Chapter 27
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Chapter 27
Several days later, I had gathered books from Father's study and stacked them in a corner of the Drawing Room, settling myself among them to read with fervent dedication. They were rigid literary tomes I would not ordinarily have chosen, yet they were the very volumes Leopold had cherished in his youth.
"Sigh..."
I paused mid-passage through the erudite verses and exhaled a weary breath.
'How have I come to harbor such feelings for Prince Leopold...'
I recalled Leopold's hair, gently rippling in the night breeze from days past.
It was the moment I had recognized that my heart's compass pointed toward him.
'A prince of an entire realm—and one who has become an invisible soul to all others. Have I truly lost my mind?'
Yet I knew my own heart better than anyone. Though I told myself I was reading to uncover the nature of the stirring within me, every volume my hands grasped sang only of love.
'Love is not altered by change, nor does it fade with what seeks to vanish.'
(*Excerpted and adapted from Sonnets to a Young Lover and Shakespeare's Sonnet 116.)
These tender verses that captured my gaze tickled my heart all the more when imagined in Leopold's mellifluous voice.
On the day I discovered that island hill in the heart of the City Center, Leopold's smile—enveloped in the harmony of moonlight and shadow—had been breathtakingly beautiful. Yet that was not the sole reason my heart had turned toward him. Night after night spent in his company had revealed to me the tenderness concealed behind his unhurried smile, one that occasionally carried a roguish edge.
'Like a stream discovered by following a fragrance drifting from somewhere, rather than a straight garden path...'
I smiled without realizing it. Just as Aunt Elicia had said, following my heart's inclination had led me to Leopold.
'He may truly be a phantom, a cursed prince, or even a phantom of my own creation. And yet...'
All I knew now was that my feelings for Leopold, like the verses I had just read, neither wavered nor vanished, but continued steadfastly toward him.
"...Even if it is directed toward an illusion, this emotion I feel now is undeniably real."
I whispered softly, my lips pressed together. Surrounded by the mountain of books in the Drawing Room, I felt my heartbeat quicken once more. Just as I turned my gaze back toward the thick literary volumes, an unusually sharp, angry voice belonging to Lydia Augusta echoed from the Entrance Hall.
"Helena, won't you tell me the truth at last?"
The owner of the anxious voice that followed was Helena herself.
"I just told you. The ladies I befriended in London must have sent me those outdated ornaments as a gift."
Charlotte and Katie, who had been in the Drawing Room, stepped into the Entrance Hall to discover the source of the commotion. There, they saw Lydia Augusta holding up a piece of ornate fabric before Helena.
Lydia Augusta spoke in a stern voice.
"That cannot be, Helena. This fabric you brought last time was brand new, less than a week old. And now another parcel arrives at your doorstep, brimming with elaborate ornaments!"
Charlotte watched Helena's shoulders flinch. The fabric Lydia Augusta mentioned was clearly something Helena had purchased with wages from her work. Yet regarding the ornament parcel that arrived today, Helena spoke as though she herself harbored doubts about its origin.
"That fabric was a gift from the ladies in London, I suppose. But these ornaments... I myself..."
Helena spoke while concealing her bewilderment, but Lydia Augusta continued to regard her with an icy expression. Then she lowered her arm holding the fabric and spoke slowly.
"Helena, let us visit those ladies you've grown close to, so we might clear up the mystery of today's parcel as well. I wish to pay whatever sum is owed for the previous fabric. I've also thought it necessary to make the acquaintance of these ladies who suit you so well."
Lydia Augusta's eyes gleamed with a serene blue light. Charlotte was certain that when her mother's eyes held such a gaze, no one in the Augusta Family could defy her words. Lydia Augusta continued.
"Tell me, Helena. What are those ladies' names? Where is the shop they operate?"
"That is..."
Helena's cheeks flushed a rosy pink with embarrassment. No matter how bold Helena might be, she could not deceive her mother indefinitely.
At that moment, Charlotte, unable to bear it any longer, interjected.
"Mother, these ornaments were not brought by Helena from London!"
Charlotte picked up the ornament box placed before Lydia Augusta and spoke clearly.
"Armand Rochefort sent them to Helena. So there is no need for you to go to London to meet her friends today."
"Armand Rochefort sent these to Helena? What do you mean by that, Charlotte?"
Lydia Augusta asked with an astonished expression. Helena too looked at Charlotte as if questioning what she was attempting. Charlotte gave Helena a slight shake of her head as if to say not a word, then continued with a composed expression.
"Armand hosts musical recitals every week, gathering art enthusiasts from across the region. He possesses the largest private music room in the London Outskirts, you see. You're already aware that last week Armand invited Helena and me to one of his recitals, aren't you? But here's the thing...."
Charlotte spoke with a radiant smile.
"He invited Helena not merely as a guest to appreciate the performances, but as a performer to play before the nobility, didn't he?"
Lydia Augusta's eyes widened in astonishment as she turned to Helena, seeking confirmation. Yet Helena remained uncertain whether to corroborate Charlotte's words or feign ignorance as a precaution, her expression remaining guarded and noncommittal.
Seizing the moment, I accepted the fabric from Lydia Augusta and handed it to Katie. Katie, reading the situation perfectly, gathered the material and ascended the stairs, avoiding Lydia Augusta's gaze.
I continued speaking with renewed enthusiasm.
"Moreover, this charity recital will attract not only gentlemen from Brentwood, but also distinguished gentlemen from London itself. For Helena to perform at such a prestigious event—isn't that truly remarkable?"
I observed Lydia Augusta's stern expression gradually softening, so I raised my voice further.
"Helena's participation in the charity recital will bring honor to our family name. This ornament was sent by the Rochefort Family specifically for Helena, to grace their recital."
I emphasized once more to Lydia Augusta that such jewelry gifts were customary tokens of gratitude exchanged among gentlemen and ladies. Eventually, Lydia Augusta, who had been listening to my chatter in bewilderment, turned to Helena with a question.
"Is this truly the case, Helena? You're attending the Rochefort Family's recital as a performer?"
Helena, seeing Lydia Augusta's suspicions ease, nodded slowly. Once Helena herself confirmed it, Lydia Augusta released a deep sigh of relief.
"It's somewhat extravagant for a token of gratitude, but...considering Armand's appearance and bearing, I suppose it's not entirely unreasonable."
Lydia Augusta murmured, recalling Armand adorned with expensive jeweled buttons and ornaments hanging abundantly from his person.
Seeing Lydia Augusta's relief, I spoke quickly.
"Mother, we mustn't delay—we should ask Sydney to commission a new dress at once. Such a prestigious recital demands attire befitting the occasion. With plenty of fabric remaining, Bianca can finally have a new dress as well."
Upon hearing my urging, Sydney approached them with a delighted expression. A new dress for Bianca, whom she had long awaited—she clutched the chart recording Bianca's measurements to her chest. Lydia Augusta said nothing further and followed Sydney's guidance into the sewing room.
Only after watching Lydia Augusta disappear completely at the far end of the landing did I release the tension from my entire body and exhale deeply.
"Phew...."
Helena remained frozen like a statue before the Entrance Hall, simply staring at me. Her expression suggested she had no idea what had just transpired.
"Don't worry, Helena. Everything I said earlier was the truth."
Charlotte spoke after reading the expression on Helena's face.
"After hearing that you were working in London, at first I thought I should stop you. For the sake of our family's honor and your future, it wouldn't be appropriate for you to appear in the same light as opera singers who are noblemen's mistresses...."
Charlotte carefully wrapped the jewelry contained in the purple box with paper and handed it to Helena. Helena accepted the box from Charlotte, still wearing an expression of utter bewilderment.
"But then I thought—perhaps you don't wish to rush into marriage. Perhaps you'd rather play the piano, earn money through that work, and use it to buy beautiful clothes for Bianca yourself...."
Charlotte continued speaking with a faint smile.
"You seem happiest when you're playing the piano and spending time with family."
Helena looked at Charlotte with an expression of astonishment, realizing that her younger sister had seen through her true feelings.
"Charlotte, I...."
As Helena, flustered, couldn't find the words to continue, Charlotte spoke in her stead.
"But I thought it was truly unfortunate that you were anxious even while working and receiving compensation. So I simply thought of my own way to help you. That's why I asked Armand whether he could invite you as a performer for his recital."
With these words, Charlotte smiled with a touch of playfulness and produced the letter that had come with the jewelry.
"It seems Armand was an even more enthusiastic supporter of yours than I expected. The moment I made my proposal, he immediately showered you with gifts like this and sought to invite you as a performer."
Charlotte skimmed the letter with her eyes as she spoke. Indeed, it contained Armand's earnest wish for Helena to attend his recital as a performer, along with a pledge to provide substantial support.
"Helena, the Rochefort Family provides servants to assist the performers attending their recitals with their preparations. When I asked Armand about this, he agreed to send the funds for us to hire servants of our choosing instead of sending servants himself. Here...."
Charlotte withdrew a check signed in Armand's handwriting from the letter's envelope and handed it to Helena. Helena's eyes widened in shock. The amount he had promised was far greater than what Helena received for accompanying a pianist once a week in London.
"What do you think? Rather than receiving money as compensation for work done with an anxious heart, you're receiving money to help arrange the formalities that he would have to arrange anyway. So you won't have to secretly buy fabric for your siblings' clothes without Mother knowing—you can openly use the money you've earned."
Helena's mouth fell open at Charlotte's eloquently unfolding plan.
"My goodness...."
Helena could only let out a quiet exclamation. She had merely been grateful that Charlotte wouldn't reveal her work to the rest of the family. Yet her younger sister, who had always seemed so carefree and mischievous, had been thinking so deeply about how to help her.
Helena was contemplating how to express her gratitude to Charlotte when Charlotte offered a smile—lovely as always, yet noticeably more mature than usual—and spoke.
"Helena, I do hope I've been of some assistance to you in pursuing what your heart desires."
Now that she mentioned it, Charlotte's warm hazel eyes gleamed with a quiet radiance, like candlelight flickering in a cathedral.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org