Chapter 4 – His and Her Affection (Which Was) (8)

Before the salon began, one of the elaborately dressed young ladies by Bjorn’s side, Elenia of the Marquis Luxor family, approached.

‘Back then, the conversation ended when Lady Luxor came over.’

It’s a fitting timing. Chloe gave Elenia Luxor a nod, conveying a meaning only she understood. If she hadn’t come, Chloe might have ended up mentioning various topics, including Scandar’s pipe tobacco.

“We were just expressing our gratitude for your presence.”

Right? 

Chloe gestured to Bjorn, who nodded with his usual gentle smile.

Although Chloe attended Ridote around the same time as Elenia Luxor, their acquaintance was not particularly special, so Chloe decided to leave. She had achieved her goal of having a ‘conversation in the middle of the salon.’

As Chloe turned away without hesitation, Bjorn couldn’t take his eyes off her for a while, even as he continued conversing with Elenia.

The Prince of Scandar, who typically left any gathering first after making his appearance, remained late at the salon this time, perhaps because he had personally requested the invitation. It was after the young ladies who constantly flocked to him had to return home.

However, since his stay was longer than she remembered, Chloe found herself with another small question.

‘Could it be that my questions about Almo Garden or Scandar’s furs became a variable? Since he didn’t seem displeased, maybe it’s okay?’

She worried that she might have inadvertently twisted the future related to him, but she decided to interpret it positively, relying on his smile.

“Thank you for inviting me. Thanks to you, I had a beneficial time.”

“Your presence made the atmosphere more lively than usual. If you’re available in July as well.”

“In that case, it would be my honor.”

Despite her initial reluctance, Madame Etoile had to acknowledge Bjorn’s drawing power. Nearly double the usual number of attendees visited the salon. Those who received invitations brought companions, unlike usual, including sisters, daughters, or friends, drawn by the rumor of the Prince of Scandar’s attendance.

Though invitations were sent only to selected families or scholars to prevent overcrowding, considering the scholars or artists introduced here, a certain level of bustle was more favorable, making it a pleasant outcome for Madame Etoile as well.

“If it’s okay, could you grant me the honor of being escorted by the young lady?”

Chloe widened her eyes at his words as he looked at her with his usual gentle smile. This was something new.

Chloe had given many young nobles the honor of escorting her, the first dance, or a dance, but she had never granted anyone the honor of being escorted herself. After all, escorting was typically a gentleman’s role. Perhaps his ability to make such a request naturally was part of his relaxed charm.

Observing Madame Etoile’s subtly stiffened expression, as if trying to gauge his intentions, Chloe followed Bjorn.

By the time they reached the mansion’s entrance, twilight had already fallen. His escort stood by the door, as if knowing he would come out.

‘Does he have something to say in private?’

Expecting him to ask to be escorted to his carriage, Chloe watched to see which way he would go, but Bjorn simply stopped at the entrance, as if he just wanted to avoid prying eyes. An awkward silence ensued. Chloe’s gaze, darting around, landed on Bjorn’s escort.

‘That prince’s escort, he seems like he could use magic. Should I test him?’

Curious, she scrutinized the face Mirabelle wanted to observe, and sure enough, it was familiar.

‘Isn’t he Sir Diek?’

He was one of the Imperial Guards she had seen a few times in Shevik. Chloe remembered the Imperial Guards she rarely interacted with by their hair color or facial features, but the face, five years younger than she remembered, lacked any of his distinctive features.

‘Sir Diek is the knight with a long scar under one eye… It must be before he got that scar. Come to think of it, his hair color is hidden under a hood… He was said to be one of the top knights in the Imperial Guard, so no wonder Ravi wanted to observe him.’

Even if Mirabelle went to Shevik, she wouldn’t have the opportunity to spar with anyone, so her curiosity would remain unsatisfied.

Observing Bjorn’s surroundings with memories of Scandar felt like rereading a mystery romance novel.

‘Thinking back to how little I knew about Scandar or His Highness before going there.’

Today, he found all her curiosity-driven questions, posed as if she knew something, intriguing. Such interest might have been the seed of his affection in the future.

‘Would it be okay to ask if he knows any priests? If not, the guest and the priest might be different people. I’ve applied for a tour of the treasury to check that priest closely…’

Emboldened by his favorable response, she entertained a bold thought when Bjorn spoke.

“You asked about Scandar furs.”

“What? Oh, yes. I didn’t know they weren’t distributed at all. It’s a pity.”

Chloe smiled apologetically, as if sorry for causing any inconvenience. Bjorn’s lips slowly curled up as he gazed intently at her face. Chloe knew he could smile in ways other than the gentle smile that crinkled his eyes.

‘Probably none of the young ladies in Gotiue’s social circle know.’

Chloe suddenly recalled his ‘real’ expressions that she wouldn’t have known without her future. Although he always wore that pretty face and gentle smile like a mask, he occasionally showed her vivid expressions or glances.

Even before they became husband and wife.

No one in Gotiue, who adored him like the young ladies who never left his side today, would know that.

‘As expected, His Highness…’

Chloe’s heart swelled with such sentiments.

“I’m practically an envoy residing in Gotiue, am I not? I’ll ask the trading companies to procure something you might find interesting.”

“Oh my.”

Chloe could only widen her eyes at his unexpected words, unable to make an appropriate response.

Bjorn’s eyes shone intensely as he looked at her. Naturally lifting Chloe’s hand, Bjorn didn’t take his eyes off her face, which seemed puzzled, and slowly kissed the back of her hand.

“How could someone living in Gotiue not help Lacroix?”

* * *

Demetrian, wrestling with documents in his office, sighed as he glanced out the window at the setting sun every ten minutes.

Today was a semi-holiday, Water Day, allowing him to leave early after working only in the morning, but due to the recent incident, his workload had suddenly increased, making it difficult.

No, the real reason for his frequent sighs lay elsewhere. He had anticipated the influx of work and had already thought about how to handle it. Even if he didn’t know the method, he would soon find it. His exceptional sense of state affairs was such that Duke Crevelle was considering transferring the practical authority of the Senate’s administration to his successor. However…

“Sigh…”

His sigh deepened as he imagined a place he couldn’t go.

The first Water Day of May. The day of Madame Etoile’s salon, the most popular in Gotiue’s social circle.

The reason he remembered this day was very simple. The Senate President’s assistant received all sorts of reports related to the nobles’ movements, including the fact that the Prince of Scandar had attended Madame Etoile’s salon. It was common knowledge in Gotiue’s social circle that the Prince of Scandar’s social activities had been extremely rare in recent years.

‘And that salon, of all places…’

How could he not know? 

The dear Lacroix lady always attended like a mascot, helping out and spending fulfilling time there.

‘That young noble, I knew his face when he was a freshman at Ridote, but I heard his piano skills for the first time. When he played Scerbagnol’s dance, it was as if he was possessed.’

Recalling Chloe, who chattered about the classics or arts knowledge she gained from Madame Etoile’s salon with a completely different face than when discussing political history from books with him, ah, another sigh escaped.

Although Chloe seemed oblivious, among those who admired Madame Etoile’s salon, there were certainly those eager to form ties with the Lacroix lady.

‘If that piano major knew how much praise Loi showered on him to me…’

Another sigh. Even though Chloe was an heiress the Emperor had his eye on for a political marriage, there were still nobles who wanted to become Lacroix’s in-laws or son-in-law. Thinking of those anonymous people seeing Chloe’s sparkling face, which he couldn’t even see…

“Sigh…”

“Why do you keep sighing when all you have to do is organize the agenda?”

Pujali Nous, sharing the office with him, suppressed the urge to scold and spoke.

He had been promoted from a friendly acquaintance to a stage of respect for him, who seemed to anticipate the trouble and swiftly devised countermeasures. However, each time he heard his sigh while trying to finish and leave work as soon as possible, his motivation kept dropping.

‘Did I embezzle relief funds or something?’

Pujali glanced at Demetrian’s face over her glasses. Unaware that the ‘Crevelle Young Duke dark scheme theory’ was forming in her imagination, Demetrian sighed once more.

“I wonder what good it is to finish work quickly.”

In his heart, he wanted to rush to that salon and prevent the prince, young nobles, or matchmakers from even making eye contact.

Unaware of what Demetrian was thinking, Pujali frowned and pushed up her glasses. What else would you do after finishing work? Go home.

Lately, Demetrian’s biggest concern was that he knew less and less about Chloe.

Thanks to the reports on social trends from the Senate President’s assistant, he knew which gatherings the Lacroix Count Palatine’s lady attended, but he couldn’t specify them. However, it was clear that Chloe’s attendance at social gatherings had decreased. He remembered her attending tea parties twice a week.

‘Why didn’t she go to Marquis Grace’s tea party, and why was she seen in Handlung district last Iron Day… She’d dislike it if I asked, so I can’t even ask.’

Moreover, he couldn’t even go to ask. Perhaps it was the unease of not being able to confirm that was causing the discomfort.

The fact that there were things about Chloe he couldn’t know was decidedly, yes, unpleasant. He had no right to demand she resolve his curiosity.