For a mont, she thought she had misheard. But even after waiting, Cordelia's face remained resolute.
"Won't it be dangerous?"
The city hall area had already been occupied by protesters. Setting fires, smashing things, shouting for the mayor to co out—it was complete chaos.
Looking at the situation, it was understandable. There were no relief asures for people who had lost their hos and jobs, nor sufficient consolation for those who had lost family and relatives.
The mayor seed to be planning to hold out until central governnt support ca through, while external public opinion was focused on uncovering the existence of monsters and mysterious phenona.
In such circumstances, a young, wealthy lady's train journey was absolutely not a good idea. Of course, carriage travel would be the sa.
"Duke Dunbarton isn't here anyway. Didn't you reconcile with Lord Sterling?"
Cordelia gave a bitter smile.
"I apologized. Anyway, he's a father to Lord Sterling. Lord Sterling also apologized to ."
Though the main culprit had returned to Talmine, the wounds the Duke had left remained gaping open. Cordelia trembled and clasped both hands together. For both parties, it wasn't sothing that could end with just apologies.
"The apology is only for Lord Sterling."
"What did Duke Dunbarton say?"
"He asked what I thought about getting engaged again. He said if I wanted, they would make it look like they were bowing down and giving in....... It was an absurd thing to say, but I was listening to it. I was even tempted for a mont."
Her anger wasn't just from fury at the Duke's shalessness. She found herself ridiculous for being tempted by those words, even briefly. That made her words even harsher.
Of course, she had no regrets about saying those words to Duke Dunbarton. She had wanted to lash out at him at least once. Calling him an old man who couldn't think straight because he was caught up in superstition.
But she hadn't intended to say it in front of his son Alastair. In her confusion, she had stord out.
When she was catching her breath in the desolate garden, Alastair had chased after her.
"Lady Cordelia!"
When she t those green eyes that held neither resentnt nor anger, half of Cordelia's rage lted away. Alastair handed a handkerchief to the tearful Cordelia and said he understood. With honest words that it wasn't pleasant, but he understood.
So Cordelia could also ask.
"Did you know His Grace would say such things?"
"Pardon?"
"About the engagent."
When they first t, there was no relationship between them. Only the lukewarm tag of forr fiancé remained, getting in the way.
However, several more months had passed since then, and there had been countless events. It couldn't remain as lukewarm as at first.
"I knew he had it in mind, but I didn't expect him to speak so suddenly. It's my mistake. I'm truly sorry, Lady Cordelia."
"It is good terms though."
Cordelia let out a hollow laugh.
House Dunbarton wasn't wealthy enough to build towers with gold. However, they possessed a history as long as the kingdom and equivalent honor, and had reigned like kings in northern society.
A position guaranteed with unfading glory. When such a family would even create the appearance of bowing down and giving in to take her in, even promising convenience to mainly stay in Nine Holder until title succession—how many won in the world would marry under such conditions?
Cordelia burst into laughter.
Certainly good conditions. But not good enough to make Cordelia Mabelwood choose marriage with an unwanted family. It wasn't even a condition necessary for marriage in this era. How long had it been since the world changed, yet to have such a proposal twice, even if once could be overlooked.
Feeling insulted by that proposal wasn't only because the other party was Dunbarton, but it was even more disgusting because it was Dunbarton. Cordelia gasped for breath with difficulty and glared at Alastair. At the young man's kind eyes that so resembled Duke Dunbarton's.
"I can't forgive Dunbarton. I'm sick of everything about it."
"......I understand."
Though it might be rude to casually say he understood, Alastair was sincere. After receiving such insults, one shouldn't easily speak of forgiveness.
Now it couldn't be made as if nothing had happened. No one could say such a thing. So Cordelia's anger had to be understood. But he couldn't help the sharp pain in one corner of his heart.
Cordelia, who had been glaring as if she would spit out curses, dropped her shoulders powerlessly.
"Dunbarton is terrible, but I don't dislike you. You're my friend now. Aren't you?"
A faint smile appeared on Alastair's lips. However, he couldn't answer. Instead of an answer, words he shouldn't say lingered in his mouth. A mont of silence heavily pressed down on both their shoulders.
Cordelia quietly watched him without words, seeming to wait for sothing, then opened her mouth while tightly gripping her skirt hem.
"I, I'm quite popular. My reputation in society is also good."
Alastair listened quietly instead of questioning the sudden statent.
"I've received several marriage proposals, and they were all from good gentlen."
At those words, while briefly showing displeasure, he nodded as quietly as possible. Cordelia, who had been hesitating and choosing her words, spoke with emphasis.
"I'm not desperate enough to marry after receiving a business plan-like proposal. I won't have such a marriage."
A strange expression spread across Alastair's shadowed face. Cordelia exhaled deeply. And before he could ask anything, she spoke quickly.
"Anyway, I'm sorry for insulting your father in front of Lord Sterling. That was my fault. As you know, I didn't intend to hurt Lord Sterling."
"I'm fine."
Alastair wisely didn't bring up words like 'Father will understand too.' That was not Cordelia's concern at all. Instead, he brought up sothing else.
"Next season...... I think I'll be going to Nine Holder."
"We'll et then. If we acknowledge each other, society will be turned upside down once, but it's fine to greet each other, Alastair Renfrew."
"If I ask you to dance then."
Cordelia frowned. She pretended to look troubled, saying 'That would be difficult,' tornting him, then eventually opened her mouth.
"That's fine too."
The young man's face brightened. As if he had also received an answer to an unasked question. Cordelia also smiled a little.
"But that's that, and after having such a conversation, it's not proper to keep facing each other until next season arrives."
Cordelia, who explained the whole story with a flushed face, looked like she wanted to run away imdiately. Understandably so.
"Going alone would be dangerous, so that won't do, and I......."
Esperanza glanced at Cider. Cider Claiborne had to stay here. Then Esperanza couldn't move either.
"Sorry, but it's impossible for
to move together either. And I can't attach Cyrus to you."
"It's fine. Major Renfrew and his wife have agreed to accompany
on the way. I t them yesterday evening, and they said they had business going to Nine Holder."
Probably military business. With Sterling being completely turned upside down, the navy was also quite deeply involved. They'd go as representatives and get thoroughly cleaned out by the council mbers who had properly caught them.
"With those two and the major's aide, plus Mrs. Renfrew's maid accompanying us, it should be safe."
That much would be safe unless a dungeon occurred inside the train. Esperanza reluctantly nodded.
"Does Lord Sterling know?"
Cordelia answered by shrugging her shoulders.
And shortly after, Alastair, who had co down to the reception room, repeated exactly the sa question. Nine Holder, Major Renfrew, train....... The sa answers followed. Cider clicked his tongue low as if bored.
??????°??☆????°??????
Even after Cordelia left, Cider and Esperanza remained in Sterling for another month. Two more weeks had already passed since the new year ca.
During that ti, several letters urging Cider Claiborne's return arrived, as well as apology letters and gifts from Commodore Rustin several tis. The correspondence exchanged with the magical physics professor at Finley was enough to be bound into a book.
There were also a couple of etings with the magic stone refiner, and Esperanza received back the magic stones she had ordered refined and attached them to Cider's collar. The magic stones filled with Esperanza's magic power shone vividly on his collar.
Cider's research also seed to be progressing smoothly in its own way. To a layperson's eyes, it was completely unclear what was progressing.
"Since it's just modifying what I completed before, it's not difficult. Though the facilities are quite lacking."
He had brought that upon himself, so he had no right to complain. Cider repeatedly asured several types of magic stones with the magic power asuring device he had harshly criticized as primitive and inserted and removed component samples.
Beside him, Esperanza sat sideways rifling through a pile of letters.
During this ti, cheerful letters from Cordelia who had safely arrived at the Nine Holder mansion had co, but there were only two sent to Esperanza, which had disappointed Alastair sowhat.
But for Cordelia too, it would have been difficult to send Alastair a letter about being scolded by Baron Mabelwood and being confined.
Today, fortunately, there was also a letter addressed to Alastair. Esperanza pushed that envelope aside and opened her own letter.
There were two letters total—one was from Cordelia and the other was Jack's letter written in crooked handwriting.
Esperanza quickly read through Cordelia's daily life stories and moved on to Jack's letter, fixing her gaze around the middle.
She read the passage written in particularly stiff sentences and forceful handwriting once more.
This probably wasn't simply about being asked and answering truthfully. It was betrayal, so to speak, and while it was unavoidable for a kid from Alter District to succumb to force, there would be a reason for reporting that fact so straightforwardly.
'Was he threatened?'
Luke Havenly was nothing to Esperanza, but to small, weak Jack, he would have been quite a threat in himself. So he would have spilled everything. Luke Havenly probably didn't intend to make Esperanza an enemy either, so he would have sent Jack back unhard.
'But why go to the trouble?'
The information he took from Jack was information that no one needed anymore. Getting such worthless information while revealing that he was gathering information wasn't behavior a skilled information broker would do.
It was completely intentional.
So thinking one step further, he might have intended to let them know that he was gathering information.
Reviews
All reviews (0)