🌻 🌻 🌻
KIKI ran into our personal room, out of breath.
“Lady Iris!” she cried. “You’ve got a letter from Marquess Diascia!”
“I’m glad,” I replied. “I would’ve been concerned if he claimed our verbal promise was moot.”
It’d been a week since the ceremony, and as peace settled in again at Stock Manor, we received an invitation from Marquess Diascia. After I scanned the letter, I stood up.
“We should inform Lucas immediately,” I said. “He must be at the company.”
I had the carriage brought around front and rushed to Lucas. He was in one of the guest rooms at the main company office. I knocked before I entered.
“What’s up? I don’t see you here often,” Lucas said, his eyes wide with surprise.
He was seated barefoot on the sofa with one of his crossed legs resting on the footrest. Beside him, Leik was on his knees next to a chest of colorful socks. An assortment of leather shoes was laid out like he’d just unpacked some belongings.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“I’m trying a few test products,” Lucas replied. “Seems like there’s unexpectedly a market for durable yet fancy socks for gentlemen.”
“I apologize for bothering you during such a busy time. Perhaps I shall inform you later—”
“You rushed here, didn’t you? And besides, I wanted your opinions on the colors and the market I’m targeting. So, what’s up?”
As Leik helped my husband with his socks, I showed him the letter of invitation.
“It came, huh?” Lucas said.
A mere glance at the letter’s seal was enough to know that it was from Marquess Diascia. Lucas opened the letter and scanned the contents, struggling to contain his excitement.
“We did it,” he said.
“Yes, but the schedule is rather tight,” I replied. “If we don’t leave soon, I fear we won’t make it in time.”
“His plan is to have us leave posthaste without making enough preparations in hopes of affecting our judgment.”
I nodded. A long journey to another land usually had the interests of the invited party in mind, for they would typically schedule other plans along the way. In general, inviting someone three to four weeks in advance was customary. However, the marquess went out of his way to form a tight schedule for us, hammering home the difference in rank between Lucas and himself. His high rank aside, it was extremely mean-spirited.
I decided to ask something I’d been wondering about. “Lucas, what are the chances that House Diascia knows of your actual origins?”
Lucas stared at the ground, his bright yellow eyelashes casting a shadow over his cheeks. “Had they known, they probably would’ve acted a lot sooner and crushed me while they could,” he admitted after a short while. “But even if the marquess knew, it would have to be recent, or maybe he confirmed it after meeting me. Either way, it’s imperative for us to use this opportunity and try to meet with him.”
Lucas wiggled his toes, trying to get a feel for his socks. He stretched his leg out and had Leik remove it for him.
“My goal is simply to confirm the origin of my mother,” Lucas continued. “But it won’t be odd if they try to find out more about me and attempt to threaten me by acting like they have intel on some sort of past I’d want to hide. I have to act while I can and make it clear that I don’t plan on bringing up my past. If I don’t ensure their house won’t interfere, they might deem me a future threat and try to crush me.”
“You’re…absolutely right,” I acknowledged.
He glanced at me and added, “And if you become pregnant, there’s a chance they’ll try to take you, child and all.” I gasped, but he went on, “While I might be seen as an impurity, a child that you’d give birth to will be a union of House Diascia and House Karelia. Our child will have the blood of their grandmother and yours—both hailing from the Traditional Twelve. With pureblooded nobles on the decline, the child might be seen as a threat in succeeding the house of Marquess Diascia, and you’ll both be in danger.”
I turned back to the letter in utter disbelief. The third prince’s piercing gaze and the way he called me “Lady Iris” echoed in my head. I wanted to do what I could for my husband as Iris Stock. I looked up to face my husband. He smiled at me gently, his eyebrows drooping ever so slightly with his sad expression.
“I’m sorry I said things that made you anxious,” he said. “But I’ve already steeled my resolve to protect you. You can trust me on that.”
“Lucas…” I murmured, peering into his determined eyes.
“About that invitation, I want you to stay here.”
I couldn’t hide my shock. “It’s customary to invite both the husband and his wife to these occasions. Why must I stay at home?”
“Because I don’t want to put you in any further danger. Surely, you’ve had your fill with such incidents after the House Streltsy ordeal.”
“But…”
“I promise to return home. Stay here and protect this manor for me.”
Lucas’s firm words caused me to fall silent. A myriad of thoughts whirled inside of my head.
“No,” I finally said.
“Huh?” Lucas grunted. He didn’t expect my defiant response.
But I gazed straight at him and continued, “Please take me with you.”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” He stood up from the sofa. “I told you that it’s dangerous. And besides, should the worst happen to me, if you’re not here to protect the manor, who will?”
“All the more reason to be by your side.” Lucas didn’t respond. I continued, “I’ve chosen to stay by your side. I shall go with you.”
Lucas’s amber eyes widened with shock for a moment, but then he glared at me to refute. “But Iris— Whoa!” He suddenly cried out. Leik had grabbed his leg and raised it in the air. The butler tickled the bottom of his master’s foot. “Ha!” Lucas giggled. “H-Hey! Damn it! You little!”
Leik ignored his master’s cries. In contrast to his playful antics, his expression was serious. “I agree. You should allow madam to tag along with you. I don’t know what you’ll do by yourself, my lord. Worst case, should the Stock Trading Company go down, it would be unbearable.”
“Heh heh… S-Stop it! Argh!” Lucas laughed.
“Leik…” I said.
“I-Iris, s-stop continuing…this…talk!”
Leik’s tone was icy as he continued to tickle his master. “You should repent, my lord. Surely, you, of all people, should know the agony of a man leaving behind his beloved wife while trying to shoulder everything by himself?”
Lucas gasped as Leik stopped his tickling.
The butler took on a kinder tone and apologized. “I’m terribly sorry about overstepping. I only ask that you don’t make the wrong decision.”
My husband paused briefly and gazed at a bowing Leik pensively. He gave a smile of resignation and looked up at me. “You’re right,” he said. “Please come with me, Iris. If you’re by my side, I know I can return home safely.”
“Lucas…” I murmured.
“Stop me so that I won’t push past my limits.”
“Of course. Please leave it to me.”
I smiled back, and Leik entered Lucas’s blind spot to flash a relieved smile at me for a split moment. It was as though the butler was secretly expressing his gratitude to me.
“By the way, my lord,” Leik said, returning to his usual composed expression as he helped Lucas put on his shoes. “What shall we do about Cano? Shall we bring him along?”
“Hmm…” Lucas pensively muttered as he locked eyes with his butler. “We’ll take him too. We should properly show him my relationship with Iris.”
“Then I shall proceed as planned.”
Lucas turned back to me. “Iris, do you think you can spare me a bit more of your time?”
“Certainly,” I replied.
“Could you help me choose a few socks? I’ve been thinking of potentially popular colors.”
“Are you quite all right with my taste?”
“It’s the first time I’ve tried to sell various colors to men. Receiving a stamp of approval from my etiquette coach would be a selling point in and of itself.”
“Thank you for relying on me.”
Lucas sheepishly shrugged and took my hand, rubbing his cheek against the back of my hand as though to beg for forgiveness. “I’m relying on you, of course,” he said. “I won’t leave you behind anymore.”
“I’m not angry with you,” I replied, unable to suppress a smile as I experienced his more honest side.
I switched gears and helped him choose some socks. After I finished, I parted ways with Lucas, who was off to another business meeting. As I walked down the corridor, I felt someone’s eyes on me. I turned around, but the halls were empty.
“Was…someone just there?” I wondered to myself.
Only the walls could hear my words.