Chapter 3 – Ladies Alighting from the Carriage (12)

“Are you not considering being introduced to a young lady?”

“Are you even drunk?”

It was odd enough that he came to the social club not on the last week, and now his words were even stranger. Perhaps if the sun changed direction twice, it would rise in the east as it should.

He was always the savior who stayed late to look after his sister instead of him at social gatherings, as he was weak with alcohol. He thought he endured because he was a strong drinker, but it seemed he was deliberately restraining himself.

‘What a great affection. Or maybe he drank a lot today…’

Etienne, squinting as he observed Demetrian for a while, took a sip of his ale and spoke. He was already feeling defensive at the thought of associating him with his sister every time he saw him.

“You’re not trying to attach me to your fiancée to escape the engagement, are you?”

“What are you talking about?”

Demetrian, who was slipping into a drunken haze, was jolted awake by Etienne’s words, which came out of nowhere like thunder in the night.

‘Has this guy been thinking of my engagement every time he sees me?’

The reason Demetrian visited the social club, despite it not being the last week of the month when he usually came, was to keep a promise with his colleague, Pujali Nous. However, he felt embarrassed since the promise was to meet Chloe, and he had never asked anyone for a favor before, so he couldn’t leverage his strengths and simply accepted whatever was offered.

His strengths were his status as a Young Duke, and among his abilities were refusing offered drinks and maintaining the appearance of sobriety even when drunk.

If the introduction was arranged by a Young Duke, even a man with a wife and children might volunteer, but it was something that only those who had practiced could do.

Demetrian felt a shiver run down his neck as Etienne treated him as a drunk and mocked him, something his abilities couldn’t counter effectively.

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Then why are you asking me such things?”

Demetrian almost blurted out that someone wanted to be introduced to a young lady, but he felt as if his throat was closing up. Etienne’s demeanor somehow reminded him of the ‘date’ a few days ago.

‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’

Come to think of it, Etienne was different in appearance and personality from his sister, but when those green eyes shone resolutely, they looked so much alike.

…Yes, Demetrian knew all too well that nothing could be glossed over when faced with such eyes. He exhaled deeply, trying to dispel the drunkenness, and confessed straightforwardly.

“Because one of my colleagues wants to be introduced to a decent young lady.”

“Am I that decent young man?”

“Well, you’re more than enough…”

Demetrian lifted his gaze from his cocktail glass and glanced sideways at Etienne. In his profile, he seemed to see a moment of Chloe. Was it bitterness or regret?

“Can I even choose my own partner? All the noble ladies have already found their matches.”

Or they’re too young.

A voice like a sigh.

Etienne harbored a certain inferiority complex toward his father, who had a love marriage with the Lady of Lazure. In his naive youth, he merely envied not having to find a new partner at every gathering, but now he feared entering into an engagement that would neither satisfy his father nor suit his own heart.

The heir of Lacroix, which was Gotiue itself, had traditionally been engaged to a noble within the Empire, and marrying a daughter from a Ducal family was ideal. Engaging with a family below a Marquis could not guarantee the Emperor’s approval due to political dynamics. The mistress of Lacroix, who managed the capital and Imperial villas, could not have a background that displeased the Emperor.

Matching personal desires with these expectations was decidedly challenging.

The marriage of the Lacroix Count Palatine couple was that ‘ideal’ case. The Countess was the third daughter of the late Duke of Lazure. Young Agnes Lazure graduated from Ridote Academy and came to the capital for her debutante, where she fell in love with the young Hugo Lacroix she met in Gotiue’s social circles. It was a marriage where neither family objected to, and the newly enthroned Emperor Edward III gladly approved.

However, in this generation, as there were only two sons in the Crevelle Ducal family, the number of daughters in Ducal families was too few, and those few noble ladies were already someone’s Crown Princess or wife. If so, he had to look at families active in the central regions… In these times, when nobles were divided into factions supporting the 1st Prince and 2nd Prince, Etienne couldn’t guarantee that a woman he fancied would also please his father or the Emperor.

“Sometimes, I envy you for having a fiancée. It may not be a joyful duty, but still.”

Etienne smiled bitterly and took another sip of his ale. Watching him, Demetrian also brought the cocktail glass in his hand to his lips.

‘…I didn’t expect him to have such worries.’

Looking at Etienne’s somber profile, Demetrian couldn’t shake off thoughts of Chloe. Etienne’s words might have been Chloe’s concerns, which he had long unconsciously avoided acknowledging.

When Demetrian was packaging his feelings as mere friendship, unaware of his own emotions, Chloe must have been silently shouldering worries about their supposed friendship, knowing that it might be dragged into reality.

Had I ever tried to guess another’s heart when I hadn’t even understood my own?

‘How can someone who doesn’t even have the courage to understand his own feelings be responsible for the Ducal family?’

Daniel’s words, which once criticized him, suddenly struck his heart.

Yes, perhaps responsibility wasn’t something borne solely by reason. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be said that one ‘feels’ responsibility.

That bitterness led to an impulsive remark. A thought that had been circling his mind ever since he saw Etienne entering here. A comment he could make under the guise of appearing drunk.

“I did something wrong to Loi recently, but if I go with you to apologize… she’ll probably dislike it even more, right?”

Etienne, staring intently at Demetrian, recalled the chaotic atmosphere of the mansion a few days ago.

That evening, despite being a semi-holiday on Labor Day, he had worked until the afternoon and returned home. There was an air of excitement among the servants, and upon inquiry, he learned that Demetrian had come with a bouquet to meet Chloe and had taken her out for dinner.

Feeling a surge of irritation, Etienne quickly finished the ale remaining in his glass, stood up, and said,

“I’m not giving you a ride.”

Slightly tipsy from the ale he drank quickly, Etienne went out to the terrace to smoke.

Having regained his health to match that of others, Etienne indulged in small vices as a form of rebellion against a childhood where anything deemed unhealthy was strictly forbidden. While alcohol didn’t suit him, smoking was an exception. Smoking on the terrace reminded him of his younger days when he would stay home alone, studying, while Chloe went out. It felt as though he was comforting his younger self.

He wasn’t without a woman on his mind. As he sighed, smoke from his cigarette drifted into the sky.

Though his parents, having married for love, were somewhat lax about his own future marriage, it wasn’t as though they had no expectations. He couldn’t discern their exact desires, but he wished that whoever he chose to marry would be more than just “acceptable” to them, but someone they’d truly approve of.

He didn’t have the courage to recklessly woo the woman he loved, hoping to win her heart and then gain his parents’ approval. But he also knew it was foolish to ask his parents for permission to court someone before doing so.

‘If only I could just control my feelings…’

It would be nice if extinguishing those feelings were as easy as putting out a cigarette. As he tried to shake off the face that kept surfacing in his mind, he stubbed out his cigarette and was about to turn back inside.

Just then, thick smoke drifted out from the terrace’s open window. It came from the room just inside, where the door had opened.

Smoking was generally banned indoors in most establishments in Gothieu, but exceptions were made for noblemen’s social clubs. And, of course, if one had paid extra for a private room.

‘I’ve heard Western Continent cigars are quite popular these days.’

The smoke was much stronger than his cigarette’s, and Etienne instantly knew its source.

This cigar, recently introduced to Gothieu and difficult to obtain, was often used by merchants as a bribe or to impress nobles during business talks. Some groups of close friends also acquired it for private social club gatherings, taking turns to enjoy the rare treat.

Etienne waited for the door to close, hoping the smoke would clear. But what surprised him more than the smoke was the figure who emerged from the room — a person even more unexpected than Demetrian’s appearance earlier.

‘It’s been a while, Lucamio…’

‘You must have mistaken me for someone else.’

When entering the social club in the early evening, there was someone in a priest’s robe right at the door, and he thought it was Lucamiono, who was close to his sister. After all, when thinking of priests frequenting social clubs, he immediately thought of him. So he extended his hand for a handshake, but embarrassingly had to withdraw it when he realized it was someone else.

Though Erd’s doctrine didn’t impose strict celibacy on priests, it was certainly unusual for one to be at a social club on the eve of a weekend, as that was their busiest time.

‘Come to think of it, I didn’t introduce myself due to the rush. I’ll have to apologize when I meet him at the temple next time.’

A person with a single dimple on one side of their face is rare, so Etienne thought he would easily recognize the priest next time. Watching the priest’s slightly tipsy, swaying steps, Etienne made a mental note to try one of those cigars himself once they became more readily available.

* * *

“That’s a total of 145 silver. The ruby earrings sold for 35 silver, the emerald ring for 40 silver, and the peridot bracelet for 70 silver.”

On the promised day, Ryan came to the fourth floor of Yega Cheff and placed the pouch of silver coins he had earned on the table.

“Um, here’s the receipt as well…”

Seeing the two young ladies across from him with stiff expressions, Ryan discreetly gauged their reactions.

Ryan began explaining the matter he handled with a voice lacking confidence. He couldn’t tell what his master was thinking, as her expression remained unreadable.

“I visited three more places in the artisan district besides the one where I met you, and I also went around the city and the Handlung district as recommended by my parents…”

As Ryan continued speaking, his voice began to falter, seeing no change in his master’s face.