TNBTW | Episode 45

***

Hartmann County’s residence was located in the heart of the capital’s most affluent district. Though called a “residential area,” each building resembled a grand estate, and the gardens attached to each mansion were of formidable size.

Edith took a quiet breath, unnoticed. Though she now lived in a house she could never have even dreamed of in the past, visiting another’s estate always made her nervous, especially when the house was this grand.

Adding to her unease was the name “Hartmann,” a fairly well-known title, which only intensified the tension.

She had accepted the visit out of concern for the child’s well-being, but if anything went wrong, it could bring harm to Skyle. She had to be cautious.

‘Let’s do well.’

Edith resolved to give her best for the child, for herself, and for Skyle.

“Oh my, Duchess! What an honor to meet you! I’m Sophia!”

Despite her firm resolve, the Countess of Hartmann turned out to be nothing like what Edith had imagined.

“My, you’re just as beautiful as I’d heard. No wonder Duke Devion fell for you! The two of you must look like a painting together. Oh, and that yellow dress suits you so well! People from the capital really are something else! May I ask where you had it tailored?”

The Countess of Hartmann, who launched into chatter the moment they met, left an impression more akin to a lively young lady than a noble matron.

She even clapped her hands as she expressed her admiration repeatedly, leaving Edith utterly overwhelmed.

“Oh, Countess Hartmann, please calm yourself. You’re overwhelming the duchess.”

“Yes, dear. I believe Her Grace is quite taken aback.”

Viscountess Standen, along with a young man likely to be the Count of Hartmann, gently tried to rein in Sophia after watching the scene unfold. They seemed practiced at it, as though this wasn’t the first time.

“Melanie, I told you not to call me that! It feels so strange when you address me as ‘Countess.’”

“You’ll have to get used to it.”

Grumbling, Sophia reluctantly pulled herself away from Edith. The duchess then turned toward Viscountess Standen, who smiled lightly, as if recognizing the question in Edith’s gaze.

“Allow me to formally introduce them, Your Grace. This is Sophia, the Countess of Hartmann I mentioned before, and beside her is her husband, the Count of Hartmann.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Duchess.”

“I’m truly honored as well!”

These are the Count and Countess of Hartmann? Edith widened her eyes in surprise. She had assumed the Countess of Hartmann to be a dignified older lady, her husband naturally an aging gentleman.

Given the matter involved a child, she’d expected perhaps a late-in-life baby. But no—the Countess looked to be around her own age.

“We only inherited the title recently, so word hasn’t spread much yet,” Viscountess Standen offered in explanation, as though reading Edith’s confusion.

Only then did the situation begin to make sense, and Edith gave a nod of understanding.

“Oh, and the three of us have been childhood friends. We grew up together at the Hartmann estate. Who would’ve thought this little troublemaker would become the Countess?”

“Melanie!”

Sophia shot a glare at the Viscountess, but the latter paid it no mind.

Edith hadn’t seen much of Viscountess Standen, but this was the first time she’d seen her look so relaxed. The way she carried herself was far more comfortable than when she was with her daughter, Evelyn.

“Come to think of it, have you ever met my husband before, Countess Hartmann?”

Edith, smiling softly at the pleasant sight, suddenly asked the question. Sophia had spoken as if she were familiar with Skyle.

But both Sophia and her husband had only recently come up to the capital. Skyle had only made appearances in society after inheriting the ducal title, just over a year ago.

Since their marriage, Edith had been attending balls in his stead as the representative of House Devion, so the timeline didn’t quite match up for her to have met the Count and Countess.

“I haven’t been formally introduced, but… about two years ago…”

Two years ago?

Edith’s brows furrowed in further confusion. Two years ago, Skyle had either just gone off to war or was still on the battlefield.

‘That was before he even became Duke, wasn’t it?’

Something didn’t quite add up. Just as her head tilted slightly in doubt, Melanie casually stepped forward and gave a light tug on the bell cord.

“You’re not planning to keep our guest standing the whole time, are you, Sophia?”

“Oh! Of course not. My apologies, Duchess—I nearly committed a grave discourtesy. Shall we move to the drawing room and continue our conversation there?”

“I’d be delighted.”

Edith was curious to hear Sophia’s explanation, but standing idle any longer wouldn’t do. With a graceful smile, she followed them into the drawing room.

***

“I had no idea you went through something like that, Melanie.”

Sophia’s voice sank low in the drawing room, where a soft scent of herbs lingered in the air.

Only moments earlier, she had been offering Edith her belated congratulations with a bright smile. But at the mention of Evelyn, her expression darkened in an instant.

The mood no longer suited prying questions, so Edith quietly tucked her curiosity away for now.

“Duchess, don’t you think Melanie was just too much? How could she bear such a difficult thing all by herself?”

“I was going to tell you, Sophia.”

“Liar! If we hadn’t decided to come to the capital, you’d have kept it a secret forever. You always do that. No matter how hard things are, you won’t say a word and just carry it all alone…”

“This time, I agree with you. Melanie went too far.”

“Oh, you too? So now both husband and wife are ganging up on me. I guess there is no peace for someone who lost her husband first.”

Melanie threw out the jest, prompting Count Hartman to shake his head. Ironically, it was Sophia, listening to all this, who looked close to tears, not Melanie.

Seeing Sophia’s face, Melanie burst out laughing and drew her into a hug, and only then did Sophia’s expression begin to ease.

“I heard the Duchess was a great help to Melanie during that time. Thank you so much, truly.”

“Oh, no… I didn’t do much at all. It’s all thanks to the Viscountess and her daughter’s own efforts.”

Feeling a little embarrassed, Edith took another sip of tea. It wasn’t false modesty, she genuinely believed it.

After all, she had stepped into the situation uninvited and hadn’t even conducted proper sessions with Evelyn.

The fact that things had turned out well in the end was entirely due to the strong will of both Melanie and Evelyn, mother and daughter, to improve.

“If you hadn’t reached out that day, the path Evelyn and I would’ve taken would’ve been far longer and lonelier.”

At the Viscountess’s warm words, Edith felt a lump rise in her throat.

In truth, it was she who felt grateful. Had the Viscountess coldly turned her away that day, Edith surely would’ve been overwhelmed in many ways.

She had already braced herself for being shunned at court ball, but she could handle that. But to stand helpless in front of a child in need of support, unable to do anything, now that would have left her crushed with helplessness.

She was used to being looked down upon for her background. But when people dismissed even her hard-earned experience and credentials as meaningless, even someone as optimistic as Edith couldn’t help but feel hurt.

“I truly hope I can be of help.”

After exchanging a warm look with Melanie, Edith turned her gaze to the Hartman couple. It was Count Hartmann who spoke first.

“We have two sons. Our eldest is six years old this year, and the younger one just passed the three-month mark.”

Ah, so that’s why… Edith began to understand why Viscountess Standen had kept her worries even from close friends. Sophia must have been pregnant at the time, and Melanie wouldn’t have wanted to burden her.

“Mommy! Daddy!”

Knock knock knock. Just then, a cheerful voice rang out alongside a series of brisk knocks.

“Pardon me. The young master just woke up and insisted…”

“It’s fine. I was expecting him to wake around now.”

As the flustered maid offered an apology, Sophia moved to rise from her seat, but Count Hartmann beat her to it.

“Did you sleep well, Elliott?”

“I did! What about you, Daddy?”

“Daddy slept well and just woke up, too.”

Sophia stood by the open door, smiling fondly as she watched her husband welcome their son. After their warm morning exchange, Count Hartmann lifted Elliott into his arms and returned to his seat.

“Elliott, come say hello. This is the Duchess of Devion.”

“Hello, Duchess! I’m Elliott Hartmann. Count Hartmann and Countess Hartmann are my mom and dad.