C25
When I left the station and walked towards the main street, Terence spoke by my side.
"I suppose we've arrived at the agreed place a little early."
"I'm glad it's not too late."
"It may be presumptuous, but will that maid be here?"
"Well, I'm not sure, but... I think Laura will come."
Laura is Cassius's maid and has been my closest assistant for the past two years.
The reason I went to Ashton at this crucial moment was related to Laura.
She was a witness, someone who would testify in the proceedings that there was no physical relationship between Leandro and me.
Since we got married and Leandro left on the first night, we shared the room every day. On the days I go to see him and ask if I should sleep with him, he always flatly refuses or just walks away.
Laura came from my parents' family, the Wallace family, and has always been responsible for arranging rooms for unmarried couples. She also comforted me when I was feeling down because of Leandro.
A person who has observed my husband and me living as separate individuals, staying in separate rooms, and who is close enough to me to stand by my side and testify to that fact.
Therefore, getting Laura was crucial for the divorce.
"Still, this is about confronting the family she has worked for for two years, and that could put Cassius in a bad mood."
I thought it would be best to show sincerity to make Laura an ally, so I went there myself instead of using someone to call her to the capital.
I sent her a letter by express mail in advance, giving her time to think about it. I didn't have time to receive a response because I left right after that.
We arrived in front of the clock tower, the meeting place I had written in my letter.
"It seems like there's a festival today."
Terence murmured, looking at the street full of excitement.
... For your information, this person followed me as naturally as sharpening a needle. He said he just wanted to get some fresh air.
"Do you still want to understand more about the kind of person I am?"
Well, even in the novel, Terence was quite cheerful and spontaneous to be a schemer, so I couldn't rule out the possibility that he really wanted to have fun.
I stopped trying to understand his intentions and replied with a smile.
"There are many festivals in the Cassius territory."
"That's new information. I heard that northerners are relatively straightforward and work-oriented, but I guess that was a prejudice. Oh, wait a moment."
He raised his arm and headed to a stall selling various items.
After a while, he returned with a mask in his hand. It was a cute mask decorated with paper flowers that covered his eyes.
"You said your face isn't very well-known."
Suddenly his hand approached.
"Just in case."
At the same time, the low voice made me nervous for some reason.
"It looks good on you."
He put the mask on me and let out a proud voice. I said, looking at my reflection in a nearby store's window.
"Ah, thank you."
I don't know if anyone would recognize me because I barely served as a host here, but it wouldn't hurt to be cautious.
However.
"Can't he just give me a heads-up before approaching?!"
Thanks, but it seems too kind. I don't know about others, but it's detrimental to people who are weak against facial features like me.
Terence, perhaps aware of my feelings, looked calmly at the children running around in colorful costumes and laughing, as well as the merchants handing out free food.
It was like a painting, so my minor complaints melted away like snow.
"It's little Liena's birthday..."
He tried to pronounce the words on the large sign that hung along the main street.
"I've heard rumors that Duke Cassius loves his daughter, but I didn't know he would organize a big festival on her birthday."
"In reality, it's not like that..."
Just as I was about to explain it in detail, someone interrupted me.
"How chivalrous! How about gifting a rose to your beautiful lover?"
It was an elderly woman who was selling flowers with her arms full of them. It was a somewhat ruthless sales tactic, but Terence never lost his smile.
"A hundred roses... No, that would be too cumbersome, so give me ten."
"That would be 100 lots."
"No change needed."
The old woman smiled at the gold coin Terence took from his pocket. It was enough money to buy a hundred flowers.
"Oh my! You're handsome and have a good personality. Miss, I'm jealous that you have such a wonderful lover."
"No, we don't have that kind of relationship..."
"Oh? So are you already married?"
... Let's just not talk about it.
"Oh, ho, ho. It seems you're a tourist, but you came on a happy day, so enjoy it. It's a lovely day today, isn't it? You two are lucky. It was raining until yesterday."
"Yes. It's fortunate that it's sunny on the princess's birthday."
Tok. The old woman who was picking up flowers stopped when Terence mentioned it in passing.
"...Princess?"