Chapter 5
Last night, she had an unpleasant dream. A dream filled with memories from her childhood. Thanks to that, Alexa, who had been tossing and turning since dawn, opened her eyes before the sun even rose.
Why had she dreamed such a thing?
In her hazy state of mind, she acknowledged that the fact she had to leave Winterborn’s townhouse—which she had only just grown accustomed to—was having a significant impact on her.
Today was a day she didn’t have to go to the department store. Sitting quietly in bed, listening to the gradually growing bustle of the mansion, Alexa finally threw off the covers and got up. She pulled out large boxes from the wardrobe. Ever since Harrison’s suggestion that she get married, she had slowly begun organizing her room. If she didn’t think ahead and pack her things in advance, she knew she’d end up forgetting one or two items later and regretting it.
Things like the faded poetry collection her maternal grandmother had given her, the glasses her mother occasionally used, letters from Aren’s friends, and the like. As she carefully packed these precious items into the boxes, her hand came across the diary she had kept at Blainefield House.
After a moment’s hesitation, she opened the diary. As she flipped through the thin pages, emotions she had tried hard to ignore came flooding back. They were feelings of anxiety, impatience, and worry from the time when she had to live in the same space as people who disliked her.
A longing and curiosity for the glittering world. Admiration for the perfect boy. But such things hadn’t lasted long. Blainefield had not accepted Alexa and Isabella. That thorough rejection had left deep wounds, preserved intact within the pages of the diary.
Raymond, Raymond, and again Raymond.
The Alexa in the diary seemed to have quite a few grievances against him. There were a considerable number of sentences that began with his name. After the collision in the greenhouse, Raymond had not hidden his contempt for her, and Alexa, unsure how to handle the hatred, had immaturely responded in kind with her own barbs. In the end, they had become not family, but worse than complete strangers.
How foolish.
As she read through her younger self’s writing, filled with melancholic content, Alexa let out a shallow sigh and closed the diary.
He’s someone who has nothing to do with me anymore.
The encounter with him at the department store had certainly been disconcerting. But it was just a coincidence. A particularly nasty one.
The woman standing beside Raymond at the time had looked like a lady from a noble family. She might even be his fiancée. Having become the duke he always wanted to be, he would likely lead the estate alongside a woman of similar status. Blainefield would respect and love the young duke and his wife.
That kind of life suited him well. Just as life at Winterborn felt more comfortable and natural to her. No matter how much the world had changed, the insurmountable gap in social status remained firmly in place.
Having finished organizing, Alexa gathered up a stack of delivered magazines and headed down to the sunlit study. The kind butler prepared tea and snacks for her. In the peaceful atmosphere, she felt an unparalleled sense of calm.
* * *
In the afternoon, Dominic entered the study and quietly smiled at the sight of the woman engrossed in reading magazines on the sofa where she always sat. Muffling his footsteps, he circled around to the back of the sofa and suddenly spoke up, intending to startle her.
“What are you thinking about so intently?”
As he expected, Alexa jumped in surprise. Her shoulders trembling, she closed the magazine and grumbled.
“Dominic! I thought my heart was going to drop out.”
“If it drops, I’ll just pick it up for you. It’s for my one and only little sister, after all.”
“You’re such a tease… You’re home early?”
In one of Dominic’s hands was a bundle of documents tied with a red string.
“I’ve finished all the work for this week. Now I just need to read the reports from the researchers at home.”
Dominic rounded the sofa and naturally sat down next to Alexa. She cleared away the stack of magazines piled beside her to make room for him. Then, picking up one of the magazines, Dominic flipped through the pages until he spotted an Everhart advertisement and said in an amused voice.
“You’re working, I see.”
Alexa shrugged as if it were obvious.
“I always have to check if the ads we commissioned are properly placed. Some places forget to include them sometimes.”
“I can picture how meticulously Miss Winterborn inspects them without even seeing it. But still, aren’t you overdoing it lately? I hear you’re pushing yourself even harder than Harrison Winterborn did in his prime.”
Dominic picked up the teacup on the table, ignoring Alexa’s warning glance that it was her cup, and took a sip of the warm tea.
“It smells nice.”
“You could just ask for a new cup.”
“Yours looks more fragrant.”
“You’re being stubborn.”
“Just tell me why you’re pushing yourself so hard.”
“The season with the highest sales of the year is approaching. Of course I have to work hard. And I’ll be busy with various things going forward anyway.”
Dominic’s gaze shifted from concern to something else. Even the smile on his lips faded as he paused before speaking.
“Because of the marriage?”
After a brief hesitation, Alexa turned her head with a bright smile.
“You heard from Father? Isn’t it exciting? Wondering who I’ll end up marrying.”
“Are you acting like a woman who’s dying to get married right now? If so, you’re disqualified for this role.”
“Acting? Why would I?”
“You have plenty of reasons if it’s to protect the family’s peace. You’re too much of a worrier; that’s your problem. Father won’t force you into something you don’t want. Go tell him the truth right now. Say it’s too soon.”
Dominic’s persuasion was earnest. He genuinely didn’t want Alexa to suffer from an unwanted marriage. Knowing her brother’s consideration, Alexa felt deep gratitude toward him. But she had already made her decision.
“It’s something I have to do eventually. Until now, with Mother’s passing and all, people haven’t been pushing about my marriage, but time has passed.”
“You don’t need to worry about what other people think.”
Alexa wasn’t unaware of why Dominic was concerned. The process of finding a husband would undoubtedly be far more arduous than expected. The social world’s criticism of her mother, who had dared to divorce from the position of duchess, had been immense. Finding a man who would look at Alexa, her daughter, without prejudice would be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.
“You know it’s impossible, Dominic. There are plenty of people wondering why Harrison Winterborn’s daughter isn’t getting married. And among them are those who maintain strong partnerships with Elford.”
However, after Harrison’s suggestion, Alexa had faced reality. She couldn’t live doing only what she wanted. If she wanted the department store, then fulfilling her father’s wish for her to marry was a fair exchange.
“Finding a husband who meets Father’s standards won’t be easy, that’s for sure. But I can’t stay at Winterborn forever and become the little sister who hinders her brother’s marriage.”
“That wouldn’t be so bad.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. I’ll pass on that.”
Alexa firmly shook her head and lowered her gaze back to the magazine. Dominic still felt dissatisfied, but seeing that her attitude was firmer than he expected, he decided to back off for now. Soon, the only sound filling the drawing room was the rustle of turning pages.
As time passed, the afternoon sunlight streaming through the window wrapped a warm glow around Alexa’s black hair. Pretending to read documents beside her, Dominic occasionally lifted his head to glance at her profile, which seemed veiled in golden light.
Alexa’s posture, honed by strict etiquette lessons in a noble’s mansion, was consistently upright and proper. It had been the same when she first arrived at Winterborn’s townhouse.
She had been terrified, shrinking into herself, yet there was an oddly dignified grace in her demeanor. Dominic had figured out what kind of time Alexa had spent in the duke’s mansion within just a few days of living together.
The girl had clearly been bullied. From above, and from below.
After realizing that, Dominic had strived to create a home where Alexa could smile comfortably. Just as her new mother, Isabella, had brought back his father’s laughter, he wanted to be a reliable big brother to her daughter, Alexa.
“Today is the day we’re supposed to go out to eat with Father. How about you finish up your overtime right now, big brother?”
Sensing his gaze, Alexa murmured softly without lifting her eyes from the magazine. Dominic grumbled lightly.
“If I’d known, I wouldn’t have come home from the office.”
Alexa smiled faintly and muttered.
“You’re such an idiot, really.”
The smile he had wanted to reclaim bloomed on Alexa’s face. Her cheeks rose slightly, and her pink lips curved softly—an utterly lovely smile.
Dominic stared at it as if entranced, then cleared his throat repeatedly. The queasiness in his stomach must have been because the butler had brewed the tea especially strong today.
* * *
Raymond felt a slight sense of awe toward the woman who persistently visited every social season. The uninvited guest comfortably settled on the sofa in the drawing room was named Charlotte Fraser.
Undeterred by the mansion owner’s displeased expression, she steadfastly praised the beauty of the ducal townhouse and the diligence of the servants. Raymond stood by the window in the drawing room, letting her preamble wash over him.
Charlotte pointed out his uncooperative stance after finishing her comment that the butler still looked healthy.
“Why don’t you sit down, Duke Belsmeyer? This might turn into a long conversation. Standing like that makes me feel like you’re not welcoming me, and it’s distracting.”
“Lady Fraser. I’m comfortable here. I can hear your voice just fine from this spot.”
“That arrogant attitude hasn’t changed. Not when you were young, and not now.”
“In that case, how about cutting back on unnecessary visits and focusing on your family’s affairs? You no longer need to pursue grand plans to become the mistress of Blainefield. You’ve become the lady of another grand mansion, after all.”
Charlotte’s face flushed for a moment. But she quickly lifted her chin and returned to the dignified demeanor of a noble lady.
“Unnecessary visits? That’s hurtful.”
In their childhood, Charlotte and Raymond had been mentioned as potential fiancés. But after the duke remarried, Charlotte’s father, the Marquis of Rosewell, had halted interactions with his daughter, citing Raymond’s unstable position. At the time, the marquis and his wife’s judgment had been considered wise.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ✧: *. ꕥ .* :✧ﾟ. ───
