Chapter 39

“No, well, I can wait here too.”

It was unclear whether the Earl was unable to read the atmosphere or was deliberately ignoring it.

“No. I wouldn’t be able to talk comfortably if I kept you waiting, Earl. Roden, please escort him inside.”

At the clear command through Roden, the Earl could no longer resist and disappeared into the mansion with Roden.

“Miss, it seems Edward asked Mr. Wharton to handle things without consulting you. Please don’t worry about it.”

Watching the Earl head inside, Adrian spoke to Diane.

“Yes.”

Diane finally felt the matter was wrapping up and let go of the tension she’d been holding.

But James still seemed dissatisfied, sighing heavily beside her.

“Mr. Wharton, thank you for coming all this way. Would you care for some tea before you leave?”

The Duke’s tone was gentle, as if soothing a sulking child.

“No, well, it’s not the first time something like this has happened. I don’t think I have time for tea. I have a lot of returns to handle.”

James shook his head weakly in response to the Duke’s offer.

“Returns?”

“Yes. I’ve developed the habit of anticipating the President’s requests, so these things happen. Buying women’s clothes alone, then returning them again…”

“……?”

Both the Duke and Diane tilted their heads in confusion.

James continued, as if answering everyone’s question.

“You need an evening dress to go to the opera, don’t you? The President seemed to forget that, so I even prepared a dress for you, Miss Diane Lina, but since you’re not going, I’ll have to return the dress and accessories.”

Diane barely managed not to let her jaw drop.

James was clearly a meticulous and thorough person.

To be so capable as to prepare a dress and accessories before even being asked by the President—impressive, even if it turned out to be pointless.

“That must be a lot of trouble.”

The Duke clicked his tongue.

“Well, I’ll be off then.”

James, shoulders drooping, started to board the carriage.

“Mr. James Wharton!”

Suddenly, the Duke called out to him.

James, who had been about to get on the carriage, turned to the Duke.

“Do you really have to return the dress and accessories? If you brought them for her, you could just give them to her, regardless of the opera. I’ll cover the cost.”

“Oh!”

“No!”

James and Diane exclaimed at the same time and immediately looked at each other.

Diane tried to speak again, but James was a little faster.

“Would you really? Honestly, since I was ordered by the President to get the tickets, I’d feel better delivering both the tickets and the dress. Who knows what the President might say later…”

James’s face, which had looked defeated, suddenly brightened.

“I don’t need it. I’m not going to the opera, and I definitely don’t need the dress.”

Diane spoke firmly.

“Miss Diane Lina, you’ve taken good care of Leon and helped with all sorts of difficult requests, so I’d like to give it as a thank-you gift. Will you still refuse?”

“Oh, no…”

“Wouldn’t it be better than buying something new? I’ve been wondering how to repay you anyway.”

“I’m really fine…”

Adrian smiled at Diane, who was about to refuse.

He winked, as if asking her to accept.

‘With that look…’

She couldn’t refuse.

“Yes. Then I’ll accept, thank you.”

In the end, Diane spoke in a small voice.

As soon as she answered, James put the envelope he’d been holding back into his pocket, went to the carriage, and began unloading a huge box and several bags.

Why was there so much?

The size of the box and the number of bags made Diane feel overwhelmed.

Ah, that box!

The box James was unloading was the same as the one that had held the shoes the Duke bought for her before.

All the Wale men seemed to shop at the same place. So President Wale’s secretary must have bought things from there too.

“Have the footman take the luggage to Miss Diane’s room.”

At the Duke’s command, the footman started to move the luggage. But the boxes were so large that there weren’t enough hands for the shopping bags.

“I’ll carry the bags myself.”

Diane, carrying the unwanted gifts, followed the footman.

Watching Diane Lina, Adrian approached James.

“Mr. Wharton, what will you do with the tickets?”

“I wanted to mention that. Miss Diane Lina says she won’t go, but since the President ordered me to get them, I can’t not deliver them. I don’t know what the President has in mind. Would you please pass them to the President when he returns? That’s all I need to finish my job.”

Adrian stared at the envelope James was now handing him.

It was a Royal Box envelope.

It was the seat opposite the five-person box Adrian had bought for the Earldom party.

There were only two five-person Royal Boxes in that theater.

Actually, Adrian had known the envelope was for a Royal Box even earlier, when James was waving it before putting it away.

Even when alone, he always watched opera from those seats.

How did Edward ever find such a secretary?

Adrian had envied Edward a few times, and today was one of those days.

The performance had been sold out long ago, and even as the Duke, it was nearly impossible to get those tickets on the day of the show.

Anyway, without such a capable secretary, it would have been impossible—tickets too precious to simply discard.

But they would be wasted.

If Diane wouldn’t go, Edward would never go alone.

But why wouldn’t Diane go?

〈I clearly told the President I wasn’t going to the opera with him.〉

He mulled over Diane Lina’s words.

‘With the President.’

Would she go with someone else?

“I doubt the tickets will be used, but give them to me. I’ll pass them to Edward when he comes.”

Adrian accepted the tickets from James Wharton, whose face finally looked peaceful, and wondered if Edward would return home before the opera.

❖

Even by the time the Earldom ladies returned from dress shopping and had an early formal dinner, Edward had not appeared.

As soon as dinner ended, the Earldom party hurried upstairs to prepare for the opera.

“Teacher, aren’t you going to the opera?”

From behind Adrian, who was climbing the stairs, came the voices of Diane and Leon.

“No.”

“Good. Don’t go. You can’t sing anyway, so there’s no point.”

Adrian quietly laughed to himself at Leon’s words.

“Young Master!”

“Hm?”

“I can’t sing, but I do like listening.”

“Tch. You can’t sing.”

“Young Master!”

“Hehe. Play with me.”

“No, I won’t.”

“You will.”

Listening to their banter as he reached the third floor, Adrian paused before heading to his room in the West Wing and looked at Diane, who was climbing the stairs, bickering with Leon.

Since she said she wouldn’t go to the opera, Edward would never show up at the theater alone.

Naturally, the Royal Box tickets would go unused.

Those tickets were in his possession now…

“Miss.”

He called Diane Lina while glaring at Leon and smiling at her.

“Yes?”

Her face, still smiling, turned toward the Duke.

“If you like listening, would you like to go with me?”

“Excuse me?”

Diane Lina’s eyes widened.

That woman’s surprised face…

“The opera performance.”

“Oh!”

Beautiful.

“Edward doesn’t seem likely to come to the opera. He doesn’t like those things, and he still hasn’t come home.”

“Oh… yes.”

She nodded slowly.

“James Wharton left the box seat tickets with me. If you’d like to see the opera, you could use that seat. There’s one spot left in my box, but it might be uncomfortable.”

There was one seat left in the five-person box.

But the Earldom party would never accept her.

“No, Duke. I’m not really interested in opera. I’d rather stay with Young Master Leon.”

He knew she’d say that.

That woman would never cross the line.

But he knew how to make her cross it.

His eyes turned to Leon.

“Leon, I thought it would be nice if Miss Diane went to the opera with me, but she prefers to stay with you.”

“Yes. Dad, you go alone. I’ll be with Teacher… No! No! That’s not it! Teacher, go to the opera.”

Of course, even if Leon didn’t say so, Adrian would have accepted it, but Leon was a clever son.

“No, Young Master. I’m not going!”

Diane Lina’s face flushed bright red as she shook her head vigorously.

But Leon was a son whose stubbornness matched Edward’s.

“Go!”

As expected, Leon did exactly what Adrian hoped.