CHAPTER 8
The night sky above the capital was filled with stars on a clear evening. Just days earlier, heavy rains had hit central Neway, causing rivers in nearby towns to overflow and leading to many flood victims.
The spectacle in the sky, indifferent to the devastation on the ground, was not something to be condemned.
When he opened the balcony door to go inside, the sorrowful sound of Franz, the genius composer who had recently captivated all of Neway, echoed from his violin. The ladies wiped their wet eyes with handkerchiefs and praised Franz’s performance.
But here, although he was watching the same performance, Edwin was lost in other thoughts.
How much had Madame Dennison spent to hire this composer?
The hostess of tonight’s party was none other than the newly crowned Queen of the Social Season, Marchioness Dennison. It wouldn’t have been surprising if she had spent a fortune, as this was an event where she needed to flaunt her wealth and honor. However, due to the recent floods, Marchioness Dennison also had to humbly endure some envious and harsh criticism.
The performance concluded with Franz’s brilliant technique. As usual, the ladies, his devoted fans, playfully pretended to faint, marking the climax of the event.
“Oh, over here, here. Gideon, come this way.”
Edwin’s head turned toward the clear voice of a middle-aged woman, distinct even amid the audience’s applause. After taking a sip of champagne, a young man similar in appearance to the modest woman appeared behind her.
“Pleased to meet you, Your Grace. I am Elizabeth Zimmerman. We’ve exchanged letters before, haven’t we?”
As was customary at this time of year, the high society queen would throw a party and Neway’s upper class, including the Royal Family, would gather to socialize. The Zimmermann family was also included in the exclusive guest list, carefully selected by the high society queen.
Whatever the reason, Charlotte’s marriage prospects were looking good. Since the once annoying party had turned out to be useful, Edwin decided to thank Madame Dennison for hosting it, rather than criticize her.
The Barony of Zimmermann was a modest noble family. Baron Zimmermann, modest, hardworking, with a clean record with women and just enough authority to make his voice heard, was an ideal candidate to be Charlotte’s husband.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Madame Zimmermann. I am Edwin Baytness.”
Edwin greeted Madame Zimmermann with a polite smile. Then Baron Zimmermann stepped forward and removed his hat.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Grace. I am Gideon Zimmermann.”
“I’ve heard much about you, Baron. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Edwin Baytness.”
Edwin extended his large hand. Gideon, after wiping his palms on his trousers, shook it rather stiffly.
“Now, I’ll leave you two to chat. Gideon, don’t make any mistakes.”
“Yes, Mother.”
When Mrs. Zimmermann smiled, the gentle wrinkles around her eyes deepened the Baron’s affection for her.
Composer Franz made his final exit from the performance. With Franz—the main attraction of the party—gone, the attention of the guests shifted to the second in line: The Duke of Baytness. Despite having Baron Zimmermann by his side, it became impossible for Edwin to continue their conversation as people flocked around him, eager to engage in conversation.
As Gideon became flustered by the crowd that had swarmed to speak to the Duke, the two men took their champagne and moved to a quieter tea room.
“Oh God, it seems Your Grace’s popularity has far surpassed Franz’s.”
Gideon pulled out a white handkerchief from inside his coat and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Following Edwin’s silence, Gideon glanced up and saw that Edwin was staring quietly at the vase on the table. At the yellow daffodils in the pure white vase.
“Your Grace?”
At his call, Edwin’s blue eyes slowly shifted towards Gideon.
“You must have read the letter I sent you, so let’s get straight to the point. I would like to hear your opinion regarding the engagement with my protégé, Miss Charlotte Windler.”
His tone was steady, showing no sign of distraction. But his gaze returned to the daffodils as if they were looking at each other.
“Ah, yes. While I’m tempted by the terms you’ve proposed, I would first like to meet Miss Windler.”
“So, you’re saying you’ll decide after meeting Charlotte? If you’re concerned about her appearance, you needn’t worry. She may not fit conventional beauty standards, but she’s quite charming.”
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
Gideon awkwardly scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.
“If it’s not too much trouble, may I request an invitation to Rodinia? I’d like to spend some time talking with Miss Windler, and if we find that we’re a good match, then…”
“Hold on.”
Edwin, who had been unable to tear his eyes away from the daffodils, finally lifted his gaze, a hint of frustration in his eyes. His calm, unreadable expression made Gideon nervous.
“Are you saying that one must fall in love before getting married? Is that the point you’re trying to make?”
“Yes… That’s right.”
“I didn’t measure and calculate every detail to marry Charlotte off based on such trivial emotions, only to eventually settle for you, Baron Zimmermann.”
“I understand, but… wouldn’t it be better to give Miss Windler a chance to fall in love?”
“Well…”
The mention of love—a topic Edwin found trivial—made him lose interest in the conversation. This shift also diminished his favorable impression of Baron Zimmermann. His weary gaze fell back to the daffodils, and he gently reached out to stroke the soft yellow petals.
The smooth touch of the petals drew him back to a distant memory.
Fourteen years ago, when he first arrived in Neway, the first thing he did was beg for food. Next, he begged for work, then for wages. Starvation was an ordinary occurrence. He often got into fights with troublesome passersby and would squander his hard-earned money paying for medical bills afterward.
It was one spring day when he had no choice but to live day to day. That was the day he delivered milk to the manor of Baron Baytness, and there, in front of the house, he spotted yellow daffodils.
Their vivid yellow color suddenly reminded him of a naïve young girl. Her golden hair, glossy and flowing down to her shoulders, would sway and flutter with every bounce of the carriage.
He had forgotten.
Forgotten amid the hunger, the brink of life and death, the heat and cold, and his family who had perished on the execution stand. And the golden-haired girl, who sat nobly with her family.
Squatting on the ground, he looked at the daffodils for a long time.
Revenge, you see, is something you can only pursue when life is comfortable enough. So you can’t seek revenge. You’ll die like this, poor Sayer. At least let me comfort you.
The daffodils whispered in his ear like a devil, mimicking the voice of that young girl.
“Let’s do that.”
Grasping the daffodil petals in his hand was an impulsive act. Just like 14 years ago, when he had crushed the daffodils outside Baron Baytness’ manor.
“It’s not too hard to give someone a chance to fall in love.”
Gideon was momentarily surprised by Edwin’s behavior. But when permission was granted, uncontrollable joy spread across his face.
“I will formally send you an invitation, then. Let’s meet in Rodinia next time.”
When Edwin opened his clenched hand, the crushed petals fell to the floor.
“Who are you? Why did you ruin someone else’s flowers?”
If he hadn’t noticed those yellow daffodils that day… If he hadn’t thought of the Avelines when he saw them… If he had left quickly….
And if he hadn’t met Madame Baytness…
There was an Aveline on every road he passed.
One who killed his family and one who saved him, only to let him flounder in false hope—an Aveline.
He was eager to return to Rodinia. He couldn’t wait to see the look of regret on Vivianne Aveline’s face when she realized that the man she had saved was now standing before her.
Two weeks and three days had passed. Edwin had been away from the estate longer than expected. To the servants, Charlotte Windler was far more difficult and demanding than the Duke. While the actual master of the manor was unconcerned with many things, Charlotte’s bossy demeanor kept them on edge, fussing over every little detail, relentlessly hounding the servants as if she were hunting them down.
And today, the master of Rodinia Castle was returning. Charlotte followed the servants as they cleaned the manor, giving meticulous instructions down to the exact positioning of the statues. Even the experienced butler, who had long given up trying to meet her endless demands, had no choice but to comply with Charlotte’s sharp orders.
By the time Edwin’s carriage approached the gates, everything was in perfect order. The staff lined up, ready to welcome him. The rhythmic sound of hooves echoed along the well-kept path, making Charlotte’s heart race.
The carriage finally came to a stop. As the servant opened the door, the person Charlotte most wanted to see stepped out. Bathed in the soft sunlight, he stood tall, his impressive figure easily stepping onto the ground as he raised his blue eyes.
“Your Grace! You must be exhausted from your long journey.”
Charlotte approached him without hesitation, receiving only an indifferent glance. Edwin gave a slight nod and lifted his eyes further, prompting Charlotte to follow him.
He soon spotted Vivianne, who was standing by a large window, watching them. The moment their eyes met, Vivianne quickly hid behind the curtain.
“… Did anything special happen in the capital?”
Edwin knew Vivianne wouldn’t come out to greet him, and he was certain she was watching him.
“Nothing, same as always.”
“When you left Rodinia, you said you didn’t want to make a big deal about it, but I didn’t think you’d leave without telling me. I was a little hurt, Your Grace.”
“Don’t be upset over such things, Charlotte. You’re not a child.”
The cold tone of his voice caused an ache deep in her chest, one that squeezed painfully. Normally, Charlotte would not have minded. Edwin was acting no differently than usual. But after seeing him look for Vivianne first, the “usual” Edwin now felt frustrating to Charlotte. She followed behind him, feeling a pang of resentment toward his indifference.
And to get the attention of someone like that…
“Oh, right… The day Your Grace left Rodinia, Miss Aveline didn’t eat anything.”
She brought up a name she didn’t want to mention.
“She didn’t eat?”
Edwin stopped walking. His expression remained as indifferent as ever, but there was a faint glimmer in his blue eyes.
“Did she refuse to eat the whole time I was gone?”
“She only had small bites here and there. That day you left, she even got caught in the rain and fell, so she didn’t look her best. It’s no surprise she got sick.”
“She got sick? Where exactly?”
He didn’t sound worried. Edwin’s expression was anything but of concern as he thought of Vivianne.
“It seemed like a mild cold. She didn’t leave her bed for several days, so I made sure her food was something she could easily swallow and brought it up to her regularly.”
“You should’ve given her honey water. Or at least herbal tea.”
“I took care of her the whole time she was sick. Gave her soup and tea. I felt like I had become her nanny.”
Charlotte pouted, wanting Edwin to acknowledge how hard those days had been for her.
“You did a good job as a nanny.”
A light, clean smile appeared on Edwin’s lips. His eyes gently curved, the sharp lines forming a crescent shape like a new moon. The unexpected smile made Charlotte’s heart pound.
Sometimes, a pounding heart makes the wrong judgments.
“It seems Miss Aveline has mostly recovered, but she refuses to take off that scarf she’s been wearing the whole time. I was so curious that I asked her why, and she said the back of her neck still felt chilly. Oh, and she mentioned she bought you a gift, but she fell that day and ended up ruining it.”
“A gift?”
“Yes. It seems she wanted to give you a tie. But do you know what’s funny?”
Edwin gestured with his chin for her to continue.
“The gift she bought is almost identical to a tie you already own. Can you believe it?”
“And you told her that it’s similar?”
“Yes, I told her. She thanked me for letting her know.”
Edwin nodded with a smile. He resumed walking, and Charlotte had to pick up her pace to keep up with his long strides.
“And Miss Aveline only had one dress, so I lent her one of mine. Of course, since she’s taller than me, she might feel it’s small.”
“You really were her nanny. You did well.”
For a brief moment, Charlotte forgot her displeasure with Vivianne. Talking about Miss Aveline made Edwin smile. He paid attention and engaged in a light conversation. And for Charlotte, that alone was enough to make her very satisfied.
