Chapter 23

“His Grace the Duke has urgently left for the Vigraz Research Institute. I was told there’s no information on when he’ll return.”

That was what Ras reported upon his return from the Duke’s estate. Charlotte hadn’t specifically asked or shown any curiosity, yet he provided the information anyway.  

Unlike the Royal Research Institute, the Vigraz Research Institute was a state-secret facility dedicated to national security. Once inside, no communication could occur until one left, as a protective barrier surrounded the place. It was filled with weapons of all kinds, both offensive and defensive magical artifacts. If an issue arose that couldn’t be resolved internally, it was natural to summon the foremost mage, the Duke of Rosenheim.  

Moreover, it wasn’t unusual for Erhen to be away from home for extended periods. During their marriage, this had happened occasionally.  

At the time, the Rosenheim Marquisate had cleared its massive family debts through the marriage with the Rothschilds, but there were still many unresolved matters. On top of that, Erhen had been busy working with Grand Duke Michael of Düsseldorf to orchestrate a rebellion.  

Now, as a Duke with increased responsibilities and under constant threat of assassination, it was entirely expected for him to be away from “Charlotte’s house,” which wasn’t even his own but a residence he was temporarily staying in under royal orders.  

“Sigh…”  

Charlotte understood this logically. She really did.  

But if that were the case, he shouldn’t have said he’d be back soon. Why leave someone waiting unnecessarily?  

Could it be… could it be that he sobered up and thought he’d made a mistake while drunk? Is that why he’s been gone for so long?  

The sudden thought planted a seed of unease in Charlotte’s heart. Her tightly pressed lips curved downward.  

***

Contrary to Charlotte’s gloomy mood, the winter afternoon was clear and bright. As time passed, noble ladies began arriving in groups to the second floor of Blumen.  

“Oh my, what a breathtaking view! Hello, Viscountess!”  

“Viscountess Lintz, thank you for inviting us.”  

“How have you been, Viscountess? If I had known this place was so beautiful, I would have come sooner!”  

These were the young ladies Charlotte had met a month ago at the Earl of Friesland’s banquet.  

At the banquet, Charlotte had promised them a tea party at Blumen. Today was Blumen’s day off and the day of that tea party, an event Charlotte had planned to distract herself from her thoughts.  

The noble ladies, arriving in carriages even before the appointed time, couldn’t hide their admiration for Blumen’s interior design and scenery.  

Charlotte greeted them with a smile.  

“Welcome. Lady Boimler, how have you been?”  

“Oh, Viscountess! Please, just call me Greta.”  

“All right, Greta. Please take a comfortable seat.”  

“I’m Aileen Martinek. Thank you for including me in the invitation.”  

“What are you saying? You’re the friend I shared bomb shots with; of course, I had to invite you.”  

Charlotte’s playful remark made the surrounding ladies burst into laughter.  

As the invited ladies continued to arrive and the seats were filled, desserts and coffee began to be served.  

Although it was Blumen’s day off, most of the staff had come in to prepare for the tea party. While participation wasn’t mandatory, Charlotte’s offer to pay ten times the usual daily wage for any staff who helped certainly played a role.  

However, there was another reason just as important as the pay. Charlotte, who had no close friends other than her childhood companion, Elias Cherfeld, had invited noble ladies to a tea party at Blumen, not even at her own estate. The staff were determined to make a perfect impression, hoping to support Charlotte’s social activities.  

Their usually lively boss had recently been lost in thought, often gazing at the sea with a world-weary expression. Something must have happened at the Earl’s banquet.  

The staff believed that if this tea party could help Charlotte connect with the noble ladies, it might lift her spirits.  

Perhaps thanks to their efforts, Charlotte was able to momentarily shake off her melancholy, chatting and laughing with her peers—until Lady Laura Tezel, the Marquis’s daughter, brought up the Duke of Rosenheim.  

“By the way, Aileen! I heard you’re engaged to the Earl of Friesland’s heir?”  

Since the gathering consisted of unmarried noble ladies, excluding Charlotte, topics like romance and marriage often became the center of conversation.  

At Laura’s words, Aileen blushed slightly. 

Was it the heir? 

Charlotte’s gaze also turned to Aileen.  

“Yes. We’re planning the engagement ceremony this spring.”  

“Aren’t you childhood friends? Growing up together as friends and now becoming husband and wife—it’s so romantic.”  

“Oh, I used to dream of such romance too.” 

Rebecca murmured wistfully.  

As someone whose fiancé had been determined by family arrangements since birth, Rebecca couldn’t have such a story. Of course, Charlotte, who also had a childhood friend in Elias, could never, ever understand Aileen’s sentiment.  

At that moment, Nina, who had been quietly listening, exclaimed, 

“But still, Adellan’s heir is handsome!”  

“That’s one thing I’m happy about. But if we’re talking about looks, isn’t the Duke of Rosenheim the best? He’s the most handsome man in Rohadin.”  

Charlotte’s hand, which had been reaching for a macaron, froze. At the same time, the young ladies’ gazes turned to her.  

She had been enjoying the chatter with her peers, momentarily forgetting her troubles. But of course, this had to come up.  

“That’s right! When the Duke and the Viscountess entered the banquet hall, I was so shocked.”  

“Exactly! For the first time, I felt like a sickly chicken in my dress.”  

Charlotte’s hand resumed its movement, picking up the macaron. As the conversation shifted to include Erhen and herself, she awkwardly smiled and took a bite of the macaron.  

“So, what’s the relationship between you two?”  

At that question, the young ladies, who had been praising Charlotte and Erhen at the banquet, widened their eyes in curiosity.  

Suddenly, Charlotte couldn’t tell if the macaron she was chewing was a dessert or rubber. But having invited the ladies from the banquet to this tea party, she had anticipated such a question.  

She had even prepared an answer in advance.  

“There’s nothing between us.”  

Yet, saying it aloud left a bitter taste. The weight of the words, spoken aloud, felt different from when she had merely thought them.  

Despite her inner turmoil, Charlotte smiled casually as she confidently stated her answer. Laura, however, seemed taken aback.  

“What? But he escorted you! Isn’t that a sign of romance?”  

“It just happened by chance. Besides, I don’t have time for romance right now.”  

“But, Viscountess! Even if you’re divorced, you could find a better man—ah!”  

Before Laura could finish her sentence, Greta hurriedly stepped on her foot. The lively chatter on the second floor of Blumen fell silent in an instant.  

Of course, by now, they all knew better.  

No matter how much the Duke’s household and the Rothschilds tried to keep their relationship under wraps, rumors inevitably spread. However, it seemed the young ladies were unaware that Charlotte’s ex-husband was Erhen.  

One knows one thing but not the other, as the saying goes.  

In the tense atmosphere, Charlotte smiled as if to reassure everyone.  

“Anyway, I’ll make sure to send engagement party invitations to all of you! You must all attend, without exception.”  

Aileen quickly chimed in, “Of course!” The other ladies followed suit, exclaiming, “Absolutely!” and “I’ll skip meals to make room!”  

Laura, who had unintentionally caused the awkward moment, gave Charlotte an apologetic look. Charlotte nodded in acknowledgment but found it increasingly difficult to calm her unsettled emotions.  

***

The gathering, which had started after lunch, ended as the sun began to set.  

After seeing off the ladies in their carriages, Charlotte finished up the remaining tasks related to the cafe before heading home late at night with Ras.  

As they walked, Ras occasionally glanced at Charlotte with a mix of curiosity and concern.  

Charlotte had been unusually subdued lately. She worked more than usual and tried to keep herself busier. Yet, she still managed to oversee the investigation into the group that had ambushed the Duke of Rosenheim.  

Ras already knew the reason, having heard it from Lida. Charlotte was an open book when it came to emotions. Still, her silence during their walk home, when she usually chattered away, was enough to worry him as her servant.  

“Viscountess, is something wrong?”  

“Nothing.”  

“There is.”  

“There isn’t.”  

The conversation ended abruptly. Charlotte’s demeanor made it clear she didn’t want to talk, so Ras fell silent as well.  

But soon, Ras would learn the reason.  

When they arrived at the mansion, a familiar figure was waiting for them at the entrance.  

Standing in the very spot where Charlotte and Erhen had reunited, he leaned against the wall. Upon hearing their footsteps, he straightened himself.  

“Charlotte.”  

His long lashes framed blue eyes that shone like the dawn. His gaze, filled with longing, met Charlotte’s as she stood silently, staring back at him.