Chapter 94 - Friends
"Oh! There you are, Hubert."
"Yes, Jeb. It’s been a while."
Summoned by a friend from his school days, Hubert entered the room, glancing around. He hadn’t set foot in this gentleman's club for a long time, but the interior hadn’t changed much. And yet, for some reason, he felt a sense of unease and wondered why.
"You had something to talk about, didn't you?"
"I hear you’ve been making quite a bit of money lately, haven’t you?"
He had just asked a question while taking a seat with his companions, only to be met with an impertinent one in return. His other friends were also smirking, waiting for Hubert’s answer.
"Well… I’ve been learning quite a bit from Count Holloway. More importantly, it’s almost time for the harvest, isn’t it? How are things on your end?"
Hubert gave a simple answer about the investments he was finally beginning to understand and changed the subject. However, his friends all looked dissatisfied, as if their fun had been spoiled.
"It’s not bad this year, I suppose? If there was a problem, the manager would say something."
"I see…"
"Come on, we can leave that grubby business to the lower classes. More importantly, if you have a good tip for making money, you should share it."
"That’s right. It’s not fair for you to keep it all to yourself. Aren't we friends?"
Hubert struggled to find a reply. His friends, who had once seemed so much more mature than him, now appeared childish. A year ago, Opal had said something like, ‘They must employ excellent managers,’ regarding Hubert's friends, and it seemed she was right. For the past year, Hubert had been meticulously reading every report from corner to corner. When he didn't understand something, he would ask Opal by letter or consult the Count and study. That was why he had been looking forward to talking about their fiefs with his friends after so long, and he was disappointed. He wasn't yet skilled enough to explain investing.
"Lately… it feels like most opportunities have already been taken. From now on, it’s about investing in technology rather than goods…"
"Ah, we don’t need all that, Hubert."
"You’re as bad as ever at reading the room. We don’t need an explanation, just tell us what to buy."
"Yeah, yeah. Let’s leave the thinking to Count Holloway. We’ll just buy whatever he buys. So, tell us about it before anyone else, will you?"
"…If I can."
When the bewildered Hubert gave a vague reply, his friends seemed disappointed. But then, one of them burst out laughing.
"So, the rumor was true after all?"
"Rumor…?"
"We knew you married that woman of loose morals for her money, but the talk is you’re being overly considerate of the Holloway father and daughter!"
"You’re a duke, man! Just make them pay for everything!"
"This is on you tonight, of course, right?"
Hubert stared in astonishment at his friends as they began to get rowdy. In the past, their cheerfulness had been a comfort to him, and he had enjoyed their wide range of topics. When they called him ‘Your Grace the Duke,’ he had felt a sense of pride. Now, it was terribly uncomfortable. The other patrons in the club joined in the commotion, and before he knew it, it had been decided that Hubert would be paying for everything. Fortunately, he was financially stable enough now that it wasn't a burden, but Hubert wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. It was only then that he realized he felt more at ease at the meetings and clubs he attended with Count Holloway. In the beginning, the conversations had been too difficult for him and he had felt out of place, but somewhere along the line, he had started looking forward to them. It wasn't that this place was bad. It was just that this sort of amusement should have ended with his student days. The reason he hadn’t been able to move on was likely because he had wanted to turn a blind eye to reality.
"Sorry, but I’m heading home."
"What, don't be a spoilsport. Let's go to the next place!"
"No, I’ll pass. We have a session of the House of Lords tomorrow morning, don’t we?"
"Huh? Who cares about that boring parliament? Why do we have to think about some stupid bills?"
"Yeah, yeah!"
Though disheartened by his thoroughly drunk friends’ words, Hubert managed to bid them farewell with a smile. The moment he stepped out of the club, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. Only now did he finally understand just how much of a child he had been. He also understood what Opal must have felt when she took the fief from him. And yet, she still sent him regular reports on it. Hubert once again regretted his past self and resolved to change his ways and apply himself.