Chapter 26
The summer that had come so boldly has now slipped away without a sound. This morning, I woke up without feeling even a hint of warmth.
One of the clueless servants had left the door open all night, so instead, I was greeted by a chilly breeze.
But surely, you don’t think I’m the kind of cold-hearted man who would scold a servant over something so minor—do you?
Unlike Cecilia, I’m naturally healthy and didn’t even catch a cough. I hope Cecilia’s chatty maid isn’t as forgetful as mine.
After all, we wouldn’t want her missing an important upcoming event because of a cold. Oh, I forgot to mention—I’ll be there too.
Of course, the one greeting Cecilia at the gathering will be the illegitimate son of the Duke of Bastian, but I hope you’ll overlook the awkward mask he wears and show him some kindness.
From a true friend.
To smooth over the scandal with Justin, Edgar made sure to show up at the mansion every day like clockwork.
He even went out with me to shop for new furniture—replacing what he had broken, as if to show the world how considerate he was.
Naturally, Sir Juan and Justin came along too.
Edgar played the part of the devoted husband, asking my opinion on every little thing. For example:
“That vanity looks like it would suit you perfectly. What do you think? Excuse me—do you have this in stock? I’d love for the Countess of Linton to try it out herself.”
Or:
“This daybed is too tall—it might be dangerous for you. I heard they do custom orders here. Let’s have one made just for you. Take down the details.”
I, like a puppet with its strings cut, simply followed where he pointed—sitting when told, placing orders when instructed.
“The Count of Linton is so thoughtful!”
The shop assistant, clearly impressed, said with admiration.
I bit my lip to keep my expression from twisting, while Edgar accepted the compliment with a calm, pleasant smile.
“Isn’t this what any husband would do?”
“Oh, if only that were true,” she replied. “Some men say yes to everything here, then come back later and nitpick over the bill to get a discount.”
She clicked her tongue disapprovingly.
“Trying to cut costs like that only lowers the quality. Still, when someone genuinely appreciates what we offer, we do our best to meet their expectations. It’s usually the wife who ends up using something she thinks is high-end, without knowing corners were cut.”
At this, Edgar puffed up his chest proudly.
“Of course, most of our customers are noblemen, so it doesn’t happen often. But even among them, few come in personally to order custom furniture for their wives like you do, Count.”
My lips parted on instinct.
I was about to correct her—to say “lady,” not “wife.”
But Edgar slipped his arm around my shoulders.
“Now’s not the time,” he whispered softly.
“With a bond like yours, I can’t believe people would spread such ridiculous rumors,” the assistant said suddenly, eyes sparkling as she looked at us.
Perhaps she hadn’t meant to say it aloud, because she quickly covered her mouth in surprise.
“Oh! I’m so sorry! That was terribly inappropriate of me…”
Edgar gave her a warm smile and waved it off.
“It’s alright. The House of Linton doesn’t concern itself with idle gossip.”
A perfect gentleman, through and through.
I couldn’t help the dry sound that escaped me—a soft puff of disbelief.
“Cecilia.”
Edgar called my name in a low, firm tone.
“It’s not right to laugh at someone who’s sincerely apologizing.”
The assistant now looked at him like he was some kind of savior.
Her glance toward me carried a silent judgment—so I was right about her after all.
She must have been thinking there had to be a reason why such a good man would be tempted outside his marriage.
“Since we’re here, why don’t we get a vanity for Miss Elodie as well?” I said.
Edgar’s expression froze.
“If we only buy mine, she might feel left out.”
“Cecilia…”
“Forget it if you don’t want to. I just thought, since you were being so thoughtful toward me, I’d try doing something nice in return.”
The assistant’s eyes darted away, now wandering somewhere on the wall rather than looking at either of us. I hadn’t said it expecting to change her mind.
To her, I’d still just seem like the troublesome wife who makes things awkward in public.
“While we’re at it, let’s also pick up a gift for Marchioness Federica.”
I broke the silence that had lingered too long by bringing up a different topic.
It might have sounded like unnecessary chatter, but I wanted the clerk to know that I had some sort of connection to Marchioness Federica.
As expected, her previously wandering eyes widened in shock.
“D-Did you say Marchioness Federica, madam?”
“Cecilia will be attending her tea party the day after tomorrow,” Edgar answered, jumping in before I could even nod.
“It seems the Marchioness was quite pleased with the dinner party,” he added proudly, as if he had been personally invited.
In truth, the dinner party had been organized by Penelope and me.
And Edgar? He had left halfway through to go see Elodie and didn’t return until the whole thing was over.
Yet here he was, taking credit like it was his own accomplishment.
“I heard about it too. People said it was as grand as when the late Count of Linton was still alive.”
“It wasn’t quite up to my mother’s standards, but Cecilia did her best,” Edgar said.
Was that supposed to be a compliment?
It didn’t make me feel proud—only uncomfortable.
Whatever warmth I didn’t receive was now being directed entirely toward the clerk.
She went on and on, praising the late Countess of Linton, while Edgar listened with satisfaction and even ordered another small side table.
The two of them, finding some unspoken connection, kept praising one another for quite some time.
At last, we left the furniture store. Though I was already worn out, Edgar dragged me next to a jewelry shop.
There, he basked in more admiration while purchasing a necklace and bracelet set. Just before leaving, he added a pair of ruby earrings to the collection.
Much like the side table, I could tell instantly—those earrings weren’t meant for me.
Next, we went to a dress shop, where we bought a handkerchief to give to Marchioness Federica.
While we were there, Edgar had a separate item wrapped up—a hat decorated with peacock feathers.
I said nothing, simply watching the shop assistant’s hands as she carefully folded and tied the beautiful wrapping paper.
At each store we stopped at, curious eyes peeked through windows, glancing at Justin waiting outside.
Edgar loudly declared that Justin was the son of my former nanny. While not particularly talented, he claimed, he had generously provided the boy with a stable future out of consideration for me.
After making our way through every shop frequented by women—leaving a trail of “explanations” behind—Edgar finally climbed into the carriage.
As soon as the door shut, he pulled his arm away from mine and threw it aside like it had been a burden the whole time.
“I’m exhausted,” he muttered.
He tossed everything onto the carriage floor—except for the specially wrapped earrings and hat.
“I’ve done my part. I trust you’ll handle the rest from here.”
I had never met anyone with such a stark contrast between their public and private selves.
Yes, most people wear masks to some degree, but Edgar was astonishing.
Having looked at him from an outsider’s perspective, I had to admit—he was impressive in a twisted sort of way.
Now that I understood he was selfish to the core, I didn’t feel guilty about letting go of the love Cecilia had once held onto so tightly.
“I think emeralds would suit Miss Elodie far better than rubies,” I said just as the carriage came to a stop, then quickly stepped out before he could respond.
As I expected, Edgar didn’t dare raise his voice while people could see.
Back in my room, I changed out of my dress and pulled out the handkerchief.
Marchioness Federica probably had so many of these that she used them like disposable tissues.
So I decided to embroider it.
In both my world and this one, it seems the more people have, the more they desire things that are one-of-a-kind.
Thankfully, my needlework was something I could be proud of. I never thought all those part-time jobs would come in handy here.
“One day should be enough.”
I lit every candle in the room and picked up my needle.
—
The next morning, Penelope came early to help me get dressed.
She seemed to know Marchioness Federica’s preferences better than I did. The dress she brought was the complete opposite of what I had worn to the dinner party.
“How are things going with Ricky?” I asked while she leaned in close to do my makeup.
“Ah, don’t move your lips,” she scolded gently.
Still, she couldn’t hide the big smile forming on her face. From that alone, I could guess things had gone well.
“You should at least tell me if my efforts paid off.”
“I’ve been too busy to see that idiot lately. Thanks to you, my lady, I’m practically sitting on a pile of money.”
That was good to hear.
“But I’m still yours, my lady. You’ll always come first.”
“Now, that’s a nice thing to say.”
“I didn’t say it just to be nice. I meant it.”
I wanted to hear more about Ricky—the warm, familiar tone in his letters stayed with me.
But I hesitated to ask. So instead, I just nodded along with Penelope’s cheerful chatter.
“This dress is really heavy. Be careful when getting into the carriage.”
The dress Penelope had proudly chosen was a rich green, embroidered with gold.
I hadn’t noticed while sitting still, but as soon as I started walking, I could feel the full weight of it.
In a world where everything is made by hand, a dress like this must cost a small fortune.
Edgar had told me not to hold back when it came to representing the Linton family, so I told myself not to feel guilty.
Still, the bitter thought crossed my mind—what if part of this came from Cecilia’s inheritance?
I couldn’t help but worry, like an ordinary person would, that he might spend it all before I could claim what’s rightfully mine.
“My lady, are you ready?”
Sarah poked her head in.
Ever since I found out about her secret dealings with Lady Rosette, I no longer allowed her to enter my room without permission.
“Yes. Let’s go.”
I had banned her from touching any of my personal belongings, but I still took her along for outings.
Without realizing it, Sarah had become a double agent—someone who might eventually help turn things against Lady Rosette.
If Rosette, confident in my supposed downfall, got careless and exposed a weakness, it would be the perfect chance.
