Chapter 64
From the morning, her mood was good.
Perhaps it was thanks to the conversation she had with her husband the day before.
Cecilia walked through the garden for a short morning stroll, a pleased smile on her face.
Of course, just because the world looked beautiful didn’t mean the barren garden suddenly looked like a dazzling paradise. Even she retained a certain degree of objectivity.
It was just that ideas of how to decorate it kept springing up like an inexhaustible fountain.
“It would be nice to hang a deep red satin ribbon on that branch that looks like it might break. The fountain could use a repair where it’s cracked, and after dusting it off, I could add some other decorations.”
She couldn’t bring marble statues immediately, but simply trimming the overgrown bushes might already create a wonderful sight.
And if the light streaming through the windows of the Grand Duke’s mansion gently colored the garden, wouldn’t that alone make a perfect moment?
“Perfect.”
It was rare for her to give her own ideas such high praise, but she was in such a good mood that today she decided to give herself a generous evaluation.
Perhaps that was why her cheerful mood didn’t fade easily.
“Samantha, could you call in a designer who handles interior decorations?”
Her enthusiasm was enough to carry her through the rest of her planning.
After the servant she had sent out returned to the city, Cecilia called in others to begin her investigations.
“I’m curious about how your family celebrated events together at your main residence.”
Decorating something lavishly and beautifully might look nice, but Cecilia wanted the gathering to take place in a warmer, more heartfelt atmosphere.
An event fitting perfectly for a welcome party—that was her goal.
To achieve that, it was best to gather as many opinions as possible.
She casually asked the servants she encountered for suggestions, gathering usable ideas, and finally, her steps led her to her husband’s office.
“…He’s already gone out?”
The owner of the office was indeed absent.
Cecilia had been bustling about since early morning, so her husband surely would have noticed her absence—but now that he was gone, worrying about his schedule was meaningless.
Noah, observing her expression, bowed apologetically.
“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s not your fault, Noah. There’s no need to apologize. Could you let me know when my husband returns?”
“I’ll be sure to do so.”
“And don’t feel burdened by it.”
Hearing her neatly stated greeting, Cecilia finally smiled faintly.
‘It’s a shame, but…’
She already knew her husband had been very busy recently.
Trying to console the slight disappointment in her heart, Cecilia left Yuri’s office.
It wasn’t as if her efforts had been in vain; the opinions she had gathered from the servants were quite helpful for her planning.
Back in her room, she sorted through what she had heard and focused on concretely planning the party.
‘First, the seasonal feel.’
Although it was mid-summer by the calendar, Lotreben was an exception. The land, unconcerned with the laws of nature, still boasted a frozen, snow-covered terrain.
Perhaps she could use that to her advantage.
‘It’ll definitely give outsiders a strong impression of Lotreben.’
The garden alone, if opened, would make that immediately apparent.
But how should the interior of the hall be decorated?
‘I think just setting the right mood will be enough.’
She thought of the things usually associated with winter interiors—fireplaces, candles with a year-end atmosphere, food, and other props.
Using those would allow her to leave an impression not of a harsh winter, but a warm one.
She wanted Lotreben’s first impression to be a good one, to convey that this land could also be gentle and kind.
‘Everyone gathering in small groups, laughing, chatting, enjoying delicious food… like that…’
To do so, it might be better to gather in the early evening rather than too late.
As she considered this, her plan gradually took shape. Her sense of loss from her husband’s absence began to fade.
That was fortunate. Cecilia pressed her pen to the paper, thinking that carefully preparing the event might earn her husband’s trust.
She wanted to be a reliable partner. Since her husband was busy anyway, she could plan so that all he needed to do was approve. That would make things easier for him.
After a brief hesitation, her pen began moving again. Cecilia’s light green eyes stared intently at the paper.
The lights in the Grand Duchess’s room burned late into the night.
After a few days of focusing on work without much exposure to the wind:
“…Done.”
Fortunately, her planning was more or less complete.
Cecilia pushed aside the scrap papers filled with scribbles and stretched.
The useful ideas she had selected and organized were neatly laid out before her.
She looked at them proudly.
She wanted to finish faster, even if it meant staying up all night, but…
‘If I did that, Ellie wouldn’t let me be.’
In recent evenings, Ellie had often frowned, clearly wanting to send her to bed quickly.
Suppressing a sudden cough, Cecilia smiled faintly.
Her throat felt slightly rough, likely a mild cold from exposure to the early morning air.
“You’re holding back your cough again!”
Ellie entered the room at that moment, eyes narrowed, scolding her.
“And without even wearing an outer coat! If you keep this up, I’ll bring a scarf and gloves too!”
Despite her words, Ellie busied herself attending to her mistress. She placed a teacup on the tray and draped a thick, fur-lined coat over Cecilia. Her lips poked out slightly in a pout.
Cecilia blinked, a faint smile on her lips.
“Thank you, Ellie.”
“Go to bed early, I said…”
Muttering with a sulky expression, she let out a shallow sigh.
If Lady Lennox were there, she would have scolded Ellie immediately, but she was away. Cecilia knew Ellie was fussing out of concern, so she didn’t correct her. This allowed Ellie’s chatter to flow on a bit longer than usual.
Listening quietly and stopping Ellie’s scolding at a suitable point, Cecilia asked:
“Hmm, have you heard from my husband?”
“Not yet. But his aide said he should be back by midnight. He might be a little late, though.”
Since this was Noah’s schedule, it was probably accurate. Cecilia felt a bit happier, thinking she had finished her work just in time.
Watching her, Ellie cautiously added:
“Madam, even so, since it’ll be quite late, maybe you should get some rest…”
“I’m fine. I’m only meeting briefly to hand over some papers.”
“If that’s the case, shall I deliver them to the aide separately?”
Cecilia shook her head. After a brief pause, she blushed slightly.
“No… I also want to see my husband’s face for a moment.”
She hadn’t planned to say that out loud.
Fidgeting with the neatly arranged papers to hide her embarrassment, she cleared her throat.
“Anyway, thanks for worrying. You can rest now.”
“Yes, please do, Madam!”
Ellie’s emotions—half teasing, half exasperation—floated across her face.
After shivering her shoulders, Ellie left quickly, giving a hurried bow.
Cecilia buried her face in her hands for a moment, trying to overcome her embarrassment, then furrowed her brow and looked up.
After all… the thought of seeing her husband today filled her with anticipation above all else.
He had left to handle something in another area and had gone without saying when he’d return.
‘He’s back sooner than I thought.’
She wondered what could keep him so busy, but her worry outweighed her curiosity.
‘Should I ask the kitchen to prepare a simple snack, just in case?’
If it was late, he might be hungry.
As she rose, her gaze fell on the mirror.
Smoothing her slightly dry cheeks, she hesitated briefly before calling a maid to help her with her appearance.
She didn’t want to look untidy—her excitement was rising with the act of preparing herself.
