17
After Magnus left first, it was already late at night.
Thinking it would be better to return after everyone had gone to sleep, Eliza, who had been lying on the bed, rose.
‘I hope my parents aren’t waiting for me.’
After carefully covering her face, she descended the stairs and saw Brandon drinking beer in one corner of the tavern on the first floor.
Someone called out to Eliza, who was worried about whether Brandon could even drive the carriage in that state.
“Eli! Are you leaving now?”
Eliza’s body jolted in surprise. When she turned around, Hamel, the innkeeper, smiled awkwardly.
“Oh my, I must have startled you. I called you over to give you this.”
“Ah, Uncle.”
Eliza accepted the paper bag he handed her. When she opened it, there was a sandwich inside.
“You already gave me one earlier.”
“You look like you haven’t been eating properly. You’re so scrawny…….”
She was completely covered from head to toe, so Eliza had no idea what he could possibly have seen to call her scrawny.
Eliza let out a small laugh and gazed wistfully at the thick sandwich.
This place was an old haunt of hers. When she was young, she would sneak out of the residence and pretend to be a street child, singing here in exchange for coins.
She had dreamed of saving enough money to leave her family even if it meant doing that, but once she grew older, she realized that she could never become independent with that little money.
After that, she naturally visited less often, and only occasionally came secretly when she was in a bad mood, where she would spend time playing with Leopold before leaving.
So how surprised must he have been when she suddenly appeared riding in a proper carriage and wearing a dress, even if it was concealed beneath a robe?
Eliza recalled Hamel’s dazed expression from earlier.
“A noble lady, here of all places…….”
“It’s me, Uncle.”
“……Eli?”
“Yes. It’s me. I’m sorry for deceiving you all this time……”
“Have you been going hungry?”
“What?”
“Or were you sick somewhere? Your cheeks have become so thin.”
Even though he had obviously been surprised, Hamel still took care of Eliza.
When she told him she was fine, he hurriedly put a sandwich into her hands, gave her the room she had requested, and complied with her request to show her in if a guest came looking for her.
Eliza stopped Hamel when he tried to address her awkwardly with honorifics.
“I’m just Eli. I always will be.”
“If that’s what you want, then I’ll treat you that way too.”
Gratitude thoroughly warmed her heart. Eliza, holding the paper bag against her chest, searched her pocket.
“Hey! Three beers over here!”
“Yes, coming!”
“Wait a moment, Uncle. Let me at least pay you.”
Eliza hurriedly stopped Hamel as he tried to leave, but he waved his hand dismissively.
“It’s fine. Between us, there’s no need.”
“But I feel sorry for always accepting things from you.”
“Always? You haven’t even come here often. This time, I really thought you’d gone somewhere and died.”
Hamel grumbled while glaring at her. His scolding words actually felt warm and familiar to Eliza.
“I’ve been a little busy. I’ll come back sooner next time.”
“Good. And…… actually, Leo came by last time and left a large sum of money. Ahem. I’m not saying I intend to repay it with just a sandwich.”
Eliza, startled, lightly bit her lip beneath the veil.
This was also the place where Leopold and she had first met and formed a connection. The shabby regular ‘Leo’ of ‘Eli,’ who sang songs.
Eliza vigorously shook her head, trying not to recall the past.
“Bring Leo along next time too. I won’t ask him to sing, so just tell him I said hello. Ah, but he isn’t a young master too, is he? He was an even scruffier little brat than you! I even secretly put him to work sometimes!”
“Ahaha. I’ll bring him next time. If I get the chance.”
It was a promise she could not keep. Hamel hurried away to carry beer to the demanding customers.
Eliza watched him go over to Brandon and speak to him. When Hamel said something and pointed this way, Brandon got up and staggered over, looking unsteady.
‘……Am I really going to be able to get home?’
Eliza did not know how to drive a carriage. Hamel tried to support Brandon and bring him over, but halfway there, he lost his temper and dropped him.
Then he approached Eliza and grumbled.
“Oh dear, what is that fellow going to do being that drunk? This won’t do. I’ll just let him sleep here and take you home.”
“You will, Uncle?”
“Yes. At this point, there isn’t much left for you to get caught hiding, is there?”
“……Haha.”
“What is that reaction supposed to mean?”
Hamel looked at Eliza suspiciously, entrusted his duties to an employee, and quickly took off his apron.
Somehow climbing onto the coachman’s seat excitedly, he asked,
“Where am I driving you?”
***
After Eliza revealed her identity exactly, Hamel let out another horrified cry, but the carriage arrived safely at the residence.
Eliza finally managed to hand Hamel his fare when he tried to refuse again, then quietly slipped inside the residence.
And when she saw a rigid figure standing in the center of the lobby holding a lantern, she caught her breath.
“You have finally returned. I have been waiting.”
The butler, who had still not been able to leave for the day, politely gestured toward the young lady.
“There is a guest waiting inside.”
“Who would come at this hour?”
“Marquis of Hagen has been waiting for you until this late hour.”
The shadows filling the surroundings seemed to fall heavily upon her. Eliza closed her eyes for a moment and steadied her breathing.
“I will see him tomorrow.”
“That would be discourteous.”
“No lady would meet an unrelated man at this hour.”
“Marquis of Hagen is someone who will become your elder by marriage. No one will think anything of it, so please go upstairs.”
The butler approached Eliza and extended his arm as though politely offering her an escort. Eliza ignored him and stepped forward.
However, the butler followed her up to the second floor and blocked the hallway leading to her room.
“The young lady’s door will not be opened until you have shown proper courtesy to the guest.”
It meant that he had locked the door. Eliza glared at the butler.
That’s right. This was originally her position in this household. They followed her father, not her.
“Let me see Father first.”
“Count Waluer is also there, so please go at once.”
“No? I mean let me see Father alone.”
Eliza slowly took several steps back. Seeing the stubborn look on her face, the butler’s brows furrowed.
“How old are you that you are still throwing a tantrum?”
“I do this because it’s the only way you’ll listen to me.”
“How can the young lady not think of the family? Because of your arbitrary actions, Count Waluer has already been put in a great deal of difficulty.”
“Father will actually welcome what I’ve done.”
Eliza gave a sharp laugh. She raised her chin and looked down at the butler.
“Didn’t Helreos tell you? That I went to meet His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Such a lie……”
“Who dares say it is a lie?”
Eliza straightened her back and put strength into her voice.
“Tomorrow morning, His Highness has promised to come here in person.”
The butler’s expression wavered. Only now showing signs of confusion, he received Eliza’s firm demand.
“Go and tell Father clearly. The royal messenger will arrive when the sun rises, so does he intend to dare ignore him?”
“Young lady, invoking the royal family is on an entirely different level from a mere act of defiance!”
“You still don’t believe me, do you, Butler?”
The butler stared at Eliza’s shadowed face as though seeing a stranger.
The face of the girl who used to shrink before adults was now deathly pale and expressionless. Heavy emotions spread across features that had grown more mature than the face the butler knew.
“If I become the Marchioness of Hagen in the future, Father won’t be able to treat me carelessly either. And if the day comes when I gain control over the affairs of the marquisate, Waluer’s debts will be mine as well.”
Candlelight flickered as her reddened eyes shot a piercing gaze. This house had always made her give up and made her angry.
“Even if it’s an order rather than a request, are you still going to refuse to listen to me?”
Only then did the butler take a heavy step.
After hearing what had happened, Count Waluer managed to persuade Marquis of Hagen to postpone his meeting with Eliza until the following day.
Count Waluer tried to send the Marquis back, but Marquis of Hagen stayed at the Waluer residence for the night.
And so, dawn broke.
The moment Eliza pulled the bell cord, Nancy burst into the room and let out a sobbing cry.
“Miss! I’m so glad you’re safe!”
“Nancy. You, of all people……. Helreos didn’t make a scene, did he?”
“Young Master is always bad-tempered, so it’s fine!”
“Yes. You did a great job. Thank you.”
After exchanging a brief greeting, Eliza immediately began getting ready.
It was early morning. She had heard that Marquis of Hagen was still staying inside the residence.
Since she did not know when she would have to face him, she needed to prepare herself mentally.
‘The Marquis has never sought me out this persistently before. Apparently…… he really does have some use for me.’
The secret room she had seen kept coming to mind, making her increasingly tense.
With her fists clenched tightly, she looked at her reflection in the mirror.
She had dressed well enough that she would not be considered discourteous no matter whom she met.
“There’s still no news about the guest, right?”
“Since it’s quiet, I think so.”
From the moment dawn began peeking through the window, Eliza had kept her ears perked, waiting for an outside visitor.
But the messenger had still not arrived.
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