Chapter 4.19

But for a moment, the conversation he had with Alec the previous day flashed through his mind, planting a small seed of unease.  

Before he knew it, his steps quickened as he left the bedroom. Out in the hallway, he immediately called out to a maid he spotted.  

“Where is my wife—”  

“Oh my! It’s perfect!”  

The maid’s exclamation from a distance cut him off. The maid standing before him shrugged as if to say, “She’s right over there.”  

“Young Madam is in the toilette room.”  

Once the maid left, Luette finally stretched his stiff neck.  

“You look stunning, Young Madam!”  

“Yes, absolutely stunning!”  

The enthusiastic voices from afar grated on his nerves. His relief that nothing was wrong was short-lived.  

What on earth could she be doing at this hour?  

With a frown, he headed toward the source of the noise. It was the toilette room, located on the same floor as the bedroom.  

Knock, knock. He knocked, but it seemed no one inside could hear him. Given the racket, it wasn’t surprising.  

“…What on earth.”  

Just as he was about to turn away, Luette opened the door to the toilette room. He figured he might as well see what was going on.  

“This ribbon, how about this one? It would look so lovely as a hair accessory!”  

Inside, a rather absurd scene unfolded. Four or five maids, with their sleeves rolled up, were busily working on something.  

And that something was…  

“Oh my goodness!”

“You’re awake?”

It was Solnia.  

Noticing him amidst the maids who hastily turned their heads, Solnia greeted him without hesitation. A fresh smile accompanied her words.  

Look at her. She’s unusually lively these days.  

Luette stood leaning against the doorframe, a faint smile on his lips.  

“What are you doing this early in the morning?”  

“There’s a charity bazaar today.”  

“Ah.”  

When he nodded briefly in response, Solnia also nodded with a smile. This time, it was a slightly different smile from before. It felt like she thought, “I knew you’d forget.”  

“But isn’t the bazaar scheduled to start at 2 PM?”  

“That’s right. I woke up early and am preparing slowly.”  

“From 9 o’clock in the morning?”  

“It’s not a bad time.”  

Luette recalled his mother, who would begin preparations the moment she woke up whenever there was a royal event. The extravagance of noble ladies truly knew no bounds.  

“Then I should leave you to it. I thought we might have breakfast together.”  

“I just started curling my hair. Sorry.”  

An exchange of insincere regrets and apologies followed.  

Come to think of it, her light brown hair, usually braided or neatly let down, was now curled in waves. Perhaps her lively appearance was due to those bouncy curls.  

“Could you close the door on your way out?”  

Solnia spoke with a crescent-eyed smile. She seemed conscious of the maids who had been glancing at the couple since earlier.  

So, he responded in kind.  

“Don’t dress too beautifully. For an event I won’t be attending.”  

The moment he said those words, Solnia’s expression twisted as if she had heard something utterly absurd. It lasted only a fleeting moment.  

With a gentle smile, he closed the door behind him, but his own mood was just as nauseating.  

*

Luette’s expression wasn’t bright as he exited the White Pub. Pavro, who followed him out, looked equally displeased.  

Who would’ve thought they’d run into the Earl of Moulton at a place they entered for a quick beer after finishing morning duties?  

“What does that old geezer think he’s relying on?”  

Pavro muttered, glaring at the pub’s entrance as if he could still see the Earl of Moulton inside.  

‘Well, well, who do we have here? Isn’t it the Earl of Melfir!’  

The man, who always introduced himself with the title of the 12th Earl of Moulton, clearly didn’t like Luette.  

Those who favored William didn’t like Luette. It was practically a rule for him, so it wasn’t something he gave much thought to.  

The Earl’s mocking lips, which had teased him about how the capital dazzled the eyes and how there weren’t even beauties in that rural village, soon delivered different news.  

‘I’m sorry to bring you bad news.’  

‘I’m genuinely curious what it is.’  

‘I’m participating in this year’s Unpium.’  

The Earl of Moulton patted Luette’s shoulder, saying he was sorry for taking the victory.  

“What kind of person enters Unpium at his age? Doesn’t he feel any shame?”  

Pavro snickered.  

“He’ll only realize how embarrassing it is after losing properly.”  

“Then you should beat him.”  

“Me? I was talking about you.”  

Luette pushed away Pavro, who clung persistently, and said,  

“I must’ve told you a hundred times I’m not participating.”  

“You didn’t mean it, did you?”  

“How would you know my true feelings?”  

“Your wife must also be eagerly anticipating Unpium, isn’t she?”  

At those words, Solnia’s image from this morning suddenly came to mind. Her fresh smile, her cheerful voice, and her light brown hair curled in bouncy waves.  

Recalling her face, which seemed quite excited, Luette let out a small laugh.  

“My wife’s mind is likely filled only with the charity bazaar.”  

“Charity bazaar?”  

“Yes.”  

As he spoke, Luette pulled a cigar and pocket watch from his jacket. Placing the unlit cigar in his mouth, he checked the time. It was 1:30 PM.  

“By now, she must have already left—”  

“What are you talking about?”  

Pavro raised an eyebrow and said,  

“The charity bazaar was canceled, wasn’t it?”  

Seeing Luette’s expression, Pavro continued in a tone of disbelief.  

“You didn’t know?”  

“…No.”  

Luette managed to force a smile.  

Admitting ignorance here would complicate matters. Pavro was the kind of ‘good husband’ who relayed every detail of his day to his wife, and Pavro’s wife, Hudson, was a woman who never missed a gossip circle.  

“I must’ve been mistaken. She mentioned visiting the Dowager Madame instead of the canceled event.”  

“I see. Well, it’s hard to imagine your wife not knowing about an event hosted by the Dowager Madame.”  

Pavro continued rambling, but Luette wasn’t listening anymore.  

‘I won’t be attending the bazaar with you.’  

He had made that clear, so it wasn’t something that concerned him.  

After all, the event was being held at the Dowager Madame’s estate, so even if she went, it wouldn’t be an issue. He could have tea with the Dowager Madame while he was there.  

That’s what he thought. Since he left the house just before 10 AM, someone must have already come and gone to deliver the news.  

If not, the Dowager Madame herself would have sent someone to inform them. She cherished her granddaughter so much…  

‘Will you accompany me?’  

But the face he could never forget suddenly surfaced in his mind as if in defiance.  

The pale face that had turned white as a sheet upon hearing those words. Her neck strained with prominent veins, as if barely holding herself upright.  

That was the root of his inexplicable irritation.  

Even though the Dowager Madame’s time didn’t seem to please Solnia, even though she had prepared all morning without knowing the charity bazaar was canceled…  

“By the way, are you really not planning to participate in Unpium? Seriously? Everyone expects you to.”  

“Ha.”  

The face that always smiled like a strangled doll in front of the Heston Dowager Madame wouldn’t leave his mind.  

“I get it. Saying no a hundred and one times is enough to make anyone angry. But still—”  

“Shut up.”  

Luette ran his hand through his hair irritably. Then, he checked his pocket watch once more. It was 1:35 PM.  

“Do you have something urgent to attend to?”  

“…”  

Staring at the steadily ticking second hand, Luette returned the watch to his jacket pocket as if he had made up his mind.  

‘I’m not crazy.’  

“No.”  

He lit the cigar he had been holding in his mouth as if to dismiss the haunting voice in his head.

**

The lengthy hours of preparation culminated in a deep purple dress. The clean, uncluttered design, paired with a jacket adorned with pearl buttons as a subtle yet clear highlight, was an excellent choice.  

Even the maids, who had been lamenting the plainness of the dress underneath, finally smiled in approval.  

“You look so elegant, Young Madam!”  

“So captivating!”  

“And charming as well!”  

The maids chattered like little sparrows searching for food. Watching them, Solnia let out a soft laugh.  

Contrary to her expectation that they would reluctantly work for her, the maids seemed to like her even more than before.  

According to Angie, right after Madame Gibson’s visit, Lady Gwen had gathered the maids to speak on behalf of the Young Madam. She had done so to protect the townhouse staff.  

‘Of course, I added a little of my own words too.’ 

Angie admitted.  

Angie had spread the details of what happened that day when she and Lady Gwen visited the Young Madam’s bedroom. She told them how distressed the Madam was, how apologetic she felt, and how she had warmly comforted Angie, who had burst into tears without realizing it.  

The result was the smiling maids standing before her now.  

Though it might have been exaggerated, it wasn’t a bad outcome. Solnia felt she could now truly call the townhouse staff “her people.”