Chapter 59

Diane couldn’t help but feel puzzled at the formal dinner.

Neither the Duke, who had just insisted she attend dinner, nor the President, whose expression she’d been worrying about, were present.

With the hosts absent, all she could do was wait.

“Young Master, isn’t your father and uncle coming to eat?”

“I don’t know. Rodin will probably go to my father.”

They waited for more than ten minutes, but in the end, neither the Head nor the President appeared, and the maids began to bring out the food.

It seemed Rodin had given instructions for only Diane and Leon’s meals to be served.

Of course, with the two absent, eating alone with Leon was comfortable. Starting with warm soup instead of just cookies, and a main dish of sliced meat, Diane felt truly revived.

Yet, for some reason, the meal, which would have been perfectly pleasant any other day, wasn’t completely relaxing.

Both the Duke, who had definitely been at home earlier, and the President, whose carriage she’d seen at the entrance just before dinner, had not come to the formal meal, and that bothered her.

The Duke had skipped breakfast once before, but for both men to skip dinner while at home…

Did they each have urgent business at the same time? Or something together?

Whatever the case, it wasn’t her concern.

She tried to shake off her discomfort and started on the dessert.

* * *

As if she’d never been ill, Diane was completely recovered the next morning.

Her appetite was unusually strong.

She even looked forward to breakfast.

But when she arrived at the formal dining room for breakfast, she realized something was truly off.

The masters of the house, who hadn’t appeared for dinner last night, were absent again this morning. The maids, apparently knowing they wouldn’t eat, didn’t wait for them and served breakfast.

“Young Master, is your father not eating breakfast today either?”

It was normal for the President not to be seen, but it was strange for the Duke to skip meals twice in a row.

“That is odd. Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen Father since yesterday evening.”

“Really?”

Even Leon hadn’t seen his father since last night.

Was something really going on?

Diane ate her porridge, tilting her head in thought.

But the question she’d had since last night was answered right after breakfast.

Leon and Diane, having finished their meal, were heading toward the entrance for a short walk before Leon’s lesson began.

“Father?”

Leon’s surprised voice was the first to spot the Duke coming down the central stairs, and both Diane and the footman at the entrance looked at him at once.

“Oh my!”

Diane was so shocked she had to cover her mouth with both hands.

Goodness.

What a terrible sight.

The Duke’s harmonious, handsome face was swollen and bruised on one side, and his split lip was crusted with blood.

He looked a complete mess.

The Duke seemed not to have expected to run into Leon and Diane, and he grimaced.

But that wasn’t all.

Right behind the Duke, President Wale was coming down as well, and his face was in the same state.

Anyone could see just one conclusion: the two had fought each other.

“Wow!”

Leon, as always, reacted with an exclamation that didn’t match the situation.

Unlike Diane, who was speechless, Leon sounded excited.

He even approached his father and uncle to inspect their faces.

“Hey, move aside!”

The President waved his hand as if to shoo Leon away from his face.

“Wow! Uncle! Did you fight my father?”

“Move aside!”

The President looked exasperated.

With that temper and a face like that, he looked truly pathetic.

A grown man, and a noble at that, fighting and getting battered in front of a child—what a sight.

The Duke, with his beautiful face now ruined, was just pitiful.

But the Duke was just as pathetic.

To be a father and end up with a split lip from a fight…

Was that why neither ate dinner or breakfast?

Tsk tsk.

When Diane, alternating glances between the Duke and the President, met their eyes, both men quickly looked away as if on cue.

Apparently, they knew to be ashamed—even the President.

“Young Master, we were supposed to go out.”

“No, no, I need to hear how Father and Uncle fought.”

Leon was definitely excited.

“They probably just fell. Let’s go.”

They couldn’t have gotten hurt just by falling, but Diane, in proper tutor fashion, tried to cover it up.

She knew Leon wouldn’t just accept that.

“No, adults shouldn’t be fighting. Especially not hitting and fighting like children. This isn’t right!”

“Be quiet.”

The President frowned, unable to bear it, and brushed past Leon toward the entrance.

He seemed to be leaving.

Just then, there was the sound of hooves from the entrance.

Everyone looked out the window.

It was the mailman.

Since he’d come early, there must be mail to deliver.

Ah!

Maybe there was a reply from Gale?

Diane remembered it had been about a week since she sent Gale a letter.

Within Rettrang, mail could arrive in a week if quick. If Gale had replied right away, it might arrive today.

She waited eagerly for the footman to open the door for the mailman.

It might be mail for the masters, so she was cautious about asking if anything was for her.

“Mail for Duke Wale.”

The mailman handed an envelope to the footman and turned to leave.

So it wasn’t from Gale…

Well, it was probably too soon for a reply.

“Ah, please wait a moment.”

The footman, suddenly remembering something, had the mailman wait, then moved a large decorative vase beside the entrance.

Under the vase was another envelope.

He must have put the mail there temporarily to give to the mailman.

Why not in the mail basket? Diane wondered, squinting at the envelopes.

Her eyes were drawn to the lower envelope in the footman’s hand.

She couldn’t see clearly, but it looked just like the envelope she’d sent to Gale.

But she’d given it to the Duke to send about a week ago, so it couldn’t be hers.

The Duke had said he’d send it that day.

But it really did look similar.

“Oh! Sorry, Marquis!”

As the footman turned to deliver the envelope to the mailman, he almost bumped into President Wale, who was right at the entrance.

The President nodded silently, then suddenly stopped as if he’d noticed something, staring at the envelope in the footman’s hand.

“What’s this?”

The President pressed on the envelope with his finger, muttering, and the Duke, who was near the stairs, started walking toward them.

“Hand that envelope back to me.”

The Duke reached out to the footman.

The footman looked confused, about to hand the mail to the Duke.

But just before it reached the Duke, the President snatched it away.

He held the mail at shoulder height, spun around, and smiled brightly at the Duke.

“Sender, Duke Adrian Wale. Recipient, Heina Lautrec, huh?”

It was the first time Diane had seen the President so happy.

Such a radiant smile.

What was making him so happy?

Why was he so pleased about the Duke sending a letter to Lady Lautrec? Diane couldn’t understand, but it was none of her business.

“Edward, hand it over. I’m going to take it myself to the Rettrang Central Post Office and send it express.”

The Duke’s face was stiff as he spoke to the President.

“Nope.”

The President looked delighted.

“Hand it over! It’s my mail!”

“But it’s in my hand now, isn’t it?”

“So, what are you going to do about it?”

“With Duke Wale’s seal perfectly stamped. All I have to do is send it.”

What were these two doing?

They looked like children fighting over mail.

What was so important about that envelope?

Diane frowned at their strange behavior, both with battered left cheeks.

At this rate, they’d be hitting each other’s right sides in front of Leon.

“You’re sending it express to the Earl of Lautrec? Perfect! I’m going to the hotel now. The central post office is right next door. I’ll send it for you.”

“Hand it over, Edward!”

“Oh! Are there two pieces of mail? Is this one urgent too?”

Just as the President looked at the lower envelope, the Duke reached for it again, but the President was quicker.

He pulled the envelope behind his back and turned to read the recipient.

“Middle West Shire… Dear Gale…”

The President’s excited voice grew quieter as he read the address.

Middle West Shire?

That was a familiar address.

That envelope, that address…

“Please give me that envelope!”

Diane, eyes wide, couldn’t help but call out.

It was definitely the letter she’d written to Gale, the one the Duke had promised to deliver.