225: Heir of the Marquis of Brandner
Avril left the guest room, parted ways with Samuel who had to prepare for his performance, and headed down to the foyer.
There, the admission for the audience had already begun, and Avril could see Dylan greeting the invited guests for her. She hurried over to the person she was looking for.
“Lord Dylan! I’m terribly sorry to have kept you waiting.”
“Have you finished greeting Her Highness Princess Emilia?”
“Yes! Without any trouble. Other than the fact that she thinks I’m a villainess, everything’s going well.”
As she answered while gazing off into the distance, Dylan’s expression broke with an easy-to-read smile. At that moment, she could tell that her surrounding guests had broken into a stir, like always.
One voice could brazenly be heard uttering, “That’s the one from the rumors?” Both of them were used to that by now. Thus, without paying it any mind, Dylan escorted Avril along.
Beneath the opulent chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling of the foyer, a great many invited guests were conversing before the performance.
“A short time ago, I was able to meet the messenger from Marquis Brandner.”
“My? I received flowers from the Marchioness as they cannot leave the capital, but to hear that she sent a messenger! I too would very much like to offer my greetings.”
“I can introduce you, but… who do you think the messenger is?”
She had no idea in the slightest. When Avril tilted her head, Dylan gave her a troubled smile.
“It’s Fernand Brandner.”
“! Could he be… Samuel’s eldest brother?”
“Yes. Apparently, in place of the Marquis and Marchioness of Brandner who are unable to leave the royal capital, they had him come all this way. As Lord Fernand is busy, it will be day trip for him.”
“To have their heir come on a day trip… The feelings of the Marquis of Brandner can truly be felt.”
Avril had never met Fernand Brandner. However, imagining that the person who will succeed the next Marquis of Brandner as someone with a promising future was not hard, not when considering his youngest brother Samuel.
Moreover, she also knew he was a person receiving attention in high society. Marchioness Brandner had probably chosen him after making such considerations. Such was to be expected of the flower of high society, or rather, Avril was truly grateful for the thoughtfulness of the Marquis and Marchioness.
I believe the Marquis of Brandner’s heir serves at the royal palace. I’ve heard rumors that he is studying at the side of His Majesty the King until he can inherit the marquis’s position.
The second son, Cyril, worked at the academy. She hadn’t heard any rumors regarding the third and fourth sons, but that was because they were still underage. Still, she had no doubt they must be excellent. That the Marquis Brandner family was such a dazzling presence in high society was no wonder.
Just then, words from Samuel’s self-introduction suddenly came back to her.
“—My eldest brother is a violinist and a playboy.”
Hm? Playboy?
Avril tilted her head. That was a word unbecoming of the glorious Marquis Brandner family. A playboy in that wonderful family—could there be a person who is good at playing around with women? No, there is no way there could be.
Samuel was undeniably popular, taking hold of everyone’s hearts Duke of Lancaster’s household without letting go, but in regard to being a playboy, he wasn’t that type of popular.
As she was thinking such a thing, Dylan leaned in close to her ear. Perhaps it was a topic he didn’t want others to hear, so he spoke from an intimate distance.
“Fernand Brandner isn’t someone I am unfamiliar with, but… the distance he keeps with women is a bit strange. It’s fine if I’m with you, but if he speaks to you when I’m not, I want you to be careful. You shouldn’t be alone together with him.”
“Yes…?”
Though she didn’t understand what he meant, she nodded for the time being.
Just then, a shadow fell over Avril. Realizing that a tall man was looked down upon her, Avril looked up at the shadow’s owner.
The man gave a refreshing smile.
“You must be Duchess Avril Lanchester.”
He was a handsome young man with blond hair. He had a gentle smile that seemed personable, while his deep purple eyes further made his well-formed features stand out. His smooth blond hair, tinged slightly with red, was certainly familiar.
Just as Avril realized who he was, Dylan gave a smooth response.
“Lord Fernand, I was thinking of coming and pay you my greetings with my wife.”
“This is our first time meeting, Madam. My name is Fernand Brandner.”
Seeing the rumored person’s refined bearing, she was given the impression, Ah, so this is a member of the Marquis Brandner family. Samuel will change from adorable to a refined adult like him one day.
Avril smiled as she pictured that future Samuel to herself.
“Thank you very much for coming today. With the support of the Marquis of Brandner, we were able to hold this music festival. Allow me to once again express my gratitude.”
“Not at all. We should be the ones thanking you for looking after our youngest brother.”
Just as the rumors said, his presence was dazzlingly elegant. Standing beside Dylan, the brilliance was blinding.
Those around them seemed to think the same. At the warm conversation being exchanged amongst themselves, Avril felt the entire foyer—still buzzing with the lingering afterglow of the fanfare— pricking up ears to listen.
—“That’s the heir to the Marquis Brandner family. Why would he come to such a backwater place?”
—“Look. A son of theMarquis Brandner seems to be attending today’s music festival. I thought this was just a hastily arranged event, but perhaps it’s more prestigious than expected?”
—“Still, isn’t this an unusual pairing? Since when was their family close to the Duke of Lancester?”
Snatches of such conversations drifted in from all directions, filling Avril’s chest with gratitude. On top of that, she could also hear another sort of conversation along with them.
—“Look at the woman standing with the two of them. I heard that duchess is a notorious villainess, even in the royal capital.”
—“What? That has to be some sort of misunderstanding?”
—“No, I heard that she deliberately played the role of a villainess to suit Duke Lancester’s tastes?”
—“As if such a ridiculous story could happen.”
—“Exactly. There’s no way she’s that foolish, right? Didn’t the young duke simply take a liking to a villainess the previous duke had for a plaything?”
Being dismissed with “such a ridiculous story” was embarrassing enough, but the follow-up rumor that, “Dylan had taken a liking to the same villainess the previous duke had for a plaything,” despite being completely baseless, also somehow felt disturbingly plausible thanks to her own conduct.
I really owe Lord Dylan an apology…
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