Chapter 14
Chapter 14
What was the hidden secret?
Kashika’s knowledge was limited, making it difficult to discern Noah’s intentions. Still, she managed to narrow the situation down to two possibilities.
The first: to hide something.
Noah might think that Kashika knows a secret and is trying to keep her close and away from others in order to block the flow of information.
If that were the case, the secret was likely something about the Lambroiche family. And if someone had uncovered the Lambroiche’s secret, the most likely candidate would be César Elpertz II. Considering the forged letters he used for blackmail, Noah might believe the late Count Elpertz had revealed something confidential to her. She had considered the possibility of the late Marquess Ramfley, but he had no connection to the Lambroiches to begin with.
The second possibility: to find something.
Again, the common link here was Count Elpertz. Had the count perhaps stolen something important or secret from the Lambroiche family? Though he was dead, physical evidence or objects might still remain, and if such items ended up circulating, they could fall into Kashika’s hands as inheritance. If it were a mine or land, that would make it even more plausible.
No—could there be an inheritance Kashika herself didn’t know about? In that case, the Lambroiche family might be trying to seize it from her… But would such a grand family really want anything from a disgraced count’s house like Elpertz? What could possibly be worth taking? A mountain full of gold? But even the gold mine belonged to Lambroiche already, so that didn’t seem likely either. And if they were looking for something, it made no sense to prevent others from approaching her.
Kashika flipped through the contract again. The elegant handwriting wasn’t Noah’s.
“If he just told me the truth, I might help him.”
She muttered the words to herself, though she couldn’t be sure. If it ever became a threat to her, Kashika could always back out. Noah’s judgment was careful, and his actions reasonable. But that didn’t mean she was willing to be blindsided.
Even if she didn’t have the upper hand in this situation, she couldn’t allow herself to be dragged along blindly. So what did she need?
A lead, of course.
And that lead was César Elpertz II.
But how was she supposed to learn anything about him? They’d only ever exchanged one letter.
Still, César had been a noble in the capital for quite a long time. Surely someone out there knew something. She’d have to find those people first.
“People, huh…”
In the end, she would have to insert herself into that social circle to uncover anything. Maybe that’s exactly why Noah had dragged her back into society in the first place.
“Which noble houses were friendly toward Elpertz again?”
No matter how much she thought about it, nothing came to mind. Probably none at all.
* * *
Around dinner time, a message arrived from Noah.
He asked her to come to the orangery on the southwest side of the Lambroiche estate at 1 p.m. tomorrow to finalize the contract. Noah Lambroiche, whoever he took after, was remarkably industrious. One in the afternoon—still peak sleeping hours, really.
Unlike most nobles, who remained awake until late hours wrapped in lethargy, Noah seemed quite active in the early morning. Could he actually be doing proper work? Surely the capital’s noble virtues hadn’t shifted toward diligence. Whatever the case, Kashika definitely took after her grandfather, Count Elpertz, in that regard. If she could be idle, if she could be lazy—then of course she would.
It was a sort of bad habit born from deprivation. In her childhood, Kashika had to rise earlier and work harder than anyone. Perhaps that poverty had forced her to reinvent herself.
Lydia seemed concerned when she heard the appointment time. She insisted Kashika dress properly today, laying out clothes in advance, and when morning came, she woke her earlier than usual. Kashika, eyes half-open—or perhaps half-closed—lifted her arms and let Lydia dress her, only to fall back onto the bed like a puppet. Lydia tugged her up by the hand, saying, “Come on, get up and eat.”
“It would be shameful if your stomach growled in front of Viscount Lambroiche!”
She had a point. That would be humiliating.
Eventually, Kashika opened her eyes.
Her under-eyes were probably still dark today.
She hadn’t slept, overwhelmed with worry while trying to assess the situation. Maybe it was just her usual habit of staying up late, but either way, it didn’t really matter.
When she stepped outside the bedroom, a table full of food awaited her—meant for immediate consumption. They looked more like desserts than a meal. When Kashika glanced at Lydia, the girl said, “You can’t go around smelling like food.” Still, that was no way to start the day. She’d have preferred something like soup—scentless and satisfying. Instead, Lydia served her a warm cup of tea.
Such was the life of a noble—unable to do even simple things they wanted, living in constant restraint. She had almost forgotten, living at the Marquessate of Ramfley.
But what could she do? It was her duty.
While Kashika sipped her tea and nibbled on fruit, Lydia busied herself with preparations. As she stood still and let herself be dressed, Lydia grumbled, “I’m getting payback for what you said about the clothes last time.” There was no need to ask what had happened—noble maids in the capital were notoriously fussy. It seemed they often whispered behind her back about her outfits. Though Kashika herself didn’t care, Lydia’s pride as a maid appeared deeply wounded.
“The fashion in the capital is strange anyway. Isn’t it a bit too revealing? Shoulders and arms and everything.”
“Well, there was that war in the south. Maybe there’s a fabric shortage or something.”
“And what does that have to do with anything?”
“It means they’re trying to reduce fabric use by making smaller clothes—and exporting them too. And since the styles are different, they stand out more. Nobles love to draw attention, don’t they?”
Besides, they already lived decadently. A little less fabric wouldn’t make them feel any more ashamed. Still, Lydia worried she should cover more. The crisp white dress suited summer well. Its sleeves weren’t bulky, and it wasn’t made of any stiff material that restricted movement.
After dressing up with what few decent accessories they’d brought from Ramfley, Kashika stepped outside and saw a waiting servant—though she didn’t know how long he’d been there. She nodded slightly when he bowed, and he silently began to lead her toward the agreed location.
The Lambroiche estate was clearly divided between the main family and guests, the knights and staff, and the servants and maids. The area the servant led her to was for nobles and guests—still beautifully decorated.
It hadn’t changed much since her visit more than ten years ago, apart from the furnishings. The massive hall with ceilings one and a half stories high—that ceiling she had once envied so much. Unlike Elpertz, which had been neglected, or Ramfley, which was always gloomy, here the ceiling was a pristine white canvas, painted with intricate art.
Still unbearable. It felt like it scraped against the memory of deprivation.
* * *
The sun was not yet cruel. Though this capital lay between a great river and the sea, it was oddly dry. With mild temperature shifts and warmth compared to where Kashika had lived, it made her wonder why the north felt warmer than the south.
When she stepped into the orangery the servant had guided her to, the damp air born from lush greenery seemed to breathe life. Dew still clinging to the textured leaves suggested the plants had been watered recently.
She had visited the Lambroiche estate many times before, but she had never imagined there would be a place like this. She knew how extravagant it was to have a dedicated room just for plant care. Neither Elpertz nor Ramfley had dared to dream of such a luxury. Seeing it for the first time, Kashika couldn’t take her eyes off it—despite having braced herself to be bored.
The light filtering through the curved glass windows turned bluer with each pane it passed. There were orange trees, pomegranates, figs, a classically styled marble fountain, and a rattan couch perfect for lounging.
This must be the meeting place.
Thinking so, Kashika sat down on the rattan couch. Unlike the one at the Ramfley estate, the flexible rattan and soft cushions weren’t bad at all. Kashika frowned. She wasn’t thinking about anything in particular, but the subtle difference from what she was used to left her feeling uneasy.
But that didn’t last long. Perhaps from a lack of proper sleep, her eyes closed without her realizing it. The breeze drifting gently in through the open window brushed softly over her skin, and for the first time in a while, she felt she could sleep without worry.
It was far nicer than she expected.
As Kashika rested with her eyes closed, Noah approached. He had wondered how she’d be waiting—would she be sitting stiffly or looking pleased to see him? But seeing her asleep made him chuckle quietly. The vine growing up the half-reclined rattan couch swayed in the breeze, a pale, delicate flower hanging precariously as though it might fall at any moment.
Noah stood silently in front of her, looking down. In the past, he could never have imagined he’d get to look at her like this. As he debated whether to wake her—someone would be arriving soon anyway—a few flowers finally let go. One landed gently on her cheek.
Just as Noah reached out to remove it, Kashika opened her eyes.
Their gazes met, and a moment of silence hung in the air.
Noah moved first. He set the flower in his hand down on the table, and Kashika’s eyes followed it. Noah then pointed to her upper body. A few more flowers had fallen on her white dress.
“Some pollen fell,” he said.
The golden powder from the flower’s prominent stamen had stained her pristine clothes.
