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Chapter : 39
“…Ah, right. That’s true.”
“Isn’t that a bit of a half-hearted response, Marie? I was talking about how monumental it is that it’s already been five years since we met.”
“We only met as business partners. What kind of anniversary are you talking about?”
Marianne shook her head as she looked at Abélard, who was puffing out his cheeks in displeasure. He definitely hadn’t been like this five years ago. She couldn’t tell whether his personality had changed, or if he’d simply been hiding it all along.
Beyond the window, where a warm breeze drifted in, she gazed at the rolling waves and was reminded anew that five full years had already passed since she’d settled in the south.
“…Marie, are you listening to me? Marietta? Marianne?”
Marianne, who had been absorbed in admiring the sea instead of dealing with Abélard’s nagging, snapped her head around at the last name he used.
“Do you want to die?”
She’d been indulging him too much, and now he was trying to cross the line.
Marianne clenched her fist and shook it as she recalled the day—less than a year after meeting Abélard—when her true identity had slipped from his mouth.
—
Silver hair, blue eyes, and you’re even well-versed in the capital’s affairs and intelligence. Well now, how coincidental—just like the great imperial family’s… I’m sorry. Could you ask Fabian to put the sword away?
—
…That was what he’d said. He’d already figured out who she was, yet somehow managed to endure nearly a year without blurting it out. She honestly didn’t know how.
Still, she was somewhat grateful that Abélard had sworn before God that he would never reveal her identity to anyone.
They say you die immediately from divine punishment if you break a holy oath. He’s got some nerve.
“Ahem. That kind of language and those gestures don’t suit someone as noble as you.”
Abélard laughed awkwardly as he read Marianne’s mood. Seeing that grin—the most ill-fitting expression imaginable on Abélard Trophée—Marianne scratched her arms, which had broken out in goosebumps.
“What does it matter? The funeral’s already over, and I’m just some insignificant viscount now.”
“A viscount is still very much an imperial noble. You should maintain proper decorum.”
“Yes, young master of Count Trophée.”
Although there was no body in the grave, Marianne Claire Le Havre was officially dead.
After an extensive search failed to find her, the search party concluded that she had perished, and naturally, the Emperor flew into a rage. The Marquis of Biarritz, who bore responsibility, had part of his territory confiscated and was forced to pay an enormous compensation.
And the funeral was rushed and sloppy because of that damn rebellion.
If there was anything unexpected, it was how sluggish the purge of the rebels had been. Apparently, the capital had only just begun to feel livable again—far later than expected.
Not that it has anything to do with me.
With an indifferent expression, Marianne sipped the iced tea Lana had made for her. As the sweet-and-sour chill coated her tongue, her mood noticeably improved.
It was still winter, but the weather had been strangely warm lately, so cold drinks went down easily.
Abélard, who followed her lead and took a sip as well, let out a small sigh of admiration.
“As expected, the tea Lana makes is exceptional. Are you sure you don’t want to open a shop, Lana?”
“Huh? No, I prefer serving Lady Marie,” Lana replied shyly, blushing at Abélard’s praise.
Marianne waved her empty glass at Abélard, who had now tried hundreds of times to lure away her precious maid.
“Stop scheming and go home already, Lord Trophée of the merchant guild. You’re in the middle of a busy period, aren’t you?”
“Scheming? This is a scouting offer.”
“Mm-hmm. Lana is my precious attendant, so go.”
“…But when I go back, I’ll have a mountain of documents waiting for me. Even I need some rest time.”
Abélard sprawled against the table, drooping his eyebrows to look pitiful.
Isn’t it a good thing when the merchant guild is doing well?
He’d once demanded every scrap of information she could gather, and now that there was too much work, he was dragging his checkbook all the way out here just because he wanted to slack off.
Marianne looked at him with utter disbelief.
“Should I tell Shasha you said that?”
“…Ah. No, please don’t. Just this once, Lady Marie.”
At the mention of his assistant—the person he feared most in the world—Abélard gave an awkward laugh.
“So busy, so busy~”
Despite saying that, he finished the rest of the iced tea and stuffed a couple of cookies Lana had baked into his mouth before finally standing up from his chair.
“Oh, right. This is a little surprise gift from Abélard to Marie. Newspapers don’t usually reach this small, peaceful village of Atona.”
“…Thank you.”
“If you’re grateful, how about moving to Trophée City? Atona is nice—quiet, and of course the sea is beautiful—but going back and forth is exhausting.”
She’d heard this suggestion about a hundred times already.
Marianne shrugged and gave the same indifferent answer as always.
“Then just send your employees.”
“…Oh my, would you look at the time.”
Having finally prepared to leave, Abélard theatrically glanced at his empty wrist. Marianne walked him out and opened the front door herself.
“What an honor, being seen off like this. Ah—remember you promised to visit the main office the day after tomorrow, right? I’ll send a carriage. You have to come. Mrs. LeBlian only signs the contract without nitpicking when you’re there, Marie.”
“Got it. Travel safely. Come visit again sometime.”
“Yes!”
Though he claimed he was just slacking off, Marianne knew Abélard had come all this way despite being busy because he worried she might be lonely on her own. So she waved to him until he climbed into the carriage.
He talks too much, but he’s a good friend.
As Abélard boarded the carriage with a beaming smile, the door closed and it soon began to move. Then, as if something had just occurred to him, he opened the window and shouted in a booming voice.
“Oh! There are rumors about a strange person wandering around near the city lately. The guard has increased patrols, but they haven’t caught anyone yet, so be careful, Marie!”
A strange person? She wanted to ask him more, but the carriage had already disappeared into the distance.
“Shall I look into it, Lady Marie?”
Fabian asked, shovel in hand, as he tended the small flowerbed in the yard. Marianne hesitated briefly, then shook her head.
“No. We’re going to the merchant guild headquarters the day after tomorrow anyway. I’ll ask again then. We’ll just be extra careful about locking up tonight.”
“Yes. I’ll take out the new locks as well.”
“Okay.”
After a moment of hesitation, Marianne nodded.
Trophée City and Atona were half a day’s carriage ride apart, but there was no harm in being cautious.
This wasn’t a house where she lived alone—Lana and Fabian lived here with her, like family.
After exchanging a bit more small talk with Fabian, Marianne went back inside the estate.
I always think this, but I really found a great place. It’s a good house.
Not only the large window in the living room, but every window in the house faced the sea, offering an absolutely breathtaking view.
Though it had been a little expensive, and repairs kept cropping up due to its age…
…I feel a bit bad for Fabian.
Thinking she should raise Lana and Fabian’s wages again, Marianne headed to the room she used as both a study and a sitting room.
“Welcome back, Lady Marie. I just finished cleaning! Did Sir Abélard return safely?”
“Yes. Thank you, Lana. You should rest now.”
“Okay. Please call me anytime if you need anything.”
Lana smiled brightly and left the room. From the sound of the front door opening, it seemed she’d gone to look at the flowerbed Fabian was working on.
Marianne enjoyed the sea breeze flowing into the now-quiet room for a moment before walking over to the table. Neatly placed atop it was the newspaper Abélard had brought.
“Duke of Calais Successfully Repels Monster Attack.”
Reading the bold headline on the front page, Marianne let out a small laugh. Whenever Abélard brought her a newspaper, there was always an article related to Cedric.
Though he’d never asked why she lived in hiding, he must have conducted his own investigation through his information network.
I don’t know whether this is his way of apologizing, or if it’s pity for me.
Either way, it wasn’t bad to be able to read news from the north in comfort. Marianne tied her hair back, sat down, and leisurely read the article.
—
“Not only did the Duke of Calais respond admirably to the sudden nighttime attack, he also defeated all the monsters that had invaded the north… An anonymous source further shared a heartwarming anecdote: despite the late hour, Princess Estelle stood guard at the estate’s entrance until the Duke returned.”
—
That was a relief. Whether it could truly be called fortunate in a time when monsters were now appearing in earnest across the north was debatable—but Cedric’s madness had been completely cured, and he was active once more as the Duke of Calais she remembered.
It seems he’s getting along well with Estelle too.
Well, of course. He was the male lead, and she was the female lead.
And compared to frost lilies, Estelle’s purification ability was likely far more effective in curing madness. She was a benefactor not only to Cedric, but to the entire north.
If I think in terms of the novel, this should be somewhere around the “development” phase.
It was more than enough time for love to bloom between the two, and Marianne smiled warmly. It was a shame she couldn’t witness Cedric and Estelle sharing their feelings and dating sweetly right beside her.
But imagining it indirectly through the newspapers Abélard brought her was enough.
Come to think of it, Abélard had once suggested that she at least let people know she was alive in the north.
…It’s not that I never considered it. But Cedric wouldn’t remember me anyway.
Marianne had smiled and shaken her head back then. Even now, her choice remained the same. She didn’t want to disrupt the lives of people who were now living well and moving forward.
She liked her life in the south, too.
Gazing out at the sea, she folded the newspaper neatly in half and set it aside.
Unaware that something terrifying—something that would shake her resolve—might occur at the Trophée Merchant Guild headquarters the day after tomorrow.
