Chapter 4
Translated by: ME
-Horizontal.jpg)
*****
「Mrs. Pendleton... No, Rose. Do you not remember me?」
Once the children had stepped out, Count Goldsmith knelt before the sofa where Rose sat and looked up at her.
「...Could it be, Lord Logan?」
Rose looked up with a start, recognizing the gentle violet eyes hidden within his stern features.
Logan Mistrial was the elder brother of her friend, eight years her senior. He was the fourth son of an Earl’s house known for producing many military men, and she recalled hearing that he had married into another family as a son-in-law. Rose’s best friend, Amanda, was the only daughter and youngest sibling of the Mistrial family. Surrounded by brothers much older than themselves, Rose and Amanda had hit it off at the academy and were inseparable.
Rose had once visited the Mistrial estate during a summer break when Amanda invited her to their family home to escape the heat. It was there that she had first met Logan.
Back then, Logan had been a size... no, two sizes... well, to be honest, he must have weighed over 130 kilograms. He was just as tall as he was now—around 190 centimeters—but he had been quite broad as well. Amanda used to tease him by calling him 'Brother Snowman,' but the mild-mannered Logan never got angry; he always treated them with a kind smile.
「It’s been a long time. I never expected us to reunite under these circumstances.」
Logan smiled warmly, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes crinkling further. Rose, who had been in a daze after her long crying spell, was suddenly overcome with shame.
「I... I’m so sorry. To have shown you such a pathetic side of myself... I’ve been nothing but a burden since yesterday. By the way, um... where is your wife?」
If her memory served her correctly, Logan had married into the Goldsmith family.
「My wife passed away during a difficult labor, leaving Josh behind. I hold the headship of the house for now, but I plan to pass the Goldsmith title to Josh, the legitimate heir, in due time.」
As he spoke, Logan gave a slightly lonely smile.
「Well, enough about me.」
The moment Rose recognized him as Logan, his tone became more casual.
「Rose, you’re in quite a difficult position, aren’t you? Being a member of the nobility myself, I’ve heard a few things. Count Pendleton has a rather infamous reputation with women, doesn't he?」
The question struck a nerve, and Rose’s breath hitched. However, she felt poignantly that if she didn't sort out her heart and mind now, she would never be able to break through her current situation. As if reading her thoughts, Logan continued.
「Until now, Count Pendleton seemed to meet his mistress, Catherine, in secret. But over the past year, he hasn't lifted a finger to hide her existence. Besides, this is the first time he’s kept a steady mistress, isn't it?」
He was right. Siegfried had indulged in many one-night flings before, but this was the first time he had maintained a long-term connection with a single woman. That was why Rose feared his infidelity was turning into something serious. Even the servants' attitudes had deteriorated significantly over the last two years; they acted as though they were the ones running the household.
「What I said earlier was just a possibility. In the past, the Pendleton house was poor and no one would give them the time of day, but now that the Count’s business is on track, he’s become quite arrogant, hasn't he? I don't know the mistress’s background in detail, but if she isn't a commoner but the daughter of a fallen noble, it’s dangerous. If she becomes pregnant, she will undoubtedly set her sights on the title of Countess.」
Indeed. That was the nature of the nobility.
Despite having learned the bitter reality of rank at the academy and being taught by her friends that life wasn't just about studying, Rose had grown dull to such things during her years confined to the house.
「Do you love him?」 Logan asked in a gentle voice.
Rose slowly shook her head.
「...No. My marriage to my husband was something pushed strongly by Siegfried’s mother. It was an arranged marriage, but in the beginning, I dreamed of building a warm home with him. However, as I was wounded by small slights time and time again, my dreams completely shattered. There were even nights when he stood me up as my escort to balls. Even so, part of me didn't want to think of myself as a pitiable person. It’s strange, but until recently, I thought that if I just endured, a future where we could smile together in our later years might eventually come. I thought that once Alfred grew up and inherited the earldom, we could retire to a small estate and live peacefully while I baked meat pies... but I was wrong from the very beginning.」
She took a breath, her voice trembling slightly.
「Love is something two people nurture together, isn't it? Even affection is. I was desperate, but Siegfried never sought anything between us. There is no 'emotion' between us as a couple. It’s the same for Alfred. He’s been neglected... despite being such a bright boy, he’s never been praised even once. But the risk of taking Alfred and leaving on my own is far too great. I want him to attend the academy, but I have no funds. I know there’s no point in staying at the Pendleton house any longer. And if that woman were to get pregnant, we might even be kicked out...」
Having said that much, Rose let out a long, heavy sigh.
「I am a civil official. I’m well-versed in these matters, and I know a good lawyer. If you truly wish to become independent and live with Alfred, I want to support that. He is a clever, wonderful boy. Even in an old cotton shirt, he has an air of nobility and a natural aura. More than that, he’s a kind-hearted child who treasures his mother.」
At those words, Rose’s tears began to fall freely.
「I’m sorry for doing nothing but crying. You’re right. He really is a good boy. I’m just so happy to hear someone praise Alfred for the first time. What’s shameful is my own lack of capability... keeping him in nothing but old shirts. It's pathetic.」
「That’s not true. It is the husband’s lack of capability. You were the top student of your year, weren't you? If you have a proper job and the backing of a noble house, you’ll be able to provide Alfred with decent clothes.」
「Do you think so? Could I really do it?」
「You are only twenty-eight. Josh’s precious friend is precious to me as well. I will help you as much as I can. The Kirkland family treasures you too, so you must rely on them properly. Do not narrow your own possibilities.」
「...I wonder when I became such a cowardly person? But I simply don't know what to do...」
To Logan, the way her eyes wavered with anxiety made him feel as though the Rose of their student days had returned. When they first met, Rose was a lovely, fair-skinned girl. Her only flaw, if any, was her tendency to undervalue her own abilities. However, once she began her studies, she was calm and quick-witted; even Logan, a civil official, had been impressed by her hunger for learning. For some reason, Amanda had acted as proud and boastful as if it were her own achievement, which Logan still didn't quite understand.
Contrary to her appearance, Rose had a strong competitive streak. When he taught her horse riding, she never gave up even when she nearly fell, persevering until the very end. Logan had found himself captivated by her.
During that summer vacation, from the moment he woke until he went to sleep, they enjoyed every day together. He had behaved as a gentleman, the older brother of her friend—even at a weight of 130 kilograms. When he broke into a heavy sweat, Rose would hand him a towel with a smile, and when a button on his midsection popped off during a picnic, she had sewn it back on without a hint of disgust. This was in stark contrast to his own sister, Amanda, who had looked at him with cold eyes and asked, 'Why does this button feel so slimy?'
Because his own engagement had already been decided, he had suppressed the feelings welling up inside him. He remembered hiding his pink-cheeked agitation as if it were yesterday. He had buried the memories of that summer resort deep in his heart along with Rose’s smile. Or so he had thought.
After his wife passed away and he spent his days desperately raising Josh, Logan had naturally lost weight over three years due to the busyness and mental strain. The Goldsmith family doctor would slap him on the back and laugh, saying, 「That’s more like it, My Lord! You might have been devastated when your lady died, but if you’d stayed that way, you’d have developed all sorts of complications and been dead by forty!」
While Logan found joy in Josh’s growth with the help of a capable nanny, he had spotted an unexpected person on the day of his son’s entrance ceremony.
It was Rose.
With her exceptionally fair skin and pale chestnut hair tied in a half-up style, Rose stood out. Though over ten years had passed, her loveliness remained unchanged. Dressed in a loose, youthful one-piece dress, she sat alone in the relatives' section, while others whispered, 'Is she the mother? Or the sister?'
(Perhaps she, like me, has lost her spouse?)
Just as he thought this, a sour-faced Siegfried Pendleton arrived late and slumped down heavily in the seat next to her.
(Ah, she is a married woman...) At that realization, a long-forgotten pain in his chest surged through him.
Shortly thereafter, Josh mentioned that he had made a friend and wanted to invite him over.
「Of course.」
Compared to when his wife was alive, the Goldsmith house saw few guests. Josh never blamed Logan for his busy work schedule preventing them from spending more time together, but he was thrilled at the prospect of a friend visiting. And the one who appeared was Alfred Pendleton.
On a day when Logan happened to be home, he played a game of chess with Alfred. The boy had his mother’s beautiful chestnut hair and a well-defined bridge to his nose even at his young age. However, upon closer inspection, his clothes were so old they suggested a state of dire poverty.
The shirts and slacks Alfred wore during his frequent visits were mostly worn out, though occasionally he wore high-quality items. Alfred explained that those were always gifts from his aunts in the Viscount Kirkland family. Looking back, Logan realized Rose had also been wearing a dress that was slightly out of fashion.
Logan Goldsmith began to quietly investigate the lives of Rose and her son. He was shocked by the flood of bad rumors regarding Siegfried.
During his bachelor days, Logan had once spotted Siegfried at a gentlemen's club. Siegfried had been wearing an unfashionable tweed jacket over an old shirt, complaining to a friend while drinking the cheapest liquor available.
「Ugh, my life is over. I have to marry some plain woman from a Viscount’s family. My mother decided it on her own, and I can't accept it at all. I’ve finally stepped into the grave that is marriage.」
Logan had listened in with a wry smile. It was a common enough story. It was standard practice for noble parents to arrange matches to secure a dowry when the family was in straits. The man drinking cheap booze was a bit boorish, but he was handsome enough. The young lady in question likely wouldn't refuse him. Logan himself couldn't laugh, as he was set to marry the only daughter of an Earl.
But if that man’s partner was Rose, the story was different.
The more he investigated, the more Logan felt that Rose was being driven into a corner. First, she had been absent from almost all tea parties and balls for several years, unable to step into social circles. When he asked, a friend’s wife informed him pityingly, 「The Countess of Pendleton is absent because she cannot even prepare a dress.」
While Siegfried had begun wearing trendy clothes backed by the Kirkland family’s support, replacing his rag-like jackets, he wouldn't even allow his wife to buy a dress. The Pendleton business was supposed to be doing well. Yet he wouldn't even let her host a single tea party... While Logan was pondering this, Siegfried eventually began gallivanting around with a young, black-haired woman.
He was betraying her... When Logan saw Siegfried acting flamboyantly at a gambling hall, he wanted to confront him in a rage, but Siegfried had no idea who Logan was. Logan shook with anger, his fists clenched. Whether Rose knew of her husband’s movements or not, she simply worked tirelessly to manage the household.
Unlike the wives of other houses who might have become desperate and indulged in their own flings, Rose’s dedication to Alfred and her joy in his growth lit a fire in Logan’s heart.
(Even in these circumstances, her way of doing her absolute best hasn't changed...)
Then, one day, Josh fell down the stairs along with Alfred. To Logan, it felt like a 'divine revelation.' Nobles rarely met outside of balls or social gatherings. The daily life of a noble lady was inside the home. Without a reason for her to come out, Logan would never have had the chance to even speak with Rose. To think he would gain a reason to invite her to his home, after knowing of her misfortune but being unable to even stretch out a helping hand...
Logan did not hesitate to call Rose to his house.
Rose had come flying to them, her face pale with worry for Alfred, but she regained her composure once Logan explained the situation. Even so...
(To think the wife of an Earl would come to another’s house without even an attendant.) It was shocking. It was likely because her husband and the servants were indifferent to her, but it was still highly improper. The only one who had come with her was an elderly coachman who looked so frail he couldn't run a hundred meters even if bandits appeared. It was impossible to think he could protect Rose if something happened.
Furthermore, the dress Rose wore was not something a noble’s wife should be seen in; Logan felt dizzy just looking at it. It was undoubtedly a simple dress made for her by the Kirkland family during her teenage years. Once a woman became a wife, she would typically cover herself properly with petticoats down to her feet, combining blouses and skirts, but Rose was simply wearing a one-piece dress with a high waist, a belt cinched over it, and a petticoat used just to add a bit of length. To Logan, her appearance—no different from when she was a girl—was so lovely it made him want to groan, but for a Countess, it was far too meager.
(The poor thing...)
In this state, it was no wonder she couldn't attend tea parties at other houses even if invited.
Later, Logan successfully eavesdropped on Rose and Alfred’s conversation and explained the situation to Josh. Josh was Alfred’s friend and a staunch admirer. He was always boasting about how Alfred was popular, clever, and handsome. (The way he seemed happy because his friend was wonderful reminded Logan very much of Amanda.)
And Josh was most distressed by the possibility that Alfred might not be able to return to school because of his father’s affair.
The current turmoil was the result of Siegfried’s decision to openly walk about with his mistress. However, if Rose were to try and discuss this infidelity normally, Logan could only see a future where Siegfried would confine the two of them to the house. If Alfred said he was too ashamed to go to school, Siegfried would likely lock him in his room and impulsively submit a withdrawal notice. If Rose said she wanted a divorce, he would balk at repaying the dowry required for the separation and confine her to the house to prevent her from fleeing to the Kirkland family.
In short, Logan’s informants had reported absolutely no affection for his family.
While Siegfried was always careful around his own parents, he failed to give his wife and child the same love he himself had received—even if his partner was someone he hadn't chosen.
Logan hadn't been in love with his late wife, but they had nurtured a strong bond as a family. He believed this was incredibly important for a noble couple. When he met the daughter of Earl Goldsmith at their marriage interview, the deciding factor was his thought that he might never meet another person whose tastes in food matched his so perfectly. They were always smiling when they talked about meals. Logan’s favorite was pork breaded and deep-fried, and his wife would say that if it was topped with a jellied meat sauce, she could eat mountains of bread with it. Or they would agree that adding meatballs to a stew turned it into a drink... They had built a relationship of trust through the topic of food. For better or worse.
His wife had been a cheerful woman, about 170 centimeters tall and a bit plump, with a love for whipped cream. Unfortunately, it seemed she couldn't love Logan in a romantic sense either, but she was very easygoing, and her catchphrase was always, 'Well, isn't that fine?' While other ladies mocked his weight, she hadn't cared about Logan’s physique at all. Sadly, complications from pregnancy and childbirth took her life...
But Logan found joy every day in the son she had left behind. He gained strength more than anything from watching him grow and supporting each other as a family.
In the Pendleton house, he could see no love. The straightforward affection and trust for Alfred existed only between him and Rose. Normally, noble houses have many live-in servants, and while there is a master-servant dynamic, a relationship of mutual respect and trust is usually established. But the servants at that house looked down on Rose and Alfred and treated them with contempt.
Furthermore, Siegfried treated his own flesh and blood like a stranger. To Logan, he looked like a vulgar child trying to 'rank' himself as the head of the house. Perhaps due to the debt of gratitude for the initial funding, he felt the need to act strangely aggressive toward Rose. If he were a child, it might be forgivable, but he was an adult. If he had only built a relationship of trust, he would be treated as a father respected by Rose and Alfred. He didn't realize that by demanding respect without fulfilling his duties, he was creating nothing but discord.
Siegfried, who wanted to be treated as the patriarch but abandoned his duties as the head of the house, was like a child who could never keep a promise. It was impossible to want the teacher’s praise without ever doing your homework.
One isn't a man simply because they work and earn money. One becomes a man by supporting their family and building relationships of trust with others.
Siegfried’s character didn't even come close to Logan’s convictions.
(I cannot leave Rose with a man like that.)
As the Count of Goldsmith, Logan made a silent, firm resolve.
*****
Just so you know, Earl and Count is the same rank.
Thank you for reading. If you want to help my hobby please download and install LDP9 with my link down below. Just Click the small yellow LDPlayer Banner.
OR
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
-Horizontal.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment