Chapter 5 – One Step Closer (Part 10)

「When are you going to get married?」

Her bright blue eyes carried the pride of having successfully arranged the marriages of her two sons while remaining single.

Lorraine, watching her aunt’s gaze, slowly lifted her water glass to wet her throat. If she drank it all at once in haste, she could foresee the scolding that would follow.

A lady should remain polite in any situation. That was Eileen Sweeney’s saying, who was responsible for the etiquette education of the four sisters.

When she carefully placed the water glass down, a satisfied smile appeared on Eileen’s lips. Next to her, Olivia made a gagging gesture as if she was sick of it.

Though she quickly buried her nose in her plate when Lorraine frowned slightly in reproach.

Their father, David, who had wet his lips with champagne, spoke with a troubled face.

「Sister, kids these days all want to carve out their own futures. So….」

But Eileen wasn’t one to back down.

「David, that’s why the kids are like this.」

She continued, slicing the asparagus with perfect posture.

「It’s not good to be too lenient with the kids. Of course, they’ve grown up well, but a woman can’t inherit the title, can she?」

Like Duke Rochester?

At Eileen’s bold remark, David sighed.

「Sister….」

「If you’re the honorable Viscount Wiig, you should strive to find a suitable son-in-law to securely inherit the title.」

Lorraine thought it was fortunate that Deborah and Diana weren’t at the table.

「Your older sister may have been outspoken since childhood, but you aren’t, are you?」

Diana seemed to have quickly caught on and volunteered for overtime, while Deborah was scheduled to stay overnight to handle matters in the territory.

「…Lorraine, are you listening?」

「Oh… yes, of course, Aunt.」

She smiled sweetly. She had long passed the age to be hurt by such words.

「Anyway.」

Eileen elegantly wiped her mouth and continued.

「There’s a young man who studied with Austin at Ajidabi….」

So this was the main point. 

Lorraine sighed softly. Austin was Eileen’s second son and Lorraine’s cousin.

「Sister, I’ll take care of the kids’ marriages myself.」

「You’re saying you’ll take care of it, but the kids have no intention of getting married even when they’re over twenty-three?」

Eileen silenced David with a sharp tone. Lorraine watched their conversation and asked Victoria, sitting next to her.

「What did Austin Sweeney say he was doing these days?」

At her question, Victoria shifted her eyes for a moment before answering.

「I heard he’s working with Gregory… anyway, I know he’s in business.」

Gregory was Eileen’s eldest son, who had successfully taken over and run his late father’s trade business five years ago.

It seemed Eileen had broken David’s will, as she smiled and continued speaking.

「Anyway, the young man is well-regarded among the Ajidabi student community, and his family is decent.”

Watching Eileen’s expression, Victoria whispered in Lorraine’s ear.

「Looks like you’re the next target after Gregory and Austin….」

「Be quiet.」

「Lorraine?」

Haha, at Eileen’s call, Victoria straightened her back and laughed awkwardly. It was clear that if she stayed in this conversation any longer, she’d get caught up in it too.

「Well… even though his mother passed away early, you have a knack for work, so you should be able to lead well in such a family, right?」

Wasn’t it just a suggestion to meet? 

The conversation was taking a strange turn.

「I’ve already told them about you.」

There was no way out.

「Uh… well, Aunt.」

Flustered, Lorraine cautiously spoke.

「Uh… I’m busy with work these days, so I might not have time….」

「Oh, you can discuss that with him. Young people should handle such matters directly.」

After doing everything, you say that?

That was her honest feeling, but Lorraine couldn’t say it outright. She looked down at her plate, which hadn’t decreased.

The menu reflected the head maid’s efforts to cater to her picky aunt’s taste.

I shouldn’t have complained so much. 

Lorraine suddenly understood Edwin Duncan’s urge to flee from the scene.

“…Lorraine?”

How long had I been lost in thought?

When Lorraine looked up, she saw Edwin’s questioning eyes.

“…Get up, I’ll take you home.”

He didn’t ask anything. Lorraine silently gazed at Edwin’s face. Then suddenly-.

“…I’ll overlook it if you run away from an arranged meeting.”

Though it was a sudden permission.

Edwin was bewildered by her cryptic words.

But Lorraine, as if she had no intention of explaining, left the room first.

***

“So you just quietly listened to that nonsense?”

Diana, who heard about the dinner incident belatedly, predictably flew into a rage. Victoria, who was reading a book with Olivia on her lap, muttered.

“It wasn’t exactly nonsense… maybe.”

“Then why don’t you go meet him?”

“Ah… where was I reading?”

Her voice was full of theatricality, but that wasn’t the urgent matter now.

“After forcing her two sons into marriage, why is she doing this to us?”

“Wasn’t Gregory’s marriage a love marriage?”

Diana sighed with a sour face and flopped onto the cushion.

As expected.

“Sister!”

“Ah-!”

Dust flew.

Despite regular cleaning, dust was inevitable. Olivia, the first to get up among the sisters, frowned and opened all the small windows in the attic.

Despite her younger sisters’ nagging, Diana continued speaking while lying down.

“Because she fell in love at a meeting arranged by Aunt. If that’s called a love marriage, then it’s a love marriage.”

Olivia received Diana’s complaint.

“Didn’t she fall for him at the 89th meeting?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected answer, Diana raised her head.

“…How do you know that?”

Weren’t you only ten at the time?

***

At Diana’s question, Olivia shifted her eyes and spoke.

“…The person who married Gregory is my friend’s sister.”

Diana was momentarily taken aback. But only for a moment.

“Anyway, that’s not the issue. Telling someone with no intention of getting married to go on a blind date….”

“It wasn’t about going on a blind date, just….”

“Just meeting someone whose family is decent but lacks a hostess?”

Lorraine’s mouth clamped shut. She couldn’t win against Diana Wiig in a verbal battle.

‘How can you beat the judicial witch?’

She was tired. Lorraine shook her head.

“How can you not say a word after hearing that?”

Her tone was one of disbelief and incomprehension. Lorraine laughed bitterly and replied.

“You’re the only one in this family who talks back to Aunt.”

“Then you should have worked overtime like me.”

Is that a solution? 

The light breeze felt chilly. Lorraine wrapped her shawl around herself and stood up.

After closing all the windows, she returned to her seat and spoke reproachfully.

“If I also worked overtime when you come home late from overtime, it would be obvious we’re avoiding it.”

“Then what are you going to do?”

Diana stomped her foot, frustrated by Lorraine’s constant interruptions.

“What else can we do?”

“…….”

Lorraine flopped down next to Diana. Unlike before, the dust didn’t rise much. Still, a little dust was unavoidable.

She waved her hand to disperse the dust and continued speaking calmly.

“It’s not something to get so worked up about.”

“But…!”

“She only gave my personal information to that person, she didn’t take me to the altar.”

She shrugged with a resigned expression.

“That person might back out, or I might not get along with him.”

Diana, who had been silently watching Lorraine, spoke bluntly.

“…You said you didn’t want to get married.”

“Ah, that’s still valid.”

As she flicked her finger, she saw the glow-in-the-dark stars and moon she had stuck on the ceiling as a child. Though the edges had peeled slightly, the stars and moon were still there.

Lorraine, staring at them, smiled and spoke calmly.

“Not every romance ends in marriage.”

“Crazy.”

Diana spat out harsh words. But only for a moment, she sighed as if she had lost.

Do as you please.

Shaking her head, she buried her head in the cushion, seemingly tired.

***

Though she spoke calmly, telling not to worry….

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Mrs. Sweeney.”

That was when she didn’t know Eileen was such a proactive person. She was indeed on her way home. If it hadn’t been for Austin Sweeney, who appeared in an unfamiliar carriage.

「Hey-.」

Why are you here?

Looking at her cousin with astonished eyes, she moved her lips before speaking.

「Austin?」

「Still, there’s no sign of respect for your older cousin, Lorraine.」

Since when did you expect that?

Surprised for a moment, Lorraine alternated between looking at him and the carriage with cold eyes before turning around.

「If you have nothing to say, I’m leaving, goodbye.」

「No…! Wait a minute! I haven’t even started talking yet…! Is this how it is…!」

There were a few people who could make him, the slyest of the sly, lose his composure.

「Hey! Wait a moment…?」

「I don’t have time to listen to nonsense.」

Unfortunately, Lorraine was one of them. The carriage, which had moved away for a moment, hurriedly followed alongside her.

「Spare me a moment.」

「…Why?」

Why indeed.

Austin tilted his head as if asking if she was serious.

「Didn’t mother explain?」

It was a situation explained in just one word. Reluctantly, she got into the carriage, and the coffee at the café they arrived at was delicious.

“Ah, yes….”

Lorraine replied hesitantly, bowing. Understanding her awkwardness, Jonathan smiled and took out a business card from his pocket.

“Jonathan Rutherford. I work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

Receiving Jonathan’s card, Lorraine hurriedly took out her own card as if she had just remembered.

“Lorraine Wiig. I work as the deputy assistant at the Duchy of Duncan.”

In reality, it was all sorts of miscellaneous tasks. Her card, filled with grand titles, was Philip’s handiwork.

Then Austin, who had been silently observing the ridiculous scene beside Jonathan, spoke.

“Are you two here for a business meeting?”

At his mocking tone, Lorraine clenched her teeth.

“Shut up, Austin Sweeney.”

“Oh dear… How can one live being so frightening?”

He muttered nonchalantly, sipping his coffee.

At that moment, Jonathan spoke up.

“You can leave now, Austin.”

“…What?”

His voice was dumbfounded. It seemed different from what he expected.

Pffft, Lorraine couldn’t help but laugh at Austin’s foolish appearance.

As Austin, with a furrowed brow, was about to turn his head towards Lorraine, Jonathan continued speaking.

“I’ll talk with Miss Wiig here, so you can go.”

“…….”

“Hurry.”

“…I’m going, I’m going.”

Austin, looking back and forth between the two with an untrustworthy face, finally stood up reluctantly. Only after confirming that Austin had left the shop did Jonathan speak again.

“Were you surprised?”

“Ah….”

Jonathan continued, smiling as if he understood.

“I’m in charge of protocol for Grand Duke Curtis, so I couldn’t find time earlier.”

Lorraine instantly realized that he was the complete opposite of the sly people she had encountered so far.

“Moreover, that guy… I mean, Austin kept asking if I had set up a meeting with you, Miss Wiig, so I apologize for bringing you here so suddenly.”

He smiled awkwardly, scratching his cheek with his finger.

Such an honest apology. Lorraine suppressed an exclamation and cleared her throat.

“Claire, so….”

“Oh, I heard about that. The story about how you were instrumental in Claire and Austin’s marriage, right?”

Fortunately, Austin hadn’t just dragged her here. On the way, he had briefly mentioned events from his time studying abroad in Ajidabi.

“Yes, but… afterward, Austin kept trying to introduce me to women regardless of my opinion.”

“Oh… then…?”

Could it be that there’s someone else? 

Lorraine waited for his next words with a hint of expectation.

“But you’re the first person I’ve actually met like this, Miss Wiig.”

Why is that…

Lorraine awkwardly smiled, trying to suppress her confused feelings. After hesitating for a moment, he cautiously began to speak.

“Actually… I….”

The conversation continued for a long time.