Chapter 8
However, the famous dress shops in the capital required reservations at least half a year in advance to receive a gown on time, so Alexa ended up wearing a dress with a slightly different vibe from what noble young ladies typically preferred. Olga deeply regretted this fact. But Alexa was pleased with the outfit crafted by the passionate tailor, and she added an extra tip to his fee as a gesture of appreciation for rushing the completion.
On the day she was to try on the dress, get her hair set, and adorn herself with jewelry to check the overall harmony.
Olga, who had arrived at dawn, scrutinized Alexa from head to toe with the stern eyes of a judge. Standing on the dais, Alexa endured the ache in her back from hours of wearing uncomfortable heels, but she held back to avoid earning her chaperone’s displeasure.
“There don’t seem to be any parts that need fixing. The dress looks much more polished than at first, and the necklace suits your eyes well.”
“That’s a relief.”
Olga’s gaze briefly lingered on the sapphire necklace around Alexa’s neck, which was breathtakingly beautiful. She seemed particularly taken with it.
“I never imagined the famous gem known as the Sea Fairy’s Tear would be in your possession. It’s rare to find a necklace that matches the dignity of Silverbell so perfectly.”
“I’m told it was a gift from my late grandfather to my mother.”
“It shows how much Mr. Bridier loved his daughter. Now, come down from the dais and walk as I’ve taught you. Always remember not to stride boldly like you’re heading to work at the department store.”
“Yes, Aunt.”
Alexa, wrapped in all sorts of luxuries she didn’t usually wear, moved with light, graceful steps. Thanks to weeks of desperate practice after hearing she had to attend the Silverbell ball, her movements were convincingly elegant. Memories from her childhood also helped greatly.
Only after confirming that Alexa could adeptly handle all the dances that would be played at the ball did Olga permit her niece to change into comfortable clothes. Back in the drawing room, Alexa sat tensely across from Olga, who was perched in a rigid posture. The chaperone seemed to have something to say before leaving.
Setting down her teacup, Olga spoke solemnly.
“For women like you who have so much, marriage is the most important thing in life.”
A stiff atmosphere, devoid of any laughter, hung in the drawing room.
“It’s about gaining more or being wretchedly stripped of what you have. You must agonize fiercely and make your choice.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You’re probably not entirely at ease about returning to high society. But all the men from good families with excellent reputations are there. We can’t recruit a son-in-law for the Winterborn family through a tabloid job ad, can we?”
“No.”
“To be honest, Alexa, it pains me deeply that my brother and niece have been the subject of public ridicule because of that divorced duchess.”
Though she was now in much more comfortable attire, Alexa’s face paled as if she were squeezed into a tight corset. It was all too clear that the late Isabella was her weak point. Even seeing the pitiful, blood-drained complexion, Olga continued without hesitation.
“And then there’s the filthy scandal attached to your name. Your father endured attacks from reporters for years because of the rumor that you were the illegitimate child Isabella and Harrison had in Aren. Of course, Harrison views tabloid journalists like insects, but even an insect’s bite leaves a scar.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“It’s not something that requires your apology. I just want to gain some assurance.”
“What kind of assurance do you mean?”
“The assurance that you won’t run away. The belief that Alexa Winterborn will make a choice for the family’s sake.”
Alexa knew what those cold chaperone eyes were demanding. Regardless of the happy times the four of them had spent as a family, it was true that the Winterborn father and son had given up much to embrace her mother and her. Now it was time for Alexa to make a choice for them.
“No matter what I hear in high society, no matter how I’m treated… I’ll endure it well. I’ll always be careful not to bring harm to the family.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear.”
At last, Olga smiled. In the face of that smile, Alexa felt powerless.
* * *
The surface of the river cutting through the capital sparkled silver in the sunlight. The sound of the flowing current was as lighthearted as a shepherd’s whistle. Lush water plants along the banks swayed this way and that in the river, creating foam.
The weather was a bit too chilly to enter the water, but the rowers in sleeveless tops and shorts stretched at the dock as if it were midsummer. Behind them, long boats and oars used for races were lined up, waiting to plunge into the river.
From the riverbank above, overlooking them, a man approached Raymond. It was John Ducket, the coach who managed the rowing team at the prestigious Bellick University.
“Have you come to check on the juniors’ skills?”
The seasoned coach greeted him cheerfully. Raymond bowed politely to the man who had also been his rowing mentor.
“How’s this year’s regatta looking? Can I bet on our alma mater’s victory?”
“If the outstanding graduate who led the school to victory for the past three years was still on my team, I’d tell you to do so without hesitation… But this year, I’m being cautious.”
“I’m curious about the name of that remarkable graduate.”
“He was the son of a certain ducal family. He had so much on his plate that I couldn’t ask him to pick up an oar, so I regrettably let him go.”
The student John had given up on was Raymond. He was the one who had led them to three consecutive victories in the rowing regattas against rival universities. As the ace, Raymond’s popularity was immense; ladies had even sneaked onto campus to see him running with a rowing boat on his shoulder. It was common knowledge that training attire back then didn’t include a top.
“Anyway, what brings you here today?”
John asked as they walked along the riverbank together.
“Nothing special. I just wanted to check on how you’re doing, Coach.”
“I knew it—you must have found some thrill in my grueling training methods. You miss holding the oar sometimes, don’t you?”
“It was tough, but enjoyable.”
“I’m glad to hear that; it makes it all worthwhile.”
The fresh early spring air carried the scent of damp grass. Raymond and John exchanged thoughts on the school’s poor training facilities and incidents that had occurred during practices.
As the students began their training in earnest, shouting with spirit, their gazes turned simultaneously to the long boats floating on the water. Raymond, seriously assessing the juniors’ abilities, felt a stare from the side and turned his head toward John.
“Do you have something to say?”
“It’s what I want to say. You always come to observe rowing practice when you have a lot on your mind, don’t you?”
“You caught me.”
The young man’s face lit up with a charming smile. John asked in a probing tone.
“Are you perhaps悩ming over marriage?”
“No. It’s company matters. I apologize for not being able to go into details.”
“Oh dear! I’m sorry. I have a son your age, Your Grace, and lately, the thing he’s most concerned about is marriage… I wondered if you might be pondering the same.”
“I understand. It’s an important issue.”
“You seem so relaxed—does that mean you have someone in mind?”
Raymond, his eyes following the boat surging forward powerfully, shook his head with a composed expression.
“Not particularly, but I think I’ll be getting married soon. The pressure from my relatives is intensifying day by day. They’re the type who worry I’ll suddenly get crushed by a collapsing clock tower while walking along the river and die without an heir.”
“…Pardon?”
No one special in mind, but marriage is imminent. The way Raymond spoke of marriage sounded more like a bankers’ contract than a vow with a beloved.
“Don’t you have any dreams about what marriage should look like?”
“Well, perhaps one that doesn’t fail?”
“That’s… quite straightforward…”
As the bland conversation dissolved into silence, a breeze blew in from somewhere. It was a refreshing wind that washed away the tedium of daily life. In that moment, Raymond suddenly thought of Alexa. The one who hadn’t lost her kind voice even after suffering an insulting ordeal.
Alexa, who still seemed accustomed to smiling for others’ sake.
The impression she had left after two encounters was clearer than expected. It wasn’t strange to be interested in a woman he’d clashed with like an enemy. Raymond didn’t deny his curiosity about her new life.
Afterward, he wrapped up the conversation with his coach. Watching John Ducket head toward the dock, Raymond turned on his heel.
The young men who had launched their boats were advancing in the same direction as him, rocking their upper bodies dramatically forward and back. The one seated at the stern shouted encouragement to his teammates. The sight of the juniors straining every muscle to increase speed was familiar.
Giving them one last look, Raymond left the riverbank for his next appointment.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ✧: *. ꕥ .* :✧ﾟ. ───
