If I was Going to Regret It Anyway

She was dressed in what seemed to be indoor clothes, a somewhat thin white dress with a shawl draped over it. Her hair, naturally let down below her shoulders as if she had just gotten out of bed, gave off a fresh yet strange feeling.

 

“…Were you still awake?”

 

“I couldn’t sleep. Are you done with your work now?”

 

“Yeah. I’m going to rest at home tomorrow.”

 

“That’s good. You’ve worked hard.”

 

Eleanor’s attitude was quite affectionate. A familiar smile that he had never seen before even appeared on her face. Daryl silently looked at her and then went into the room. Eleanor followed him. Thanks to the servants tactfully making themselves scarce, only the two of them were left in the room.

 

“What’s going on? I’m tired, so if you have something to say, I’d like it if you could say it tomorrow.”

 

Daryl asked as he loosened his tie.

 

“It’s nothing big. I just wanted to say thank you.”

 

“For what?”

 

“Thanks to you, I safely received a reply from Loud. Thank you for delivering the letter.”

 

At those words, he remembered something he had completely forgotten. Contrary to what Daryl had almost been sure of, the letter was not addressed to Benjamin Gallahad. As Eleanor had said, it was a letter to the maid she had brought with her.

 

[It seems there was a clash between Miss Townsend and Headmaid Matilda Norton regarding that maid.]

 

[A clash? What kind of clash?]

 

[Miss Townsend brought the maid with her intending to keep her even after marriage, but the headmaid unilaterally sent her back. The headmaid said that the maid was not good enough to work at Chatsworth House.]

 

In that case, the word ‘clash’ was inappropriate. It was a one-sided act. No matter how much Eleanor was like an unwelcome guest here, she was undeniably Daryl’s fiancée. This incident was clearly a case of the headmaid overstepping her bounds.

 

He had only a faint impression of Headmaid Matilda Norton. She had been at the Duke’s house since before his mother died, so she seemed to have worked for quite a while. There was no reason to pay attention to the servants in the first place. The only reason he remembered her name was simply because Daryl’s memory was far superior to others. The fact that she didn’t leave an impression meant that she hadn’t done anything to annoy Daryl, which should be evaluated positively.

 

Eleanor must have been furious at being insulted by the headmaid. But it would also be unseemly to rush to Daryl and tell him about it. Especially for her, who was thoroughly pretending to be a dignified and noble lady.

 

‘So she’s using this annoying and indirect method.’

 

If she came to him directly with the letter, he would surely check the contents, and then the fact that she had been ignored by the servants would naturally be revealed. It could be said that she used her head to some extent, but it was a shallow trick that made him smirk.

 

Of course, Daryl had no intention of falling for her trick.

 

The management of the servants was not something Daryl should worry about in the first place. Whether Eleanor could secure a position that suited her status within the Duke’s house was entirely up to her own ability. He had no intention of wasting his precious time on such a problem. That’s why he pretended not to see it and erased it from his mind.

 

“Why are you thanking me for that? Philip was the one who delivered the letter.”

 

“But you were the one who ordered him to do so. And I was the one who asked you.”

 

It was obvious why Eleanor brought up this issue again. Because Daryl didn’t show any reaction, she must have been frustrated. She brought up the topic again because she wanted to let him know that she was being ignored by the servants.

 

“So, have you said what you wanted to say? If you have no other business, I’d like to rest now.”

 

Daryl said, pretending not to see her obvious trick. He thought she would definitely blush and be at a loss for words out of anger. But Eleanor’s reaction was completely different from what Daryl had expected.

 

“Yes. I’m sorry for taking your time when you’re tired. Rest well and see you tomorrow.”

 

Seeing Eleanor greet him cheerfully and then turn around without hesitation, Daryl was so surprised that he called her back without realizing it.

 

“Wait a minute.”

 

“What is it?”

 

Eleanor asked, tilting her head.

 

“……”

 

Although he had called her back, he didn’t know what to say. As he rolled his eyes with a frown, something came to mind.

 

“…Didn’t you say you wanted to see me before you entered the Duke’s house?”

 

A faint surprise spread across Eleanor’s face.

 

“You remember? I thought you had completely forgotten.”

 

He had forgotten. At least until just now. Perhaps it would have remained forgotten without ever being recalled.

 

“So, what did you want to talk about when we met?”

 

“It’s nothing special. Just…”

 

“Just?”

 

“Just, I wanted to have a conversation.”

 

At the unexpected answer, Daryl was momentarily at a loss for words.

 

“A conversation?”

 

“Yes. His Lordship and I don’t know much about each other, do we? Once in the Chatsworth House, we’ll have to show ourselves in front of others, and I wasn’t confident that we could appear as a normal couple as needed.”

 

Daryl had certainly conveyed this through Philip earlier. Let’s pretend to the outside world that the two of us fell in love normally and are getting married.

 

The marriage of Daryl and Eleanor was sure to attract enormous attention from the world. There was no need to throw provocative bait like his father Frederick’s will or the prenuptial agreement they had made to the dogs who were drooling and rushing in.

 

Philip had already completed a draft of the announcement to be handed over to the Central Newspaper. It would say how Daryl and Eleanor had come to like each other as they often met each other when Frederick visited the Townsend mansion during his lifetime, and Daryl often accompanied him.

 

“You’re more ambitious than I thought. Even though it’s not going to benefit you much no matter how hard you try.”

 

At his muttering, Eleanor stared at Daryl quietly.

 

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

“…It’s nothing.”

 

Eleanor said, slightly lowering her eyes.

 

‘Why doesn’t she know that if there was any gain, she wouldn’t have accepted this marriage in the first place?’

 

She wanted to ask back. So, do you think I’m going to take this whole thing lightly? Even though it’s a marriage scheduled for divorce in a year, she didn’t have a bit of intention to neglect the responsibilities and duties given to her as Daryl’s bride.

 

It was natural to do it properly if she decided to do it. Otherwise, it couldn’t be considered a repayment to the late Duke.

 

“So, was that why you were smiling at me in front of the servants earlier?”

 

At his words, Eleanor blushed slightly.

 

“I thought it would be like that if we were in love. Was it awkward?”

 

“It was awkward. Quite a bit.”

 

“…It’s not easy.”

 

Daryl took out a cigar and lit it. He sat on the sofa with the cigar in his mouth and leaned back deeply.

 

“You don’t have to act in front of the servants. Just be a little careful at official dinners, especially when there are many eyes. There won’t be many such occasions.”

 

“I thought I needed to practice in advance to avoid looking awkward then.”

 

“Just stand by my side and smile. Occasionally agree with what I say.”

 

“Okay. I’ll trust His Lordship.”

Eleanor smiled a fresh smile.

 

Then, the corners of her eyes curled up beautifully, giving off a somewhat coquettish impression. Unlike her usual calm smile, it was a change that made her feel like a different person.

 

Daryl looked at her quietly as he exhaled smoke.

 

“Is that also practice?”

 

“…Was it awkward this time too?”

 

“Rather than awkward, it doesn’t suit you.”

 

At the blunt criticism, Eleanor looked a bit taken aback.

 

“I think the first thing we need to fix is the title. Normally, a fiancée doesn’t call her fiancé by his title.”

 

“That’s true. So what should I call you?”

 

“Is there any other option besides my name?”

 

“I see.”

 

Eleanor lowered her eyes for a moment, then looked at Daryl again.

 

“Daryl.”

 

“…”

 

His hand, which was knocking off the ash from his cigar, paused without him realizing it. Eleanor tilted her head as if puzzled.

 

“Did I pronounce it wrong? Is it the stress on the other syllable?”

 

“…No.”

 

“Daryl. Daryl?”

 

As he watched Eleanor mutter his name over and over in a small voice, Daryl furrowed his brows.

 

“If you’re going to practice, do it in your room.”

 

“Ah, you said you were resting. I’m sorry.”

 

Eleanor, who seemed to be leaving the room, paused just before closing the door. She looked at Daryl through the gap in the door and smiled.

 

“Good night, Daryl.”

 

“…”

 

Feeling strangely uncomfortable, Daryl kept his face scrunched up even after Eleanor disappeared. He called a servant and ordered him to bring some alcohol.