Chapter 57

<You call me after two years and ask me to be a riding instructor? Are you still crazy? I’m busy. I only do indoor lessons. Why riding, out in the sun? I grew up bathing in milk, you know. How could I become a riding instructor without any background?>

Even after meeting again, nothing had changed.

In fact, this was one thing that made her less troublesome than the other women who blushed in front of Edward.

She was raising her child alone, but her skin seemed even better, likely thanks to how well she managed herself with Edward’s money.

<I’ll buy you a horse and one for your daughter, too, besides your salary. If taking care of the horses is hard, you can keep them at my house.>

<You take care of them, and set up a separate stable at your place. Buy the land for the stable too. Then I’ll go.>

Edward wasn’t crazy.

What kind of riding instructor would make such demands?

But a female riding instructor was valuable enough to accept those crazy conditions, so he didn’t mind the expense at all.

After all, price is always determined by supply and demand.

When Edward accepted on the spot, even Selina, who had thrown out demands carelessly, was a little surprised. But she agreed right away.

She just thought, “Who knows why this crazy guy is like this?”

He had plenty of money, so all she had to do was take what was offered.

But only today, when he came to her house in person, did Selina understand the reason for Edward’s wild behavior.

She was, of course, aware of the gossip from the opera house.

When she first heard the rumor about Edward’s ‘Professional Beauty,’ she just laughed it off as nonsense.

But to think it was true.

A commoner female tutor…

“Hurry up and tell me. What happened?”

To think he was so desperate to know what happened to that woman.

This was the Edward she knew?

He was a man uninterested in people, let alone women.

Selina, who was still treated as a Marquis’s daughter during her visits to noble families and joined their tea times, was well versed in social news.

She visited more than a few households, and the nobles, convinced she’d eventually return to society and, with the Marquisate’s wealth, saw her as an attractive widow, were open with her.

As Selina Dunn, rather than Selina Hague, she had built an even tighter network, making her a living communications hub.

“No, can I really tell you that for free? A businessperson shouldn’t be like this. Information is money in this world, isn’t it?”

Selina teased him playfully.

“If you need something, tell me. On the condition that I tell you everything that happened that day without leaving out a single detail.”

‘Oh, scored another one.’

Selina calculated in her head.

Last time she’d gotten too much, and this was just a bit of gossip, so she decided to be fair.

“Amy’s entering Compton next year. There’s a parent invitation event, opening up the school. Ah! You know about it, right? That event for parents of six- and seven-year-olds…”

“Keep it short.”

Edward was already frowning from the moment she mentioned children.

Selina pouted at his reaction.

“You know Amy doesn’t have a dad. You go with us just for that day, as her uncle.”

“Ha! Ha!”

Edward was so dumbfounded he could only laugh.

People called him crazy, but the real crazy one was Selina.

Asking Edward Wale to go to her daughter’s school as a parent…

“If you don’t want to, forget it.”

Selina said it like she didn’t care.

Everyone in Rettrang’s nobility knew Jonathan had died, so everyone also knew Amy didn’t have a father, and Amy herself was well aware.

Naturally, she’d planned to go alone to the parent event.

But if tall, handsome Edward played uncle for a day, Amy, who was weak to good looks, would definitely love it.

Selina also wanted to tease Edward, who had never once come to see Amy.

“Ask for money instead.”

“Isn’t this the information age? If you don’t need information, then just go.”

“Ah, d*mn!”

“Don’t swear. You’re Amy’s uncle.”

Edward closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

“What’s the date?”

He sounded as if he were making a big decision.

“Two weeks from now, Friday.”

“Whew. What time?”

“11 a.m.”

“Now talk.”

The deal was made, and Selina told him everything, from A to Z, leaving nothing out.

She told him the rumor started with Lady Lautrec, about Viscount Anton’s actions, and even Lord Jude’s involvement.

Edward Wale was no pushover, so since she got what she wanted, she gave all she knew.

Every detail.

“Bastard.”

When she finished, Edward said only that one word.

But Selina couldn’t tell who he meant.

It didn’t match the gender of Lady Lautrec, the source of the rumor, and it seemed it could be about his brother, the Duke, or maybe Viscount Anton, though Anton wasn’t worth Edward swearing over.

Most puzzling, even when she spoke about Lord Jude, Edward’s eyes seemed to spit curses.

Why was Lord Jude a bastard?

Anyway, Selina thought that Edward was just as unusual as herself, and grew more curious about Edward’s “that woman.”

She decided she’d have to meet her next time she came for Leon’s lesson.

* * *

It was almost dinner time.

Adrian, who had returned to his room from the tea room to shake off thoughts of Diane Lina, looked out the window at the noisy sound of a carriage.

It was Edward’s carriage.

‘……!’

Edward jumped out before it even stopped at the entrance and rushed inside.

“What’s with him?”

Adrian checked the time.

He had a bad feeling, but it was time to go down to the formal dining room.

Bang!

Of course!

His bad feeling was right.

His door burst open as if it would break, and Edward stormed into his room.

“What the hell!”

Adrian frowned and raised his voice.

Thud.

At that moment, Edward’s fist struck Adrian’s left cheek.

Even though he’d been tense, he hadn’t expected the blow, and Adrian staggered back, then Edward kicked him in the stomach.

Adrian collapsed onto the carpet.

Without time to get up, Edward grabbed Adrian by the collar.

“Bastard!”

Edward cursed in Adrian’s face and raised his fist to hit him again, but Adrian kicked Edward with all his strength.

Edward lost his grip and fell back.

“You jerk! What are you doing!”

“You deserve a beating!”

“Are you insane!”

Edward tried to attack again, but Adrian was quicker this time.

He was already up and defending himself.

“Edward Wale! If you hit me one more time, you’ll be kicked out of the family!”

Edward hesitated at Adrian’s words.

To hit his brother, the head of the family, was something only Edward would dare.

But even Edward shouldn’t cross the line with the head of the house.

Adrian, as head, had the authority to expel anyone from Wale mansion.

Seeing Edward hesitate, Adrian knew he wasn’t completely out of his mind.

Edward glared at his brother as if he might kill him, but finally didn’t throw another punch.

His fierce eyes were like a beast barely suppressing its rage.

But Adrian understood.

Edward wasn’t holding back because of the threat of being kicked out.

He wouldn’t care about that at all.

He was holding back because of Diane Lina.

Because she was still in the house.

Because he hadn’t found a way to take her away and keep her yet.

Everything—Edward’s rage and restraint—was because of Diane Lina.

“What the hell made you do this crazy thing?”

Adrian had an idea, but pretended not to know.

“To kill you.”

“You really have lost your mind.”

“Ha! You just run your mouth, don’t you?”

“Shut up, you bastard!”

Adrian cursed, something he never did.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t, just that he didn’t.

“You shut up! After what you did to Diane Lina, I ought to kill you!”

Just as Adrian suspected.

The incident at the opera house.

From Viscount Anton’s actions to the rumor about Diane Lina being Edward’s Professional Beauty.

Edward had already found out.

It had happened while Edward was in Agris, but Adrian had known the news would reach him eventually.

He hadn’t expected it to be the very next day after Edward returned.