“Alright, Bliss worked very hard. You did well. Daddy will finish packing the luggage, so how about Bliss practices his greeting?”
“Greeting? Like this?”
Bliss sprang to his feet and wobbled as he bent his knees. There was no need to ask where he had seen something like that. It must have been from one of the dramas he watched so diligently.
“No, Bee. That’s what ladies do. Men greet like this.”
He stood upright and demonstrated by bowing his head. Bliss nodded as if he understood. He pulled the baseball cap that had been stuffed into his bag and crumpled badly up to his chest and dipped his head deeply. Seeing his son like that, Koi gently explained,
“Well done, Bee. But if you do it a little more slowly, it will look even more impressive….”
When Koi corrected his posture, the child followed earnestly. He wanted this so badly. What if he ended up not being allowed to go? Just imagining Bliss’s disappointment made Koi’s heart begin to ache already. He struggled to suppress the urge to call the Duchess immediately and plead, forcing himself to wait as time slowly passed.
And at last, after a couple of hours, Bliss’s shout of joy rang loudly throughout the mansion.
For once, the sky had cleared, and bright sunlight poured down brilliantly. The Strickland ducal house had been in a bustle for several days. That was only natural, as a very special guest was scheduled to arrive today. The Duchess, who had been moving busily around the house for days while inspecting everything, entered a room for a final check and noticed something.
“What is this curtain? Bryson, didn’t I tell you to replace this? Bring new curtains and throw this one away.”
She grasped the curtain hanging by the window and shook it as she issued the order. The butler replied hurriedly,
“Yes, Your Grace. I will see to it at once.”
After confirming that he immediately passed along the order to the servants, the Duchess left the room with quick steps that still appeared composed to others. She had been up and moving since early morning, yet when she checked the watch on her wrist, it was nearly time.
“Oh dear, oh dear.”
She briskly crossed the corridor of the enormous castle. She intended to return to her room to touch up her makeup and conduct a final inspection. Even as she did so, she missed not the smallest oversight.
“This hasn’t been cleaned properly. Wipe it again.”
At the Duchess’s words, pointing to a corner of the staircase, a servant who had been cleaning a window frame rushed over and wiped it vigorously with a cloth. After confirming it was done, the Duchess turned and headed for her room. She adjusted her lipstick in the mirror, repositioned the pearl hairpin in her hair, and finally examined the clothes she was wearing.
Perfect.
With a satisfied smile, she straightened her back and smiled at her reflection. Ever since she had heard that child was coming, she had been waiting only for this day. He would arrive soon. My dear, how much I have wanted to see you!
Just then, a knock sounded. She turned as a servant opened the door and reported,
“Your Grace, the young master of the Miller family has arrived.”
“Oh my.”
The Duchess visibly brightened and hurried out of the room toward the entrance hall. A rare faint flush colored her usually pale cheeks. The servant, inwardly astonished at the soft smile on her lips yet outwardly composed, quickly followed behind her.
The butler stood at the entrance, receiving the guest. The moment the Duchess spotted the boy she had been waiting for, she crossed the hall almost at a run. The boy, who had been standing in the middle of the hall, saw her, removed the hat from his head, held it with both hands, and bowed politely.
“Your Grace, thank you for inviting me.”
Good heavens, he has grown even more adorable.
Moved by the child’s manners, the Duchess let out a soft breath. Matching the guest’s courtesy, she extended her hand in greeting.
“Welcome, Bliss of the Miller family.”
The boy held his hat in one hand and reached out with the other, lightly taking the Duchess’s hand. Seeing how tense he was, his shoulders stiff with nerves, she smiled and said,
“That will do. Excellent, truly. Did Papa and Daddy teach you?”
She asked playfully. The child answered firmly,
“Yes.”
“They told me not to cause trouble for the ducal house and to behave quietly. Please don’t worry, Your Grace. I am grown now.”
“I see. How admirable.”
Looking at the child speaking with such surprising maturity, the Duchess had to exert considerable effort to keep from bursting into laughter.
“You must be tired from the journey. Are you hungry?”
“I’m alright. I ate on the plane. Thank you.”
Once again, Bliss behaved politely. The Duchess, smiling fondly, lifted her gaze and met the eyes of a woman standing a few steps behind Bliss, dressed neatly in a suit. The woman bent her knees in a curtsy before speaking.
“Greetings. I am Talia, a security guard of the Miller family. My duty is complete, so I will take my leave.”
At that, the Duchess realized that this woman had been responsible for escorting Bliss here. She smiled kindly and nodded.
“You have worked hard. Travel back safely.”
“Thank you, Your Grace. Goodbye, Bliss.”
After greeting the Duchess, she addressed Bliss and added,
“If you need anything or if any matter arises, call the number on the business card I gave you earlier.”
It was the number of the head of the United Kingdom branch of the Miller Law Firm. Bliss nodded obediently and offered a polite farewell.
“Thank you for today. Goodbye.”
Seeing how different he was from his usual unruly self, Talia looked momentarily bewildered but did not show it and withdrew. Once she had left, the Duchess turned her attention back to Bliss.
“Now then.”
“Shall we go see Bliss’s room? We can have tea together and talk about what has happened. Bryson.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
To the butler who answered at once, the Duchess said,
“We will go to Bliss’s room. Bring tea. And plenty of sweets for Bliss. I have already informed the patissier, so they should be prepared.”
She then smiled at Bliss.
“Come, Bliss. Let us go upstairs.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Bliss answered obediently and took the hand the Duchess extended. Together, hand in hand, they ascended the stairs.
Thanks to the sun appearing after so long, students filled every corner of the school enjoying the light. Some lay carelessly on the grass with their shirts off, while others even sat on benches in bikinis reading books. A man moved quickly among them, almost at a run.
“Cassian, hey!”
At the call from behind, the man who had been walking briskly turned his head. Jeffrey, who attended the same class, ran up to speak to him.
“Where are you going? Why are you in such a hurry? The sun’s this good.”
Jeffrey also appeared to have come out to sunbathe, wearing trunk style swimwear below. He looked ready to invite Cassian to join him at any moment, but Cassian had no such leisure.
“To the main house. It’s vacation now, and they keep urging me to come quickly.”
At the brief reply, Jeffrey nodded in understanding.
“Well, can’t help that. Are you just staying at the main house the whole time? That’s boring.”
Cassian gave a short laugh.
“You can come visit. A few people are coming anyway, so I told them to.”
“What? Really? Hey, how could you not tell me beforehand? That’s hurtful, seriously.”
Cassian lightly patted his friend’s shoulder.
“Come whenever. You’ll be welcome.”
“Seriously?”
As Jeffrey brightened instantly, Cassian waved one hand in affirmation, turned, and walked away. It did not take long to reach where his car was parked. He placed the small amount of luggage he had packed into the trunk, then got into the driver’s seat and started the car immediately. Leaving the congested city traffic behind, he headed toward the very castle where he had lived his entire life, and where previous dukes had lived and died.