The afternoon gentlen's club was bustling as usual. Cider Claiborne roughly took a seat at an empty spot and lit his Paoran. The cigarette gave off a pungent sll.
Leaning his arm against the window fra painted dark green, he put a coin into the newspaper-selling automaton and pulled out an appropriate newspaper. There was no other reason. If he wasn't reading a newspaper, soone would co over and start a conversation. And such conversations were usually nutritionally void.
Palladium, commonly called the 'Owl Club,' was a gentlen's club that only accepted gentlen and ladies who had achieved a certain level or higher in law, science, engineering, literature, etc., as official mbers through internal etings. Even ladies could beco club mbers if they t the conditions, but the last ti a lady had been accepted as a new mber of Palladium was ten years ago.
Like most gentlen, Cider Claiborne also only belonged to this one club. Even the school alumni he privately socialized with were people who had joined the club in recent years.
For example...
"You were already here. I thought you'd be late, so I left 30 minutes late myself."
"After calling
to co right away. Poulsbury."
Viscount Poulsbury Kendrick Grimston-Hanger. A judge and criminal law scholar. His doctoral dissertation was under review, so there might soon be another young doctor among their age group.
Cider moved the cigarette that had been at his lips to the side. Kendrick squeezed his huge body into the chair.
"Damn, why are the chairs here so small?"
For the two n who were considerably tall compared to the average Osdern man, chairs slightly larger than regular ones fit their bodies better. But since Cider had already taken the larger of the two chairs at the table, Kendrick had no choice. While sohow squeezing his bear-like bulk in, he glared at Cider.
"You can manage to sit in a small chair well enough, so do you have to do this?"
"I don't like being uncomfortable either. You should have co early and waited."
"...Put out that Paoran. There's a person in front of you."
"Will you state your business and get lost before the fire goes out?"
Kendrick huffed until his face turned red.
"I wasn't trying to talk to you."
"The feeling is mutual. So, how long are you planning to continue this boring Q&A? Hurry up and finish, Poulsbury."
However, even when given the opportunity, Kendrick only hesitated and wavered without easily opening his mouth. Cider narrowed his eyes. Seeing him act all embarrassed in a pathetic way, he could roughly guess the topic.
"It's about Miss Hunter, whom I am courting with proper etiquette 'with your permission.'"
Ah, as expected.
"Is the rumor that Duke Galliston proposed to Miss Hunter true?"
'Proposed?'
At that mont, Cider felt all eyes and ears in the club turn toward them. It was a rumor everyone knew about. Naturally, he was hearing it for the first ti today. If it hadn't been for Kendrick, he would have continued not knowing.
"Who said that?"
"There's no one who doesn't know this rumor."
If Kendrick, who was usually behind on rumors and had been busy with his dissertation review, knew about it, there would be few people who didn't know. When Cider pretended not to be interested and probed for details, he spilled everything from the Duke eting her to sending gifts, all the detailed contents of the rumor. Having gathered enough information, Cider finally opened his mouth.
"But you know."
"Don't change the subject and give
an answer."
"When did I ever give you permission to court her?"
Kendrick's face turned from bright red to black.
"What are you saying now? You definitely...!"
"I never gave permission."
"You definitely...!"
But looking back, even in his mory, Cider Claiborne had never said "you may court her." Surprisingly, that fox-like Avondale had snake-like evaded his pleas without giving a definitive answer.
"Why, why won't you give permission? Don't tell
you're acting on personal feelings?"
Personal feelings did account for about 80 percent. However, he didn't think that bear would be competition. And there was no need to honestly explain the situation.
"Well. But hasn't Esperanza rejected you yet?"
"She hasn't! She even danced with
at Miss Talbot's charity party last ti."
"As if dancing is anything special."
"It's not... anything special. But still!"
Cider smiled for the first ti since entering the club. It was a smile that naturally made viewers feel bad.
"Esperanza doesn't like you. She won't like you in the future either."
"That's not certain."
"You would have to do sothing likeable to be liked. When all your courting amounts to is doing things she dislikes, would you like yourself if you were her?"
Kendrick, who wasn't entirely without fault, glared at Cider preemptively and made excuses.
"It's all for the lady's safety."
"I understand."
At the unexpectedly positive response, Kendrick's face brightened montarily, but Cider finished his words like driving in a nail. He still had a smiling face.
"I understand, but since Esperanza doesn't understand, I decided to reject you on her behalf. You understand the heart of a lady who can't bring herself to say harsh words to you directly, right?"
How could he understand! But clinging further would make him look ridiculous. A rejected man and a man who clings after being rejected are on different levels. Kendrick, who had been grumbling, took a deep breath and asked.
"So, did you give permission to His Highness the Duke?"
"What business is it of yours when you've already been rejected?"
"I've already been rejected, but can't I even ask that?"
How should he answer? He could completely deny the rumor, give the impression that she had rejected him, or even make him think he had permitted the courting.
He had no intention of blocking all n who courted Esperanza. However, if it was Kendrick, whom Esperanza obviously found uncomfortable, he was willing to block him on her behalf. But this current rumor felt intentional.
Considering the Duke's personality and Esperanza's status, having talk of a proposal ntioned so indiscriminately in Nine Holder's high society was not ordinary.
"Poulsbury."
"Answer my question."
"What was the reason Duke Galliston broke off his engagent with Princess Alexandra of Tisbria?"
"Don't you rember? You?"
Kendrick asked back blankly, forgetting he had been heated just monts before. Of course that wasn't possible. Cider simply hadn't known from the beginning. There was no use in knowing the reasons why soone else broke off their engagent with soone else, and at the ti he had been deeply imrsed in research, so he hadn't been interested.
"I rember it as a unilateral notice of engagent termination from the Princess. I don't know the reason well."
"Right. I never expected you to be helpful."
Cider stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. The ashtray creaked open its mouth and swallowed the remaining butt. Standing up, he found his hat and coat hanging at the entrance, put them on, and picked up his cane.
"What about my question?"
"Figure it out yourself."
He quickly opened the door and left before the aspiring magical engineering talents who had been waiting with sparkling eyes for the conversation to end could grab him.
"Count, are you returning to the mansion?"
"It's already... almost three o'clock. Go straight to the mansion."
If Esperanza was there, they could have tea together, and if not, he could just take tea to the research room without snacks.
'The Duke.'
Cider, who had been staring at the cityscape passing by between the window fras, went over the information Kendrick had unintentionally given him. That ridiculous rumor that the Duke had proposed to Esperanza.
The Duke must have spread that rumor. The reason was unknown. Whether the Duke harbored other feelings for Esperanza was honestly uncertain. To see through soone like the Duke, who was skilled at hiding his emotions, would require more than just one teati.
Since he couldn't be certain of the reason, he also couldn't know the intention.
After a brief mont of thought, Cider easily admitted it. He had been sincere when he told Esperanza she was weak against political sches.
He wasn't entirely without guesses... but it seed he would have to wait and see. At this rate, the rumor would spread and might even make the newspapers. Esperanza would hate it, but the Duke would also know that Esperanza would dislike it.
"Or not."
This thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Did Esperanza really dislike the Duke?
From his perspective, she did. She was disgusted and uncomfortable. He knew the reasons for that too. But human hearts are unknowable. There was no one else besides the Duke that Esperanza paid so much attention to and was conscious of. It was also true that the Duke was objectively an attractive marriage prospect. Perhaps she was more disgusted because she was conscious of him.
Cider laughed irritably. Not batting an eye at rumors of proposals and such, yet getting worked up alone over speculations close to delusions.
He hadn't planned to beco this stupid. The emotion he had dismissed as nothing significant erratically invaded his mind. Should he be grateful that at least his reason was functioning properly?
Eventually the carriage passed through the familiar mansions of Upper Lane and arrived in front of the quiet Avondale Mansion. His mood remained low until then.
As he got out of the carriage, he saw a steam carriage leaving along the one-way road. It was the Mabelwood carriage. Esperanza must have returned.
He could clearly picture Mrs. Lux busily preparing snacks. Though she would prepare for two people, most of it would go into Esperanza's mouth.
A aningless laugh escaped.
"What's wrong, sir?"
"It's nothing."
While the carriage went into the garage, Cider also entered through the front door. The servants opened the door, but the faithful butler seed not to have noticed his master's return as he was conversing with the mansion's young lady.
"You're back?"
Rather, it was Esperanza who noticed first. Standing on tiptoes behind Howard's shoulder and poking her head out, Esperanza waved her hand. Cider smiled back too. It wasn't sothing he did consciously.
"Where did you go?"
"The club."
"Ah... the gentlen's club? Was it fun?"
"Not at all. What about you?"
"I went to the hat shop, then had a al."
"Sounds like you had fun?"
Esperanza nodded with an ambiguous expression. It seed Cordelia Mabelwood hadn't made his magician very happy. Cider suppressed his petty sense of superiority and handed his cane to the butler.
"A child who had fun playing should wash their hands and go to the nursery for snacks."
Hearing this, Mrs. Lux pushed the maids' backs, telling them to prepare tea. Esperanza chuckled and asked.
"Where's the nursery? First floor? Or the study?"
"Wherever you like."
"Then let's go to the study."
Cider was inwardly surprised. He hadn't known Esperanza liked that place full of book dust.
"Do you like the study?"
"It has two floors. It's cool."
While saying this, Esperanza smiled, wrinkling her nose. Though it was nothing special, even the remnants of his irritation were completely washed away. He couldn't find any regularity in his volatile emotions.
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