After attending the masquerade ball, the invitations seeking out Cedric and Rowena gradually increased. They attended only the most essential of them, about three days a week, slowly expanding their network.
During the day, they took turns each day visiting Lauren and gathering information on Owen.
“Tomorrow evening, Owen’s prospective daughter-in-law has invited me.”
“Really? That’s good news.”
Cedric’s expression brightened, but as he read the invitation card Rowena handed him, he briefly furrowed his brow.
“It’s women only. I have a bad feeling about this. Must you go?”
Since they had only ever attended couple gatherings, this was an unprecedented occasion. Rowena took the card back from his hand and smiled gently.
“It’s actually a good thing. Honest conversations tend to come out in gatherings without the opposite sex.”
“But still.”
“It won’t take long anyway. You know occasions like this are rare.”
“That’s true.”
Contrary to hosting such grand and magnificent banquets, the man named Owen, whom they had investigated, was actually someone without many connections in high society. Partly because the nobles subtly pushed him away due to his status, and partly because unless it was a place necessary for business, he himself did not go out of his way to make time for socializing.
“But I still have a bad feeling about it. He secretly works in the underworld. A woman set to become such a man’s daughter-in-law is not someone you can let your guard down around.”
“Cedric.”
Rowena called to the wavering Cedric as if to soothe him and added,
“If the atmosphere feels strange, I’ll leave right away. I promise.”
It was a calm voice. As if reassured by her unwavering gaze, Cedric relaxed his expression, gently took her hand, and pressed it to his cheek.
“Don’t overdo it. I’m asking you as your husband.”
“‘Temporary,’ surely.”
“Even so, I’m your husband right now.”
Cedric blinked and looked down at Rowena with an affectionate gaze. Rowena, too, stared steadily back at Cedric looking down at her.
To an outsider’s eyes, the two appeared to be a perfectly lovey-dovey newlywed couple. Since they had narrowed the distance between them even when alone to avoid any awkwardness, by now, this level of contact had become natural.
More than friends, less than lovers. The two had grown closer little by little, like a collar dampening in a passing shower. Even as she let down her guard in the comfortable, gentle atmosphere, anxiety suddenly surged at the memory of that night, instantly engulfing her peace.
“……Rowena?”
Rowena quietly pulled her hand away and lowered her head.
“I’m sorry. If that was unpleasant.”
“No. I’m just a bit tired.”
“You saw your sister today, didn’t you? Get some rest.”
“Yes. Good night, then.”
Rowena brushed past Cedric, went up the stairs, and entered her bedroom. The moment she closed the door, the chill that had swept over her moments ago crept back in from her fingertips. —Rowena.—……. —Rowena…….
It was definitely a voice that churned and seethed with desperation, as if clawing through her chest. Rough and tinged with a metallic rasp, but unmistakably his voice.
“It can’t be……. There’s no way that man is here.”
Leaning against the door and sinking to the floor, Rowena covered her ears. Her waist, which had been encircled by his arm, still throbbed with pain, and it felt as though the scorching heat that had pressed against her shoulder still lingered.
She had fled the banquet in a panic, as if she had seen a monster. And secretly, without Cedric knowing, she had a maid buy up all the recent newspapers. Killian Devonshire was none other than a duke of a foreign nation. If he had come to this distant land, there would surely have been articles on a massive scale. Wasn’t he famous enough that even countryside schoolgirls would know of him?
She had searched thoroughly for whether the Duke of Eselwood had come to Crotia for that reason, but could find nothing. Furthermore, Killian had not barged in at any moment to seize her wrist and drag her away.
As two days passed, then a week, Rowena gradually began to deny the events of that night. Hadn’t she been intoxicated? The name being called was likely an auditory hallucination.
After desperately denying and struggling against it, she could finally breathe a little easier. It was uncertain, and not wanting to burden Cedric, who was already exhausted by Lauren’s situation, she had kept it a secret.
“Find Owen, get the medicine, and Lauren will recover. Then return to the estate together, and it’ll be over.”
Rowena muttered to herself as if to console herself, and washed her face dry.
“That will be the end of it. Nothing will happen.”
When she returned to the estate with Cedric, she planned to write her next work. She wanted to save up diligently and prepare a small house where she and Damian could live, through her own strength alone.
* * *
“Mrs. Godwel!”
The hostess, who had found Rowena in the bustling salon, approached and greeted her.
“Thank you for coming. How have you been?”
“Of course. I’ve been well. Thank you for inviting me.”
“Please exchange greetings with the others and sit wherever you feel comfortable. If you ring the bell at the table, a maid will bring you something to drink or eat.”
“May I sit beside you?”
Rowena caught the woman who was about to return to her seat after the brief introduction. It was because this person was to become Owen’s daughter-in-law that she had accepted the invitation.
“I don’t know many people here yet.”
Violet blinked briefly at the soft and polite request, then nodded.
“Oh, of course.”
A female writer who wore a mask. She had been surprised at first, but it was not uncommon in this country for someone with burn scars to wear a mask. Moreover, her husband was a renowned scholar, so it would do no harm to be close to her. That was partly why she had invited her.
“Shall we go then?”
Violet linked her arm through Rowena’s and led her to her own table.
“This is Mrs. Diana Godwel. She hasn’t been in the capital for very long.”
“I’ve heard much about you. It’s a pleasure to meet you, madam.”
“I read your novel. I’m so delighted to meet you like this.”
“Thank you. I look forward to our time together.”
Rowena exchanged greetings with the friendly ladies, just as she had with Violet, and sat in an empty seat. Just as she was about to begin conversing in earnest, a young lady sitting right next to Violet caught her eye. Though disguised with black hair, she was originally a young lady with lustrous blonde hair like Rowena. While Rowena was puzzled by her gloomy, downcast appearance, Violet spoke to her first.
“Oh, Cecile. Don’t be so downcast.”
“Violet…….”
Cecil. The moment she heard the name, a fact flashed through Rowena’s mind.
“……Cecilia Rudville.”
“That’s right. She’s my future sister-in-law. Do you know each other?”
Violet, sharp-eared, whipped her head toward Rowena at the name she had muttered without realizing.
“I think I glimpsed her briefly at a previous banquet.”
As expected, she was right. The woman with the shadowed face was the daughter of Owen Rudville, the young lady said to have been raised as the apple of his eye.
“Me……?”
At the unexpected words, Cecil, who had been wiping away tears with a handkerchief, looked at her following Violet’s lead. Though she had the same blonde hair as Rowena, her eye color was not green, but blue.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Cecilia.”
Coming here had indeed been the right decision. To think she could see not only the prospective daughter-in-law but also Owen’s daughter.
“I heard you personally oversaw the flower arrangement at the last banquet. It was truly beautiful.”
“Ah. Thank you…….”
When Rowena smiled brightly and spoke softly, Cecilia nodded absently. Once their greeting was over, Violet changed the subject.
“By the way, is that still weighing on your mind?”
“Yes. I’ve disappointed Father.”
“It simply wasn’t meant to be. You know how pretty and lovely you are, Cecile.”
“What happened?”
When someone asked, Violet readily explained.
“There was a distinguished guest at a banquet hosted by her father, it seems. He had apparently wanted to match her with him, but failed to locate him in time.”
“A distinguished guest?”
“I don’t know who it was either. Other than that it was an important person.”
Distinguished guest. Rowena’s heart, which had been listening quietly, suddenly began to race. It couldn’t be. She clutched the hem of her dress under the table and cautiously moved her lips.
“Might they be… a foreigner?”
“Oh my, certainly not! Would he send his beloved youngest daughter off to marry a foreigner from some distant land?”
Another lady interjected, waving her hands. Violet, who had seemed momentarily surprised and speechless, chimed in belatedly.
“That’s true.”
“I see. I apologize if that was rude.”
Right. A coincidence couldn’t align so perfectly. It was all needless worry and concern. Rowena soothed her startled heart and relaxed her stiffened expression.
“No, it’s fine. By the way, I’d like some advice about married life. Since you are my senior, after all?”
Violet naturally changed the subject and called a maid to bring fresh tea.
* * *
Perhaps because of her efforts to smile and engage throughout the gathering, Rowena had grown somewhat close to Violet and Cecilia. Close enough to be invited to Violet’s upcoming wedding.
“Please do come with your husband. Promise me, won’t you?”
“Of course. Thank you.”
“Thank me? The more people there are to celebrate, the better. Then, please get home safely.”
Rowena nodded and boarded the waiting carriage. Throughout the ride back to the townhouse where Cedric was, she tried her best to brush away the lingering unease in one corner of her heart.
Aside from Lauren lying sick in bed, everything was going well. Half a year ago, she had succeeded in a desperate escape, fortunately met good people in a distant foreign land and settled in well, and the novel she had painstakingly published was receiving good responses.
Comforting herself in that manner, she opened the stuffily drawn carriage curtain.
Before long, the carriage stopped, arriving at the townhouse.
“I’m home…….”
As she opened the door, a small body suddenly came running and hugged her tightly. While she stood frozen in surprise, the child in her arms popped his face out and smiled broadly.
“I missed you, Mom!”
“……Damian?”
Though she had missed him after not seeing him for some time, she hadn’t expected him to come up like this. Rowena opened her eyes wide and looked at the man trudging up behind Damian.
“A gift.”
“Cedric.”
“You seemed listless and having a hard time these days, so I brought him.”
“Mom?”
Damian looked up at the frozen Rowena and tilted his head.
“Did I come for nothing? Mom, you didn’t miss me…… Ack!”
Before he could even finish speaking, Rowena sank down and tightly embraced the small body. The moment she saw Damian, all anxiety and worry melted away like snow, and in their place joy and happiness settled.
“As if I didn’t miss you…… How could that be?”
“Mom…….”
“Welcome, Damian. I’ve missed you.”
With tear-filled eyes, Rowena carefully examined the child’s face and kissed his soft, plump cheeks.