Chapter 88
Yuls wore a troubled expression. Having arrived here not long ago, he hadn’t expected something like this to happen.
The woman before him had brought Lady Connolly’s letter. Seemingly not even considering the possibility of rejection, she sat down in front of Yuls with a bright smile. Yuls looked at Lea Lintew, who blushed and averted her gaze.
Adi knew that most people found someone like her endearing. However, Yuls’s face remained cold.
“Where have you been staying until now?”
“I was in lodgings provided by the outer palace. However, Mother thought that since I’ve become her adopted daughter now, it would be better to stay in the inner palace. Though she had to leave late…”
“So you’re asking me to provide accommodation until Lady Connolly arrives?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Yuls shifted his gaze back to the letter. It contained an artfully worded request to allow Lea Lintew-Connolly to stay in the inner palace, citing his reputation. No amount of flowery language or elegant expressions could hide the essence of what was being asked.
While there were many spare rooms in the residence, allowing an unmarried or unengaged noblewoman to stay had implications that would surely be understood.
“This is troublesome.”
Lintew’s expression hardened. Yuls knew what they wanted. He had no obligation to grant it. But ignoring it would surely lead to more annoyances later. Lady Connolly had pulled this stunt precisely because she knew this.
“Wouldn’t it be better for you to go to Her Highness the Princess instead? If strange rumors start circulating because you stayed at my residence, it would only harm the Connolly family.”
“…Wouldn’t it be fine since we’re relatives?”
“Lady Connolly is the relative, not you. Even if you’re adopted, blood isn’t shared.”
In truth, even Lady Connolly wasn’t blood-related, but Yuls wouldn’t have accepted her daughter even if she were. Perhaps Luigi’s death had hit them hard. If they were reaching out in various directions because they hadn’t found a suitable person yet, it was the wrong choice.
“I don’t mind,” said Lea Lintew.
“I do mind,” Yuls rejected firmly.
“I don’t want to invite any misunderstandings.”
For a moment, Lea Lintew’s expression froze. Her face showed signs of hurt, and her lips trembled slightly, but she quickly composed herself and smiled before continuing.
“Then, would you accompany me to the ball being held in ten days?”
When the parliament begins and nobles arrive in Ionad, a banquet is held to welcome those who come with them. Occasionally, nobles bring their children during this time, partly to build connections before the official social season begins.
Of course, Yuls had never attended these balls. He had always arrived in Ionad only after they were over.
“A ball, is it?”
While the attendants didn’t show it outwardly, they must have found her quite bold internally, as they looked at Lea Lintew with interest. Meanwhile, Dimitri looked at Adi. Feeling his gaze, Adi turned away. When their eyes met, Dimitri quickly averted his.
“Are you asking me to choose between the two?”
Yuls asked.
“Either provide lodging or accompany you to the ball?”
That surely wasn’t her intention. Lea Lintew had simply approached the Duke in the best way she knew how. But Yuls seemed unable to consider this aspect, and after thinking quietly for a moment, he spoke.
“Dimitri.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Show Miss Lea Lintew to her room.”
As Yuls stood up saying this, Lea Lintew’s head rose as well.
“Only until Lady Connolly arrives.”
Adi frowned. His response was quite cold, showing no emotion as if putting up a wall. Though Lea Lintew tried to act unbothered, her trembling hands made Adi feel somewhat sorry for her.
❖ ❖ ❖
Lea Lintew’s quarters were assigned quite far from where the Duke stayed.
Moving Lea Lintew’s luggage was not easy, as she had brought only one maid with her. With no guard knight present, Joel and Adi ended up helping.
Since Lea Lintew had more luggage than expected, Joel called for three more servants. The servants moved with luggage in both hands. Leading the way, Lea seemed uncomfortable with people following behind her and turned back several times to look.
If it had been his master, Joel would have advised against such behavior, but for now, he said nothing. From Joel’s perspective, this situation was impossible to view favorably.
What if Adi misunderstood and left? Our Duke’s curse could only be broken by them. Whatever Lintew wanted didn’t matter, but if she interfered between the two of them…
Joel glanced subtly at Adi. Adi’s expression showed no change. As if truly unconcerned. That made Joel even more frustrated – he wanted to pound his chest in distress. Your Grace, what about our Your Grace?
Lost in his worries alone, Joel announced while climbing the stairs, “It’s the fourth floor.” When he revealed where Lea Lintew would be staying, both her and her maid’s expressions hardened.
Being assigned to the second or third floor would have meant being treated with some respect, but the fourth floor indicated that she was considered a guest of little importance. Though disappointment was evident, there was nothing to be said. After all, they truly had no real connection.
Joel opened the door upon reaching the fourth floor. It was a space consisting of three rooms. While there was a separate side room for the maid, it was small. In some ways, it wasn’t as good as the lodgings where knights and attendants stayed.
Though arrangements had already been discussed, the adoption wasn’t yet official on paper, so by status, they were either higher or about equal to her. However, this treatment seemed to remind Lea Lintew of her position, causing her expression to harden further. The servants simultaneously set down the luggage on the lounge floor.
“Please rest,” Joel said. However, he didn’t bow his head. This was because Joel’s status was higher. Adi likewise looked at her without bowing.
“…Thank you, Sir,” Lea Lintew said. Her gaze touched both Joel and Adi, but she didn’t seem to recognize them.
Joel and Adi came out and descended the stairs. Since the reception room where Yuls was located was on the opposite side of where Lintew was staying on the second floor, they had quite a walk down the corridor.
“Lady Connolly is quite shrewd,” Joel said.
“She just sends one letter and dumps the rest on that young lady.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, she knows His Grace won’t be able to refuse.”
“But he did refuse.”
“Well… he refused, but she ended up staying here anyway.”
Saying this, Joel looked up at Adi. Adi’s face remained unmoved. Feeling preemptively guilty, Joel asked, “You’re not misunderstanding anything, are you?” Adi’s gaze fell downward.
“Joel.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t need to worry about me so much. Just as His Grace needs me, I need His Grace as well. And didn’t I make my knight’s oath to His Grace?”
Could they not understand that wasn’t the meaning…? Joel pressed his lips together. Seeing his face that somehow seemed sulky, Adi lightly punched Joel’s chest.
Perhaps because of being in the knights’ order, sometimes Adi’s actions resembled those between men. What wasn’t considered was that unlike the knights, Joel was a fragile magician and attendant.
The punch hurt.
“If we were to part ways, it would be virtuous to inform His Grace beforehand.”
“Couldn’t you just stay at Woodpecker without parting ways?”
“…If that’s how it turns out, I would be happy too.”
“Right?”
Joel’s face brightened. He thought that out of loyalty, Adi wouldn’t leave before being told to go. Of course, the loyalty part was just Joel’s own assumption.
“By the way, I’m looking forward to the ball.”
“Will you be attending too, Joel?”
“Well, I won’t be joining the nobles’ ball itself, but others enjoy it quite a bit. There are gatherings for attendants and maids, and even the servants and maids get to eat and drink merrily at that time.”
“Is that so? Knights usually tend to be on guard duty.”
“You’ll be attending this time though, right?”
“Pardon?”
“Didn’t you receive a dress? The maids and servants worked really hard on fitting it, saying they’d make you stand out more than anyone else.”
“I did receive a dress, but…”
“…You didn’t leave it behind, did you?”
“No, since they packed my belongings, I brought it along. But I didn’t think it would be necessary.”
“…Thank goodness you brought it with you.”
It could have been a disaster if she had left it behind thinking it unnecessary and packed new luggage instead. The people who worked hard to make it would have been devastated as well.
“When you go to your quarters, they should have arranged the luggage.”
“Yes.”
While conversing, they had already reached the reception room. Joel knocked and opened the door.
“We’ve returned, Your Grace.”
Yuls, who had been reviewing documents while sitting on the sofa, looked at Adi and Joel upon hearing their voices. When Lea Lintew asked to borrow people to help, he had readily agreed, but he hadn’t expected her to request Adi as well. He was at a loss for words when Adi agreed to go without refusing. But seeing that expression, it seemed nothing was amiss.
Adi also bowed to Dimitri and Bert who were standing behind Yuls. Bert said “Adi, come here for a moment” while gesturing. Adi followed him out of the reception room. Yuls’s gaze followed Adi’s movements. Dimitri frowned. His face showed he didn’t know how to take this situation.
Actually, Dimitri had wanted to ask something for a while but had remained silent due to circumstances. Now that he was alone with Yuls, he finally spoke.
“Your Grace.”
Yuls looked up at the call.
“Though I’m honored to ask, is Adrina Din perhaps…”
“If you’re asking if she’s a Grimaldi, yes, she is.”
Yuls answered as if he had anticipated the question. Bert’s presence must have prevented him from asking earlier, but now with both of them gone, he must have seen it as an opportunity.
“Surely you won’t say anything just because she’s a Grimaldi?”
He couldn’t say anything. After all…
“Be good to her. She’s your distant relative, isn’t she?”
“My relationship with the current Grimaldis isn’t good.”
“It’s the same for Adi. You know the situation from what you’ve heard.”
Dimitri closed his mouth. He had heard enough about what happened in Palesa.
“The death of Adrian Grimaldi in Palesa, and the fact that Adrina Grimaldi, who was reported dead years ago, is alive here.”
Though an unexpected person had joined their party afterward, they had readily believed the claim that she was Bert’s niece. He didn’t know why they had been so careless.
“And that she is the key to my curse.”
“I didn’t know about the last part.”
Dimitri said. Yuls’s gaze pierced him before dropping away.
“Now you know, so that’s fine.”
Lilina
Now that you mention it Dmitri is a northern name… Welp that one was unexpected