Chapter 55

The staggering Brooke fell into Calvino’s arms.

The moment Brooke raised her head to get angry, the back door opened and another group of women burst out.

It was similar to the moment Brooke had saved Calvino but different.

“Oh my! What are you doing here! Oh my goodness!”

Brooke in Calvino’s arms. The women cheering.

Calvino skillfully covered Brooke’s face and spoke to the women.

“It’s an embarrassing moment, so could you just go?”

“Of course, of course. Have a good time.”

The women fluttered their fans and disappeared.

Only after the surroundings became quiet did Brooke mercilessly hit Calvino’s side.

“Ugh.”

“You’re not going to say you won’t apologize this time, are you?”

Calvino bent over, clutching his side. Then he looked up at Brooke.

Once again, he hadn’t done anything wrong, but it seemed like he might be in danger if he didn’t apologize this time.

Calvino was a practical person who valued his life above all else.

He immediately raised his hand and apologized to Brooke.

“I’m sorry, Miss Brooke.”

***

“It was the worst!”

The impressions of Eliona’s banquet could only be shared the next morning.

Most were exhausted after the banquet.

Catherine was because of Hugo, Brooke because of Calvino, Riena was in a low mood because she didn’t meet Baron Dictron, and Lillie didn’t get to dance with Brian again.

A joyful banquet has many stories, but a gloomy one is something you don’t even want to recall.

Brooke, who knows this best and practices it, brought up last night’s banquet.

Catherine looked at Brooke with an interested expression. Brooke babbled on, unaware of her gaze.

“I met the worst man ever, everyone. Never in my life have I met such an uncouth man. He doesn’t even know his faults, and he can’t properly apologize!”

“Did you meet a criminal or something, Brooke?”

The way Brooke described Calvino, he sounded exactly like a criminal.

Not someone who committed a heinous crime like murder, but more like a pickpocket or street swindler.

“Anyway, it was the worst.”

“See, Winter suits you better.”

Riena urged Brooke to meet Winter.

Brooke pretended not to hear Riena’s advice.

While Riena was praising Winter, -what does Riena even know about Winter! – Brooke thought of Calvino’s shortcomings.

First, he was too tall, had a consistently light attitude, lacked manners, and drew too much attention from others.

In other words, he was tall enough to not look strange standing next to Brooke, communicated well with her, knew how to playfully cross the line, and was objectively handsome.

“Do you really not want to meet him, Brooke?”

“No, I never want to see him again.”

Strong denial is affirmation, they say.

Catherine chuckled.

“But what to do, I’ve invited him to tea today.”

“What? Lady Catherine!”

Brooke shrieked, but Catherine just laughed cheerfully and shrugged her shoulders.

Another drop of the essence of love seemed to be gathering.

***

“Thank you for inviting me, Lady Catherine.”

As Catherine had mentioned, Calvino appeared at afternoon tea with a large bouquet of flowers.

The residents of Catherine House hid on the landing and peeked at him.

Among them, looking reluctant, was Brooke.

Led by Catherine, Calvino greeted the ladies one by one.

“Brooke, would you guide Sir Strain to the drawing room?”

Catherine pulled Brooke forward and asked. Brooke widened her eyes.

Usually, Elbert guided the guests, didn’t he?

“Thank you, kind Brooke. Sir Strain, did you hear? You can follow Brooke to the drawing room. We’ll join you shortly, we have some preparations to make.”

Before Brooke could respond, Catherine disappeared with Riena and Lillie on either side.

Left alone, Brooke turned to Calvino.

“I didn’t know there was a lady at Catherine House you were courting, Sir Calvino.”

“Well, I didn’t come with that intention, but if you wish, I’ll consider it seriously.”

“Well, I don’t know if there’s a lady here worthy of accepting your courtship, Sir Calvino.”

Calvino smiled and offered his hand to Brooke.

He had heard from Eliona, as if she were hammering nails into his ears, that he should hold a lady’s hand when ascending stairs.

Brooke looked down at his hand and reluctantly took it.

“If I court actively, it might change.”

Just when she thought the topic was over, Calvino continued the conversation.

“That’s quite the confidence. I thought humility was a gentleman’s virtue.”

Calvino pushed his lower lip out and then pulled it back in as he spoke.

“There’s also a saying that excessive humility angers the other party more. Besides, I didn’t think you would mistake a simple tea invitation for courtship and be in such a hurry to marry, Miss Brooke. Are you in a rush?”

Brooke bristled at his teasing tone.

“No, not at all. I’m not interested in marriage.”

Half true and half false.

She had wanted to get married and had come to Catherine House for that purpose, but after staying here, the desire to get married had disappeared.

To be precise, there was no one she wanted to marry.

“That’s the most agreeable thing I’ve heard since yesterday.”

He smiled. It was a charming smile, but Brooke didn’t want to admit it.

Brooke knew she was being excessively rude and ill-tempered toward Calvino.

There was no reason for Brooke to act so prickly toward him, a guest of Catherine’s.

‘I know that.’

But her words and actions were beyond her control.

Brooke lowered her head and lightly bit the inside of her cheek.

She didn’t know much about Calvino, but one thing was certain. He was quite generous with women.

But she didn’t want to acknowledge that either.

“Brooke?”

If it were the Brooke Calvino knew—though it had only been a day and a half since he first met her—by now, she would have made a witty remark.

But Brooke said nothing. Not until they arrived at the drawing room.

Calvino looked at Brooke. Her head was lowered, and her expression was hidden.

Whether she hadn’t heard his call or not, Brooke didn’t lift her head until the door to the drawing room opened.

Then, a desire to see her eyes surged within him.

‘What is this?’

Calvino cleared his throat to shake off the impulse.

“Brooke. Should I sit here?”

Brooke, who had mentally wandered off to another world and forgotten her duty to guide him, finally raised her head when Calvino called her name a bit sharply.

“There, yes, you can sit there.”

Belatedly, Brooke fulfilled her duty as a hostess, and Calvino managed to sit safely on the sofa in Catherine House’s drawing room.

And a little later, three women who claimed to have urgent business burst into the drawing room.

“Thank you for accepting my invitation, Mr. Strain.”

“Please feel free to call me by my name, Lady Catherine.”

“That makes me feel much more at ease, Mr. Calvino.”

Calvino, who held no title, and Catherine, who was soon to become a duchess, were worlds apart in status.

“I heard you don’t like banquets. Is there a particular reason why you dislike them?”

Elbert served the tea. After tasting it, Catherine spoke.

“Where did such a rumor come from?”

Calvino smiled faintly as he set down his teacup.

“There are quite a few women interested in you, Mr. Calvino.”

Catherine subtly glanced toward Brooke.

Brooke had turned her head to the opposite side of Calvino.

“Oh dear, I must visit them all and greet them personally, then.”

“Ha.”

At Calvino’s words, Brooke let out a sigh without realizing it.

Everyone turned to look at Brooke in surprise.

“I was deeply contemplating humility. Did I interrupt the conversation? I’m sorry, Catherine.”

Brooke found it absurd that Calvino, who had been acting as if he could charm any woman just moments ago, was now behaving so modestly in front of Catherine.

“What kind of humility? I’m very curious about what Brooke was thinking. Don’t you agree, Mr. Calvino?”

Catherine asked, and Calvino nodded.

Riena and Lillie also looked at Brooke with intrigued gazes.

Caught under the barrage of stares, Brooke straightened her posture.

Her thick eyebrows twitched slightly.

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