The Perfect Bride - Chapter 41

Of course, Eris was the one who objected most vehemently when she first heard of Ian’s self-destructive plan.

However, she was well aware that the House of Lords was grinding its teeth over Edward having already renounced his succession rights once.

Eris had no choice but to acknowledge that Ian’s plan was at least a peaceful method. From that moment on, she resolved to help in any way she could.

“So I figured Ian was looking for that necklace to cover up the marriage talks going around about him and Sophia.”

“…Yeah. That sounds like Ian.”

Normally, Charlotte would have thought the same.

“But then I thought about it again, and Ian contacted us before Princess Sophia even came to Grand Batten.”

“……”

“Considering the popularity of Starry Night, it’s a good choice even aside from the marriage talks. It’ll attract plenty of attention.”

But Ian already had plenty of other options, including the necklace he inherited from the Queen Dowager. Summoning Eris, who was abroad, seemed unnecessarily troublesome.

Ian had joked to Edward that he was being dramatic, but it seemed he didn’t realize he looked that way himself.

“Still, something about this… It’s Ian, after all, and he’s being like this…”

Eris frowned, trying to find the right word.

“Isn’t it weird to you too? The guy who said he’d just pretend to be in love is being way too enthusiastic—it’s so unlike him.”

At Charlotte’s sharp observation, Eris clapped her hands. “Enthusiastic! Yes, that’s exactly the word I was looking for!”

“So I wasn’t the only one who thought so.”

“Has Ian ever been like this before?”

Since he wasn’t first in the line of succession, Ian had always done things in moderation.

“Except for when he chose the navy, I’ve never seen him this proactive.”

“I was surprised too when he said he wanted to become a naval commander.”

The one time Ian showed unexpected passion was for the military.

Charlotte nodded in agreement.

The royal men didn’t cluster in one branch but served evenly across the army and navy. Since Edward served in the navy, it was expected that Ian would choose the army.

But for some reason, Ian became a naval officer.

That rare display of enthusiasm—even joy—made Charlotte consider wanting to become a naval officer just to follow him.

“Honestly, it doesn’t look like a contract marriage at all. It’s like he’s preparing for an actual wedding. He looks so happy…”

Eris murmured, gazing blankly at the reception room door Ian had exited. She had rushed over the moment he called, thinking he must be troubled about the contract marriage.

But to her surprise, their youngest looked happier than he ever had in his life.

Charlotte, following Eris’s gaze to the closed door, said, “Whatever else, if Starry Night ends up with a baron’s daughter, this time things will explode for real.”

Violet was officially introducing Sophia to Grand Batten’s high society. At this rate, she might pressure Sophia to give the necklace as early as this week.

In the midst of all that, if Ian gifted the necklace to Miss Daus—

“We’d better not even go near Windsorbell Palace for a while. Could catch some flying sparks.”

***

As Ian continued to behave oddly even in the eyes of his siblings, the gardens of Windsorbell Palace—bright with golden waves of daffodils at the end of April—were lively for the first time in a while.

The Queen-less Queen’s garden party, to which thirteen noble ladies had been invited, was more cheerful than ever thanks to the lovely princess from Fossa.

So comfortable was the atmosphere that a few ladies got up after a round of chatting to look at the flowers or stroll through the garden.

The rest remained gathered around the long rectangular tea table, chatting quietly and pleasantly.

At the center seat sat Sophia.

Admiration for the delicate lace covering the table and praise for the beautiful desserts that looked too pretty to eat all came from the heart. The uninterrupted sound of genuine laughter proved the party’s success.

One of the noble ladies sitting close to Sophia, her face flushed, exclaimed, “Then it looks like puffy skirt trains will soon be in fashion in Grand Batten, too!”

Those who had felt uncomfortable about the Queen’s invitation quickly grew fond of the fashionable and friendly princess from Fossa who was setting new trends.

“To add fullness to the train, we use a waist pad called a ‘bustle’ in Fossa,” Sophia responded in fluent Grand Battenese.

“Goodness, how can Princess Sophia be so fluent in Grand Battenese!”

“Isn’t that accent just perfect?”

“If I closed my eyes, I’d think she was born in Grand Batten!”

The culture enjoyed by Grand Batten’s upper class largely came from Fossa. Among Grand Batten’s nobility, the Fossa language had become a standard part of education. But few in Fossa spoke Grand Battenese.

So when the princess of Fossa spoke Grand Battenese fluently, it made them feel strangely respected. With every word Sophia spoke, ten exclamations followed.

“Thank you. It’s thanks to the good teacher who taught me Grand Battenese since I was a child.”

Sophia spoke kindly, taking the hand of Sarah who was sitting close beside her. Sarah looked at her with pride.

“And regularly exchanging letters with Queen Violet was also a great help.”

“Oh my! Her Majesty really does care deeply for Princess Sophia.”

“Of course, I also took personal interest in the Grand Battenese language and studied through poems. Ah, newspapers and magazines, too.”

Newspapers and magazines.

The ladies were not unaware of the scandal currently plastering those publications. They exchanged awkward smiles, glancing at one another.

Sophia blinked at the sudden stiffening of the atmosphere, and only belatedly realized the reason.

“Oh, my. Please, don’t worry yourselves. I don’t believe everything written in those sensational articles.”

Revived by Violet’s advice, Sophia was able to reassure the ladies with a surprisingly calm voice.

“I’m just worried about my cousin.”

Believing herself to be Ian’s savior, she merely worried for the prince who had fallen for a wicked woman.

Seeing her sorrowful expression and melancholy blue eyes, the ladies instinctively clutched their chests and held their breath.

“Oh, wise Princess Sophia. Prince Ian is a brilliant man, the pride of Grand Batten. Surely, those stories of him chasing after a baron’s daughter are exaggerated by money-crazed people.”

At that moment, a lady in a deep navy dress offered comfort to Sophia.

“A lady who associates with one man after another, and Prince Ian? It’s nonsense.”

Emboldened by the nods of agreement from other ladies, the woman in the navy dress continued.

That was when Christina, who had been quietly sipping tea in a corner, reacted for the first time to the ladies’ chatter.

Though she had once loved gossip more than anyone, this time she felt a surge of fury as soon as she heard it. She knew better than anyone that what the woman was saying was pure nonsense.

“One man after another…”

When Sophia trailed off, unable to understand, the woman in the navy dress raised her voice even louder.

“That baron’s daughter, as an unmarried lady, has met all sorts of men and even wrote down her obscene experiences into a book. She’s the lowest of the low. My husband, Earl Gorton, prosecuted her for that.”

She was the wife of Prosecutor Sir Anthony Gorton of the Central Criminal Court. Formerly known as Lady Gorton, she had recently become the Countess of Gorton upon the death of the previous earl.

Sophia raised her hand to her lips in shock. She had known that the baron’s daughter had written an indecent novel. But to learn it was all based on her actual experiences? That was deeply shocking.

“Good heavens. I didn’t know that.”

“All of that was her real experience?”

“Well, some parts did feel vividly real, as if actually lived.”

Sophia wasn’t the only one surprised. The ladies seated at the table murmured in response to the Countess of Gorton’s claims. It was well-known that Earl Anthony Gorton had been the prosecutor in the David case. That lent more credibility to what the Countess said.

“But don’t worry. My husband is keeping a close watch on her.”

The Countess of Gorton spoke as though she were a champion of justice. Christina could no longer remain silent.

“You say it was based on the baron’s daughter’s real experiences? That’s the first I’ve heard. And where did that story come from?”

To Christina’s knowledge, Natalie had never met with anyone.

If anyone questioned her sneaking past maids and wandering the market, she could now confidently explain thanks to Benjamin. Her suspicious actions had only been to secretly deliver manuscripts to the publisher.

The rest of her time had been spent drinking with Christina, reading erotic novels, or writing on her own. So what else could there be?

“How can you even ask, Lady Dowe? If not, how could an unmarried young lady know to write such things? Those vulgar scenes, too!”

At the Countess of Gorton’s insistence, the ladies all raised their fans to cover their mouths. The vivid scenes from David’s novel flooded their minds unbidden.

There wasn’t a single woman in Grand Batten at that gathering who hadn’t read David’s novel. The trial had caused such a stir that even those who hadn’t heard of the author had secretly sought out the book.

If Anthony knew, it would make his blood boil.

“So even Lady Gorton has read David’s novel.”

“What! Of course not. I’ve never read such an immoral book. I merely quoted the newspaper.”

When Christina commented with a look of surprise, the Countess of Gorton jumped up as if she had been caught.