“Sigh…”
I took a deep breath as I looked at the large door adorned with gold, then exhaled. It was my first time visiting Ruth’s office, and a mix of excitement and fear coexisted in my heart.
After calming my pounding heart a bit, I slowly raised my fist and gently knocked.
“Who is it?”
Soon, Ruth’s muffled voice came from inside. It seemed I had interrupted him in the middle of something.
“It’s me… Serbia Obelton, Your Majesty.”
I purposely mentioned my name, worried that Ruth wouldn’t recognize me by my voice alone. Then, after hearing a soft sigh from inside, permission to enter was granted.
As soon as I was allowed, I carefully opened the door and entered.
His office, which I was seeing for the first time, seemed to resemble its owner, emanating a simple yet warm feeling. The morning sunlight flowing across the elegant ivory walls and the well-organized stacks of documents looked almost like a painting.
“What brings you here?”
Ruth asked without letting go of the papers in his hand as I slowly walked around, taking in the interior of the office.
His calm voice snapped me back to reality while I was enjoying the subtle cedarwood scent mixed in the air. I almost forgot the purpose of my visit, getting lost in the pleasant atmosphere.
I swallowed and moistened my dry throat before meeting Ruth’s gaze.
The indifferent look in his eyes beyond the round silver glasses tightened my breath, but instead of showing it, I smiled faintly. I wanted to appear fine even if he seemed uninterested.
“You must be wondering what I’m doing here.”
Ruth’s brow furrowed slightly at my non-response and smirk, seemingly displeased.
After thinking briefly about what to say, I spoke.
“I’m on my way to attend the Duchess of Abyss’s tea party. I need the royal carriage, and I thought His Majesty should know.”
Since we’re engaged, it wouldn’t be polite to go without saying anything. As I spoke, seeing his expression unchanging made me add more words than necessary.
…Did I say too much?
Seeing Ruth not opening his mouth even after I had finished, I immediately regretted adding unnecessary details.
After staring at me with an unfathomable gaze for a while, as the ice-thin silence deepened, Ruth finally spoke.
“Alright.”
Then he looked away again.
Ah…….
Seeing him like that, I secretly sighed. I wasn’t expecting much, but I felt deflated when all I got back was a mere “Okay.”
As I was aimlessly looking at the fountain pen in his hand, I heard Ruth’s dry voice.
“Next time, don’t bother coming all the way here. Just send your messages through your personal maid or Wilson. It will be more convenient for both of us.”
“…What?”
I was somewhat taken aback by Ruth’s comment, which was totally out of left field for me. Ruth noticed my bewildered eyes wandering and a slight sneer formed on his lips.
“We’re not exactly on friendly terms, are we? We’re bound by contract.”
“Right, of course.”
Bound by contract. The emphasis on his last word served as a warning not to cross the line of our ‘contractual’ relationship.
I quickly caught his drift and struggled to keep my quivering lips steady, my eyes downturned.
Ignorance would have been bliss. Chasing a pipe dream only to be harshly confronted by reality made me regret coming to see Ruth in hindsight.
“I was careless. My apologies, Your Majesty.”
The apology I barely managed to utter left a scar in my hollow heart.
The new wound stung on top of ones that had not yet healed, so painfully that I wanted to just sit down and cry like a child.
While I was trying my best to control my expression, the sound of the fountain pen scratching came to a stop. The silence that persisted for a few seconds broke the moment he opened his mouth.
“You are……”
With just a significant start thrown in, Ruth, with his lips firmly shut, had a somewhat confused look. It seemed like he was holding back a surge of emotions, which only made me feel more awkward.
Soon, it didn’t take long for Ruth to return to his expressionless self and fix his eyes back on the documents.
“If your business is done, you may leave now.”
“…Yes.”
I answered a half beat late due to the breath I was catching and slowly turned around. I regretted the unsatisfactory end of our conversation, but I felt that if I stayed any longer, the smiling mask I wore would shatter into pieces.
So, I wanted to disappear from Ruth’s presence as soon as possible, quickly. That was the moment I reached the door of the office, seemingly running away.
“Cough.”
A faint yet distinct coughing sound came from behind me. Even at a cursory listen, it was a cough that did not seem light at all; my entire body froze. I hadn’t noticed because he never showed any signs of illness.
The fact that Ruth’s physical condition was not as usual. I briefly considered turning around to check on his condition but ultimately did nothing and just left Ruth’s office.
There must have been a reason why Ruth thoroughly hid his pain from me.
For example, he might have caught a mild cold that was so insignificant he didn’t feel the need to inform his nominal fiancée about it. And I wanted to respect his decision.
“……”
My heart, which had been fluttering until I arrived, had been calm for some time now. As if it had been pierced by a large awl and had died instantly.
***
I arrived about 10 minutes later than I should have at the Duke of Abyss’ residence because I was talking with Ruth.
“Then I will wait here until the tea party is over, my lady.”
“Okay. Understood.”
I briefly greeted the coachman and hurried to the greenhouse where the tea party was being held.
The Duke of Abyss’ residence was much more splendid and beautiful than the plainly built Duke of Obelton’s residence.
Maybe that’s why the journey to the greenhouse was a delight to my eyes. When I arrived at the greenhouse, the tea party was already in full swing.
“What should I do……”
I murmured to myself as I scanned the ladies surrounding a long table laden with a variety of desserts.
It was my first time attending a tea party, so I had no idea what to do in this situation.
It seemed too troublesome to loudly apologize for being late…
As I awkwardly shifted my gaze, I happened to lock eyes with a lady sitting at the head of the table.
“……”
I couldn’t take my eyes off the woman with golden hair and ruby-like red eyes for a while because of the overwhelming presence she subtly exuded.
Overwhelmed by her presence, the woman who caught me just blinking at her flashed an elegant smile.
“You’ve finally arrived.”
The gentle voice that followed held not even a pinch of hostility.
As soon as she spoke, all eyes in the greenhouse turned towards me. The buzz of conversation had long since ceased.
Feeling the piercing gazes, I awkwardly smiled and looked back at the blonde-haired woman.
It seemed I was finally realizing who this woman was. Someone who could sit at the head table, reserved only for key figures of the gathering.
Moreover, someone who could capture everyone’s attention with just one word.
She must be the Duchess of Abyss.
“You’re Lady Serbia Obelton, right?”
Without my response, the Duchess of Abyss initiated the conversation.
Returning to reality, I slightly nodded.
“Yes, that’s correct. I was delayed due to some personal matters. My apologies, Duchess of Abyss.”
“You haven’t missed much, so it’s alright. Your seat has already been prepared, so please, take a seat.”
The Duchess of Abyss gestured to the empty seat next to her, her smile widening.
Why does she want me to sit there?
I looked at the seat assigned to me with suspicion.
I had read it in a book before. At tea parties, seating is assigned not based on social status, but rather on one’s personal relationship with the host.
According to the logic of the book, the seat next to the Duke of Abyss should be occupied by a lady who is closely acquainted with her, not someone like me who is seeing her for the first time today.
It’s unthinkable that a brilliant lady like the Duke of Abyss would assign seats without any thought.
What could she possibly be scheming?
I chewed over the thoughts filling my head and then calmly proceeded to take the seat assigned to me.
Until just a few hours ago, I had planned to make some appropriate acquaintances with the other ladies at the tea party.
As is customary among peers, I wanted to engage in light conversation with the ladies and hear various rumors circulating in the social circles.
It would be great to uncover the inner workings of the Duke of Abyss’s household, and even better to find people who could be of help to me.
However, it seemed the tea party might not go as smoothly as I had hoped.
“…….”
Feeling already tired, I tightly pressed my lips together.
“Would Lady Obelton like to have black tea or rose tea?”
The Duke of Abyss asked, noticing me fiddling with the handle of a teacup in silence.
“I’ll have the black tea.”
I pushed the ominous feeling aside and briefly responded to her question. Then, she smiled as if she understood and commanded the maid standing by to bring the black tea.
Shortly after, a maid came with the teapot and poured some warm black tea into my cup just right. At the same time, the rich fragrance of the black tea diffused into the air.
“I’ve heard that Lady Obelton never attends such social gatherings, so I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you accepted my invitation.”
“I’m thankful for the invitation myself. I was thinking it was about time I started getting involved in the social scene.”
I gave her a warm smile in return and took a sip of the tea. The black tea with its deep aroma tasted excellent.
The reason why Lady Abyss was saying this was obvious.
She wanted to make it known to the world that ‘Lady Serbia Obelton,’ who never attends any social gatherings, came to her tea party.
(TL/N: Hm… She seems suspicious )
I quickly discerned her ulterior motive and carefully set down the teacup with a click.
