-65-
“What do you mean by that?”
Lucious asked, looking at me after I had quietly stared at the manager for a moment. I smiled at his puzzled expression and replied.
“Since we’ve come all the way here, I don’t think we need to leave. We were formally guided into the VIP room as guests—why should we step aside for someone who wasn’t?”
I cast a glance toward the Marchioness of Even behind him, and Lucious, realizing where I was looking, frowned slightly.
“But, Tiana…”
“This is the place you specially brought me to, Lucious. I want to try it. I’m curious—just how delicious is this so-called new dish that the Marchioness barged in here so rudely, causing a scene outside a room with guests inside?”
I deliberately raised my voice so she could hear. My gaze drifted toward her as well. Anyone watching would understand exactly what I meant.
“She insisted on using the very room we were already in. There must be something extraordinary about it, right? Surely the food must taste better if eaten here. Don’t you think so?”
“…”
“Besides, it wasn’t even a reserved room. The manager himself designated and guided us here first. Isn’t it obvious enough who belongs in this room without overthinking it?”
We had come for a nice lunch, only to be caught in an unpleasant mess. People say it’s better to avoid trouble, but in this case, there was no reason for us to yield.
Above all, the one at fault was the Marchioness of Even—yet it was the staff who looked most distressed. I disliked seeing them suffer when they had done nothing wrong. Whatever connection they had with her, it wasn’t their fault.
I was just as irritated as Lucious at having our quiet time interrupted, and I was hungry besides. Moving to another restaurant would only waste time.
Lucious, after thinking over my words, finally let his stiff expression relax. I smiled at him, then turned to the manager who was still watching me.
“…”
I could read it in his eyes and his faint smile: he had already decided what to do next.
After adjusting his tousled hair and lifting his monocle with one hand, he stepped past Lucious and me toward the Marchioness. Picking up the fan she had dropped, he held it out to her and said,
“My apologies, Marchioness. Unfortunately, we have no suitable room prepared for your meal today. Please set another date and visit us again.”
It was a firm dismissal, though couched in polite words. She accepted the fan blankly, stunned.
We finished our lunch and were seen off with utmost courtesy before boarding the carriage. As the carriage began to move, I glanced back through the window. Catching the manager’s eyes, I smiled faintly. He bowed with a polite smile in return.
As the restaurant faded from sight, I turned back. Lucious asked,
“How was the food?”
“It was delicious. Especially that new dessert—they said it was seasonal, and it really felt perfect for the coming months.”
“I heard special care went into creating it. I’m glad it suited your taste.”
“At that level, I can understand why the Marchioness made such a fuss. Not that I approve.”
“Hah… true enough.”
He gave a small laugh, but his brows drew together as though recalling her.
“Her behavior is troublesome, but her other dealings are just as baffling.”
Seeing him shake his head reminded me of something that had nagged at me earlier. He seemed particularly sharp when it came to the Marchioness—had something happened between them?
After being curtly dismissed, the Marchioness had left the restaurant in a rush. Having been thrown out after such a scene, she probably wouldn’t show her face there again for a while. Although, knowing her brazen nature, who could say?
What interested me more was her connection to the restaurant. Lucious seemed concerned as well, and clearly there was some tie between her and the manager.
As our carriage left the busy streets for a broad avenue, I finally asked,
“May I ask now? About that manager earlier—and about his connection with the Marchioness of Even?”
“…Yes. I’ll tell you.”
Leaning back against the wall of the carriage and stretching his legs, he began,
“To put it simply, the restaurant’s manager is the Marquess of Even’s… illegitimate son.”
“An illegitimate son… I see.”
In other words, a child of a concubine. No wonder there was something secretive about him.
“But normally, would a concubine’s son become the manager of a restaurant outside the family?”
“Not usually. If a concubine’s child is treated decently, they remain within the household. Otherwise, most are hidden away, forced to live quietly, or used as tools of the family while enduring mistreatment.”
“Then in his case…?”
“A bit of both, I suppose. Though illegitimate, he’s intelligent and capable. The Marquess valued him, but he could never name him heir. The boy himself had no wish to remain in the family. Still, the Marquess couldn’t bear to let him go entirely, so he allowed him to live outside—under the family’s watch.”
“I see. Then naturally, he and the Marchioness don’t get along.”
“It would be strange if they did. He’s a concubine’s child, she the lawful wife.”
I had noticed it myself—the cold contempt in their eyes when they looked at each other. Their relationship was all too obvious.
“So the Marchioness can throw her weight around because the restaurant’s manager is a concubine’s son. But still, in a public place with so many watching…”
“The Marchioness is one of the restaurant’s investors. I hear her investment was a pittance, but to her it must feel like a fortune.”
“So she thinks because she ‘invested’ in a concubine’s son, she’s entitled to special treatment and free rein. Even as the legal wife, that’s…”
Of course, from her perspective, it must sting to have put money into him. She likely wanted her due acknowledgment in return—but her arrogance was galling.
Seeing me frown, Lucious chuckled softly. Reaching over, he smoothed the lines on my forehead.
“In truth, she forced that investment through against the manager’s will. He tried to refuse; he wanted no entanglement with her. But she invested secretly anyway, using it as a pretext to appear at the restaurant frequently.”
“Normally, a legal wife would avoid dealing with an illegitimate child. Why can’t she leave him alone?”
“There are several reasons—the Marquess’ favor toward him, and more besides. But the main reason is likely… because their places might once have been reversed.”
“Reversed…? What do you mean?”
I stared at him expectantly. He smiled faintly as he smoothed my brow again, though his own furrow deepened.
“There are rumors that the current Marchioness was originally a concubine.”
“What? Really? Then how did she become the legal wife?”
“It seems there was some complicated history. The manager’s mother and the current Marchioness were cousins. For certain reasons, their statuses were swapped. The one who should have been the concubine became the wife, and the one who should have been the wife became the concubine.”
“Then originally, that manager would have been…?”
“If things had proceeded as they should, he would have been a legitimate heir—the successor to the Marquess.”
“Ah… so that’s why…”
No wonder she can’t leave him alone. By rights, she took the position that should have been his mother’s. Of course she’d be uneasy.
“Even though he left the household, he’s still in the capital, and the Marquess hasn’t completely let him go. The Marchioness can’t rest easy, so she invested in the restaurant to keep him under watch.”
“Exactly. The Marchioness has a daughter, but she hasn’t been officially named heir yet. It’s only natural she feels insecure.”
“Their daughter… right.”
At that, I remembered. The ‘Even daughter.’ I hadn’t connected the name at first, but now I recalled—she was one of the young ladies who envied Angelica in the original story.
She only appeared briefly before dying in an accident, and never again after that. A minor role.
After her death, I vaguely recalled a scene where the Marquess of Even petitioned Rayel, citing a hidden son he wished to formally acknowledge as heir. That son… was the manager.
But in the original story, the manager never truly appeared. Whether he became heir was unknown. Judging from the man I had seen today, though, I doubted he would have accepted. He seemed far too resolute.
By then, our carriage had nearly reached the Grand Duke’s estate, passing through the main gate. As I saw the servants assembled to greet us in the distance, I turned to Lucious.
“By the way, may I ask the manager’s name? He left quite an impression. And I’d like to visit that restaurant again.”
“I’m glad to hear that. His name is Elam Will Even. But because of his status, he goes only by ‘Elam.’”
“Elam… a fine name.”
It suited his gray hair and violet eyes perfectly. The sound of it lingered pleasantly in my mind, and I found myself repeating it inwardly.
The following day, after the incident at the restaurant had passed, I met with Alexandra to keep my promise to Angelica. I told her about the tea party meant to explain the rumors and introduce the new products, and she was delighted.
“I’d like to spread some word about the tea party. Will you help, Alexandra?”
“Of course! Leave it to me! I’m perfect for that sort of thing!”
“I knew you’d be good at this. Thank you.”
She grinned brightly with confidence, and I smiled back. After that, Alexandra attended various parties and tea gatherings, spreading word of the event Angelica was hosting.
Since she was already active in society, her frequent mentions quickly fanned the rumor. I too accompanied her, eagerly promoting the new products.
“Have you heard? The Countess of Werner’s daughter intends to address the rumors.”
“Yes, I heard it from Her Highness the Princess.”
“I heard it from the Grand Duchess herself. They say she’ll not only explain the latest rumor but also clarify the past refund incident.”
“That’s right. And she’ll be unveiling new products as well.”
Though it had been only a short while, with Alexandra and me speaking of it everywhere, word spread like wildfire.
“I didn’t know the Grand Duchess and the Princess were close to Lady Werner.”
“Oh, you didn’t hear? At the Princess’s tea party, Lady Werner was being bullied by Lady Fidget, and the Grand Duchess helped her.”
“Really? Now that you mention it, wasn’t there some issue between the Fidget family and the Werners about poor-quality materials?”
“Yes, that was the refund scandal. She’ll address that too, along with unveiling new products. Though I wonder… will they really be any good?”
“I heard the new products are of excellent quality. The ones gifted early to the Grand Duchess and the Princess were said to be astonishing.”
“Is that so? Then perhaps it’s worth looking forward to.”
As the whispers spread among the young ladies and noblewomen, curiosity soon grew into eager anticipation. And so, with excitement building, the day of the tea party finally arrived.
