CHAPTER 70………………………………………..
. Refusal
“I came here today because of this.”
At the duke’s signal, the waiting coachman stepped down and began unloading a box from the luggage compartment at the back of the carriage.
Judging it too precious to simply place on the ground, the coachman hesitated and glanced toward the duke for instructions.
The duke indicated the marquis and Hildegard with his eyes.
He meant for the box to be handed over directly—not to a servant, but to the marquis himself.
The coachman hesitated a moment longer, but as a faithful servant of the ducal house, he obediently distributed the boxes between the marquis and Hildegard, then withdrew.
“What is this?”
Having recognized what the box was, the marquis narrowed his eyes and glared at the duke.
“It’s exactly what I want to ask, Your Excellency. What is this? It arrived at my aide’s residence, so I’ve brought it back. It seems the shop must have made a mistake with the address. Luckily, my aide is an honest person—imagine if such expensive goods had been mishandled. You ought to lodge a strong complaint.”
At the duke’s calm explanation, the marquis’s face grew redder with anger as he stepped closer. His pale fist trembled violently with the force he was exerting to control himself.
Watching him, Hildegard’s gaze dropped to the box in her arms.
What on earth could this be, to make him react like that?
Inspecting it carefully, she saw that the labels were from the most prestigious shops in the empire—places so exclusive that even the average noble could not easily afford their wares.
Among them was one boutique run personally by a master craftsman so famous that Hildegard had only ever heard of it; it was too far away for her to have visited herself.
And these were sent to Anje Beaufort…?
Hildegard’s eyes hardened as she stared at the box.
The duke claimed it had been sent in error, but the Marquis of Crow she knew was not the type to make such a “mistake.”
What was even stranger was Anje Beaufort’s attitude.
Hildegard’s gaze shifted to the young woman standing leisurely behind the duke, watching the confrontation as if it were none of her concern.
In her dark eyes flickered faint traces of indifference and boredom.
She seemed utterly uninterested in the value of the returned gifts or the status of the two powerful men arguing before her.
Hildegard’s confusion deepened as she looked again at the box she held.
Each item inside was undeniably valuable. If it had been sent by mistake, Anje Beaufort could have simply accepted it and called it a day.
Why go through the trouble of returning it? And why was her grandfather so openly furious?
It was true that the Marquis of Crow had a fearsome reputation—but that was mostly among those self-important nobles who prided themselves on their “pure” aristocratic bloodlines.
Among the lesser houses, however, it was common knowledge that anyone who wanted to survive in the empire had to go through the Marquis of Crow.
Surely this was not simply about “honesty.” There had to be more behind this deliberate rejection—and for the duke himself to deliver it in person…
Hildegard’s suspicious gaze shifted between the Duke of Side and the silent Anje standing behind him.
Surely the head of the illustrious Duke of Side family isn’t trying to involve himself with a woman whose fallen house has left her barely above a commoner…?
No, that couldn’t be. It mustn’t be.
There were already rumors in society that Hildegard and the Duke of Side were engaged, even that the wedding date had been set.
If this matter turned sour…
Her anxious thoughts were cut short by her grandfather’s furious shout.
“To return something sent in my name—what could that be but an insult to me?”
“I told you, there’s no reason for me to accept it.”
“That’s your opinion! This was a gift meant for Miss Anje Beaufort!”
The duke clicked his tongue and frowned.
What a stubborn old man. After all this, there was no way he hadn’t understood the message, yet he still refused to accept it.
Out of patience, the duke turned to look at Anje directly.
The young woman, who had been watching with her hands clasped behind her back, drew a graceful smile as if on cue.
“Your Excellency, these are all things far beyond my means. I’ll accept the sentiment with gratitude, but that’s all.”
Despite her polite yet firm refusal, the marquis’s glare remained fixed on the duke.
“What did you threaten her with to make her say that? She’s not a fool—why would she turn down such gifts otherwise?”
The duke folded his arms, his posture relaxed, and snorted in annoyance. The marquis’s obstinacy no longer surprised him.
“Whatever you say won’t change anything. We’ve done what we came to do, so we’ll take our leave.”
“Wait!”
The one who spoke was Hildegard, who had been watching from the sidelines until now.
“You can’t just leave like this after coming all the way here. At least have some tea—or better yet, dinner, since it’s nearly evening.”
The duke, who moments ago had been sparring verbally with the marquis, softened his expression and smiled kindly at Hildegard.
“I’m grateful for such warm hospitality, my lady. That’s very thoughtful of you, but I’m afraid I already have another engagement.”
Alarmed, Hildegard nudged her grandfather’s arm. Whatever the reason for this visit, she couldn’t afford to let the opportunity slip away.
“…Whatever this prior engagement is, surely being a little late won’t draw criticism. People will understand. My chef’s skills are not to be taken lightly—stay and dine with us. You too, Miss Anje.”
Without even glancing at the duke, the marquis fixed his gaze on Anje. His steady stare was heavy and uncomfortable.
“Thank you for your kind offer, but I have work piling up.”
With no high status or powerful backing, “work” was the only excuse Anje could use.
But as soon as she spoke, the marquis turned his anger back to the duke.
“How much work are you making that young girl do? This won’t do at all. Miss Anje, what do you think of working for the marquisate instead? I can’t say how much the duke pays, but I’ll offer you far better.”
Anje glanced at the duke, her eyes silently asking for help.
But the man only crossed his arms and shrugged with an amused smirk.
Suppressing a sigh, Anje quickly composed herself and looked back up.
Not long ago, Hildegard herself had made her a similar offer—urging her to leave. The resemblance between granddaughter and grandfather was uncanny.
“I’m afraid I must decline, Your Excellency. But thank you for the generous offer.”
Even if she hadn’t already been tied to the duke, she had no desire whatsoever to enter the Marquis of Crow’s service. Her smooth smile conveyed her refusal clearly.
Deciding there was no reason to prolong an unpleasant visit, Anje bowed politely.
“Then, I’ll be taking my leave. If there are any further business proposals, please address them to Sir Elliott.”
Having neatly passed off all potential future trouble to Elliott, Anje turned and climbed into the carriage without a backward glance, leaving the duke behind.
When summer began, cafés across the capital opened their terraces with colorful parasols to welcome customers.
The café opposite the department store was famous for its grapefruit desserts and was always busy, but at this time of year it was nearly impossible to get a seat without reserving a week in advance.
Mariana had been busy lately, taking Algernon around the capital’s landmarks—ostensibly to help him get used to city life, but in truth, they were simply enjoying their dates in the bright season.
After strolling through the department store, the couple were resting their legs and having tea at the café they’d reserved.
Trailing after them, Josh and Anje had also ended up at the café, sipping refreshing orange-colored drinks and chatting idly.
As always, the head maid had warned them never to take their eyes off Lady Mariana and Grand Duke Algernon. But their relationship was no secret anymore—everyone in society knew, and even the Grand Duchess herself had tacitly approved.
So what was the point of “supervising” them now?
Watching the affectionate pair whispering to each other, Josh shook his head.
“Do they have to be that sweet?”
“Why not?” Anje replied coolly.
“Well, still! Showing off like that in front of all these people. Honestly, our Lady Mariana can be so—”
“Maybe try wetting your lips before spouting nonsense,” Anje cut in dryly. “You were worse than her, if I remember right.”
Josh blinked at the unexpected jab, then pouted.
“I’m not like Lady Mariana. I don’t fall head over heels for men. I’m always rational.”
“……”
Rational, my foot.
In Anje’s eyes, Josh was the very definition of a pushover when it came to men.
Her cool gaze slid toward him, thoroughly unimpressed.
