The air between Grace and Ares was warmed as lightly and as warmly as a summer afternoon. Following behind the two of them, Jessie suddenly thought that perhaps, just as Ares had said… Grace might have cried last night.
Ares had been watching Grace the entire time. Even when he looked ahead, his gaze eventually found its way to Grace, and each time, the corners of his faintly visible lips stretched into a long smile. His stride never overtook hers, and so the hem of her green skirt continually brushed against his long legs.
If Grace had cried, why had she not noticed her tears? Jessie watched Grace just as much as Ares did.
The answer to that question was found surprisingly quickly. When they reached the chandelier room, Jessie heard Ares whispering to Grace.
“If you want to cry, cry; if you want to laugh, laugh.”
“…….”
“That isn’t something that gets fixed by holding it in. There’s no one left who will look down on you.”
Grace was silent.
When the door to the chandelier room opened, Ares gently led her inside, though she did not even smile her usual habitual smile.
“Let’s go, Grace.”
The door closed, and Jessie shut her eyes.
For countless days, the conviction that Grace had swallowed her tears alone crashed over her like a tidal wave. But thinking about it now, wasn’t it only natural? She had been young, too. She had lost her parents, too.
If you want to cry, cry; if you want to laugh, laugh.
Tears flowed from Jessie’s eyes as she realized she had never once spoken those light words to her.
＊ ＊ ＊
Eliza listened to the story of Ares and Grace’s marriage with a composed attitude. Having remained silent throughout, she spoke to the two of them asking for her permission in a very light tone.
“It has been a while since I’ve had quite so much to do.”
Grace, worried that Eliza was speaking too lightly of such a grave matter, cautiously asked, “Will you be all right?”
At that, Eliza raised an eyebrow as if to ask what sort of question that was.
“I never liked the name ‘lover’ to begin with. It is an ambiguous, paltry name, one that could not even receive protection under my surname. If you mean to fight in the capital, you must at least carry the name Richmond.”
“…….”
“However, I am only worried about your honor. This matter will follow you forever.”
To her concern, Grace spoke softly but firmly.
“I decide my own honor, Godmother.”
At her answer, Eliza’s eyes widened slightly before she broke into a hearty laugh.
“Haha, so I was the only one going on about honor to you.”
“That is not what I meant.”
“I know.”
“…….”
“If you are fine with it, that is all that matters.”
Eliza’s eyes curved gently. Then she conveyed her sincerity to the proud being who had appeared like a comet in her life one day.
“I shall lend you the name and power of Richmond.”
Grace Richmond.
Who knew that sharing a name could bring such joy?
“Use it as you please.”
Having read Eliza’s sincerity, Grace bowed her head politely to her.
“Thank you.”
“It is a power and name received wholly thanks to you, so you are qualified for it.”
Eliza gazed fixedly at Ares and Grace sitting side by side, holding them in a single frame. The young man and woman, filled with the fresh vitality of midsummer, were dazzlingly beautiful. Having lived on Richmond lands, she had come to love midsummer. Perhaps that was why, as she looked upon the two who were like midsummer itself, an inexplicable joy and excitement welled up in her heart.
Eliza, who had been letting out chuckles, called to the maids in a clear, ringing voice.
“Arwen!”
“You called, Godmother?”
“Take out the wedding dress I wore, and begin alterations to fit Grace’s measurements.”
“!!”
“!”
Passing down a wedding dress signified deep love and blessing. Thus, it was common for a mother to pass hers to her daughter. Eliza’s dress had also been received from her mother. But Grace had no mother to pass down a wedding dress, and Luciana Taylor’s wedding dress had long since disappeared at the hands of the current Duchess Taylor.
The maids and Grace opened their eyes wide in surprise. But the domineering queen was not someone who cared about the astonishment of others.
“Hurry and move. Do you think wedding preparations happen overnight?”
“The wedding dress you wore, Godmother? That cannot be.”
“Have you forgotten how I told you to answer when I give something? I told you to simply say yes.”
“Godmother…….”
“Just wear it. A wedding dress takes months to make anew. Would I wear that dress again at my age? And surely you were not planning to wear just any dress at Richmond’s wedding?”
At that, the maids quickly helped Grace to her feet.
“I had wanted to see that splendid dress again anyway; what wonderful news!”
“Hurry and rise. We have not enough time to make the delicate alterations.”
Grace expressed her thanks to Eliza once more.
“Thank you.”
“Hurry and go begin.”
As Grace was led out of the room by the maids, Eliza rolled her eyes toward Ares, who had been sitting as still as a sack left hanging all this while. At that somehow strange gaze, Ares reflexively tensed his stomach.
“…….”
“…….”
“…Why do you look at me like that?”
“…Hmm.”
The young, sly tiger responded with a brazen gaze to the seasoned tiger’s all-knowing look. But the young tiger’s brazenness was shattered pathetically by the seasoned tiger’s mutter.
“Well, after all… a married couple does not necessarily have to share a room.”
“Ah, what in the world are you thinking?!”
“When one has lived nearly sixty years and gained experience in the ways of the world, one learns to see what is invisible to the eye.”
“Ha!”
Ares sighed sharply, but Eliza noticed that the back of his neck had turned red. When Eliza began to chuckle at the sight, Ares chose silence instead. He had realized that no matter what he said now, he could not win against her.
After laughing for some time, Eliza took a sip of tea to wipe the smile from her face. The moment her gaze toward Ares changed, the two shifted from a grandmother-grandson rapport to a relationship of emperor and subject.
“The Late Emperor said that there is a path for everything, did he not?”
“…….”
“He said that so long as the traveler does not believe there is no path, there is a path in every place and every moment. I had forgotten those words for a very long time, but I remembered them again recently.”
Eliza spoke to Ares with a serious demeanor.
“Use the power and name of Richmond as you wish. As I have said, all that is mine shall be used for Your Grace.”
Ares caught his breath slowly, straightened his posture, and politely replied.
“My thanks.”
Perhaps because Eliza’s thoughts, while wearing a faint smile, drifted back to Grace, she said something unrelated to the flow.
“The former Duchess Taylor was severely weakened after giving birth to her first daughter. I believe that is why the former Duke Taylor raised his daughter as a successor. If he had raised her merely as a pretty little girl, Grace would not have grown as she has.”
“…….”
“Taylor. My father, the Emperor, said that within that family’s graceful appearance lies a will of steel. I wondered what he meant… but I like it.”
A will of steel hidden beneath a graceful appearance.
Ares felt those words described Grace well. For within her fresh green eyes clearly lurked a straight will that no one could break.
Then Eliza, who had returned to her arbitrary grandmotherly demeanor, leaned back against the sofa and spoke leisurely.
“Well, leaving that aside. There is something I could not tell Grace, but I must tell the Duke.”
“Why would you tell me what you could not tell Grace? Please do not tell me.”
Ares refused mercilessly, convinced that it was by no means a pleasant thing to hear, but Eliza was not one to keep quiet just because of that.
“My sincere congratulations on your marriage.”
“…….”
“Thinking on it now, I believe my intuition was rather quick and good yesterday. It was very timely.”
Even though Ares stood from his seat without a word of leave, anger did not fill Eliza’s eyes. Rather, she simply burst into hearty laughter toward his broad back as he thumped away.
“Hahaha, the Duke is shy after all; it is a sight one lives long to see! Hahaha!”
“Ha! Say what you will!”
Ares responded fiercely, but he did not oppose Eliza beyond that. It was obvious that opposing her would only result in a miserable defeat.
“Hahahaha!”
As Ares cringed at Eliza’s roaring laughter, he suddenly looked behind him. Eliza gazed at him with laughter laced in her eyes.
“What do you intend to do about Ivanka Tirien?”
At that, a chill colder than the north wind settled in Eliza’s black eyes, which had held a light smile. The seasoned tiger gave a cruel smile.
“An old woman like me will handle such matters herself, so Your Grace need not worry and should tend to your busy affairs.”
The smile vanished from Eliza’s face in an instant, and a thick, sticky killing intent lurking at the very bottom was revealed.
“How dare they drag sewer rats into my house. I shall slaughter them all.”