Chapter 20

Cecilia wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief. On the faded handkerchief were embroidered her name and flowers. It was the first handkerchief Elena had made for her.

‘This girl is so pathetically shabby even with things like this.’

She grumbled while stuffing the handkerchief into her handbag. Then she took a deep breath and went to find an information clerk. She had come up without any information, just blindly.

First, she needed to find Maxim. All she knew about that man was that he was handsome, wealthy, someone connected to Lady Hazel, and lastly, just the two letters of the name ‘Maxim.’

“Do you know a noble named Maxim? Hmm, he’s about this tall… a black-haired man with green eyes. I don’t know his surname.”

The clerk looked at her strangely.

“Are you referring to His Grace Duke Maxim Adeloff?”

“What?”

“The only noble named Maxim residing in Andres is that gentleman. If it’s not him, you should go to another region…”

“D-Duke, Your Grace?”

And Adeloff too! If she hadn’t misheard. That meant Maxim was royalty! Adeloff was a surname traditionally used by the royal family.

She gulped.

She seemed to understand why those sensitive women hadn’t wanted to say a word about Maxim.

A royal who received a ducal title – that is, a prince – there was only one in this generation. The emperor’s second son. She didn’t know exactly what had happened, but she knew he had a fiancée, broke off the engagement, and now lived alone.

Moreover, every business he touched succeeded, so now he held Andres’s purse strings, didn’t he?

“That’s correct, ma’am. Is there a problem?”

“No! No problem at all. Then how do I go to see His Grace Duke Maxim Adeloff?”

“You ask such strange questions. Go find a hired coachman and ask. There won’t be a single coachman in this system who doesn’t know the Adeloff ducal house.”

She barely managed to hide her lips that were about to split into a grin.

It seemed that girl had caught herself a proper man. At this level, it was worth running away and following her to the system.

‘Right. My daughter couldn’t be completely stupid.’

She grinned broadly. Leaving the station worker looking at her strangely, she went to catch a carriage with excited steps. Having paid the fare to the hired coachman, she said in a shrill voice, “To the Adeloff ducal house!”

A splendid and beautiful life. That life seemed about to fall into her grasp.

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Maxim stared at his aide with a dumbfounded face. Delco fidgeted and avoided his eyes.

“Say it again. Who came to see me now?”

“Well… Lady Hazel came to visit. She came with some young lady and said to have dinner together…”

“Ha.”

He ran his hand through his hair. That was something Hazel would do. Showing up suddenly like this without any prior contact. She had done the same when she came up to Andres after a long time, and nothing had changed.

He sighed.

Such transparent behavior.

‘She’s always kindling false hopes.’

His expression cooled coldly. Of course, he acknowledged that Elena was different from other women. However, he had no intention of getting involved with any woman. That was the same even if it were Elena.

“Just tell her to go back. Say I’ve already eaten dinner.”

“I knew you’d say that, so I took the liberty of coming in myself.”

He pressed his head. Hazel was dragging Elena in.

“Lady Hazel, it seems Maxim is busy, so we should just go back… Kyaa!”

Hazel caught her tightly as she almost tripped over the threshold.

“Look at this. You’re swaying because you haven’t eaten properly. Maxim, are you going to be so heartless? And surely Mr. Miles told you to eat your meals on time.”

“Aunt!”

“Yes, Maxim.”

She helped Elena stand up straight and crossed her arms. Her kindly eyes behind her glasses flashed sternly.

“You must eat. I heard you’re still taking medicine. Must I truly witness you abstaining from food and drink in sorrow?”

He sighed. Why had his health condition become an open secret? Of course, he himself had made the situation like this. But sometimes… it was still suffocating.

He tugged at the cravat choking his neck.

“Let’s go eat.”

He said coldly and led the way. Hazel clicked her tongue and followed behind him. Elena bit her lips.

It seemed like he was quite upset. But Lady Hazel paid no heed. What exactly was this strange atmosphere? She couldn’t tell what rhythm she should dance to.

He disliked it but didn’t refuse Hazel’s words.

Since there seemed to be something she couldn’t understand, she couldn’t carelessly open her mouth. Hazel grasped her hesitating hand.

“Don’t worry too much. That guy just talks like that.”

She smiled bitterly.

“That’s all because…”

She cut off her words and pressed her lips tightly together, her expression dark.

She carefully observed that expression. There had definitely been something between Hazel and him.

‘It’s not my place to interfere.’

She smiled quietly.

“…It seems like Maxim cares for you a lot, ma’am. And you also seem to care for him a lot.”

“Of course. I raised that guy in place of his parents. Thanks to being born consecutively with his older brother, there weren’t enough hands to care for the children.”

She said in a somewhat excited voice. Talking about the past was always enjoyable. The Maxim of those days was cute and adorable.

Fortunately, it seemed like the clouds had cleared from her face, so she smiled brightly. She walked diligently following her. Throughout today, wearing new shoes for the first time, her heels had gotten completely scraped from walking around, but she endured it.

She didn’t want to ruin Hazel’s enjoyment because of momentary discomfort.

It was Maxim who noticed the annoying shoe sounds. The uncomfortable clicking reached his ears.

He glanced back.

Elena, walking diligently beside Hazel, was the source of the discomfort. He briefly watched her feet.

‘New shoes.’

It was natural for problems to arise from walking long in shoes that weren’t broken in. He sighed. Hazel was thoughtless in this regard.

He reduced his walking pace.

Accordingly, Hazel and Elena also slowed down. She caught her breath. At least with the reduced speed, the pain also lessened.

The eyes of the lightly smiling Hazel and Maxim met.

She smiled broadly.

He frowned and turned his head away.

“Let’s go in here. The food is decent enough.”

“Really? Ah, I’d also like to look around the department store once. When do you have a day you can make time?”

“The department store is a place you can look around even without me.”

“That’s true, but with you there, I could receive better service, couldn’t I? I had to get dresses tailored since I can’t buy ready-made ones, but I haven’t bought shoes, jewelry, and bags yet.”

“You’re buying more?”

She screamed, forgetting her dignity. Startled by her own voice, she covered her mouth and looked around. Fortunately, the people passing by weren’t interested in her.

She shook her head. The amount spent today was more than enough, overflowing.

“I-I can’t do any more. Ma’am, what I asked for wasn’t like this…”

“The tutoring job, right? But Elena, please don’t interfere with my enjoyment. Moreover, as you know, those shoes don’t match those dresses. You need things that match the clothes.”

“Ma’am…”

What words could she say to stop this old lady? Hazel pushed the back of the dazed Elena.

“Go and eat. Being so thin, it’ll be hard to even dance. The teachers will start coming tomorrow. If you want to study hard, you need to start by eating a lot.”

She was pushed along helplessly. Watching her trudge into the restaurant, Hazel smiled.

That child couldn’t say she disliked something even if she did, worried about hurting others’ feelings. That showed she had such a kind nature. She poked his side.

“Good women shouldn’t be let go.”

“Ha.”

He scratched between his brows. Really… he wanted a cigarette. Thanks to Hazel awakening his forgotten smoking urges, he was exasperated. What exactly was she trusting to act like this?

“Forcing something that everyone doesn’t want is violence, Aunt.”