Chapter 169

Eckart was willing to pay whatever price he had to, and he never wanted anyone to understand his complicated feelings. In order to endure this terrible life, he took a lot of goods and lives, and at the same time, he reflected on a passage from the discipline of kingship that stated there was no shame for the monarch. He pushed a sense of abominable guilt into the deep unseen place in his heart. He felt it was his responsibility to endure it all by himself.

So, he was not supposed to be comforted by her kind words like this.

He thought so, but he touched the letters of the letter unconsciously as if he wanted to drink up every drop of Marianne’s undeserved affection.

He reached the end of the rather long letter.

Eckhart frowned a bit. He couldn’t even figure out what gift he would receive by putting the parrot on his finger.

Anyway, it was what Maryanne requested. After he was done justifying his actions, Eckhart hesitated a bit before reaching out to Poibe.

Poibe trotted around the documents, tilted its head once and jumped onto his finger. When he carefully bent his arms and placed it near his face, Poibe opened his beak and began to imitate Marianne’s voice.

“Your Majesty. Did you really do what I told you?”

He blushed when Poibe asked in a teasing voice. It sounded as if she was teasing him with a hearty laugh, with her green eyes sparkling. Even though the owner of the voice was not there, he felt ashamed.

“If you are listening to this voice, I will be very happy.”

But the words that followed quickly took away his sense of shame.

“I miss you, Your Majesty.”

Her lovely and sweet voice penetrated his heart.

After it was done imitating her words, Poibe leaned forward. Its smooth beak gently touched his closed lips and briefly stayed there as if to convey her breath.

Eckart stiffened for a while after Poibe carried out its job and flew back out the window.

He grasped and opened his empty hand several times. His engagement ring reflected the afternoon sun. After pondering over the promise he had shared with her, he eventually pulled his hand closer to his face.

He kissed the golden Kimmel ring warmly. It was an answer he wanted to convey to her.

* * *

The next morning, Marianne left the Elior Mansion and headed for Duke Hubble’s mansion.

As she was visiting there to express condolences, she was dressed more plainly than usual. Her dress, gloves, shoes and the veil on the hat were all black. After picking up a black lace fan, she rode in her wagon, accompanied by Mrs. Charlotte and Cordelli.

The wagon was simple because it was stripped of its roof decorations and insignia. The uniformed Eluang Knights followed her wagon, escorting it from all directions. Only Iric was dressed in Astolf’s formal uniform, and his black cloak fluttered behind him like a bannerol.

Her wagon soon entered the Hubble mansion’s courtyard. Marianne got out, helped by the two who accompanied her. Before the horseman and knights returned to their place, she signalled to Iric gently. Irick responded by nodding once instead of kneeling before her.

The unspoken promise shared by the two was kept right away.

Shortly after Marianne’s party left for the main building, a white parrot flew silently among the knights as they left her.

The mansion was crowded with numerous mourners. When she entered, most of the nobles stepped aside to make way for her. Thanks to that, she reached Sir Elias and his wife immediately without bumping into anyone.

Marianne expressed condolences to Elias’s wife, “May the late duke rest in peace.”

“Thank you for coming in person for his sudden death,” she replied with a calm expression.

“I also would like to thank you for coming here,” said Elias, whose face was unusually pale.

After that, he immediately changed his attitude and no longer used honorifics for her.

Even though his father, Duke Hubble, died, he had to go through the process of obtaining the emperor’s permission to formally inherit his father’s title, but he acted arrogantly as if he did not care about it.

“Sir Elias, I guess you are in great distress because of your father’s sudden death. I hope you won’t be consumed by too much worry.”

Concealing her disgust with Elias, she tried to appease the new master of the Hubble house.

Elias twisted his mouth into a smile instead of replying.

Marianne lifted her dress slightly to show manners before making herself scarce.

She looked around the room again. While passing through the lobby and heading to the parlor, she soon found the woman she was looking for.

Leaving Ms. Charlotte and Cordelli behind for a while, Marianne slowly walked near the window.

“Mrs. Chester.”

Although she was dressed like a mourner, her dress was layered with colorful lace.

When Marianne called her, Mrs. Chester looked back, “Oh, you are here. May our goddess bless you, Lady Marianne. ”

“I wish you the blessing of the goddess, too.”

Mrs. Chester welcomed Marianne with a smile.

“I thought you would be very surprised because of the sudden obituary, but you look fine.”

“I am! I still can’t believe it. My heart is beating with sorrow and shock even now, ” said Marianne, raising her right hand with a sad expression.

Mrs. Chester suddenly burst into laughter after seeing her nervously pressing on her heart.

“Well, the wind blowing through the capital is too strong for the Spring of the North to endure,” she said, referring to Marianne figuratively.

Her ashen eyes scrutinized Marianne thoroughly.

“I’m ashamed but that’s true. That’s why I tend to look for a tree that I can rely on.”

Marianne smiled while trying her best to hide the discomfort at being dissected.

“Madam, as you already know… When I came to the capital, I was in a hurry, so I could hardly pack anything at the time. When I was in Lennox, I used to host a salon and spend time with my close friends and noblewomen, but now I can’t. That’s why I’m depending on you a lot, madame.”

“Oh, I didn’t know you were thinking the world of me. I feel like I have to cultivate a sense of responsibility for you, ” Mrs. Chester quipped sarcastically.

“So, can I ask you a favor?” Marianne stepped closer to her. She smelled the scent of a dark jasmine flower from her. “As you know, Sir Ober was so upset with Lady Lonstat that he ordered her not to visit his house again.”

“Oh, yes. I know that. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Count Lonstat and Miss Roxy for a long time. ”

“Some time ago, I met Miss Roxanne and we cleared the air between us a bit. So, I wonder if you can invite her again to your salon. As you have liked her for a long time, I hope you can show some mercy towards her… ”

Mrs. Chester knitted her brows at her suggestion.

“It wasn’t me but Ober who ordered Miss Lonstat not to come back again. Why are you asking me such a favor?”

“Of course I would ask Sir Ober the same favor, but the host of the salon is not Ober but you, madame. So I thought I should ask for your permission first. ”

“Hummm… ”

“Is it too much to ask?”

Marianne pressed her lips togethr, pulling her eyebrows slightly to show that her request was rather urgent and desperate.

But Mrs. Chester did not immediately respond. She just stared at Marianne.

She seemed to open her mouth very slowly as if to make her fret about it.

At that moment, she heard a familiar voice from behind.

“Why don’t you stop keeping her wondering and respond?”

“… Sir Ober. ”

“May the goddess protect you.”

“I wish you the blessing of the goddess.”

Ober put his lips on her forehead and her hand and knelt down. Only after confirming that many were gathered around him, he deliberately raised his body politely.

“Oh, I was going to reply. I just don’t know why you’re so impatient…”

Mrs. Chester sneered at him, fanning herself with an annoyed expression.

Whether or not his mother was trying to pick a quarrel or not, Ober focused more on Marianne than her.

“She has such a peculiar personality, so she often plays pranks on people she likes. Very nasty taste.”

“No, that’s fine. As I’ve asked her a favor first, I think I should duly wait until she decides.”

Marianne shook her head and slightly bit the inside of her mouth.

Mrs. Chester did not deny it even though his son Ober pointed out her personality problems.

Her carefree and arrogant attitude disturbed Marianne’s mind.