Chapter 14 – Part 9

“We should arrange something soon.”

Leonard nodded at Tenere’s answer.

The sun shone brightly in the spring garden.

Tenere stood still, gazing at the mansion.

“It looks like the renovations were finished early, thanks to the guards. It would have taken much longer if any thieves had gotten in or out.”

Even with the best security system in place, a mansion whose owner had disappeared was a good target for thieves.

After the occupants fled with their valuables, thieves would swarm in, taking whatever seemed to be intact.

Anything that could be sold, even the nails in the walls and the windows, would be ripped out and quickly reduced to rubble.

“I knew I would find you, so it was only natural.”

“Because you knew I was carrying Josie?”

Tenere asked, looking back at Leonard. It was a question hoping for denial.

As if he knew, Leonard bent down and kissed her on the lips.

“Because I have always loved you.”

Why do whispers of love never get old?

Tenere watched Leonard stare at her, then slowly reached out. There was a warmth that came as if he had been waiting.

It was a long, lingering kiss.

* * *

The Eve festival was grander and more splendid than ever.

After Tenere and Leonard had taken Joshua to see the festivities, Eric stared out the window into the dusk, lost in thought.

‘It seems suspicious.’

In retrospect, she was a mean woman who was after her sister’s husband.

She’s been pretty good since she became a nanny, but she may be been hiding her true colors and thinking of something else.

‘She was too complacent.’

Even if Tenere doesn’t care about her, as her brother, he shouldn’t have been like that.

He should have doubted and paid attention to prevent his sister or nephew from being taken advantage of.

Eric gazed outward for a long time, then called for the butler. The older butler bowed to him.

“The nanny?”

“She’s still in her room. There’s nothing else suspicious.”

“She’s…… not out for a walk or something?”

“No, my lord.”

Eric raised an eyebrow at the butler’s answer.

She’s been cooped up in her room all this time? Why?

“…Is she not feeling well?”

He wondered if he was being unreasonably suspicious. Maybe she was actually sick.

But the butler shook his head.

“Even though I asked her, she said it’s not that. She just wants to rest alone…”

“Ask her to come to the drawing room. And…”

The butler tightened his grip and waited for the next command.

After a long moment of staring off into space in thought, Eric spoke up.

“Bring some wine.”

* * *

Laura came down to the drawing room not long after the butler left.

Eric, who had been sitting on the couch waiting, looked up as soon as the door opened.

“You’re here?”

“…They said you were looking for me, Marquis.”

Laura opened her mouth to speak with a grimace. It was an unfamiliar look for Eric.

Was she really ill?

“What… is it? Are you feeling unwell?”

“What?”

“You’ve been in your room all day. You even refused to go to the eve festival.”

“Oh…….”

Eric’s question made Laura look puzzled, but only for a moment before she smiled sheepishly.

“I’m just…… a little tired. Thank you for your concern, Marquis.”

“No, it’s… not just concern…”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Eric pursed his lips. Then he quickly regained his composure and casually raised the corner of his mouth.

“If you have nothing else to do, I thought I’d invite you over for a drink.”

“What?”

“Since the imperial couple and the prince will spend time together, why don’t we have some fun on our own? How about it?”

Eric didn’t even wait for an answer, just popped the opener into the cork and twirled it around.

A man’s true colors come out when he’s drunk, so he planned to get her drunk enough to make her spill her guts.

Soon enough, the cork popped with a cheerful sound.

Eric poured wine into the glasses on the table and handed them over.

But Laura didn’t take the glass.

“What? I brought you an expensive one on purpose.”

“……Are you hitting on me?”

Eric’s hand froze in place at the cautious question.

He let out a small laugh.

“People, really. When a man asks a woman to have a drink, is it always with some ulterior motive? It’s just… hey? Two people having a drink, having a sincere conversation. People get stuck in prejudices.”

“It’s a prejudice born from experience. Every time a man asked me to drink, it was always with such intentions.”

“…….”

Eric was left speechless by the casual response.

Laura smirked at his bewildered expression and sat down across from him, then casually raised her glass to her mouth.

Eric glanced at her nonchalant face.

“Do you mind if I don’t open that…… door, if it makes you uneasy?”

“Never mind, I think I know why the Marquis called me in.”

Laura seemed quite pleased with the expensive wine and nibbles she’d brought to round out the assortment.

She took a sip, savored it, and downed it in one gulp.

In a flash, the empty glass was on the table.

“No, you don’t drink wine like water…….”

“Marquis.”

“…….”

“You called me to test me, right? Because you doubted whether I was thinking strangely?”

Eric fell silent once more at the pointed remark.

Laura held out her empty glass to him without offense.

Eric glanced at her and then poured wine into her tilted glass.

“… That’s nonsense. Is something bothering you?”

“You don’t have to lie to me, I know how much the Marquis cares for the Empress.”

“…….”

“Don’t worry too much, my goal is to raise the prince well so he can be crowned. I know you don’t like me, but… I’m not stupid enough to cut off my own livelihood.”

Being a royal governess carried a heavy-duty, but it also came with great rewards. Especially for the governess of a prince, it wasn’t uncommon for them to receive titles in recognition of their efforts, making unmarried governesses quite popular in the marriage market.

“What are you getting ahead of yourself? I never said I didn’t like you…….”

“You said I didn’t have to come.”

Tenere told her that Eric thought well of her, but Laura didn’t believe her.

It was because of what Eric had said the day she came to the mansion.

If he had wished for her not to come, he should have said so beforehand.

Instead of saying anything, he made her look like an uninvited guest at a family gathering.

“No, listen. That wasn’t what I meant.”

Eric quickly threw up his hands.

“Oh, I meant that you should have taken a break for a few days instead of coming here. Would bringing you here make any difference? You’ll only see Josh more in the future, and you should be with him all the time anyway. It’s just to take a few days to catch your breath. Don’t take it the wrong way…”

Laura stared at Eric in disbelief as he continued, then cringed and made a face.

“Then you should have said that from the beginning. What’s wrong with saying it nicely?”

“No, I didn’t say it for you to hear in the first place. Did I say it out loud? Did I?”

“You always talk like that!”

“Oh, what should I do…”

As Eric realized how impolite he sounded, he shut his mouth.

Laura gulped down the wine, almost overflowing her glass. Eric quickly stopped her.

“Why are you drinking so crudely?”

“What’s wrong with calling a lady ‘crude’? You used to call me crazy.”

“……Ah, that’s because I…….”

“Yeah, well, my family doesn’t even treat me like a person, so why would you feel like doing that to me, Marquis? At least you don’t tell me to cough up money.”

Eric pursed his lips at the grumbling, unable to find the words to reply.

When Laura gulped down her full glass of wine again, Eric scratched his head and opened his mouth to speak.

“Well, I’m not the prettiest of talkers to begin with, and living up north for two years has only made it worse…….”

“…….”

“……Well, I’m sorry, I won’t do that anymore, okay?”

Eric said, but Laura just hung her head and pouted.

Eric swiped a hand across his face, as if he were about to laugh, then sighed heavily.

“Well, then, here’s the deal. If I ever say anything mean to you again, you punch me in the muzzle.”

“…….”

“Or what…… punch me right now, how about that?”

At Eric’s words, Laura’s head snapped up.

“You can’t punch ……, it’s a permanent front tooth, it won’t grow back, what if it breaks?”

“No, I meant to hit it with your fist…….”

He wondered how hard she was going to punch him, but he was relieved to see the corners of her mouth curl up.

Eric cleared his throat and asked.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“……A little.”

Laura replied, making a gap between her thumb and forefinger, but that was all she did, gulping down her drink.

Eric sneaked a glance at her.

“Does your family ask you to send them…… money?”

“Sometimes. Since all my meals are provided by the palace, so they think I don’t need money.”

“Then, did you send them money…..?”

“No. As soon as I got the letter, I got mad and burned it.”

“Wow… you’re quite fierce.”