Chapter 59

Returning home in a strange mood, Sabina said she wanted to be alone because she was tired. The maids changed her clothes and lightly washed her face before leaving. She sat, dazed, leaning against the bed’s headboard, staring at the wall.

Suddenly, as if doused with cold water, she rummaged through her bag. She pulled out the letter Ellen, Albert’s wife, had given her. She opened the letter and was disappointed.

It was written in Letona language.

But the recipient’s name at the top was unmistakably ‘Sabina D’Vialis.’

Sabina’s heart started pounding.

The letter was brief. For a mother writing to a daughter she hadn’t seen in a long time, it was quite plain.

Her mother’s handwriting was poor, and there were words Sabina didn’t know. She had Mitchell bring her a Letona dictionary.

She carefully began to read the letter.

『To Sabina D’Vialis

I have arranged for you to receive this letter if you ever visit Berna.

I am well. Albert and Ellen are good people. Their four children are kind and cute.

I hope you are also with good people.

You must have grown into a fine mage of Brinita. I know well how the Academy teaches rare attribute mages.

As a great mage, maintaining society must be your priority. I understand that using your magic recklessly would cause much confusion. So I expect you will dedicate your magic to society and not use it for personal reasons. In most cases, you will not even think of using magic.

But someday, a strong desire to use magic will urge you. When that happens, use your magic. When you desperately need magic enough to overturn everything you have learned and absorbed, do so.

Then you will be free.

And please tell no one about this letter. Trust me.』

It was a strange letter.

It wasn’t the usual content a parent would send to a child. It was too hard to call it a warm greeting. There was only one line about her mother’s current situation.

The rest was more like a request or prophecy.

That request was also odd. It was as if her mother knew about Sabina’s conflict over this topic.

‘What was my mother?’

She kept staring at the poorly written letter. Judging by the aged envelope with no signs of being opened, it was clearly written long ago.

How could it contain such timely content?

Was it just coincidence?

Her mind grew more complicated.

Sabina folded the letter, put it back in the envelope, and hid it deep in a drawer.

Her head hurt; she just wanted to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Ashton contacted her.

He had been invited to the Wednesday poetry recital hosted by Duchess Rebella, the king’s maternal cousin.

Duchess Rebella was a major figure in society, so proud that she only appeared in Ashton’s presence during the weekly carnival.

After the carnival, it was etiquette to pretend not to know guests, so officially, Ashton had never met Duchess Rebella.

Her poetry recitals were famous for inviting only the most powerful figures, intellectuals, and the most sophisticated artists. If Ashton was truly invited, it was a tremendous opportunity and something to celebrate.

At the same time, it was highly unusual.

Ashton was, after all, a merchant—far from the usual type Duchess Rebella invited.

So, when Sabina read the first line of Ashton’s letter about being invited to Duchess Rebella’s poetry recital, she was quite surprised. But reading the next line, she saw the real reason Duchess Rebella had invited Ashton, and felt, ‘Of course.’

『But since I am a foreigner, the invitation says I need a companion established in Brinita to attend.』

It was obvious that Sabina was the only one who could vouch for Ashton’s identity and accompany him. As his lover, no one else would be his partner at the recital.

The invitation sent to Ashton was, in fact, bait to call Sabina to the event.

Sabina folded the letter and sighed. After graduating from the Academy, she had received invitations to Duchess Rebella’s recitals several times. It was only natural—she was none other than the granddaughter of Walter D’Vialis.

But during a very sensitive period, Sabina had repeatedly declined Duchess Rebella’s invitations, committing the offense of refusal. The Duchess, offended, stopped sending invitations after the third rejection.

However, not sending invitations to Sabina likely hurt Duchess Rebella’s pride in its own way. The “Rebella Recital” boosted the Duchess’s reputation through her ability to gather influential guests, and it did not look good for the most talked-about figure of the era, Sabina, to always be absent.

‘So this is the roundabout method.’

Duchess Rebella had truly devised a clever scheme.

At least, the Duchess kept her pride by not sending a direct invitation to the ‘insolent’ Sabina.

And by sending an invitation to a mere merchant, with the condition to bring a companion, she maintained the dignity of the recital.

‘Here, “If time is short and you’re not inclined, you may decline,” this man wrote…’

But it’s not so easy.

For a foreign businessman like Ashton, refusing an invitation from the king’s cousin and the hostess of a ducal household was extremely difficult. No matter how well he settled in Reedblon, the nobles’ resistance was overwhelming, and his position was as fragile as a candle in the wind.

To offend Duchess Rebella in such a situation was a risky venture.

If he ‘dared’ refuse the invitation, word would quickly spread throughout society, become magazine fodder, and everyone he met would mention it with sarcasm.

‘They’ll vent their frustration about my absence on him, too.’

“Miss Sabina. What should we do?”

“I’ll send Ashton a letter, so start getting ready to go out.”

Vicky, sensing her master’s mood, hurried up to the maid’s room. Sabina’s face was not bright as she went to the study for paper and pen.

Her sensitive refusals of Duchess Rebella’s Wednesday recitals were because Reyes Brinita would be present.

‘He’ll surely come again.’

It felt like a lie that she’d forgotten Reyes in Berna. As soon as she returned to Reedblon, he pressed on her with overwhelming presence.

She dipped her pen in ink and hesitated. Even after writing the recipient’s name, she continued to ponder. If she refused, only Ashton would be troubled; no one would blame Sabina. And she felt a bit indignant toward Ashton for his arrogant advice during their trip.

Sabina let out a long sigh. Despite her worries, she wrote the letter quickly. Handing it to Vicky, she said,

“Bring me Braham’s poetry collection. Prepare a calm, but not black, dress. Duchess Rebella’s invitation is quite sudden, so we’ll have to hurry to be ready by six o’clock.”