Chapter 42
“Lady Blaze! You’re here as well.”
Aileen greeted Letier with a pleased expression. Then she faltered when she noticed the person standing beside her.
“It’s been a while, Duchess.”
“…Marquis Fedric.”
Aileen wore an awkward smile. His presence still made her uncomfortable.
Regardless, Harry greeted Rihardt, who was standing behind her as well. Rihardt’s brows narrowed slightly.
Ignoring the two men who were giving off a strangely heavy atmosphere, Aileen looked at Letier instead. Letier had been glancing around as if searching for someone, and when her eyes met Aileen’s, she looked straight at her.
Aileen realized who she was looking for.
“Adrian didn’t come with us. I suppose he’s still a bit young.”
“…I see.”
Letier nodded with her usual emotionless gaze, but Aileen could sense her disappointment.
So she took Letier’s hands in hers and said,
“If you’d like, come visit again next time. Adrian would like it too.”
After hesitating, Letier nodded. Her slightly flushed cheeks were cute.
It seemed that Adrian and Letier had both gained a good friend in each other.
Aileen smiled warmly, but then felt a gaze on her and turned her head. The moment she met crimson-red eyes, her body flinched. Harry was looking at her intently.
She wondered if she should say something, but fortunately Harry looked away first, without making any remark.
Finding that odd, she tilted her head briefly, then dismissed it and turned to Letier instead.
“Come to think of it, you were at the dance as well, weren’t you? Who did you dance with?”
“Just… I grabbed any man and danced.”
“What? You grabbed one?”
“Yes. Several people asked me to dance.”
“Ah, that’s what you meant.”
Rihardt quietly watched Letier’s indifferent expression and Aileen’s flustered smile, then glanced to the side.
Harry, too, was looking at the two women—more precisely, at his granddaughter.
Rihardt let out a small chuckle and said to him,
“Lady Blaze seems brighter than before.”
“…Does she?”
“Yes. It must be thanks to the duchess’s warm heart, always thinking of her.”
Harry snorted inwardly. But it didn’t show on his face, because part of him thought that might truly be the case.
Since Aileen appeared, Rihardt had changed. A man who had never cared for anyone now regarded Aileen as his own.
One could tell just by the way he looked at her. It was genuine.
And Letier as well…
Harry looked at his granddaughter. Her gaze was still barren, but as she chatted with Aileen, she looked like a child her age.
The look in her eyes as she watched Aileen had subtly changed.
She was just an ordinary woman—yet what was it about her that changed people?
He recalled the image of her standing boldly against him when he had warned her not to obstruct Rihardt’s future. He truly couldn’t understand it.
Curiosity stirred, but he set it aside for now.
“It’s about time for me to go.”
“Grandfather?”
Letier looked at him. Harry spoke gently to her.
“It’s almost my turn. I should go and prepare.”
The gift presentation had already reached the rank of count. It was time for a marquis like him to prepare.
When Letier nodded, Harry moved to leave. But when the one who should have followed didn’t, he stopped.
“Your Highness, shall we go together?”
Rihardt, who had been pretending not to notice, frowned at him, his gaze filled with resentment.
Harry ignored that look and spoke politely.
“The marquis’s turn is approaching, so won’t Your Highness’s turn be coming soon as well?”
“…I suppose so.”
Clicking his tongue inwardly, Rihardt swallowed a sigh and turned back to Aileen.
“Aileen, it seems I should go prepare as well. Please enjoy a conversation with Lady Blaze.”
“All right. Go on.”
Though his feet were reluctant to move, Harry urged him on, and Rihardt eventually left with him.
Aileen watched the two men walking side by side, then turned her head at Letier’s words.
“Are you worried?”
“Worried?”
“You look like it.”
Momentarily at a loss for words, Aileen closed her mouth, then shook her head.
“…I am worried, but I trust that Rihardt will handle things well.”
Letier stared at her, then murmured softly,
“You must have deep trust in each other.”
“I don’t know about Rihardt, but I trust him quite a lot.”
“His Excellency must feel the same.”
Aileen’s eyes widened, then she smiled brightly.
“…I hope so.”
Letier’s lips twisted slightly.
It wasn’t because she felt bad. Rather, seeing Aileen’s smile made her feel like smiling too.
It was just that she hadn’t smiled in so long that she’d forgotten how.
After moving her lips this way and that, Letier eventually gave up on smiling and changed the subject.
“Come to think of it, I heard you’ve been busy lately…”
“Oh, that? It seems the rumors have already spread.”
With Harry of the Second Prince’s faction frequently visiting Oldenga, she must have heard it from him.
It wasn’t something she needed to hide, but the rumors spreading so widely made her uneasy, so Aileen lowered her voice.
“I’m actually thinking of opening a shop soon.”
“A shop?”
Perhaps out of consideration, Letier also asked in a low voice.
Aileen smiled slightly in gratitude for her thoughtfulness.
“Yes. I’m planning to start a small business.”
“I see. May I ask what you plan to sell?”
“Everyday magic tools.”
Letier exclaimed softly, “Ah,” as if surprised, then nodded as though it made sense.
“Come to think of it, you do have connections with a magic stone craftsman.”
“Well, yes.”
Since she couldn’t say that the craftsman was herself, Aileen laughed awkwardly and brushed it off.
After pondering for a moment, Letier voiced her thoughts.
“If the business does well, all of the Empire’s magic tools might end up being produced in Oldenga.”
“That’s far too much… I’m not thinking on such a grand scale.”
Flustered, Aileen waved her hands. It was far too big a dream for her at present.
But Letier, thinking it possible, said seriously,
“When you open, please let me know. Grandfather has been complaining of headaches lately because of the smell of ink. I’ll stop by to buy an air-purifying magic tool—both as a celebration and for him.”
“Thank you. I’ll prepare a good product just for you.”
She didn’t know if he’d actually use something bought from her shop.
Instead of showing her awkward feelings, Aileen smiled brightly, grateful for Letier’s consideration.
And since it would be a gift from his granddaughter, he might use it after all.
Imagining Harry looking awkwardly at the magic tool Letier gifted him somehow felt a bit satisfying.
When Aileen suddenly chuckled, Letier looked at her in confusion, but soon changed the subject.
‘Thank goodness.’
That was Aileen’s thought as she continued chatting with Letier. Fortunately, this banquet seemed likely to pass smoothly.
No one picked a fight with her, and no incidents occurred. If the banquet ended safely like this, she would return to the mansion and enjoy a peaceful night.
‘And I can use today as an excuse not to go anywhere for a while.’
Then she could shut herself in the mansion and calmly prepare for the shop opening.
Her plans were falling neatly into place, and a smile spread across Aileen’s face as she thought of the future.
But all her plans were shattered by a voice calling out to her.
“Aileen?”
Her body stiffened. Letier tilted her head at her.
“Madam?”
“Ah…”
Realizing her expression had faltered, Aileen composed herself to regain her calm.
Then that troublesome voice called her again.
“You are Aileen, right?”
“It sounds like someone’s calling you…”
When even Letier glanced behind her, Aileen could no longer avoid it.
She took a deep breath and slowly turned around. Brown eyes staring straight at her met her gaze.
Although the woman had called her after noticing her presence, she widened her eyes in surprise.
“…So it really was you.”
Aileen smiled bitterly.
She had vaguely known that she would attend this banquet, and though she had seen her during the dance, she’d foolishly thought they wouldn’t meet like this.
That was how unwelcome this reunion was.
Looking at the red-haired woman before her, Aileen offered a formal greeting.
“It’s been a while, Kallia.”
“It has. It really has been a long time. How many years has it been?”
“Who knows. About ten years, maybe.”
It was probably longer. She had first met Kallia not long after her abilities had awakened.
And that had been their last meeting—though that was no longer the case now.
Aileen looked steadily at the woman before her.
Kallia Herben. Her cousin on her mother’s side.
Even after roughly ten years, Kallia was just as she remembered—still glamorous hair, still fond of glittering things, and…
“You haven’t changed at all.”
That condescending gaze looking down at her was the same as ever.
Aileen lightly bit the inside of her cheek. She didn’t want to show her emotions to Kallia.
So she forced a smile and retorted,
“You’re the same too. Not a thing has changed.”
“Of course. Do you know how much care I’ve received all this time?”
“I saw you dancing with the First Prince. You looked wonderful.”
“That much is only natural.”
Apparently pleased with the compliment, Kallia’s lips curved smoothly upward. Aileen almost let out a bitter smile at how unchanged she was.
But at the next words, Aileen froze.
“By the way, where is Aunt?”
