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Chapter 5 The following day, led by Charlotte, the Augusta Family called upon Count Oslo's Mansion. A sculpture imported at great expense from Greece had shattered due to Charlotte's carelessness, and they had come to discuss the matter of compensation with an exceedingly irate Count Oslo. The reason the Augusta couple had brought all their beautiful daughters—save for the eldest, Jane, who was visiting relatives—was perhaps born of a slender thread of hope that the sight of them might soften the Count's resolve. "I do apologize, but you shall need to wait in another room, I'm afraid." An elderly maidservant of the ‌‌‌mansion spoke with an apologetic expression. More than an hour had passed since the Augusta Family entered the Count's residence, yet the Count—despite their prior appointment—had not deigned to appear. Instead, Count Oslo expressed his considerable displeasure through the petty method of having them shuffled from one reception room to another throughout ‌‌‌the sprawling estate. ‌‌‌‌‌‌ As they made their way from the eastern end of the mansion to the ‌western end for the third time, Helena, the second daughter, began to grumble. "Why did you insist so stubbornly on scheduling this meeting today? You've only further irritated the Count's temper." Bianca, the fourth daughter, her expression fearful, added her voice. "Even so, we are guests of the mansion, ‌‌‌yet did you see how he sent a maidservant rather than a uniformed footman to receive us? It's clear the Count ‌‌is absolutely furious." Then, in place of Charlotte—who was unusually quiet—Katie, the youngest, whispered. "To think he'd resort to such petty revenge. What a small-minded Count, wouldn't you say?" Katie, the youngest of the sisters with the darkest blonde hair, was the one who most often ‌‌took Charlotte's side in family disputes. As the sisters bickered, Lydia Augusta turned back with a stern expression and spoke. "Hush, mind your tongue. There are many ears listening." Meanwhile, Charlotte—who under normal circumstances would have been the most flustered and talkative—had gone pale as a blank sheet of paper. 'What have I done? To rush into Count Oslo's Mansion based on nothing but the words of a ghost ‌‌that may not even exist....' The previous night, Leopold had come to Charlotte again and taught her ‌a method to resolve the matter with Count Oslo. The family had no means to pay such an enormous sum in compensation, and she was desperate to do anything—so long as she need not confess that all of this had stemmed from her own selfish desire to attract the attention of gentlemen. Thus, following Leopold's counsel, she had moved up the appointment with the Count to today and prepared what she would say to Count Oslo. At that moment, the voice of a uniformed footman reached Charlotte's ears. "Mr. George Augusta of the Augusta Family, Mrs. Augusta, and the Misses of the Augusta Family." As two footmen pushed open the doors with combined effort, the vast study of Count Oslo was revealed. However, ‌‌‌contrary to expectations of ‌‌seeing Count Oslo and his wife, the study contained Count ‌‌‌Oslo alongside five or six unfamiliar gentlemen. ‌ Count Oslo addressed the Augusta couple, who had frozen in shock at the unexpected sight, just as Charlotte had. "Ah, you've waited long enough. Today I've arranged to discuss important matters with the royal ‌‌envoy." Count Oslo's thick gray mustache twitched with unseemly amusement. "So I was thinking of inviting you to return next week instead... if that suits you?" Count Oslo glanced subtly around the room as he spoke, his ‌‌‌expression suggesting that surely they had nothing more to say in the presence of such distinguished and busy royal personages. "Ah, ‌‌‌yes, well then..." It was at that moment when George Augusta, their father, began to perspire visibly and lowered his head. But Charlotte, who had been standing blankly beside him, stepped forward and curtsied with the grace of a lady. "Count Oslo, ‌‌I beseech you—grant ‌‌me but a moment to explain what transpired, so that this ‌‌poor young lady need not endure another sleepless night of anguish." Charlotte spoke with a ‌‌‌‌trembling voice as she slowly raised her head. Behind Count Oslo and the gentlemen, an oil painting depicting England's naval warfare from a century past filled one wall of the ‌‌‌ornate study with its splendor. Lydia Augusta, startled by Charlotte's bold action, was about to speak when Count Oslo, gauging the expressions of those around him, interjected. ‌‌‌"Now, I understand you wish to apologize, but this really isn't the time for it..." ‌"Unfortunately, my sleeplessness is not ‌‌‌‌born of remorse toward you, Count." But Charlotte, catching every word the Count had spoken, replied with a clearer voice. "Rather, it stems from my regret at not ‌having smashed those statues into even smaller pieces." At Charlotte's audacious words, every eye in the study widened. An elderly gentleman seated beside Count Oslo then spoke to ‌‌him. "Count Oslo, this concerns ‌the ‌‌‌‌marble statues ‌you purchased from Greece that were damaged, does it not? There seems to be some misunderstanding. Let us hear what Miss Augusta has to say." The kindly-faced elderly gentleman wore a red deer leather waistcoat that gleamed even more brilliantly than the Count's. He was undoubtedly the royal personage Leopold had mentioned. Count Oslo nodded reluctantly. At this, the uniformed servants closed the study door behind the Augusta family. Charlotte drew a deep breath and continued. "Last night, the moment I stepped into Count Oslo's gallery, I understood that the rumors of his renowned aesthetic sensibility were indeed true. The sculptural beauty of the statues lining the ‌‌‌corridor was so extraordinary that I forgot my original purpose—to engage in pleasant discourse with the ladies and gentlemen—and found my gaze captivated by those statues throughout ‌‍‌the entire evening." At Charlotte's brazen lie, Helena, standing behind her, furrowed her brow. ‌‌Had Charlotte not spent the entire gallery visit practicing shy smiles behind ‌‌‌her fan for the gentlemen present, utterly forgetting any notion of genuine discourse? "But let me examine the statues ‌‌more closely. I could not forgive myself for having lost my heart to them. It so happened that Helena, my elder sister and an accomplished pianist, performed 'Ode to the Victors' for Count Oslo, and precisely because of that, I became all the more convinced those statues had no place in the Count's mansion." Charlotte shook her head gently, naturally weaving in praise for Helena's innocence and her ‌‌exceptional musical talent. At this, Count Oslo stirred the quill pen in his hand and asked. "But ‌‌what on earth could be wrong with the statues that would lead you to such a conclusion?" "Because on the pedestals of those statues...." A gulp echoed through the study. Everyone gathered there now ‌‌waited with bated breath for Charlotte's next words. "Admiral de Ruyter's signature was carved into them—small, but ‌‌‌‌unmistakably there." Count Oslo dropped the quill pen he had been holding to the ground. The young gentlemen standing behind him and the elderly nobleman from the royal court were equally startled. "That... is that truly the case, Miss Augusta?" Count Oslo's voice trembled. "I'm afraid it is. How could I possibly be mistaken? Admiral de Ruyter was the enemy commander who led the Medway Raid*, the very battle in which my great-grandfather fell. My aunt, Lady Elicia, told me everything." (*The Medway Raid: A Dutch naval assault ‌‌‌in which the Dutch fleet sailed up the Thames River to England's capital and set thirteen English warships ablaze—the most shameful event in English naval history.) "So Miss Augusta's great-grandfather was a distinguished officer of the Royal Navy? Our family shares that honor. The earldom itself was granted to my father, a naval admiral, for his victory in that final sea battle." Count Oslo trembled as though a war that ‌had occurred more than a century ago had happened only yesterday. Leopold's words had proven prophetic indeed. Emboldened further, Charlotte drove her point home. "That is precisely why I could not bear to leave those statues standing. To see the statues bearing de Ruyter's signature—the enemy commander's ‌‌‌mark—displayed so boldly in the mansion of the Oslo Family, who led England to glorious naval victory, and standing there no less as 'Ode to the Victors' was being performed... Though I knew it was unbecoming of a lady, I thought: if not I, who has always been mistaken for a tomboy due to my fierce ‌‌patriotic spirit, then who else ‌‌‌‌could do what must be ‌done? And so I...." Charlotte's eyes glistened, and her eyelids trembled delicately. Then, with a wistful expression, she gazed across the oil paintings that filled Count Oslo's study. Count Oslo stared blankly, following Charlotte's gaze to the painting behind him depicting the glorious moment of English naval triumph. ‌‌‌ 'Ah! The glorious ‌‌‌moments of the proud Oslo Family's honor.... And yet the possessions of the enemy ‌‌‌‌commander de Ruyter were nearly displayed in my own mansion!' In that ‌‌‌instant, Count Oslo felt the pride of his family's naval legacy surge through him like molten fire. He rose from his seat with such force ‌‌‌that it scraped backward, then strode purposefully across the study toward Charlotte and the Augusta family. Standing ‌‌before George Augusta, Charlotte's father, he rendered a naval salute with every ounce of his strength. The trembling of his hand pressed firmly to his brow betrayed the depth of his overwhelming emotion. "Your grandfather treated all naval officers as family. Therefore, the families of those officers are my family as well!" At Count Oslo's words, George Augusta hastily returned the salute. It was an awkward military gesture from a man who had only ever held a pen and had never performed one in his life, but Count Oslo seemed not to mind in the slightest. "So Miss Augusta covered up my blunder as though it were her own mistake. I didn't even realize it, and I nearly caused these ladies undeserved ‌‌‌harm." Count Oslo lowered his salute and turned to address the ‌‌‌‌Augusta sisters standing side by side. "I do hope the entire Augusta Family will accept my apology by attending the ball I am hosting next week. ‌‌‌‌Of course, if Miss Helena would be so gracious as to perform 'Ode to the Victors' for our Oslo Family—the true ‌‌‌‌‌victors of this evening—I would be most delighted." To perform music at a ball attended by a neighboring kingdom's prince! Helena's mouth fell open. And her eyes soon ‌‌‌met Charlotte's twinkling gaze, which beamed with delight from behind Count Oslo.

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Brought to you by Valir Scans! ‌‌To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly ‌on our official site: valirscans.org

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