Chapter 3 – Unrequited Love, That Difficult Path (Part 4)

Lorraine stared blankly at Edwin, who sat across from her. He seemed tired, resting his head against the wall with his eyes closed as soon as he got into the carriage.

‘He looks really big when you see him like this.’

She had noticed it when he got into the carriage earlier, but it struck her anew. The Black Wind, befitting a duke’s carriage, was sturdy and spacious, but sitting with Edwin made it feel quite full.

Lorraine’s gaze slowly traveled down his form.

She could understand why he was called the God of War. It was partly due to his achievements, but mostly because of his overall appearance.

His massive pectoral muscles rose and fell rhythmically, and his torso was so thick that the buttons seemed barely able to hold.

「But your boss is top-notch in appearance, even if his personality is trash.」

Louise Arno, who was picky enough to change lovers every season, acknowledged this.

「People aren’t products. What do you mean by top-notch?」

Marianna Adler, who was conservative in such matters, frowned and recoiled, but Louise responded confidently.

「Men rate women too, so why can’t I rate them?」

Ignoring Marianna pressing her temples, Louise continued to say whatever she wanted.

「Besides, I only talk like this with you guys; I don’t say this stuff outside, so don’t worry.」

Louise shrugged nonchalantly, as if to say worrying was pointless.

At that moment.

“…Do you have something to say?”

Edwin’s tightly closed lips opened. Lorraine couldn’t take her eyes off him, looking as startled as a rabbit facing a hunter.

Then, he opened his eyes.

His clear golden eyes, showing no signs of drowsiness, were staring straight at her.

“You kept staring.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“If you have something to say, feel free to say it.”

With that, Edwin closed his eyes again. He seemed quite tired today.

In fact, Edwin wasn’t sleeping but lost in thought.

「How can you not know? Duke, are you a complete fool or an idiot?」

Jamie’s incredulous voice echoed in his ears.

「Think about how you’ve treated others up to now.」

「…Was I really that much of a jerk?」

Jamie had laughed meaningfully and shrugged. Edwin had let out a hollow laugh and muttered.

「…I don’t think I was that bad.」

Then the unexpected answer came from Zero, who had been standing silently behind Jamie.

「…You were that bad.」

Edwin looked dumbfounded at Zero’s firm statement.

「See, even Zero says so. Can you argue with that, Duke?」

Jamie’s voice was laced with laughter. It was clear he was enjoying himself, feeling like he had caught Edwin in a bind.

「You like her. Think about it.」

‘Had I really felt that way?’

‘If so, since when?’

Of course, he often looked at her. At some point, his gaze naturally began to follow Lorraine Wiig.

Edwin slowly started to recall.

‘When was the moment that the fiftieth secretary, who had only been a nuisance, started to look different?’

***

The first moment he remembered was probably the day Lorraine was falsely accused.

When she was suspended on suspicion of being associated with Peter Patrick, Lorraine had said with an angry face,

“I’d rather quit.”

Her blue eyes were resolute, as if she wouldn’t stay under such treatment.

“I’ve handled excessive workloads without complaint until now.”

“…….”

“But I can’t stand being falsely accused like this. Please just fire me.”

Her blue eyes, filled with anger, were as clear as a lake.

As Edwin silently looked into those eyes, Philip Lloyd whispered beside him.

“Firing her is out of the question. If you do, you might as well fire me too.”

Edwin had no intention of firing her either.

‘After going through forty-nine secretaries, I finally found someone competent. I’d have to be crazy to let her go.’

But what came out of his mouth was entirely different.

“What a tearful friendship. Truly touching.”

“…….”

“Lorraine Wiig.”

Despite being sullen, Lorraine stood straight and answered Edwin’s call.

“Yes.”

“Is it really that unfair?”

When Edwin asked, Lorraine looked at him as if asking if he was serious. Realizing he was, she replied in disbelief.

“Of course it is.”

“…….”

“All the work I’ve done until now has been thrown into the trash because of one suspicion that I might be associated to that guy.”

The way she referred to Peter as ‘that guy’ sounded particularly sinister. Whether it was just Edwin’s imagination or not, Peter’s face turned pale.

“It’s offensive to be considered on the same level as that guy. So… please just fire me.”

Her sharp blue eyes clearly met his gaze. Edwin suddenly found her combative look appealing.

“…I said there’s no overturning it.”

“Your Grace!”

Despite the aggrieved voice calling him, Edwin firmly shook his head.

‘When was the next moment?’

As Edwin opened his eyes, Lorraine was staring blankly at the scenery passing by the window. She was wearing a neatly pressed shirt and a skirt suit today as well.

「No.」

Lorraine, filled with determination, was attractive. Her usually pale face had gained some color, and her blue eyes looked even bluer.

After that, she would often bite her lip and say,

「No.」

In truth, Lorraine was quite ambitious. She fiercely protected even the smallest things that were given to her.

「It’s mine.」

‘Why did she look so lovely even when she was being greedy?’

‘Am I crazy?’ 

Edwin muttered softly and let out a deep sigh. Once he started to recognize his feelings, they flooded him, bringing back moment after moment.

He was now certain.

He liked Lorraine.

And he, Duke Edwin Duncan, was a fool.

“Phew….”

Today, the road home felt unusually long. Unusually.

***

The scent of coffee and the taste of croissants hadn’t changed. Only one very trivial, trivial thing had changed. Edwin sighed as he flipped through the newspaper.

At that moment, Monica Duncan appeared in the dining room.

“Good morning.”

She had her luscious honey-colored hair tied to one side and was dressed in light indoor clothes. As she naturally took a seat at the table, she gestured for the maid who had followed her to inquire about breakfast to leave.

Edwin, putting down his coffee cup, asked,

“What brings you here?”

Although Monica also woke up earlier than most other nobles, she usually had breakfast in her room. Edwin hadn’t seen his mother at the breakfast table since he was a child.

Monica wasted no time getting to the point.

“I’d like to borrow Lorraine for a bit.”

“…All of a sudden?”

At Edwin’s words, Monica shrugged nonchalantly.

“Philip has returned, and I asked your father if there was anything urgent to handle, and he said there wasn’t….”

As Monica trailed off, Edwin asked more firmly,

“May I ask why?”

Monica’s eyes sharpened at her son’s firm attitude.

“Do you think I’m going to eat her up? Why are you questioning me about everything? You’re not her guardian.”

“…….”

She had a point.

Monica’s strong approach left Edwin speechless. Then Monica quickly softened her tone and began to coax her son.

“I’m not taking her right away. Just lend her to me for the afternoon.”

“…….”

Edwin looked reluctant.

Seeing his hesitation, Monica’s eyes narrowed, and she pressed him more firmly.

“Eddie.”

“…Fine, I understand.”

In the end, Edwin was the loser. He reluctantly nodded his head. As if she had been waiting for this, Monica stood up with a brightened face.

“Martha! Martha! Get her ready quickly.”

“Yes, madam.”

At Monica’s urgent call, the head maid, Martha, nodded calmly. Watching them hurry away, Edwin muttered in disbelief.

“…As if she had been waiting for this…”

Shaking his head, he suddenly remembered something and turned to Paul.

“Do you know my mother’s schedule today?”

Paul naturally took the newspaper from Edwin’s hand.

“I only heard that she’s going to the palace. There have been talks about the Edelweiss gathering lately….”

‘So I’ve been tricked.’

Hearing Paul’s answer, Edwin sighed and rubbed his forehead.

Edelweiss was not only the symbol of the Empress Dowager Eleanor but also referred to the gatherings she hosted. After the death of the previous emperor, Empress Dowager Eleanor had secluded herself in her palace, hosting gatherings once every fortnight.

She usually invited people she was close to, but occasionally, she would also invite noblewomen who were at odds with her son, Jaime, making it a political event.

Meanwhile, in Monica’s reception room, the final preparations were being made before leaving the mansion.

Monica looked Lorraine up and down and smiled in satisfaction.

“You look good even in ready-made clothes. I was worried.”

“Ah, yes….”

All Lorraine could do was smile awkwardly. However, no one knew what happened in the Empress Dowager’s greenhouse that day. To be precise, no one dared to speak of it.

Located in a relatively secluded part of the palace, the Empress Dowager’s residence was very suitable for handling matters secretly. Therefore, receiving an Edelweiss invitation was both a blessing and a curse in the social circles.

‘So, which side am I on?’

Lorraine looked down at the silver envelope Monica had handed her earlier.

「You received an invitation too.」

At the right moment, the head maid, Martha, handed her the envelope. Lorraine examined it.

<To Lorraine Wiig, the second daughter of Count Wiig>

The smooth texture of the stationery, the elegant cursive, the envelope holding a faint scent, and the silver sealing wax.

「They say jasmine is in full bloom these days.」

Monica murmured in passing.

「Will you come with me?」

It was a question with no escape. Lorraine fiddled with the envelope.

Her hesitation was brief.

She nodded.

And now, Lorraine was staring blankly at the scenery passing by the carriage window.

“There’s no need to worry too much. Just think of it as getting some fresh air in a nice place and eating some snacks made in the royal palace.”

“…Yes.”

‘Does she not realize that the location itself is burdensome?’

Lorraine nodded mechanically.