Chapter 6 – You have to meet someone to know them.
There was only awkward silence.
I didn’t really like opera, but I was sure that it wouldn’t get any better from now on.
Mellie sipped the orange juice in her hand and glanced at the man next to her.
With thin brown hair and stubborn-looking black eyes, the man looked at the stage with a displeased expression as if to say, ‘Why are you paying so much money to see such a boring thing?’ Mellie turned her head again.
‘Why of all people…?’
Mellie sighed inwardly.
Before the former Duchess Ada went down to the duchy, she said she wanted to go on a date with her one last time, so she gladly followed her.
She was even happier when she learned that their destination was the opera house.
The fact that she would show up in a place with her where she would often meet socialites seemed like proof that Ada cared about her that much.
While she was happily thinking that she would treat her to dinner with the emergency money she had saved up,
“Nice to meet you. Miss Enwood.”
Suddenly, Lord Blair appeared.
Ada Felton looked very surprised and said that this must be fate, and willingly gave Lord Blair the right to date Mellie.
Blair, who had become friends with her, glanced at Mellie as if he was assessing the value of some kind of product. Mellie was uncomfortable with that gaze, but she couldn’t show it.
While watching the opera, he occasionally talked to Mellie.
“The seats in the theater are ridiculously wide apart. If I were the owner, I would place the seats closer together to increase profits. What do you think, Young-lady?”
“It sounds good… … I think so too.”
“Opera is not my style after all. I can’t even tell what they are saying because it’s mixed with the singing, and the gestures are too exaggerated. I really admire how the nobles tolerate this kind of thing.”
“… … .”
Mellie didn’t know what to say in response to his words, so she kept her mouth shut for a long time.
As the opera was coming to an end, he complained again.
“The plays that are performed for free in the downtown square seem much more interesting. I’ll take you there next time.”
“Yes… … .”
Mellie thought with an awkward smile.
‘There’s a next time.’
The opera ended with the heroine deciding to leave in search of her self. The velvet curtain came down, covering the stage for a moment. After that, the main characters’ finale greetings were prepared. However…
“Let’s go quickly. It’s a waste of time to watch any more.”
Blair urged.
Mellie had no choice to refuse.
She grabbed her juice, got up from her seat, and walked briskly toward the entrance, following Lord Blair.
Perhaps because he had built his position and accumulated wealth on his own in a harsh environment.
As expected of a businessman whose time is directly related to money, he looked very busy.
Still, she thought he was better than the noble men who often indulged in debauchery because they couldn’t control their abundant time and money. If it hadn’t been for what happened next, she would have thought well of him.
Since Lord Blair, who had gone out first, did not hold the sliding door until Mellie left, Mellie bumped into the door rushing towards her and spilled the drink she was holding on her chest.
“Oh, no!”
Mellie looked at the juice stains spread like a map on her cream-colored blouse with a blank expression.
Then Lord Blair said nonchalantly,
“Let’s go. I’ll buy you a dress at the nearby costume shop.”
“… … .”
He must have thought it was consideration. However, to Mellie, it was not only unappreciated, but also only made her feel more upset.
Mellie hid her displeasure and did her best to be polite until the end.
“Thank you for your consideration, but I’m fine. I’ll just wash up in the bathroom.”
Mellie left and headed to the nearby washroom.
Standing at the washroom, Mellie took out a handkerchief from her handbag, soaked it in water, and began wiping my forehead.
Although the handkerchief was stained with yellow, the front of the blouse remained yellow and showed no sign of fading at all.
It seemed like nothing was going to work out.
I had to meet the man I wanted to avoid, and in the end, I couldn’t even wear my favorite blouse properly.
I wanted to go home right away, but… … .
‘Since it’s come to this, you should have a meal before you go. Okay?’
the duchess said that. And the man nodded in agreement.
Phew-.
Mellie let out a long sigh.
“Yeah. What’s so hard about having a meal together? But it’ll be better than when we watch the performance, right?”
Mellie consoled herself and left the opera house.
***
But contrary to Mellie’s thoughts, dinner with Lord Blair was more painful than watching an opera together.
It didn’t matter to her that he was wrong about using cutlery.
He brought rum because the wine was weak, and he drank a whole bottle in one gulp. It
didn’t sound good when he said it was ugly for a woman to drink, but it was good that he didn’t force her to drink.
What made Mellie suffer was the boring business talk she had to listen to the whole time they were together, and the criticism of the food, saying things like “cost-effectiveness.”
Since she was the one who recommended this restaurant, Mellie felt like committing a mortal sin whenever he complained.
She couldn’t tell if the food was going into her mouth or her nose, but she ate it anyway.
Otherwise, she thought he would nag her about how wasteful it was, and how nobles didn’t know how to save money.
When she got home and got out of his carriage, Mellie felt a deep sense of liberation, like someone who had been released from a long prison.
So she accepted without any resistance the words he had said, which seemed to clearly imply the next meeting.
Since she could end the current meeting for now, she could leave the next one to her next self.
However, the time she had gained peace of mind after saying goodbye to Lord Blair was only a few minutes, from the entrance of the mansion to the front door.
“Come in.”
Ada was waiting at the front door.
“I… … have you been waiting?”
Ada, who was as affectionate as her mother, rarely came out to greet Mellie. Even when she was a girl who went to a girls’ school far from home and came home late.
The reason she had come out to greet Mellie must have been to ask her how her meeting with Blair was.
Mellie was sure of it.
“I was just going out to take a walk.”
“… … .”
“Would you like to walk together?”
Ada smiled kindly and suggested to Mellie. Perhaps she thought it would be impolite to ask someone who had just arrived. Mellie calmly obeyed her wishes. In any case, it was something she had to experience at least once.
The cool evening breeze cooled the hot late summer heat. The sound of crickets echoed softly like soothing music.
Just as they were halfway around the garden and had just passed the fountain that spurted cool water in all directions, the time finally came.
“So, how was it?”
“… … .”
When Mellie remained silent, Ada made an apologetic expression.
“Oh, I guess it wasn’t that great. I made a mistake. It felt like fate that I happened to meet him there, so… … . Please forgive me, okay?”
Mellie couldn’t just sit by and watch her kind guardian reproach herself.
“No, ma’am. I had a good time. Mr. Blair seemed like a good person, too.”
“Really?”
Ada’s eyes suddenly sparkled. She thought she had said something unnecessary, but it was too late.
“Yes. You see. You have to meet someone to know them.”
“That’s true, but… … .”
Ada continued talking excitedly without giving Mellie a chance to speak.
“That man, he’s a man who thrives in everything he does, so his family life will definitely be fine. Now all that’s left for you is to walk on the smooth road, Mellie.”
Mellie was puzzled by Ada’s somewhat excessively excited look. However, after thinking about it carefully, she thought that maybe she was just excited and happy about marrying off the child she had cherished like a daughter to a rich family.
“Now I can finally keep my promise to Jasmine.”
When she mentioned her mother, Mellie couldn’t deny that her thoughts were right. Then she couldn’t answer easily.
‘I don’t need the smooth road. I don’t plan on starting a family with that person.’
It felt like a sin to take the smile off the face of the woman she liked so much.
“Let’s meet a few more times.”
That was all Mellie could say.
“What’s there to meet a few more times? If someone is good, you should catch them quickly. If you’re too picky, you’re likely to miss them.”
But Ada showed no sign of backing down.
Did she think that if it weren’t for him, there was no one else who could take me?
She felt bitter, but it seemed that getting out of here was the priority.
“Lord Blair said he would contact me in a few days, so I’ll think about getting married after that.”
Having succeeded in buying time like that, Mellie calmly and politely left the place.
As she climbed the stairs, she tried to recall when Lord Blair had agreed to contact her.
She was so excited about breaking up with that man that she almost missed his last words.
‘Was it tomorrow, or the day after?’
It was clear that there weren’t many days left until the appointment.
Mellie reached her quarters, desperately hoping that Lord Blair would see through her worthlessness with the cool eye of a successful businessman.
The room was dark, but there was a warm warmth.
It seemed that the fireplace had been turned on just before I returned.
“Whew… …”
Mellie was so tired that she wanted to just collapse on the bed, but she held herself back.
She still had to change her clothes.
She dropped her handbag and unfastened the pin that held her shawl in place. The fringed shawl fell to the floor with a rustling sound, revealing a cream blouse inside.
It was hard to see in the dark, but there must have been an orange map drawn in the middle of it.
‘Will it be erased?’
It wouldn’t be easy, but she had to try.
Tomorrow.
Right now, everything was a bother.
As I unbuttoned the button and lightly pushed the collar behind my back, the clothes gently brushed my bare skin and settled on the shawl.
The blue skirt flowed down my hips in the same way.
So, just as I was about to walk towards the bed with only a thin silk slip left on my body,
I saw a figure slowly getting up from the chair.
“You’re late.”
Mellie’s eyes widened in shock as she recognized the owner of the voice.
She quickly grabbed her shoulder and shouted.
“Eh, Edric?”
