Chapter 32 - The Royal Castle
"Would you be so kind as to call me Eric?"
"I must decline, Baron Prado. You may continue to call me Holloway. You will be calling me Lady Rousel soon enough, after all."
"Is that so..."
Opal made her intentions perfectly clear to Eric. She had no desire to befriend him, nor would she let him interfere with her relationship with Claude. At that, Claude, who had been listening in silence, burst out laughing.
"Eric, whatever you may think, I intend to marry Opal, and she doesn't care what you think of her. So if you plan on remaining my friend, either welcome Opal or say nothing at all."
"You misunderstand, Claude. That said, if I gave you the wrong impression, I apologize. Miss Holloway, that was very rude of me."
"Not at all, it's quite all right. I paid it no mind."
Though he was laughing, Claude stated unequivocally which of them he would choose, he would choose Opal. Eric, who apparently knew Claude well, offered an apology. When Opal replied with a bright smile, Eric turned his face away sharply to look back at Claude.
"Right, I almost forgot the important thing. Claude, Lord Barba was asking for you."
"I'm afraid I can't leave here right now."
"It seems His Majesty's morning schedule ran long, and he only just returned to the castle, so you won't be summoned yet. You should go to Lord Barba. Apparently, His Majesty has been saying that the ball the day after tomorrow is also meant to celebrate your engagement. Isn't that what he wanted to discuss?"
"That man, doing such things again..."
Claude replied to Eric's words with a look of annoyance. Still, Eric continued to try and persuade him, and Claude let out a deep sigh. Lord Barba must be the count who serves as the chairman of this country's House of Lords. He was supposed to be one of Claude's allies.
"Claude, I'll be fine, so why don't you go? I'll just have some tea here."
"But..."
"Don't worry, Claude. I'll keep her company until then."
Eric added his encouragement to the hesitant Claude, but Claude looked at Opal as if to say that was precisely his worry. Opal barely managed to suppress the laugh that threatened to escape, but it seemed Claude saw right through her. With a deliberately perplexed expression, Claude let out a third sigh.
"Honestly... I never get a moment's peace."
"You're taking this too seriously, Claude."
Even when Opal offered a gentle, caring smile, Claude was not deceived. Still, he let out a fourth sigh and turned back to Eric.
"Eric, I consider you a friend. That is why I am entrusting you with my precious time with Opal. I'm counting on you."
"Don't worry, Claude. Miss Holloway has a chaperone with her, I won't do anything improper."
Eric gave a wink toward Nadia, who was standing quietly in the corner of the room. Nadia, contrary to her usual demeanor, looked down shyly. It seemed Nadia's training under the marchioness had paid off handsomely.
"Don't be ridiculous, Eric. Well then, I'll be right back, Opal."
"Yes, take care. I'll be waiting here quietly for you."
"...Alright."
Claude chided Eric, then spoke to Opal as if instructing a child. Opal had answered obediently enough, but Claude narrowed his eyes suspiciously before nodding. As Claude left, a maid came in carrying tea, but she seemed surprised to find Eric there.
"We will pour the tea ourselves, so you are excused. Thank you."
"...Very well. Excuse me."
The maid bowed with a faint look of disappointment. As she left the room, she cast a lingering glance at Eric, and Opal understood. It seemed the baron sitting before her was popular with the ladies.
"Baron Prado, are you married?"
"...I'm single. I have certain requirements for a wife, and for a lover. For example, virtue."
"Oh, my..."
Opal had only asked out of simple curiosity, but Eric seemed to have taken it the wrong way. His reply was dripping with sarcasm, but Opal simply smiled and said nothing more. The old rumors of her "promiscuity" had probably spread throughout the Taisey Kingdom. Bad rumors travel with lightning speed, while good ones struggle to gain any traction. It was of no consequence to Opal at this point, but Nadia, having heard Eric's barb, was a different story. She placed the cup on the table with what seemed to be a bit more force than necessary. It was a sign of growth that she didn't talk back.
"Thank you, Nadia. That's enough now."
"Ah... thank you."
It was hard to say whether Eric was surprised that Opal had thanked her maid or that he had sensed Nadia's anger. Nadia, understanding the meaning in Opal's words, bowed her head and returned to her corner of the room. Opal then took a sip of her tea, returned the cup to its saucer, and posed another question to Eric.
"I know this is a rude question, but when did you and Claude become acquainted?"
"...About four years ago. Claude was originally a friend of my older brother, Thierry. I got to know him as well after I returned from studying abroad."
"Ah, so you are Viscount Amady's younger brother?"
"You know of my brother?"
"Only his name. I've heard it often from Claude."
At these words, Eric looked displeased. In essence, she was telling him, "I've never heard your name from Claude." To be honest, she now recalled having heard Eric's name a few times along with Thierry's. However, Opal was not kind enough to say so.
"In that case, Baron, you must be... turning twenty, six, is that right?"
"That is correct. Is there a problem?"
"No, none at all."
When Opal smiled brightly, Eric looked back at her suspiciously. Still, Opal paid him no mind and gracefully lifted the cup to her lips. Eric was the same age as Hubert had been when Opal married him. If Eric knew she was thinking he was a little cuter than Hubert had been back then, he would surely be furious.
Thinking this was rather funny, Opal took another sip of tea to hide her laughter. She then remembered how Claude used to say he wanted a little brother. As the third son, he was always being ordered around by his older brothers, so he declared that if he had a younger brother, he would be a kind older brother to him. At the time, Opal had been disappointed that she wasn't a boy and had sulked, asking if a little sister wouldn't do.
"Are you truly planning to marry Claude?"
"Pardon?"
Opal had been lost in childhood memories and hadn't heard Eric's words. In response, Eric glared at her.
"Claude is a wonderful man who deserves respect. There are countless women more suitable for him, so I struggle to understand why he chose someone like you."
"Yes, Claude truly is a wonderful person, isn't he."
"Then why don't you step aside? If you truly care for Claude, shouldn't you do anything for his sake?"
Opal herself had certainly thought that a younger woman from a family that could offer him support would be better for Claude. However, aside from her age and marital history, Opal was quite a good catch. Her standing in the Taisey Kingdom might be weak, but in her home country of Sosylle Kingdom, she had powerful connections and was also a wealthy woman. It was unclear if he was overlooking this fact or intentionally choosing not to see it, but Eric's words were based on nothing but emotion. While Opal herself had been troubled by her situation in this country, Eric's tone infuriated her.
"...You're quite naive."
"What was that!? You're the naive one! You won't be welcomed in this country! Don't think you can do as you please like you did in your own country!"
It seemed Opal's unintentional mutter had lit a fire, as Eric began to shout. It was like a repeat of eight years ago, and a weary sigh escaped Opal's lips.
(Are all men of this age like this? How tiresome...)
Hubert's shouting, which she could now almost recall with fondness, overlapped with the present moment. That's when she suddenly remembered the letter she had received yesterday.
(That's right, Father's letter had one from the Duke enclosed with it.)
At the time, she had only read her father's letter and then taken Dog Claude for a walk, completely forgetting about it. She was wondering what on earth he could want now when Eric's even louder voice reached her.
"Hey! Are you even listening!?"
"With a voice that loud, one can't help but hear you."
"Claude!"
"Oh, Claude. You're back sooner than I expected."
"...Yes, His Majesty's preparations are complete, so I came to get you. Shall we go?"
"Yes."
Eric let out a cry of surprise at Claude, who had entered the room at some point. Opal was inwardly surprised as well, but she maintained a calm smile, and Claude played along.
"Well then, Nadia. Please wait here for a while."
"As you wish."
"Eric, you have no more business here, do you?"
"Ah, right..."
"Goodbye, Baron Prado. It was a pleasure."
As Opal stood up and spoke to Nadia, Claude also spoke to Eric in a slightly dismissive tone. Opal then gave a polite farewell, but Eric just frowned unhappily. But Claude said nothing more, simply gesturing for Opal to go and turning his back on Eric.