Chapter 8 (Part 3)

“Since when did he quit?”  

Cecilia’s voice trembled slightly.  

“It’s been a while.”  

“Do you know where I might be able to meet him?”  

“Do you know how many young ladies have asked me the same question? Not only do I not know, but I also cannot tell you even if I did.”  

The priest looked annoyed, as though he had been asked the same question far too many times.  

“Ah, I see. Thank you for letting me know.”  

After expressing her gratitude, Cecilia looked around with a hollow expression.  

She had anticipated that continuing as a priest might be difficult for him. But hearing that he had truly quit made her heart sink.  

Where could I possibly see him now? Should I go to the Beaufort estate?  

Cecilia realized that she knew almost nothing about Ian. The only things she knew were that he had been a priest and that he was a member of the Beaufort family—just those two facts.  

Thus, her last hope lay with the Beaufort family.  

Since it wasn’t appropriate to visit a noble family she barely knew, Cecilia decided to send a letter instead. She would introduce herself and express her wish to meet Ian.  

When she went to the post office to send the letter, the clerk’s expression stiffened.  

“Are you really sending this letter to the Beaufort estate?”  

“Yes. Is there a problem?”  

Cecilia turned the letter over in her hands, checking to see if something was wrong. From the outside, it looked perfectly fine, so she tilted her head in confusion.  

The clerk, looking troubled, explained.  

“Even if you send it, there’s a high chance the Earl Beaufort won’t read it.”  

“What do you mean?”  

“Ever since Priest Ian left the priesthood, many young ladies have been sending letters to the Earl inquiring about his whereabouts. Look at this.”  

He showed Cecilia a pile of letters in front of her.  

“All of these are letters headed to the Beaufort estate today. Considering the ones that will arrive later this afternoon, the total will likely triple.”  

“That many?”  

“Yes. And according to rumors, any letters from people without personal connections to the family, especially from young ladies, are discarded without being read. So even if you send your letter, it’s unlikely to be of any use. Are you sure you still want to send it?”  

“Please send it anyway.”  

“Understood. But don’t come back to complain if you don’t receive a reply.”  

From the clerk’s expression, it was clear that many young ladies had vented their frustration at him when they didn’t get a reply.  

“Don’t worry. I won’t do that.”  

Cecilia answered firmly, as she had no intention of blaming an innocent person. After paying the fee and leaving the post office, she let out a deep sigh, as though the ground beneath her had given way.  

She had thought that sending the letter would ease her heart, but instead, it felt heavier. Perhaps it was because she sensed that her last hope was slipping away.  

If I had known this would happen, I would have held onto him when he came to see me….  

The thought that she might never meet Priest Ian again filled her with regret.  

Cecilia recalled the time Ian had come to see her, asking for her help because his insomnia hadn’t improved.  

She should have had the courage to express her feelings when Ian last visited her. Even if it meant being used as a tool to cure his insomnia, she should have told him she wanted to stay by his side.  

If she had, her heart might have hurt, but at least he would still be by her side now. She hadn’t realized how much he meant to her until it was too late.  

If I keep thinking about him like this, it’s going to be a problem….  

With a bitter heart, Cecilia turned and headed back to the estate.  

After that, Cecilia tried to find out where he had gone. Now that she had some influence, she thought she could use it to search for him, but it wasn’t easy.  

* * *  

For her first-ever ball, Cecilia was escorted by Earl Beaut himself. The Countess had graciously allowed her husband to accompany Cecilia for the evening.  

“Wow….”  

As she stepped down from the carriage with the Earl’s assistance, Cecilia let out a gasp of admiration.  

At the entrance to the ballroom, carriages belonging to the attending nobles were lined up, and the various carriage lanterns sparkled under the moonlight.  

“Let’s go inside.”  

“Yes.”  

With the Earl escorting her, Cecilia walked down the corridor leading to the ballroom. The floor was paved with gleaming marble, and the decorations placed here and there were carved from gold, perfectly complementing the luxurious atmosphere of the ballroom.  

Even Cecilia, who had never attended a ball before, could tell that tonight’s event was exceptionally extravagant.  

As they entered the ballroom, the sight of ladies in colorful dresses and gentlemen in elegant tailcoats came into view.  

Unaccustomed to the atmosphere of elegance and grandeur, Cecilia stepped cautiously into the ballroom with a tense expression.  

As they moved closer to the center of the room, acquaintances of the Earl approached them, and the Earl introduced Cecilia to them.  

“This is my niece and the newly appointed head of the Rozes family, Countess Rozes.”  

“I am Cecilia Rozes. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”  

With a smile on her lips, Cecilia greeted them gracefully. This set the tone for the rest of the evening, as the Earl continued to introduce her to various nobles.  

She had expected to be nervous at her first ball, but she wasn’t. She was too busy greeting so many people to have time to feel nervous.  

“How are you holding up? It’s not easy, is it?”  

When all the introductions were finally over, the Earl smiled at her.  

“You’re right. It’s not easy. It’s more exhausting than I thought.”  

Having grown tired just from exchanging greetings, Cecilia no longer had the energy to smile.  

“It’s your first ball, after all. You’re doing well, considering.”  

“That’s a relief. Since we’ve finished the introductions, may I rest for a moment?”  

“Of course.”  

After lightly bowing to her uncle, Cecilia made her way toward the lounge. She felt that even a short rest would help her recover from her exhaustion.  

It was then that three young ladies approached her, acting as though they knew her.  

“A country noble attending a royal ball… you must have really climbed the social ladder.”  

Among them was Lady Pirus, along with the other ladies who had been expelled from the temple. Despite also being country nobles, they continued to mock Cecilia.  

“I’ve moved to the capital.”  

Though she didn’t want to engage with them, Cecilia answered politely, maintaining her composure.  

“Did you move because you married a noble from the capital? I haven’t heard any such rumors.”  

When nobles from prestigious families married, word usually spread quickly. The only reason they could mock her like this was because no nobleman from a prominent family had recently married someone from a country family.  

“My relocation has nothing to do with marriage.”  

“So you’re just freeloading? How pitiful. Do you want to live in the capital that badly?”  

“Why are you so interested in me when you don’t even live in the capital yourselves?”  

Feeling that the conversation wasn’t worth continuing, Cecilia drew a line with her response. She saw no reason to dignify their remarks with further replies.  

“We’re just offering advice to a young lady who doesn’t know her place.”  

Lady Pirus smirked as she spoke.  

“You seem to only care about marriage rumors. Have you not heard any other news? Or is it because you live so far away from the capital that you miss out on the gossip?”  

“What did you say? We’re perfectly informed about everything!”  

Lady Pirus snapped, clearly provoked by Cecilia’s words.  

“Then why do you still classify me as a country noble and look down on me? Even the high-ranking nobles don’t treat me that way.”  

“We’re just trying to show you reality. Don’t think you can climb into the ranks of the great nobles through marriage. Know your place.”  

“Thank you for the advice. Let me offer you some in return—learn to mind your own business.”  

“What did you just say?!”  

No matter how much Cecilia tried to end the conversation, Lady Pirus seemed determined to continue.  

Just then, one of the nobles the Earl had introduced to Cecilia earlier approached her, calling her “Countess Rozes.”  

At the mention of the title “Countess Rozes,” the faces of the young ladies instantly turned pale.  

“Don’t tell me, the new Countess Rozes is….”

“Yes, that’s me. So I told you to stop meddling, didn’t I?”  

Cecilia smiled confidently at them.