Chapter 12

"Master Klaus has instructed me to tell you not to leave your room."

On a holiday afternoon, when Marc knocked on my door, he looked somewhat tense. The voice in which he relayed my brother's message was stiffer than usual.

In his hand, he held a tray with a tea set, which I took, tilting my head in confusion but accepting it nonetheless.

"Why?"

"It seems we have a guest."

A guest my brother wanted to keep me away from.

I easily guessed who it might be and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Is it someone from the Tostmann Viscount's family?"

Marc didn't answer, only smiled and bowed. As he left with a graceful bow, I returned to my room.

I placed the tray on the table. Sitting on the sofa, I gently opened the steaming teapot, and the scent of strawberries wafted up. Pouring it into a cup, the amber liquid rippled.

Strawberry jam-infused tea is one of my recent favorites. Dorothea must have prepared it for me, knowing my taste.

After savoring a sip of the tea, I placed the cup back on the saucer and looked at the cake, chuckling at its size. It was a chocolate layer cake about the size of my hands clasped together. The top was decorated with shaved chocolate, simple yet elegant. The fact that the whole cake was brought without being cut must be a message from my brother, telling me to stay in the room even if the conversation drags on.

I gathered my light green hair into a single braid, twisted it, and secured it with a hair clip.

I placed a bite-sized piece of cake on my fork. The sponge was infused with chocolate, looking rich and decadent.

It looks delicious, I thought, and brought the cake to my mouth. Yes, it's delicious.

Despite its rich appearance, it wasn't overly sweet. The chocolate cream surrounding it was light, making it easy to eat more.

I picked up my cup and sipped the tea. The tartness of the strawberry jam refreshed my mouth.

With this tea and cake, I could stay cooped up for a long time.

I pretended not to notice the slight commotion downstairs and reached for the book I had been reading. I thought I heard someone shout "Alicia," but it must have been my imagination. The voice sounded like Felix Tostmann, but that was all in my head.

After finishing the cake and tea and the book, the guests still hadn't left.

I had fallen asleep on the sofa and was woken by a knock. The room was dim, and the sun was about to set.

Marc, looking somewhat tired, led me to the living room.

My parents and brother were all there.

Mother was smiling, but her eyes weren't. My brother, unusually expressionless, had his golden eyes narrowed. Father was slumped deeply into the sofa, looking exhausted.

It was clear they had a difficult time with the guest.

"Um... Is everyone okay?"

Sitting on a single-seater sofa, I searched for words but could only manage that.

"It's not okay. He's completely unreasonable... If that's the heir, the viscountcy won't last long. He'll ruin the family, no doubt about it."

"He's only the heir for now. He said himself that his younger brother might take over."

Hearing my brother and mother's words, I still didn't understand what had happened. I knew the guest was Felix Tostmann and that he was disappointing.

"Let's start from the beginning, so Alicia can understand."

Father slowly sat up, placing the warm, damp towel Marc had prepared on his forehead.

Marc set out tea for everyone and left the room.

"The guest was the Tostmann Viscount's son, Felix. He came without any prior notice, so I told him you were out."

"Do they think commoners are always free?"

My brother shrugged sarcastically. Neither my father nor mother seemed to reprimand him.

"Felix's words were incoherent, but to sum up, he wants to reconcile with Alicia."

"No way."

"I know."

I responded reflexively to Father's words. He nodded with a wry smile.

Beside him, Mother was adding sugar to her tea, her slender fingers always graceful as she stirred.

"While apologizing for breaking the engagement on a whim, he said he must marry a noblewoman because he is a noble."

Is that so? Then the engagement with me was impossible from the start, wasn't it?

Seeing my confusion, Mother smiled and shook her head.

"While it's difficult for commoners to marry into some noble families, I don't think there's a significant gap between the Tostmann Viscountcy and the Bloom Trading Company. If that were the case, it would be difficult for me to marry into this family too."

"Well, Mother was head over heels in love with Father and threatened Grandfather that she would die if she couldn't marry him. So, social status doesn't seem to matter much..."

Mother smiled, unaffected by my brother's comment. We children know it's true, and even now, Mother is still head over heels in love with Father.

"Anyway, this marriage proposal came from the Tostmann family. Normally, they wouldn't have the right to mention social status. But that son... I don't know what he's thinking, but he seems to believe that nobles should marry nobles."

Father's sigh echoed through the room.

Perhaps... someone whispered something into his ear. It reminded me of what he said when the engagement was broken off at the café.

"Maybe it was because of what the Fritzsche Baron's daughter said. But leaving that aside, what does he mean by wanting to reconcile with me to marry a noblewoman?"

I asked, holding my cup. The tea was a bit strong, just right for my groggy head.

"He plans to marry the baron's daughter as his wife. But he still likes you and wants to treat you well. So, he wants you to be his mistress. He says he'll treat you better this time and that you'll be happy."

The atmosphere around my brother turned cold.

Mother's smile faded, and Father sighed deeply.

"Do you think he likes me?"

My whispered words were drowned out by a dry laugh and a curse.

"Are you kidding?"

The fire in the hearth crackled loudly in response.