The carriage carrying Melanie departed from the palace.
“Should we have let her go like that?” Regina approached Elise, who was watching out the window.
“Hmm?”
Elise was so absorbed in thinking about Chase’s plan that Melanie had relayed, she didn’t catch Regina’s words.
“I mean Melanie. She didn’t seem fully recovered, yet we sent her off alone on that long journey. And she had only recently joined as your lady-in-waiting for the engagement, but now she’s leaving without finishing her duties. It won’t look good to others.”
Regina was asking why Elise, uncharacteristically, didn’t stop her.
How could Elise not know what Regina was implying?
For a while, Melanie and Elise would likely suffer side-by-side from malicious gossip.
Rumors could spread that Elise drove Melanie away, or that Melanie had acted licentiously.
Either way, it would bode ill for both of them.
And in her delicate state, the long journey could severely compromise Melanie’s health.
Yet Elise could not bring herself to stop Melanie from leaving.
“She told everything to Duke Odilon.”
While Elise remained at the palace, Melanie had returned to her family home.
And there, she revealed to Duke Odilon all about Buck – even about the child she lost.
The Duke flew into a terrible rage.
[Does His Highness Karan know this truth? If not, keep your mouth shut.]
He still intended to push Melanie into becoming Karan’s wife.
Hearing those words, Melanie came to her senses.
If she stayed, she would be manipulated to her doom by Duke Odilon.
So Melanie confessed that Karan and Elise already knew everything, and that it was Karan who dealt with Buck.
Upon hearing this, Duke Odilon struck Melanie’s cheek.
Elise recalled Melanie, the trace of violence she tried in vain to hide under her hat.
Melanie was right to leave the capital, to flee far from Duke Odilon.
What Elise herself could not do, Melanie had to–escape.
Though she didn’t explain further, Regina understood why Elise had to let Melanie go.
“You must feel terrible too, Miss.”
“Not as terrible as Melanie, I’m sure.”
To the end, Melanie was not a bad person.
In her disoriented state, she had come to Elise and revealed Chase’s conspiracy against her.
[Why are you telling me this?]
[I didn’t want to be indebted. Don’t thank me–I had intended to take part in that plan.]
Chase’s temptation was truly formidable, more than enough to sway the lonely Melanie.
And at that time, Melanie had thought her life would be smooth if only Elise was gone.
[It was an absurd delusion. I realize now, whether you’re here or not, this place isn’t mine. Let’s not apologize or thank each other, but live as strangers who never knew one another.]
Melanie knew of the guilt Elise felt towards her. But she was not the one who truly deserved that guilt.
[Thank you, Elise. Thanks to you, I’ve learned and realized so much.]
Melanie granted Elise absolution before departing.
“…Will she ever return?”
Elise withdrew her distant gaze. She gave a slight shrug of her shoulders.
Who could promise the severing or reconnecting of karmic ties?
All Elise could do was hope the woman who had resembled her own foolishness might find happiness.
****
The rainy season ended, and Elise’s engagement ceremony was just three days away.
“Elise! You’ve lost weight! Karan must be tormenting you terribly. I’ll have to go give him a good scolding.”
A boisterous voice resonated down the hallway from Elise’s receiving room.
“Your Highness Ilaria. You’re looking well, I didn’t expect you’d be able to come with how busy it’s been.”
“Ha! It’s the rainy season, you see? Thanks to that, I had nothing to do.”
The rainy season periods differed between Magnus and Tetris. Tetris’s rainy season ended just as Magnus’s began.
“You don’t like the rainy season?”
“I used to, but this year I’ve come to enjoy them. The land is drinking its fill, after all.”
Before Elise could inquire, Ilaria launched into an explanation of cultivating the lands using Elise’s suggested methods.
“I may try sowing wheat seeds this winter.”
Wheat is sown in winter and harvested in early summer.
“After the wheat harvest, I’ll grow sorghum.”
“Sorghum?”
“The farmers say cattle love sorghum. I’ll try cultivating for a year, and if the yields are good, I’ll gradually expand the arable lands.”
Ilaria researched beyond what Elise had advised, steadily developing Magnus.
She certainly possessed the qualities of a good ruler.
“Miss Elise, people from the Dex territory have arrived.”
“Ah, ever the busy one, aren’t you?”
Ilaria excused herself, saying they’d reunite at the evening banquet.
Rosh led the people from the Dex territory inside.
Rosh and Ilaria exchanged polite greetings as they passed by.
“Ah, Miss Elise! Have you been well? I’ve so longed to see you. I’ve prepared business reports to present to you, Miss Elise. Where shall we start? The projected visitor statistics for the hot springs tourism? Or the report on rezoning nearby areas for commercial hot springs tourism? Or perhaps…”
“Step aside, Kram.”
Before Kram could even greet Elise, he launched into business talk. Rosh grabbed him by the scruff and pulled him away.
People chuckled as Kram flailed his arms trying to steady himself.
“Hmph, let me go, Rosh.”
“No, Miss Elise. Kram needs to learn to watch his tongue. My ears were ringing the entire way here.”
“It hasn’t been that long since you went down, but the journey back up must have been taxing.”
“It’s for you, Miss Elise. Not taxing at all.”
Elise’s gaze fell on Besti beyond Rosh. For someone of her age, it must have been difficult.
“Besti, please get some rest.”
Besti slowly bowed, hands resting on her cane.
“Regina, please show our guests to their rooms. If you need anything, ask Fiona. Fiona, can you assist?”
“Of course, Miss Elise.”
Fiona took charge of hosting Rosh’s entourage.
Rosh wished to converse more with Elise, but just as Ilaria’s arrival had prompted her departure, so too did the appearances of Jasmine and Deboa necessitate Rosh’s exit.
Jasmine and Deboa entered the reception room, craning their necks around. Elise shot up from her seat.
“Deboa! Jasmine! I hope the journey wasn’t too taxing?”
The three embraced tightly, spinning around as if reuniting with long-lost sisters.
“Elise! It was taxing alright. The carriage His Highness Karan provided was so comfortable, I wanted to just live in it!”
Jasmine exaggerated with a wink.
“Sorry I couldn’t write more often.”
Elise took each of their hands in her own.
“I couldn’t either, Elise.”
Deboa had been busier reducing the newspaper’s publishing cycle. Simultaneously, the print advertising Elise had suggested proved hugely effective, leading to an influx of ad inquiries. So she had established a separate advertising department.
As the business rapidly expanded, Deboa as the head had become overwhelmingly busy.
Jasmine was in the same boat. Her products kept selling out, and requests poured in to open branches everywhere.
“It’s great that business is booming, but would you believe I get scared now whenever someone wants to meet about work?”
Jasmine nodded in agreement with Deboa’s words.
Others might call it gluttonous talk, but it was their honest feeling.
“You’ve all worked so hard. So until my engagement ceremony is over, let’s just have fun, okay?”
“Of course,” the two women affirmed resolutely.
They then briefly caught up on recent happenings.
“Oh, Elise. About Richter…”
Deboa mentioned after downing a refreshing drink.
“Richter? What about him?”
The spy planted beside Iris.
“I haven’t been able to reach him much lately. Has he been regularly contacting you?”
Elise shook her head. She had never contacted Richter frequently from the start, only when Iris’s movements seemed suspicious.
“If nothing’s amiss, he probably hasn’t been in touch.”
Jasmine popped a cherry into her mouth.
Jasmine was likely right. Since she had told him to only make contact if something came up, no contact implied no issues.
‘Still, why this nagging feeling?’
The expression Deboa made catching Elise’s eye was also unsettling.
“I’ll try contacting him after the engagement ceremony.”
“No need. I’ll go check on him myself.”
Jasmine and Deboa could monopolize more of Elise’s time compared to others.
They were the only personal guests Elise had invited.
“We should get going then. We’ve kept our busy Elise long enough.”
Though she wanted to protest, it was true she was occupied. There was so much still to review before the ceremony.
Elise saw them to the door before turning back.
Without even a chance to sit, she fitted the dress for the engagement, inspected the accessories Jasmine brought, carefully went over the seating arrangements – yet there remained much left to do.
“Miss.”
As Elise preferred minimal disruptions, Regina calling her gave pause.
“Yes? What is it?”
“That guest has arrived.”
But she had already met with all the important guests.
“Tell them to come back tomorrow.”
“Well…”
Regina glanced outside, seeming reluctant to relay the visitor’s identity.
Before Elise could ask who, the door opened.
“My sister Elise. Let me see your face…”
Iris strode in and enveloped Elise in an embrace.
“You look better. Seems like you enjoyed yourself.” Iris whispered.
