“Mother, is this all you have to say?”
“Yes, that’s it.”
“Then I’ll take my leave now.”
“Reflect on your actions! Honestly, such a tall young man teasing such a petite young lady like this.”
The duchess’s scolding turned Armin Grey’s piercing violet eyes back toward me. Before I could even look away, our gazes locked.
Looking straight into my eyes, he spoke.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Lady Roha, I look forward to seeing you again.”
I nodded quickly. Somehow, the situation felt like it was spiraling further out of control, leaving my head aching with confusion.
Was this a good outcome? Or a bad one?
It felt like trying to untangle a mess of thread, where the beginning and end were indistinguishable. No matter how much I tried to calculate, the gains and losses refused to balance out.
What about my plan to drive him away by being annoyingly clingy? From the way he looked at me, it seemed like I’d already drained every last ounce of patience he had. At this point, I’d be lucky if he didn’t retaliate.
It should have been a relief. After all, things were going according to plan. But the guilt of having lied and toyed with someone’s emotions began to gnaw at me.
I realized I shouldn’t have thrown around such reckless flirtations just because I wanted to be alone with the duchess. Now, I regretted my actions in the hallway with Armin Grey.
“Vivian? Are you feeling unwell?”
“Huh? Oh, no. I’m fine.”
I quickly forced a cheerful response to the duchess’s concerned inquiry. For now, I shoved the tangled mess of thoughts in my head into a corner, knowing they wouldn’t resolve themselves anytime soon.
The duchess, for her part, treated me with such kindness it almost felt like it was my birthday. Having spent so many years only discussing romance novels with Sasha, being able to engage in such a deep conversation with the author herself felt like a dream come true.
Yet, after Armin Grey’s departure, I found it hard to focus on the conversation. Perhaps noticing my distraction, the duchess began to wrap things up subtly.
“Oh my, look at the time.”
I glanced toward the window she mentioned. The sun was already setting, casting the room in the warm hues of dusk. What had started as a morning visit had somehow stretched into evening.
“I must have kept you for far too long. What should I do?”
It was improper for an unmarried lady to wander around unescorted after sunset, and the duchess’s words hinted that it was time for me to take my leave.
“Not at all! I’ve had such a wonderful time.”
If only Armin Grey hadn’t been here, today might’ve been one of the best days of my life. But despite my attempt at cheerfulness, I couldn’t muster much enthusiasm.
The duchess studied me intently for a moment before suddenly reaching out to take my hand.
“Vivian.”
“Yes, please go ahead!”
“Would it be alright if I asked you a favor?”
“A favor…?”
The duchess’s eyes, reflecting the western sunset, sparkled with an unusual brightness. It was almost like she had found an exciting new toy. It reminded me of Armin Grey’s expressions. Truly, blood doesn’t lie.
“Actually, I’m brainstorming for my next work.”
“Your next work?”
Her unexpected revelation made my voice crack with surprise. For a moment, all thoughts of Armin Grey vanished from my mind.
“Yes. After chatting with you today, I realized you have a deep understanding of novels. Could you help me with it?”
“Me? Do you think I can really do that?”
“Of course! There’s no one better suited for it than you, Lady Roha.”
The duchess nodded vigorously, gripping my hand even tighter as though trying to seal the deal. She leaned in closer, her tone dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
“If you’d like, I could even let you preview the drafts while I’m working on the manuscript.”
Wow… was this real life? It was like getting a sneak peek at an unpublished HaXXX Potter book before its official release!
I nodded—vigorously. I was more worried she might retract her words if I didn’t agree quickly enough.
“Yes! What do you need me to do?”
I was ready to do absolutely anything. The opportunity to read the drafts for her next book? There was nothing I wouldn’t do for that.
“Well, my writing tends to lean a bit on the old-fashioned side, don’t you think?”
“No! It’s got a classic charm!”
“Ha! Thank you for putting it that way. But because of my status and age, it’s hard to draw on youthful romantic experiences anymore.”
“Yes, I see… so what do you need?”
The duchess brought her face even closer, until her breathtaking violet eyes reflected my image like a flawless mirror.
“So, Lady Roha, could you do some research on modern dating for me?”
“Da… dating?”
“Yes.”
Dating. As someone who’s always indoors, what would I know about dating? The confidence that had been brimming moments ago deflated like a balloon with a hole.
“Why? Is it too much to ask?”
“Well… dating requires two people, and I don’t really have any close male acquaintances.”
My daily life involved mostly staying home, occasionally heading to the bookstore with Michelle when new releases were out, or attending a rare social event when Sasha couldn’t take my reclusiveness anymore. Helping with the duchess’s request seemed impossible.
“What do you mean, you don’t have any close male friends?”
Her grip on my hand tightened again, and her smile grew mischievous as she asked teasingly:
“Didn’t you agree to get along with my son?”
Her question left me fumbling for words. My flustered expression made the duchess’s face darken dramatically, a transformation so swift and theatrical it was almost unbelievable.
“Ah, I see… Lady Roha, you can’t forgive Armin for what he did, can you?”
“What? No, it’s not that…”
“I understand. What young lady could forgive such disgraceful behavior?”
This is all my fault! I must have raised my son poorly.
It was as though I could hear a distant wail of lamentation. This felt like one of those maternal guilt trips that ended with tearful self-blame.
“No! That’s not it at all. It’s just that… the young Duke must have plenty of other ladies he should be meeting.”
I had tried to subtly decline, but it seemed the duchess had no intention of listening. Instead, she looked at me with a knowing smile that sent a shiver down my spine.
“Wh-why are you looking at me like that?”
“Vivian, you believe it too, don’t you? That rumor about Armin being a womanizer.”
“Pardon?”
“That’s nonsense, you know. Completely baseless.”
“Baseless?”
Her sudden statement left me blinking in surprise. Sensing my confusion, she began explaining with a buoyant tone, as if enjoying the topic far too much.
“Well, Armin does have a decent appearance and comes from a good family, so it’s true that he’s popular with women.”
“Ah, yes…”
It wasn’t exactly boastful if it was a fact. Even during the few tea parties I reluctantly attended, the topic of Armin Grey inevitably came up whenever a few young ladies gathered.
“But here’s the thing—he’s completely uninterested in women. And, you know, sometimes a woman’s pride is more important to her than her life, isn’t it?”
“Uh, yes… I suppose?”
Not that I had much personal experience in that regard, but it sounded plausible.
“So, what do you think these ladies do when Armin coldly rejects them? Do you think they’d openly admit they were humiliated?”
“Ah, I see… But why doesn’t the young Duke refute the rumors, then?”
“Because he finds it easier this way. Even with the bad rumors, there’s no shortage of people swarming around him.”
It seemed that the life of a celebrity had its own peculiar hardships. The duchess resumed her cheerful narrative.
“So, in conclusion, there’s no young lady around who’s a suitable match for Armin.”
She looked so pleased with herself as she said this, as though the matter had been neatly resolved. I, on the other hand, was left speechless. What I’d offered was more of an excuse than a genuine concern, but it had been effortlessly dismissed.
“Vivian.”
“Yes?”
“Is it because you don’t find Armin appealing…?”
Even if I didn’t, how could I possibly admit that to his mother’s face? It was a question with only one acceptable answer.
“Oh, no, of course not! The young Duke is such an impressive gentleman.”
“Thank goodness! Then, could you grant me this favor?”
Her persistence left me no room for escape.
The duchess looked at me with a gaze that seemed to say, You’ll agree, won’t you?—a look that made it clear my answer was already decided. Reluctantly, I nodded, unable to refuse outright. Satisfied with her forced victory, the duchess clapped her hands in delight.
“Thank you so much! Oh, look at the time—it’s gotten so late! You’d better head home now; your parents must be worried.”
Having achieved everything she wanted, the duchess looked positively radiant as she rang the servant’s bell. As before, the butler appeared promptly, clearly anticipating her wishes even before she spoke.
“I’ve prepared a carriage to take Lady Roha back to the viscount’s estate,” the butler announced.
“Wonderful. And Armin?”
“He’s waiting.”
I sprang up as if a spring had been wound tightly inside me.
“T-the young Duke? What’s he waiting for?”
The duchess responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Why, to escort you home, of course. He’s all ready to go.”
“What? No! It’s fine—I can return on my own—”
“Absolutely not. A lady wandering alone at this hour is unacceptable,” she said firmly.
Her resolute tone left no room for debate. To make matters worse, the butler added with a faintly amused tone that seemed meant for me to hear.
“Indeed. He’s been waiting for quite a while now. Our young master, having no prior experience with such situations, might feel rather troubled.”
“W-what do you mean, troubled?”
“Well, should Lady Roha decline his escort despite his kind offer, he might misunderstand it as a grave insult.”
Though the butler phrased it delicately, his meaning was clear: Armin had been waiting for some time, and rejecting his escort now would only lead to greater trouble.
The duchess chuckled at the butler’s words, nodding in agreement. I, on the other hand, felt parched from the tension and downed a glass of water to compose myself.
But in the end, I didn’t refuse. It seemed pointless to fight against a fate that had already been decided.
