Episode 22

#6. Women

Naturally, Marcus was quite pleased when he heard that Juliet had named him as her ideal husband.

“I knew Juliet was smart, but she has a good eye for people too, doesn’t she?”

“Well... she’s fourteen. The only men she’s ever seen are probably just the repairmen who come by the estate.”

“Ah. Elouise, are you saying…”

Elouise squinted with a smile.

“Marcus Hanger is the worst. As a marriage partner.”

“Coming from someone who married him, that’s rich.”

“It’s fake.”

“Fake or not, we were married. In front of everyone.”

Marcus gently lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. Elouise made a show of rubbing her hand on his jacket as if to wipe it off, and Marcus chuckled mischievously.

“If you're going to act like that, I won’t give you your present.”

“Excuse me, didn’t you promise you’d bestow any gift to the bride of House Hanger?”

Elouise feigned exaggerated surprise.

“But you said it’s fake.”

“Oh my, but we got married. Didn’t we? In front of everyone.”

Echoing his earlier words, she held out her hand. Marcus laughed as if he had no choice and tapped his cheek.

“Give me a kiss and I’ll give it to you.”

Unbelievable.

Elouise couldn’t help but laugh. He had a talent for matching a woman’s mood and a cheeky charm to go with it. If some lowly thug had said the same thing to her, she’d have slapped him or walked away in disgust.

But with Marcus, his antics were disarming.

The way he tapped his cheek might’ve been lighthearted and foolish, but that was precisely what made it enjoyable. Had he shown any sincerity, she might’ve taken offense. But Marcus Hanger, that infamous rake, was like a spring breeze—flitting, weightless, never lingering long enough to settle. So Elouise replied playfully:

“I wasn't aware you were the type to attach conditions to your gifts. So stingy.”

“Do you mind?”

He asked smoothly, and Elouise nearly blushed but maintained her composure, waving her hand with a chuckle.

“We’re not exactly in front of everyone.”

Logan, who’d been sitting across from them the entire time, chimed in dryly:

“The two of you are quite a sight.”

Elouise startled, as if scolded for indulging in romantic playfulness. But Marcus, unfazed, shot back shamelessly.

“What’s this, Logan? Are you jealous?”

“Me? Of you, sir?”

Logan replied as though Marcus were spouting nonsense, but Marcus continued with a line no one saw coming:

“No. Of El.”

“…Have you lost your mind?”

“Oh, Logan. I’ve realized I was wrong not to see your feelings after all these years by my side, even while you grumbled about what a miserable job it is. But alas—my heart belongs solely to the Duchess of Bellona…”

“Please, that's enough…”

Logan looked away in exasperation. Elouise burst out laughing again.

---

Marcus’s gift was a rattan hat adorned with fresh flowers.

“I saw a lady wearing fresh flowers on her hat yesterday—it was lovely. It made me think of you.”

The hat was beautifully decorated with blue stock and delphinium. Elouise mock-grumbled as she looked it over.

“So that’s why you kept insisting I wear a blue dress.”

“Oh dear, I wasn’t going to force it on you if you didn’t like it.”

Marcus smiled warmly as he handed her the hatbox. Elouise took out the hat and gazed at it quietly, her heart fluttering.

Before coming to Cliff, her best hat had been a gray wool one—originally her father’s. She’d altered it by sewing on a black silk ribbon when she first started working as a governess, hoping to appear older and more severe.

In summer, she wore a straw hat with a white ribbon, but after a few years, it grew worn and was replaced with a parasol. She’d always thought: Someday, when I save enough, I’ll buy myself a nice hat. But it always remained a distant dream.

Of course, Marcus had already gifted her fine hats—at the dressmaker’s, just before their marriage. But this was different.

To Elouise, a gift had always meant a special occasion: a birthday, a holiday, a student’s gesture of thanks. A ribbon, a cookie, a jar of jam.

But surely everyone has dreamed at least once of a lover who suddenly handed them a beautiful gift on a random day, saying, “You came to mind.” And Elouise had too. In her girlhood, when she still believed she might marry someday. During hard times when she imagined a husband who, without reason, simply thought of her.

She hadn’t expected that husband to be fake.

Elouise glanced at Marcus. He smiled obliviously and asked:

“Do you like it?”

“…Yes. Very much.”

She put the hat on. Logan adjusted the angle slightly.

“By the way, I was the one who found this hat.”

He murmured, not missing a chance to take credit.

But Marcus’s gift wasn’t just the hat. Lord Rependers greeted her with a big smile.

“Albert Rependers. I hear you’re looking for a fine tutor for your daughter.”

Amazingly, Marcus had already spoken to him and arranged everything in just one day.

But we returned to the estate together yesterday…? Elouise gazed at Marcus with suspicion, and he once again tapped his cheek. Elouise wrinkled her nose, then reluctantly made a gesture to pull him closer.

It was just a gesture, but Marcus leaned in as if drawn by instinct, presenting his cheek in front of her face. Clearly, he was well-versed in these kinds of flirtations. After a moment’s hesitation, Elouise kissed his cheek. Lord Rependers, much older than them, looked on with fond amusement at the young couple.

“I missed the chance to greet you properly yesterday. I should’ve come over, but my wife—who was supposed to help me host our table—disappeared.”

“Oh my, is that so?”

“Yes. She returned early to the estate—said she was tired. I hope you’ll get to meet her someday. She isn’t here today due to a personal matter.”

“I’d love to meet Lady Rependers sometime.”

After the pleasantries, Elouise and Lord Rependers arranged the visit.

“Once the spring season even at Cliff ends, I’ll visit your estate to assess Juliet’s level.”

He bowed with elegance.

Elouise’s mood brightened instantly. Lord Rependers was a true gentleman!

With a man like that as her daughter’s tutor, there would be no more disasters like Juliet naming the most ridiculous man Elouise had ever met as her ideal match!

---

The second day of the festival ended on a light note for Elouise. The rattan hat that Marcus had gifted her received praise from all the ladies.

“Fresh flowers, how delightfully charming!”

Whether the compliments were sincere or not, Elouise felt pleasant. The strong sunlight was well-blocked by the hat, so even her cheeks didn’t feel too warm.

“Now that I think about it—didn’t you plan to meet the Duchess today? Why have you been by my side all day…”

“Hmm, Elouise. I told you already, I’m a man currently smitten with you.”

Marcus smiled sweetly as he escorted Elouise from the carriage. Logan, stepping down behind them, chimed in:

“The Duchess of Bellona did not come to the beach today.”

“Oh my, I see.”

Elouise glanced sideways at Marcus. He quickly offered a hasty excuse.

“Of course! I did think having a word with the Duchess might’ve made for a nice day, but regardless—I was planning to stay by your side today.”

“How glorious for me.”

Elouise smirked and removed her hat as she entered the Noskina estate. It was near sunset, and she quite intentionally handed the hat to Marcus. Marcus feigned a pitiful expression, but Elouise only let out a short giggle and flicked his nose.

Ironically, the reason why the Duchess hadn’t come to the beach was discovered once they were back at the Noskina estate. At dinner, Madam Noskina fumed over the Duchess’s sudden visit that afternoon.

“That woman is—really! You couldn’t find a shred of manners on her if you searched with a magnifying glass!”

“The Duchess of Bellona came to the house?”

“Yes! She showed up out of nowhere and even had lunch here!”

Marcus and Elouise gaped their eyes at each other. According to Marcus’s aunt, the Duchess had shown up around lunchtime, unannounced, with a couple of servants and Lady Rependers in tow.

“So that ‘personal matter’…”

“Was a visit to our house. Unbelievable.”

Marcus gave a dry laugh. The Viscountess barely touched her dinner and fumed throughout. The Duchess apparently said she found the forest behind the estate—seen on the wedding day—quite lovely and that it helped ease her chronic restlessness. Then she asked if she could go for a stroll there.

"Asked" was a stretch—it sounded more like she barged in.

The Viscountess narrowed her eyes but gave permission for the walk and, out of politeness, asked if they’d like to have lunch before heading out. The Duchess, smiling brightly, replied, “Gladly!”

“I can’t stand her!”

“So… Aunt, did you have lunch with her?”

“You fool! Don’t you know I have a stomach condition and eat no more than a bird’s portion? I had already finished lunch before she even arrived!”

Since she couldn’t eat a second lunch, the Viscountess, with a twitching smile, told the Duchess and Lady Rependers they’d have to dine without her.

“And really—wouldn’t any normal person take that as a dismissal?”

The Viscountess was practically boiling. Telling guests to eat alone at your table was the social equivalent of saying Get lost. But…

“Don’t tell me… they ate anyway?”

“No!”

“Then…?”

The Viscountess looked directly at Elouise, her eyes intense.

“She asked to see your daughter!”

“Good heavens.”

Elouise covered her mouth. That woman…!

Before she could finish the thought, she asked hurriedly:

“And? What happened?”

“And what! I said no. She went on about how she met the girl in the woods and they became friends—nonsense. But your daughter had already eaten, so I declined.”

“Thank you… truly.”

Her aunt scoffed.

“Everything’s a reason for gratitude these days, isn’t it? Anyway, those two women had lunch alone, wandered the forest for ages, and only left right before you two arrived. That forest is so small—they must’ve circled it five times!”

“She must’ve really liked it,” Marcus spoke casually, cutting his meat.

“You ridiculous boy. That woman may be a duchess, but the Duke was her dead husband! Just because she has a title doesn’t mean she can look down on me—how dare she…!”

The Viscountess shook with rage and ranted about the Duchess for a while. Elouise sighed. According to her aunt, the woman really was strange. But…

Elouise glanced sidelong at Marcus.

It’s not all that surprising a madman would be drawn to a strange woman…

Whether or not Marcus sensed how lowly he ranked in Elouise’s thoughts, he met her gaze and smiled. Then he spooned some fruit compote onto a small piece of bread and placed it on her plate.

“Whoever made this compote, it’s delicious. Tart and refreshing. Try some, El.”

“I’m not sure it’s refreshing, Marcus.”

“Yes?”

“But I do know you're stirring up your Aunt's temper very well.”

At her words, Marcus looked straight ahead. As if on cue, the Viscountess launched into another tirade. For the rest of the evening, Marcus had to endure her curses and scolding.

Of course, it wasn’t Elouise’s fault.

---

In any case, one question still lingered.

Why had the Duchess come specifically to the forest behind the Noskina estate?

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