A few days later in the morning, Opal, who was returning to the Duke’s residence in the capital, noticed the sound of someone visiting and went down to the first floor.
She headed straight to the study room and knocked on the door.
Replying to the sound at the door, someone answered, butler Romit opened the door with a suspicious look.
“I have something I want to ask my husband. Can you let me pass?”
It seemed like Romit couldn’t help it, so he dropped one step and let Opal pass inside.
Then, Hubert, who was sitting in front of the study desk, looked up at Opal with a smirk.
“What did you come here for?”
“… Good morning, husband. I heard that someone had visited earlier, so I wanted to know if there would be a guest coming this afternoon.”
Hubert faintly turned red, perhaps realizing he didn’t even say hello.
It’s embarrassing to lose courtesy even with a disliked partner.
However, he soon turned stiff at once in response to the question of Opal, who continued without minding it.
“You don’t need to report every visitor to me.
But sadly, I’m still the hostess of this house. It’s my job to entertain guests, so if anyone comes here, let me know.”
“If it were a guest for you, I will tell you of course. But this time it’s my guest. They don’t need your hospitality.”
“… What are you talking about?”
Despite the cold treatment of Hubert, Opal was still firm in her position.
Romit who was watching the situation finally leaves the study while hiding the joy in his expressionless face.
Hubert opened his mouth with frustration as if he might lose patience any second at Opal’s persistence.
“The person who just came… was to deliver a letter from Omar.”
“So you won’t have any visitors?”
“A man named Jonathan Kensit brings in documents sometimes. They need my signature so they must bring the papers to me… But it doesn’t matter to you!”
“… really… it has nothing to do with me? Are you sure?”
“Oh, yeah. You said Omar was embezzling money. But I trust him. That’s the answer. So can you retire now?”
Maybe he was trying to control his anger, Hubert exhaled as he replied to Opal’s question, turning into a calm voice again.
Opal suppressed her discouragement and nodded calmly.
“Understood…”
Opal left the study and returned to the attic while complimenting herself for her quietness.
Opal didn’t leave the room after that. But when it was late in the afternoon, she heard that a visitor came with the help of the sound of a carriage.
She just sits quietly and waits.
Opal still awaited to be called. And angry footsteps did approach the room, but they never called her, and soon she heard the carriage again, and knew that the visitors had left.
Despite the expectation, tears flowed down Opal’s cheeks.
She immediately wiped her cheeks violently. She couldn’t cry because of this.
The servants were happy when Beth gave the message that Opal went to bed that night without dinner.
Finally, the intruder understood her position in the mansion. Master stood firm strongly against the invader.
Hubert, on the other hand, was uncomfortable.
I was too rude this morning.
In the first place, my attitude towards her is unfair.
Hubert was worried while eating his meal with Mrs. Northam, who was in a good mood for the first time in a long time.
Then the next day.
Opal went to her uncle’s mansion with a dignified attitude as if nothing had happened.
Then, her uncle sent kind words to Opal, who received the documents with a smile.
You don’t have to force yourself to continue with this marriage.
However, Opal shook her head, smiling.
“I’m married because his situation has something to do with me, so I’m not going to leave. I’ll do what I need to do.”
“Opal…there is no value in that stupid young man. What makes you so generous? “
“Even so, we can’t just abandon the territory. There are many people living there.”
“I see… you look a lot like my sister.”
“I’m happy to hear it. But I’m far from being like her.”
Opal shook her head and answered, the air between the two calmed down.
From there, she was told about her mother’s memories, and Opal left her uncle’s mansion with happiness in her heart.
However, Opal changed her expression as the carriage’s driver announced that he will be replaced.
(After all, Cave doesn’t have any hostility to me or to the Duke’s house…)
However, that may change in the future if a new driver is assigned to me.
She was lonely when she thought about it, but since she plans to spend most of her time in the Duke’s territory, she will not be using the carriage.
At the consulate, they were planning to prepare a new carriage for Opal.
At the intended Count Holloway residence, Opal received a big welcome.
She had never returned to the county residence of the royal capital since she got married.
“Sorry, I’m sorry. Were you surprised?”
“It’s a nice surprise.”
“Lady, you have been returning to the county’s territory many times, but we were afraid that you’d never show your face to us again, after your marriage.”
Though the butler and the housekeepers have all surrounded her, Opal began to cry, at the same time that she desperately laughed.
“Actually, I’m happy.”
Since various emotions were swirling, she could not properly convey the joy she was feeling to everyone in the mansion now.
They tried to carry the bag that Opal had, but she refused.
Her feelings were overflowing and she asked the butler.
“Is my father still away?”
“No, He’s at home today. He’s working in the study, but for the time being, we have been told that no one should enter.”
“Yes… but it’s okay. I’ll tell him that it’s not your fault.”
“Lady!?”
Luckily, hearing that her father was there, Opal went to his study.
The butler tried to stop her, but Opal didn’t stop and she knocked lightly on the door of the study and entered without waiting for a response.
Her father seemed not to be so surprised whether he was listening to the fuss or just saw Opal entering. He raised one eyebrow from the paperwork and asked what she needed.
“As you can tell, I went out of control and entered this room, so you don’t have to blame anyone else.”
“I know that. So I wonder if you have a reason to convince me as to why you entered now? I don’t want to hear any ridiculous complaints about your marriage being unbearable.”
“Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a married life. However, at the same time, father you told me that I’d inform you if there’s anything you would be interested in, so here I am.”
“How?”
Opal didn’t say hello to her father after their reunion from a long period of separation.
However, her father does not seem to care.
Everything remained the same as before, there was no need to forcefully laugh, and there was no need to suppress emotions when with her father.
She tells him the purpose of her visit and takes out the documents from the bag as she puts them all on top of the documents that her father was working on.
“As my father once said, here is evidence of the Duke’s “sweetness”. Evidence of the dishonesty of the land manager of the Duke’s territory, and his back books. Evidence that the manager was absorbed in gambling. Here’s the debt’s account from the money lender.”
“I know that, and has your husband finally realized it?”
“If so, why do you think I’d be here? The Duke didn’t believe me even if I accused the janitor of corruption. I tried to get Trevor to be a witness, but the Duke apparently seemed to think that our family is trying to take over the Dukedom.”
“I see. Your husband is “stupid” not “sweet”. “
“Can you stop saying that he’s my husband? Didn’t you, father, choose it? He doesn’t matter to me.”
Opal really surprised the Count this time.
He has always thought that Opal was his daughter and nothing more.
At first glance, his daughter looks like any other daughter, but she is quite smart and has guts.
She wasn’t his eldest son who was flirting at the university, so he thought that he would like to pass on a title to Opal – Get her to marry a person other than the royals, but with no less influence.
For that reason, she has also learned culture and accounting that a lady does not need.
When Opal made her social debut, he didn’t intend to marry her with just anybody but with a good candidate that had looks and an important position.
But she was no longer in a position to be selected by that scandal.
The Count was quite angry at Opal’s carelessness, but on the contrary thought of something interesting.
When Opal and the Duke danced for the first time, he realized that they were attracted to each other, and decided to marry Opal to the Duke for an appropriate reason.
If it’s you, Opal, you’ll notice the problem as soon as you marry the duke.
Opal has a tough personality, but has strong feelings.
At first, there would be repulsion from the rumors circulating, but even if that was unavoidable, the duke and his daughter would have to try to rebuild the territory.
Love may be born soon. His intelligent daughter will surely attract the Duke.
He thought so, but it seems that the Count’s intention was nowhere near reality.
He was interested in what the Duke did, for Opal to utter such cold words, but he didn’t say it.
However, at the end, he dropped his eyes on the document placed by Opal, and the Count opened his eyes with surprise.
“…Is this really okay for you?”
“I stopped dreaming. No matter how long I waited, the prince in a white horse won’t come to my rescue. So I took the white horse and decided to move myself.”
“Don’t you think that prince and you are stuck on the same?”
“Yes? No… so what is the request?”
“First of all, I want you to keep these documents in this safe.”
“Hmm. Sure, that’s fine. Let’s take it. But there seems to be other requests?”
“Yes. The other is… If the Duke begs for you to teach him, please accept it.”
“…Okay, I don’t know if I’ll be able to wake up that stupid young man, and I doubt if he’ll come, but if he comes, I’ll accept.”
“Thank you father. Thank you!”
Opal smiled while saying thank-you.
Both her father and her uncle call Hubert a stupid.
Unfortunately, Opal had to leave the Count’s House and returned to the Duke’s House.
Translated by Djurasico (dot) home (dot) blog
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