Chapter 1 – Windberg (Part 2)

Breakfast, as always, was served in the breakfast room. Evelyn sat upright in a velvet-covered chair. The savory aroma of the food made her mouth water. Mrs. Hinsley, the caretaker’s wife, was quite skilled in the kitchen.

“It’s a potato omelet. I noticed you seemed to like it the other day.”

“Miss Dale seems to have a taste for northern food. Thanks to you, Madame.”

“Mr. Glenn is right. I’m really grateful, Mrs. Hinsley.”

The two people sitting across the table politely praised the cook. He was once again a courteous gentleman, and she was a demure lady. Quite the opposite of the indecent affair they had upstairs just 20 minutes ago.

“When you go to Maxville, you’ll have far better food than this. The best chefs in the north are there.”

“No, I assure you, your skills are no less than theirs.”

“You’re too kind. You truly resemble the late Your Grace. He always treated the staff with kindness. May God look after his rest.”

“Surely He will. Thank you.”

Evelyn looked at Jared with a slight smile. The line of the morning coat that fit his broad shoulders was handsome. The natural wrinkle of the subtly glossy blue silk tie was beautiful. His demeanor was gentle, and his handling of the cutlery was elegant.

The perfect gentleman’s demeanor. But Evelyn now knew what lay beneath that. And the satisfaction that knowledge brought was surprisingly great.

“I actually wanted to bring you here last spring.”

Jared said as he cut a piece of omelet and brought it to his mouth. Now, only the two of them were left in the breakfast room, as the servant had withdrawn.

“At the funeral, I mean. Father had passed away, but I wanted to show him, even at the funeral. Evelyn Dale. A beautiful and talented novelist. The woman I want to marry.”

Evelyn paused with the cutlery in her hand. Something dropped inside her chest.

“But unfortunately, at that time, you barely acknowledged me.”

“I didn’t ignore you.”

“Then did you not see me at all?”

“Let’s say I didn’t dare to look.”

“That’s a kind thing to say, but Eve, you made me wait too long for such a humble expression.”

Jared laughed as he picked up his water glass and brought it to his lips. Evelyn watched in silence as the transparent glass tilted and his Adam’s apple moved slowly.

It had been a year. He had persistently proposed for a whole year. There were hardly any cases where a nobleman courted for such a long time, but it was possible because Jared was earnest, and Evelyn was a commoner.

Nobles, who regarded reputation and honor as life itself, considered even their daughters or sisters receiving ardent courtship as unchaste. Therefore, courtship and proposals in noble society were conducted very dryly and concisely. It was a custom purely out of consideration for the woman’s honor.

“Do you know what I thought about all night?”

“What did you think about?”

“I was seriously contemplating just getting married here. Very seriously.”

“……”

“Bringing a priest from a nearby church, making the Hinsleys our witnesses, and making our marriage vows.”

As he spoke, Jared set down his glass and looked up. Their eyes met over the table. Evelyn didn’t know what to say.

“And then introducing you in Maxville. ‘This is my wife, Evelyn Glenn’.”

“……”

“Mother would be utterly shocked. Herald would shake his head and laugh. Marcus would probably applaud. He would praise it as the best marriage among us three brothers.”

“You said the second brother isn’t married yet.”

“He’s already decided who he’s marrying. A very dull noble lady.”

“That’s rude, Jared. To the woman who will be your sister-in-law.”

“Is my future sister-in-law here? I don’t see her.”

Jared shrugged with a laugh. 

Impossible. 

Evelyn smiled ambiguously.

“Speaking of sisters-in-law, you’ll find our eldest sister-in-law, the Duchess, easy to get along with. She has such a kind heart that she doesn’t know how to upset anyone. She’ll surely be good to you.”

Evelyn nodded slightly. Having no siblings herself, she was inevitably nervous about meeting Jared’s two brothers and sisters-in-law. And they weren’t just any ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters-in-law.’ They were the Duke and Duchess of Windberg, the great nobles of the north.

“The only person who might make you uncomfortable in that mansion is my mother. Do you know the psychological theory that personality is determined by birth order?”

“Are you talking about the theory in Psychology and Family by Islit Stein?”

“Yes. You could say my mother embodies all the negative traits of the eldest daughter that book describes. She’s authoritative and conservative, with an excessive sense of responsibility that burdens those around her. Ah, this is all for your sake, Eve. I want you to be prepared for her, so please bear with my expression.”

Jared laughed with a grumble, as if to say he wouldn’t accept any nagging.

Evelyn knew little about the former Duchess Diane Glenn. As a noblewoman connected by blood to the Imperial Family, who rarely engaged in external activities, it was hard to grasp what kind of person she was.

Having recently lost her husband and passed on the title of Duchess to her daughter-in-law, it was impossible to guess what Diane might be thinking now.

However, Evelyn could easily predict that Diane would not look favorably on her youngest son’s commoner fiancée.

“But there’s no need to worry. The fact that she called us to Maxville means she’s already halfway to accepting it. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say she’s given up. Mother has already chosen two daughters-in-law herself, and I’m not a son who listens as well as my brothers. Above all, my wife has a very slim chance of becoming a Duchess.”

Jared’s words slightly dampened Evelyn’s mood. Not because he said his mother would overlook her because she’s not a candidate for Duchess, of course.

That was a fact. If Jared had been the eldest son, he would never have proposed to Evelyn Dale. Evelyn was a woman who understood that much about the world and had never entertained such foolish dreams. A commoner woman as a Duchess? It was unthinkable.

What made Evelyn feel bitter was Jared himself. Every time he reminded her that he had no chance of becoming a Duke, she somehow felt sorry for him.

How must it feel to gaze at a jewel that wasn’t meant to be yours? Had he never thought it would have been better if he hadn’t known about such jewels at all?

Having lived a life full of shortcomings, Evelyn deeply empathized with that sentiment.

A fate determined before birth. The feeling of having to merely look at something that could never be yours. Jared must have suffered from such feelings at some point in his life. Or perhaps he still carried traces of that feeling somewhere within him.

But that was the undeniable reality. The Duke and Duchess of Windberg didn’t have a son yet, but both were young and healthy, and they would soon have an heir.

Even if misfortune befell the Duke, there was still the young and healthy second brother, Marcus. The possibility of the dukedom passing to the third son, Jared, was virtually zero.

“Let’s go to Chester right after we get married. As soon as the transfer process is complete.”

Jared said as he set down his cutlery. Evelyn met the gaze of the man who had finished eating in sync with her. When he pronounced the word ‘Chester,’ his green eyes subtly brightened. So Evelyn’s mood brightened in turn.

The Glenn family was known as the Dukes of Windberg, but they owned many other titles and territories. While it was customary for the main family to monopolize all of them to maintain power and wealth, Herald thought differently.

He said it wasn’t right to take all the assets just because he was born first, and the generous Herald promised his youngest brother a place in the southern region of Chester. It wasn’t large, but it was close to the capital, Issen, and had a major river, making it a prime territory.

“It’s a perfect place. My author dislikes the cold.”

Having a title meant receiving a portion of the taxes generated from one’s estate. Though not a vast amount like in feudal times, it was sufficient income to maintain the manor and the dignity of a lord.

A life where one doesn’t have to work to earn money. A life Evelyn could hardly believe.

“It might be a somewhat dull life. Losing your job, I mean.”

“It’s not losing it but changing it. Your job, I mean. I hear there’s quite a bit of work a lord has to oversee.”

“Of course, there’s quite a bit. Hosting balls to entertain guests. Awarding certificates to local politicians or philanthropists. Giving congratulatory speeches at university graduations.”

“You shouldn’t be so sarcastic in front of the Duke, should you?”

“My brother would agree with me. It’s true that it’s dull compared to working in the legal department of a transportation company.”

“Then why not find something interesting to do? Something that serves the estate. Using your expertise.”

Evelyn set down her cutlery and reached for her water glass. Jared glanced at her empty plate and rubbed his chin with his hand.

Expertise, huh. 

He muttered as if pondering,

“How about free legal consultations offered by a Baron? Is that too radical?”

“Compared to having a novelist as a wife, it’s not that radical.”

Indeed, that would be true. Jared agreed with a laugh.

“Your books will be in every library in Chester as must-reads.”

“Please, Jared. Even as a joke, that’s awful.”

“Who’s joking in this room?”

“Then I’ll publish under a pen name from now on.”

“That would be troublesome. Then no one would know the author is my wife.”

“Don’t you want to hide the fact that your wife writes novels?”

“You said novels are a microcosm of life. In that case, a novelist is like a creator. I’m very proud.”

“Even if I write something very radical?”

“Then I’d be even prouder. Which Baroness would surprise people with a radical novel? Among all the noblewomen in the Empire, there wouldn’t be anyone as interesting as you.”

Jared spoke with a tone of certainty. So Evelyn couldn’t help but be moved again. There were countless reasons why she loved this man, but this was what shook her heart the most.

He loved Evelyn’s dreams. He respected and encouraged her goals. He believed in the values most people denied, and he gave her the confidence that she could reach greater heights.

“You’ll be a wonderful Baroness.”

Evelyn, who had thought it would be fine to live as a spinster all her life, decided to marry not because the man who proposed to her was a handsome nobleman, but because he had a heart wide enough to fully embrace her world.

“Surely you will be. My Eve.”

Could all of this really be reality? Could such great fortune truly be mine? 

Sometimes such doubts arose.

At those times, Evelyn felt inexplicably anxious. As if all this felt like a perfect dream. Like a mirage that would scatter if touched. Like a bubble that would vanish in an instant.