Chapter 10
“Hey, you work addict. You didn’t even come out for lunch and stayed holed up in your room, so I came to check whether you were dead or alive.”
The person who entered with a jacket slung over his shoulder was none other than Vincent. When he spotted Bella sitting across from Logan, he walked over with a pleased expression.
“You’re still here? What are you looking at?”
“I was helping the duke with his paperwork.”
“Paperwork?”
Vincent leaned against the desk with one hand and bent closer toward Bella. The close distance suggested familiarity, and though he narrowed the space between them, Bella did not pull away. Vincent looked over the documents Bella had organized and spoke.
“Oh, this is pretty good. You’ve always been good at reading since we were kids, but I didn’t know you had this kind of talent. If I’d known you were this smart, I would’ve used you as a secretary a long time ago.”
“I’m just sorting things by category. I can’t do anything difficult.”
Mixed into Vincent’s praise were faint memories of the days when they read books together as children. Remembering how they used to hide in the attic and read until he left for boarding school, Bella smiled faintly.
“So what did you come here for?”
A low voice cut gently through the warm atmosphere. It was Logan, who had been silently watching the two of them from across the room.
Only then did Vincent’s attention, which had been focused on Bella since he arrived, turn to Logan. Feeling the strange pressure in his gaze, Bella instinctively avoided looking at him.
“Well, you see—”
Vincent trailed off after stepping away from Bella. Sensing that this was not something to discuss in front of her, Bella tried to excuse herself.
“Stay seated, Bella.”
But Logan stopped her as she awkwardly rose.
“I’ll be back shortly. Rest.”
Without hesitation, Logan stood up and grabbed his outerwear and cigarette case. His blunt tone still carried consideration for her.
“…Bella?”
Vincent repeated the unfamiliar name that had come out of Logan’s mouth. His gaze turned to Bella, as if asking whether that was really how he should call her. Bella quietly nodded, and a puzzled look appeared on Vincent’s face.
“She lived without a name at the count’s estate. Since we’ll be together while I’m here, it felt inconvenient not being able to call her.”
Logan answered in Bella’s place.
“And it’s strange. Not having a name.”
His indifferent tone carried a hint of scorn toward the count’s estate, which had never bothered to give her one.
“Oh, I see. I didn’t realize the duke took such an interest in the servants of the Everett household.”
“While I’m here, she’s my maid.”
“Right, right. Of course. Well then, Bella. It suits you.”
Despite Vincent’s sarcasm, Logan remained unfazed.
Vincent kept smiling, but his displeasure showed clearly. Bella grew restless at his unmasked expression, but Logan only added fuel to the fire.
“Don’t call her that. I named her.”
“Why not? Bella, Bella, Bella. It’s easy to say.”
“Then you might as well help her become Bella officially. Get her a new registered identity.”
“That’s a great idea. If I’d known, I would’ve named her first.”
“You should have.”
A frown appeared on Vincent’s forehead.
“Bella, don’t you need a surname? If you want, I can give you one.”
“How about you help her find her parents instead?”
“So you’ve already been looking, even without me saying anything.”
A quiet battle of nerves began between the two men.
Caught between them, Bella looked back and forth, unsure of what to do.
Should she have refused the duke’s offer to give her a name?
And more than that—he was looking for her parents?
Before Bella could process her confusion, Logan noticed her discomfort and stepped outside first.
“If you have something to say, say it outside.”
“You’re such a prick. Always like this.”
Grumbling, Vincent followed him out. As the door closed, he suddenly stuck his head back through the gap.
“I’ll be right back, Bella!!”
Ignoring Logan’s warning, his face was full of mischief.
***
The incident happened around the end of dinner.
The evening meal, held early in preparation for the banquet the next day, included the Duke of Fraser, who had previously been eating separately.
Naturally, Amelia took the seat beside him. The elaborate grooming she had spent two hours on was not wasted. She looked beautiful.
The dining room buzzed with light conversation, switching between talk of the duke’s flourishing business and news of neighboring estates. The atmosphere was warmer than it had been in days, and Amelia’s mood softened after finally seeing the duke again.
Until a phone call arrived.
Logan excused himself to take a call from the hotel. When he returned, he said an urgent matter had come up and left the estate before dessert was served.
Vincent, who always moved with him, also left suddenly. The dinner Amelia had been looking forward to ended just like that.
Logan left with only the words that he might not return by tomorrow. Unable to stop her departing fiancé, Amelia could not hide her disappointment. Since it had been a short meal they had finally managed to arrange after days of busyness, it felt even more disappointing.
***
When Logan stepped away to take the call during dinner, Bella was in his bedroom.
The call itself was not long, but when he returned, his expression was serious.
“Did something happen?”
“There was a fire at the hotel in Bellington.”
Logan roughly opened the desk drawer and gathered the necessary documents into his bag. Unlike his usual calm self, his hurried movements showed clear anxiety.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“No. It’s fine. I’ll be back soon.”
He ran a hand through his disheveled hair and quickly scanned the room. As he took his coat from Bella, their gazes crossed.
“I’ll see you when I return.”
For a brief moment, emotions stirred behind his otherwise expressionless face. But before Bella could respond, Logan passed by her and left the estate.
After he left, Bella was questioned by the head maid. The questions were about the duke.
Bella answered everything she knew. When asked why he had left, she said she did not know.
It weighed on her conscience, feeling like a lie, but she could not reveal something the duke himself had not shared.
“I hope it wasn’t a serious accident…”
Since it was already late, Bella returned to her room after finishing her duties. Sitting on a quiet staircase, she ate bread she had brought from the kitchen to ease her hunger, when she heard voices below.
“Did you see the guest list for tomorrow? There seem to be a lot of noble ladies this year.”
“Not just young ladies. Even high-society ladies who usually only send letters are attending this time.”
“They’re all coming to see the Duke of Fraser. It’s rare to get a chance to see him in person.”
“And we’re the ones who suffer for it. And who knows when the duke will even return.”
Without thinking, Bella hid herself in the shadows. Through the railing, she saw the backs of two maids.
There was nothing to hide from, yet she did not move. Just as she was about to go downstairs, she froze at what came next.
“But where is she going? The young lady made such a fuss about her becoming the duke’s personal maid. Did it end after just one day?”
“She’ll probably do menial work for the rest of the stay and then go back to the dowager’s place.”
“I knew it would turn out like that.”
“She’s fallen out of favor with the young lady. What choice does she have?”
“Exactly. She should’ve just stayed tucked away in the countryside with the dowager. Why come back at all?”
Without needing to ask, Bella knew who they were talking about. If she moved now, would they say she was sneaking around again? As she hesitated, one of the maids glanced around and lowered her voice, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Did you know why she was sent away from the count’s estate to the dowager’s place in the first place?”
