Chapter 70
Recalling a proverb related to sihocho, the main ingredient of the confectionery, Sophia murmured its meaning. Diane nodded as if in approval and turned her attention back to Lea.
“Lea. When you give the sweets to Miss Helen, subtly show her what I wrote on your wrist. Make sure only she can see it, alright? You can do that, can’t you?”
Lea, who had seemed fine with delivering the sweets, tensed up at the secretive instruction. But when the old lady gently patted her head, the girl gave a firm nod as if to say she’d muster the courage and left the drawing room with a determined expression.
The sound of the door closing behind Lea snapped Sophia out of her daze. She looked at her grandmother with anxious eyes. Even after watching her grandmother’s behavior, Sophia still couldn’t grasp her true intentions.
Diane offered her worried granddaughter a warm smile before turning back to the window. In a gentle voice, like cooing to a baby, she said,
“Miss Helen is clever and quick-witted. She’ll handle it well. But we should go down too and play our parts.”
Outside the clear, large window, Aisha and Daniel were just stepping down from a carriage. Diane signaled to Sophia with her eyes to follow her, then left the drawing room just as the two began climbing the stairs toward the entrance.
“Welcome, Sir Daniel. It’s been a while.”
Daniel, who was just about to yell for Ian to be summoned the moment he entered, was startled by the sudden appearance of Diane and Sophia. As brash as he might be, even Daniel wouldn’t raise his voice at an elderly lady. With a reluctant expression, he bowed courteously as a knight.
“…Yes, it has been a long time.”
“And Miss Aisha, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you too. Have you been well? You’ve become even more beautiful.”
Aisha didn’t let her guard down, but she returned Diane’s warm greeting with a faint smile. Matching her brother’s respectful posture, she replied politely,
“Thanks to your concern. I’m grateful, madam.”
“How well-mannered. Sophia, what are you doing? Come and greet Sir Daniel and Miss Aisha.”
At her grandmother’s kind voice, Sophia, who had been standing behind Diane, stepped forward shyly and gave a silent bow. Aisha looked puzzled—Sophia, who always glared at her with sharp eyes, was not only quiet but even had her eyes downcast. Daniel also tilted his head at Sophia’s attitude but soon turned his attention back to Diane, who had started speaking again.
“Well, now that the greetings are done… what brings you to House Lloyd?”
“I’m here to see Ian. Where is he?”
“Sir Daniel. My grandson is the head of the prestigious House Lloyd, a marquis, and a high-ranking noble with a seat in the Central Nobles’ Council. While it may be acceptable for his fiancée, Miss Aisha, to speak informally, don’t you think it’s inappropriate for a mere knight to call him by name so freely?”
Instead of answering Daniel’s question, Diane rebuked him. Her unexpected comment made Daniel’s expression instantly sour.
‘Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.’
As a member of the Parden family, Daniel was well aware of the relationship between Diane and the Lloyd family. She had once turned her back on her husband and son over a land dispute, used her grandchildren for her own gain, and fled when her position as guardian was taken away—now she dared say my grandson?
Though he had long tried to stay detached from the Lloyd family’s affairs, his already negative feelings toward Diane soured even further. With a slight shift in posture, Daniel responded,
“Ian gave us permission long ago. My family received his blessing to use his name in private settings. Madam.”
Just as Daniel was about to sarcastically dig into Diane for acting like she didn’t know that, Aisha, who had been glancing at her brother, spoke first. Though her tone was more polite than Daniel’s, the words “long ago” carried an unmistakable sting that everyone could feel.
“…I see. I must be unaware of such arrangements, having been away so long. As you know, I only saw Sir Daniel briefly at the engagement ceremony… If you’d visited more often, perhaps I wouldn’t have made such a mistake.”
After a short pause, Diane offered this excuse. Daniel found it amusing that she still managed to frame everything as someone else’s fault, but he didn’t bother arguing. He simply raised and lowered one corner of his mouth in a smirk.
Diane, who saw Daniel as nothing more than a knight from a merchant family, clearly felt insulted by his behavior and stiffened. When the atmosphere between Diane and Daniel turned cold, Aisha quickly stepped forward to end the exchange.
“Madam, we’ll come greet you again another time. James, would you let Ian know I came by?”
Aisha turned toward James, who had been standing nearby, and finally stated her purpose. James’s face lit up as he had been worrying over the entire scene at the entrance.
“Yes, miss. If you wait just a moment, I’ll inform the master—”
“No need, James.”
Just as James was about to signal a servant, Diane cut him off. She then turned to Aisha with a faintly mocking gaze.
“Miss Aisha, you must be very familiar with House Lloyd, seeing how you’re already commanding the butler as the fiancée. I suppose that’ll help you adjust quickly once you move into the Marquis’ estate.”
The sarcasm was clear. Daniel frowned and was about to step in front of his sister, but Aisha gently nudged him aside and calmly met Diane’s gaze.
“Madam, I came here today to see Ian—”
“I know. You want to see Ian, right? But there’s no need to tell James. I know where my grandson is.”
“Madam, the master is currently with a guest…”
As Diane cut Aisha off and mentioned Ian in a loaded tone, James stepped forward. Knowing about Ian’s attitude toward Helen and the current state of his relationship with Aisha, James felt it was unnecessary—perhaps even cruel—to tell her that Ian was alone with Helen.
But Diane just smiled broadly at James’s protest, her eyes narrowing. The deepening crow’s feet around her eyes cast shadows that made Aisha feel strangely uneasy.
“It’s fine, James. As you know, it’s been a while since Sir Daniel and Miss Aisha visited, but Miss Helen comes by every day. I’m sure she won’t mind being interrupted this once.”
As expected, Aisha’s premonition hit the mark. At the mention of Helen, and hearing she was alone with Ian, Aisha’s face went pale. Daniel’s eyes widened before his face turned red with anger.
“But… I’ll go myself and let the master know that the Pardens have arrived.”
“It’s quite alright. I know Miss Helen very well. She’s a sweet, kind girl. Ah, but if you’re worried, I’ll escort you myself.”
Seeing the expressions on the siblings’ faces, James felt like crying. He tried hard to smooth things over, but Diane struck a fatal blow with practiced ease.
“Sir Daniel, Miss Aisha. Let me take you. Miss Helen is a friend of Sophia’s—and of mine. Honestly, with Ian being so stiff and boring… hmm…”
Diane trailed off, observing Aisha, who stood frozen, then glanced up at the wall clock. Muttering that quite some time had passed, she then said in a loud voice—not quite a whisper,
“…They’ve had plenty of time alone now.”
In reality, Ian hadn’t been gone long, but Diane made it sound as if he and Helen had been alone for over three hours. Eventually, Daniel couldn’t hold back anymore and gave Aisha a signal to leave.
“There’s no need to hesitate. By now, Miss Helen is probably more pleased playing with me. You two go ahead and see Ian. I’ll steal her away and have a chat with her and Sophia.”
As Aisha remained motionless despite her brother’s signal, Diane scanned her face and continued speaking in a gentle voice. With Helen’s name endlessly coming from Diane’s mouth, Aisha slowly curled her stiff fingers into a fist.
“I heard Miss Aisha is very polite… Is it bothering you to interrupt their time? Then how about waiting here a little while? They’ll be back before dinner anyway.”
“No.”
“Aisha!”
Finally, Aisha responded to Diane. Daniel urgently whispered her name in a low voice.
He instinctively knew—following that old woman would lead to no good.
“Please take me, Madam.”
Aisha felt the same dread, but even so, she wanted to see the two with her own eyes.
“Then let’s go.”
When Aisha spoke firmly, Diane cheerfully began humming and led the way. Sophia followed behind with a conflicted look on her face.
“Aisha. Let’s rethink this.”
“No, let’s go, brother. Didn’t you say it yourself? Avoiding it isn’t always the best answer.”
As Daniel looked at the swaying hem of Diane’s gray dress, he tried once more to stop his sister. But Aisha shook her head and walked forward resolutely.
“What a lovely child. I heard she’s served you since the kingdom? It’s not easy these days to find such loyal young maids.”
Helen remarked as Lea bowed and ran off. Unlike Helen, who looked at her fondly, Ian’s expression was sour. The little maid who had shown up as soon as they’d settled in the garden—and the dark, leaf-shaped cookies she’d brought. Though the cookies had a savory aroma, Ian stared at them as if they were poisoned.
“Try one. Your grandmother sent them personally…”
“I’ll pass.”
Unlike Ian, who was clearly displeased, Helen had already taken one and was chewing it. But even as she crunched it down, she didn’t feel entirely comfortable.
—“The daughter of the Parden family will be coming shortly.”—
Lea’s wrist, which she had shown only to Helen, had a message. Though sweat had smudged the ink, the words were still legible.
“Don’t lose to the rival—take the opportunity you’ve been given…”
Helen wasn’t stupid. She knew exactly what Diane was up to. For some reason, Aisha Parden would soon show up—Diane was telling her to use this as an opportunity.
‘For an old woman, she sure is a schemer…’
