Chapter 20

Today, I am posting two chapters.

A few days had passed since Eugenie visited the Granville mansion and the engagement between Craig and Eugenie was settled. Edith, having finished lunch with Lionel, was carrying the empty dishes to the kitchen when a figure appeared beside her and deftly took the tray with the empty dishes from her hands. Surprised, Edith turned to see a pair of bright purple eyes.

"Oh, Lord Craig?"

"Thank you for always taking care of my brother, Edith. I'll take these to the kitchen for you."

"Is that alright? ...Then, I'll take you up on your offer. Thank you."

Since Edith had come to the Granville mansion, Craig had been attentive to her, often speaking to her. It didn't take long for Edith to warm up to the cheerful and carefree Craig.

Craig smiled at Edith's words and gazed at the two empty plates on the tray, sighing deeply.

"Who would have thought my brother would eat without leaving anything behind. For a while, he had a very poor appetite... I guess it's because you're always by his side. My brother has been praising your cooking, saying it's all incredibly delicious."

"Is that so? ...Thank you."

Lionel had recently started to eat a little more than just porridge. Edith found joy in planning meals for Lionel, who was showing signs of recovery, ensuring they were easy to digest and nutritionally balanced, with herbs mixed in as a secret ingredient. Lionel always praised Edith's cooking without reserve.

However, Edith hadn't expected that Lionel would talk about her to his brother Craig. Blushing slightly, Edith saw Craig smile gently.

"You are truly a sincere and kind, wonderful woman. To my brother, you must feel like a gift from God, better than he could have ever hoped for. He seems to be completely smitten with you."

"R-Really...?"

Edith felt her cheeks growing even more flushed, but part of her remained calm, thinking that Lionel might see her in a better light because she was by his side while he was ill. Edith wanted to be by Lionel's side no matter what until he recovered, and deep in her heart, she was beginning to feel affection for him. However, she also cautioned herself.

(When Lord Lionel recovers and looks around again, there will surely be many noble young ladies who are more suitable for him. I must make sure I don't hold him back...)

Despite these thoughts, Edith found herself increasingly moved whenever Lionel smiled at her.

Craig, still looking at Edith, continued walking towards the kitchen and spoke slowly.

"...Eugenie, my fiancée, came to this house a few days ago. What impression did you have of her?"

Craig, unlike many nobles, spoke straightforwardly and concisely. Edith, who had grown up as a commoner, felt a sense of familiarity with this aspect of Craig and answered his direct question.

"Well, she is the most beautiful person I have ever seen. And she seemed like a very kind and good person."

"...I see, that's good to hear."

Craig relaxed his expression, then paused for a moment before speaking again.

"Edith, did you know that Eugenie was originally supposed to be engaged to my brother?"

"Yes, Lord Lionel told me."

"You already knew from my brother."

Craig nodded at Edith's words and let out a small sigh.

"Shortly after my brother fell ill, Eugenie changed her engagement from him to me. My brother's illness was life-threatening, and some in this house understood Eugenie's decision. On the other hand, many people, including the long-serving servants, looked at her with disapproval, thinking that after spending so much time planning to marry my brother, she should have supported him during his most difficult time. ...My brother has always been well-liked, so the latter group is much larger."

"...I see."

"But the one who should be blamed in this matter is not Eugenie, but me. ...I had always harbored unrequited feelings for her, and when I saw her in distress over my brother's illness, I couldn't hide my feelings and confessed to her."

"...!"

Edith's eyes widened at Craig's unexpected words. Craig's face twisted slightly in pain.

"So, Eugenie is not at fault. I am the one to blame. I thought it was cowardly to do this while my brother was ill, but I did tell him about it, and he nodded in agreement with my words. However, I still don't know how he truly feels about it. ...As you can see, even my sister Arche feels the same way."

Craig smiled faintly, then looked at Edith with a serious expression.

"Eugenie has a very good impression of you, her former fiancé. I know it's a lot to ask, but I would be very happy if you could be an ally to Eugenie."

Craig, walking alongside Edith to the kitchen, put down the tray and took a letter from his pocket, handing it to her.

"This is a letter from Eugenie to you, inviting you for tea. She said she wants to talk more with you. ...If you could consider it positively, I would be grateful. Please give your response to me."

"...Yes, I understand."

Edith nodded, holding the envelope with her name written in beautiful, flowing script.