Chapter 43
The moment Yuri heard Cecilia’s answer, he sprang to his feet.
“What? Why?”
Cecilia, who had been quickly straightening the table that had been disturbed when he pushed back, shot him a puzzled look.
“Because I have my own schedule?”
“…You can’t spare even one day?”
She finished smoothing out the lace and looked up at him quietly.
Her brows were knit, as if she truly found it strange.
At the sight of that expression, the words that had risen to the tip of Yuri’s tongue seemed to retreat back down his throat. When he fell silent and obediently sat back down, Cecilia gestured to the maid who had brought the tea and let out a faint smile.
“That’s odd. Is there something going on?”
“It’s not like that, but…”
Do you need a reason just to meet?
The words surged up to his throat, but he couldn’t bring himself to say them aloud.
A restless frustration churned in his chest. What could possibly be so busy that she couldn’t spare even a single day?
“Is there really so much you need to review that you can’t make time even for one day?”
The words slipped out between his teeth, entirely against his will.
As Yuri floundered internally, Cecilia took a sip of her tea and murmured a short, thoughtful “Hmm.” Then she set the cup down and began counting on her fingers as she answered him in earnest.
“First, Matilda has sent quite a few applications from the capital. From among those, I need to issue permits allowing the suitable candidates to stay in Lothreven.”
Though it was a grand duchy in name only and treated in practice as part of Sideoli’s territory, it was still classified separately as a grand duchy, so the proper procedures had to be followed.
Permits—right. That was important.
Groaning softly, Yuri dragged a hand down his face. Cecilia continued listing the tasks she had to handle, and not a single one sounded like something that could be postponed.
Still, he didn’t want to give up like this.
Frowning, he racked his brain and finally cobbled together another excuse.
“Well, um, wouldn’t it be better to personally check how the new apprentices are settling in? Foreigners need permits, but among Lothreven’s residents, there should be people who’ve just started their apprenticeship.”
“That’s true.”
“…Wouldn’t it be better if you went to check on them yourself?”
Cecilia fell into thought at his words. The brief silence she kept felt unbearably long to him.
Just as Yuri waited anxiously for her response—
“That makes sense too.”
The reply came lightly, almost cheerfully, considering how much it had tossed Yuri’s heart into a fire pit.
For a moment, Yuri’s face brightened openly, without even trying to hide it. The instant he sensed even the faintest hope that she might accept his suggestion, dignity and appearances flew out the window.
“Right?”
He lifted his chin smugly as he spoke, and Cecilia narrowed her eyes at him.
Slowly tracing the rim of her teacup with her fingertips, she murmured,
“This really is suspicious.”
Her quiet words felt sharper to Yuri than any blade.
Startled, he lowered his head again, contrite.
“You’re not scheming something, are you?”
“Me? Why would I?”
Because he felt guilty, his tongue nearly ran away with him.
Barely restraining himself from blurting out excuses, Yuri feigned innocence.
After pondering his answer, Cecilia seemed to realize that there was no real reason for him to be scheming, and she soon shook her head lightly. If he truly had been plotting something, he would’ve been drenched in cold sweat by now.
Not giving her time to think further, Yuri pressed on for a definite answer.
“Anyway, I’ll take that as a yes, so make time. I’ll have Noah relay the exact schedule.”
He lifted the teacup before him and drained it in one gulp, then sprang to his feet.
His long strides as he left the room were brisk and triumphant. Watching him leave the moment he’d achieved his goal, Cecilia rested her chin in her hand.
At least this time, he drank all the tea she served. Perhaps she should thank him for that.
She glanced at the empty cup and let out a soft laugh.
She didn’t know what was going on, but if he’d come all this way to make such a request, she figured it wouldn’t hurt to indulge him once.
‘He’s been accommodating me all this time, after all.’
Ever since proposing the deal with Orto, he must have agonized over it quite a bit.
Despite clearly showing his displeasure toward her, he had still accepted her proposal rather readily.
Thinking back on that softened her heart somewhat.
The claim that work was piling up had really just been an excuse. When he suddenly showed up and bluntly asked if she had time, she’d only teased him out of curiosity.
Lightly tapping the table, Cecilia smiled faintly.
The mist she’d seen just before her husband left—
Guessing at the feelings hidden behind its color felt oddly enjoyable.
Noah confirmed the date sooner than expected.
After passing the schedule on to Cecilia, he left her with a meaningful expression, saying she should look forward to it.
It only left Cecilia more confused.
‘What does he mean, “look forward to it” this time?’
As far as she knew, there were no festivals or events scheduled for that outing.
‘Could there be some new news from the capital?’
Through Matilda’s letters and the documents sent to her, Cecilia could roughly infer how things were progressing.
Still, the volume of information her husband received must have been far greater.
Thinking that it might be related to the new apprentices made her inexplicably excited.
The confirmed date arrived faster than she expected.
“Ellie.”
“…Yes?!”
A beat too late, Ellie hurriedly answered and scampered over to Cecilia.
“You called for me, madam?”
As if trying to make up for her mistake, Ellie fixed Cecilia with an overly attentive gaze.
Seated at her vanity, Cecilia looked up at Ellie’s face through the mirror.
Ever since returning from her day out, the maid had been constantly lost in thought, often missing when she was called.
Moreover, Ellie’s cheeks were faintly flushed, as though she were preoccupied with something.
After quietly observing her for a moment, Cecilia smiled and picked up a bracelet lying in front of her.
“I wanted to ask which accessories would be best. Would it be better to wear a ring?”
“Hmm, I think this emerald necklace would be nice too.”
“Isn’t that a bit too flashy?”
At the request to choose accessories, Ellie immediately became absorbed, bowing slightly.
Her passionate explanation of why this or that piece should be worn was the same as ever.
‘The color of her mist isn’t anything special either.’
With a relaxed expression, Cecilia picked up a dark green ribbon.
“I’d like you to tie my hair with this.”
“But for this outing, shouldn’t you at least wear a pearl hairpin—”
“That would stand out too much.”
The conversation felt oddly out of sync.
Given that Ellie should know better than anyone what kind of attire Cecilia usually wore when going into town, her attitude made Cecilia tilt her head in confusion.
Yet Ellie seemed just as baffled by Cecilia’s preferences.
Even so, preparations for going out steadily neared completion.
After braiding her hair into twin plaits and tying the ends with ribbons, Ellie draped a cloak over her shoulders instead of a coat, muttering things like, “And this is really the best I can do…” with a troubled expression.
Complaining that it made her look too girlish went completely ignored.
There was no time to change again, so she would have to go out like this.
Watching the strange-looking mist covering Ellie’s chest with a dubious gaze, Cecilia shook her head and stepped outside the castle walls.
“…Ah.”
There stood her husband, waiting for her—far more carefully dressed than any pearl hairpin or emerald necklace could ever compare to.
