Chapter 3.15

Setting her teacup down, Solnia fixed her gaze straight ahead.  

“What are you thinking about?”  

Clink. At her words, the Dowager set her teacup down. The unusually harsh and unpleasant sound was uncharacteristic of her.  

“What am I thinking about? Watch your tone.”  

“……”  

“As the daughter of a high-ranking noble family, it’s only natural for you to remain in the capital’s social circles after marriage. Since you seem to have forgotten your place and buried yourself in the countryside, I took it upon myself to arrange a position for you.”  

Her matter-of-fact reply, as if it were a given, already made Solnia weary of the conversation. Still, she replied with a composed smile.  

“I’m surprised. I didn’t think you considered me part of this family.”  

“……”  

Only then did the Dowager look at Solnia properly. Her blue eyes, aside from the habitual curl of her lips, were the same as they had been a year ago.  

The same eyes that had wielded a cane one day and thrown a vase the next.  

To keep herself steady, Solnia clenched her hands into fists beneath the table, resting them on her lap.  

She had come to see her grandmother because she had resolved to confront her.  

She couldn’t keep avoiding her forever.  

The best course of action would have been to retract her decision at the party and return to Melfir, but her grandmother was not one to let things go so easily. Who knew what rumors might follow if the decision were suddenly reversed?  

The next best option was to stay in the capital, but that would inevitably involve facing her grandmother.  

Before that, Solnia wanted to confront her at least once.  

Rather than speculating about the Dowager’s dark motives, she wanted to probe them directly.  

“Why are you trying to keep me close?”  

“……”  

“You can’t stand the sight of me.”  

Why was she trying to tether me here, despite her disdain?  

At the blunt question, the Dowager Heston let out a scoffing laugh.  

“Did that rascal teach you such insolence? I don’t recall raising you this way. How could you speak like an uneducated commoner…”  

“……”  

“Then again, I suppose blood doesn’t lie.”  

Though the Dowager was smiling, her voice sounded as if she were gritting her teeth. It seemed as though she might fling her teacup at any moment. Such was the power of ingrained habits.  

Solnia clenched her fists tighter to keep herself from flinching and stared resolutely at her grandmother.  

“Are you planning to kill me?”  

“Hahaha.”  

The Dowager burst into hearty laughter, as if she had just heard an amusing joke. The sound carried all the way to Angie, who was standing outside. Angie glanced back briefly, meeting Solnia’s gaze.  

Watching what appeared to be a perfectly cordial tea time, Angie smiled brightly at Solnia.  

Noticing the exchange, the Dowager gave an order to the maid.  

“Take her away.”  

“Yes, Madam.”  

Following the Dowager’s command, the maid led Angie back into the mansion. The Dowager then turned to Solnia with a look of feigned pity.  

“You’re making it sound as though I’m desperate to kill you.”  

“You’ve said it before—how impossibly resilient I am.”  

“Watch your insolence.”  

Though she smiled, her tone was sharp. Her wrinkled hands gripped the rounded head of her cane tightly.  

“You’re not even worth killing with my own hands.”  

The smile had completely disappeared from her aged face.  

“Do you think marrying that flashy man has made you someone important?”  

At that moment, the Dowager suddenly struck the floor with her cane.  

Bang! At the short, sharp sound, Solnia flinched, her shoulders trembling. The Dowager let out a mocking laugh.  

“See? No matter how polished your exterior is, you’re still the same inside.”  

Stay calm. Nothing happened.  

Swallowing dryly, Solnia forced herself to look at her grandmother again. Though every glance brought back memories and made her skin crawl, she didn’t avert her eyes.  

“Then tell me.”  

“……”  

“Tell me why you’re trying to keep someone like me close, as you say.”  

Though her face looked as though she might collapse at any moment, Solnia stubbornly forced the words out.  

Her grandmother regarded her as if she were an amusing plaything.  

After a brief silence, during which only the sound of her own pounding heart filled her ears, her grandmother finally spoke.  

“Hand it over.”  

“……”  

“The wealth you dared to covet—my son’s inheritance.”  

Her eyes, now revealing their true nature, sparkled under the sunlight.  

“You know it too, don’t you? How your pitiful little play will end.”  

***

“Viscount Timberland sent a letter. He’s inviting us to a hunting trip this weekend.”  

The unwelcome name came up during a brief tea time after their meal.  

Viscount Timberland was the youngest brother of the Duke of Trovill and Luette’s uncle. He was a man deeply ambitious for power.  

As soon as Luette’s father inherited the title, Timberland had purchased one for himself with a large sum of money.  

Of course, Luette knew very well that this act had earned him the wrath of their grandfather. The old man had raged, declaring that he would erase Timberland’s name from the family register for daring to buy a title.  

Despite the lack of honor attached to his purchased title, Viscount Timberland and his wife relentlessly sought to elevate their name, appearing in the capital’s social circles every year.  

Luette frowned as he pictured the middle-aged man, half-bald with an oily face.  

“Why did he contact us?”  

“He must have figured he wouldn’t even make it past the townhouse gates if he sent the letter to you.”  

The Duchess replied nonchalantly and summoned a maid. Soon, the maid brought an invitation sealed with a tacky emblem.  

“You didn’t even open it?”  

“There’s no need. I already know what it says.”  

The Duchess shuddered in distaste and ignored the invitation. Eventually, it ended up in Luette’s hands.  

The contents, which he read with a sour expression, were exactly as the Duchess had predicted.  

「How delighted I was to hear that you and your wife are staying in the capital. I remember how fond I was of you as a child. How you’ve grown into such a fine gentleman! Time truly flies. It would bring me no greater joy than for you and your lovely bride to join us on this hunting trip.」

What nonsense.  

Luette set the invitation down, his face twisted as though he had bitten into a bitter fruit.  

“You should attend, Lu.”  

“……”  

“It’s a good opportunity to silence those tiresome mouths.”  

Her suggestion to attend was as good as a command, and the “tiresome mouths” referred to the feather-light tongues of gossipers.  

The Timberlands were notorious for their chatter. They never let go of anything they saw, and their knack for exaggerating even the smallest matters into grand tales was almost a talent.  

Luette believed that eight out of ten pieces of trash gossip circulating during the social season originated from their mouths.  

“Make sure to let Solnia know as well. Be kind to her.”  

The Duchess added her request.  

“I hope she remains healthy during her stay here.”  

Luette knew exactly what she meant.  

***

The lounge was still filled with a pungent smell. The familiar and detestable odor made his smooth face contort with irritation. His long strides carried him across the lounge more briskly than ever.  

On the second floor, one side hosted a gambling table with bloodshot players, while the other was filled with drunken men who had been drinking since noon.  

“What a mess.”  

Luette narrowed his eyes in disdain before spotting some familiar faces.  

“Over here!”  

The men waving at him looked like the only sane individuals in this trash heap of a club—or at least, they seemed somewhat similar. Harmless, proper, and decent.  

They weren’t exactly friends but were a tolerable group to associate with during the social season.  

Among them, Alec Heston and Pavro Hudson were particularly well-regarded for their public image. Spending time with them during the social season offered a convenient way to polish one’s reputation.  

As he approached the group, Luette snatched Pavro’s glass of whiskey and took a sip before reclining on the sofa.  

“Are you all right?”  

“Carry on.”  

Luette waved a hand dismissively and closed his eyes.  

He had attended the Duke’s breakfast that morning, followed by administrative work at the royal palace. Then, he had been cornered by the Crown Prince, who insisted on planning a hunting trip, and had just now managed to catch his breath.  

His hectic schedule in the capital had been relentless, but in some ways, it was a blessing. His father had already entrusted him with many responsibilities, and being in the capital made it easier to act as his father’s eyes and feet, given his father’s limited mobility.  

‘You should attend.’ 

If only there weren’t the matter of pretending to be the perfect married couple, things would have been ideal.  

“Will you participate?”  

“What?”  

At the sudden question directed at him, Luette opened his eyes to see Pavro laughing.  

“See? I told you he wouldn’t have heard.”  

“Luette, are you really okay?”  

Alec asked with a concerned expression, and Luette groaned before leaning back again.  

“What are you talking about?”  

“We were asking if you’re going to participate in Unpium.”  

At Pavro’s words, Luette smirked crookedly.  

“Do you think I’d go?”  

“You participated last year. Or was it the year before?”  

The social season wasn’t just a festival for women. There were also sports events for men, and Unpium was the most popular among them.