078. Affection (1)

“I never realized it, but His Grace Verdun seems to be quite a gentle soul.”

One of the young countesses remarked during the autumn tea party held in the Edelte estate’s garden. Lucia smiled, looking at the young lady.

“Is that so?”

Curious about where this would lead, Lucia encouraged her to continue, and the lady spoke up naturally.

“I heard His Grace personally went to buy this cake, didn’t he? Am I right?”

The young lady pointed to the strawberry cake on the table, and others joined in agreement.

“Yes, I heard that as well.”

“Apparently, some nobles saw him passing by.”

Lucia nodded, already familiar with the story, as Owen had mentioned it to her.

“Yes, that’s correct. Owen went to the bakery himself to get it. He even mentioned that it would be perfect for today’s tea party.”

Yesterday afternoon, Owen had brought the cake himself to the Edelte estate. Though he often sent gifts, he rarely visited in person, so Lucia had been surprised. Owen was usually meticulous about sending a letter or messenger before arriving, as he disliked being discourteous.

“Owen, what brings you here? Is everything alright?”

“No, nothing’s wrong. I just thought of you and decided to buy this.”

When she asked, that was his simple reply.

“Come to think of it, you mentioned you had a tea party tomorrow. You can serve it then. It’s a bit big for you to eat alone.”

“What is this, exactly…?”

“A strawberry cake. I noticed a bakery while on my way back.”

“A bakery?”

“Yes. I’d heard they make excellent strawberry cake, so I bought it. I thought you might enjoy it.”

His unexpected visit was tender and exactly like him. It was so sweet, and that made Lucia’s smile linger.

“Oh my… How thoughtful of him.”

“Indeed. He used to seem so distant.”

“That’s all in the past now. Ever since he’s been with Lady Edelte, he’s become a completely different person.”

The mention of Owen’s change led back to Lucia, and she found herself enjoying the conversation. But then another piece of news came up.

“Yesterday, he apparently bought all the other bread from the bakery and donated it to an orphanage?”

“Goodness, really? How do you know that?”

“The director of the orphanage is my father, so he told me.”

This was news to Lucia. It seemed word of Owen’s donation hadn’t spread yet, probably because he’d requested discretion. But the young lady had shared it nonetheless.

“My father mentioned this wasn’t the first time. His Grace has been regularly donating to the three orphanages in the capital. It was bread yesterday, but he’s sent all sorts of items before, even cash.”

“Oh, my…”

“But he doesn’t want it publicized. Most people go out of their way to let others know when they donate.”

Nobles typically worked hard to spread good news about themselves, aiming to build a positive image and earn favor from their subjects. But Owen didn’t fall into either of these categories. He had little interest in his public image and no need to court the favor of his subjects; as the Duke of Verdun, he was already greatly admired by his people.

“Doing good deeds quietly… It seems he’s an incredibly kind person.”

“You’re fortunate, Lady Edelte, to be engaged to His Grace Verdun.”

Their conversation settled on Owen’s kindness, and as they turned envious eyes toward Lucia, she smiled serenely.

“Yes, our engagement is set for October.”

Though she said this with a smile, she felt a strange unease. She appreciated that Owen was warm and kind-hearted, but the idea of his generosity extending so freely to others left her feeling… a bit unsettled. It wasn’t that she disliked him being a good person; she simply didn’t like hearing him discussed so widely.

Perhaps that’s why.

Lucia spent the remainder of the tea party in a somewhat indifferent mood. The ambiguous emotions left her feeling drained by the end of the event, unlike her usual calm after such gatherings.

When everyone had left and she was alone, Lucia found herself staring at the now-empty plate that had held the strawberry cake.

“Next time, I’ll just go with Owen myself.”

The cake Owen had brought was incredibly delicious—not just because he’d brought it, but because it truly was. None of the strawberry cakes she’d tried before had tasted this fresh. The strawberries on top were wonderfully juicy and tart, the whipped cream sweet and fresh, and the sponge cake melted in her mouth.

“It’s from a bakery I haven’t visited… How did Owen even know about this place?”

She realized she was curious. Owen wasn’t someone who usually paid much attention to food, so how had he discovered this bakery?

“Maybe he came across it while looking into his new ventures.”

After some thought, this seemed like the most reasonable conclusion.

Having partially wound down his previous business dealings, Owen had recently embarked on several new ventures. For nearly a month, he’d devoted himself to research, and finally, he’d launched his latest projects. The ideas he’d shown Lucia in those documents had now come to life.

He had established an import company for agricultural products, including fruits, acquired a fruit farm in the southern region of the empire, and opened a new auction house, boutique, and jewelry store.

When Lucia questioned why he would start new ventures given her loyalty to the Rodel Auction House and Stella Boutique, Owen replied:

“Those are places you already love. Part of what makes them special to you is the way they’ve been managed over the years. I wouldn’t want to disrupt that.”

Owen was nothing if not considerate and attentive. She found herself appreciating this thoughtfulness of his. Beyond the discomfort she’d felt during today’s tea party, Lucia genuinely liked this side of him.

“Why does he keep his donations a secret?”

Lucia muttered to herself, feeling a little indignant. She didn’t like that other young ladies knew about it before she did.

“I’ll have to ask him when I see him next.”

Their next meeting was set for the weekend, just three days away—not too long a wait. But…

“…Maybe I should just go today.”

The thought of waiting felt unbearable. Murmuring to herself, Lucia abruptly stood up, striding purposefully toward her room.

“I’m going to the Verdun estate.”

Her declaration prompted the maids to help her get ready swiftly. They selected an opulent red dress and laid out accessories. Lucia chose ruby earrings and a ring to match her outfit. Once she had chosen her ensemble, the maids helped her dress and complete her look.

With her attire and makeup done, she called Marie to bring a box of green tea. Ever since she’d stayed four days at the Verdun estate and learned that Owen preferred loose-leaf tea, she had Marie stock up on it. The tea, a specialty from the Kingdom of Hailen, had recently risen in price due to increased tariffs after the Saintess’s assassination attempt was resolved and a new trade agreement signed. However, Lucia, with ample resources at her disposal, had not hesitated to purchase the tea.

“To the Verdun estate, please.”

Taking the tea from Marie, Lucia instructed the coachman as she climbed into the carriage. By now, her frequent visits to the Verdun estate had made such commands routine for him. Thanks to the coachman’s expertise, they soon arrived at the duke’s estate.

“Thank you.”

Recognizing the Edelte family’s red carriage bearing its eagle crest, the guards quickly opened the gate, allowing her to disembark within the grounds.

As Lucia alighted, a knight approached her.

“Welcome, Lady Edelte. His Grace is likely in his study, as usual.”

Lucia had visited often enough to recognize most of the knights and servants by face.

“Ah, Sir Helen, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s an honor, my lady. I’m Sir Helen, the deputy captain of the knights.”

“So, Sir Helen.”

“Yes, I expect I’ll be one of your personal knights when you become our lady.”

The Verdun estate’s knights consisted of about sixty percent men and forty percent women—a fairly balanced ratio compared to other knightly orders, which tended to be around seventy-thirty. Helen was among the highest-ranking of the female knights.

“But you’re the deputy captain, aren’t you?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Doesn’t that keep you busy?”

“Typically, the deputy captain of the Verdun estate’s knights serves directly under the duchess. And I won’t be the only knight serving you, my lady.”

“Oh, I see…”

The arrangement was new to her, given that the Edelte estate functioned differently. While the Edelte family, like Verdun, had its own order of knights, the structure and customs were entirely different. Whereas Verdun prioritized merit over background, Edelte placed considerable importance on lineage. Moreover, Edelte’s knights served only the head and the heir of the family.

“In Verdun, both the Duke and Duchess are regarded as heads of the household.”

In contrast, Verdun seemed to honor both the Duke and the Duchess as equal heads.

“That’s interesting.”

“Is it? Here in Verdun, it’s quite natural.”

“It’s not that way in Edelte.”

“That, I find fascinating.”

With Helen guiding her, Lucia made her way to Owen’s study on the fifth floor. As they chatted, the journey seemed shorter than usual.

“Your Grace, Lady Edelte is here to see you.”

After Helen announced her, a voice presumably granting permission sounded from within, and she opened the study door for Lucia.

“Owen.”

As Lucia entered, she spotted the stacks of paperwork piled high, with Owen almost buried amidst them, diligently working.

“Lucia, welcome.”

Owen, seemingly accustomed to her unannounced visits by now, welcomed her warmly.

“Will you sit over there? As for tea…”

“I brought some.”

Lucia revealed the box she held, and Owen nodded. He instructed a servant to bring only a teapot of hot water and tea cups. The servant quickly complied, setting up the teaware to brew the tea.

Owen gestured for Helen and the servant to leave, then took a seat on the sofa across from Lucia.

“This is green tea from the Kingdom of Hailen. I hear their green tea is the finest.”

Lucia opened the box and took out the tea leaves, brewing the tea in the precise manner she’d been taught in etiquette classes. The temperature and strength of the brew turned out perfectly.

“Give it a try.”

Lucia poured the freshly brewed green tea into Owen’s cup. He picked up the cup gracefully, savoring a few sips with a smile.

“It’s delicious.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

Just from Owen’s smile, Lucia felt her earlier irritation dissolve. But since she had come all this way, she couldn’t resist asking the question that had brought her here.

“Owen, how did you find out about the bakery selling the strawberry cake you bought yesterday?”