“Pardon?”
At Winston’s words, the old butler’s voice cracked as he asked back for a moment. At the butler’s behavior, acting like someone who had not expected such a situation, Olivia naturally shifted her gaze to the servants. Sure enough, they too were exchanging eye signals with each other.
“Ah, yes. I understand.”
“Then Miss Russell, this way.”
Olivia, seeing the stinging gazes of the servants alternating between her and Winston, grew curious about how much they knew.
It would be wonderful if everyone could simply think of her as a guest visiting this place without knowing her identity, but that could not possibly be. Already, the faces of some who had recognized her were colored with shock.
“Oh, I don’t see Masha. Has she been guided to her room?”
“There is a room on the first floor where the resident servants stay. It is a private room, so she should be able to rest comfortably.”
At Winston’s words, Olivia nodded and slowly climbed the stairs following him.
“I apologize if you were startled earlier. It was the servants’ rudeness from being excited, so please overlook it.”
“Not at all. Rather, I thought of something else. I assumed you received such greetings every day after going out.”
“Pfft.”
Victor, quietly following behind, finally could not hold back his laughter. He quickly put on an innocent face, but there was no way to avoid the gazes of the two walking ahead. Victor especially seemed to break into a cold sweat under Winston’s eyes.
“Oh my, Señor. It’s awkward when you react like that.”
“Huh, you know me?”
“Of course. You are His Highness the Grand Duke’s only attendant.”
Winston seemed quite surprised as well, as much as Victor was. Olivia, wondering if that was really so surprising, offered a light smile at the two gazes directed at her. Victor, expressing emotion all over his face for a moment, fortunately soon returned to his usual self under Winston’s watchful eye.
“Ahem, to return to what you mentioned earlier and offer a word, it is because this is the first time we have hosted such an honored guest at the Grand Duke’s residence.”
“Really? Hmm, I see. It seems I have committed a great rudeness, then.”
“That is something that should have been anticipated from the moment a divorced Count’s daughter sent a letter to an unmarried Grand Duke.”
Olivia, seeing Victor unable to hide his shock at Winston’s words, gently smiled as if to say there was no need to be surprised. Now, remarks of that level could not put even the smallest scratch on Olivia.
“This is the place. The entire second floor has been left empty, so use it freely.”
Stepping inside, Olivia was startled by the atmosphere of the drawing room, completely different from the hallway, and looked around. Winston, who had followed her in, stood with his hand on the back of the sofa. Winston’s gaze followed Olivia as she admired each object as if caressing it.
“Wow, it’s completely different from the outside. How did you decorate it so well?”
“……Let us say it is the wisdom of our ancestors.”
“It imitates the palace of the capital.”
“One could also say it does not follow trends.”
“Yes, I see.”
At Winston’s excuse that was not quite an excuse, Olivia burst into laughter and headed toward him. He could have simply said it was his own handiwork.
“Thank you for giving me a good room.”
Winston, answering with a light eye signal, took out his pocket watch and straightened himself.
“There is some time left until dinner, so I will have some refreshments brought up.”
“Wait, Your Highness.”
At the voice that stopped him, Winston halted his steps and turned around. Olivia’s clear voice, who seemed uncharacteristically hesitant about something, echoed through the hallway.
“Would you like to have it together?”
* * *
In the end, Olivia’s scheme failed. It was because of Winston, who rejected her proposal outright. Looking at that firm demeanor, Olivia newly realized that the rejection she had received when she proposed marriage to him had not even been a proper rejection.
“Hmm, still, it’s a shame.”
“What is?”
Olivia, leaning comfortably on the sofa, watched Masha busily moving about through the wide-open wardrobe.
“He rejected my proposal to share a cup of tea. His Highness the Grand Duke.”
“What? But earlier in front of the carriage, he looked at you with such passionate eyes.”
Olivia looked at Masha with wide eyes, afraid someone might hear. Masha’s eyes were sparkling, and it seemed the aftereffect of being bewitched by Winston’s appearance was considerable. Olivia shook her head and let out a small sigh.
“……Masha, his gaze did not mean that.”
“Really?”
“It was probably a look of resentment for having been saddled with something troublesome.”
“Hmm, yes, well. If you say so, Young Lady, then it must be.”
At the answer without a drop of sincerity, Olivia wanted to add one more word, but decided to let it pass. Because she knew well that no words would work on Masha with eyes like that.
“Young Lady, it’s Marilyn.”
“Yes, come in.”
Just then, Marilyn arrived, and the two naturally wrapped up their conversation. Marilyn, having brought a cart, transferred the refreshments from the door to a silver tray and set them on the tea table by the window. Marilyn, who had skillfully poured black tea into the teacups, smiled brightly at Olivia, who had come to the table before she knew it.
“As the dinner hour is not far off, I have prepared a simple refreshment.”
“Thank you.”
Even the author of the travelogue, who had spared no praise for the northern natural scenery, had given a harsh assessment of Libien when it came to food alone. Olivia looked at a plate of oatmeal cookies and thought that, as expected, it would be best not to expect much from the food.
“Are these oatmeal cookies?”
“I am only sorry that the preparation is insufficient. The truth is, this is the first time such a precious person has come as a guest to the Grand Duke’s residence, so we could not prepare a proper dessert……”
“It’s alright. It’s true I came suddenly, and these are something I enjoy eating as well, so don’t concern yourself.”
Masha, standing beside Marilyn, gave a look asking when Olivia had ever enjoyed oatmeal cookies, but Olivia, naturally, lightly pretended not to see that gaze and gave a wink to the moved Marilyn.
“Then I will take my leave now. Thank you for seeing to me.”
“Yes, Young Lady.”
Marilyn bowed and left the drawing room with the cart. Only after the door closed did Masha open her mouth.
“When I first came into the Grand Duke’s residence earlier, the head maid was very kind as well.”
“Was she?”
Olivia, thinking from their brief conversation that Marilyn was quite a decent servant, looked at the teacup she had prepared.
In the South, the treatment of a guest was differentiated by the value of the teacup. That was why knowing in advance when a teacup was made and by whom was one of a noble lady’s most important virtues, but this was a teacup of a shape Olivia had never seen before in her life.
“How fascinating. It’s only a day by train, yet how can they not follow trends to this extent?”
“Usually trends flow from the capital to the South. Especially, the northern nobles are said to have their own culture and trends. This seems to be what makes this place feel even more unfamiliar.”
Masha nodded as if she finally understood, and Olivia tilted her head and looked at Masha.
“Masha, why are you standing like that?”
“Pardon?”
“You should fill the seat in front of me as usual. It’s a shame there’s only one teacup, though.”
At Olivia’s words telling her to bring her own teacup next time, Masha laughed softly. Her Young Lady looked after her like this even after coming to someone else’s house. But since she did not entirely dislike it, she plopped down on the remaining chair and picked up an oatmeal cookie.
“If you keep doing this, I’ll get bad habits.”
“We have a long story to share, and I can’t keep holding my head up.”
“Even if you say that, I know your inner thoughts.”
“If you know, then just eat quietly.”
Watching Olivia elegantly take a sip of tea, Masha crunched on a cookie. Just as she was joking, “Mm, it’s not poisoned,” Masha’s eyes, savoring the taste, grew very wide.
“Her skill is amazing! To think this flavor comes from a mere oatmeal cookie!”
Coming from Masha, who had explored all kinds of expensive and delicious desserts with Olivia, it had to be reliable. Olivia cautiously tasted the cookie.
“Oh my.”
Despite its utterly ordinary appearance, it was astonishing how, as Masha said, such a flavor could come from it.
“I’m looking forward to dinner. They said northern food isn’t very good.”
Surely, coming from the Grand Duke’s residence kitchen, it would be above average. As Olivia immediately picked up a second cookie, Masha, brushing crumbs from the corner of her mouth, asked her.
“By the way, what will you do now?”
“About what?”
“He even rejected a cup of tea, so it seems you’ll have to put in a great deal of effort to make the marriage happen.”
“You know well even without me saying it.”
“Is there something I can help with?”
