Episode 86. The Fears Comes True
Emma was not the daughter of a prestigious family like Ellie, and was just a maid who had never been in the social world.
However, she was a maid who was trained to fill the void when the vacant position of Ertmann’s hostess found its owner.
She was essentially like the personal secretary each household usually had to assist the lady of the house.
Therefore, Emma could confidently say that she was second to none in terms of social life and Ertmann’s standing.
And from her perspective, Odette’s dilemma could be resolved quite simply.
“No family would openly express dissatisfaction toward Ertmann’s if the lady didn’t socialize, and I’m not sure I’d say it myself, but Ertmann is a family that has lived in seclusion for a long time.”
Odette quickly realized what Emma was trying to say.
Of course, with another family, it might be possible to avoid unwanted social activities, but Ertmann had even more specialized excuses in that regard.
They are afraid of incurring the Emperor’s wrath, so just one word about not participating in social activities would make everyone nod in agreement.
“If you ever feel like engaging in social activities, then it should be acceptable for you to do so within the Ertmann domain. While the capital’s social scene may have aspects directly tied to His Imperial Majesty’s attention, within the Ertmann domain, you have maintained connections over time.”
Odette looked surprised at Emma’s explanation.
“I anticipated it, but it seems there has been some level of interaction from that side as well.”
“Yes. If there had been no interaction even from there, it would have been quite awkward in terms of relations with the departed. But Lord Puart has been frequently on the battlefield…… and His Excellency isn’t significantly different, so there hasn’t been frequent interaction.”
“You seem to know quite well, don’t you, Emma?”
“I am from a departed family, after all.”
Emma smiled and nodded as if it was obvious.
“So, if Madam continues social activities solely within the Ertmann domain, there shouldn’t be any major issues. If you find yourself in a difficult situation, how about using that method?”
Odette was silent for a moment after hearing Emma’s words.
It was a silence of conflict.
Of course, Odette, being an outsider until now, didn’t know the details of Ertmann’s situation as thoroughly as Emma had explained, but she knew that she didn’t have to socialize if she didn’t want to.
‘Emma may not have explicitly said it, but if we’re being frank, I’m also not inferior to Ertmann in status.’
Odette was famous for rarely appearing in public, so no one would be surprised that she maintained a similar attitude even after marriage.
She was well aware that she could stay solely within the Ertmann domain without necessarily participating in activities in the capital’s social scene.
There were occasionally husbands who forced their wives into social activities for the sake of the family’s reputation, but that was something that would never happen here.
‘So, if it were in the past, I would have undoubtedly declined all invitations…….’
If that were the case, she wouldn’t be pondering this matter at all.
Odette sighed lightly and spoke.
“Emma, pick out a few invitations from the places where there has been some interaction with Ertmann. I’ll choose one to attend.”
“You’re really going to accept the invitation, Your Highness?”
Ellie widened her eyes in surprise and handed the bundle of invitations to Emma.
“Don’t you think it’s a little obvious to send out invitations like this? I’m not sure I’d like to go.”
“If you receive an invitation, you should attend. It’s no longer a position where you can simply avoid it if you don’t like it.”
When the head of the family handles external matters, it’s the duty of the hostess to oversee internal affairs, socialize with the surroundings, and uphold the family’s reputation.
So, whether she liked it or not, now that Odette had become the hostess of Ertmann, she needed to take responsibility for its social activities.
Of course, Walter was the kind of person who would rather hold her back from unnecessary social activities and suggest having another drink together instead…….
‘I want to be of help to Walter, too.’
If there was one thing Odette had realized while staying at Ertmann, it was that Walter was busier than she had initially thought.
How he was able to devote three days to her right after they got married is beyond him.
It’s no wonder Russell came to them three days later, almost whining, begging for Walter to do some work after just three days.
When Odette comes to visit about that topic, he often tells obvious lies to show that he is not busy at all.
– Walter, aren’t you tired? You’ve barely slept today, aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?
– It’s okay, it’s not that much of a stretch…… I’ve just had a lot on my plate lately, so don’t worry too much about it.
Walter was probably saying this to reassure Odette, but it sounded to Odette that this level of work intensity was normal.
And that directly led to a certain sense of duty for Odette.
‘I’m the only one who can help him when he needs it!’
But there was a fact here that Odette did not know.
Eighty percent of Walter’s busyness is not because he has a lot of family work, but because he has increased his work intensity to the maximum in order to somehow make time to be with Odette.
But knowing that wouldn’t have changed Odette’s conclusion, so it didn’t really matter whether she knew or not.
‘The only way I can help Walter is to fulfill my duties as a hostess.’
And social activities were one of them.
Odette’s sense of duty was too great to take the easy route simply to make things easier for herself.
More than anything, there were parts that bothered her.
Arnold.
Arnold, who hadn’t set foot in the capital for over a decade, came up to the capital due to Odette’s affairs and stayed at the Wellington Hotel instead of Ertmann Duchy.
And since the Wellington Hotel was one of the top hotels in the capital, it was natural for Arnold, who had been staying there, to meet again with the socialites he once knew.
Initially, it wasn’t too bad.
Although there were some side effects, such as the rumor spreading throughout the social circles about how well Odette and Walter got along, there wasn’t any rude behavior towards someone as influential as Arnold.
Well, even if he was there, things could be handled smoothly from Arnold’s side.
The problem came after that.
‘Because no one invited Lord Arnold.’
Typically, after exchanging greetings in a public place, it’s common for an agreement to meet privately for a chat next time.
And in the past, when Arnold was Duke of Ertmann, or at least before ‘the incident’, it was almost certain that such greetings with Arnold would naturally lead to actual appointments.
Most people were eager to seize the opportunity to spend private time with Arnold.
But now things were different, and people were reluctant, people didn’t outright reject Arnold or to get close to Arnold.
Part of the reason was the lingering atmosphere of the Emperor’s disapproval towards Ertmann, but the decisive factor was that Arnold no longer wielded much influence in the social circles.
Arnold had this to say about it
– No. It’s not that they’re ignoring me, but rather, I suppose Ertmann…… nobility in general, doesn’t believe Ertmann can hold sway over the social circles as it once did. It’s not surprising. Nobles are all like that.
Arnold laughed bitterly, perhaps the worldly concerns had somewhat faded while he was away from the social circles.
‘I suppose Lord Arnold felt the effects of…… the hiatus firsthand.’
Until now, the aura surrounding the name of Ertmann and Arnold’s own reputation had shielded him from feeling the effects, but now it seemed to hit home.
– I’m not particularly concerned about my treatment in my remaining days. It’s just surprising to witness Ertmann being so disregarded even when I’m clearly watching.
If this could be called a crisis, the way out of this crisis situation was surprisingly simple.
Ertmann’s plan is to increase social activities.
By the time it becomes clear that social activities will resume to some extent, it would be most effective to hold a banquet.
But Arnold couldn’t do this himself.
He has a sense of dignity.
‘So, in times like this, I have to step in.’
Odette is from the royal family and is an outsider who has never been in Ertmann.
She’s the perfect person to avoid the Emperor’s scrutiny.
More importantly, having just become the new Duchess of Ertmann, no one would view it as odd or suspicious for her to actively engage in social activities.
Odette prioritized the invitations, selecting those who had frequent interactions with Ertmann.
In this way, the social church that would be attended first was decided.
“Marchioness of Murrah, she seems like the best choice. She’s known Ertmann for quite some time.”
“It would have been better if Lady Grimoire had sent the invitation.”
The Marchioness of Grimoire, Jacqueline, was currently living in seclusion due to illness due to old age.
It seemed that she continued to engage in minimal social activities through her niece, Leah, but it was not enough to actively host banquets.
Given Jacqueline’s longstanding friendship with Arnold, one could argue that they were the most suitable candidates as the first choice, but it was a pity that it didn’t work out.
“Still, the Marchioness of Murrah is said to be close to the Marchioness of Grimoire, so there shouldn’t be much of a difference. They belong to similar factions.”
“Of course, you’re right, Madam. But even within similar factions, personal feelings can sometimes cause issues.”
Emma could tell that Odette’s choice was not one of the families that were openly friendly to Ertmann.
Actually, to be honest, there was one more thing bothering Emma.
It’s just that it was a little too scratchy for a loyal maid to consider.
‘……There’s no need to mention it. Right?’
In the end, Emma chose to remain silent rather than further disturb the already troubled mistress before the upcoming social activity.
“I hope you have a pleasant time.”
With these words, Emma sincerely assisted her mistress in preparing for the social gathering.
At the Marchioness of Murrah social gathering.
Odette found herself grasping the edge of her dress, forgetting even to maintain her external smile.
‘……. I didn’t expect this.’
Emma’s concerns were correct.
