TNBTW | Episode 33

“Have a safe trip. I hope everything goes well with your work, Skyle. Oh, and this is just to cheer you on.”

Edith finished speaking with a warm smile. Skyle said nothing in return, merely gazing at her in silence. His expression was unreadable—he appeared deep in thought, yet there was a faint hint of absent-mindedness.

Edith suddenly realized something remarkable: the silence, once awkward and uncomfortable, no longer bothered her.

It was a curious revelation. At first, she had found such moments awkward and disconcerting, unsure of how to react. But now, the stillness was strangely comforting.

How quickly I’ve adapted! she mused. Humanity was indeed a creature of adaptation.

“Edith, you…”

Could this newfound comfort mean she might soon navigate high society with ease? Brimming with an odd sense of confidence, Edith felt her spirits lift, just as Skyle broke the silence.

“What do you like?”

“Pardon?”

The question was so abrupt, so out of nowhere, that Edith had to wonder if she’d misheard him.

“What do you like?” he repeated.

Out of the blue? Really? Her large, startled eyes blinked rapidly, but Skyle did not retract the question. He appeared genuinely interested in her answer.

“Hmm… I like so many things! There are too many to count, really—I can’t even think of one off the top of my head.”

After some deliberation, her response sounded vague even to herself. Yet it was the truth. Her heart was vast, and within its expanse, many things had found a home.

“What about you, Skyle?”

She had been about to elaborate when curiosity struck her instead. Now that she thought about it, she realized she had no idea what he liked.

“What do you like, Skyle?”

“I’ve never given it any thought.”

The instant, unconsidered reply left Edith momentarily stunned. Then, an idea sparked in her mind, and she clapped her hands lightly.

“Then, how about this? When you return, let’s talk about it. Let’s share the things we like with each other.”

After all, they were bound to spend the next three years as husband and wife. Knowing each other’s preferences could only be a good thing.

“Very well.”

Skyle hesitated slightly but did not refuse.

“Oh, and when you get back, you must also tell me about the standards of beauty you were supposed to tell me last time.”

Edith added with a playful smile. For the first time, an unmistakable expression flickered across Skyle’s unreadable face—one of genuine surprise.

“…You remembered that?”

The astonishment in his vivid eyes puzzled Edith, but she nodded earnestly.

“Of course! I’ve been waiting, you know. Don’t tell me you forgot?”

“No. Not for a single moment.”

His response was unexpectedly serious, a stark contrast to her teasing tone.

Why is he so solemn about this?

Edith dismissed the thought as unimportant. Skyle was, after all, an unusual man.

The spring breeze lightly brushed against her cheek, warm and tender. As it moved past Edith, it curled around Skyle, carrying her warmth to him with a soft, almost imperceptible touch.

 

***

 

Chapter 5: The Unexpected

 

There is a phrase—inevitable misfortune. It refers to a calamity destined to occur at a specific point in the future. The Duchess of Devion’s attendance at the court ball was a perfect illustration of this grim adage.

 

“Her Grace, the Duchess of Devion, enters.”

 

The moment the chamberlain announced her solitary arrival in the grand hall, the foretold misfortune unfolded.

Her elegantly braided hair revealed a slender neckline imbued with grace, adorned by a pearl necklace that exuded stately presence in keeping with the dress code. Draped over her figure was a dark olive dress tinged with ash, its supple fabric embracing her form and bestowing an air of refinement.

Though impeccable in her appearance as a noblewoman, the gazes that rained down upon her across the crimson carpet were frosty.

 

“Ah, so that’s the infamous Duchess.”

“With such an innocent face, anyone would be easily deceived.”

 

The Duchess of Devion was a beauty with striking, large eyes. Yet, her inherently gentle and docile demeanor was easily condemned as an elaborate facade, crafted to mask nefarious intentions.

The provincial wife of the Empire’s most eligible yet infamous bachelor—that succinct title alone was sufficient to make the Duchess a public target of disdain.

Some harbored resentment, nursing their thwarted romantic aspirations. Others saw her as a threat, undermining their growing political influence over the Duke of Devion. Still more regarded her with veiled contempt due to her lowly origins.

Thus, this unfamiliar Duchess, who had suddenly descended upon the social scene, provided ample cause for rejection.

As a consequence, even the young debutantes, freshly plumed and hoping to dazzle in their first social season, redirected their envy and spite entirely onto the Duchess, relieved to be momentarily out of the spotlight.

“Count Heizen! What a pleasure to see you after so long. You must have been exceptionally busy to be so elusive!”

“Haha, it’s been quite a while indeed. I was caught up with a new investment in shipping, which yielded unexpected success, leaving me neglectful of affairs in the capital.”

“Oh my! So you’ve already set sail despite the recent discovery of a new route to the southern continent?”

“Madam, you seem to know everything! I ought to attend more balls to seek your wise counsel.”

“You flatter me, Count. It is you who must guide me.”

Amidst groups flaunting their long standing connections, the Duchess of Devion stood conspicuously isolated.

Until recently, she had been nothing more than the daughter of a ruined baronial family, a noblewoman in title only, who had spent her childhood drifting between households as a governess—a shameful position for someone of noble birth.

That such a person had ascended to the lofty status of Duchess in one fell swoop left little reason for anyone to welcome her.

“Honestly, look at her! Disappearing without a word and leaving Lady Valesia without so much as an explanation.”

“Don’t be too harsh. I heard from Miss Letitia that before her marriage, she had applied for a position as a governess—working with children, no less. How could someone from the lower ranks of the teaching profession possibly understand the etiquette of high society?”

The faction surrounding Lady Valesia was particularly brazen in their scorn, no doubt influenced by Lady Valesia’s inexplicable hostility toward the Duchess of Devion.

“Oh, look at that—the wallflower is on the move.”

“Perhaps she’s off to fetch water before she wilts.”

“Or maybe it’s overflowing already.”

When the Duchess, who had stood quietly by a pillar, finally took a step as though intending to leave the hall, one of the women pointed at her with a fan. Mocking laughter converged in an instant.

At the center of it all stood Lady Valesia, Vivianne, who watched the retreating figure with somber, unreadable eyes, never uttering a single word.

 

***

 

At that very moment, Edith, having just left the ballroom, stretched luxuriously after confirming no one was around.

“Ah! Maintaining proper posture is no easy task!”

Keeping a straight, dignified stance had proven quite the challenge. As she briskly rotated her arms and shoulders, loosening up her stiff muscles, she felt a newfound lightness. 

Contrary to what she had initially anticipated, she wasn’t wallowing in melancholy like a forlorn duchess shedding lonely tears. In fact, she wasn’t sad at all.

After a satisfying stretch, she walked further away from the ballroom, her steps light and carefree.

‘They’re more reserved than I expected.’

She wasn’t deaf to the barbed remarks muttered within earshot, remarks clearly intended for her. 

Nevertheless, none of it particularly stung. The accusation of being a provincial bumpkin was, after all, accurate; it held no power over her. The insinuation that she had ensnared Skyle with her innocent face felt more like half a compliment. As for the petty jealousy of the younger ladies? It was nothing short of adorable.

‘Never underestimate someone with a background in social welfare!’

If it were socially acceptable, she might have shouted that sentiment proudly at the center of the ballroom. Of course, she had no actual intention of doing so.

‘I just need to return before the event concludes and greet Her Majesty the Empress.’

The pearl necklace gracing her neck, a design where a series of small diamonds delicately encircled the central pearls, had been a wedding gift personally sent by the Empress. Even someone like Edith, with little expertise in jewelry, could immediately tell that it was a priceless item. Yet Skyle, in his usual terse manner, had only offered the dispassionate comment: “It won’t be a burden to you.” His underwhelming reaction had left her perplexed.

Given that pearls were the dress code for the spring ball, Edith had naturally chosen a gown to match the necklace. Judging by the absence of any critical remarks about her attire amidst the countless nitpicks, she deemed it safe to assume she’d passed inspection.

‘I suppose I have a decent eye for fashion after all.’

Having been most anxious about that very point, Edith felt reassured, even quietly pleased by the lack of remarks.

Feeling considerably more at ease, she began wandering through the palace grounds. For someone left to spend time alone, the imperial palace of Robeden offered countless sights to explore.

As she strolled between the countless alabaster columns bathed in the amber hues of the setting sun, a surreal feeling crept over her, as though she had stepped into a mythical realm.

Walking through the colonnade, she let her gaze linger on the beautifully landscaped gardens, where vibrant spring blossoms surrounded elegant ponds. The faint strains of music drifting from the palace added an enchanting rhythm to her tranquil walk.

Slowing her pace deliberately, she savored the scenery until she reached the rear section of the palace.

“What on earth is the problem!”

The sudden outburst of a woman’s exasperated voice stopped Edith in her tracks.