Chapter 41 – Run away with the Duchess

“When I saw him from afar, I thought he looked like a fairy tale prince, but up close…”

It was disconcerting to hear a friend criticize her husband’s appearance like this.

“He looks like a demon who’s come back from hell. No, like a fallen angel. He’s so beautiful.”

…This friend certainly has a poetic way of describing things. I squirmed in discomfort and tore at the innocent blanket. Somehow, I felt drained. Instead, Greta laughed out loud.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Well, he is handsome, but calling him a demon or an angel is just so funny.”

“You lack sensitivity, Greta. It’s not just me saying this. There are even rumors that the Keppel family has demon blood in them. How can someone look so deadly?”

Greta chuckled.

“Those rumors are probably not because of his looks but because of something else.”

She then added, with a serious expression,

“I’ve seen the Duke fighting on the battlefield. Usually, someone in that position would command from afar, but the Duke seems to be a bit of a lunatic. He’s always on the front line.”

Did he think he didn’t care if he died?

“Both the father and son seem to enjoy killing people, which is why they say they have demon blood. That day, the Duke dealt with Randy very efficiently and cleanly. Is he practicing beating people up? If not, he must have a real talent for it… I wish I had that talent too.”

Enjoying killing people is too harsh a statement. I almost rebutted but quickly shut my mouth. Betty agreed quietly.

“Well, it was a bit frightening… But if he were truly a bad person, he wouldn’t have helped us. He gave out firewood and cotton to the poor in winter.”

“That’s true. There were rumors that he did those good deeds to cover up his wife’s disappearance, though…”

“Still, thanks to that, there weren’t many people freezing to death this winter.”

I had heard about that too. Thanks to him, patrons at the Red Pub even toasted my well-being. May the Duchess of Keppel rest in peace! If only Ian thought I was dead too.

“Anyway, I couldn’t thank him properly because I was too scared. Do you think he’d accept flowers and a card sent to the mansion?”

“Flowers for a man?”

“But it’s hard to find a gift that fits the Duke’s dignity.”

“Hey, I got slapped and received help. Why are you worried about gifts?”

“Oh, but he helped all of us.”

“Then we should do it together.”

I felt out of place as I listened to their conversation. Seeing them talk about Ian with an underlying fondness made me feel strange. It wasn’t jealousy, but a feeling of wanting to warn them as someone who had been there and moved on. I couldn’t stop them, so I ended up going to the market to pick out a gift. Betty and Greta bickered over the choice of the gift but eventually settled on handkerchiefs.

I had to write a card to Ian, as my handwriting was considered the prettiest. I had to fend off the endless suggestions from my friends and scribble something quickly. After all, why put in so much effort for something that would be discarded without being read? I recalled the cake and cookies that were returned to me.

“Thank you for your help that night at the Canova Hotel. Wishing you happiness. Betty A.G.”

Betty was pleased, saying that writing her name like that made it sound aristocratic. I left the task of delivering the gift to Betty and, with Greta, began planning to leave the capital.

A city like the capital is ideal for earning money, but a tourist spot would be even better. We decided to join a trading caravan heading in that direction.

I was glad to have Greta with me. She mentioned her background with the Red Pub mercenaries, which helped lower the travel costs. For a journey of a month with accommodation and meals for two people, 80 leads was quite cheap.

I also made arrangements with the apothecary for around 100 calming pills. Although I wanted to buy more, that was the limit within the month before the caravan left. With 120 leads allocated to Greta and another 100 leads remaining, I wondered if this money would be enough until I found a new job.

It would be great to find the 1000 leads in the secret vault, but I hesitated to retrieve it, fearing that Ian might still be searching for me.

I was deep in thought. Despite the bad experiences at the Canova Hotel, the temptation of earning 100 leads from a single performance was significant. Gaining fame in a new place might take time…

After several days of contemplation, I eventually returned to see Betty. I also planned to inform the director about quitting.

“You’re quitting?”

The director frowned, paused for a moment, and then tapped the desk rapidly as if contemplating a new idea.

“I had a role in the opera I’m working on that I specifically wanted you for…”

“I’m sorry.”

I had no reason to apologize. I wasn’t an irreplaceable key member. The director’s words might be empty flattery out of guilt for not giving me a role in the past few months. True to his nature, he didn’t try to hold me back. I smiled, bade farewell, and left his office to find Betty.

“You’re really leaving?”

Betty seemed to think I was lying about leaving.

“Where else is there a city as good for earning money as the capital? Everyone wants to settle here.”

“I don’t have good memories here.”

Betty still seemed unable to understand but I realized she couldn’t stop me and sighed deeply. When I asked her to schedule a performance at the Canova Hotel like before, she hesitated.

“…Sorry, but it’s hard for me to perform with you. I’ve been asked to sing at a plaza concert and need to practice.”

“Really? That’s great news. Congratulations.”

I was surprised by the unexpected news and grabbed Betty’s hand. She smiled shyly. The annual plaza concert marks the beginning of the spring festival.

It is also the largest free concert in the empire, hosted by the emperor for the city’s citizens, attracting everyone from nobles to commoners.

For the nobles, it’s a tedious and troublesome event because they receive invitations from the royal court and have no choice but to attend. But for musicians, it’s a once-a-year chance to prove their skills to the world.

“I don’t know why they chose me. I’m not even a prima donna yet… I was really embarrassed after the rehearsal in front of the director yesterday. He told me not to do anything until the concert, so I’ll need to focus solely on practice for a while. I’m sorry, Anne.”

“It’s okay. Work hard and show a wonderful performance. I’ll come to see it too.”

It’s unfortunate, but there’s nothing to be done. Should I contact the hotel directly? There were no problems when registering performers under Betty’s name last time, but they might ask for identification if I register under my name.

I had only used Isabella’s identification badge when joining the opera house, and I was afraid of any potential issues later. However, if I couldn’t work under my own name, I preferred to remain anonymous. At that moment, someone opened the dressing room door and poked their head in, saying:

“Betty! The director wants to see you right away. A huge figure is here, looking for you!”

“What? Who is it?”

“They say it’s the Duke of Keppel!”

Ian? I was very surprised, but Betty looked even more shocked. She turned to me urgently.

“What should we do?”

Good question. What should I do? Betty fussed over her appearance while checking herself in the mirror.

“How do I look? Am I okay?”

“…Yes. You’re fine.”

I wasn’t fine. To calm my pounding heart, I took out some medicine from my pocket. While Betty was distracted, I quickly popped it into my mouth. She hurriedly applied some lipstick and turned back to me.

“Anyway, see you later. We’ll meet again. Goodbye!”

I bade her farewell with a smile, tasting the bitterness of the medicine. As soon as Betty left the dressing room, I slowly exited, chewed and swallowed the medicine. The pounding in my heart subsided as soon as I rounded the corner. I wondered what the Duke wanted. My reason told me to leave quickly, but my feet were automatically heading towards the director’s office.

I stood at the corner of the hallway, watching as Betty knocked on the director’s door. She entered with an excited expression, oblivious to me trailing behind her. Unfortunately, there were Ian’s attendants standing by the door, so I couldn’t get closer. Curious onlookers gathered, hesitant to approach and whispering next to me.

“What could the Duke of Keppel want?”

“I don’t know. Why did he call Betty?”

“Is it because of the new opera?”

“No. I heard that the Duke rescued Betty from a man who was bothering her at the hotel, so maybe he’s here for that?”

“That’s right. I heard Betty went to the mansion to thank him directly. Maybe he was impressed?”

No way.

“Could it be?”

Oh my, that surprised me. I thought I had said it out loud.

“Shh. Why are you speaking so loudly? They’ll hear you.”

“Could that really be the case? They haven’t even announced the Duchess’s death…”

“No, who said anything about a relationship? I just said he might be impressed. Usually, when someone comforts you in a moment of distress, you develop a fondness for them…”

I was listening to the conversation of the group when I saw Phillip approaching and quickly stepped away. Pretending not to notice, I hid near a pillar. Phillip shooed away the curious onlookers once they dispersed.

Phillip continued to scan the area even after the crowd had dispersed. Because of that, I had to wait behind the pillar until I found the right moment to leave. As soon as I saw Phillip turn and walk away, I tried to descend the stairs casually. But then I heard the door slam open.

“Your Grace, there’s a misunderstanding!”

Ian was striding toward me. I quickly pressed myself against the pillar where I had previously hidden myself and held my breath. Fortunately, he passed by me quickly, heading down the stairs. Behind him, the manager pleaded:

“I only wanted to request an inspection beforehand, fearing that I might inconvenience the Keppel family. I absolutely did not mean to disrespect the Duke’s family…”

“Where is he?”

“Pardon?”

“Where is that guy? The one who’s running away with the Duchess.”