Chapter 27
My Life, Pledged as Collateral –
“Want to go check?”
“Yes!”
Casey quickly approached the door, opened it, and disappeared through the inner doorway.
But a moment later, only Howard came back in.
“Huh? Weren’t you busy?”
Irina, pleased with the hairstyle Casey had just done for her, was admiring herself in the mirror when she saw Howard and beamed, stepping toward him.
He looked much more prepared to go out than she was.
“Not particularly busy. When do we leave?”
“Probably soon? Casey just said we should hurry a little.”
Howard paused for a moment before speaking again.
“I see. You’ll have additional escorts today. And also… I think it might be better if you brought someone along.”
Only then did Irina realize why he had come looking for her.
Honestly, sometimes he could afford to act his looks and be a bit less cautious!
She almost laughed.
“Why? Are you worried the local ladies will ostracize me because I’m from another land? Please—this place is basically a paradise for foreigners. I can handle myself.”
It wasn’t like she was going to a fight.
Since it was a ladies’ gathering, she had already declined the suggestion that someone from the family accompany her.
It just felt too uncomfortable—besides, she didn’t even know the person they’d send.
Still, it was clear Howard had been unable to shake his concern ever since she arrived here.
He gave a small, amused smile at her confident attitude.
“Then perhaps taking a lawyer instead of a bodyguard would be better.”
“A lawyer? Why on earth?”
When she realized what he meant, Irina clenched her fist and aimed straight for his chest.
Not because she feared being bullied—but because he was worried she might cause trouble that would shock the noble ladies, and he’d need someone to clean up afterward.
“Ugh, seriously. Do you think I’m some kind of brawler?”
Casey, who had just returned carrying a tea tray at Howard’s order, froze at the sight of Irina in such a dramatic stance.
Fortunately, Howard’s large hand deftly caught her fist midair.
No, Casey.
She wasn’t actually punching her husband.
Irina shook her head slightly, trying to communicate that with her eyes.
“Oh! I’m so sorry—I didn’t mean to interrupt your… private moment! I’ll just wait outside!”
Casey bowed awkwardly, set down the tea tray, and hurriedly left.
Irina was left speechless.
Why did everyone—whether the knights or the household staff—see everything between her and Howard in such a positive light?
“See? This is all your fault. Casey thinks I’m a graceful and gentle person, but now you’ve ruined it! I’d better call her back.”
Irina pouted at Howard as she went to fetch Casey, but he only chuckled softly.
Apparently, he truly wasn’t busy—he didn’t leave right away but instead sat down at the table in her room.
Casey soon returned and expertly poured tea for them both.
Even after finishing his tea, Howard still looked worried before finally leaving the estate.
Once he was gone, Casey’s eyes sparkled.
“His Grace really seems to love you, my lady.”
“Haha… no, not at all. He’s just worried I might cause trouble.”
“No, really! Since I came to this mansion, I’ve never seen His Grace act like that! Everyone’s surprised.”
“Really?”
Irina smiled faintly, raising an eyebrow.
“I still have no idea what that man’s thinking.”
Then, noticing the time, she asked, “Shouldn’t we hurry a bit?”
Casey gasped dramatically, hands clasped together as she darted about.
“Oh my goodness, you’re right!”
She quickly double-checked Irina’s outfit and completed the finishing touches.
✦ ✦ ✦
Thankfully, Irina didn’t end up taking a lawyer to the tea party.
Though she did bring a set of escorting knights.
When she arrived, guided by a servant, three women—including the hostess—were already present.
“Welcome! Thank you so much for accepting our invitation. We met briefly at the Grand Palace, didn’t we?”
“It’s nice to see you again. I’m the one who should be thankful—you arranged this meeting for me.”
The only thing Howard had told her about the Countess of Kaust was that she was around Irina’s mental age.
Seeing her face now, Irina faintly recalled meeting her at the Grand Palace.
But the Countess of Kaust’s atmosphere was completely different from what she had imagined.
Every gesture was refined. Her dark violet hair and black eyes gave her a calm, dignified air.
The other two ladies, she learned, had maintained a friendly relationship with the Countess for several years.
In Arendor, even friendly invitations were usually layered with rivalry and territorial posturing.
So Irina half-expected the same here.
But as their conversation flowed, they kept things light and pleasant—nothing too deep, nothing controversial.
Topics like the day’s weather, fashion, or dresses—safe, polite subjects.
Thanks to that, Irina gradually began to relax.
“Madam Bolivier has arrived.”
While they sipped tea, a butler approached the Countess and announced another guest.
“Oh, excuse me a moment—our final guest has arrived.”
While the hostess stepped out, one of the ladies—who had been sneaking glances at Irina all along—spoke up.
“Duchess, may I ask you something?”
The speaker was a petite woman with bright golden hair tied up in a rounded bun. She was from the Telon family—powerful northern merchants.
If Kaust was a wealthy house supporting the Grand Duchy in the capital, Telon was the most prestigious in the north.
Though the country had many immigrants, the Telons were rare locals—born and raised in Borman for generations.
Her laughter was as bright as her hair. She mentioned she would soon return north before winter came.
“Yes? What is it?”
Irina nodded amiably, intrigued by her eager tone.
The Countess of Telon’s face lit up.
“You said you’re from Arendor, right? Is that necklace you’re wearing the current trend there?”
Irina wasn’t sure if the question came from genuine curiosity or because the woman found it strange she was wearing two pendulums at once—or perhaps, being from a merchant family, she simply had a keen eye for goods.
She realized the woman’s gaze had been fixed on her necklace for some time.
Looking down, Irina lifted the pendant slightly.
“Oh, this? Not exactly…”
She hesitated, then smiled softly.
“My husband gave it to me, said it was important.”
Even though she said it on purpose, the word husband felt awkward in her mouth, like a fishbone stuck in her throat.
“Oh my, so it’s a token of love.”
“I heard the rumors about your cross-border romance—they were true! How romantic…”
The Countess of Telon gushed, while the other lady beside her, Lady Artel, added teasingly,
“Then it must be a one-of-a-kind design. The moment I saw it, I wanted to ask your opinion about it.”
“Me?”
It was precious to her, yes—but hardly what she’d call a refined piece of jewelry.
A somewhat long pendulum, half dark and half light in color—it didn’t even match most dresses well.
Still, Telon sighed wistfully.
“Borman’s nobles are very fashion-sensitive these days. If you said this design was popular in Arendor, I bet everyone would want one immediately.”
Then she added what she’d really meant to say.
“And if it’s something you wear, Duchess, it’ll catch on even faster. There were so many ladies who wanted to attend today, you know! After all, your husband is the sole heir to the Grand Duchy.”
She went on to suggest that perhaps Irina could introduce Arendor’s culture or goods sometime—and that most of the profits would go to her.
“It would be an honor just to be associated with you,” she added.
“You flatter me. I’ll see if I can find anything useful for next time.”
The Telon family had apparently expanded their trading business greatly, and this woman clearly shared her husband’s business sense.
While they were chatting, the Countess of Kaust returned—with another guest beside her.
A tall woman in a dark hat and dress.
Her face looked vaguely familiar to Irina.
“I’m terribly late, aren’t I? The carriage wheel gave me some trouble on the way.”
“That’s all right—we just started. You must’ve had a hard time getting here.”
“Luckily, the weather held up. If it had rained, my new dress would’ve been ruined.”
The woman turned toward Irina then.
Their eyes met directly, and she gave Irina a curious, almost knowing look before stepping closer.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Lurasa Bolivier.”
“Oh, you two haven’t met before? I thought you might’ve had dealings between your families, so I invited you together.”
The Countess of Kaust looked a bit apologetic.
“I’m glad we could finally meet, even like this. Don’t you agree, Duchess?”
Lurasa Bolivier.
“Oh… yes. There are still many people I haven’t had the chance to meet since the wedding.”
“I understand. The Duke of Lingester must be terribly busy.”
Busy, yes… but.
Something about her tone unsettled Irina.
If anyone else had said it, she wouldn’t have cared—but this woman spoke as though she knew his schedule, his habits.
Was that jealousy she was feeling? She wasn’t sure.
The Countess had apparently invited Lurasa because she was known to be on good terms with the Grand Duchy’s circles.
Of all the women present, Lurasa’s energy stood out the most—despite her dark dress and gloves, she carried herself with a free, lively spirit.
The brief awkwardness soon melted into friendly chatter, everyone exchanging compliments and pleasantries.
Throughout the conversation, though, Irina kept catching Lurasa’s gaze on her.
Why does she keep looking at me?
But each time their eyes met, Lurasa just smiled faintly, never saying anything out of line.
“Thank you so much for coming today. I hope we can do this again soon,” the Countess said as the gathering ended.
“I’d like that,” Irina replied.
The Countess gave each guest a small parting gift.
Irina was just about to leave when—
“Would you mind if we spoke privately for a moment, Duchess? Just family matters.”
Lurasa stopped her.
Irina turned back toward her.
“Right now?”
Lurasa said she had a small villa nearby.
“Actually, it feels odd to call this our first meeting. You saw me before, didn’t you? That time—you were watching from afar.”
Only then did Irina realize who she was.
The woman who had come looking for Howard before.
“So it was you. I’m sorry, but I’ll have to decline. If you contact me through the family—”
“The necklace.”
Lurasa cut her off.
Her hand reached out, as if to take it right then and there.
Irina instinctively stepped back so that her hand wouldn’t touch it.
“Aren’t you curious where that pendulum came from?”
