Chapter 61 - The Departure
"Alone again tonight?"
"Yes, that's right."
Eric, who had approached Opal as she attended yet another ball alone these past few days, spoke in a mocking tone. Opal answered politely, but Eric's rude behavior did not stop.
"Don't you feel pathetic? Attending balls here and there every night by yourself. I suppose Claude can't keep up with you."
"...This ball is being held for charity, Baron Prado. For what purpose are you here? Our donations will support the children who lost their parents in the plague and civil war, will they not? Did you know that charity balls like this are held almost every night?"
When she smiled and posed the question back to him, Eric's face turned red. But he quickly recovered with a sneer.
"Why isn't Claude with you? If you both attended, you could contribute that much more, couldn't you?"
Recently, some charity balls had begun to collect an attendance fee from the guests. That fee was then donated directly to the cause. Eric was likely referring to this.
"Is Viscount Amady, your elder brother, not with you? If you both were to attend, imagine how much support you could provide."
"My brother is away from the Royal Capital on business..."
Eric, who had started to answer, seemed to realize the true meaning behind Opal's sarcastic retort. In short, Claude was also away from the Royal Capital on "business."
Eric hadn't changed at all. While it was difficult to mature in such a short time, Opal thought he could at least think a little before acting. It seemed the last incident had only made him dislike her more, but anger blinds the eyes.
"Well then, if you'll excuse me."
With another polite farewell, Opal walked away from the speechless Eric. It was a little early tonight, but she intended to say her goodbyes to the host and leave.
Opal scanned the hall, found the host, and breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, she was not very fond of balls or tea parties. But thanks to that newspaper article, the number of charity events had increased, and Opal found herself invited as a guest of honor, frequently asked for her advice.
Of course, that was a wonderful thing, and Opal intended to cooperate as much as possible. However, if her duties to her people were neglected, it would defeat the purpose. The crops would not wait patiently. That was why she intended to see the state of the fief with her own eyes as soon as possible and take the necessary measures.
If the preliminary research is correct, there are many ways to improve things.
Opal sighed again as she rode home in her carriage. By rights, she should have already been on her way to the duchy with Claude. She had waited for a while after that day, but there had been no word from him. She did not know if he was busy or in a situation where he could not contact her, so she was not angry, but she was worried. However, when Opal returned to the manor, the butler handed her a letter. It was from Claude, and she hastily opened it.
"Oh..."
Unfortunately, the letter said that his business would take a little longer, and he would not be able to return to the manor for a while. This disappointed Opal quite a bit, but it was not in her nature to blame Claude or lament alone.
"What should I do..."
She didn't know how long "a while" would be. If she simply waited for Claude to return, the reforms in the duchy would be delayed.
"Well, fine. In that case, I'll just go on ahead by myself."
Once her mind was made up, all that was left was to act. She decided to depart the day after tomorrow and informed Nadia and the butler of her intentions. They had already been making preparations, so it was unlikely to cause a major commotion. Opal went to her writing desk and wrote a reply to Claude.
'I can't believe you've left me alone for so long. I can't stay in the Royal Capital by myself anymore, so I am heading to the duchy.' It was a small bit of mischief, and she knew Claude would understand the joke.
The letter was addressed to a villa near the Royal Capital. The letter had stated that was where Claude was currently staying. Entrusting the letter to the butler, Opal prepared for bed and got in.
And so, early in the morning two days later, accompanied by Nadia and other ladies-in-waiting, maids, guard knights, and footmen, Opal departed for the duchy.