🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter : 35
Hiiing.
The Herareilla family carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the Gerhardt mansion.
Click.
“Milady, please step down carefully.”
After a moment, the coachman opened the carriage door for me.
“Thank you.”
I carefully held the bouquet in my arms and stepped down from the carriage.
Whooosh.
Even though it was the sweltering heat of summer, the cool breeze made the day feel pleasantly refreshing.
I no longer had to struggle just to leave the Herareilla mansion.
I didn’t need to go through the trouble of renting a carriage, nor did I have to worry about being caught by my father.
I no longer had to save my allowance to fund my independence, nor endure my family’s harsh criticism.
Moreover, Lawrence Gerhardt had told me I didn’t need to search for the photo anymore.
Things had turned out so well.
Hehe.
“Milady Herareilla?”
Unable to hide my joy, I grinned, only to be greeted by the Gerhardt family butler.
“Ah…”
“Shall I show you to your room?”
“…Yes. Please.”
I bowed my head slightly and followed the Gerhardt butler into the parlor.
“I will inform the Viscount of your visit. Thank you for waiting.”
“Yes.”
“Please make yourself comfortable.”
I had clearly seen that smile, yet thankfully, the butler pretended not to notice, and I answered with an even bolder voice.
Thunk.
Finally alone, I stamped my foot in embarrassment.
“Hoo… ho. Calm down, please.”
I tried taking deep breaths, perhaps because I was overly excited, but my happy heart refused to settle so easily.
The reason things had gone so smoothly was largely thanks to Lawrence Gerhardt.
The purpose of coming here today wasn’t only to perfectly deceive Duke Herareilla but also to express my gratitude to Lawrence.
Perhaps even to show him that I was fine, in case he had been worried about me.
As I fiddled with the petals of the white dahlia, the door suddenly swung open.
“…Patricia.”
It hadn’t been long since the butler left.
Lawrence had come down far quicker than I expected.
“Are you alright? Did you manage to handle Duke Herareilla?”
“…Yes. I’m fine.”
Judging by his anxious questions, it seemed Lawrence had indeed been worried about me.
“…That’s a relief.”
Only then did Lawrence realize that he had fired off all those questions as soon as he entered. Looking a bit embarrassed, he averted his gaze and walked toward the sofa.
He gestured for me to sit before taking his own seat.
“So, what did you say to the Duke? He’s letting this go?”
“Yes. There won’t be any sacrifices the Viscount has to endure because of me.”
Lawrence let out a small sigh at that.
“What exactly did you tell the Duke?”
He seemed to know that Duke Herareilla wasn’t the type to easily forgo his own gain.
He looked at me with worried eyes, perhaps thinking I had offered something in return.
“Really, it’s fine. There was a small misunderstanding, but it’s been cleared up. My father even apologized to me, you know?”
“…Apologized?”
“My restriction on going out has been lifted now.”
Lawrence still looked at me as if he didn’t understand a word I was saying.
He probably wanted a more detailed explanation of how things had gone, but I simply smiled brightly, ignoring his demand.
“I even came here in the Herareilla family carriage.”
Lawrence seemed to realize I wasn’t going to give him any more details. With a small sigh, he turned his head.
“I came to tell you not to worry now that I’m fine.”
“Worry? Why would I worry about you when you refused my help and left?”
Lawrence shot back, sounding somewhat displeased, as if denying the very reason he had come running when the butler mentioned Patricia Herareilla’s visit.
I quietly laughed at him, finding his behavior slightly amusing, and he glared at me sharply.
“Have you said everything you needed to?”
Lawrence seemed like he might scold me for smiling, but perhaps even he didn’t feel like continuing the conversation and tried to end it quickly.
Indeed, it wouldn’t be good to hold up busy Lawrence any longer, so I nodded and rose to follow him as he got up.
“Then, I should be going.”
“Ah, but here.”
I handed Lawrence the bouquet I had carefully held for so long.
He glanced down at it briefly, then stared straight at me, as if asking, What is this?
“It’s a thank-you gift.”
“What?”
“For taking me in and looking after me when I had nowhere to go. Thanks to you, Viscount, everything turned out safely.”
Lawrence hesitated for a moment, then took the bouquet from my hands.
The elegant bouquet and Lawrence Gerhardt suited each other perfectly.
“If you ever need my help in the future, I’ll gladly step in.”
Lawrence smiled slowly, looking back and forth between me and the bouquet before nodding deliberately.
“Viscount, why exactly did Milady Herareilla come?”
Simon peered at the bouquet in Lawrence’s right hand and asked.
But Lawrence, pressing his lips firmly together, seemed not to hear him, only continuing to walk.
Simon, seeing Lawrence looking somewhat dazed, spoke again.
“Did everything go well with Duke Herareilla?”
Step, step, step.
Again, no answer came.
Simon finally fell silent, feeling the heavy stillness that filled the corridor.
He didn’t want to disturb Lawrence’s thoughts any further.
Yet even with Simon’s consideration, Lawrence’s thoughts could not linger for long.
“Hoo…”
He exhaled a deep sigh and lifted the bouquet in his hand.
The large white flowers irritated him somehow.
Even the scent, which tickled his nose, only worsened his mood.
“I came to tell you not to worry now that I’m fine.”
Patricia had clearly said that. She was fine.
She didn’t seem to want his help or attention anymore.
So there was no reason to care about her at all.
She had refused his help first.
“Annoying.”
Lawrence ran his hands roughly through his hair, irritated.
He had no understanding of how things were unfolding.
Patricia Herareilla had been ignored by his family for so long.
Both the Duke and the princes had found her unpleasant.
She had surely left home because she could no longer endure it.
This was not a problem that could be resolved so easily.
The Herareilla family’s rejection and harassment of Patricia should not have ended so simply.
Moreover, Duke Herareilla had tried to involve Lawrence by mentioning that Patricia had spent the night at the Gerhardt mansion.
He pretended to be dignified, but would do anything for his own gain.
Yet why would he just let go of such a good opportunity?
This was uncharacteristic of Duke Herareilla.
Patricia had said things had ended amicably, but clearly something was there.
Some deal large enough to make Duke Herareilla give up his gain.
“Send someone into the Herareilla mansion.”
Rustle.
The bouquet in Lawrence’s hand crumpled messily.
“Huh?”
“Find out how Patricia is doing there.”
Yes, this was information he would have sought even if not for Patricia.
If he couldn’t follow the situation, it meant there were facts he didn’t know—facts that could someday become his weakness.
He had to know how the Herareilla mansion was operating, even if not for Patricia’s sake.
“Also find out why the Duke quietly accepted Patricia. What happened between the two of them.”
Why had Patricia Herareilla cut off his help so firmly?
“Thank you for everything.”
Why had she smiled so brightly?
Though he had observed her for quite some time, he had never seen her smile like that before.
Eyes gently closed, lips curved upward—somehow a quiet, composed smile.
….
All this time.
It was as if she were a person he would never see again. Like she had prepared to part ways.
As if she would never cross paths with him again.
“Yes. I’ll send someone in promptly. Any further orders?”
“No.”
Thunk.
Lawrence shut the door in front of Simon, who was about to follow him into the office.
“….”
The situation unfolding so differently from what he had expected irritated him.
“If you ever need my help, I’ll gladly step in.”
Lawrence Gerhardt, having Patricia Herareilla needing his help?
This was completely a curse.
He set the bouquet down forcefully.
“Really annoying.”
The unnecessarily large flowers, the unremarkable white color, and above all, the head-spinning, overwhelming fragrance—all the worst.
He recalled Patricia jumping for joy when he told her she didn’t need to keep searching for the photo.
It seemed she no longer intended to seek him out.
She was a woman who didn’t know the meaning of responsibility even in the slightest.
I’m fine, so don’t worry.
How much had he worried for her?
Hadn’t he risked rumors spreading for her sake?
Faced with the Duke’s unreasonable and violent behavior, he had protected her…
“Hoo.”
And now she says she’s fine and he needn’t care?
Such an unkind attitude toward someone who had offered help for her sake.
Lawrence Gerhardt let out another sigh for the selfish and self-centered Patricia.
Patricia Herareilla had undeniably changed, and he felt he had to discover the reason.
Only then would his heart finally feel at ease.
