Chapter 8 - The Attic Room
"This is the south tea room, my lady."
"Thank you, Beth."
As Beth led her into the room, Opal let out a soft gasp. The entire south wall was made of glass, save for the window frames, making the room incredibly bright. On a clear day like today, it almost felt as if one were outdoors. The fresh green color of the walls probably contributed to this illusion.
The room was furnished with two drawing-room sets, the fabric of the chairs and the tables all white, creating a very pleasant atmosphere. A refreshing breeze flowed in through several open windows. As she breathed a sigh of admiration at finding such a lovely room, Opal noticed someone sitting in a single armchair by the wall, in the shade. Judging by their size, it was not Hubert.
"I'm sorry, am I interrupting?"
She could tell from their presence that the person was not asleep, so she spoke softly as she approached. When the person slowly turned to face her, Opal's suspicion was confirmed.
"No, it's fine. I was just looking outside since the weather is so nice today."
"You're not going outside? I thought you always take walks in the garden."
"It's not a walk. I can't walk. So, you must be Hubert's wife, right?"
"Yes, so you knew. Please, call me Opal. And you must be Stella-san."
"Correct. And I knew that you knew about me. You were watching me from the attic room, weren't you?"
With a flick of her golden curls, Stella smiled. She was small and truly angelic. But Opal noticed a malicious glint deep within her blue eyes. Three years spent in the spiteful world of high society had not been for nothing.
"I wouldn't want to intrude on your time, so I'll be going, shall I?"
"Why? You're waiting here for Hubert, aren't you?"
"You know a lot, don't you?"
"Everyone gossips about you. If you just listen closely, you can hear the voices from the hallway and outside the windows."
"I see..."
She must be bored if she's physically unable to move, but eavesdropping was still not a good habit. However, Opal chose not to comment and turned to leave.
"You stole Hubert from me. I should have been his wife. You bought Hubert with your filthy money!"
"A pity you didn't have any money, then."
Opal replied calmly to Stella's contemptuous words. Suddenly, Stella began to cry violently and started coughing. While Opal was taken aback by the sudden turn of events, Hubert burst into the room and rushed to Stella's side.
"What is it, Stella? Calm down, take a slow breath. That's it. Now breathe out slowly... breathe in..."
By the time Stella's coughing subsided, Lady Northem and Stella's personal maid had arrived, and the room grew noisy. A footman then lifted Stella and carried her out of the room. The moment they were alone, Hubert turned his anger on Opal.
"What on earth did you say to Stella?"
"Nothing of any great importance."
"That can't be true! For Stella to be that upset... Ah, it may have been nothing of importance to you, but it must have been a great shock to Stella."
"You think so?"
"In any case, I told you to stay away from Stella!"
"She was already here when I arrived. I couldn't help it. If you're so worried, you shouldn't have let me out of the attic room."
"What..."
As far as Hubert was concerned, Stella should have been taking her afternoon nap at this time. He had never imagined she would meet Opal. When Beth had relayed Opal's request for a meeting, Hubert had assumed she was finally coming to apologize. That was why he had chosen this pleasant room over his stuffy study, for her sake, but now everything was ruined. And what's more, despite having caused Stella so much distress, Opal showed no signs of remorse. The thought made his subsiding anger flare up once more.
"I am thoroughly disappointed in you. To hurt someone as fragile as Stella and not even apologize or show any concern!"
"I am concerned. But there are plenty of people more concerned about her and better able to look after her than I am, so am I not needed?"
"Yes, exactly! We don't need you!"
"Except for my money."
"D-don't say such foolish things!"
"Is it foolish? But you need not worry anymore. What I wanted to talk to you about today was my intention to leave this place."
"...Leave?"
Hubert, whose face had been contorted with anger just a moment ago, now stared with his mouth agape. His expression was so childlike that Opal was struck by how much younger than his age he truly was. He was a Duke, so no one had ever been strict with him. He had probably just gone through the motions of his education and made it this far.
"Yes. I was thinking of staying at the Count's fief for a while. A post-wedding visit home, you could call it. That way, my lord, you won't have to worry about me upsetting your precious Stella-san, will you? I will extend my stay there as long as possible, so please, all of you, continue to live as you have before. I suppose we will need to have a discussion before the season begins, though."
"W-what will your father say..."
"He will say nothing. If I do not inform him, he probably will not even notice that I am staying at the fief. Therefore, I must trouble you, but may I borrow a carriage? It will take a day to reach the Count's fief, so I will have the coachman and horses rest for a night and have them return the following day. Also, if you don't mind, may I borrow a few books from the library to relieve the boredom of the journey?"
In contrast to his own turmoil, Opal laid out her plans with a calm detachment that began to irritate Hubert. For some reason, the words 'don't go' nearly escaped his lips, but he managed to swallow them and, feigning composure, replied.
"Fine. It's no exaggeration to say that everything in this house is now yours anyway. Take whatever you wish. The carriage, the books, anything!"
The last word was laced with emotion, but Hubert still managed to leave the room with an air of dignity. He should have been happy that the troublemaker was leaving, yet for some reason, his chest felt tight and unsettled. He quickly decided it was guilt, a feeling stemming from the truth of her words, that he only needed the money she had brought.
Opal watched Hubert leave the room and sank wearily onto the sofa. She had no intention of taking much with her. Everything she needed was at the estate, so packing would be simple and there was no need to rush. And yet, her heart was racing. She realized it was because, somewhere deep down, she had been hoping he would ask her to stay. He was, after all, a man she had once been drawn to. Though their marriage had been one disappointment after another, she knew that she, with her stubbornness, was also at fault.
Perhaps she could have tried harder to compromise. But she knew well that regret changed nothing. If one had time to mope, one should act. And Opal had already decided to leave this estate, and she was determined to seek a divorce next year. Forcing strength into her body, Opal stood up and began to prepare for her departure the next day.