I didn’t want to remember that time again. When I looked at her with a hard expression, Mrs. Jenkins held her teacup awkwardly.
“I wanted to apologize properly. I don’t know if Lord Revril will forgive me,” she said.
I barely held back my feelings and spoke.
“That’s already in the past.”
“Yes, but even now, I regret how I treated Lord Revril.”
I didn’t have much to say. No matter how much money we made, society people treated my family as if we had no backing. No one from my family had entered the royal palace before, and there were many rumors about my father buying his title with money.
From their point of view, it was natural for me to be unwilling, but since I showed it so clearly, there was nothing more to say. Mrs. Jenkins fiddled with her teacup and looked at me carefully. I felt I had to answer, so I spoke.
“You don’t need to feel so sorry to me anymore.”
Mrs. Jenkins blinked and looked at me, seeming a little surprised. I continued while looking at her.
“It’s already past, and I don’t want to think about it anymore.”
“Still, thank you for saying that. I was really worried.”
“Why?”
“Since I spoke carelessly to Lord Revril, our family’s situation got worse. We couldn’t get investment for the mining business, and it became impossible to recover.”
“Is that because of Cedric?”
Mrs. Jenkins smiled awkwardly. I guessed it faintly. From the start, the reason she invited me to social gatherings was to ask about her husband’s business related to Cedric.
As I stayed quiet, Mrs. Jenkins took a sip of tea. She seemed to organize her thoughts and looked at me calmly.
“Actually, the Duke of Jedburgh is known for being quite harsh with business. If you make even a small mistake, he won’t forgive you.”
“…”
“We suffered a lot too. At least I helped my younger sister sell dresses here, and my husband manages a mine introduced by an acquaintance.”
In the end, it was because of Cedric that their situation became difficult. I thought quietly and then spoke.
“You must hate me a lot.”
At those words, Mrs. Jenkins was startled and quickly shook her hand.
“No, no! It’s my fault for behaving carelessly to Lord Revril. Looking back, I was really lacking.”
The room fell quiet for a moment. Vincent was trying to eat without my help but got sauce all over his mouth. I wiped Vincent’s mouth and cut his bread and meat so it was easier for him to eat. Mrs. Jenkins watched us and smiled softly.
“I heard the news.”
I wondered what she meant and looked up. Mrs. Jenkins spoke brightly.
“They say the Duke of Jedburgh is reuniting with you.”
My face stiffened without meaning to. It was a fact I didn’t want to admit. I had no say in it anyway. Mrs. Jenkins looked at me with surprise.
“Did I misunderstand? Sorry. I just…”
“No. That’s right.”
It was true in this situation. I didn’t know what would happen later. I sighed, and Mrs. Jenkins watched me carefully.
“But since the Duke cares for you a lot, I think this must be a meaningful moment. He has always cared deeply for Lord Revril.”
It was true Cedric treated me well, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were somehow out of sync. How nice it would have been if he told me he loved me when I liked him. I thought of the missed chance and wiped Vincent’s hands.
“Now that I think about it, it must have been five years ago.”
At my sudden words, Mrs. Jenkins looked at her teacup for a moment, then spoke.
“That was when I was running a dress shop in the capital. They said the Duke of Jedburgh bought a diamond ring from Sixdale, the jeweler that supplies only to the royal family.”
“A diamond ring?”
“Yes, the same kind you wore when you married Lord Revril.”
She seemed to know the rumors in detail, which surprised me.
“When you work there sometimes, you hear many rumors from customers. I also like hearing such rumors, so when I talked, I found out the seller was from Sixdale.”
Mrs. Jenkins said proudly. I stayed stiff and quiet. She carefully asked.
“Is this uncomfortable for you?”
“No.”
It was all in the past anyway. Trying to seem okay, Mrs. Jenkins spoke slowly.
“Anyway, I knew back then the Duke wouldn’t get engaged to Selena.”
“…”
“But everyone was surprised because they said the Duke and Selena had that kind of relationship.”
If Cedric had told me properly then, would things have been different? I looked at Vincent beside me. He was full and no longer eating the sandwich, playing with the teacup instead. The tea was cold now, but I put away the cup before he spilled it.
Vincent frowned and showed annoyance. I checked the time and looked at Mrs. Jenkins.
“I should go now.”
Mrs. Jenkins looked surprised but smiled and stood up. As I was about to leave, she suddenly grabbed my arm.
“Lord Revril, please visit our shop later. It’s called ‘LeCroix,’ an old word meaning happiness, at the blue building behind over there. We have many dresses, from fancy to simple designs.”
In the end, it seemed Mrs. Jenkins wanted to promote her dress shop most of all. I smiled politely but wasn’t sure if I’d really go.
Outside the cafe, people still walked busily on the street. Holding Vincent’s hand tightly, I walked toward the carriage stand.
“Why didn’t Cedric just tell me?”
Did he think I’d be by his side anyway? Thinking about the past was silly, but Mrs. Jenkins’s words stayed in my mind as I walked.
When I reached the carriage stand, the carriage was gone. I waited in line for another one when suddenly a black carriage stopped. It was a luxury carriage, unlike the usual crowded ones. Wondering what it was, I saw the driver get down and approach me.
“Madam, please get in.”
The driver seemed urgent and quickly opened the carriage door. His expression wasn’t good, so I felt uneasy as I got in. The scent of Cedric filled the carriage.
“I wondered where you went without telling me, and it’s just here?”
His gaze was intense and persistent. His blue eyes showed a hidden desire. I looked away and stared out the window.
“You should say something before leaving, shouldn’t you?”
Cedric’s voice was cold. Vincent watched nervously and held my arm, looking at Cedric.
“I was going to come back soon.”
“But the servants said you were gone half a day.”
His blue eyes stared at me more persistently than ever. His obsession made me feel suffocated. If I were in the temple, I wouldn’t be this worried. I would be much freer.
Thinking that made me choke up.
Cedric watched me but didn’t say more. His scent kept coming into my nose, irritating me even though I didn’t want it.
The carriage slowly stopped. Cedric got out and handed Vincent to the nanny. Vincent fussed but hugged the nanny. When I moved to approach, Cedric stopped me.
“You’ve been out half a day, so you should rest too.”
His tone was calm, but his gaze was hot. I didn’t answer. Cedric suddenly grabbed my hand tightly. My hand was sweaty, but he didn’t care and led me into the mansion.
I tried to pull my hand away, but he didn’t let go easily.
“Cedric.”
I said while pulling my arm, but he didn’t respond and held my hand tighter. I couldn’t resist, so I was pulled along as he took me to his room. As soon as he closed the door, he pushed me against the wall and kissed me.
I pushed his shoulder and turned my head. He pulled back and grabbed my chin. Looking at him, panting, he asked,
“What did you buy at the apothecary?”
“How do you know…?”
Cedric chuckled and let go of my chin. I stared at him, dazed. He looked at me with a proud look.
“I can’t let you go easily. I need to know things like that properly, don’t I?”
