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~Chapter 60~
Merrick, who felt sorry for Glenn’s frozen posture, sat down next to him.
Then, with a gentle touch, he patted Glenn’s shoulder.
“You’re way too tense. This is your second visit, so why are you so nervous? Relax. Watching you so stiff is making me embarrassed.”
“Yes, Count.”
As Glenn rubbed his hands together and tried to relax, Samantha, who had been watching him quietly, suddenly asked,
“Did you do something wrong?”
“…Excuse me?”
“You must have done something wrong to be sitting there like a crumpled haystack. Hmm. Otherwise, why do you look like a sad, discarded scarecrow?”
Samantha, who rarely got nervous herself, didn’t understand the mindset of subordinates naturally tense in front of people in power.
Merrick, still patting Glenn’s slumped shoulders, gave his mother a wry look.
Sometimes, she was almost cruelly innocent.
“Mother, just because you mean no harm doesn’t mean it’s fine. But you did manage to read the sadness on Glenn’s face—that’s improvement.”
Merrick straightened Glenn’s hunched back himself and added,
“And you don’t need to look like that. You know this is all for your young lady’s sake.”
“Yes, Count. That’s true.”
The day Merrick had met Riden and Glenn at Hagens, he had quickly won Glenn over.
Samantha had been able to prepare the surprise scarf event on Riden’s shop opening day only thanks to Glenn’s cooperation.
But it was clear Glenn still had doubts—“Even if it helps my lady, is it right to do it without her knowing?”
Samantha, who usually didn’t care much about others’ emotions, had read that doubt as sadness.
‘He’s still not fully on board.’
Merrick leaned closer to Glenn.
“I hear the McCurry young lady’s shop is doing very well. It’s only natural—it was prepared with such care. But… it became popular so quickly because you provided us with information that allowed us to help, right?”
“Yes, Count.”
“If you had hesitated to share information, sure, it might still have succeeded someday… but wouldn’t your young lady have been discouraged until then?”
“That’s true, Count.”
It was true. Thanks to the Duchess’s promotion on opening day, the desserts were selling like crazy.
These days, Riden couldn’t stop smiling just hearing the word “Sunset Cream.”
All thanks to the astonishing daily sales.
“Then why do you still look so unsure? You’re an excellent butler. A truly excellent butler works hard for their master even in places unseen.”
“…”
“Unseen places—just like here!”
Merrick’s firm tone made Glenn nod instinctively.
Yes, my choice made my lady happy faster! This was the right thing!
The faint conflict in Glenn’s eyes disappeared.
Seeing this, Merrick finally brought up the real reason.
“Can I trust you’ll keep working hard for the young lady?”
“Of course, Count!”
“In that case, tell me. I heard she went to the temple—why did she go?”
Glenn had recently visited the temple with Riden.
Afterward, she had seemed to be dreaming of possibilities.
“She said the McCurry family has worshipped Siraka for a long time, and she was even given the name of Siraka. She asked if there was anything… special about it and decided to find out.”
Samantha, catching the key point, interrupted.
“What do you mean, anything special?”
“She wondered if, as a child of Siraka, the god of healing, she might have some power… like healing wounds or reviving damaged plants. But she couldn’t find anything and looked disappointed.”
After listening to more of Riden’s recent updates from Glenn, Samantha gestured for him to leave.
“You’ve done well.”
“Yes, Duchess.”
Glenn bowed and left the reception room.
The head maid entered and set a new tray of refreshments on the table.
Merrick and Samantha, as if on cue, both lifted their fragrant teacups to their lips.
Merrick spoke first.
“She’s curious about her own abilities. That curiosity must mean she wants to believe they exist. She even manages her shop herself instead of delegating… I suppose the sense of accomplishment is important to her.”
Samantha lowered her cup, looking displeased.
“But she already has an ability. Even if it’s not about plants growing quickly, just being near Ethan brightens his face—you can see it. So why does she care about plants…?”
“Hmph.”
Merrick sighed, agreeing.
“She doesn’t notice because she’s not interested in him.”
“Ahh…”
A heavy cloud settled over Samantha’s face.
She had seen Riden slowly open up, little by little.
But if she opened her heart only to her and Merrick, what good was it?
She was supposed to marry Ethan.
Bang!
The knife Samantha was using to cut a warm scone slammed down hard enough to scrape the dessert plate.
“Mother?”
“This won’t do.”
“…?”
“I’ll have to make Ethan join the fight. What kind of war is this where the general’s lying down while the soldiers run around? That makes no sense!”
If Riden wasn’t paying attention to Ethan, they would just make it impossible for her to ignore him.
And if she was interested in her powers, they would make that interest so strong she’d want to test them on a person.
Samantha looked at Merrick, asking for agreement.
“I’ll tell Ethan to show that he’s sick. Why does he hide it when he’s sick? Really.”
Merrick, understanding her plan, answered dryly.
“Do we really need to go that far? It’ll happen soon enough anyway.”
The night of the full moon was approaching.
Still, her mother’s idea wasn’t bad.
If they could stir Riden’s compassion, all the better.
“Huu…”
Before stepping down from the carriage, Riden took a deep breath.
She was holding a paper bag from Sunset Cream.
‘I wonder if they’ll like this.’
She had already visited the Duke’s mansion a few times, but this was the first time she had brought something with her.
Crossing the garden with the familiar head butler, she glanced up at the sky.
‘Ah… she’s up there again today.’
The Duchess, as always, was on the terrace with that sad look on her face.
‘Poor thing.’
Riden gazed at the terrace with sympathy before following the butler.
“Thank you.”
Riden sipped the tea brought by the head maid as she waited in the Duchess’s office.
Soon, the Duchess entered, her usual cold expression back as if she had never worn that sad face.
Merrick followed behind her.
‘Count!’
‘My lady, welcome!’
Riden rose and exchanged a look with Merrick, then focused on the Duchess as she sat opposite her.
Something felt strange.
‘Why am I not scared of her at all? This is weird.’
Riden met the Duchess’s red eyes.
Her heart pounded a little, but she gathered her courage.
Samantha and Merrick also quietly watched her, sensing something was different.
Normally, she would have looked only at Merrick, not Samantha!
Could it be because the Duchess promoted my shop? Am I that shallow?
Her heart had felt strange ever since she saw the Duchess eating her desserts at Hagens.
Riden looked at the Duchess with suspicious, squirrel-like eyes and finally opened her mouth.
“Um, Duchess… I’m not sure how you’ll take this, but… hmm.”
She kept opening and closing her mouth, making Samantha visibly impatient.
“Are you going to say it or not? If you have something to say, stop hesitating and speak. You’re making me anxious.”
Watching the Duchess urge her with that scary face, Riden slowly became sure.
And then she asked:
