Chapter 10
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Dear, I believe you may be misunderstanding.
Episode 10
Grace Oellin emerged into the City District wearing a wide-brimmed hat that obscured half her face.
Catching her reflection in a passing window, she exhaled softly.
'It's swollen after all.'
One side of her face, shadowed beneath the brim, was visibly puffy.
It was the cheek Norman had struck days ago.
Despite applying cold compresses throughout yesterday, the swelling had refused to subside.
A faint bruise remained upon close inspection, though she had concealed it skillfully with cosmetics.
But the puffiness was beyond remedy.
Truly, yesterday the swelling had been so severe she could not venture anywhere.
Because of it, she had been unable to purchase the gift she intended for Lucas—that man.
A discerning eye might well notice something amiss with her cheek.
'...I should have simply sent it by servant.'
Lucas Black's coat.
His invitation for her to return it in person.
She had deliberated long and earnestly.
Whether to face him in this condition, or summon the courage to send his coat through a servant instead.
She had resolved to dispatch the coat by servant, but at that very moment, a servant from the Black Family arrived at her door.
'A formal invitation, madam. By the master's orders, our kitchen has prepared a special elk dish for today. It is our head chef's pride. We shall send a carriage for you around five o'clock this afternoon, and we would be most grateful if you would await it.'
Within a beautifully wrapped ribbon box lay an invitation and a small, slender bottle filled with a richly fragrant oil.
In Zeronium, it was customary for hosts to send poetry collections, delicacies, or relaxing oils alongside invitations, so that distant guests would not grow weary during their journey.
Relaxing oils were a recent fashion—a dab behind the ears brought bodily ease and dispelled fatigue.
The oil sent to her was known as 'Bardo's Greenhouse,' though it was not easily procured.
It possessed a lovely, crystalline fragrance—a delicate blend of grass and flower notes.
Hours after the oil touched the skin, it transformed into an entirely different scent, which was why 'Bardo's Greenhouse' bore another name.
'An Invitation to the Greenhouse.'
The subtle, luminous fragrance metamorphosed into something elegant and sensual.
The scent that brought joy merely by proximity to the wearer would transform into an intoxicating aroma that made one wish to bury their face in it endlessly.
For this reason, 'Bardo's Greenhouse' was coveted among noblewomen, yet remained difficult to obtain.
It was handcrafted, its recipe a closely guarded secret, and its rare ingredients made production itself arduous.
'Such an oil...'
Such an oil—Lucas Black had sent it to her.
"...I'm ruined."
To refuse such a thoughtful invitation would surely ignite sparks in that man's piercing eyes.
Though he might not rage as fearfully as her father or brother, he would certainly be displeased.
Men rarely restrained their emotions, and if he took offense, should he brandish that terrifying blade of his...!
'No, surely not to that extent. But still...it frightens me so.'
Even without burning fury, should that man fix her with his characteristic heavy, penetrating gaze, Grace feared she might lose consciousness once more.
'...No, perhaps this is fortunate. I could go and openly display my swollen face, then propose canceling the betrothal. Having witnessed Father's temperament, this might be the perfect opportunity to argue that entanglement with such a family is unwise.'
If all went well, he might even be the first to suggest reconsidering their marriage.
Emboldened by this sudden surge of courage, Grace quickly gathered her thoughts, dressed hastily, and stepped outside to purchase the gift she had failed to buy yesterday.
Since things had come to this point, she needed to select something that would truly please him.
'But before that, I should stop by there first.'
She remembered there was one more place she needed to visit.
She would need to hurry to keep to her schedule.
* * *
"This is...."
Notia Lias, a physician at the National Medical Institute, furrowed her brow at the vivid bruises decorating Grace's pale, slender abdomen.
Notia watched Grace lying obediently on the examination bed, exposing her stomach. Observing Grace's awkward, embarrassed smile, Notia's eyes filled with concern as she gently brought her hand to Grace's swollen cheek.
"I suspected as much when I saw your cheek swollen. Surely it's that damned fool's doing again?"
Grace laughed at Notia's rough curse.
"Yes. This is already the third time this year."
She answered Notia honestly, then laughed sheepishly and covered her abdomen with the medical gown she was wearing.
Notia and Grace were a case where their connection from attending the academy together in childhood had endured to the present day.
Notia, the daughter of a fallen baronial house, had completed all nine years of academy with her sharp intellect, received sponsorship, studied medicine, and became a royal physician.
Grace, the daughter of an impoverished noble family, had completed the academy after six years, as was customary among many aristocratic families that frowned upon educating women.
Though her grades were excellent and her enthusiasm for learning was genuine, her frail constitution made it impossible to continue her studies.
Moreover, whenever she received good marks in her year, Norman would throw such hysterical fits that attending became increasingly difficult.
In any case, Grace and Notia had been well-matched friends during their academy days.
For this reason, Grace always sought out Notia specifically for examinations where she needed to expose her body.
...Though there were other reasons as well.
Grace, having neatly dressed in her gown, smiled brightly and made a request of Notia.
"Please record everything in detail, Notia."
"I do keep meticulous records with utmost care.... But Grace, is there truly a day when you'll need to use this?"
Grace shrugged in response.
"I'm not sure. It would be best if this record never saw the light of day. But one never knows what life will bring. In any case, there may come a day when I need it for my independence."
At Grace's words, Notia adjusted her glasses and let out a soft laugh.
"The world ought to know how shrewd and capable the Oellin Family's delicate lily truly is.... Honestly, I think the family is really being led by Grace, not that damned idiot. Grace would lead it far better than that fool. Didn't you catch the Orphanage's tax evasion? Look at how clever you are."
At Notia's candid praise, Grace simply laughed brightly.
Though she appreciated her friend's compliments, she did not consider herself a person of such great capacity.
While she made various preparations for a smooth independence, she harbored no particular grand ambitions beyond that.
Grace entered the changing room and changed into her dress.
Julie, who had been waiting outside, assisted her.
After exchanging a silent farewell with the busy Notia, Grace made her way to the Men's Accessory Shop.
Standing before the Men's Accessory Shop with its large, elegant exterior, she hesitated for some time between it and the Fountain Pen Shop next door.
"I don't know much about men's accessories.... And would that man even like ready-made products?"
Thinking it over, the Fountain Pen Shop seemed the better choice, but she lacked the courage to enter it.
It was the fear of whether she could endure being in a place where sharp pen nibs were scattered about everywhere.
"...No, no. No matter what, a fountain pen is absolutely out of the question."
In the end, I turned my steps toward the Men's Accessory Shop.
It was just before I pushed open the glass door and stepped inside.
Through the glass, I caught sight of someone radiating an overwhelming presence—a profile that made my breath catch.
A figure impeccably dressed in formal attire, jet-black hair with a lustrous sheen, and eyes that gleamed with an icy blue light.
And the quiet, commanding atmosphere that seemed to dominate everything around him.
"...Mother."
Why on earth was Lucas Black here...!
As I stood frozen with the door half-open, a bell chimed—ding—and I watched Lucas Black's body turn slowly toward me.
Without another thought, I spun around on pure instinct and fled.
I ran with such desperate haste that I didn't even notice my hat tumbling from my head.
'Did our eyes meet? Did he see me? What do I do? What do I do!'
Julie hurried after me in alarm as I wheeled around.
"Miss, where are you going!"
"Don't follow me, Julie! Stay there!"
Without hesitation, I bolted into the adjacent shop—the quickest refuge I could find.
Once inside, I frantically wove between the display cases to hide myself.
Huff, huff.
My heart thundered wildly in my chest.
Perhaps it was the shock of encountering him in such an unexpected place, but my heart's response was anything but ordinary.
So startled was I that I failed to notice the dozens of pen nibs displayed before me.
I lowered my eyes and pressed a hand to my heaving chest, struggling to steady my breathing.
Then came the sound of the Fountain Pen Shop's door opening again—ding.
And what followed was....
Thud. Thud. Thud.
"...!"
The heavy footfalls of a man's dress shoes.
* * *
'What do I do, what do I do, what do I do...!'
Whether it was her imagination or not, I couldn't tell, but the footsteps seemed to be drawing closer and closer to me.
Because of that, my heart was pounding with increasingly fierce intensity.
'Calm yourself, Grace Oellin.'
I squeezed my eyes shut and clenched my teeth.
Even as I did, I couldn't stop wondering why I was hiding here in the first place.
But nothing came to mind.
My body had simply moved on instinct.
I had never imagined encountering him in a place like this, so I was startled—utterly startled.
Thump. Thump...
Could those approaching footsteps really be his?
'...No. He didn't see me. He couldn't have seen me.'
Even as I thought this, I couldn't prevent my entire body from shrinking inward.
The instinct to flee caused me to involuntarily step backward.
But before I could take more than a few steps, my back struck something solid, and I could move no further.
My gaze, which had been anxiously fixed on the ground, reflexively snapped backward.
"...!"
In that instant, my heart plummeted with a sickening thud.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org