Madam Ilena explained with a hint of annoyance:
“’I offered Viscount Fusilli the chance to choose between losing a limb or his head’… That’s what the Duke of Carlyle said.”
Juliet blinked slowly. It wasn’t surprising that Lennox had pressured Madam. However, Madam seemed not to want to escalate the situation further.
Viscount Fusilli was insignificant, but the person behind him was the issue.
The Viscount was the relative of Marquis Guinness. And Marquis Guinness was a great lord of the South.
If she handed the Viscount over to the Duke of Carlyle, it was obvious that Viscount Fusilli would either lose his life or face a fate even worse.
Then, Marquis Guinness would have a reason to protest against Madam Ilena.
Madam didn’t want to create animosity with either of the two noble families.
It was characteristic of the Madam to value just cause and dignity.
Frankly, Juliet didn’t expect much from Madam.
While Madam Ilena was warm-hearted and pleasant, she was also the old-fashioned type who would scold her granddaughters for wearing dresses that exposed their shoulders.
After a moment of thought, Juliet asked:
“Hasn’t Viscount Fusilli left yet?”
“Yes. He said he wanted to meet you. But don’t worry. If you don’t want to see him, I’ll send him away immediately.”
Madam Ilena said this, seemingly gauging Juliet’s reaction.
“Actually, his belongings are already loaded in the carriage.”
“I see,” Juliet replied, understanding the situation.
She remembered noticing the carriage when she came in. It was apparent the Viscount was inside.
“Actually, he insisted on meeting you in person to apologize and seek forgiveness.”
“Grandmother!”
“Oh, alright! I’ll tell him to leave right now.”
As soon as the Madam finished speaking, a servant standing nearby quickly went out. It seemed he was going to convey the order.
Murmuring as if making excuses, the Madam said:
“…I thought you wouldn’t want to see him.”
Hearing this, Juliet gave a meaningful, quiet smile.
“Yes. There’s no real need to meet him.”
Suddenly-
Flutter.
“Oh? A butterfly.”
Emma, who had been wandering, spotted a butterfly of a color she had never seen before.
However, there were no flowers around.
It seemed strangely out of place.
The butterfly, fluttering around momentarily, seemed to take away Emma’s soul and quickly flew out of the greenhouse.
“Grandmother! Did you see that butterfly? It had such a unique appearance-“
“Oh, what’s the fuss about a butterfly in a greenhouse? Don’t make a big deal out of it like a child, Emma.”
Madam Ilena scolded, but Emma couldn’t let go.
“But… didn’t you see it, Juliet?”
“I’m not sure.”
“It was really beautiful…”
Juliet smiled broadly and lifted her teacup.
“The aroma of the tea is nice.”
* * *
Madam Ilena invited Juliet to lunch. It was a suggestion to mingle with other guests in the greenhouse until lunchtime.
Suddenly, Juliet remembered she had mentioned returning before lunch.
‘If he’s waiting, let him wait.’
Anyway, since the aides from the northern Duke’s house had all come down, Lennox would undoubtedly be busy for a while.
Juliet didn’t refuse the offer. Perhaps because of the events of the previous evening, the Madam’s guests were strangely kind to Juliet.
However, there was someone else who attracted more attention than Juliet.
“Hello, Countess Monad.”
A gentle-faced lady with round features greeted Juliet.
“My name is Charlotte Green.”
Although she was a new face to Juliet, she quickly realized.
“You’re lady Emma’s older sister.”
And also the eldest granddaughter of Madam Ilena. Juliet remembered Emma saying, ‘Sister Charlotte is having a baby!’
In contrast to the lively Emma, Charlotte, with her modest appearance, was heavily pregnant.
“May I sit next to you, Countess?”
“Of course. Just call me Juliet.”
“Oh, may I? Then please call me Charlotte.”
Juliet was curious about Charlotte’s rounded belly. Sneaking a peek, Charlotte smiled and said:
“I’m due in four weeks.”
“Emma talked about you all night. I wanted to meet you.”
Charlotte whispered to Juliet:
“To be frank, everyone is actually delighted.”
“Why?”
“Viscount Fusilli has been known to have bad habits for a long time. Everyone has been irritated, and you sent him away…”
“Charlotte!”
“It’s true, grandmother.”
“Even if it is, a pregnant woman shouldn’t say such things. Use kind words. What will the baby learn?”
“That if you do bad things, you’ll be punished.”
Though Madam Ilena scolded her sternly, Juliet quickly took a liking to Charlotte. Contrary to her gentle appearance, Charlotte had a candid personality.
While they were having a relaxed conversation, suddenly a servant rushed in, out of breath.
“Madam!”
“What happened?”
“Viscount Fusilli suddenly had a seizure on his way to the estate.”
“A seizure?”
The people in the greenhouse, who were having a warm and friendly chat, were all stirred up.
“So, the servants of Viscount Fusilli are asking if they should turn back…”
“Hmm.”
Madam Ilena discreetly glanced at Juliet.
But there was no need to ask Juliet’s opinion. Even before she could say anything, others protested in succession.
“Madam, you’re not being fooled, right?”
“Ah, he’s just putting on a show.”
“Exactly. How sinister he is!”
“He’s trying everything to gain sympathy. He was fine before departing!”
Just as Charlotte said, everyone seemed to be suspicious of Viscount Fusilli’s intentions.
“It’s his own doing, but what could have happened?”
“Indeed.”
At that moment, Juliet looked at a blue butterfly that had just fluttered by and landed on a teacup, smiling gently.
* * *
Juliet left the greenhouse and walked along the mansion’s corridor.
Most of the guests were enjoying tea time in the greenhouse, so apart from a few servants, the corridor was empty.
“Juliet.”
Suddenly, a man who had been silently following her couldn’t hold back anymore and grabbed her wrist.
Looking at her captured wrist, Juliet asked:
“So it’s okay to touch now?”
“What?”
“You always tensed up whenever I touched you.”
“When did I-“
Last night, on the way back from the concert hall to the villa.
Lennox seemed a bit off. Every time their knees brushed against each other, he seemed uncomfortable, gazing out of the window as if he was angry.
At first, Juliet thought she might be mistaken, but later she felt somewhat wronged.
No matter how spacious the carriage was, they were still in close quarters. There had to be some physical contact. At least he held her hand when they got out of the carriage.
But he didn’t even try to make eye contact, even though he was supporting her with a gloved hand.
And then came this morning.
Juliet wasn’t curious about why Lennox looked upset.
He had told her to stay by his side for six months but hadn’t said anything about adjusting to his moods as before.
“If you don’t like me touching you, just tell me.”
“I never said I didn’t like it.”
“Then?”
“More importantly.”
Lennox tried to change the subject.
“They said that VIscount left.”
“Oh, that.”
Rumors spread fast.
Juliet wondered how many informants Lennox might have placed in the Madam’s mansion.
“That’s good, right?”
Juliet smiled brightly.
In contrast, Lennox looked displeased.
When he heard the report that the expelled Viscount Fusilli had a seizure, unlike others, Lennox probably suspected that it was Juliet’s doing.
But Juliet didn’t care. Lennox had promised not to harm the Viscount publicly anyway.
‘So, he probably planned to handle it discreetly without anyone noticing,’ Juliet thought, but she had no intention of relying on him.
And she had plans to keep Viscount Fusilli alive for a bit longer. He still had his uses.
Just as expected, after glaring at Juliet for a moment, Lennox took a step back.
“That’s enough. Let’s go.”
“Where to?”
“To the gallery.”
“Buying a painting?”
“…You said you like them.”
“Who said that?”
“Elliot did.”
Now it was Juliet’s turn to stop in surprise.
“I don’t really like paintings.”
“…”
It’s not that she didn’t like buying them.
Paintings were an excellent investment.
She did quite enjoy looking at them, but Juliet knew well that Lennox had no such hobbies.
She always felt restless checking his reactions at the boring musicals and exhibitions until they ended.
“Damn it. So, what do you want to do?”
What did she want to do?
Juliet was flabbergasted and speechless.
Why was this man doing something out of character?
Madam Ilena explained with a hint of annoyance:
“’I offered Viscount Fusilli the chance to choose between losing a limb or his head’… That’s what the Duke of Carlyle said.”
Juliet blinked slowly. It wasn’t surprising that Lennox had pressured Madam. However, Madam seemed not to want to escalate the situation further.
Viscount Fusilli was insignificant, but the person behind him was the issue.
The Viscount was the relative of Marquis Guinness. And Marquis Guinness was a great lord of the South.
If she handed the Viscount over to the Duke of Carlyle, it was obvious that Viscount Fusilli would either lose his life or face a fate even worse.
Then, Marquis Guinness would have a reason to protest against Madam Ilena.
Madam didn’t want to create animosity with either of the two noble families.
It was characteristic of the Madam to value just cause and dignity.
Frankly, Juliet didn’t expect much from Madam.
While Madam Ilena was warm-hearted and pleasant, she was also the old-fashioned type who would scold her granddaughters for wearing dresses that exposed their shoulders.
After a moment of thought, Juliet asked:
“Hasn’t Viscount Fusilli left yet?”
“Yes. He said he wanted to meet you. But don’t worry. If you don’t want to see him, I’ll send him away immediately.”
Madam Ilena said this, seemingly gauging Juliet’s reaction.
“Actually, his belongings are already loaded in the carriage.”
“I see,” Juliet replied, understanding the situation.
She remembered noticing the carriage when she came in. It was apparent the Viscount was inside.
“Actually, he insisted on meeting you in person to apologize and seek forgiveness.”
“Grandmother!”
“Oh, alright! I’ll tell him to leave right now.”
As soon as the Madam finished speaking, a servant standing nearby quickly went out. It seemed he was going to convey the order.
Murmuring as if making excuses, the Madam said:
“…I thought you wouldn’t want to see him.”
Hearing this, Juliet gave a meaningful, quiet smile.
“Yes. There’s no real need to meet him.”
Suddenly-
Flutter.
“Oh? A butterfly.”
Emma, who had been wandering, spotted a butterfly of a color she had never seen before.
However, there were no flowers around.
It seemed strangely out of place.
The butterfly, fluttering around momentarily, seemed to take away Emma’s soul and quickly flew out of the greenhouse.
“Grandmother! Did you see that butterfly? It had such a unique appearance-“
“Oh, what’s the fuss about a butterfly in a greenhouse? Don’t make a big deal out of it like a child, Emma.”
Madam Ilena scolded, but Emma couldn’t let go.
“But… didn’t you see it, Juliet?”
“I’m not sure.”
“It was really beautiful…”
Juliet smiled broadly and lifted her teacup.
“The aroma of the tea is nice.”
* * *
Madam Ilena invited Juliet to lunch. It was a suggestion to mingle with other guests in the greenhouse until lunchtime.
Suddenly, Juliet remembered she had mentioned returning before lunch.
‘If he’s waiting, let him wait.’
Anyway, since the aides from the northern Duke’s house had all come down, Lennox would undoubtedly be busy for a while.
Juliet didn’t refuse the offer. Perhaps because of the events of the previous evening, the Madam’s guests were strangely kind to Juliet.
However, there was someone else who attracted more attention than Juliet.
“Hello, Countess Monad.”
A gentle-faced lady with round features greeted Juliet.
“My name is Charlotte Green.”
Although she was a new face to Juliet, she quickly realized.
“You’re lady Emma’s older sister.”
And also the eldest granddaughter of Madam Ilena. Juliet remembered Emma saying, ‘Sister Charlotte is having a baby!’
In contrast to the lively Emma, Charlotte, with her modest appearance, was heavily pregnant.
“May I sit next to you, Countess?”
“Of course. Just call me Juliet.”
“Oh, may I? Then please call me Charlotte.”
Juliet was curious about Charlotte’s rounded belly. Sneaking a peek, Charlotte smiled and said:
“I’m due in four weeks.”
“Emma talked about you all night. I wanted to meet you.”
Charlotte whispered to Juliet:
“To be frank, everyone is actually delighted.”
“Why?”
“Viscount Fusilli has been known to have bad habits for a long time. Everyone has been irritated, and you sent him away…”
“Charlotte!”
“It’s true, grandmother.”
“Even if it is, a pregnant woman shouldn’t say such things. Use kind words. What will the baby learn?”
“That if you do bad things, you’ll be punished.”
Though Madam Ilena scolded her sternly, Juliet quickly took a liking to Charlotte. Contrary to her gentle appearance, Charlotte had a candid personality.
While they were having a relaxed conversation, suddenly a servant rushed in, out of breath.
“Madam!”
“What happened?”
“Viscount Fusilli suddenly had a seizure on his way to the estate.”
“A seizure?”
The people in the greenhouse, who were having a warm and friendly chat, were all stirred up.
“So, the servants of Viscount Fusilli are asking if they should turn back…”
“Hmm.”
Madam Ilena discreetly glanced at Juliet.
But there was no need to ask Juliet’s opinion. Even before she could say anything, others protested in succession.
“Madam, you’re not being fooled, right?”
“Ah, he’s just putting on a show.”
“Exactly. How sinister he is!”
“He’s trying everything to gain sympathy. He was fine before departing!”
Just as Charlotte said, everyone seemed to be suspicious of Viscount Fusilli’s intentions.
“It’s his own doing, but what could have happened?”
“Indeed.”
At that moment, Juliet looked at a blue butterfly that had just fluttered by and landed on a teacup, smiling gently.
* * *
Juliet left the greenhouse and walked along the mansion’s corridor.
Most of the guests were enjoying tea time in the greenhouse, so apart from a few servants, the corridor was empty.
“Juliet.”
Suddenly, a man who had been silently following her couldn’t hold back anymore and grabbed her wrist.
Looking at her captured wrist, Juliet asked:
“So it’s okay to touch now?”
“What?”
“You always tensed up whenever I touched you.”
“When did I-“
Last night, on the way back from the concert hall to the villa.
Lennox seemed a bit off. Every time their knees brushed against each other, he seemed uncomfortable, gazing out of the window as if he was angry.
At first, Juliet thought she might be mistaken, but later she felt somewhat wronged.
No matter how spacious the carriage was, they were still in close quarters. There had to be some physical contact. At least he held her hand when they got out of the carriage.
But he didn’t even try to make eye contact, even though he was supporting her with a gloved hand.
And then came this morning.
Juliet wasn’t curious about why Lennox looked upset.
He had told her to stay by his side for six months but hadn’t said anything about adjusting to his moods as before.
“If you don’t like me touching you, just tell me.”
“I never said I didn’t like it.”
“Then?”
“More importantly.”
Lennox tried to change the subject.
“They said that VIscount left.”
“Oh, that.”
Rumors spread fast.
Juliet wondered how many informants Lennox might have placed in the Madam’s mansion.
“That’s good, right?”
Juliet smiled brightly.
In contrast, Lennox looked displeased.
When he heard the report that the expelled Viscount Fusilli had a seizure, unlike others, Lennox probably suspected that it was Juliet’s doing.
But Juliet didn’t care. Lennox had promised not to harm the Viscount publicly anyway.
‘So, he probably planned to handle it discreetly without anyone noticing,’ Juliet thought, but she had no intention of relying on him.
And she had plans to keep Viscount Fusilli alive for a bit longer. He still had his uses.
Just as expected, after glaring at Juliet for a moment, Lennox took a step back.
“That’s enough. Let’s go.”
“Where to?”
“To the gallery.”
“Buying a painting?”
“…You said you like them.”
“Who said that?”
“Elliot did.”
Now it was Juliet’s turn to stop in surprise.
“I don’t really like paintings.”
“…”
It’s not that she didn’t like buying them.
Paintings were an excellent investment.
She did quite enjoy looking at them, but Juliet knew well that Lennox had no such hobbies.
She always felt restless checking his reactions at the boring musicals and exhibitions until they ended.
“Damn it. So, what do you want to do?”
What did she want to do?
Juliet was flabbergasted and speechless.
Why was this man doing something out of character?
