TMIAP Chapter 36

"I'm not a fool!"

Martinael shouted from his room—apparently he'd been listening. Isabella pretended not to hear and tilted her teacup again. Martinael shouted again:

"I'm going to marry Miss Violet!"

"You heard him?"

At Isabella's words, Monica only smiled awkwardly. If she'd heard correctly, young Master Martinael didn't want to marry the young lady... She couldn't very well say that.

Isabella continued as if it were nothing:

"It's obvious he has no interest in me, which is truly perfect. Absolutely ideal."

Monica listened to Isabella's speech in a slightly dazed state.

According to this ten-year-old, marriage was when two people who could best fulfill each other's needs came together. The Valentina Count family was, in any case, quite a respectable house.

With the Mollette family as it currently stood, Count Valentina would never send Isabella to marry into it. But the Mollette family was likely to form ties with the Solivén family, given the enormous dowry attached to Liella.

So Count Valentina had calculated it worthwhile to marry Isabella off. The fact that Countess Valentina had held both the birthday celebration and today's friendly gathering at the Mollette family estate was in the same vein.

"Repairs on our estate finished ages ago. Mother's just making excuses, fussing about."

This precocious young lady seemed overly steeped in adult cynicism. Monica smiled sweetly and asked again:

"But Miss Valentina, I simply can't understand how marrying a husband with no interest in his wife is perfect."

"Mmm... This is a secret, but I'll tell you."

Isabella preened.

"After marriage, I'll go to the capital. I'll use the excuse of entering capital society to a husband who has no interest in me."

"What will you do in the capital?"

At that, finally a childlike innocence appeared on Isabella's face.

"I'll learn how to make money work."

Of course, the content was hardly innocent...

"But then shouldn't you keep such schemes hidden from young Master Martinael?"

"Why do you think I decided to marry him?"

Isabella glanced sideways at Martinael. Martinael shouted from inside the room:

"It's a gentleman's disgrace to gossip about a lady's circumstances!"

"So he says."

"But I'm going to marry Miss Violet, so I won't say anything! It won't happen anyway!"

A lady. Monica barely suppressed the laughter trying to burst out. Still, wasn't it a bit much to tell such things to a servant she was meeting for the first time today?

"Didn't your governess say anything about this?"

"Oh, Miss Rosemary said it was a good plan. But she told me not to show it until I'm married."

"Ah? Then shouldn't you avoid telling me too?"

At that, Isabella drew in her breath. Apparently this young lady, in her eagerness to boast about her perfect plan, had spoken about things she shouldn't tell others.

Isabella rolled her yellowish-brown eyes in confusion, then asked in a deflated voice:

"Will you tell other people? That wouldn't be ladylike virtue..."

"But I'm not nobility."

Of course Monica was an accomplished lady, but when young noble ladies spoke of 'ladies,' they meant only noble ladies.

As expected, Isabella flushed red with embarrassment. Monica quickly added before Isabella could become more upset:

"I think it would be fun if your governess came along sometime too. Please come visit together."

"...Are you going to scold her?"

Her cheeks bulged as she barely held back the laughter trying to escape.

Unthinkable. How could Monica possibly scold a Count's governess?

But this young lady seemed to truly believe she could. For all her earlier preening, she had a remarkably innocent side.

"How could I scold Miss Valentina's governess? I'm just curious. It would be quite pleasant for the three of us to have tea together."

Isabella's eyes lit up with delight. Naturally, tea drinking had become even more enjoyable.

Isabella, seeming to have taken a liking to Monica, showed off her necklace. After tea, she even briefly toured Monica's room.

"What a charming and pretty room! I should have my maid sleep in the room next to mine too!"

The tiny legs toddling beneath her long dress were unbearably cute.

"The recital by Miss Mollette is about to begin, so if teatime is finished, please bring the two of them."

Mistress Oraingne came herself to convey the message. It seemed the ladies' time had ended and the proper afternoon party was beginning.

Come to think of it, the hot day had receded and the breeze had turned cool before she realized it.

"Hey, next time come to our house's tea party with Miss Monica."

"Huh? Why?"

"I can't just invite Miss Monica alone, you fool!"

And on the way to the hall, the two children bickered enthusiastically. Mistress Oraingne desperately looked away when Isabella jabbed Martinael's side sharply with her elbow.

Monica smiled and inserted herself between the two children. Isabella quickly took Monica's hand, and seeing this, Martinael wrinkled his nose and grabbed Monica's opposite arm.

"You think I'd go to your house's party?"

"But I'm inviting Miss Violet too?"

At those words, Martinael immediately began to waver. Mistress Oraingne, walking one step ahead, was clearly suppressing laughter.

Before Martinael's internal conflict could resolve, the four of them arrived at the hall.

The hall on the second floor, on the eastern side of the estate, received slanting afternoon sun while sea breezes blew through, making it not particularly hot.

As expected, quite a few people seemed to have attended. Not only the ladies who must have had teatime, but also gentlemen with elegantly groomed mustaches were present in fair numbers. And at the very front, a grand piano.

"It's my sister!"

Martinael scurried over and grasped Liella's skirt as she stood beside the piano. Liella, who'd been talking with the violin player, smiled brightly and turned to Martinael, then her eyes met Monica's beyond him.

Monica reflexively hunched her shoulders. Because of Liella's cold gaze. Partly, no doubt, because Monica had been diligently avoiding Liella all this time.

Fortunately, when a maid came carrying sheet music and placed it on the piano, Liella's attention turned that way. Only then did Monica breathe a sigh of relief.

Martinael soon ran to Madame Mollette, who was seated near the piano, and sat down obediently.

"Isabella!"

"Oh my, that's my mother. Well then, Miss Monica, it was delightful."

Isabella too curtsied politely, lifting her skirt, then went to the woman who was clearly Countess Valentina.

Monica glanced around and slipped quietly to the back. This was not a place for her.

She could return to the hall alone after the party ended—she was thinking this and slowly trying to leave when it happened.

"Oh dear."

Someone walking collided lightly with her. The jolt caused the wine glass they were holding to spill slightly, wine droplets wetting sleeves and floor. Monica reflexively apologized—"I'm so sorry"—and looked up.

The man lightly brushing his sleeve as if he'd anticipated all of this was Enrique Solivén. And splendidly dressed, at that.

"Ah."

Monica's mouth fell open involuntarily.

There stood a young man whose very expressionless face seemed perfect.

His pallid complexion and narrowly opened eyes still looked tired, but this suited the crowded hall far too well. Whether from the lingering heat of the day, even his sweat-dampened forehead and slightly disheveled golden hair looked magnificent.

The young man she'd only ever seen at night, dressed up like this and standing in sunlight, was rather impressive.

Monica fumbled momentarily, not knowing what to say, but soon realized she wasn't in a position to speak to him.

This was a social gathering for noble lords and ladies, and she was plainly just a servant. She'd only come from looking after the children in Martinael's room—she hadn't been invited to the party.

Moreover, the fact that Monica and Enrique knew each other was a secret from outsiders. So naturally, it was Enrique who spoke first.

"It's fine. You may go."

In those short, cold words, she felt something almost like regret.

Only after receiving the man's dismissal did Monica realize that she'd wanted to say something to this man—even just 'You look truly splendid today.' That's how beautiful he looked.

She could understand why, despite the Solivén family struggling with war reparations, he was counted as La Spezia's most eligible bachelor.

Even at this very moment, there were quite a few noble ladies casting admiring glances at the man standing before Monica.

Noticing her cheeks were flushing of their own accord, Monica quickly bowed her head.

"I'm sorry..."

She barely got those words out and fled as if escaping. It wasn't difficult to slip away through the excited crowd. But Monica was caught by someone before she could even leave the hall. When Monica turned around, she was startled.

Because the young man who'd just expressionlessly sent her away smiled crookedly with a face quite different from his previous attitude when Monica looked back.

It was a dizzyingly magnificent smile.