Chapter 16

Hugo stayed locked in his room all day.

John brought Hugo his fourth meal and said a word.

“Take it easy.”

“I can’t.”

“But you said it’s not urgent.”

“It is urgent.”

Hugo kept skimming through the materials given by Regencia. There wasn’t much material.

Because of that, Hugo memorized the documents Regencia gave him by heart.

Even so, he couldn’t find any clue to locate the Clan of Love or whatever it was.

Only fairy-tale-like words such as “visible at the moment of true love.”

“Why are you clinging to it so much when there’s no deadline?”

John snatched the pen from Hugo’s hand. Only then did Hugo take his eyes off the documents.

John felt unjust seeing Hugo’s excessively neat face for someone who had stayed up all night.

They both had the same eyes, nose, mouth, and everything, yet Hugo was shining brightly.

“There is a deadline. It has to be done within this year.”

“And did Your Excellency set that deadline yourself?”

“Pfft.”

Hugo spat out the lukewarm tea he was drinking.

John handed him a handkerchief with a sly face.

Hugo wiped his mouth and dabbed the tea stains off the documents.

“John, don’t call me ‘Your Excellency.’ I haven’t received the title yet.”

“Then why did you delay the title conferment ceremony? And even if you haven’t received the title, it’s certain you’ll become a Duke, so what’s the harm in calling you that in advance?”

John was very proud that the Edward family would become a ducal family.

On the other hand, Hugo felt the title was too excessive for him.

He sometimes sighed, imagining people bowing down flat at the mention of a Duke.

“Anyway, not now.”

“You should receive the title quickly so that Young Master Brian can also thrive in society, shouldn’t he?”

Hugo bitterly smiled at John’s added comment that Brian would be more popular as the brother of a Duke than a Viscount.

“For Brian’s sake, I should get it quickly.”

There were many benefits to receiving the ducal title. Yet, Hugo delayed because of Catherine.

Catherine still saw Hugo as someone struggling for a poor territory.

So sometimes, she looked at Hugo with indescribable pity.

Hugo, thirsty for Catherine’s attention, liked her sympathetic gaze.

But what if she found out I was a Duke and rich…?

“She’ll like it. Think about it. Who wouldn’t like a man with lots of money and a high title?”

John couldn’t understand Hugo’s worries at all.

“You can’t delay it any longer anyway. The real social season is coming.”

“Alright. Alright, so leave me alone. I need to finish this.”

John returned the pen to Hugo and even prepared paper for writing a letter to Regencia.

After John left, Hugo looked at the letter paper and sighed heavily.

It was a long time before his pen started moving.

***

“Elbert, this afternoon I’ll go to Ermei’s boutique and then to Dior’s accessory shop.”

Catherine woke up early, asked the servants to take care of the garden, and organized her day’s schedule.

Her mind was complicated because of Countess Bedwig, but she had to do her tasks.

“Yes. I have already informed them.”

Elbert checked his tasks and waited for Catherine’s next words.

“Elbert, has anyone shown interest in becoming Lady Brooke’s sponsor?”

Brooke Sillonz was someone Catherine had to find a match for this year.

Catherine was confident that Brooke would be the first to find a match.

Because she had a unique charm rarely seen in society, and there were already several people who recognized her specialness.

“Not yet.”

Catherine’s hopeful imagination deflated like a balloon losing air.

“That’s strange. Did you contact the Johnson family?”

“Yes. I delivered your letter to the Johnson family a week ago, and they responded yesterday.”

“And was the answer a refusal?”

Catherine received quite a lot of letters. Invitations, formal greetings, and many letters from abroad.

It was difficult for Catherine to read and reply to all of them individually.

So, except for a few families, Elbert checked the letters.

For personal contacts, Catherine gave prior notice to maintain efficiency and privacy.

The Johnson family wasn’t an exception.

So Elbert had read the letter in advance, and unfortunately, it was a refusal.

“Yes. They said they already have a lady they are sponsoring.”

“That’s a lie.”

“Pardon? I checked, and it was true, Madam.”

“I don’t mean that. Never mind, Elbert. Good job. I’ll find another sponsor for Brooke.”

Elbert bowed and left the room.

“How rude.”

The Johnson family had received Catherine’s help last social season.

A cute girl with freckles from the Johnson family got married thanks to her.

At that time, Madame Johnson had clearly told Catherine to contact her if she needed help!

Refusing because they already had a sponsor meant they simply didn’t want to sponsor.

It was common to sponsor multiple ladies, as it was seen as a mark of a lady’s virtue.

“Sponsoring doesn’t even cost much.”

Brooke would cover the basic expenses, and the Johnson family would only have to bear the costs of attending banquets with Brooke.

Even that money would be repaid once Brooke got married, so it wasn’t a loss.

The refusal wasn’t for financial reasons. It was because Brooke’s family was a humble provincial Viscount family.

Moreover, Brooke’s debut was late, and she would lag behind the younger ladies, so they saw no chance of success.

It was Brooke who was refused, but Catherine felt as if she had been insulted.

Naturally, Hugo came to mind. People who looked down on him because he was the lord of a poor estate.

In that case, I’ll find a better family than the Johnsons!

Catherine clenched her fists with determination.

She spent the entire morning poring over the list of families she knew.

“The Phipps family is out. Their rascal might take a liking to Brooke.”

“The Melburn family… they’d just push Brooke aside, so no.”

Red lines were drawn across the address book.

Trying to find a family with good character and no problems left very few candidates.

Among the shortlisted families, three were indebted to Catherine, and one of them was the Johnsons.

The remaining two families had their children debuting this year.

‘They could sponsor, but they’d likely prioritize their own children over Brooke.’

In the end, Catherine couldn’t find a suitable person.

As she set aside the address book filled with red lines and pondered deeply, Elbert entered quietly.

“Madam, you have a guest.”

Elbert informed her that Hugo was in the reception room.

“Shall I tell him to leave for today?”

Seeing Catherine’s displeased expression, Elbert asked.

Catherine didn’t want to meet Hugo.

She was tempted to ask Elbert to see him off, but she couldn’t.

There was something she needed to discuss with him.

• Let’s go, let’s date

She needed to understand the exact intention behind those words.

And warn him about any potential misdeeds by Countess Bedwig.

There was also something to say about Brian’s issue, so Catherine couldn’t avoid Hugo.

Catherine got up from her seat. Before going out, she looked at herself in the mirror in the study.

Thanks to preparing for an outing in advance, her appearance was impeccable.

As she meticulously inspected herself, Catherine felt a twinge.

It seemed like she was checking her appearance to impress a suitor.

Catherine justified her actions as maintaining proper etiquette as the mistress of the Catherine House, not to impress Hugo.

Rationalizing her behavior, Catherine headed to the study.

“Catherine.”

Hugo stood up and called her name as she entered. He skipped the greetings.

Hugo was unsure what greeting to give Catherine.

Saying hello felt too formal, asking if she slept well felt too intimate, and complimenting her appearance seemed too insincere and flirtatious.

Caught up in his thoughts, he missed the timing for a greeting and sometimes just called her name instead.

“Yes, Hugo. What brings you here?”

Catherine also skipped the greeting and asked for his business instead.