~Chapter 51~
“Eileen, it’s been a while.”
“Lady, what brings you here…?”
“I came to see you. You look like you’ve lost a lot of weight.”
Eileen was truly surprised. The Lady shouldn’t be here. Not because she couldn’t believe it, but because, quite literally, she shouldn’t be here.
“What about Zeon? Everything’s fine at Ribbonshire, right?”
“Of course, everything’s fine. Zeon is over ten now, so it’s not a huge problem not having him right under my nose.”
The Ribbonshire family only had Zeon as the heir, both direct and collateral descendants. The Lady’s son and daughter-in-law had died, and so, she had made her grandson the head of the family while she continued to manage the affairs herself. But since Zeon had been sickly since birth, the position of the family was unstable.
That’s why the Lady couldn’t leave, and it had been a long time since Eileen had visited Ribbonshire with her grandmother.
“You’ve grown well. Rowina would be proud.”
The Lady spoke fondly, stroking Eileen’s face, as she recalled her grandmother. Eileen felt as if she were a child again.
There was a time when her grandmother was always by her side, and she never feared anything.
She missed those days when her grandmother proudly introduced her to other nobles as her granddaughter.
“Is Cedric treating you well?”
“Yes, of course.”
Eileen hesitated a bit before answering, but she knew that Cedric was an objectively good fiancé. He didn’t cheat, and he didn’t neglect her.
“But there’s a shadow under your eyes. If something’s bothering you, don’t hide it.”
“I’m fine. I just have to push through.”
“I’m worried for you. How could Rowina close her eyes with you in this state?”
Actually, the Lady herself looked like she had aged decades in just a few years. Eileen had heard about the problems Ribbonshire had faced due to the river running dry and the severe drought last year. It must have been tough.
Back then, Eileen had been too busy taking care of her sick grandmother to pay attention to other things. Now, she felt guilty about that.
But the Lady had been a close childhood friend of her grandmother, and she had always cared for Eileen like her own granddaughter.
‘And Leonard, and now…’
It felt as if the world was telling her there were people who truly cared for her.
But the fundamental question remained.
“Why are you here, like this? You could have just officially visited the Lowell family…”
“I can’t let my attendants know I’m here.”
“Your attendants?”
“They don’t like it when I leave. They think Zeon isn’t reliable on his own.”
The Lady casually waved her hand as if it wasn’t a big deal, guiding Eileen to sit down with her.
“So, I asked Lord Rotner to bring me here quietly.”
“So, even the master of this land doesn’t know?”
“No, he doesn’t. I came here the day you were arriving.”
It was quite a long journey, probably taking days to complete.
“If you couldn’t leave your position, you could have just sent a letter.”
Eileen understood why, though. You didn’t need to meet face-to-face to exchange pleasantries.
“No, I couldn’t. Rowina asked me to take care of you.”
“…My grandmother?”
Eileen’s interest piqued. Her grandmother’s final request?
“She had a feeling about it. Last year, she sent me a long letter.”
“I see.”
“Yes. She said, ‘Take care of her.’ And I had planned to bring you into Ribbonshire. I couldn’t leave you alone in Cashier. Having a bastard inherit a family… even I get upset thinking about it.”
The Lady’s voice trembled as she spoke. Then, holding Eileen’s hand, she spoke gently:
“I couldn’t just leave my friend’s only granddaughter to suffer alone.”
“Well…”
Eileen had always felt out of place at Lowell Castle. It wasn’t her home, and it never felt like it. It was impossible to make a place feel like home after only a few months.
“Even though you’re engaged, there’s no need to live together yet. Come to Ribbonshire.”
“…Me? How could I?”
“No, we’re like family. There’s no reason I can’t take you in.”
“You came all the way here just to say that?”
“Of course. I came to take you. It’s hard for you to leave Lowell’s estate without people noticing.”
It was a kind offer, but the idea of leaving wasn’t simple. After all, most people thought her engagement with Cedric would stay intact, and she didn’t want to jump to conclusions.
“There’s a guesthouse a little further from here. I’ve already arranged for my attendants to wait. We can leave immediately.”
“Are you saying… tomorrow?”
“Of course.”
Her tone was casual, as if reminiscing about the old days when she used to stay at Ribbonshire Castle with her grandmother for a month.
But her grandmother wasn’t here anymore. And now, this wasn’t a simple decision, like going on a trip to a vacation home.
“The room where Rowina stayed and the room you used to stay in are still there. We never really had many guests, so I never ordered them to be cleaned up.”
“That’s…”
“I didn’t want to leave my friend’s only granddaughter alone.”
“I should discuss it with Cedric first.”
“You need your fiancé’s permission?”
The Lady frowned slightly, and Eileen noticed her tight, firm expression.
“It’s not about permission, it’s about a discussion.”
“Cedric won’t stop you. It’s not like that’s your home.”
“He won’t stop me.”
Eileen didn’t think Cedric would stop her. But she said it just to cover up how flustered she was. If she had been offered this right after meeting Cedric, she might have gladly accepted, because back then, she just wanted to escape the Cashier family.
But maybe, in reality, this was the best for both of them. They could live apart, send letters to each other occasionally, and then break off the engagement later.
‘Maybe that would be better.’
But oddly, she felt a little hurt. It was strange, feeling this way. It was strange that Cedric might feel hurt about this, and that she herself was feeling hurt.
“I’ll let you know when we’re ready to leave in the morning. We’ll leave as soon as you arrive.”
The Lady didn’t seem to think Eileen would refuse. The two families were so close, and the Ribbonshire family had always been very warm.
Ribbonshire might be the most peaceful place for her after breaking off her engagement with Cedric. It could be the second home she’d never had.
From what Eileen remembered, Zeon was frail and often needed help, but he wasn’t a cruel boy. He was kind, and he’d always been happy to have her visit.
‘Is he still doing okay? I hope so.’
If her grandmother were still alive, she would’ve been the first to visit Ribbonshire, especially to ease her mind.
Right now, Ribbonshire was the safest place Eileen could go. It was a respected and old family, well-known for its reputation.
‘But why didn’t she mention it to me?’
Something about it felt off. Her grandmother had been mentally sharp right until the end, so why didn’t she say anything about Ribbonshire? It was strange. Very strange.
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