Chapter 54

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

After dropping her off at the marquis’s residence, Axion immediately returned to Duke Valentino’s residence. Even after all that, Evelyn still had no idea what her busy fiancé truly intended by coming all the way to the orphanage.

‘Why bother coming at all, if that was all it was?’

She shook her head, hoping to dispel the idle thoughts. Just then, Jactor, who had arrived at the marquess’s house ahead of her, approached with a cheerful face.

“You’re back, Sister!”

“Yes, everything’s been alright? No one giving you a hard time, I hope?”

Remembering a few troublesome figures, she glanced at the boy with a hint of concern. Fortunately, it seemed all had gone well.

Jactor replied brightly.

“No, not at all! Everyone’s been very kind to me!”

Larie and Gideon, who had received word from the messenger and were waiting, said they had also arranged lodging for him. Listening to the boy’s account, Evelyn nodded and soon spoke with a hint of apology in her voice.

“It will probably take a few more days to set up a laboratory in the annex. Will that be alright?”

Unfortunately, the marquis’s residence didn’t have a dedicated space for experiments. In Evelyn’s case, she conducted her own research in the laboratory within her greenhouse.

Still, Jactor flashed a wide, unconcerned smile.

“That’s fine! In the meantime, I’d like to help Sister and the others around the estate.”

Larie and Gideon, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, looked deeply moved.

“Oh my, what a sweet boy!”

“He really reminds me of myself at that age.”

Amidst the warm atmosphere, Evelyn raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat unconvinced.

“Hmm? If I recall correctly, Sir, you were quite the slacker when it came to training.”

Back when they were children, he was always skipping training, using his duty to guard his master as an excuse. At her pointed remark, Gideon looked flustered and cleared his throat a couple of times.

“Ahem, my lady. Must we really bring up stories from so long ago?”

If she teased him any further, he’d surely sulk. Evelyn couldn’t help but laugh at her retainer’s reaction, giving a small shrug of her shoulders.

“I’ll head in first. If I stay up late, my lovely complexion will be ruined.”

As Larie started to follow her, she turned and gave the young boy a gentle smile.

“She really is impossible, isn’t she?”

“Yes, I think you might be right.”

Jactor agreed, nodding earnestly.

When the child nodded obediently, Evelyn looked at them with a rather shocked expression.

“I can hear you, you know!”

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

The afternoon sun streamed softly into the conservatory garden, filling the air with the fresh fragrance of blooming flowers. A long table was set with tempting desserts and delicately sweet tea, the aroma mingling in the gentle light. Amidst this peaceful gathering, laughter and cheerful chatter rippled from every corner, the atmosphere one of ease and camaraderie.

It looked, on the surface, like any ordinary tea party, with noble young ladies sipping tea and chatting amiably. Yet this gathering was of a rather different sort.

Because the real reason they had gathered here was something else entirely.

“My goodness, is that true?”

“Of course. I had this book specially brought in through my family’s connections.”

One young lady, her face brimming with pride, placed a book on the table.

The moment the book was revealed, a hush fell over the tearoom. The young ladies present exchanged curious, almost conspiratorial glances. Evelyn was no different from the rest. After all, the book was an unpublished work by the very author who had written 《 Chosen as the Crown Prince’s Husband. 》

“How on earth did you get your hands on this?”

“Well, I am the granddaughter of a major bookshop owner, after all.”

A grandmother who respected her granddaughter’s secret hobbies was surely a true paragon of modern womanhood for this era. Then again, perhaps it was simply expected, since the book was all but required reading among cultured ladies.

“I’m already looking forward to seeing what will tug at our heartstrings this time.”

“Just a little is fine, please give us a spoiler!”

“Ahem, well then, I’ll just read a tiny bit for you.”

The young lady who had brought the book began reading the introduction aloud, and the others, listening intently, couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

“Oh, I must buy this!”

“When exactly is it coming out?”

Evelyn, too, gazed at the book on the table, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. A love story brimming with one hundred and one secret desires… just the thought of it was already making her mouth water.

This is pure literary crack…!