Chapter 109. Crown Prince Philip
An empty attic.
Deborah had been lying on the bed for a long while, staring blankly at the ceiling.
-It’s been a while since you could sleep in, or read a book you like. Well, it might feel a bit stifling not being able to go out.
A frantically busy morning. Hanna gave that advice to Deborah, who looked disheveled.
See you in the evening, Hanna said hurriedly as she left, and the attic soon fell into silence again.
For the first one or two hours, she started reading a borrowed book as suggested.
But since it was a book she had already finished once, and knowing everyone was frantically busy, the words wouldn’t enter her head at all.
In the end, Deborah closed the book and sat up again.
She tried pacing the room to move her body, but the space was so narrow that after a few back-and-forths, it felt like circling the same spot.
So the last thing she chose was to lie quietly on the bed.
“Hoo…….”
Even counting the stains stuck on the ceiling a few times soon became boring.
A long sigh escaped unknowingly.
Being confined in the narrow attic, living an unexpected imprisoned life was more grueling than expected.
-It might be stifling, but endure just tomorrow.
“…….”
Suddenly, the words she heard last night came to mind.
The words the man who held her in his arms said while gently patting her shoulder.
Deborah didn’t make any particular comment on those words.
Partly because she didn’t want to ruin the long-awaited time together, but also because she didn’t want to bring up the name of that unpleasant person with her own mouth.
Deborah simply nodded quietly and gave no further response until leaving the bedroom.
Deborah’s gaze slowly circled the quiet attic once more.
Only a few hours had passed, yet until the evening when the banquet ends, what on earth should she do—
“Haa-.”
Another long sigh escaped from her stifled heart.
* * *
On the long rectangular table, teacups were placed.
Three warm cream-colored teacups with gold rims on the edges.
Click.
Philip, who first picked up one of the aligned teacups, savored the tea aroma and smiled brightly.
“Mmm, the fragrance is good.”
Earl Grey flavored with fragrant bergamot oil was Crown Prince Philip’s favorite.
Well, it couldn’t compare to what was prepared in the royal palace—but since butler Greig and Charlotte had put their hearts into it, it was comparable in its own way.
After Philip tasted first, Raymond and Edward followed by lifting their teacups.
Though the three had been close enough to hang out like this since childhood, Raymond and Edward still didn’t commit the rudeness of breaching basic etiquette toward the crown prince.
Philip always said to relax in such settings, but it was a habit ingrained in the body, hard to change.
“By the way.”
Philip, who had set down his teacup back on the table, stared at Raymond sitting across.
“How’s it going with Constant. I heard rumors of an engagement quite a while ago.”
For nearly a year, the three had been busy in their respective positions, rarely having such gatherings.
Of course, Edward, relatively the most leisurely among them, consistently visited the Cheister family as always.
Edward’s gaze, while tilting his teacup, subtly turned to Raymond sitting beside him.
It was a story he was quite curious about anyway.
Not only because he heard from Cecilia about what happened at breakfast a few days ago, but even without that, his recent actions were suspicious.
Uncharacteristically delaying the engagement vow was strange, making him briefly think perhaps he was meeting a woman—but that didn’t seem to be it either.
If he was meeting a woman outside, rumors would surely circulate, and it would definitely reach his ears in some way.
But asking directly would only get dismissed as nonsense, so he couldn’t probe further.
At that moment, since Philip brought up the engagement, there might be some answer.
He couldn’t ignore the crown prince’s words, even if he could ignore his.
Raymond, leisurely sitting and drinking tea, soon leaned forward and slowly set his teacup on the table.
After a brief silence, pondering something, a strange groan escaped his mouth.
“There’s something I need to think about.”
At that suspicious answer, Philip and Edward’s brows immediately furrowed.
Something to think about—what kind of bizarre nonsense was that.
The person who gave the answer himself looked utterly calm, while Edward sitting beside him appeared extremely complicated.
“Something to think about. What do you mean…….”
The crown prince’s words, asked in puzzlement, gradually trailed off.
Something like a brief realization passed over his momentarily silent face.
“Perhaps, you might not make the engagement vow with the Constant marquess’s daughter—that’s what you’re saying?”
At the words from the crown prince’s mouth, Edward’s eyes widened greatly.
As if it had already happened, he stared piercingly at Raymond with shocked eyes.
Even though he must feel that obvious gaze, Raymond was as calm as could be.
He wanted to ask if it was true, what on earth he was thinking, but he couldn’t act rashly in front of the crown prince.
So he just stared intently at his profile.
“Later, when a decision is made—I’ll inform you separately then.”
Meaning don’t ask further at this point.
Philip and Edward, who had been looking at him dumbfounded for a while, soon exchanged strange glances.
When he drew such a firm line, they knew well from long time shared with him that probing further was not allowed.
Guessing something unusual was happening, but for now, they could only cover it.
“This is going to cause quite a storm.”
As if foreseeing the coming future, Philip shook his head and said that.
Knock knock-
Just then, the sound of knocking echoed into the study.
After a moment, the person who opened the door and entered was butler Greig.
“Everything is prepared.”
At the news that the banquet preparations were complete, Raymond slightly nodded.
“Let’s go then.”
It was time to move to the banquet hall.
Crown Prince Philip readily stood up, saying so.
Raymond and Edward followed behind him as he strode across the study.
* * *
Flinch.
Startled by the feeling of misstepping, she woke from sleep.
“…….”
Deborah, blinking her wide-open eyes for a while, slowly began looking around.
Struggling with stuffiness, she must have dozed off unknowingly…….
Only then grasping the situation, Deborah quietly rubbed her face.
Then slowly turned her head to check the current time on the wall clock.
‘By now…… the banquet should have started, right?’
It was later than expected.
Though when it would end depended on the banquet’s atmosphere that day, still, the fact that evening had come brought a strange sense of liberation.
From the thought that only a few more hours remained.
Whether from sleeping in a wrong position or being confined all day, her body ached here and there.
Thinking to stretch a bit, as she lowered her feet off the bed—
Knock knock.
“…….”
At the sudden sound, Deborah’s body flinched.
At first, she thought she misheard.
At this hour, wondering who would knock on the attic door.
Breaking that puzzlement, the sound came again.
Knock knock.
This time, a clearer sound than before.
Deborah stood up and walked to the door.
Hesitating for a moment while holding the handle, Deborah finally pulled it with force.
“…….”
“…….”
The person standing at the door was someone she had never seen before.
No, the face seemed familiar from somewhere.
There were hundreds of servants residing in Elpengreen alone.
Including some in the main building and those in the separate servants’ building behind, the number was enormous.
Excluding those she knew well, most were people whose faces were only familiar, so Deborah tried to recall who the face before her was.
But no matter how much she thought, she couldn’t remember.
So finally, she spoke.
“……Who.”
At the cautious question, the maid in the darkness flinched.
At that suspicious behavior, tension instinctively tightened in her body, when a low voice came.
“……Madame Charlotte sent for you.”
Quietly—at the mysterious woman’s words, Deborah’s brows slightly furrowed.
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