Chapter 17: Belmore’s Choice
The “Thistle Medal Cookie Incident” had set the social circles abuzz.
It had happened at the worst possible moment—when Cecil Hobert, Sir Belmore, and the Prime Minister’s political rival all happened to be in the same place.
“Congressman Gordon claims there’s nothing wrong with his health—in fact, he says he’s healthier than usual,” the Prime Minister said, tossing the newspaper aside during breakfast.
“He’s probably trying to preempt attacks that would use his health as a weakness,” Cecil remarked silently.
But the Prime Minister, as if seeing through her thoughts, gave her a warning.
“Cecil, stay quiet for a while. People are already talking about poison at the party, retaliation, and such.”
“Don’t worry, Father,” she replied.
The incident left an unusual aftertaste for Cecil as well. The fact that Sir Gordon had somewhat overshadowed her efforts for the military didn’t matter. It wasn’t about that.
“Father, so how was the incident concluded?”
“They concluded it was a simple mistake. I told you not to worry about it.”
“Shouldn’t we investigate further? Someone might have been trying to cause trouble for me.”
“Sir Belmore also wanted to wrap it up quickly. He didn’t want your party to become gossip fodder,” the Prime Minister said, waving his hand as if shooing away a bothersome fly.
Many people were talking about how swiftly Sir Belmore handled the situation and how politely he apologized to Sir Gordon. It had happened at Cecil’s party and in a hotel, so his involvement was natural.
“Sir Belmore actually cares that much about me?” Cecil hesitated. She hadn’t thought of him that way. After all, when Sir Belmore had grabbed a maid by the shoulder and dragged her off, hadn’t everyone worried about her fate?
“He’ll give her an appropriate punishment,” her father said, as if it wasn’t worth discussing further. But Cecil knew the truth.
Sir Belmore wasn’t the type to get angry or agitated on her behalf.
Sir Belmore apologized to Congressman Gordon for your sake.
When Cecil hurried after him, she found him sitting alone by the pond. The aura around him made it impossible for her to interrupt, so she had no choice but to turn back.
She lost her appetite and left her unfinished meal to go up to her room. The nanny followed, worried.
“Miss, why didn’t you finish your meal…? Madam is worried.”
“Nanny, what kind of person do you think Sir Belmore is?” Cecil asked.
Caught off guard by the sudden question, the nanny hesitated. Cecil stared at her, waiting for an answer.
“How could I possibly judge him, Miss?”
“No, I just want your thoughts. Do you think he loves me?”
“He will marry you, Miss,” the nanny said.
Cecil chuckled.
“Even you can’t bring yourself to lie, huh?”
The nanny scolded properly.
“He is the one who will be your husband. Surely you don’t intend to ‘date’ like the maids, do you?”
“Yes, that’s why I want to understand. He always behaves flawlessly, which makes him hard to read. Flawless means… it’s like he hides everything so there’s nothing to find fault with.”
“You two aren’t at the stage of sharing everything yet. In time…”
Talking to the nanny about it was pointless.
“I know! I know this will be an arranged marriage. He won’t propose because he loves me. I just don’t want people whispering that I married a cheating man, is that clear?”
Cecil snatched her nanny’s hand irritably.
“Cheating? Miss Cecil, where did you hear such a thing?”
Seeing the nanny’s shocked face, Cecil fell silent. Soon enough, her parents would hear it.
“It’s just something I said. He’s too cold toward me.”
“Behave like a lady,” the nanny said, solemnly warning her.
“Nanny.”
“Yes, Miss.”
“So, was that maid dismissed?”
“Miss, we already decided not to talk about that!”
Cecil flopped onto her bed and stared at the ceiling.
“I don’t want things happening without me knowing.”
“What do you mean?”
“My life.”
She jumped up from the bed.
“Nanny.”
“Yes, Miss Cecil.”
“Why did Rory Belmore abandon his wife?”
The nanny’s face stiffened as she scolded Cecil.
“Miss, such gossip is very bad. I’ve tried to raise you properly.”
Cecil sighed and lay back down.
“Ah, forget it. Don’t tell me. I’ll find out myself.”
“Sir, if no one takes responsibility for the cookie incident, either Miss Cecil or Sir Belmore will be directly suspected,” Rufus reminded Christopher in the rattling carriage, bringing up the Thistle Cookie Incident again.
“Regardless of the apology to Sir Gordon, some action needs to be taken. Though whether it counts as an ‘apology’ is another matter.”
‘Is Congressman Gordon conscious? Better let him rest a little longer.’
‘What a ridiculous case. Sir Belmore, you’re making a mistake.’
‘Do you think I would silently allow someone from Hivebrom to walk around my hotel identifying prostitutes?’
‘So you’re claiming the peanut was put in there deliberately?’
‘You’re not that important. But an unfortunate incident that happens “by chance” deserves an apology.’
“So, you need someone to take the fall, huh?”
The power to choose was not something anyone could possess.
From deciding whether to own a ship or a castle, to choosing whether to get engaged to the Prime Minister’s daughter or marry a wealthy provincial noble’s daughter—everyone waited for his decision.
This time was no different. Should he save veteran chef Budino, or the maid who had only recently joined the hotel?
Opposite every choice were those who believed in fate—people who would either fall into ruin or survive, depending on Belmore’s decision.
This choice was simple. He only needed to be rational.
“I decided last night. Sign the contract termination papers and deliver them.”
He had never acted purely to satisfy his emotions. Publicly, it looked better to dismiss the head chef he valued rather than an insignificant maid. That way, it seemed as though he was taking full responsibility for the situation.
Apart from that, he found amusement in observing Elizabeth Gardner.
Yes. She was certainly an interesting presence. But amusement?
It was a foreign concept to him. He tried to pronounce the word in his mouth.
When someone asked Christopher about the pleasures of life, he usually answered “deer hunting.” Elizabeth Gardner was a rabbit that had fearlessly appeared in his hunting ground. Not even a deer.
Like a hunter standing in the open field against the wind, he could always find her easily.
‘A woman diving into a fountain just to grab a cheap rocket.’
The splashes on the calm surface—the observation, which had started as a pastime in his mundane life, was slowly expanding its territory.
First, she had intruded into his space. Now, she had begun intruding into his time.
It took one second to remove the convent in front of him. Hiring her formally at the hotel took five minutes. And now, he spent the whole day weighing whether to dismiss her.
“You worked hard to keep her at the hotel,” Rufus said.
“I don’t care. Someone has to take responsibility anyway.”
Rufus shook his head.
“Phil Gordon is not that kind of person. He won’t act in a way that harms the hotel.”
Rufus clicked his tongue in disappointment. Belmore and Rufus generally worked well together. Belmore might find blind spots in Rufus’s arguments, but he had never made a decision that Rufus couldn’t understand.
“That woman is quick and clever. She earns everyone’s human goodwill.”
Christopher’s brief comment surprised Rufus internally. Had Belmore ever praised someone so naturally before? He couldn’t recall a single instance.
Meanwhile, Christopher looked outside with a detached, cynical expression. Pressing his temple with his left hand, it was clear he was suffering from another headache.
“Another headache?”
“A short nap will fix it.”
“You couldn’t take that nap. Now get out of Room 301. The exhibition hall is almost complete.”
Rufus clicked his tongue, handing over sleeping pills.
“I wish it were something that could be solved by changing beds.”
“Still, staying there doesn’t look good.”
“Joseph Paxton will also build an annex for the hotel. Let him stay there.”
“The servants already think Paxton is Sir Belmore.”
Christopher closed his eyes and smiled faintly.
“That’s rather amusing.”
She must have misunderstood too.
He recalled the scene where the woman had openly flared up at him. No one had ever spoken to him like that.
Among people bowing and flattering the name Belmore, she was unusual.
At the very least, he hoped she would take pleasure in his choices too.
