The Marquis of Rodian and The Iron Wall Lady

Unfortunately, the foreboding was always right. 

“I hope it doesn’t burden you, Lady Argyle.”

“Of course not, Your Majesty the Dowager Queen.”

“That’s a relief. Please sit this way.”

Edith was invited to dowager queen’s tea time. Of course, the dowager queen was not a person to do anything as rude as the young Duchess of Galloway, but Edith was not comfortable because there was something similar to a trauma in the tea time prepared by a guest from outside. Even if there were no such circumstances, the character of Dowager Queen Griselda itself was difficult to face.

In any case, the dowager queen’s treatment was not so harsh, perhaps because Edith was the marquis’s fiancée now. From Edith’s point of view, realizing that she was a fake, she was rather embarrassed.

The maids brought by the dowager queen stood like doll-like statues, and only the dowager queen and Edith sat in front of the tea table. Lady Spencer poured tea into dowager queen’s glass and Lady Derrick poured tea into Edith’s glass. Lady Russell was nowhere to be seen.

“I called you because I wanted to talk to you in the absence of Alpheus.”

“I am honored, Your Majesty the Dowager Queen. Please ask what you mean.”

“Well, there isn’t any particular story. I think you can guess the extent of it. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes?”

The dowager queen lifted her tea cup and smiled gracefully.

“Alpheus is now with Irene, that is, Lady Russell.”

“Ah, yes. Is that so?”

Edith replied with a melancholy air. Silverglen, even the entire northern region, was not a place where a young lady like Lady Russell should wander alone.

Moreover, if you came as a lady-in-waiting for the dowager queen, you could move only with the permission of the master. She seemed to spend time with the marquis under the orders of the dowager queen.

Come to think of it, she felt sorry for the marquis. It’s probably his first time being forced to do something he doesn’t want to do. The dowager queen was such a great figure.

It could have been ignored if it was either noble of the royal family or an adult of the Rodian family, but she was the mother of the queen and the aunt of the marquis, so he couldn’t just dismiss her and walk away.

Ah, but Lady Russell must be feeling the same way. Edith imagined Lady Russell’s soft and tender cheeks. Was she around twenty years old now? Being a young lady from a long line of royalty and a prestigious family, she wouldn’t be an easy opponent to face one-on-one. Edith hoped she wouldn’t be provoked into action.

“…Are you okay with that?”

“What do you mean?”

“Doesn’t it bother you that the fiancé is with another lady?”

Oh, should she have made a chagrined or resentful expression? Edith, who had been at ease, was belatedly relieved. But there were simply too many factors lacking for her to feel jealous of the lady standing beside the marquis.

First of all, the terrible feelings each of them must be experiencing… No matter how hard she tried to imagine a harmonious atmosphere where the marquis and Lady Russell were smiling at each other, exchanging pleasant words, and discussing their future together, such scenes simply do not come to mind.

“It’s not like nothing, but…”

Reflecting on her fiancée behavior being too lax, Edith awkwardly picked at the food.

“Well, I mean.”

“What is it? Tell me.”

Originally, she was witty and her improvisation was quick However, it was difficult to raise the emotions that were not in the unimaginable scene. Moreover, she couldn’t move her mouth even more because she thought she should deceive Dowager Queen Griselda, not anyone else.

“It must have been ordered by the dowager queen, but what else can I say?”

“Aha, you’re saying you don’t care because I asked her to meet him?”

“What?”

“You are more generous than you seem, Lady Argyle.”

Edith was taken aback. She had acted without much thought, but the reaction from the dowager queen was unusual. Marquis Rodian, being a man, seemed to have accepted anyone regardless of who they were with arrogance.

“That’s not what I meant. Your Majesty the Dowager Queen.”

“That’s all right. Anyway, you’re still Alpheus’s fiancée.”

‘Not at all!’ Edith, forgetting the presence of the dowager queen, frowned. Coincidentally, she locked eyes with Lady Spencer, who was giving her a sidelong glance. Edith could sense that after Lady Russell, it would be Lady Spencer’s turn. The girl’s blue eyes were flickering with a challenging glint.

It was unclear exactly what her determination was directed towards, but nonetheless, Lady Spencer’s resolve was impressive. It was regrettable that she didn’t seem to realize that there was no need to challenge Edith.

“I am not blaming you. You have to have that kind of spirit.”

“I didn’t mean to offend you. I apologize.”

“It’s a compliment. I like people who don’t give up. Isn’t that right, Catherine?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, Dowager Queen. It is as you said.”

Lady Derrick, or Catherine Derrick, smiled and matched her tune. Then, when she made eye contact with Edith, she winked friendly instead of avoiding her.

Compared to Lady Spencer, Edith felt much more challenged. Perhaps the true hidden ace that the dowager queen had brought along to test her nephew was Lady Catherine Derrick.

“Well, that’s fine. Edith, you seem quite spirited. It should be interesting. If we have to spend time anyway, it’s better to do so in an enjoyable way.”

“Oh? It’s rare for Your Majesty to say this. You are lucky, Lady Argyle.”

Ha ha. Edith smiled awkwardly. What do you mean lucky, pressing down on the rebuttal that was about to pop out of her stomach. Since then, it had been a series of hardships.

The dowager queen responded as if Edith was very witty and pleasant to listen to whatever she said. Recognizing that it was an intentional action, not a sincere one, Edith had to endure tea time with the dowager queen with the feeling of swallowing the medicine she didn’t want to take.

Still, the dowager queen was not entirely dreadful as a conversation partner. Considering her exalted status, she was quite unpretentious, and occasionally she brought up topics that Edith found enjoyable to discuss. For example, they spoke about things like this:

“It seems the hunting season is approaching. Have you ever participated in the Silverglen hunt?”

“I have not participated as a hunter, but I have assisted in preparations and executions on some occasions.”

In fact, since becoming treasurer, the hunting festival held every winter had been under Edith’s jurisdiction. There was no need to say that, but it was not necessary to say that she didn’t know at all.

“Oh, yes? Have you ever seen a Rodian silver fox?”

“No, I understand that it has never been discovered since more than twenty years ago.”

“Do you know that the silver fox is a beast that looks beautiful and fragile, but in reality is extremely dangerous?”

“I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know because I haven’t seen it in person.”

“I see.”

The dowager queen nodded.

Since the dowager queen was Lady Rodian in the past, it seems that she has seen the silver fox, which was now half-legendary.

“Rodian chose the silver fox as a symbol of his family to not forget the danger. It is as clever as it is fierce, so it must be hiding somewhere.”

“It may be so, now that you mention it.”

“Well, it’s a relief if you don’t see it all the time. So the prize money for the best hunter…”

“It continues to accumulate.”

“Oh, I should have brought people famous for hunting in the royal capital.”

She didn’t mean it seriously. So Edith replied lightly, too.

“Your Majesty, only the hunters of Silverglen can catch the elusive Silverglen fox.”

The dowager queen suddenly opened her eyes wide when she heard that. Edith was nervous because she thought she had made a mistake. It wasn’t what she came up with. It was an expression of regional pride and an old saying in the Marquessate of Rodian. However, there was no guarantee that the dowager queen would accept it without offense.

“…”

Despite her worries, the dowager queen smiled coolly with a different expression than before.

“Yes, that’s true.”

“…”

“You’re right. I know that.”

With a somewhat lonely expression, the side of the queen’s face turned away towards the window. Edith could only listen to the queen’s murmured words as she dared not interrupt.

“That’s right. Only Silverglen can catch the silver fox of Rodian. That’s what everyone said…”

After that, the dowager queen remained silent for a long time. Edith left the room after enduring an uncomfortable silence in a troubled mood. Then she returned to the marchioness’s room, closed the door, and sighed.

“Why are you sighing?”

“Oh my!”

She jumped up and down. The marquis, who was sitting in the dim light, was shameless.

“What are you doing here?”

“What could I have been doing? I waited for the owner of the room.”

Did she ask because she didn’t know? In other words, why was he waiting here as if sneaking around, was the implied meaning, but the marquis completely ignored it and simply replied, remaining silent afterward.

Edith lit the lamps around the room, observing him intently. There were no apparent signs of disarray, yet he seemed weary. Perhaps his day with Lady Russell had been trying? Upon closer inspection, he had changed his clothes into a jacket and trousers, looking sharp.

“Why?”

“No, I was wondering if you had changed.”

The marquis, noticing Edith’s scrutinizing gaze, quirked an eyebrow in response to her remark.

“It seems I got some flour on me while dealing with a persistent visitor.”

The omitted subject was, of course, Lady Russell. As Edith suspected, things didn’t end smoothly. She forced a strained smile and quickly changed the subject.

“If you’re back, you should say hello to the dowager queen.”

“I am the master of Silverglen. Even if she’s blood, she’s a guest.”

“Oh, yes.”

“So if she holds onto you too long, it’s okay to leave.”

“Why is the conversation suddenly coming my way?”

“You are the lady of the house, aren’t you?”

“Your Excellency.”

Edith was exasperated. Dealing with the dowager queen was already challenging enough, and now she had to deal with the marquis as well. It seemed like a day plagued by troubles from the Rodian family.

“Wasn’t it agreed on a time limit?”

She spoke in a rather cold tone to herself. Naturally, the marquis didn’t seem to like the way she spoke.

“To be exact, I should say that we haven’t reached a conclusion yet.”

His words were more reasonable because the dowager queen had put it on hold due to her visit. However, what difference did it make to nitpick like that? Edith shook her head excitedly.

She didn’t want to drag on the complicated story at a time when dowager queen already regarded her as a kind of obstacle.

“No matter when you say it, my conclusion is the same.”

“Why?”

“Why?”

Finally, the candle on the table where the marquis was sitting was lit. The marquis’s expression was properly seen as the reddish light rose suddenly.

He was visibly restraining himself. His furrowed brow and twitching thick eyebrows showed his displeasure as the conversation continued in a direction he didn’t like. Edith was a little intimidated.

Even if he had no intention of frightening, his natural appearance and status made the marquis look more overbearing. But, if she stopped here, she would have to start the same story from the beginning tomorrow or two days later. She swallowed her dry saliva and said firmly.

“I have no intention of getting engaged to Your Excellency.”

“Even though we slept together?”

“… That’s not a reason for an engagement.”

“It’s no reason that I’ve kissed you, undressed you, caressed you, and put this in there.”

There was not a single hint of heat in his voice, which he chewed and spit out quickly. Rather, it dripped coldly. So she didn’t immediately realize what the words meant.

Edith, who understood the coldness a beat later, held him back like a scream.

“Oh my goodness, Your Excellency!”

The marquis seemed to have not a shred of shame. He looked straight at her and asked.

“Then how the hell am I supposed to get engaged?”

“No, since when have you needed a fiancée?”

“I’ve never needed a fiancée.”

“Why are you pushing for me now?”

“Engagement is not the ultimate destination. There’s the next step after that.”

That’s right. Edith tried to nod, but as she thought about the next step the marquis mentioned, she furrowed her brows in response.

“Are you talking about marriage?”

“Is there anything else to do after you get married?”

It didn’t make any sense.

Edith’s voice rose.

“You said you don’t want to get married!”

“That’s you, not me.”

“Oh, my, that’s ridiculous. You remember what you said to me, don’t you?”

It was a few years ago, but she remembered it clearly. When she asked about the women who admired him, the marquis responded with a disgusted expression, saying:

「Why should I care about such women? I find them utterly repulsive. Don’t ever mention it again.」

“You said it was terrible.”

“What? When did I?”

“After I finished my first year-end report and we were chatting, the topic of marriage came up, and that’s when you said it.”

Edith clenched her jaw in frustration. What nonsense! She had seen and heard everything as his close aide, unlike a naive noblewoman.

Moreover, her celibacy—which was known but quite different from reality—also blossomed right at that moment. It was an unforgettable and decisive moment. She could recall all the words exchanged during that time as if she had memorized them.

“I must say, that’s outrageous.”

“What do you mean, Your Excellency?”

However, looking at her with a triumphant expression, the marquis snorted.

“That wasn’t about marriage.”

“If you’re doubting my memory, you can ask someone else—.”

“Let’s be precise. It wasn’t about marriage; it was a political marriage.”

“And what’s the difference in saying that?”

The conversation had started with the mention of wishing for a marchioness, so it made sense in the context of discussing marriage itself. However, the marquis wore a genuinely disagreeing expression. He narrowed his eyes and glared at Edith.

“…”

Then he grabbed Edith’s wrist, which had been standing so far. She was taken aback and ended up sitting next to the marquis.

“Enough. Moreover, you were the one who talked about women aiming for me as a strategic alliance partner.”

“Do you mean it’s a special matter?”

“Of course. If anyone else had asked, I wouldn’t have answered that.”

What are you talking about? Edith shrugged off the wrist that was caught in amazement. But he did not relax his grip.

“Because it’s you, so I answered that way.”

The words added in a tight voice sounded desperate at first glance. Edith paused. But she shook her head at once. It was because a ridiculous thought passed through her head.

‘It can’t be.’

She judged that she was in a state where it was difficult to think rationally. Whether it was because she was annoyed with the marquis’s constant deflection in the conversation or because the aftermath of dealing with the queen was starting to take its toll, she couldn’t tell for sure.

“Edith, don’t you see?”

“Oh, never mind.”

She was tired of squabbling with the marquis. She thought it would be all right, and, in fact, she spat it out, hoping that the marquis would laugh at her and walk away.

“You’re not saying that His Excellency likes me, are you?”

As soon as the words fell, the wrist became free. Edith opened her eyes wide.

As the marquis leaned away from her, he turned his head to the side and frowned. Without saying a word, he retreated, and his profile, the back of his neck, and his ears turned red. It seemed more than just the effect of the lighting, as she could feel the intense gaze of her eyes on him.

“…Your Excellency?”

The marquis did not reply. It was embarrassing to see him holding his face in silence. Edith almost chewed on the tip of her tongue and could barely speak. Stuttering, unable to do anything about the shaking eyes.

“I,if you don’t answer in this situation. Wouldn’t that be, yes?”

The marquis groaned like someone stabbed by a sharp point, and Edith was even more agitated by his unexpected reaction.

“Sir. You can just be angry, or at least say no.”

“That’s not it.”

“What? Oh, so it wasn’t a yes…”

Edith stammered, her face turning red from all the rambling. Right, it wasn’t a yes after all. She must have been flustered by hearing such an absurd statement and struggled to find the right words. She clapped her hands to try and salvage the situation.

“I mean, it’s not that it’s not it.”

But the marquis, who met her eyes, said something strange. With a red face like drunkenness, with a face that was completely uncharacteristic of him. He said as he struggled to pull out the words stuck in her throat one by one.

“I, you, Edith. I like you.”

At that moment, maybe it shouldn’t have happened, or rather, it definitely shouldn’t have happened. Her mind felt paralyzed, and her body moved on its own accord.

“…”

Edith quickly got up and grabbed the marquis, guiding him out with a puzzled expression on his face. He obediently moved along as she pushed him out of the room.

He was pushed out of the door and slammed the door before he could turn his head. She didn’t forget to lock the latch. The marquis, driven away by her actions, didn’t knock on the door again or say anything. However, Edith cautiously distanced herself from the door, fearing that she might hear his voice. She retreated to a distance and covered her mouth with both hands, then sat down hesitantly.

Her heart was pounding as if it would burst. She couldn’t tell if it was from joy or fear. Maybe it was both, or perhaps she didn’t know.

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