TESL 16

Chapter 16

Triana Morelli, Maria Morelli’s mother, was one of the first female politicians to gain voting rights in the House of Nobles.

“I heard my mother went to that house and gave lectures herself. She asked for a very high fee, but they agreed right away and listened to her with great enthusiasm. She was even invited for dinner a few times, so she got to know the household. Surprisingly, it was quite nice. Every time she gave a lesson, she said she saw both of them bow politely to the lady of the house.”

That’s impossible.

Seeing my shocked expression, Maria grinned as if she had anticipated it.

“And of course, money is also an important factor. You know, Duke Horton has a lot of money from his big business ventures. Our father, on the other hand, invested in a manual lamp business he no longer even uses and lost a fortune.”

Maria stretched her twisted legs and picked up her now-cold teacup from the table.

“Besides, under the new emperor, who knows how taxes on property and inheritance might change. Our family basically told me, ‘Marry into that household and bring in their money!’ Of course, the Horton family would be interested in our family’s prestige, and my mother doesn’t think badly of the Hortons. …And neither do I.”

Taking a sip of her tea, Maria finished her explanation with a slightly shy expression.

“Timothy is a good person. Of course, it started out like an arranged marriage… but we’re genuinely in love.”

“…….”

“You want to meet him someday? When we do, I’ll tell him all about you. Every time your name comes up, he laughs and says Lady Willdenbiston changed his life….”

Hearing Maria say that, I immediately started clearing the cushions off the long sofa where I was sitting. Maria’s eyes widened as she watched.

“Oh, what are you doing?”

“I’m preparing a place just in case I faint.”

I answered calmly and lay down lengthwise on the sofa, resting my legs on the piled cushions and looking at Maria with a solemn expression.

“All right now. You can continue. I’m ready to faint comfortably.”

“Okay, fine. I won’t say any more, so get up!”

Maria protested loudly.

“Seriously, this is unbelievable, right? Dale, this is just… impossible.”

On the way home, I grumbled to Dale, who was driving the rattling cart.

Next to me were leafy fruit trees, a few new watering cans, flowering trees in wooden boxes, and some vegetable seeds.

Normally, I wouldn’t say a word because Dale is intimidating, but today I couldn’t hold back.

The moment I climbed onto the cart, I moved to the front, squatted down, gripped the railing with both hands, and poured out everything that had happened today. If I didn’t, I felt like I would explode!

“How do I get Maria out of her infatuation? How could she possibly fall in love with that guy? They just don’t match at all, Maria and Duke Horton!”

“That’s not something we can know,” Dale replied suddenly, in his rough, low voice. I was startled. I didn’t expect him to answer at all. Even if he did, I thought he’d tell me to be quiet or glare at me.

“What do you mean we can’t know?” I asked, pouting. Dale glanced at me briefly, then continued.

“Whether they match or not. You’ve never seen a Morelli lady and Duke Horton standing together, have you?”

“But you can tell just by looking!”

“Just by looking, you can’t really know, Miss. People have many sides to them.”

Dale stopped the horse slowly at the fourth intersection along the capital’s main street. A traffic officer with a flag was holding a red one—our turn to turn right. The other carts waiting to turn right started moving slowly.

Keeping his eyes on the signal, Dale continued.

“…And those judging him have many sides as well. If you scold someone, some will say you’re arrogant, others will say you’re righteous. The Morelli lady must have seen a side of Duke Horton that you didn’t see. Not the side you saw, but another side.”

“…….”

Suddenly, my mouth went dry.

I was speechless. Was this really Dale? He had never spoken to me at such length before. And what he said made sense. I fiddled with my fingers on the cart railing, pretending to be distracted. People have different sides. I know that too.

“That… makes sense. Yeah… huh…”

I pursed my lips in agreement. Then our eyes met for a moment.

Dale immediately turned his head away, looking straight ahead again. But the corners of his eyes seemed to curve, and his shoulders seemed to lift slightly. As if he were trying not to laugh.

Trying not to laugh… at me? I couldn’t believe what I had just seen and leaned out of the cart to watch him from different angles.

But he looked straight ahead again as if his shoulders had never moved.

“Miss! It’s dangerous!”

And he scolded me sternly.

I quickly returned to my original position and tilted my head. …Or maybe I imagined it? Better get back to the conversation.

“…But Dale, even if people have different sides, what side of Timothy did Maria see?”

“How could anyone explain that? No one can explain the special moment when two people fall in love.”

Dale urged the horse with a sharp “Yah!” It started moving again. The flag ahead had turned white—our turn to go straight.

After passing the intersection safely, Dale glanced back at me huddled behind the cart. His wrinkled, dark brown eyes held a soft expression as he looked at me.

“You know how it feels to fall in love too, Miss.”

“…Yes.”

Even if it’s unrequited love.

“Can you explain why you fell in love?”

I paused. Could I explain why I fell in love?

I frowned. Because Rubellus was handsome? Because he was kind the first time we met? Because he shared a secret with me? Because he joked about marrying me?

…No, those were just fragments I picked up to remember him.

Even if someone else were kind, shared secrets, or joked about marriage, I wouldn’t fall for anyone but Rubellus.

“It’s hard to explain.”

At my honest confession, Dale glanced at me again.

“Morelli will feel the same. Even the one she loved alone will, and Morelli will feel it even more.”

‘Loved alone’ stung a little, but I let it slide. He was right anyway.

It had already been three years; there was no point in getting sensitive and thinking, ‘I loved alone, hey! How dare you ignore my feelings?’

From experience, unrequited love is just ignored. The feelings are precious to me, but the one receiving them doesn’t want them.

Then I wondered: what does Dale mean by a ‘special moment when two people fall in love’?

Falling in love with each other, expressing your feelings, being reciprocated… is it really that wonderful? That amazing? That sweet? Can you really not see any flaws in that person?

“How about you, Dale?”

“Shonenye?”

“Yeah. When you fell in love with Masa, how did it feel?”

Masa was Dale’s wife. Dale was the gardener, Masa the housekeeper. They originally worked on my father’s estate and moved to the duke’s mansion when I was born, living with us ever since.

Four years ago, Masa passed away from a chronic illness. Dale was strict and often scolded me, but I remembered Masa as always warm and gentle.

“…….”

Suddenly, Dale’s lips tightened.

Oh no, maybe I said something wrong. I covered my mouth with both hands.

I knew their marriage had been happy. Dale still hadn’t forgotten Masa; maybe I was just stirring old wounds.

Should I apologize?

At that moment, the horse slowed, and Dale spoke again.

“It’s… just… good.”

“…!”

I widened my eyes. Dale continued slowly.

“It’s just good. I just had this vague feeling that with this person, they’d understand the parts I didn’t say, and I felt this reassurance that they were definitely on my side. I was thrilled, yet felt a sense of stability, like, ‘Ah, I’ve finally found my place.’ I wish I had words to express it.”

I stared at his back for a long time. Dale’s voice, recalling his spouse, was gentle and somehow fragile. I had always thought him strong.

I felt sorry, strangely envious even. Dale had already experienced it. Love had already found its place in his life.

Come to think of it, everyone around me was in relationships full of love—giving and receiving. My mother and father, Bianca and her husband, Dale and Masa, even Maria…

At that moment, a thought occurred to me.

I once wished to experience that love with Emperor Rubellus.

But if my fate really lies elsewhere? If arranged meetings were part of it? Discovering an unexpected new side of someone, loving them normally, being loved in return… Could I have that too?

Through an arranged meeting?

Could I be loved as well?