Chapter 219
* * *
As Loretta had said, a new ssenger from the capital ca to Kristonson again after a little over a week had passed.
lody checked the packages placed in front of her one by one with a slightly trembling heart.
There were replies to the letters she had sent last ti and a few more new invitations.
But…
‘There’s no letter from the Young Master…’
lody went to Loretta and subtly asked if she had received a letter from Claude.
Trying her best not to reveal her emotions.
“There’s no letter from brother Claude. There are two pages of nagging, but that’s still less than half the usual.”
lody laughed along with Loretta’s cheerful answer, but actually felt like a corner of her heart was being weighed down by sothing.
“…lody, are you… okay?”
Noticing sothing different, Loretta began to look at her worriedly, but lody quickly nodded.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Um… I’ll go out to the city alone for a bit. I need to write replies and I’m out of ink.”
“If you ask Wendel Benton, he’ll stock up on interesting ink right away. The kind that only good people can see.”
“Uh, I’m a little tired of interesting things now. I think I prefer regular ink.”
Fortunately, Loretta didn’t hold lody back any further.
It seed she was considerate of the fact that lody wanted to be alone.
* * *
lody put on a wide-brimd hat to prepare for the strong sunlight and headed to the city.
The festival was starting tomorrow, but eager tourists were already picking out matching masks at the stalls lined up in front of the riverbank. There were also several children running across the bridge holding pinwheels.
After getting out of the carriage and walking a little, she soon arrived at the tall arch-shaped bridge that was said to grant wishes.
She didn’t particularly have a wish, but recalling August who had crossed this place several tis before, she held her breath and slowly moved forward.
Reaching the highest point, a gust of wind blew for a mont, and as lody quickly grabbed the brim of her hat.
Soone approached lody from behind.
“May I ask what wish you made?”
Surprised, she turned around and saw a welco person she hadn’t seen in a long ti.
“Miss Hatfield!”
Hatfield, who greeted her with a refreshing smile, looked completely different from when they t in the capital.
It was probably because she was wearing a comfortable shirt and pants instead of a stuffy dress. Her silver hair tied high above her head swayed lightly in the wind.
“It’s been a while, Miss Higgins. We haven’t seen each other all this ti, but to et in a place like this!”
“I received your letter saying you were planning a sumr vacation. I’m sorry for… sending a late reply.”
“No, we ended up eting like this anyway, right? That’s all that matters. Did you co for the festival?”
“Yes, that’s right. I ca with the young lady of Baldwin. She’s currently at the Briggs mansion.”
“Oh my, I should go pay my respects later. It would be alright, wouldn’t it?”
“Of course. She’ll be happy.”
Just then, a man approached behind Hatfield.
lody thought the man’s face looked sowhat familiar.
Although she couldn’t quite rember where she had t him.
“It’s been a while.”
Soon the man slightly bowed his head towards lody.
The mont she heard his pleasant baritone voice, lody was able to recall who he was.
How could she have forgotten? She had even admired him a long ti ago!
Although they hadn’t had much of a connection since Claude had co between them.
“Sir Christian Carver! Is that right?”
As lody called out to him with great joy, he seed a little embarrassed.
“Yes, I’m glad you rember .”
“But did you two co together?”
lody looked back and forth between Hatfield and Carver, and they imdiately waved their hands wildly to correct lody’s misunderstanding.
“I know what you’re misunderstanding. But it’s absolutely not like that!”
“Hatfield is right, it’s definitely not!”
“We didn’t co alone. Since they said the sumr festival will be even grander this year, several young nobles from the capital ca together. The reason we ca out to the city as a pair is because we were the only ones who hadn’t picked out masks to wear tomorrow.”
They didn’t need to deny it so fervently. Sohow Hatfield seed very careful, as if lody might have so other misunderstanding.
“Hehe, I got it. I won’t misunderstand. So did you buy masks?”
“I did.”
Hatfield lightly placed the mask she was holding on her face. It had blue fake jewels attached, beautifully reflecting light whenever the sun hit it.
“It suits you well.”
“Doesn’t it?”
She lowered the mask and smiled slightly, then clapped her hands as if a good idea had co to her.
“Ah, then would you like to pick out Sir Carver’s mask, Miss Higgins? I’m already tired and want to go back to the villa.”
“?”
“Yes, if Miss Higgins doesn’t feel uncomfortable around Sir Carver.”
He wasn’t… uncomfortable. Just a little unfamiliar.
“Hatfield. Miss Higgins must have co to assist the young lady of Baldwin, so it’s troubleso to suggest that on your own.”
As Carver lightly scolded her, lody quickly shook her head.
“It’s alright, I don’t have anything particularly urgent to do. If Sir Carver doesn’t mind, I can help pick out a mask with you.”
“Of course Sir Carver doesn’t mind!”
“I haven’t said anything yet…”
“You don’t mind, right? I know, you definitely won’t! Because Sir Carver is!”
As Hatfield excitedly tried to say sothing on her own, he hurriedly reached out and covered her mouth.
“…You really seem tired, so it would be best for you to go back to the mansion now. Hatfield.”
He put strength in his eyes, and Hatfield stepped back with a slight smile.
“Then I’ll leave Sir Carver in your care, Miss Higgins.”
“Don’t worry. See you again then.”
Hatfield walked away with quite light and lively steps for soone who said they were “too tired and had to go.”
“…I apologize. Hatfield and her group are overly interested in other people’s affairs.”
“Of course I know. And that it’s their lovely side.”
“I absolutely can’t agree with that.”
The two slowly descended from the high bridge, having a light argunt about Hatfield’s ddling.
Right below the bridge, there were fortunately several stalls lined up displaying various masks.
lody entered the nearest store and tried a few masks on his face.
Carver didn’t seem to be the type to put effort into shopping like Claude, so he quickly chose a suitable mask and paid for it.
Now that the promised mask selection was over, lody thought they would part ways like this. But he accompanied her even to the place where she was choosing ink.
“I think it’s about ti to go back.”
“I see, the young lady of Baldwin might be worried. I’ll go with you to where the carriage is waiting.”
“Thank you, but it’s alright.”
His kindness was nice, but it wasn’t entirely comfortable to keep receiving his consideration like this.
“I have sothing I want to think about alone.”
“I see, I understand.”
As he withdrew without saying much, lody secretly let out a small sigh of relief.
“Instead… This might sound a bit strange to ask.”
“Yes?”
He fidgeted with the mask lody had picked out for him and hesitated for a mont.
“The young lady of Baldwin… goes to bed early, right?”
“What?!”
That was a very strange question, so lody stared at him intently with narrowed eyes.
Isn’t that so! To be curious about Loretta’s bedti!
“I don’t know why you’re asking about a lady’s bedti, but the young lady of Baldwin falls asleep at a childlike hour.”
“I apologize. The question was strange. I didn’t an to be rude.”
His cheeks turned red for a mont, perhaps from deep embarrassnt.
“Actually, on the last night, the young nobles from the capital all agreed to gather at the bridge.”
“The last… night.”
lody recalled what Claude had told her last year.
“The last night has quite a lot to see. Especially when they shoot off fireworks, everyone takes off their masks and blesses each other.”
“Ah, you’re talking about the fireworks, right?”
“You know about it.”
“Of course, although last year it rained so we couldn’t…”
“You ca last year too?”
lody quickly waved her hands. It would be better to keep it a secret that she had been in Kristonson alone with Claude.
It would be very troubleso if strange rumors started.
“No! I just heard soone say that.”
“I see, you don’t need to worry. The sa thing as last year won’t happen this year.”
“That’s a relief.”
“So about that, if Miss Higgins could join us at the gathering.”
He paused for a mont and smiled a little awkwardly.
“I think… everyone, including myself, would be happy.”
lody thought his suggestion wasn’t bad.
In fact, she had given up thinking she wouldn’t be able to attend the fireworks event on the last day.
Because it was ti for both Loretta and August to go to bed.
She didn’t want to be reckless enough to go out alone late at night either.
If she accepted Carver’s invitation, lody would be able to spend ti not only with Hatfield but also with several young nobles she had t at her mansion.
“That sounds fun, thank you for the invitation. Could you let your group know that I’ll be joining?”
At lody’s answer, Carver’s face imdiately brightened.
“Of course. Miss Hatfield will think highly of my efforts.”
“I’m glad if I helped Sir Carver’s reputation.”
lody said goodbye to him and returned to the carriage waiting for her.
On the way back to the Briggs mansion, she leaned her head against the window and muttered to herself for no reason.
“Even if the Young Master doesn’t send a reply or anything, I can have a trendously good ti!”
lody vowed to never write a personal letter to him again.
Never!
* * *
As the main sumr festival began, Loretta and August led Prince Samuel and lody to the city almost every day.
August even ran into childhood friends from the village, but unfortunately, the village boys didn’t recognize him at all.
lody was worried that August might be upset, but the boy just shrugged and smiled.
On the other hand, Loretta achieved success on the wish bridge in one go. However, she made a gloomy face, saying she forgot to make a wish because she was focusing on holding her breath.
Fortunately, a passing clown handed her a balloon, and she soon forgot about the wish and smiled brightly.
The festival period passed smoothly like this, and before they knew it, the last day that lody had promised to Carver arrived.
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