A few days had passed since Jeanette had decided to recapture Claus. She was presently visiting Christine at Duke Pablo’s townhouse. The duchess was clad in a comfortable dress, sitting on a sofa with a cup of tea in hand. A sweet, pleasant aroma wafted from it.
“Welcome, Jeanette. You said you have an urgent matter to discuss—what’s going on?”
Jeanette furrowed her brows, gazing at Christine with a serious expression.
“It’s a bit of a long story, but... First, have you been in contact with your niece, Princess Meltia, lately?”
“Meltia?” Christine echoed with surprise. As she searched her memories, her eyes drifted toward the ceiling. “Hmm. When did I last see her? She doesn’t usually attend family gatherings. I did invite her to visit me here, but she refused.” Christine cast Jeanette an intrigued look. “Why are you asking about Tia?”
“Well, it turns out that Her Highness has fallen for Lord Claus and wants to marry him,” Jeanette explained.
“What?!” Christine raised her voice uncharacteristically. In her shock, she nearly spilled her tea, so she quickly set the cup down on its saucer.
“Lord Claus refused her, but even His Majesty seems on board with the idea...” Jeanette continued. “The other day, Lord Claus was summoned to the palace on royal orders, and hasn’t been allowed to come home.”
“Whaaat?!” The duchess covered her mouth with her hands. “H-Hold on a minute. This is all too much to keep up with. How does Tia even know about Lord Claus? That girl barely even leaves her bedroom, to say nothing of attending high society events.”
“I think she learned about him thanks to the play we did around town to promote the diamond rings.”
Christine nodded in understanding.
“Ah, I see... In that case, Meltia must’ve found out about his reputation from her maids,” she reasoned, frowning. “Still, the audacity of that girl, to propose to a man who’s already engaged... She has been selfish ever since she was a little girl. I see she hasn’t matured at all.”
Those words meant that Christine must’ve known Meltia as a child. Jeanette leaned forward.
“Lady Christine, please tell me about Her Highness. I can’t find any information on what kind of person she is. I need to know more about her in order to take back Lord Claus!”
Christine looked a bit startled.
“I don’t mind, but... I’m surprised to see you getting this desperate over him.”
“Huh?” Jeanette’s eyes widened.
The duchess giggled.
“I knew you were passionate about business, but you always seemed a bit distant and frivolous when it came to matters of love.”
“F-Frivolous?” Jeanette repeated, her shoulders sinking.
Yet Christine’s words struck a chord with her. She still had no idea how to respond to romantic advances, and it had taken her years to notice Claus’s affection for her. The duchess’s assertion was correct.
The woman smiled as she regarded Jeanette.
“Hee hee! It’s been fun to watch Lord Claus chase after you one-sidedly, but this is quite a lovely development too. It’s making me remember my own youth. It was so bittersweet yet pleasurable...”
“Pl-Pleasurable?” Jeanette asked, sweating buckets.
“Oops, I’d better stop,” Christine said, pressing her hand to her mouth. “Still, even though I love my husband very much, we’ve been together for so long that there’s no longer that innocent naivety between us, I suppose. One inevitably grows beyond these things, but that’s why it’s so much fun hearing about the young love of others! Tee hee!”
“W-Well, as long as you’re enjoying yourself...”
“Ah, sorry. I got off topic. So, what do you want to know about Tia?”
“Everything!” Jeanette responded without missing a beat. “I’d like to know about her upbringing, her personality, and her preferences. Every little detail counts! It might help me to find a way to rescue Lord Claus!”
“My, my! It’s like Lord Claus is a captive princess. But even if you don’t do anything, isn’t it possible that he’d find a way to free himself?”
Jeanette frowned.
“It is possible, and I’m sure he’s doing what he can to change Her Highness’s mind. However...”
“Yes?”
“I can’t just sit around and wait!” Jeanette replied vigorously, clenching her fists.
Christine giggled again, as if she’d expected that response.
“Indeed. That’s the Jeanette I know. You’re the kind of girl who takes her chances. That’s why I like you so much.”
“Th-Thank you!” Jeanette spluttered, embarrassed by the sudden praise.
Christine once more picked up her teacup.
“That said, I don’t really know what Tia’s like anymore. She’s always had a weak constitution and was prone to getting fevers. I recall her parents and brothers fretting about her.”
“They say she’s still sickly. Does she have a specific illness?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure... I’ve never heard any details about her diagnosis,” Christine said.
“I see...” Jeanette wrote down the information in the notebook she’d brought with her.
“When she was little, they even said they weren’t sure how long she’d live. My brother and sister-in-law were so disheartened by that. After all, this was their long-awaited daughter.”
They weren’t sure how long she’d live? It must be a serious disease! Jeanette thought. She didn’t seem that unwell when I met her...but illnesses aren’t always visible.
Meltia had looked frightfully delicate and a little pallid, but her voice had been full of vitality and vigor, and she’d spoken very clearly. If someone were to just hear her speak, they would never have guessed that she was dangerously ill.
“So her condition is still affecting her to this day, right?” Jeanette prompted.
“Hmm...” Christine paused thoughtfully. “Eric once mentioned that she’s a bit better nowadays. They don’t need to worry about her passing away anymore. Now that I think about it, that happened right around the time the court physician had been replaced.”
The physician changed? Does that mean Her Highness’s diagnosis could’ve changed too? This is fascinating!
Jeanette leaned in.
“What’s the name of that physician? Where can I find him?”
“I’m not sure. This happened a while after I married and moved out of the palace, so I don’t know the details,” Christine replied. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more use to you.”
“Not at all! This has been a huge help!” Jeanette reassured the woman, scribbling in her notebook.
This was my blind spot! I never bothered to learn who the court physician was, but he’s definitely someone who’d meet Her Highness often! How can I get closer to him?
While Jeanette was brainstorming, Christine spoke up again.
“But Jeanette, even if you learn more about Tia, what exactly are you planning on doing? She’s the princess, and the king and queen love her dearly. If you make an enemy of Tia, you’ll have to face them too. This is different from a normal love rival.”
“I’m aware that normal methods won’t work. After all, I’m up against royalty,” Jeanette replied. On top of that, Meltia was the kind of person to keep Claus under house arrest despite his numerous refusals to be with her.