Chapter 6 – At the Crossroads of Choice (1) (Part 15)
After finishing a long conversation with Juliet, Lorraine checked the time and found it was already close to 1 a.m. Holding the lamp the maid had given her, she returned to her room.
Though lamps were lit intermittently along the long, wide corridor, it was hard to see who was standing there clearly.
“Oh…?”
Someone was standing in front of her room. They seemed to be pacing back and forth, looking restless. Then, realizing it had suddenly brightened, they slowly turned their head toward her.
“Why… aren’t you asleep? It’s already one o’clock…?”
It was Edwin.
He was dressed in comfortable indoor clothes, with a navy gown loosely tied at the waist, as if he had been about to sleep.
At her question, he lightly lifted what he was holding in his hand.
“Wine…?”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
Lorraine’s eyes narrowed. Assessing her lord’s health was part of her job. She knew he didn’t usually suffer from insomnia, but one could never be sure.
“…You haven’t been like this consistently, have you…?”
“It’s not an illness.”
“Hmm….”
As she narrowed her eyes, Edwin firmly denied it.
“Not a habit either.”
I’ll find out more when we get back.
She shrugged and opened the door.
“Well, alright… Just for an hour.”
Even with her permission, Edwin stood still between the door and the hallway. Lorraine’s brow furrowed.
“…Your Grace?”
What now?
She tilted her head, about to urge him, when Edwin muttered.
“…Don’t just open the door for anyone.”
“You’re making a fuss about me opening it.”
“…….”
“You were the one waiting at the door.”
Looking at him with an incredulous face, she leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed.
“I opened it to monitor you. If you drink alone, you won’t control your intake.”
As if to say, go ahead if you have something to say, Lorraine tilted her chin and looked at him. Edwin silently looked down at her, who barely reached his chest. There wasn’t a hint of suspicion in her bright blue eyes.
Should I like this or not?
After a brief contemplation, Edwin hid his mixed feelings and took a step into her room.
“Excuse me.”
She nodded, drawing out her response.
“Yeees-.”
The room Lorraine was assigned was similar in overall structure to Edwin’s but slightly smaller. It had a tea table that doubled as a desk, a bed, and a bathroom with a small tub.
Therefore, the only place to set up a drinking spot was the tea table.
Lorraine, pushing the travel bag that was lying around the corner with her foot, spoke.
“The room is a bit small.”
Fortunately, she had roughly organized the documents before leaving, so it only took moving a few sheets of paper to make space. After neatly stacking the papers, there was enough room.
As she gestured toward the table with her chin, Edwin set down the wine he had brought without a word.
“By the way….”
“Why?”
“Where did you get the wine?”
It was a belated question. Lorraine picked up the wine he had set down and checked the label. A familiar emblem caught her eye.
“It’s Bennett wine.”
Bennett was the largest wine production area in Moses, located near Zepa. There was a joke that while some people might not have tasted wine, no one hadn’t tasted Bennett wine, given its wide price range. She herself occasionally saw it on the dinner table.
But-.
“-You picked an expensive one.”
Afraid she might drop it, Lorraine murmured as she carefully set the wine down.
Bennett wines had different label colors based on price. She wasn’t very knowledgeable due to the wide range of prices and label colors, but-.
“…Of all things.”
She knew the gold label was expensive.
“I just grabbed one.”
Lorraine narrowed her eyes and asked.
“Not intentional?”
The gold label, reserved for top-quality wines, was usually produced in quantities of 10 to 15 bottles a year. The price was one thing, but even getting a chance to buy one was difficult. It was perfect for those who wanted to flaunt their wealth.
While she was contemplating whether to return it, he casually uncorked the bottle and spoke.
“There was another bottle.”
“So it was intentional.”
“Consider it so.”
He shrugged as he handed her a glass with an appropriate amount of wine.
Now there was no returning it.
With a sigh, she accepted the wine glass and sat down.
“I’ll only have one glass.”
She could only hope the hour would pass quickly.
Lorraine could say with certainty.
She intended to send Edwin back and go to bed after an hour.
“Sometimes, you know. I wonder what it would have been like if I’d been born into an ordinary family.”
“But.”
“The funny thing is, I can’t even imagine that.”
The high-quality, deep red wine went down smoothly.
“The funny thing is, I can’t even imagine that.”
The high-quality, deep red wine went down smoothly.
“Taking bridal lessons like others… Oh, do you know? I was really a failing student in bridal lessons?”
Moreover, the intoxication rose quickly. Her tongue, loosened by alcohol, easily revealed personal stories.
“My aunt… that, Countess Sweeney is my aunt… my sister and younger siblings all learned from her.”
Hobby: embroidering on fingers.
Specialty: Button hanging.
It was a famous story among the family.
「You sewed a button….」
「Yes, any problem with that?」
At Countess Sweeney’s blunt tone, the head maid pretended not to see and bowed her head, while her mother sighed deeply, rubbing her temples. Unfortunately, the assignments of Victoria and Olivia, who were standing in line behind her, weren’t much different.
With a chuckle, she muttered to herself.
“Bridal lessons aren’t something to be underestimated.”
“You said you wouldn’t get married.”
At Edwin’s retort, she spun the glass in her hand and shrugged slyly.
“You never know.”
At the unexpected answer, Edwin’s face stiffened.
“…What?”
Fortunately, it seemed the dim room hid his bewildered face. A calm response came back.
“Do things always go as planned? Sometimes there are variables… that’s life.”
After sipping her wine, she continued.
“If someone acknowledges my work and our beliefs align, I might at least… consider it?”
“…….”
“Oh, and lately, I’ve had a question.”
“…What is it?”
As she looked at his face for a moment, she smiled.
Was a smile something to be feared?
Just as he was about to speak, sensing an inexplicable ominous feeling…
Just as he was about to speak, feeling an inexplicable ominous premonition.
“I’m going to ask what you think about the Empress.”
Cuckoo-
The clock struck midnight.
Edwin thought it was a disaster.
***
“Still alive, huh.”
The mansion was turned upside down. There were several reasons for this—.
「Good morning.」
The biggest reason was Asiel appearing at the breakfast table with a nonchalant face.
「Ah, and the wedding will proceed as planned.」
The next reason was because he talked about the wedding. Even though he must have heard everything from the marquis, he remained calm throughout.
Because of this, the staff were automatically busy. Some were busy preparing for the wedding, including the venue, while others were—.
“Yes? What do you need?”
“Oh.”
I was in the middle of preparations.
They were busy helping the bride and other guests with their attire.
It was said that they needed all the help they could get, but this was extreme. Lorraine glanced at the mirror, meeting eyes full of fear.
“Is there something you don’t like…?”
It seemed they noticed the fleeting unease.
「It’s hard to spare manpower.」
The head maid’s voice was thick with fatigue, as if she had already had several arguments. Most were assigned to the bride’s waiting room, and the remaining maids, who had any seniority, were assigned to high-ranking nobles, leaving them short-handed.
Sending them back would only mean they’d be sent to do more menial tasks. Perhaps noticing her reaction, the head maid called the maid standing behind her with a glance.
「Ginny.」
「Yes? …Oh, yes!」
She was more of a child than a girl. The small maid, Ginny, quickly entered the room, watching the head maid’s cues.
Even if it couldn’t be helped—.
‘—But a child this young?’
The maid called Ginny was so small that she was eye-level with Lorraine while she was seated, with a face still covered in downy hair.
It was a moment that rendered the labor laws they had amended so far meaningless.
Lorraine thought she’d have to amend the labor laws again, even if her sister berated her when she returned to Lantil, shaking her head.
“No, it’s fine. Is it all done?”
Then the maid brought over the jewelry box she had placed on the table. It was heavy, causing her to wobble for a moment, but Ginny walked over quickly.
“Just the earrings… need to be put on.”
The series of actions, like carrying the heavy jewelry box, seemed unfamiliar to her, making her cautious.
“Which one would you like…?”
When the jewelry box was opened, neatly organized jewels met her eyes.
The simplest and least bothersome one.
Lorraine scanned the jewelry box with an indifferent gaze. She pointed to the smallest, most basic button-style earrings.
“Let’s go with this.”
After all, this wedding was meant to be called off. It had to be.
The mansion wasn’t the only thing turned upside down by Asiel’s sudden appearance.
「Are you crazy?」
Edwin, who was rubbing his temples, spoke quietly in a rough tone.
「…I told you he’d come.」
Everyone in the capital, including Lorraine, who thought the schedule was nearly over, felt the same.
「I didn’t think he really would.」
She grumbled but was busy running around to send telegrams.
33 hours until the wedding. In that time, they had to sort out the legal procedures and gather the personnel to proceed with the work.
16 hours until the wedding.
Late at night, Edwin, who was slowly reading the hastily arrived telegram, spoke quietly.
「They’ve departed.」
Phew—.
Lorraine, who had been running around all day to hear that news, plopped down into her seat.
「That’s a relief. They won’t be late.」
From Lantil to Zepa, it was 8 hours. If there were no variables, they would arrive with plenty of time to spare. She thought they’d probably arrive when the wedding was in full swing.
But—.
「Judiciary Henry Rochester….」
His voice stopped as he slowly read the list of members heading to Zepa. When he didn’t continue, she spoke.
「And?」
After a moment of hesitation, he slowly uttered another name.
「…And Diana Wiig.」
Lorraine’s face crumpled noticeably. She pursed her lips, ran her hand through her hair, and abruptly asked.
「…Are they the only ones available to work there?」
He nodded in agreement.
「Exactly.」
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