. It’s nice to see you like this in the capital.”

Arlen’s praise and friendliness made Marie’s shoulders rise involuntarily.

Although it was said that Lady Starlet’s wife was reigning over high society, Lady Arlen Miles, in the eyes of the people, was the one who shone more brightly. She was perceived as a person of high nobility, a beautiful appearance, and someone who could lighten the atmosphere with just the right humor. Her reputation was excellent, and her presence at the grand parties surpassed even royal banquets in attendance.

“By the way, I heard you’ve been going through a hard time recently.”

Arlen took Marie’s hands in hers.

“Recently, you’ve been taking on a lot of work, and I should have paid more attention to Eli, too. I’ll talk to His Majesty for Eliot. He trusts Eli without any reservations.”

Fortunately, Arlen’s words were about Eli’s concern.

“I’m thankful that Lady Miles cares about him.”

“He’s just doing his job, right?”

“In fact, His Majesty has complete trust in Eli when it comes to his work.”

“Really? You’re not mistaken, right?”

Arlen nodded as if affirming her words.

“After all, it must be tough when someone is by your side in difficult times, don’t you think? But it’s still reassuring to have a Marchioness.”

Arlen mentioned Ruby as if she hadn’t heard anything about her.

At that moment, Marie involuntarily stiffened her expression. Of course, it was a well-calculated action.

“Do you have any worries? Why are you looking so troubled?”

Arlen asked Marie, who remained silent.

“To be honest, I didn’t want to say such things, but… I’ve noticed a change in Lady Grit recently. A few years ago, for the first time, she rebelled, saying she wanted to live in the capital. Then she took a sudden vacation, and now she’s even doing things she never did before. It hurts my heart as her mother. I wonder what she’s going through alone…”

Marie wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, as if she were wiping away tears. Of course, there was no moisture to be found, but she quickly folded the handkerchief in half as if there were.

“Oh, dear…”

Arlen responded, playing along with Marie’s act.

“She seems to have a lot on her plate. After leaving the capital, Eli started acting out. It’s disappointing not to receive a single letter after going there. As you know, sending letters from Devens is not difficult.”

Devens was known to be a place where the excuse of being busy wouldn’t be acceptable.

“I think there might have been some argument between the two of them.”

“After the Marchioness suddenly changed her attitude,”

“With so many rumors circulating, it’s strange that she wouldn’t show her face even once, don’t you think?”

As Marie finished speaking, everyone imagined various scenarios and gossiped excitedly.

“Regardless of what happened between them, it’s not right for her to run off to the villa irresponsibly. Eli must be going through a tough time emotionally. As her friend, it’s regrettable not to know about it. I apologize for not being aware of that fact.”

Marie nodded slightly, indicating that she was okay.

“Because of my nature, I can’t just leave everything to the two of them… Leaving the social scene and still having this happen is frustrating.”

Marie expressed her dissatisfaction with a look that conveyed that she didn’t want this to happen.

“I’m sure that the gods know that I have a lot of affection for Lady Grit.”

Marie subtly mentioned it.

People were well aware of the stories Marie spread about Marchioness Grit. After Eli Grit became the Emperor’s closest aide, there was a time when she was regarded as the epitome of a wise noblewoman.

Arlen nodded in agreement.

Most of the reactions from the surrounding ladies were similar to Arlen’s. Of course, not everyone, but mostly.

The Countess Starlet, who had been listening from a distance, seemed to have heard enough as she turned away, heading in another direction. Although she knew that Marie’s words were mostly just gossip, if Arlen Miles was openly favoring someone, she couldn’t interfere.

Lady Miles was not someone who would ruin the atmosphere needlessly, and there was no reason for her to pick a fight.

As the Viscountess Starlet moved away, Marie felt that the atmosphere had completely shifted back in her favor.

“By the way, His Majesty doesn’t believe the rumors about Eli.”

Even with Eli Grit’s peculiar behavior, the unwavering trust of the Emperor was enough to turn people’s hearts.

Especially when the news came directly from the mouth of Lady Arlen Miles, a trusted friend who regularly hosted luncheon meetings with them, it had more weight.

After that, Arlen stayed with Marie the entire time, just like she did at the many parties Marie held in Shuban.

Marie tightly held Arlen’s hands, smiling warmly. It had been a very long time.

***

After the party at Lady Arlen’s mansion, the number of invitations flying into the Lady Marie Grit increased again.

Marie hummed a tune while carefully examining each invitation that came her way.

“Didn’t you leave me and cast me out? It’s not funny, really.”

She burned all the invitations from those who had even slightly ignored her.

“Mother.”

Unlike Eve, who ran to hug her, Emily, the youngest, opted for a casual greeting. Ever since Emily witnessed her scolding a maid in a fit of anger, Marie regretted tarnishing her reputation within the mansion, but it couldn’t be undone.

“Are we debuting in the social circle?”

Emily asked when she saw the catalog Marie was looking at.

“I thought it might be a good idea.”

After the party at Lady Arlen’s mansion, she had been accompanying Marie to most gatherings and events. Thanks to her, the treatment of Marie by the nobility was gradually returning to its former state.

However, it was not a role Arlen could continue indefinitely. So, now that the reputation in society had briefly returned, Marie decided it was a good time to debut Eve and Emily in the social circle.

Part of the decision was fueled by the anxiety that Eli might cause trouble again at any time.

In terms of appearance, grace, and family, Eve and Emily were not inferior to Arlen’s social debut days. Choosing a good family for them to marry into would likely not be a significant concern, even if Eli tarnished the family’s reputation.

In reality, Marie had not planned to marry the two off so early, but it was an unavoidable choice for her.

“I like it!”

Eve, who had enjoyed dressing up even when she was in Shuban, replied excitedly.

“What about Emily?”

Marie asked Emily, who was silent beside her.

“Is it allowed by Brother?”

“…Is there anything to approve? It’s up to you if you want to do it.”

Marie’s tone was sharp. Emily’s simple question implied the power dynamics within the Grit House. It was a question she wouldn’t have dared to ask in the past, indicating her subtle growth.

“It might be good if my brother comes too, don’t you think?”

“….”

“It’s a family event, and it might look strange without the head of the family at a debut party. I also like the idea of debuting in the social circle.”

For Emily, it was just a question with no particular thoughts. However, sensing Marie’s dissatisfaction in her sharp response, she quickly explained her reasoning.

“Yeah. It wouldn’t make sense if Eli didn’t participate.”

It was an excuse, but a plausible one.

Arlen had uttered some things during parties that she attended with Marie. Most of them were lies that favored Marie regarding Eli’s intentions or their relationship.

‘I’ve only managed to erase the rumor…’

Eli’s escapades were blamed on Ruby, and Eli, who claimed to cherish family and the family’s reputation, not showing his face at a debut party for his siblings would undoubtedly lead to more gossip.

“Yes, Mother. Send him a letter.”

Eve also agreed with Emily’s opinion.

“Sure. It’s a family event, and it might be strange without the head of the family. Let’s try to contact him.”

Marie sighed, reluctantly agreeing to the two sisters’ insistence.