Chapter 6 – At the Crossroads of Choice (1) (Part 1)

“Didn’t you know?”

Louise put a piece of shortcake in her mouth with a face that seemed to say it was strange not to know. Then Marianna patted Lorraine’s shoulder, comforting her.

“Were you surprised? …I was also quite surprised when I heard.”

Louise, seemingly satisfied with the dessert, sipped her tea and said.

“Anyway, let’s stop dragging the story. Let’s get to the main point now.”

“What?”

“The reason Jonathan Rutherford appeared.”

There must be another reason, right? 

Louise said with the eyes of a shrewd merchant. 

Or was he a beast waiting for prey?

She thought feeding her sweets would help, but it was useless.

Lorraine quietly placed the macarons from her plate onto Louise’s. Chewing the macarons Lorraine handed over, she muttered to herself.

“That stubborn gentleman wouldn’t just show up there for no reason.”

“…He didn’t seem so stubborn….”

“Yes, next stubborn.”

Ignoring Lorraine’s mumbling, Louise picked up the macarons on the plate and ate them.

“Edwin Duncan would be better.”

“Pardon?”

When Lorraine pretended not to hear, she swung her cutlery threateningly, annoyed.

“Ah- just hurry up and tell us!”

“…Her Highness the Princess wants to see me.”

“…Is that something to hesitate over?”

Boring. She stabbed the Mont Blanc with her cutlery threateningly.

“I just want to live an ordinary life.”

“Oh, yes.”

Without even glancing at Lorraine, she just nodded.

“Can’t you answer a bit more sincerely…?”

“Mari, could you say something to her?”

At Louise’s gesture, Marianna, with a familiar face, stirred the straw in her aid and spoke.

“Save the nonsense for home.”

What can I expect from you two?

It was unreasonable to expect more answers. Lorraine put a muffin in her mouth instead of sighing.

“Did you ever think it was possible for you to live an ordinary life?”

“…No.”

Good thing you know. 

Louise neatly concluded the conversation.

“So when did you decide to go?”

Having eaten enough dessert, Marianna asked with a satisfied face.

「Actually, I came under the orders of Her Highness the Princess.」

Why does Her Highness the Princess want to see me?

Lorraine couldn’t hide her bewilderment. As she tormented her innocent lips, Jonathan smiled as if understanding her feelings.

「She wishes to meet you, Miss Wiig.」

「Me…?」

Suddenly? 

Though unspoken, Jonathan nodded as if he heard the words.

「Indeed, she can be a bit… like that.」

「…….」

「…Yes, quite a lot.」

His sand-colored eyes were filled with affection.

「That’s all I have to say.」

He downed the remaining coffee in one gulp and ate the accompanying biscuit in one bite. After gazing out the window for a moment, he continued speaking.

「If you’re interested, you can visit the owner of <Porturellu> and ask them to send a letter to Jonas on Wednesday.」

Jonathan, who had taken his hat, stood up. Wearing his hat, he suddenly remembered something and looked back at Lorraine.

「Regarding the somewhat rude way of arranging this meeting… I will personally apologize to Austin and Mrs. Sweeney.」

Thank you for coming.

From the first meeting, he maintained his manners until the end as he left the shop.

What did I hear?

She, who was blankly staring at the spot he left, suddenly looked at the now-cold black coffee. Taking a sip, she tasted sourness.

“…Lorraine!”

A clap sounded in front of her eyes.

“Ah, uh….”

At her dazed response, Marianna, who was resting her chin and watching her, sighed.

“You were doing fine after graduation… and now you’re spacing out again…?”

“What did you say?”

The answer came from Louise.

“Did you decide to meet Her Highness the Princess?”

Placing a peeled orange on her plate, she continued.

“For the record, I’m in favor.”

“I haven’t said I’d go yet.”

Despite Lorraine’s curt reply, Louise shrugged her shoulders, wiping the orange juice from her hands with a napkin.

“Just saying.”

***

That wasn’t the problem.

“Miss, please straighten your back a bit more.”

“You’ll get pricked by a pin.”

At the assistants’ remarks, Lorraine straightened her back and thought. 

This was a waste, truly a waste.

Madame Laurent stormed into the mansion around 2 PM.

「I’m here on Madam’s orders.」

She held a letter bearing Monica’s seal. If it hadn’t been for a telegram from Astia arriving just in time, she would have thought the seal was forged, given the sudden situation.

Madame Laurent, seemingly having forgotten the tense atmosphere, began to chatter as usual.

「I heard you’re attending the wedding of the Robens as the Duke’s partner?」

Why me…? 

Though she roughly guessed whose doing it was, there was no time to correct the misunderstanding.

「As for clothes, there’s the dress we fitted last time….」

At her words, Madame Laurent covered her mouth with her hand, murmuring in shock.

「Oh no, that was already four months ago, Miss!」

After pondering Lorraine’s words for a moment, Madame Laurent approached, startled, seeing her attire.

「Wait a moment. Come to think of it… you’re wearing such clothes again!」

「Well, it’s comfortable for work….」

「A sin! A sin, I say! How could you with this face…!」

Momentarily aghast, she turned around with fiery determination. Her assistants quickly began unpacking the luggage they brought.

Partitions were set up, and an abundance of clothes filled the portable hangers they brought from who knows where. Caught up in it all, Lorraine was trying on the thirtieth pre-fitted outfit by Madame Laurent.

“Since the wedding lasts for five days… at least three days for the ball.”

What more could be said?

Lorraine just nodded. However, her resolve didn’t last long.

“Three days means six dresses for the party….”

“……? That many?”

When Lorraine asked in surprise, the assistants replied nonchalantly.

“Yes, is there a problem?”

For a moment, Lorraine thought she had asked the wrong question. They continued speaking, focusing on Lorraine’s hem.

“It’s customary to bring at least one spare dress per day….”

“…Madame, let’s call it a day for now.”

I need to sort this out. 

Lorraine, with a serene smile, stood up.

“But….”

“I’ll contact you separately.”

At her firm answer, Madame Laurent and her assistants reluctantly packed up their things.

“Please do contact us…!”

“Yes, of course.”

Lorraine saw them off with a bright smile. As their carriage left the front gate, she turned around with the same smile on her face.

“I guess I’ll have to work overtime today.”

Her voice was the complete opposite of the bright smile she wore.

***

The problem was Edwin Duncan.

‘Who would think that drunkard is the Edwin Duncan.’

Lorraine, watching her superior sprawled like a wet rag on the sofa, stated her demand.

“Fifteen outfits.”

Then, the man lying on the sofa responded with his eyes closed.

“Twenty outfits.”

It was absurd. She had never even spent over 1 gold on clothes, let alone ordered fifteen outfits at once.

Lorraine furrowed her brow and straightened her body, which had been leaning against the door. Sensing that the conversation would be lengthy, her steps naturally moved into the room.

It was late, but it was her first time entering Edwin’s room.

A sort of safety distance, perhaps.

However, that safety distance was now close enough that if he got up from the sofa and took one step, he could reach her. Lorraine, feeling suffocated, unconsciously unbuttoned the top button of her shirt.

“You seem to have forgotten that I’m going there for work.”

“Yes, work.”

As if anyone had stopped her, he chuckled softly with his eyes closed, shrugging his shoulders.

“Then why so many clothes….”

Lorraine’s rebuttal was cut short. Because he was suddenly looking at her.

“Do I… have to buy them…?”

Her voice had become much softer. Edwin moved his languid body to sit up straight. Though it was only the difference between a drunkard and a rogue.

Sitting in a slouched posture, he untied his cravat and murmured.

“I don’t want to take a partner who can’t even match the dress code.”

“Then I’ll find someone else for you.”

Unfortunately, Lorraine thought the reason Edwin chose her was simply because finding a partner and dealing with the ensuing series of events was bothersome.

Moreover, she wasn’t particularly attached to the partner position.

Wouldn’t it be better to take this opportunity to shed the label of being the secretary-turned-lover of Edwin Duncan?

“What will you do?”

Lorraine expected that if she acted this way, he would either try to negotiate or scrap the plan altogether.

“…Did you meet Jonathan Rutherford?”

However, the question that came back was unexpected.

“Why him all of a sudden….”

Habitually retorting, Lorraine recalled the schedule he had today. Then suddenly-.

Something’s off…?

She realized there hadn’t been any time for him to drink today.

“Did you go to a drinking party without Philip?”

“Am I a child?”

“You seem like one now.”

She gestured towards the full-length mirror on the balcony with her chin, as if telling him to look at himself.

“Don’t change the subject.”

He was serious, leaving Lorraine with no room for jokes.

She took a step back. It was due to an inexplicable intuition. Keeping some distance, she moved her lips before nodding and speaking.

“I met him. But….”

“Don’t meet him.”

“I wasn’t planning to meet him again anyway. And….”

Edwin spoke precisely, as if he had been there.

“He must have talked about Philippa.”

He chuckled weakly, as if he had heard a silly joke.

“Is there a need to deliberately do something hurtful?”

“Pardon?”

“Do you know what Philippa was trying to say?”

Lorraine expected Edwin to make a mistake. A very big one.

She silently watched him. Then Edwin, ruffling his neatly arranged golden hair, continued.

“She said she wanted to become the Emperor.”

“…….”

“In that distant desert country, they’ve already had a Crown Princess… a female heir to the throne.”

He was referring to Ajidabi. Lorraine recalled articles headlined with [The Birth of the ‘First’ Crown Princess in the Land of Sand, Bound by Principles and Rules].

But it was only for a day. Even the columns, which were slightly better, mentioned it for three days.

Listening quietly, Lorraine asked.

“…Is that impossible?”

“Because there’s no precedent.”

Edwin replied indifferently, as if it was an obvious question. He got up from his seat and walked towards the bathroom where the coat stand was.

“There will be a series of opposition from the nobility, and the media will write negative stories about the Princess every day.”

Edwin, who had been slumping under the influence of alcohol, spoke clearly as if it had all been an act.

“You’ve seen it too. The power of the media and its very negative side.”

He continued, hanging his loosely tied cravat on the coat stand.

“The citizens of the Empire, exposed only to negative stories, will criticize the Princess’s decision….”

“Even so, if she wants to do something that might hurt her.”

Unable to hold back, Lorraine interrupted Edwin.

“Is getting hurt important when you’re getting what you want?”

She spoke as if she were commenting on the weather in Lantil today.