Chapter 28

“Welcome, Earl.”

“It’s good to see you again, Duke.”

Earl Lautrec was much older than Duke Wale, but the difference in status was significant, so the Earl was unfailingly polite.

“Hello, Duke.”

The Countess and Young Lady also greeted the Duke.

“Welcome, Madame, Lady.”

The Duke returned their greetings with flawless courtesy.

Seeing the faint smile spreading across the Duke’s face, Young Lady Lautrec felt her heart swell with excitement and pride.

To think she had the chance to have the most beautiful and noble groom in the kingdom.

Of course, he did have a child.

Her gaze shifted to the small boy standing beside the Duke.

Young Lady Lautrec had long admired the Duke, but since he never showed any interest, she had given up—until recently, when his marriage proposal filled her with happiness.

The late Duchess had been famous for her outstanding beauty, and she and the Duke were famous as an exceptionally attractive couple, known for their harmony.

In contrast, the Lautrec Earldom, though wealthy, lagged far behind in terms of family standing, so the mere fact that the Duke considered remarriage was something to be grateful for.

Otherwise, she would never have dreamed of the position of Duchess of Wale.

However, the Duke’s first condition when proposing marriage was to find someone who could be a good mother to his son.

Thus, she knew very well that the little boy beside the Duke was the key to whether she could become Duchess.

“Hello, Young Master Wale.”

She greeted Leon with the warmest smile she could manage.

“Hello.”

Leon replied with a politeness beyond his years.

But Young Lady Lautrec did not realize how much mischief was hidden in his voice.

She lacked the sensitivity to read the subtle emotions in a child’s voice and eyes, and her attention was already elsewhere.

It was the young master’s hand.

He was tightly holding the hand of the woman standing beside him.

He held it so firmly that it was obvious even to the eye.

Her eyes widened as she stared at the woman standing next to the young master.

The woman wore a rather shabby dress.

Even so, her natural beauty shone through, impossible to hide.

When their eyes met, the woman bowed her head in greeting.

‘A maid?’

Judging by her clothes, she seemed to be a maid.

But she soon realized the woman was not a maid.

The women behind her, who looked like maids, were wearing uniforms that marked them as such, but this woman’s plain clothes, though unimpressive, were not a maid’s uniform.

In fact, the material and finish were barely better than the maids’ uniforms.

Seeing Young Lady Lautrec’s gaze linger on Diane Lina, Adrian explained,

“She is Leon’s reading teacher.”

“Oh! I see.”

‘A reading teacher?’

She still had questions inside, but outwardly she nodded.

After all, a tutor would be a commoner or at best a lower-ranking noble.

Thinking about the woman’s status, Young Lady Lautrec’s face finally relaxed. She glanced once more at the reading teacher but did not speak to her.

As an Earl’s daughter and soon-to-be Duchess, she saw no need to greet such a woman.

After the greetings in the entrance hall, hosts and guests parted to prepare for the formal dinner.

Young Lady Lautrec, shown to the guest room, changed clothes after a short rest and headed for the formal dining room.

She entered the dining room in high spirits, then suddenly stopped.

‘The tutor?’

The woman who was the young master’s tutor was also present in the dining room.

‘Why is that woman here too?’

“Welcome, Lady.”

The Duke, who had arrived first and was waiting for the guests, rose and pulled out her chair. Frozen for a moment, she finally moved to her seat.

But her gaze was fixed on the tutor sitting beside Leon Wale.

The Earl and Countess, who entered with her, also looked curiously at the tutor.

Seeing the Lautrec family’s attention focused on Diane, Adrian explained calmly,

“Leon is very attached to his reading teacher. Since both I and Marquis Edward Wale are often away from home, the reading teacher has taken on the role of dining with Leon in the evenings.”

His tone was relaxed and his expression calm, but the three members of the Earl’s family found it hard to hide their discomfort at his explanation.

How could a mere tutor sit at the master’s table?

And not just any house, but the Wale Duchy.

But since the Duke had spoken, there was nothing they could say.

After all, this was the ducal mansion, and they could not ask the Head of Family to send away someone he had approved as a dinner companion.

“Duke, you are going above and beyond to ensure Young Master Leon does not eat alone. He must have a mother as soon as possible.”

It was the Countess who first broke the uncomfortable silence in the dining room.

Diane’s face turned red in an instant.

Everyone at the table except Leon understood the Countess’s words were a veiled criticism of the tutor’s presence.

Adrian’s gaze briefly met Diane’s, then looked away.

“It’s not me, but the teacher who is being considerate.”

At Adrian’s reply, the Countess’s eyes widened.

The atmosphere around the table grew even colder.

“Hmm! Come to think of it, we haven’t seen the Marquis yet. Marquis Wale must be very busy.”

Earl Lautrec changed the subject.

Edward, known formally as Marquis Wale at noble gatherings, had still not arrived.

Adrian, his face somewhat tense, looked apologetic.

“Edward has a lot of work. I insisted he attend today, but I’m sorry.”

“Everyone in Traum Kingdom knows how busy the Marquis is.”

The Earl smiled understandingly.

Edward had no interest in his title or in social circles, but ironically, his wealth and ability made his presence in society grow day by day.

So, even as an invited guest, the Earl did not dare criticize the absence of one of the Wale family’s hosts.

At that moment—

“I’m a bit late, Earl.”

Edward entered the dining room just as his name was being mentioned.

He showed no sign of apology for being late.

Edward, looking completely unconcerned, sat down and glanced at Diane beside Leon.

‘Diane Lina is here?’

Edward hadn’t known Diane would join the gathering with the Lautrec family.

Diane kept her head down, looking only at the table.

“Edward.”

Adrian tried to get Edward’s attention, as he had not greeted the Countess or Young Lady Lautrec.

Young Lady Lautrec blushed at Edward Wale’s rudeness, knowing he was famous for his lack of manners since childhood.

Edward Wale was renowned for his masculine beauty, quite different from Adrian’s delicate charm, but he was never to Young Lady Lautrec’s taste.

He was rough, direct, and lacked any sense of courtesy, and he never seemed to remember her name.

“It’s been a while, Countess Lautrec and Young Lady Lautrec.”

As expected.

Though she received his greeting only after prompting, Young Lady Lautrec was certain the Marquis would never know her name, Heina.

He barely remembered her family name, Lautrec.

With Edward’s greeting, brief exchanges followed, and soon the meal began in earnest.

After appetizers and a series of main courses, dessert arrived—a slice of cake topped with strawberries.

‘Strawberries.’

Edward’s eyes fell on the strawberry cake in front of Diane.

She did not eat the cake, only sipped her tea.

“Teacher, why aren’t you eating the cake?”

Just as the conversation lulled, Leon’s question drew everyone’s attention to Diane.

“I don’t like strawberries.”

Diane, feeling everyone’s gaze, whispered softly.

“Oh, an adult being picky? You should eat a balanced meal!”

Leon said in a mock stern voice.

Eat a balanced meal?

Diane was both taken aback by the young master’s words and found Leon so adorable that she almost laughed.

But with all eyes in the dining room on her and Leon, she couldn’t afford to laugh. She needed to get out of this awkward situation quickly.

“You can eat mine, Young Master. I really can’t eat strawberries.”

Trying to suppress her laughter and feeling the pressure of everyone’s gaze, Diane replied, her face turning red.

But the next moment, something happened that made her want to cry rather than laugh.

“Ah~”

Leon stabbed Diane’s cake with his fork and held it out to her.

“……!”

For the only heir of the Wale Duchy, the Young Master, to feed cake to a mere tutor…

Clearly, the atmosphere……