TSID 7

CHAPTER 7

Late at night, Ruby visited Eli’s study.

“Are you busy?”

Eli was, unusually, working.

He generally tried not to work while staying in the estate, since he was already busy enough when he was outside. Besides, even if he spent the daytime with his family, he always came to see Ruby at night.

“You’re the one who’s been too busy to even go on an outing.”

“Ah….”

Ruby trailed off.

She couldn’t exactly tell him that Marie’s whims had suddenly left her with her hands full, so all she could do was give an awkward smile.

“…I suppose so.”

She swallowed the words that had risen to her tongue.

At least Lady Arjen filled the empty spot beside you quite nicely, didn’t she?

She hadn’t been able to go on the outing, but she had no intention of giving up the short yet precious time she could spend with Eli.

That was why she had waited in the bedroom, but when he still hadn’t come even though it was already late, she had gone looking for him.

Seeing him in his study, it seemed he hadn’t intended to come to her tonight.

Eli briefly looked up at her answer.

Taking that as silent permission, Ruby cautiously entered the study.

“Did you have fun?”

She set down the tea she had brought on one side of his desk.

“Outings are all pretty much the same.”

He took a moment to consider his answer before replying briefly. Then he returned his attention to the documents in front of him.

“There were a lot of people at the lake, right?”

“I suppose there were.”

“You must have met a lot of people too, right?”

“Mother seemed to have invited almost everyone she knew.”

“Then….”

Ruby wanted to ask whether he had known that Lady Arjen would be coming to the outing, and whether they had talked about anything interesting.

But those words never made it past her lips.

If she casually admitted that she already knew, she felt it would hurt even more.

When Ruby remained silent for too long, Eli looked up at her.

“…Everyone must have been happy to see you.”

Ruby smiled as though she had only just come out of her thoughts.

“They’re probably all looking forward to the party. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to live up to their expectations.”

“…….”

“I’ll have to do even better since you’ll be there too.”

Ruby spoke as though she were deliberately whining.

“Did you choose your jewelry well today? You must have seen a lot of new pieces. What did you choose?”

“…….”

“Oh, is it navy blue again this time? That color overlaps with your clothes, so it probably won’t look very nice….”

Ruby deliberately kept talking without pause, wanting to make it seem as though these were the only things she had wanted to say.

“I picked something suitable.”

Ruby wondered if she had sounded as though she were criticizing his taste.

Oops.

“It looks like you’ll be busy tomorrow too. Are you sure you’ll be all right without getting some rest?”

“Ah….”

She couldn’t even bring herself to make an excuse.

Eli had already returned his attention to his documents, as though he wished she would leave soon.

“I’m sorry for bothering you when you’re busy.”

Perhaps she should have just stayed quiet.

It had been a rare opportunity for the two of them to spend time together.

Ruby pushed down her disappointment and headed for the door.

Back when she had followed Eli around during the early days of their marriage, she felt as though they had often exchanged even brief conversations.

But after they began living with his family in Shuben, nighttime was the only time they could be alone together.

Even then, Eli would leave immediately after they went to bed, so aside from the earliest days of their marriage, it was fair to say that they had barely spoken at all.

Ruby felt both guilty for bothering him and hurt by the situation.

Before closing the door, she turned back toward Eli.

He was still staring only at his documents, radiating his annoyance with her through his entire body.

“Then I’ll go to bed first tonight.”

Suddenly remembering the promise she had made before their marriage—that she would never bother him—Ruby quickly closed the door.

“What should we use for the necklace centerpiece?”

“Sapphire would be best.”

It was the day of the party.

Marie was the one choosing Ruby’s jewelry.

Without a doubt, blue was the color that suited Ruby least, given her red eyes.

Ruby nodded at the maid looking toward her.

It meant to do as Marie said.

It wasn’t as though she liked the dress she was wearing now, either.

From head to toe, it was fair to say that nothing about her appearance had been chosen with Ruby’s own tastes in mind.

Even though she knew perfectly well how ridiculous she must look, Ruby remained composed.

Making sure she didn’t offend Marie was more important than wearing clothes that suited her.

More precisely, she simply didn’t have the energy to worry about her appearance today.

Ruby subtly shook her dizzy head.

Fortunately, the Louverne blue flowers that Count Barnes’s family had helped provide had arrived yesterday afternoon.

Decorating both the entrance to the mansion and the spacious party hall with flowers required every available hand.

Because of that, Ruby had stayed up all night with the servants making the decorations.

“You managed to get everything ready.”

Ruby stiffened at the sudden voice.

But Marie was only looking at herself in the full-length mirror as she adjusted her clothes.

“Well done.”

It was such a rare compliment that Ruby stared at Marie in bewilderment.

Marie glanced at her through the mirror before turning around.

“While our husband is away working, we must take care of our own responsibilities. Just as our husband works hard outside, we must make sure that nothing we do reflects poorly on him. We have to keep the household in order, pay attention to every detail, and never handle anything carelessly. Do you understand?”

Marie placed particular emphasis on the words works hard.

If the reason she emphasized them was because of Eli’s efforts, then Ruby, who had followed him around for a while, understood that better than anyone.

“You did well today, so you’ll receive the appropriate recognition. That recognition is also a reflection of the Grit family.”

Ruby was relieved by the fact that she had not become a blemish on Eli’s reputation.

There was something in Marie’s words that made it sound as though it were only natural for Ruby to consider herself a member of the Grit family.

The corners of Ruby’s lips slowly lifted.

So the wounds hidden beneath my lace gloves weren’t entirely in vain.

“Yes.”

Ruby answered with a hint of laughter in her voice.

Regardless of how difficult the preparations had been, the party itself got off to a smooth start.

For the first time since moving to the estate, Ruby welcomed guests alongside Eli.

She didn’t forget to behave as though linking her arm with his was perfectly natural.

Unlike Ruby, who was nervous, Eli acted as though everything came naturally to him.

“Oh my, the decorations are different.”

It was Viscount Jimmer’s wife who noticed the changed floral arrangements.

“It’s our daughter-in-law’s handiwork.”

Marie looked pleased.

Naturally, everyone’s attention turned toward Ruby.

“…I wanted to change the atmosphere a little.”

Ruby found it awkward that Marie was praising her so openly, unlike usual, but she tried not to let it show.

Because of that, she failed to notice the expressions on the people around them.

Eli also looked at Ruby for a moment.

“It’s something new. Interesting, too.”

When the viscountess met Ruby’s eyes, she gave her a gentle smile.

Ruby awkwardly returned it.

Inside, however, she kept turning over the ambiguous words, wondering whether they had actually been praise.

But soon, the strange atmosphere Ruby had been unaware of disappeared.

Just having Eli participate in the party changed the atmosphere completely.

It became a much more lively place for socializing.

That alone showed how well he was guiding the mood.

At the center of the party hall, Eli was nothing like the man who had stood stiffly in the capital like a piece of wood.

“Everyone seems so happy to see the Marquess again after such a long time.”

“It really is nice to see you again. You should spend more time in the estate instead of working all the time.”

Ruby silently agreed with the comment and looked at him.

“How could he decide that for himself? His Majesty needs Eli so much.”

Even as Marie spoke proudly, no one contradicted her.

Instead, they looked at Eli with admiration.

There wasn’t a single person in the Louverne Empire who didn’t know how much the Emperor favored Eli.

Just then, the head maid hurried over and whispered something quietly into Marie’s ear.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Marie’s face immediately brightened.

Without saying anything to either Ruby or Eli, she left.

A short while later, she returned with Lady Arjen Mile.

Marie slipped her arm through Arjen’s and approached the center of the room while happily chatting with her.

As they passed people along the way, they exchanged greetings and introductions.

To anyone who didn’t know them, the two might have looked like a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Yet Marie had never once shown that kind of closeness toward Ruby, her actual daughter-in-law.

Marie and Arjen soon approached Eli and Ruby.

When the two of them were together, Ruby both wanted and did not want to see how Eli would react.

“It’s been a while.”

Arjen greeted Eli and Ruby.

“Thank you for coming every time.”

As the hostess, Ruby answered the greeting on Eli’s behalf.

“I’m the one who should be grateful. You always welcome me so warmly.”

Having said that, Arjen looked toward Marie.

“How modest. I suppose that means you care for and cherish our Eli that much?”

Marie looked deeply moved.

“I’m not being modest. Shuben is so beautiful that I enjoy it more every time I visit. Oh, and the lake we visited together yesterday was wonderful, too. Thank you for inviting me on the outing.”

Ruby’s polite smile stiffened ever so slightly.

“I was sorry that the Marchioness of Grit couldn’t join us. It’s nice to see you here like this.”

At those words, Ruby’s eyes wandered uncertainly.

She had known about the outing because she had witnessed it herself, but she had never expected Arjen to openly mention, at a gathering like this, that Ruby had been excluded from it.

“I was busy preparing for the party. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

Ruby answered, hoping her voice wouldn’t tremble.

“The weather was so nice yesterday that even the birds were playing around. Weren’t they, Marquess?”

Eli nodded as though agreeing.

There was a slight pause, but his answer came quickly.

“I saw them, too. They were beautiful.”

“Oh, my. Marchioness, I saw you yesterday, didn’t I?”

When Arjen recognized the woman who had joined the conversation at just the right moment, the woman smiled as though deeply honored.

“I couldn’t forget you. You’re the one who saved me from nearly stepping into the mud yesterday.”

“Technically, it was the Marquess of Grit. He was the one who caught you when you were about to fall.”

“Oh my, Lady. Please, there’s no need to remember such an embarrassing moment in such detail.”

Arjen responded playfully, and laughter filled the surrounding area.