‘I will call upon you again.’ I said as I kissed the back of Lady Fredericka’s hand and left the Castley home.
As soon as I boarded the carriage I loosened my tie and top b.u.t.ton, and breathed out a heavy sigh of relief,
‘Ah~…I was so nervous.’ I said to Xavier.
I had been more nervous in that drawing room that I had ever been on the battlefield. I had thought she would have shouted at me, looked at me with eyes full of disdain like she was looking at a disgusting bug. I thought I would be killed.
‘Lady Fredericka was rather adorable, and she’s lovely too.’ I said to Zazie.
Xavier had been forced to come with me just in case I ended up being accused of indecency of some sort. Freed from a potentially tense situation, I was a bit more relaxed, therefore more loquacious than usual.
‘She was acting. Didn’t you notice?’ Xavier replied. (Zuben: Dude stop ruining it) Xavier looked as though he was shocked, ‘Maybe because of you, Young Master?’
I didn’t like his expression.
I sat up in shock, ‘Acting? That loveliness?’
My body sagged. How come?
‘She had no choice but to act that way. Young master looked like you were headed for the guillotine, so she quickly conveyed her grat.i.tude. Apologising first was intentional. See how relieved she was when you calmed down? Under normal circ.u.mstances, who would admit that their lace underwear tore and fell off?’
Xavier’s insight! I cleared my throat and made myself more comfortable in the carriage.
‘She was blushing from her ears down to her neck. Although it didn’t show on her face, Lady Fredericka was embarra.s.sed. She is still young. She could not fully hide her shyness.’ He added with an evil sounding chuckle.
Xavier is a bad guy, I thought.
‘Hey? How did you notice that?’
‘Her hair was up.’
Indeed, Lady Fredericka’s hair had been styled prettily into a loose knot off to the side. I am glad I didn’t notice or I would not have been able to concentrate.
‘What kind of a cad would abandon such a beautiful lady? Doesn’t he have eyes in his head? Why did her love affair end so sadly?’
I sighed.
‘If you think you do not want to hand her to another, don’t worry.’ Xavier said.
I was struck by Xavier’s words. Truly, I did not want to let her meet another man. But she is a young lady and she has just had her fiancé break their engagement. She would be hurt.
She is beautiful and gentle.
She had attempted to cheer me up. During the visit, her father had told funny stories and she had laughed heartily. She hadn’t been scared rather she had been like a kitten studying me curiously.
‘Look into plays that the Society ladies like.’ I commanded.
‘Yes, young Master.’ Xavier replied.
The door closed heavily behind the General and his man, shortly after we heard the creak of carriage wheels.
We kept silent until the general’s carriage went out of view.
There was a hiccup.
Everyone burst out laughing.
I grimace at my own shamelessness as the rest of my household were clutching their bellies laughing.
‘Oh Fredericka!’
‘“It’s was my favourite”! Hahaha!’
‘And that cute act?! You were like a little girl. Very cute!’
More laughter.
‘The general seemed pleased, so it turned out alright.’ Oliver said wiping tears from his eyes.
It was fine if he was pleased, but to the General, I must seem little more than a child.
‘Well, I just imitated Marie.’ I said with a smile as my maid
‘Wait? What?’ she asked confused.
‘Marie is the cutest person around me.’
Aside from that, he kissed my hand! Oh how exciting. But, it was only a greeting, it didn’t have any deeper connotations.
But when he lifted my hands to his lips...so dashing so sophisticated! (Zuben: Someone has fallen hard)
Could I afford such a grown up man who exuded such intense s.e.x appeal like 『buwaa』 (Zuben: Like buwaaa! Like a man standing in dry ice)
When I was with Eugene, it had been so stiff. I have never experienced such a feeling before.
I never realised the back of my hand was so sensitive, I could still feel the sensation of General Volker’s lips on my skin. It was strange and numb. I want to scream and run and hide. I feel agitated and restless.
There was a knock on the door.
Eugene? No. It was a messenger with the formal request for the dissolution of the engagement from the Duke of Cajes.
How could he turn up without even a by-your-leave? Is it that they were more concerned about the consequences of not coming?
I suppose now that the engagement is cancelled they don’t need to keep up the pretence of politeness.
The messenger sat proudly in the proffered chair, and narrowed his fox-like eyes at me. He told us his name was Garde.
‘Lady Fredericka, please sign this doc.u.ment right away.’ He said, while his words were polite, his tone was rude. He unfurled a paper that had been tied with a grey ribbon.
‘I will read it,’ Father said taking the doc.u.ment.
The written agreement to end the marriage contract.
I held my breath as Father read it. For a time there was only silence.
‘I have a question.’
‘Is there any room for questions?’ the messenger asked arrogantly with a raised eyebrow.
Why did the Duke send this person?
My Mother was sitting beside with a fixed smile on her face, yet her hand held me gripping my arm tighter and tighter. I tried to keep the discomfort from my expression.
‘It says here “Accepting Fredericka Castley’s error…” what error does that specifically refer to?’ my father asked.
What error? What have I done that was a disgrace towards Eugene and the Cajes family?
‘Think of it as an error in the doc.u.ment if you do not understand.’ The messenger replied.
My tried to hold down my temper; how could I understand if you don’t explain?
‘In other words, this agreement is trying to say that the Castley family is at fault. Is it?’ my father asked the messenger.
This may have been the plan from the start.
The messenger shifted in his seat, and uncrossed his long legs. He took a sip of his tea and returned the cup to the saucer with a loud clatter.
‘Eugene went to the ball last night with another woman and told my daughter in front of a lot of people, that the woman with him was his destined love and he wanted to break the engagement. I am afraid there was been a mistake. How do you like this?’
‘Where you there?’ the messenger asked, ‘Is there any evidence? You are trying to malign my master.’ The man said with a derisive laugh.
There were many witnesses, the other attendees, the orchestra, the servants.
‘Do you think I cannot protect my daughter?’ My father said his jaw tense. The messenger merely looked amused.
‘I will delete that line. We agree to cancel the marriage contract between ourselves and the Cajes family.’
Oliver presented a pen, and father crossed out the offending line before signing.
‘We formally acknowledge the cancellation of engagement between Fredericka Castley and Eugene Cajes. I hope we never cross paths in the future.’
The messenger took the doc.u.ment, and left out house laughing loudly.
‘I’m sorry, Father,’ I said after the odious man left. I wish I was a better woman. (Zuben: Girl, how is it your fault that family is full of shysters?)
I should have been able to avoid this.
‘Heh heh, that messenger, I’m sure he’ll be crowing that he got the better of the Castleys.’ Father said without anger.
Good, Father isn’t daunted.
People will talk. The misfortune of others is like nectar to bees for Society.
Hopefully our business will not lose customers because of this.
The duke was obviously trying to manipulate the story to Eugene’s benefit, and place the responsibility of the break up on me.
The acquisitioning party should have the higher hand. It’s like telling your enemy, ‘this is my weakness.’ (Zuben: This is gobbledegook, but nothing came up better)
I gave them goods and they taught me weakness.
We are the losing party. When the story comes out, my family and I would become “pitiful”.
We couldn’t even ask for a settlement even if we wanted to.
n.o.bles are troublesome.
Would I be able to go see the play with General Volker?
It looks like it would be impossible.
In the background, Mother repeatedly cursed the messenger’s name.
I rubbed my sore arm as I listened.
This is rather unfortunate.
I’m sorry.
9 Volker: A Fox Borrowing the Power of a Tiger
A cup of fragrant tea sat before me.
There was a man sitting on the other side of the table wiping his sweat with a handkerchief.
His behaviour was very suspicious.
I wondered if he was like this with Lady Fredericka, and became anxious.
♢
When we returned from the Castley residence, there was a man waiting for me. He shouted at my carriage in a rather embarra.s.sing manner as we pa.s.sed through the gate.
I looked at Xavier; the person seemed to be a messenger from the Duke Cajes residence.
He had waited all afternoon, he said, because of my absence, time had been wasted. What should he do if he was scolded by the Duke? He cried, while looking angry.
When Xavier and I did not say anything, he fell silent. I wondered if he noticed his own rudeness. He gave his name and said he had important matters to discuss from the Duke, so a maid directed him to a drawing room.
Xavier had an appalled expression as the man walked away.
‘Do you think he is really from the Duke? It is rather unbelievable,’
‘Lack of talented manpower…?’
Xavier went to check details with the house keeper. I handed my coat to my footman, and walk unhurriedly to the reception room.
♢
It seemed in the mean time, he remembered his position. The recent abominable manners were put aside, and the messenger was wiping his sweat nervously. He gave a nervous smile as he accepted tea from the maid.
It just seemed unlikely that this person was a messenger from the Duke.
Something felt off.
He was behaving like a commoner confused by the sudden acquisition of power they were not accustomed to.
He began by saying using the Western army as security detail last night was a waste of troops, and I should have thought of my position as a general. As he continued, his tone got more arrogant.
When he finally concluded, I was annoyed, ‘I was asked to a.s.sure security last night by the West General as a favour. It was a last minute thing. I do not understand what the Duke’s concern is.’
But the timing…it is probably related to Lady Fredericka, that the Duke would come to see the security officer for the ball last night. (Zuben: I know it’s a plot contrivance, but why did they need security anyway?)
As I spoke, the messenger drank his tea casually.
‘Last night, Eugene the heir to the Duke of Cajes broke his engagement with Fredericka.’
I raise a brow, ‘So I’ve heard.’ I replied.
He leaned over and said in a conspiratory tone, ‘Actually, the engagement was a conspiracy by the Viscount Castley. The General may not know this, but Fredericka is a spend thrift. A wasteful woman. She spent the Duke’s money without end, claiming it was for her bridal trousseau.’
Hmm…
‘The nouveau riche Castleys are a vulgar clan. She goes about wear gaudy jingly jangly jewellery about showing off their so called wealth. Isn’t it all a lie?’
Hmm… (Zuben: Indeed)
‘She was the one who tempted Lord Eugene in the first place, showing off her chest with low cut dresses. And he was tempted enough to propose!’
Hmm…
‘Eugene is young, so who could blame him? He was deceived by her ample charms. The only thing good about that girl are her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Hahahah’
I growled but he didn’t notice.
‘But Lord Eugene eventually became wise to her fox like ways. There was numerous evidence of her true common behaviour. So finally he broke off the engagement yesterday. But that sly fox girl played the pitiful victim.’
The messenger’s face was flush with excitement as he recounted this tale. He took a sip of tea to calm down.
‘So what are you trying to tell me?’ I asked. The only evidence of my rage was my hands gripping the armrests tightly.
‘Well, the duke wants the truth of the matter to be known, since you may have received a biased report from the guards at the party, so as not to be embarra.s.sed later.’
The messenger said with a smile.
‘It was strange in the first place for a duke’s son to marry a viscount’s daughter. Their family status is too different. It’s like the stars compared to stones. Besides, they only bought their t.i.tle with gold in the turmoil of the last great war. Such low blood people should not mix with a Duke’s n.o.ble blood.’
‘That girl is a vulgar woman, like a prost.i.tute that invites men in the back streets.’
I shot out of my chair,
‘I will not listen to any more of this for I fear my ears will rot!’
The messenger jumped at the tone of my voice.
‘Er, yes! That’s right, that girl is…’ it seems the messenger was taking my words at his convenience. He was rubbing his hands together like a little housefly, laughing. So I pulled out my sword and held it against the messenger’s pale cheek.
He squealed. (Zuben: Squeal piggy squeal)
‘Shut up, you cretin!’ I growled, ‘I will not listen to you malign that woman any longer.’
The messenger sputtered, he began retreating, keeping his eyes on the shiny blade,
‘Why are you attacking me so suddenly? I am a messenger of the duke! Can such a thing be forgiven?!’
‘Be quiet, or I will sew that mouth closed so that lies may not pa.s.s from your lips.’
The messenger paled. His mouth gaped open like a fish.
‘I believe what I see with my own eyes and Lady Fredericka is not the kind of woman you are maligning her to be!’
The messenger scrambled out of the reception room, stumbling on all fours.
‘Weren’t you too patient?’ Xavier said as he entered the reception room.
‘I was about to choke from anger.’
I took a deep breath and exhaled.
‘Aren’t you worried about the House of Lords?’
I did not spend a lot of time in court due to military duties. I had to patiently listen to confirm that Cajes had definitely cancelled the engagement with Fredericka.
I was nearly dizzy with the ridiculousness of the whole situation.
‘I do not care about the Lords.’
Xavier gave a small laugh as he packed up the tea things.
♢
