Chapter 31: 31

‘Please let me see Aileen.’

‘I refuse, sir.’

As my mother and I enjoyed our teas in the salon, I overheard such exchanges and smiled wryly.

The manor of House Conrad in the capital has two salons—which is to say, a lounge—but the one we’re occupying right now is very close to the entranceway, and because the windows are kept open for ventilation, we can clearly hear voices from outside the house.

I would have really liked to drink my tea in the garden in such very fine weather, but my father resolutely repealed the idea. Why? Well, the entranceway will show you the reason very soon.

Three weeks have passed since I returned together with Maynard and the capital was in the heights of the summer season.

My father, upon hearing of the kidnapping incident in the duchy, became severely overprotective; he vehemently prohibits me from stepping a foot outside the house.

Still, there’s a different and unique reason why he does not allow me in the garden.

‘Aileen is in bed due to a severe fever, sir.’

Goodness, father dearest is surely getting bolder with his lies.

‘Just let me see her face; We’re talking about a fever lasting for three weeks! That’s too worrisome!’

‘My sincerest apologies for saying this, highness, but your worry is unwarranted. After all, my daughter is no longer your fiancée.’ 

Father, that is very childish.

You thought right. The ones bickering at one another in the entranceway are Prince Maynard and my father.

Since our arrival in the capital, the poor prince has been trying to visit me daily to no avail. All his attempts are foiled by my father’s excuse of his daughter’s “poor health.”

If you want to ask, my health has never failed even once in my three weeks of stay here.

‘Even I would find his highness pitiful with that, fufufu.’

So you say dearest mother, but those giggles of yours cannot hide the fun you seem to be having.

My father still holds a grudge over Maynard’s cancellation of our engagement, while my mother is just having all the fun watching her husband’s bitterness and how the prince tries to deal with it.

‘He ought to suffer more.’

Saying so, my 2nd oldest brother, Orpheus, enters the salon. This older brother of mine should have been the prince’s best friend, but apparently, he refused to meet the prince ever since the engagement was broken off. Geez, the men of House Conrad are nothing but man-children.

As my brother took his seat, I rose from my chair to prepare his tea. As for the snacks for the tea party, the marriage proposal tributes gave us too many to spare. Unable to finish them all, I gave some of the snacks to the maids, and all of them are in agreement that I should take all the time I need in choosing one amongst the suitors. Ah, the situation suits them best.

‘Isn’t this Canele things such delights? Which gentlemen brought this in, Aileen?’

‘I wonder who…? I believe it came from a young master from a count house. Marcus should be holding them off right about now.’

Markus refers to our house steward. He was the son of the previous steward of the house and is thirty years old, but because he has been in our house since childhood, he is more like a distantly aged older brother to me.

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‘I see. If that’s the case, make sure to write to that young master about how delightful these little things are. He might send us more later.’

‘…Dearest mother.’

‘Well, this Canele is a very popular confectionary shop with a very long queue line in the morning and completely sold out by noon. Wouldn’t it be so much of a trouble to try and buy it ourselves?’

How very shrewd, this dearest mother of mine. I turned my attention to my older brother instead who just shrugged his shoulders to her statement.

I heard that my mother was severely popular during her spinster days. Furthermore, she was considerably adept at rolling men over. I’ve also heard how my father was only able to take her hand for marriage by bringing heaps of gifts and earnestly lowering his head to her.

Brother Orpheus merely lectures me like a child, saying that I should not follow our mother’s example like he also already knew all about her past.

‘That aside, his highness is surely persistent today, isn’t he?’

Dearest mother says as she brought the teacup to her lips.

She is right. The two gentlemen are certainly taking longer than usual. So far, my father has been able to drive him away with ease, with the prince looking like a bullied puppy as he leaves.

‘It’s because there is a dance party to be held soon. He must be desperate in wanting to invite Aileen. I mean, the poor health excuse was very clearly a ruse.’

‘Oh, come to think of it, it is Prince Sevalier’s birthday soon.’

Prince Sevalier is Maynard’s younger brother and the 2nd prince. Lambert royal family has always been an intimate family and celebrates the princes’ and princesses’ birthdays with dance parties. I wonder if it’s due to being a small country? There have been no outbreaks of succession conflicts and the relationship between the siblings is extremely well. As I have always attended Prince Savalier’s dance party together with Maynard in the past, maybe he would like to follow that custom for this year too. 

But then again, Maynard, you and I are no longer engaged.

Maynard had already broken off his engagement with Lina so he is currently single. The ladies aiming for the seat of the crown princess are having a fierce conflict under the surface—or so Caroline says, clearly pleased. She also said that ‘They should’ve known that they could never hope to steal the prince’s heart away, oh what fools they are,’ I wonder what is she talking about.

‘Could you at least hand this letter over to Aileen!?’

‘Aileen’s eyes are blurry due to the severe fever and could hardly read, sir.’

…Father, that is clearly pushing it too far.

I mean, both my brother and mother even burst out laughing.

Selma, who came to the entranceway to check upon them, poured oil into the fire by saying that the poor prince is stomping on the ground in frustration, making the both of them laugh even harder.

Maynard, please stop those heavy stomping.

As mother was taking her second piece of Canele confectionary, I heaved a sigh and turned my attention to the vast blue sky in the window.

Looks like the House Conrad is at peace for today too.

 

MV: I’ve been studying this particular book about writing, so there might be some improvements in quality.

 

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