Chapter: 24
At that moment.
Ah.
I caught my breath.
The overwhelming aura I had felt when I first met the Duke had completely disappeared.
Now, smiling so brightly, he simply looked his age.
As I watched that innocent expression…
Why… why am I feeling like this?
Something deep inside my chest kept tingling.
A moment later, the Duke gently changed the subject.
“Come to think of it, how did you enjoy today’s salon?”
“Ah.”
Grateful that he had eased the awkward atmosphere, I smiled warmly.
“It was wonderful.”
I meant it.
Seraphina had probably wanted to attend the salon to make connections with influential people.
But after actually experiencing it, I found that the quality of the artworks on display was exceptional.
Even if there hadn’t been a single powerful noble present, it would still have been more than worth visiting.
“Were all of the artists participating in this salon personally selected by you, Your Grace?”
“I wouldn’t say I selected every single one from beginning to end, but I did conduct the final review.”
…Seriously, he was incredibly diligent.
I blinked.
Honestly, someone of the Duke’s status could have easily left everything to his subordinates.
But he had personally gone through every final selection.
“Then… may I ask what your selection criteria were?”
“I tried to give opportunities to people from as many different backgrounds as possible. However, I excluded nobles, since they already have relatively more opportunities…”
And so, standing beyond the balcony, the Duke and I continued talking.
It was an unexpectedly enjoyable conversation.
“I’ve heard that the Claudius Ducal House also possesses an extraordinary collection of artworks.”
“Are you interested? We have a modest collection here in the townhouse as well.”
Oh, that?
I smiled brightly.
“The Lady already promised to show me the artworks in the annex someday. I’m really looking forward to it.”
“My, it seems Eva has already claimed the opportunity to accompany you first. What a shame.”
The Duke replied playfully.
“If the opportunity arises someday, I’ll personally show you the collection displayed at the ducal estate.”
“…”
Even though it was probably nothing more than polite courtesy…
My heart suddenly fluttered.
“Y-Your Grace…”
Not wanting him to notice my strangely restless feelings, I deliberately changed the subject.
“Why are you still awake at this hour?”
“Ah, I still had some work to finish.”
Well, that made sense.
I nodded inwardly.
Dietrich von Claudius.
Despite inheriting the ducal title at such a young age, he had strengthened House Claudius without suffering a single major setback.
He was regarded as one of the greatest rulers in the history of the Claudius family.
Still…
It must have been incredibly difficult.
The vast Duchy of Claudius.
Its countless people.
Its many businesses.
Everything rested squarely on the Duke’s shoulders.
In other words, he alone carried responsibility for the lives of countless people.
“Still… please don’t overwork yourself by staying up too late.”
The words slipped out before I realized it.
“Your health is the most important thing.”
“…”
The Duke paused.
Then he quietly fixed his gaze on me.
Those blue eyes staring back at me somehow felt… warm.
Was that just my imagination?
“Lady Ansi, please make sure you don’t stay up too late either.”
The Duke smiled at me gently.
“And please continue taking good care of Eva.”
Afterward,
I returned to the bedroom.
Carefully closing the door without making a sound, I shook my head to myself.
I really… think I understand why Seraphina fell in love with the Duke.
He was handsome.
Polite.
Wealthy.
High-born.
As if that weren’t already enough, talking with him was genuinely enjoyable.
How should I put it?
He felt like the perfect prince straight out of a fairy tale.
But…
Forget about it.
Shrugging my shoulders, I walked farther into the room.
He’s Seraphina’s man anyway.
The Duke had simply been courteous to his younger sister’s friend.
There was absolutely no reason for me to become conscious of him.
Rather than wasting my energy on something so pointless…
I need to become even closer to the Lady.
Determination shone in my eyes.
Right now, I was only the Lady’s temporary friend.
She treated me kindly now, but there was still a clear difference between a temporary friend and an official friend.
Somehow, I had to get her to sign an official friendship contract.
“…Mmm.”
Just then, the Lady mumbled in her sleep.
When I glanced over, I saw her sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of the world.
“Honestly… you’ve kicked the blanket off again.”
I let out a quiet sigh before carefully tucking the blanket snugly around her.
Then I lay down beside her.
Sleep soon overtook me.
Dietrich sat back down at his desk.
After putting on the silver-rimmed glasses he had set aside earlier, he picked up another document.
But his blue eyes merely drifted meaninglessly across the lines of text.
He couldn’t concentrate on his work at all.
The name of the person who kept disrupting his focus was…
“Larit Ansi.”
Dietrich murmured quietly.
The young lady who had recently become close friends with his younger sister.
The fact that even the prickly Evangeline had opened her heart to Larit had naturally made him somewhat curious about her.
But what had truly surprised him was…
I never expected that.
She had openly refuted something he had said without much thought.
“Well, I don’t even need you to tell me how much that girl must be bothering you.”
At those words, Larit had firmly shaken her head.
“The Lady doesn’t bother me at all. Because…”
Despite the nervous expression on her face, Larit had calmly and clearly expressed her thoughts.
Her slightly trembling voice.
The slender fingers tightly clutching the hem of her dress.
But what Dietrich had paid the most attention to was something else.
…Lady Ansi’s association with Lady Lopes is probably a painful subject for her.
Since she was his younger sister’s friend, there was no way he hadn’t gathered basic information about Larit.
And what he had learned about her reputation in high society was…
Lady Lopes’ maid.
Seraphina Lopes.
Dietrich knew that name as well.
Alongside Evangeline, who was known as the Rose of high society, Seraphina was often called its Lily.
However, Dietrich also remembered one of his sister’s complaints about Seraphina.
“Seriously, how can you call someone your friend while treating her like a maid? What kind of friendship is that?”
It was a bizarre relationship in which Larit alone continually sacrificed herself for Seraphina.
As long as people secretly labeled her Seraphina’s maid, bringing up Seraphina herself would have been an incredibly difficult thing for Larit to do.
And yet…
“No one else wanted to be with me, but the Lady was the only one who accepted me as her friend.”
“At least to me, the Lady is a truly wonderful person.”
…Even so, Larit had defended Evangeline, even at the cost of exposing her own painful circumstances.
That had left a deep impression on him.
Come to think of it, didn’t she say she was going to tour the annex with Eva tomorrow?
After pondering for a moment, Dietrich gave a small nod.
Since she’s the one who became friends with Eva after so long… I suppose a small gift wouldn’t hurt.
Before they had parted,
Lady Ansi’s final words echoed in his ears.
“Still, please don’t overwork yourself by staying up too late.”
“Your health is the most important thing.”
And Dietrich decided he would gladly follow that advice.
Click.
The lamp went out.
Darkness settled over the study.
