Chapter 5

Thank you for reporting the typo; it has been corrected.

"Father, Lady Edith has agreed to accept my proposal."

In the parlor, Edith, who was pushing Lionel's wheelchair, came out, and Lionel's father nodded with a smile.

"That's the best news. Lady Edith, please take good care of my son."

Behind Lionel, Edith, who was pushing the wheelchair, received a warm, relieved smile from Lionel's father. Edith returned his smile and bowed politely.

"It is my honor to do so."

Lionel's step-parents, who had somehow lined up next to his father, both wore satisfied smiles.

"This is wonderful news. Edith, you must serve Lord Lionel well."

"Yes, Edith. Make sure you don't fall short in your duties to Lord Lionel."

Edith could see through their heads, where calculations of gold were floating, but she pretended not to notice and nodded solemnly.

Lionel's stepmother, watching as one of Lionel's attendants took over pushing his wheelchair from Edith, suddenly brightened up.

"Hey, Edith. Lord Lionel seems to need someone to support him in his daily life. Since you are now engaged to Lord Lionel, why don't you support him closely?"

"Well, Lady Mother. I would like to do so if possible, but what exactly do you mean...?"

Edith, unsure of her stepmother's true intentions, asked. The stepmother smiled broadly.

"Oh, I mean it literally. You don't have any specific duties in this house, do you? If the Granville Marquess family agrees, you could stay by Lord Lionel's side all the time."

"But, about the family's medicine business..."

The stepmother cut Edith off with a cold gaze.

"That's not something you need to worry about. Anyone can do what you've been doing. ...What do you think, Marquess?"

"As for us, we welcome Lady Edith being close to our son, and we can prepare a room for her immediately... but..."

Lionel's father exchanged a slightly puzzled look with his son. Lionel spoke quietly.

"Wouldn't that be a burden for Lady Edith? While we welcome it, asking her to do so right after our engagement might be too much of a burden."

Edith, feeling that Lionel truly cared for her, immediately shook her head.

"No, Lord Lionel. I don't think it would be a burden at all. However, I am worried that I might cause trouble for the Granville Marquess family..."

Hearing Edith's uncertain and anxious tone, Lionel's father laughed brightly.

"If Lady Edith is truly willing, please come to the Granville Marquess family. We will come to fetch you whenever you are ready."

"Then, Edith, why don't you prepare quickly and have them come to fetch you tomorrow? They say good things should be done quickly."

"...Yes, I understand, Lady Mother."

Despite the sudden schedule, Edith nodded to her stepmother's words. It seemed her stepmother wanted to get Edith out of the house as soon as possible and didn't know how much Edith was involved in the Oakridge Earl family's medicine business. Recalling the lack of personnel for compounding medicines, the poor inventory management, and the overall disarray in the earl's family's medicine business, which she had been trying to improve, Edith sighed inwardly.

(I need to prepare the handover documents for the servants by tomorrow. Both my stepfather and stepmother are so careless and rely on others. It's worrying, but there's nothing I can do...)

Initially, Edith had started working on the Oakridge Earl family's medicine business with her grandfather's consent, as he had become frail due to old age and found it difficult to manage the family business. She thought that neither her stepmother nor stepfather, nor her stepsister, cared about what she was doing.

Looking at Edith intently and then at her step-parents, Lionel spoke.

"Then, I will come to the Oakridge Earl family to fetch you tomorrow. ...Edith, I look forward to welcoming you to the Granville Marquess family."

"I look forward to it as well. Thank you, Lord Lionel."

Seeing Edith's relieved expression at Lionel's warm words, he smiled gently. For Edith, who had only interacted directly with her step-parents and stepsister since coming to the Oakridge Earl family, the nobility had always seemed somewhat arrogant. However, she felt a fresh surprise at the existence of calm and refined nobles like Lionel and his father.

Although Edith had only spoken to Lionel a little, his sincere and kind personality had already come through. The thought of spending more time with Lionel and talking to him more made her happy.

As Lionel's party got into the carriage and started their journey back, Edith and her step-parents watched the carriage grow smaller. Daria, who seemed to have been watching from nearby, approached Edith with a thin smile on her lips.