<14>
The entire Somerset ducal residence was placed on high alert.
“Have you checked the number of dishes?”
“Yes! Have you dusted all the curtains?”
“That was done earlier! What about the chandelier in the hall?”
“We’re doing it right now!”
Freya Hayworth.
The reputation of that supremely strict Madam had spread throughout the entire capital.
Even the Somerset ducal residence — inevitably located on the outskirts of the capital due to its enormous size — could not escape her fearsome renown.
Especially because Freya’s strict standards spared neither men nor women, young nor old.
Even after Seymour fell into a reclusive state, the Somerset ducal residence had managed to maintain at least this level of grandeur largely thanks to her consistent management of the household.
Although Hugo was there, as a servant himself, someone higher in authority was needed to maintain discipline among the servants.
And so, the mere mention of the “Hay” in Hayworth was enough to throw the entire mansion into a state of emergency.
“The Hayworth carriage has arrived!”
“Everyone, line up!”
At Hugo’s command, the servants rushed over and stood in neat rows on either side of the entrance.
The atmosphere was so solemn that one could almost hear a pin drop.
The door opened, and along with bright sunlight, the elderly lady’s cane struck the entrance floor with a sharp thud.
“Welcome, Madam!”
“Yes, Hugo. Have you been well?”
“Thanks to you, everything has been peaceful. Seeing that your complexion looks much brighter, Madam, puts my mind at ease.”
He had thrown out the greeting in an attempt to lighten the mood, but Freya clicked her tongue.
“What good is it for an old woman nearing death to have a bright complexion? My son-in-law looked yesterday as though he were sleeping under a coffin lid instead of a blanket. How nice it must be to hear that an old woman is lording it over everyone by selling off her son-in-law. Thank you for the words.”
“N-No, that’s not what I meant…”
Cold sweat ran down Hugo’s back.
It would have been easier if she had simply scolded him directly; this way, he could neither deny it nor agree without making the situation awkward.
And on top of that, he had managed to irritate Freya’s mood.
Though he did not turn around, he could feel the servants’ glares piercing his back like darts.
‘Why did Sir Hugo have to say something like that…’
‘If he’d just kept quiet, half the trouble would be gone!’
Freya was not a particularly bad person, but perhaps due to the psychological shock of losing her husband and daughter early, she had an obsessive tendency toward hygiene and cleanliness.
As a result, whenever her mood was foul, even a single speck of dust on a decorative shelf was enough to earn a scolding.
And everyone present instinctively knew that today would be one of those days.
“Hmm…”
The stern-looking Madam’s gaze swept over the interior of the mansion.
Just as everyone fell silent and Freya’s narrowed eyes seemed about to open her mouth to express her displeasure,
“Madam!”
In the midst of the dreadful silence, Rowena popped out with a bright “poof.”
With her twin tails tied high and adorned with ribbons — unlike usual — Rowena looked shockingly adorable.
But at this moment, the servants were too stunned to even squeal in delight.
‘Y-Young miss!’
‘She’s going to get scolded so badly…!’
What Freya hated most was rudeness.
Even the most courteous greeting would barely suffice, and yet here she was running out like that!
Just as the pale-faced Airi hurriedly moved to stop Rowena,
“Rowena, did you sleep well last night?”
Freya smiled warmly and embraced the rushing child.
“Yes! The blankets are super soft and cozy!”
“Good. You must cover yourself well so you don’t catch a cold.”
“Hehe, yes!”
Moreover, Rowena rubbed her cheek against the hem of Freya’s skirt.
The servants were so stunned by the unbelievable scene that they couldn’t even rub their eyes — they simply froze.
Yet the two of them behaved as if this were perfectly familiar.
“Your legs must be tired — come inside quickly. I’ll guide you!”
“How cheeky. Are you already acting like the master of the house?”
When Freya’s eyes sharpened, Rowena gave an embarrassed “hehe” laugh.
“Actually… I still only know that one path. I was pretending I had memorized everything so I could brag, but… ehh.”
“Hoho, you little rascal.”
Freya smiled indulgently as if greatly enjoying the child’s antics, then withdrew her smile and spoke.
“In truth, there is someone I want to introduce to you today. Someone you should start getting to know as well.”
Come in.
At Freya’s words, footsteps sounded from beyond the entrance.
Rowena peeked cautiously past the hem of Freya’s skirt.
And when she saw the shadow entering the mansion, her eyes filled with surprise.
Because the owner of that shadow was
“Greet her, Rowena. This is Dante Graham.”
the person who would become Rowena’s fiancé in the future.
* * *
After introducing Rowena and Dante, Freya left them behind, saying she would enjoy tea in the Somerset ducal residence’s greenhouse for the first time in a while.
And so, a strange peace settled over the Somerset ducal residence once more.
“I’m not sure if this is really the right thing to do, senior.”
At Hugo’s worried words, Henry — who had accompanied Freya as her attendant — lifted his head.
The two were alumni of the same butler academy, with Henry being several classes ahead of Hugo.
“What do you mean, Hugo?”
“The young miss and the young master are meeting for the first time. And the young miss only arrived at the ducal residence yesterday. She hasn’t even adjusted yet — is it really alright to leave the two of them alone without any adults?”
“If that’s your concern, don’t worry.”
Henry gave a gentle smile.
Of course, this meeting had come a little sooner than Freya and Henry had expected.
The place where Dante had been staying until now was the Graham estate.
‘I thought it would take some time for him to receive the message and come to the capital.’
No one had expected Dante to arrive this quickly.
Henry himself had expressed concern to Freya that the timing might be too early, but Freya had replied,
‘Whether now or later, they will meet someday anyway. It’s better to meet when the opportunity arises.’
And Henry had a slight tendency to believe Freya’s words without question.
“Above all, the young master Dante will eventually come to live in Somerset as well. Isn’t it better for them to become acquainted early?”
“That’s true. Still, shouldn’t we at least help ease the atmosphere a little?”
“There’s no need to worry. Madam said that Miss Rose and His Grace also had their first greeting in the same way.”
“Ah…!”
Only then did relief appear on Hugo’s face.
Rose and Seymour had also first met each other at around this age.
And the two of them had developed a bond far deeper than what could be described simply as love.
“Then I can rest easy.”
“Yes. When it comes to children, Madam knows far better than we do. She has keen insight, after all.”
So all we need to do is trust the two of them and wait.
At Henry’s warm words, Hugo’s expression brightened.
Patting his junior on the shoulder, Henry smiled gently.
“Who knows? Perhaps the two of them will become good friends and come out together.”
At the very moment this heartwarming conversation was taking place outside the door,
“…”
“…”
Rowena looked at the boy sitting across from her — Dante.
Dante wasn’t even looking in Rowena’s direction.
He simply kept his gaze lowered, staring blankly at the empty plate.
Thanks to that, Rowena also ended up just staring at the tea table in front of her, swallowing her saliva.
In the end, unable to resist the temptation of the opera cake, Rowena quietly slid a piece toward Dante.
“Hey, try this. It’s really delicious.”
Then, for the first time, Dante lifted his gaze.
‘Yes!’
Everyone likes cake!
Excited by his first reaction, Rowena chattered away happily.
“Eat this and let’s play together! The garden here is so big — it looks perfect for hide-and-seek. And there’s the fountain too—”
“Be quiet. I’m not going to play with you.”
Huh?
☆▪︎▪︎☆
