Chapter 47

The next morning.

Opal sighed deeply in front of the pile of invitations.

"Truly remarkable..."

"Being able to pinpoint our location in just one night, were we being followed?"

"Or did they check each and every likely rental house?"

"How about it? Since a carriage was also lent when this mansion was rented, they might have investigated based on the carriage's characteristics."

"I see."

Last night, Opal had returned quite early, so the rumors must have spread quickly after that.

Many of the names on the invitations were from people who hadn't attended the viscount's evening party last night.

"But there are very few invitations addressed to you."

"What did you say about me yesterday?"

"I said you were too busy to leave your desk."

"Ah, so the 'old, frail lord' was thought not to be in this country."

"Should I have been more honest?"

"No, this is fine. It gives me more freedom to move around."

Seeing Claude's sly smile, Opal raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Claude seemed to be working on something in this country as well, but he would share what Opal needed to know.

Opal sighed again as she gathered the invitations.

"The people in this country who have met the Duke of Lucelle directly seem to be tight-lipped."

"No, most of them have left it to their agents and haven't actually met him. The Duke of Lucelle only started appearing at the royal palace in the Kingdom of Taisei recently."

"Oh, I see."

Until a year ago, when she heard it from her father, Opal had thought the Duke of Lucelle was an elderly man.

However, if the Duke of Lucelle were from the Kingdom of Sosie, there should be more rumors, but there aren't, so there must be a reason.

"This is Claude's share. Whether to attend is up to you."

"Got it. By the way, which ones will Opal attend?"

"I haven't decided yet. So I'll skip the ones with upcoming dates."

"Then what are your plans from now on?"

"Since I'm here, I plan to visit the estate and then extend my trip to the town of Nobori."

"Nobori...?"

"Is it too far?"

"Recently, there have been rumors of bandits appearing."

"Bandits? Did you talk about it with Duke MacLeod before?"

"No, it's different from that. The scale is much smaller. The direction where bandits appear is the opposite, but I'll escort you part of the way."

"I'll be fine. I'll have proper guards."

"I'm worried. If I could, I'd go with you, but since that's not possible, at least let me escort you part of the way."

"Alright."

Opal, who had initially refused, couldn't help but give in to the gentle persuasion.

Claude smiled contentedly.

"We'll be acting separately for a while, but it's like a modern couple, isn't it?"

"Are you lonely?"

"Not really... It's not like it's a new thing."

Even though she brought up the topic, she couldn't help but be stubborn when asked directly.

Still, Claude didn't get angry and smiled.

She hated her inability to be honest, but Claude understood.

In the end, Opal also smiled and ended the conversation.

That afternoon.

Opal visited a women's shelter in the capital.

This facility also serves as the base for the organization Opal founded, and many staff members work there.

Most of them were initially women who were protected, but now they are independent and thriving.

(The rest is up to society's understanding...)

On the way back, Opal recalled her conversations with the staff and the women at the facility.

Most of the women being protected are unmarried and pregnant, having lost their jobs or been abandoned by their families.

However, they are not just protected; they are given work according to their situations.

During pregnancy, they are entrusted with tasks like cooking and laundry within the facility. Immediately after giving birth, they take a break from other tasks to care for the baby, gradually returning to their original work as their health permits.

When the child turns one, the women are entrusted with daytime childcare by other women at the facility, and they go out to work and aim to reintegrate into society—eventually leaving the facility. However, this is quite difficult.

There are few workplaces that accept unmarried mothers.

As Mrs. Northam dismissed Beth, society is harsh on unmarried mothers.

In a society where a proper job requires a recommendation, most are dismissed without one.

Even when the child is old enough to be less demanding, many are still not hired because they are unmarried mothers.

Although Opal's charity organization has only been around for a little over a year, the number of women it can accept is already insufficient.

(I can provide enough financial support for them to live, but that's not enough...)

Opal has a vast fortune.

Enough to support many mother-child pairs for decades.

However, that doesn't solve anything.

The women supported by Opal and the protection organization are probably just a small fraction of those who need help.

In the countryside, many women and children are struggling and even dying without any help.

Ideally, this country's people would understand and support them.

Of course, she knows it's a long and difficult road.

But if we don't aim for it—don't start, nothing will change.

(Fundamentally, men are always involved in the reasons women are driven to such extremes. It's unfair for women to bear all the responsibility.)

No matter the circumstances, pregnancy wouldn't happen without men.

Additionally, some women at the shelter sought protection due to domestic violence.

Each has their own painful story.

Yet, as a woman, why can't we overlook such situations?

Moreover, many upper-class women even look down on them.

(We need to change this mindset first...)

Even if we can't understand everything, at least don't try to exclude them.

Even if we can't accept them, at least leave them alone.

And if you have the means, lend a little support.

If each person's mindset changes, society will gradually change.

It's a big problem for Opal to tackle alone, but that's why it's also fulfilling.

Determined to do what needs to be done, Opal clenched her fists tightly.