Bianca seemed to feel the same, as she held the warm teacup with both hands and shivered.
“Is that so?”
“But it’s really beautiful, just like Teacher Carol said.”
Bianca marveled at the streets covered in white. It snowed in the capital during winter too, but not enough to cover the roofs like this.
The two of them looked out the window side by side.
“It looks like the world has stopped.”
“It does. By the way, if it weren’t for you, Teacher Carol, I wouldn’t have had this new experience.”
“Pardon?”
As Carol opened her eyes wide, Bianca took another sip of tea and said,
“You think I came because of you, don’t you?”
“Ah.”
“Am I wrong?”
“…I half thought so.”
“It’s not because of you, but thanks to you.”
“What?”
“Thank you. I realized I forgot to thank you.”
Carol blushed and waved her hands at Bianca’s unexpected words.
“You were invited because of your own abilities, Teacher Bianca.”
“Still, you were the catalyst.”
Carol felt less burdened by Bianca’s firm statement that she came thanks to Carol, not because of her. She had briefly worried that Bianca might have been swept along because of her, or that she might not adapt well even if that wasn’t the case.
“Thank you for putting it so nicely.”
But that was just her overthinking.
While it would be a lie to say she had no influence, Bianca chose to come to the North on her own.
“I wanted to get out because my family was starting to suggest I meet Charles from next door.”
Bianca said, furrowing her brow, that this reason wasn’t insignificant either. Both of them laughed at the same time after that remark.
“Let’s help each other and get along well.”
Carol said anew. Bianca smiled brightly at her words.
“Yes.”
“Shall we head back now?”
“Shall we? It seems like it’s time for the kids to be up too.”
Carol and Bianca had gone out early in the morning to look for houses, so they had left the sleeping Noah and Benjamin in the care of their escort.
When they returned, the two were just waking up.
The four of them were sharing the top floor of the largest hotel in the North.
Noah, who knew the North best, had brought them here last night. Although they suggested looking for other places instead of this luxurious hotel, Noah insisted on this place, citing security reasons and the money they received from the Duke.
Given that it was for security reasons, not just any other reason, they had no choice but to follow Noah’s suggestion.
As soon as they entered, Carol saw Benjamin and Noah lying on the sofa and asked,
“Why are you out here and not in your room?”
Noah sat up from his half-lying position on the sofa as soon as the two returned.
“We went to Carol’s room, but you weren’t there, so we were waiting. Where did you go so early?”
“We had something to do. When did you wake up?”
“…A while ago. Benjamin was feeling anxious, so I woke up.”
“I’m sorry. I should have explained before leaving.”
“It’s okay.”
Benjamin said, holding onto Noah’s clothes, and Noah also seemed to soften as Benjamin said it was fine.
As they were taking off and putting away their outerwear, there was a knock at the door.
Knock knock.
“Who could it be?”
“It’s breakfast. I ordered it a little while ago.”
As Noah said to come in, the door opened. But it wasn’t the staff bringing breakfast as Noah had said.
“I’ve arrived just in time.”
It was the Duke.
“Your Grace!”
Noah jumped up and approached the Duke.
“If I had known, I would have come along from halfway.”
The Duke clicked his tongue softly, saying his work had finished earlier than expected. He had been to the West. Although the Viscount and Chesworth were already there, it was the Crown Prince’s order for him to go once as the overall person in charge before returning to the North.
[It’s a punishment for taking the knights I appointed away too quickly.]
[The Empire’s Crown Prince seems quite petty.]
[…If he had really just wanted to give you a hard time, you would have refused. It was also necessary work.]
Fortunately, when he actually went, everyone was doing well on their own. There was no need to stay and oversee for several days.
The Duke had set out straight for the North without even resting from his journey.
“You’re here earlier than expected?”
“There were circumstances.”
Carol, who approached a step behind Noah, naturally fell into the Duke’s embrace. Feeling Carol’s body colder than expected, the Duke asked,
“Did you just come back from somewhere?”
“Yes. We went to look at houses briefly…”
“Houses?”
The Duke asked as if he had heard something incomprehensible.
“We need to find a place to live.”
As Carol spoke in a matter-of-fact tone after lifting her head from his embrace, the Duke’s face subtly hardened.
“Aren’t you staying at the Duke’s Mansion?”
“…Pardon?”
When Carol asked back to the Duke who spoke as if it was obvious, the Duke seemed to realize Carol had different thoughts and said in a flustered voice,
“No one would stand by and watch a fiancée stay somewhere else when there’s the Duke’s Mansion.”
“But my siblings also need a place to stay…”
Carol spoke as if making an excuse. She couldn’t say that it wasn’t just the two of them, and that their engagement was just in name.
“Aren’t you planning to employ your siblings at the Duke’s Mansion as well?”
“…Still…”
“Is it burdensome?”
“…”
She should have said no, but her answer was slightly delayed. Before Carol could respond, their conversation was interrupted by the staff bringing the breakfast Noah had ordered.
“Excuse me. I’ve brought breakfast.”
Soon the door opened, and a staff member entered pulling a trolley.
Seeing the plates set on the table, Noah said with satisfaction,
“I ordered plenty!”
The Duke passed by Carol, saying,
“We’ll talk about this later.”
Everyone seemed relieved by the Duke’s seemingly calm attitude, but Carol could read his inner feelings.
‘He seems more disappointed than I thought.’
She had expected to be asked to stay at the Duke’s Mansion, but she thought that only applied to her.
She hadn’t expected the Duke to suggest her siblings live at the Duke’s Mansion too.
“Carol, come quickly!”
Before her thoughts could continue, Noah called Carol in a loud voice.
“Ah, yes.”
Carol noticed Noah’s growth in a very subtle way. The Noah she remembered most vividly was from that moment in the winter garden when he asked to meet the Duke.
Seeing Noah naturally taking care of her like the Duke did, Carol hesitated, and Noah urged her as if wondering why she was standing still.
Only after everyone was seated did Noah pick up his fork. In the middle of the meal, Noah casually asked,
“Carol, even if we don’t live together, you’ll still go to the Duke’s Mansion to greet everyone, right?”
“Ah.”
She had forgotten due to the shock of the house prices. She thought she had forgotten something, and it turned out to be something important.
‘The gifts.’
Although all misunderstandings had been cleared up with the Duke and Noah, she hadn’t yet resolved things with Mrs. Wells and Norman, who were still at the Duke’s mansion.
From their perspective, not knowing her circumstances, she was someone who had left the Duke alone in the garden house behind the mansion, leaving only a single letter before running away.
“I wanted to buy some gifts since it’s been a while since we visited…”
Carol belatedly spoke up, but during breakfast, a carriage sent from the Duke’s Mansion arrived.
****
The Duke’s Mansion, which she hadn’t seen for a long time, was still incredibly imposing. Mrs. Wells, Norman, and other servants were waiting in front of the mansion to greet them.
Neigh-!
As the carriage stopped and the Duke got out, everyone bowed their heads in unison to welcome him.
It was a scene Carol had never seen before.
Carol looked anew at the Duke’s broad back as she followed him.
She thought she should apologize properly, but now that she was face to face, her heart was pounding with nervousness.
The Duke told Mrs. Wells to attend to the guests and left before anyone could stop him.
“Make yourselves comfortable then.”
It seemed he had urgent matters to attend to.
Carol swallowed hard.
She thought about apologizing right away, but worried it might seem hasty, so she planned to greet them first.
As she stood right in front of Mrs. Wells, Carol tensed up. But there was no avoiding it.
“Have you been well?”
Instead of answering Carol’s greeting, Mrs. Wells furrowed her brow.
“Yes. It seems Miss Langer has been very well too.”
Carol was taken aback by Mrs. Wells’ strange emphasis on the surname ‘Langer’.
It seemed she had vaguely believed that since the Duke had moved on, Mrs. Wells and Norman would do the same.
“Mrs. Wells, I…”
She fidgeted with the gifts she had rushed to buy.
“We can’t keep the guests standing, so let me guide you. The Duke said to treat you with utmost hospitality.”
But Mrs. Wells had already turned her back on Carol.
At Mrs. Wells’ words, the servants moved in unison.
She should have apologized earlier. Before meeting the Duke, she had run away thinking she’d never see them again, and after meeting the Duke, she had been too busy.
The joy of meeting the Duke was short-lived, what with being kidnapped, suddenly becoming a guardian, finding her parents’ bodies, and her siblings being knighted.
She could explain to Mrs. Wells and Norman that she had been overwhelmed, but she didn’t want it to sound like an excuse.
‘Apologizing should come first.’
Carol wanted forgiveness from both of them.
