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Chapter 15
At Nadia’s question, the door opened soundlessly.
It was the personal maid of Baron Hess’s wife, recently hired.
“Is something the matter with my mother…?”
Behind the maid, Baron Hess’s wife entered with soft, clicking footsteps.
“I came because I have something to tell you.”
“Mother?”
Nadia shot up from her seat in surprise.
She immediately walked over and supported her.
Baron Hess’s wife smiled faintly, as if Nadia were adorable.
“You really are overly dramatic.”
“You shouldn’t be up yet. You should have called for me.”
“What are you talking about? In this house, I’m the most idle one and you’re the busiest. Of course I should come to you.”
“Mother…”
“Don’t look at me like that. I’ve been taking the medicine you brought me and sleeping all day—I feel healthier than ever.”
Her words were not an exaggeration.
She still needed medication, but it was true she had never been treated so well in her life.
Naturally, her complexion had improved.
Baron Hess’s wife took Nadia’s hand and led her to the sofa in the study.
Then she sent the two maids out.
Seeing Nadia’s puzzled expression, she blushed slightly.
“It’s not a secret conversation… I’m just not used to having servants hear and see everything yet. You seem already accustomed to it, which makes me a bit embarrassed.”
“Please don’t say that. I hired them so you could be comfortable.”
Baron Hess’s wife smiled brightly.
Though it wasn’t obvious due to the hardships she had endured, she was a petite and youthful-looking noblewoman for her age.
She gently held Nadia’s hand and spoke.
“I saw the allowance you assigned me. You called it a dignity allowance, didn’t you?”
There was no way such a kind person had come to complain about money.
Nadia narrowed her eyes slightly.
“Don’t tell me you’re refusing it like Father did?”
“No. In fact, I came because I want to use it.”
That was unexpected, but Nadia felt glad.
If she could make her mother comfortable with money, there was nothing more worthwhile.
But people did not change easily—and Baron Hess’s wife was a prime example of someone who did not.
“I want to use the funds you gave me to prepare your debutante.”
Nadia widened her eyes, then smiled and shook her head.
“It’s not time for that yet. There’s so much work to do for the territory. And money may not always be this abundant—I don’t want to miss this opportunity.”
“Most noble ladies debut at seventeen, or at the latest nineteen. You’re already twenty.”
“That doesn’t matter. It could be at twenty-two for all I care.”
Baron Hess’s wife tightened her grip on Nadia’s hand.
“No.”
“Mother…”
“As you said, this time of prosperity in our territory may never come again. We must not miss this chance. I had my debut at twenty-one, and girls only a few years younger treated me like an old woman.”
Her brows tilted upward sorrowfully.
“I’ve never been ashamed of being poor in my life, but that day… it was truly humiliating. Lonely. I don’t want you to experience that. So please, do as your mother says.”
In truth, Nadia was used to criticism.
People had always been interested in the disgraced daughter of Count Pshilin who abandoned his wife.
When she married a duke eight years younger than her, the ridicule she endured was far worse than being called old.
But Nadia was weak when it came to Baron Hess’s wife.
She did not want to dismiss her painful memories lightly.
Sensing the opening, Baron Hess’s wife smiled gently and locked eyes with her.
“If your daughter’s debut is properly prepared, then my dignity will be preserved as well. Don’t you think so?”
In other words, it would still be used properly as a “dignity allowance.”
When had her mother become so persuasive?
In the end, Nadia could only smile and nod.
Baron Hess’s wife left happily, saying she would choose dresses.
Nadia waved after her, then tilted her head as Vivian returned and immediately slipped back under the sofa.
“Conrad, you can come out now.”
At her call, a large hand slowly emerged from beneath the sofa.
It crept forward like a zombie, followed by a tall man’s arm and ash-gray hair.
Nadia covered her mouth, holding back laughter.
“Did your leg fall asleep?”
“……”
The tall man, who normally excelled in swordsmanship, combat, and anything physical, now struggled just to move.
Instead of answering, Conrad slowly crawled out completely.
“My goodness. That handsome face is ruined. Want me to massage it?”
“No. It’s fine. Given time, I can resolve it myself.”
He waved his hand, then froze as another jolt of pain shot through him, squeezing his eyes shut.
Seeing him like this—someone usually so capable—was both pitiable and amusing.
“I’m sorry. If I had known the conversation would take this long, I would have told you to hide elsewhere.”
“No need. More importantly, I believe going to the capital for the debutante is a good decision.”
Vivian, who had been listening nearby while trying not to laugh, suddenly widened her eyes.
“A debutante? Young lady, you’re really doing a debutante? Seriously?”
At the same time, Conrad frowned slightly.
He clearly did not like Vivian joining the conversation.
“Vivian. You’re not usually so disrespectful toward Lady Nadia, are you?”
Vivian blinked innocently at Nadia, seeking help, but Nadia only chuckled.
She didn’t mind Vivian’s behavior.
But it was amusing to see Conrad acting like a strict supervisor now that he had gained influence.
“Got it, boss.”
Vivian pouted and stepped back.
Conrad, still dissatisfied, continued.
“As I mentioned before, Count Crimson is currently staying in the capital. His daughter will also be debuting this year.”
“She’s eighteen, right? It’s better to debut early. Why this year?”
“Officially, she was said to be ill, but she is actually in excellent health. It seems they wanted to keep her out of the public eye. Most likely, it was to avoid scrutiny after repeatedly trying to push her toward the Duke of Baldwin’s house.”
“And after repeated rejection, they’re now using her for society exposure.”
“Yes. It also helps with public relations. Social rumors spread fastest at debutante events.”
“So they’re really using their daughter efficiently.”
Nadia sat upright on the sofa, lost in thought for several minutes.
Neither Conrad nor Vivian dared speak, waiting for her command.
After a while, she exhaled and smiled faintly as if she had thought of something interesting.
“Debutantes are full of girls acting overly excited and doing strange things. I suppose I’ll have to imitate that.”
Vivian tilted her head.
“You say that like you know it well?”
It was a natural question—Vivian believed Nadia was truly a twenty-year-old girl.
“Vivian.”
Conrad immediately shot her a warning look again, and she stepped back once more.
Nadia gestured her closer. Vivian quickly returned to the sofa.
At Nadia’s signal, Conrad said nothing.
Vivian asked excitedly,
“Miss, you’ll pick a beautiful dress, right?”
“I’ll choose one with Mother.”
“Take me too!”
“You’re my maid, so of course you’ll come. But before that, there’s something you need to do.”
“What is it?”
“Find out everything about Count Crimson’s daughter. What she likes, what she dislikes, when she gets angry, when she gets scared—everything.”
If she wanted to uncover Count Crimson’s intentions, she would need to get close to him directly.
As a twenty-year-old baron’s daughter, she would never get a private audience with him.
But Count Crimson’s daughter was different.
Both Nadia and the young lady would be debuting in the same year, making contact easy.
“If we’re going to the capital anyway, there’s no need to waste time. I’ll become her trusted friend first.”
Though she was only a baron’s daughter, that very fact would lower the other party’s guard.
Nadia smiled faintly and looked between Conrad and Vivian.
For some reason, even though this was just preparation for the debutante and an investigation, she felt a strange excitement.
As if she were truly a twenty-year-old girl on the verge of her debut.
