Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Tea-Stained Stole

After a short while, Elsa served some tea. The fragrant Assam tea was served with a side of small pound cakes.

“Let me introduce myself once again. I’m the Duke of Fuchsberger—Gawain Cression Zahawi.”

“My name is Liliana Allwyn-Rutherford, the wife of the Marquis of Springfield.”

Although we were both aware of this, we reintroduced ourselves yet again.

After discovering that the fallen gentleman was a duke, I asked Arthur about him. From him, I learned that the duke was a smart and capable man who was in charge of this country’s foreign affairs. He was strict with men and co-workers, but friendly to women in social circles, so he’d been popular for a long time.

I also learned that the duke was deeply in love with his wife, who passed away five years ago. Arthur said that since the duke married his wife, little was known about her afterwards. When I asked Elsa, she only told me that the late duchess was pretty and didn’t say anything else.

“…Marquess, you were a great help the other day. I’d like to thank you again. Thank you.”

“N-no, I merely stayed by your side…”

“No, thanks to you being the first to notice, help could arrive faster. Thank you to those ladies as well.”

After being thanked, Elsa and Ariana humbly bowed their heads.

“It must’ve been quite a hassle. When you get older, things aren’t like they used to be.”

“I’m glad you’ve recovered.”

There were still traces of exhaustion in the duke’s face, but compared to how terrible his complexion looked the other day, it was a vast improvement.

“I know. My family gave me an earful. I’ve taken days off from work as well. Come to think of it, I received some cookies the other day. Did the marquess make them?”

“…That’s right. The children at the orphanage like them, so I baked sweets from time to time. But I’m no professional, so I’d like to apologize for giving you such an amateurish work.”

“Oh, no, it was really delicious. Right, James?”

“Yes, Milord has kindly given me two pieces, and they were very delicious.”

I couldn’t seem to get used to being praised.

By the way, the duke’s butler seemed to be called James.

“At that time, didn’t the marquess give me a damp handkerchief? That alone made me feel a lot better. However, I ended up borrowing the handkerchief, so I meant to return it.”

The duke glanced at James, who proceeded to hand him a small pink, thin box. After receiving it, the duke handed it to me.

“Sorry for the tardiness.”

“No, thank you for coming all the way here to return it. I’m happy, it’s my favorite handkerchief.”

I gladly took it. When I untied the ribbon and opened the box, I discovered that it was the handkerchief I’d draped over the duke’s eyes that day. When I unfold it, I couldn’t find any stain or wrinkle.

“Thank you very much for washing it.”

“Great, it’s not ruined. By the way, did the marquess embroidered that handkerchief?”

“Yes, it’s my hobby…”

By embroidery, the duke must be referring to the pink rose motif on the handkerchief. That motif carried a lot of precious memories of mine. After all, I embroidered it right after I got married into the marquis family and received that sewing box.

The duke murmured, “Guessed it.” and glanced at James once again. James pulled out a square red box out of nowhere and handed it to the duke, who laid it on the table.

“My maids told me that these are baked goods from the most popular store in town. I especially prepared this as a thank you for the help the other day. When I asked His Highness, he told me that the marquess likes sweets.”

“N-no, like I said, I only stood there and watch, I didn’t do anything that can be considered as a help…”

I vehemently shook my head, but the duke only smiled tenderly and pushed the box further forward.

“You’re truly… A very modest, humble, and generous woman. You’re the perfect wife for the innocent Marquis of Springfield.”

Never expecting to hear those words, I was at a loss for words. My feelings were a mixture of joy, proudness, and shame. Of course, the duke could simply be acting polite, yet hearing someone said that I was suitable for William made me happy nonetheless.

“Truthfully, these sweets are actually… bribes.” The duke spoke with some hesitation.

‘Bribes.’

The slightly disturbing word prompted me to sneak a glance at Elsa, who titled her head in confusion. Despite that, the duke seemed to be restless. Rather than being anxious or nervous, it’d be more appropriate to say that he was embarrassed.

“Can you please open it for now?”

At his words, I untied the ribbon and lifted the lid.

Inside was a Baumkuchen drizzled with chocolate and sprinkled with dried fruits and candies. From the corner of my eye, I saw Ariana’s face lit up, and I couldn’t help but smile. Ariana loved sweets many times more than I did.

“You see, it has two tiers. Please lift the sweets.”

“Oh my…”

I did as I was told and lifted the part with the Baumkuchen. True to his words, the bottom was hollowed out. However, it wasn’t visible from the outside. Inside were embroidery threads that painted a gradation of blue, white, and dark green.

I gently placed the Baumkuchen aside and picked up the embroidery threads. I recognized them as the ones that I usually used. A small butterfly was drawn on the paper holding the threads together.

“Usually, that is where you hide presents for either your wife or lover… But I used it to hide bribes instead.”

“These are… Bribes?”

At my question, the duke took out a stole from the plain box that James had handed him. The pretty stole had a pale light blue color that turned a shade darker depending on the viewing angle. The square fabric was probably meant to be folded into a triangle.

Unfortunately, when the duke folded it into a triangle, a faint stain could be seen right in the middle.

Did somebody spill tea on it?

“This is the stole that my wife would often wear… After her passing, I used it as a lap blanket in my study, but I accidentally spilled tea on it. My maids did my best, but as you can see, the stain can’t be removed completely. I originally gave it to her as a present, and she wore it until her final days… I feel really bad about it.”

The duke patted the fabric, which was spread out on his lap, looking downcast.

“…I want you to embroider this stole and cover this stain.”

“Me…?”

Although the answer should be obvious, I asked just in case, and the duke nodded.

He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a torn piece of paper. After he placed it on the table, I saw an illustration of a blue flower framed by five small, round petals. His large palm held the drawing of a bouquet of small blue flowers the size of Cedric’s fingernails.

“This was attached in the letter that Eustasha sent to me at the end of her life. She could no longer write, so she sent me this flower instead. I don’t know what kind of flower this is, or what book it was torn from, but if possible, could you please embroider it with this flower as a motif? However, unlike in this picture, I want the flower to be the highlight.”

“This is a copy of the illustration.”

James handed Elsa a piece of paper, which she handed to me. The picture that was drawn there was exactly the same as the one in the duke’s hand.

What a relief.

I was nervous. I almost thought he was going to hand me his wife’s final letter. I couldn’t imagine holding on to something so important.

“…But are you sure? I’m sure there are many seamstresses out there who’re better than me…”

The duke gently shook his head.

“Yes, I’m sure. After all, you were kind enough to help me.”

His hazel eyes were pleading.

Arthur told me that the duke was a great nobleman who wasn’t on good terms with William. At first, I thought that he came to see me for a reason. He could be lying to me, deliberately preparing the stained stole and letter just for this meeting.

But in my eyes, it seemed as if the duke was backed into a corner, tormented by some kind of lingering anxiety that was akin to the stain on the stole—faded, yet still there.

“…I understand. I’m glad to be of help to the duke.”

The duke’s hazel eyes narrowed in relief, and he smiled softly.

He put the stole and the drawing back into the box.

“Your Grace, if you don’t mind, could you please tell me about your wife. Since this is her stole, I’d like to know more about the two of you.”

“Of course.”

The duke nodded happily, moistening his throat with tea.

After returning the Baumkuchen and the embroidery threads back to where they belonged, I also took a sip of tea. I was thirstier than expected, and the lukewarm tea was delicious.

“My wife’s name is Eustasha. I met her at a certain party when I was 32 years old. She was a lovely lady who was 12 years younger than me. She had beautiful purple eyes and pale golden hair, just like yours, except that her hair was curly. She didn’t seem to like it, but I loved her fluffy hair. She was fair and just, yet could be dishonest at times, which was lovely. She was as adorable as a cat. Sometimes, she’d be misunderstood due to her blunt words, regardless, she was a kind-hearted person who could sympathize with people’s pain, sorrow, and loneliness.”

The duke smiled lovingly as he spoke.

“She was an energetic and tomboyish young lady. She wasn’t like any other women I knew… Haha, apparently, when she was sixteen, she was about to get married, but her fiancé cheated on her. She broke it off, but not before beating him to pulp. Because of that, she couldn’t find any suitor for some time.”

The duke laughed in amusement. I blinked, unable to hide my surprise.

“That day, Eustasha was protecting her best friend from a sleazy man who was trying to court her. I couldn’t stand that guy either. He was coming on too strong. When I decided to put a stop to it, Eustasha was trying to pour the wine on him, but she ended up spilling it all over me instead.”

“Oh no…”

“Indeed. I never experienced anything like that before, so I didn’t know what to do. After realizing who I was, the man ran away, while her best friend fainted. Eustasha was frozen in shock. When she regained her senses and found out who I was, she was so flustered. Hahaha…”

As he recalled that moment, the duke burst out laughing, tears briming in the corners of his wrinkled eyes.

“But then, she said something unexpected, ‘I’ll take responsibility! Please marry me!’ I found it hilarious, and agreed without hesitation. ‘Gladly,’ I said. Well, due to my status, I can marry her, but not the opposite. As such, I welcomed her to my house as a wife.”

“Hehe, it’s like listening to the beginning of a story.”

I couldn’t help but laugh too. Then the duke nodded, “Right?” And laughed.

“My father and mother loved the hot and cold Eustasha. She also took good care of them. Every day with her was really interesting and fun. She, who grew up in a different country, must’ve faced some difficulties adjusting in the social circles of this kingdom. However, with her genuine cheerfulness and energy, she made many friends and continued to support me in my diplomatic role.”

“Did your wife come from another country.”

“She was a native of Cression, but her mother came from the neighboring kingdom. Back when she was young, we were still in warring period, so she stayed with her maternal grandmother in a relatively safe place. We were only able to visit once on our honeymoon, but it was a breathtaking place full of nature.”

The duke seemed very happy as he reminisced about the past, yet also lonely. I could somehow feel the sorrow of the bereaved duke, and the deep longing he had towards his wife.

The duke then shared the fun and happy memories he had with his wife with me.

About how despite being terrified, his wife once climbed a tree in the garden to save a kitten.

About how the duke ran away from home after a couple quarrel.

About how the duke was captivated by his wife’s stunning transformation during an evening ball.

About how the duke was taken aback by the sight of his wife dressing up as a maid.

I could feel that the duke had so many happy memories.

The duke was smiling—sometimes peacefully, sometimes happily. But then, without warning, his expression darkened.

“Unfortunately, my wife and I weren’t blessed with children, but we were still happy. We shared blissful, enjoyable days. But then she… contracted an epidemic and was abruptly taken away from me. Two weeks after she got bedridden.”

I fell silent. When I saw the deep sadness in his face, my words seemed to fail me.

“At that time, I was away on a business trip to Sazandia, an allied country. The trip lasted for a month, including travel. Halfway through, Eustasha fell ill. My family and doctors did their best, but Eustasha couldn’t manage… When I received the news, I returned to the mansion a week ahead of schedule, but I was too late. The woman who’d sent me off with a smile had grown cold. Never again would I see her smile.”

Looking down at his clasped hands on his lap, the duke’s scowl betrayed a hint of self-deprecation.

The next time he looked up, the duke had a cold smile on his face.

“I wasn’t a good husband to her until the end.”

“…That’s—”

“No, it’s fine. I can’t change this fact.”

My words of consolation were refused, as the duke suddenly became distant.

Then, James whispered something in the duke’s ear, and the latter sighed in annoyance.

“Forgive me, Marquess. It sems that the afternoon meeting is almost over. I have to go back. I won’t set a deadline for the stole, so please take as much time as you need. Once it’s done, I don’t mind if you write me a letter or have William deliver it, but please let me know when.”

After saying that, the duke stood up.

“I understand. Uhm, let me see you off.”

I tried to stand up, but Cedric wouldn’t let me go. His embrace was so tight that I couldn’t help but wonder if he was actually awake.

“Haha, it’s all right. I’d feel bad if I wake your little brother up. See you, then.”

The duke winked and gave a slight nod. Afterwards, he and James walked towards the exit. Elsa went to see them off on my behalf.

I heard the door shut and slowly leaned against the sofa. It felt as if the sofa was sucking away the tension that was coursing through my body.

“…Phew.”

I took a small breath and closed my eyes.

Today is so hectic.

“Are you okay, Milady?”

Ariana, who was cleaning up the table, stared at me with concern.

“I’m nervous and somewhat tired. We sure have a lot of guests since morning.”

“Didn’t they say that what happen twice will happen thrice? The saying must be true because three people have paid us a visit already!”

“Haha, that’s right.”

I smiled a bit and nodded.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. My body felt a little sluggish and heavy.

The duke was a kind person, so I was just nervous. But seeing Sandra and my sister, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, took a toll on me.

“Milady, Milady…”

Ariana and Elsa kept calling me, but even though I wanted to answer, my mouth refused to budge. Unable to resist the drowsiness, I relinquished my consciousness.

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