Chapter 115
“Are you sure it’s from the Florence Grand Duchy?”
“Yes, specifically… it’s addressed from Gabriel Florence.”
“Oh, there’s another one here too!”
Neville brought another gift from the Florence family.
Receiving not just one but two gifts was surprising, so they decided to open them right away.
As they examined the contents, their expressions grew even more sour.
One was a birthday gift for Leonhard. The other, however, was a congratulatory gift for Hestia and Luciard’s engagement.
Leonhard’s gift was just an ordinary toy. But the one sent to Hestia and Luciard…
“…Are you sure this is really for us?”
“It seems like… it’s only for Lady Hestia.”
Inside was an expensive-looking necklace—a large amethyst pendant.
“There’s a letter here.”
There was a neatly written letter was placed inside the box.
To Lady Hestia Frost,
Congratulations on your engagement to Luciard. I was secretly hoping for an invitation, but I never received one.
I thought we had at least that much of a connection.
As she read further, a chill ran down Hestia’s spine.
“What… this is creepy.”
Was this really a congratulatory letter? And why wasn’t Luciard’s name included in the recipient?
I was wondering what would make a memorable gift, so I picked this out.
A beautiful woman who shines like the Milky Way Festival would surely suit this necklace well.
I was hoping to see you wear it in person, but what a shame.
“This feels strangely like a love letter.”
“Right? It’s not just me thinking that, right?”
Neville and Brina, who were reading along, made a fuss about how strange the letter was. Meanwhile, Luciard’s expression stiffened.
I look forward to seeing you wear it next time we meet.
Once again, congratulations on your engagement.
– Gabriel Florence.
Even Neville, who usually wasn’t very observant, could see that this wasn’t just a simple engagement gift—it looked like Gabriel was trying to court Hestia.
Hestia was dumbfounded, but more concerning was…
I feel a burning stare on my back.
Luciard was glaring so intensely that it felt like he could burn a hole through her.
Hestia, trying to think fast, examined the necklace.
At first, she thought the small pieces inside were earrings, but after looking closely, she realized they were cufflinks.
“L-look at this! Maybe he actually meant for both of us to wear them. That’s a relief, right…?”
“Tia.”
“…Huh?”
Luciard’s usual clear blue eyes were now cold as ice.
“Throw it away.”
“…Throw it away? But it’s a gemstone. Isn’t that a bit wasteful—”
“If you wear that, it’ll bring bad luck. I’ll buy you ten necklaces, so just throw it away.”
Hestia quietly closed the box. Then, she motioned to Brina to take it away, making sure it was out of Luciard’s sight.
As Hestia and Brina secretly conspired, Luciard gritted his teeth.
“This bastard… What kind of nonsense is this…? And out of all the gemstones, he chose an amethyst…? Hah!”
Seeing Luciard boiling with rage, Hestia broke into a cold sweat.
Brina, who didn’t understand the significance, asked, “What’s wrong with amethysts?”
Luciard answered, “The royal family traditionally has purple eyes. The Florence Grand Duchy does too. So, they often give amethyst accessories to people they are close to. But if a man gives it to a woman… it’s basically a love confession.”
Brina finally understood and let out a sigh.
“But wait, what did the captain just say earlier?”
“Huh? He told me to throw it away before he gets even angrier—”
“No, not that. Didn’t he just call Lady Hestia by a nickname?”
Hestia blinked and suddenly realized—Luciard had just called her “Tia.”
She quickly turned to look at him.
Luciard, arms crossed, had a sulky expression.
“If anything comes from Florence from now on, send it to me first. Gallion, you got that?”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Especially if it’s addressed to Tia, report it immediately!”
“…Luciard.”
At the sound of her voice, he turned to her, still fuming.
He looked like a sulking puppy, making Hestia’s lips twitch in amusement.
“Did you just call me by a nickname?”
“I didn’t sa—!”
Luciard started to deny it but quickly realized what he had said. His face, which had been red with anger, now flushed for a completely different reason.
His ears burned as he stammered, “…Ahem. Hestia, I was just caught up in the moment and it slipped out.”
Trying to regain his composure, he went back to using her full name, but Hestia smirked playfully at him.
“I don’t mind. Call me whatever you’re comfortable with. It helps with pretending to be engaged, after all.”
The tense atmosphere melted, and those around them exchanged knowing glances.
Even Brina looked at them with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
Clearing her throat, Hestia quickly changed the subject.
“Ahem! We still have a lot to do! Let’s hurry and finish sorting these gifts!”
As they continued, Hestia found another interesting gift.
“…From the Royson family?”
Royson was the family of Leonhard’s mother, Flora.
“They didn’t say anything when the guardian issue came up… and I didn’t see them at the Milky Way Festival either. Even at the funeral, only the younger brother came for a short time.”
“You mean Royson sent something? Let me see.”
Luciard, just as surprised, checked the package.
“It’s from Frank Royson… that’s Lady Flora’s younger brother.”
“Really? But it says Count Royson here. During the late Duke’s funeral, wasn’t he still just a nobleman?”
“Recently, the previous Count Royson passed away, and his son inherited the title.”
Gallion explained, “The Royson family only had two children—Lady Flora and Young Master Frank.”
“I see…”
“I have never before seen them send anything.”
Luciard muttered, puzzled.
“Really? But that’s her family. Wouldn’t they have at least some interaction?”
“Not really. As far as I know, Flora never visited the Royson estate after her marriage, and the Royson family never visited her either.”
“Not even once?”
“Not that I know of.”
Hestia glanced at Gallion, who nodded in agreement.
“Oh, but I do remember one time they sent something.”
“When?”
“When Leon was born. Frank—now Count Royson—sent baby supplies as a gift.”
Luciard recalled Flora secretly shedding tears after receiving the gift.
“I don’t know what happened between them, but maybe Daisy or Nova would know?”
“They might.”
Since they had followed Flora from Royson to this household, they would surely have some insight.
“Gallion, can you bring Daisy for a moment?”
“Yes, please wait.”
Before long, Gallion returned, bringing both Daisy and Nova.
“We heard the story. A gift from the Royson family, you say?”
“Yes. I never asked before, but… was Lady Flora not on good terms with her family?”
“…That’s right.”
Both Daisy and Nova looked somber. After exchanging glances, they turned back to Hestia and Luciard.
“There’s no need to keep it a secret anymore.”
“The previous Count Royson was strongly against Lady Flora’s marriage.”
Hestia and Luciard’s eyes widened at the unexpected revelation.
“But weren’t they engaged since childhood? Arranged by both families?”
“Yes, everything was fine at first. But when Flora’s grandparents passed away and the previous Duke inherited his title, things changed.”
Suddenly, Count Royson fiercely opposed the marriage.
“Do you know why?”
Daisy and Nova shook their heads.
“We don’t know the details, but they argued constantly.”
“He even said that if she married the Duke, he would cut ties with her completely…”
“…And yet, she married him anyway.”
Now that she thought about it, the Royson family hadn’t been at their wedding.
“My lady tried to reconcile with the former Count many times, but he never accepted it.”
“And now… both my lady and the former Count have passed away.”
Just thinking about Flora made Daisy and Nova tear up.
“But my lady had a very good relationship with the current Count.”
“She took great care of Young Master Frank. Both of them were kind-hearted, so they got along well.”
“Until now, they probably couldn’t stay in touch properly because of the former Count, but now that there’s no one to stop them, they finally reached out.”
After learning the situation, Hestia gently touched the gift from Count Royson.
“It must’ve been hard to talk about. Thank you for telling me. I’ll let Leonhard open this himself.”
“No, we’re just glad we could be of help.”
It was late at night when they finally finished sorting the gifts. Everyone collapsed from exhaustion.
“This is basically a job.”
“We should’ve just done it tomorrow.”
“We’ve been running around all day and barely ate anything.”
“I’m starving… Any snacks?”
Just as everyone was clutching their empty stomachs…
“You all worked hard. I asked the chef to prepare some late-night snacks.”
“There are also leftover treats from yesterday and today. Should I bring them?”
“Ohhh!”
As Gallian and Hilde arrived with food, Hestia, Luciard, and the Blaze Mercenaries’ eyes lit up.
“Forget that… How about some drinks?”
“We worked hard, so we should celebrate with some alcohol, right?”
Being mercenaries, they naturally loved drinking.
Of course, Hestia also…
“We just got a new batch of whiskey and wine. I’ll bring them over.”
…really liked that about them.
She hadn’t been drinking because she was busy, but she enjoyed alcohol as much as they did.
In no time, a drinking party started, catching Gallian and Hilde off guard.
“Well then, enjoy your drinks.”
“We’ll be heading in now.”
“Hey, where do you think you’re going?”
“You two worked hard too. Join us for a drink.”
If they were leaving because they were tired, she wouldn’t have stopped them. But it was clear they were just feeling awkward.
Looking hesitant at first, Gallian and Hilde eventually gave in and joined the party.
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Freya• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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