Chapter 11
A few days later, around lunchtime.
Elisha was reviewing the abacus with Richard as he was lying on the bed. Richard was not a friendly teacher, but he was pretty good at teaching. “What about 569-192?”
Elisha diligently calculated the problem given by Richard’s by using the abacus. “367, right?”
Then Richard silently moved one of the abacus beads.
Only then did Elisha realize that she was wrong and corrected herself. “377!”
At that time, they heard a knock.
When Elisha gave permission, the maid came in right away and said, “Count Arden and his son are here.”
Richard’s face hardened when heard that name, his eyes became strangely vigilant. “What about them?”
“The Count said he was greatly indebted to Milady, and he wanted to formally thank her. So, the Count arranged a luncheon for Young Master and Milady.”
“Arden?” Elisha tilted her head, wondering who they were. She felt that she heard it somewhere, but it was an unfamiliar name.
Richard noticed her confusion, he said, “Ansel Arden.”
It was only then that Elisha remembered whose name it was. It was the name of the boy who was bullied by Christian on the hunting ground a few days ago.
“Would you like to have your hair done, Milady?”
“Yes.” Elisha stood up, leaving the abacus.
At that time, Richard grabbed Elisha’s arm. “I’ll go too.” Richard’s face was somehow displeased as he said that.
Elisha looked at Richard with bewildered eyes. “Where are you going when you’re still sick? Just rest here. I’ll greet them on your behalf.” Elisha walked into the dressing room with the maids, leaving Richard behind.
Richard looked at her back with a sulky look. Soon after, a rustling sound was heard in the dressing room. The sound of the maids talking, the rustling cloth, and so on. Richard’s eyes were looking at the book, but he couldn’t read anything.
After a long time, the rustling sound faded, and Elisha came out of the dressing room along with the maids. Sensing their presence, Richard’s gaze moved from the book to them. Elisha was wearing a sky-blue dress. Her brilliant blonde hair and the sky-blue dress went well together.
“Milady, please sit here.” The maids led Elisha to sit in front of the dressing table. Then, they started picking the suitable accessories from the jewelry box.
Richard glanced over the bookshelf.
The maids who noticed his gaze asked Richard. “Young Master Richard, Milady looks pretty, right?”
Richard answered the question with a deep frown. “I’m so distracted that I can’t concentrate on the book. You said they were waiting outside. It’s not polite to keep the guests waiting, why don’t you just dress simply and go?”
“But it’s not polite to greet the guests in pajama either.”
At Elisha’s words, Richard shut his mouth. Then, he closed the book, lied on the bed, and covered himself with a blanket. It seemed like he was going to sleep.
Elisha’s hair was decorated with a hairband, a corsage, and a tied ribbon. As the finishing touch, half of her hair was tied up by using a blue ribbon.
“I’ll be back, Richard.” Before Elisha left the room, she greeted Richard, but Richard did not answer. Did he already fall asleep?’ Elisha shrugged her shoulders in wonder and left the room. The maids followed her in unison. After Richard heard the door close, he lifted the blanket.
Soon a servant came into the room with Richard’s lunch. He entered the room without much thought, and when he saw Richard’s expression, he was startled. Richard’s expression was cold like usual, but he looked more displeased today.
“…Then, please enjoy your meal. Call me if you need anything, Young Master.” The servant hurried away after carefully setting the meal on the bed table.
Richard ate by using his right arm only because his left shoulder was injured. But eating using one hand was harder than he thought. This is because the bowl moved frequently as its bottom was slippery.
During breakfast, he ate with Elisha. She held the bowl so he was able to eat without much effort, but now it was uncomfortable. Richard emptied the bowl of soup with great difficulty. It took more time than usual since he could only use his right hand.
After the meal, Richard called the servant who was waiting in front of the door. “Brian.”
The servant came in right away and cleared the dishes.
Richard, who was watching the servant with a sulky look, asked, “Why isn’t Elisha coming? Wasn’t she just eating?”
“Pardon?” The servant looked at Richard with bewildered eyes and answered carefully. “It’s been less than 30 minutes since Milady left……”
A luncheon with guests would normally take an hour and a half. Only then, Richard, who checked the watch, shut his mouth again.
*****
“Elisha, show Young Master Arden the greenhouse.” Albert, who had finished his meal, said as he put down his empty glass of wine. It meant to take Ansel away because he had something to talk about with the Count.
Count Arden agreed with his suggestion. “That would be great, Ansel. I heard that the Duke’s greenhouse is so beautiful. There are many rare exotic plants.”
“If Lady Rubelin doesn’t mind…”
“Of course, it’s okay.” Elisha responded readily to the hesitant Ansel.
Ansel followed Elisha in a gentle manner. A huge greenhouse was built on one side of the backyard. As they entered, they were welcomed by the chattering sound of strikingly colorful small birds and mysteriously beautiful flowers.
“Wow,” Ansel looked around as he followed Elisha.
As they went in a little further, they saw a tea table located in the center of the greenhouse. On top of it, there were juices and desserts prepared by the servants in advance.
“Let’s sit down.” Elisha sat on the chair first.
Ansel was startled by Elisha’s sudden remark, but quietly pulled out the chair and sat down in a careful manner.
“Here.” Elisha put a glass of juice in front of Ansel and began to sip her own juice.
Without drinking the juice, Ansel hesitantly took something out of his pocket. There were two finely folded handkerchiefs. One of them was the handkerchief that Elisha previously gave to him to clean the grape juice, and the other was a new handkerchief that looked quite expensive.
“I washed your handkerchief many times, but the stain from the grape juice can’t be washed off completely. So, I prepared another handkerchief. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I have plenty of them.”
“And… Thank you so much for helping me back then.” Ansel rose from his seat and bowed politely to Elisha. His brown hair shook gently.
Embarrassed by his polite gratitude, Elisha gulped down the juice and said humbly. “Well, I just did what was supposed to be done… it’s inappropriate to just sit there and watch. Don’t you think so?”
Ansel stared blankly at Elisha as she said so. She was the first person to take his side, not the Crown Prince. ‘So cool…’ In Ansel’s eyes, Elisha, who could speak so confidently, looked stronger and cooler than anyone else.
Elisha, who was chewing on the cookies, looked at Ansel who was staring at her with twinkling grayish blue eyes.
“But why are you using the honorifics? Just talk casually.”
“Oh, yes! Oh, no. Yeah.” Ansel, who nodded vigorously, suddenly remembered something and pulled out another thing from his pocket.
He put down a pressed flower bookmark on the tea table. It was made by attaching dried flowers to a thin wooden board. “This was prepared out of gratitude… I think buying something expensive will be meaningless to Lady Rubelin….”
“Oh, it’s pretty! Did you make it yourself?”
“Yeah.”
Elisha admired Ansel’s dexterity and common sense. If it were an expensive gift, she would feel burdensome to receive it. “Thank you, I’ll use it well. But you know, I like expensive and shiny things, too.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, next time, you don’t have to worry, you can prepare as much as you want.” The more money I could save before the divorce, the better. Hoho. Elisha grinned with insidious thoughts. At that time, she heard a familiar voice nearby.
“What’s so funny?”
Elisha looked up reflexively toward the source of the voice. Richard, who looked very displeased for some reason, stood there and looked at Elisha.
With her eyes wide opened, Elisha asked in surprise. “Richard? I told you to rest. Why are you here?”
“It’s not polite to just lie down when you have a guest.” Richard sat on a chair between Elisha and Ansel.
The sudden appearance of an uninvited person caused a brief silence between them. Ansel, who was wary of the cold looking Richard, broke the silence with a small voice, “Well, then… thank you for your help too.”
“I don’t know why you are thanking me for helping my wife.”
Elisha screamed inwardly at Richard’s reply, Elisha dropped his flag. The way he spoke would naturally make his opponent speechless.
“Well, that’s right. But thanks to you, I was saved.” Ansel, who was embarrassed, answered as he dropped his gaze.
‘Do you really have to speak that way….!’ Elisha, who was watching them, glanced at Richard and tried to poke his side, but he caught her hand before she could do it. Elisha pulled her hand and glanced at Richard.
Suddenly, Richard slumped on the table and murmured. “I… feel dizzy.”
When she saw Richard’s slightly frowning face, Elisha’s eyes softened. She became worried and forgot her anger toward him when she heard that he was sick. “Take a rest in your room. Go up and rest now.”
“Take me there.” Richard’s red eyes were looking pleadingly at Elisha as he said so.
Elisha could not turn away from his eyes, which seemed to be crying for help. “Oh, okay, I’ll take you.” She eventually rose from her seat to help Richard. “Ansel, we’ll go up first. I’m sorry that I’m leaving first. You can look around more if you want. The servant will be here soon to guide you.”
Richard flashed a smile as he relied on Elisha, but no one noticed it.
“Oh, wait.” Ansel pulled something out of his pocket again. “A banquet will be held at our mansion in a few days, and I’d be happy if you could come.”
It was an invitation to a banquet with Count Arden’s seal. Richard’s eyes narrowed as he looked at it.