Chapter 1 – She Was Greedy (Part 5)

The bank was crowded even in the evening.

Lorraine sat at one of the counters, looking completely relaxed.

‘This is heaven.’

The bank clerk counted the gold with mechanical precision. They all acted as if they were following a script.

“All done.”

He neatly organized the gold into a bag and smiled.

“The total is 170 gold.”

“Thank you.”

Lorraine smiled back as she took the money pouch and the receipt. As she stood, Nelson, the knight who had been waiting nearby, quickly followed and asked.

“Shall we depart now?”

“Yes, thank you for waiting.”

Lorraine smiled awkwardly and nodded.

「Take Nelson with you…」

Nelson was one of the elite knights of the Duke’s household. Lorraine felt burdened by Philip’s insistence on bringing him along.

Philip had nodded towards the table with the neatly arranged newspapers.

「Bank robbers.」

His tone had been final, brooking no argument. Lorraine had shrugged in defeat.

「Alright, alright.」

As they left the bank, the coachman, who had been reading a newspaper, hurried down and asked kindly.

“Did you finish your business?”

“Yes, we can leave now.”

The coachman opened the door and set up the step. Nelson, who had been standing silently behind her, offered his hand.

“Thank you.”

As she climbed into the carriage, Nelson and the coachman exchanged significant glances.

“Let’s go.”

The coachman, adjusting his flat cap, shook the reins, and the carriage started moving. Nelson watched them for a moment before heading towards the alley behind the bank.

The next day, a brief article appeared in the newspaper about a pickpocket who had voluntarily turned himself into the knight order.

***

It had already been an hour. Lorraine thought as she stifled her twentieth yawn.

‘This is boring.’

“…So, I’ve come to ask His Grace to escort me to the upcoming birthday party.”

“Oh, I see….”

Lorraine responded indifferently, blinking her tired eyes.

‘I wonder if he will accept that….’

Lorraine shrugged. Knowing Edwin Duncan’s personality, he might not even respond.

‘I wonder if this young lady can endure it… I just hope there won’t be any trouble….’

Lorraine swallowed her sigh and rubbed her temples.

“They say love is for those who seize it.”

“Oh, yes….”

‘Who said such nonsense?’ 

Lorraine thought as she unconsciously rubbed the ink on her hand.

Lady Margaret of the Magnus family had arrived at the Duncan mansion just after Edwin had left the house.

「Secretary, I’m sorry, but you need to come down….」

Martha called Lorraine with a truly apologetic face.

「The Magnus family?」

「Yes, but…」

Martha whispered in an even smaller voice.

「She barged in unannounced. Somehow, she knew the butler wasn’t here….」

“…I see.”

Despite barging in, Margaret Magnus was a young lady who looked barely twenty.

“Excuse me.”

She was frowning as she looked at Lorraine.

Now was not the time to think. Lorraine put on a professional smile and asked.

“Oh, yes… where were we?”

“When will His Grace be back? Didn’t you send someone to the palace earlier?”

Margaret tilted her head and blinked her eyelashes a couple of times.

She knew well what her charms were and how to use them.

Unfortunately, none of her actions worked on Lorraine.

“Oh, you’ll have to wait a bit longer. His Grace has an urgent meeting….”

Lorraine awkwardly smiled, feeling sorry, and gauged when to send Margaret away. Although she had sent someone as a formality, it was obvious he wouldn’t come.

‘If anyone comes, it’d probably be Philip….’

Lorraine squinted and looked out the window over Margaret’s shoulder.

The front gate was still quiet.

“It doesn’t matter. I just need to meet His Grace.”

Her light green eyes, resembling the freshness of new leaves, were full of determination.

‘She won’t leave quietly….’

Lorraine checked her wristwatch again.

Five more minutes. If no one returned by then, she would have to send this imprudent young lady away herself.

“I’m going to ask him to kiss me when the biggest firework bursts.”

“Pardon?”

When Lorraine looked at her in surprise, Margaret responded as if wondering why she was surprised.

“Haven’t you heard that kissing during fireworks means long-lasting love?”

‘There’s a story for everything.’ 

Lorraine thought as she sighed and shook her head slightly.

Just then,

“His Grace has returned.”

Contrary to Lorraine’s expectations, Edwin had returned.

***

“I don’t feel good about this.”

Lorraine sighed as she watched the carriage disappear in the distance. Philip, standing beside her, turned towards the mansion and replied.

“What can we do? She must have considered this possibility when she came.”

The first thing Edwin did upon entering the reception room was to send Lorraine out.

「Leave.」

「Yes, yes.」

Lorraine didn’t know the details, but Margaret rushed out less than ten minutes after Lorraine had left.

Margaret, who had returned halfway out, shouted at Edwin sitting in the reception room.

「You’ll regret this for the rest of your life!」

At that moment, Philip, who was standing beside, whispered.

「Really, what a temper… There’s a saying that if a woman holds a grudge, spring flowers bloom even in winter….」

「…….」

「Why does he always have to be so difficult…. He’s just peculiar.」

「Haha.」

Lorraine laughed awkwardly.

Suddenly recalling today’s schedule, she asked Philip, who was walking half a step ahead.

“But how did you two come back together? Didn’t you say the meeting would end late?”

Philip stopped in his tracks and looked at Lorraine’s face.

“Oh….”

“Oh?”

When she frowned, puzzled by his ambiguous response, Philip laughed lightly as if it was nothing.

“It just happened… that way.”

Lorraine squinted at his vague answer.

“…….”

Seeing her suspicious expression, Philip shouted in frustration.

“It’s true!”

“Okay, fine.”

Lorraine shrugged as if she were letting it slide.

‘I can’t tell her we abruptly ended the meeting.’

The unease was always Philip’s burden.

「Lady Magnus is waiting at the mansion.」

Upon hearing the news from the servant, Philip rubbed his forehead.

‘I wondered why it was so quiet.’

Military meetings rarely ended early.

After contemplating in front of the meeting room for a while, he tightly closed his eyes and turned the doorknob.

「Magnus? The dog of Dinan? Why did she come?」

Edwin spoke without a hint of breathlessness, even as he walked briskly.

「Your Grace, please… choose your words more carefully….」

Philip was busy keeping up with him and correcting his words. As Edwin’s pace slowed, Philip continued, flapping his clothes.

「Why else? It’s about the birthday celebration.」

Edwin’s hand, which was tying his cravat, paused momentarily.

「…Still?」

Seizing the opportunity, Philip slyly handed over a file.

「That’s why… when Madam suggested you get engaged….」

Inside were the details of the unmarried ladies carefully selected by Monica.

「You should have done it.」

Edwin alternated between looking at the mischievously smiling Philip and the file, then called Philip quietly.

「Philip Lloyd.」

Without hesitation, he shoved the file into the trash.

「You talk too much.」

His face suggested that if Philip presented another list of potential fiancées, he might end up in the trash instead.

“You always pick on me.”

Philip muttered in frustration. The response came very late.

“…What? What did you say?”

Lorraine frowned and pushed up her slipping glasses.

Seeing her piercing blue eyes, which seemed to ask if he was going to keep talking while she was busy, Philip waved his hands.

“…Nothing, get back to work.”

The eyes, which seemed ready to cut through anything, returned to their place. Only then did Philip relax and let out a deep sigh.

‘She’s terrifying….’

He brushed his shoulder and began to tackle the file in front of him.

***

‘I should have left work early.’

Philip Lloyd thought as he moved his stiff shoulders slightly.

The cold atmosphere of the study made his scalp tingle, but he desperately tried to focus on the documents.

“Say it again.”

Edwin, with his hands clasped and chin resting on them, spoke.

“What did you say you were going to do?”

He tried to appear relaxed, but there was an unmistakable tension in the air. Philip, reading each word as if engraving it in his mind, shook his head.

‘He’s already lost….’

Philip could easily predict the outcome of this situation without even looking at Edwin’s expression.

“I said you won’t be able to attend the party.”

Despite the fierce atmosphere that seemed ready to explode, Lorraine stood her ground.

“Why?”

“You’ve been appointed as the partner for Her Highness the Princess.”

“Who? Me?”

Edwin let out a laugh of disbelief. After laughing for a while, he called out to Lorraine with a cold face.

“Lorraine Wigg.”

“…….”

“I thought I told you to appropriately decline such things.”

Lorraine looked down and did not respond.