Timid and Shy - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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13.

Sophia ate the cake voraciously, her thoughts elsewhere.
‘The pair’s intentions are transparent enough. Parma, notorious for her wretched temperament, and innocent Isabelle—she’ll feign naïveté to seduce Prince Frederick, no doubt. Let her try. I hope Parma from Gareis proves formidable.’
Isabelle rose from her seat and spoke.
“I’m so glad you and Prince Robert are getting along.”
“I’m relieved as well. I’ll be returning to Ariel soon, and before I go, I’d hoped at least one person would see past their misunderstandings about the Prince.”
Sophia couldn’t fathom what Isabelle had hoped to accomplish, but it seemed the girl’s intentions had fallen short—Isabelle had left the table with a stiffened jaw.
‘Dealing with me won’t be easy. I’m the woman officially recognized as the most unfortunate in all of Uranos. Ah, I despise it.’
Sophia felt she had nothing left to lose.
After eating two cakes, her stomach grew uneasy, so she excused herself and walked. As she strolled through the garden, she exchanged brief pleasantries with the tea party guests.
She’d worried about meeting artists, but these were all newcomers to the scene, and her ignorance of their names proved no serious disadvantage.
She enjoyed herself far more than she’d anticipated. After a short walk, she’d consumed four cakes in total.
Isabelle’s mood, by contrast, had soured considerably. The tea party always drew fresh faces, and even if one or two managed to make a name for themselves, most were utterly forgettable.
After bidding the guests farewell, Isabelle approached the Duchess.
“Perhaps it’s time we put an end to these pointless gatherings, Mother. Before, you hosted them because no nobles came calling for you, but now invitations arrive regularly enough.”
The Duchess fixed Isabelle with a sharp look.
“It’s not pointless. Whether one of them, or none of them, survives—if I maintain my reputation as a patron of the arts, that alone is worth it. You’ve made a name for yourself as a Muse thanks to people like them. Mind your attitude.”
“But Mother, you yourself believe none of them will survive. Now that you’ve grown more discerning, shouldn’t you be cultivating better judgment when selecting talent?”
With those words, Isabelle departed to her room. The Duchess sighed heavily.
“That temperament of hers, truly…”

***

The next day, Sophia set out for Ariel. She felt no regret at leaving the Capital earlier than originally planned.
‘My purse is full of gold coins, but my heart is full of wounds and humiliation. Yet it’s over now. I’m going to Ariel. My Ariel!’
With two crates of Romance Novels in the carriage, the journey would not be dull.
Administrator John had learned, just two days prior, that paperwork which seemed impossible to approve had finally been granted. He was able to return to Ariel with Sophia. The timing seemed almost too perfect.
‘The timing troubles me.’
John spoke to Sophia with a darkened expression.
“It appears Prince Robert’s influence was at work. The Debutante matter—”
Sophia replied.
“Don’t mention it to Father. I’ll speak with my brother and sister-in-law myself. It’s already in the past, and all it would do is distress him. Since Prince Robert himself chose not to inform me, it seems he wished his kindness to remain unspoken, so there’s no need to tell the Baron.”
Administrator John nodded. He decided to ensure Jack’s silence as well.
Sophia reasoned that in Ariel, access to periodicals and newspapers was scarce; if she simply forgot the Debutante incident, it would fade to nothing.
‘I doubt I’ll ever have cause to see noble ladies and princes again in my lifetime. This is the end. That’s enough. I’ve had my debut.’

***

Upon arrival in Ariel, Sophia felt she could truly breathe again. Ellie, who had come to greet her reborn friend, brought joyous news—she was already four months along. Sophia embraced Ellie warmly.
“You should have told me beforehand. I’d have purchased all sorts of adorable things for the baby in the Capital.”
Alex, standing behind Ellie, replied.
“That’s precisely why she didn’t tell you. Those decisions are mine to make.”
Ellie laughed as she spoke.
“If we’d informed your parents, they’d have sent mountains of goods and buried us in packages. I’m telling you now partly to spare you the same fate.”
Sophia could picture it perfectly. Both Mrs. Pene and Helen, unable to visit in person, would have sent as many things as they could acquire, lamenting their absence the entire while.
‘Though… wouldn’t a visit be lovely?’
“Couldn’t Helen come in the summer? It would be wonderful if the Pene household came for a holiday. Once you grow heavier, it’ll be harder for you to move about, and Helen’s presence would keep you from being lonely.”
At Sophia’s suggestion, Alex nodded in agreement. Ellie didn’t answer, but her smile spoke volumes—she clearly appreciated the idea.
Sophia sought out her busy father to pay her respects. The Baron of Ariel, pen in hand despite his work, embraced his daughter. He spoke in mock reproach.
“Ellie bears the child while Alex grows indolent. It seems I, an old man, must shoulder more burdens.”
Sophia laughed as she replied.
“Now that I’m home, you’ll have more time to spare.”
“Nothing troublesome happened in the Capital?”
“I had my debut and was completely overshadowed by Isabelle, as expected. I was merely her foil, truly. Yet I enjoyed myself, and the Capital was a lovely sight.”
“Good. If you were happy, that’s all that matters.”
Seeing the Baron smile brightly, it was clear that neither Alex nor Ellie had informed him of the Debutante incident. Sophia embraced her father once more.
“I can’t express how glad I am to be home.”
“I’m so delighted to see you again. Without you, the study feels far too quiet, and that emptiness seeps into my very heart.”
The Baron’s pressing duties cut their reunion short. They agreed to continue their conversation over dinner that evening.
Since Sophia’s return to Ariel, the greatest topic of conversation had undoubtedly been Romance Novels. Sophia shared the books she had already read or lent them out freely.
Ellie was particularly delighted. It seemed that Pene’s remark—that all of Helen’s tastes had originated from Ellie—held true.
Sophia found peace within Ariel and among her family, gradually healing her wounds. Though she had feigned indifference, being mocked and pitied by others was bitter and sting.
The purse of Gold Coins the Duke of Wiscom had given her seemed to amount to less than half the price of what he had taken from her. Even after returning to Ariel, Sophia examined the purse the Duchess had given her each night.
Weighing its heft. Wondering if it were somehow too light.
‘I should have asked for more. I should have been bolder about it…….’

***

While Sophia had found peace in Ariel, Prince Robert spent his days like a soldier preparing for war. Simply traveling about with Sophia was not sufficient remedy for the damage done.
Prince Robert first severed his friendship with Philip.
As Sophia had suggested, Prince Robert had hoped to rekindle things with Isabelle. Yet on cold reflection, there was no chance Wiscom would accept Robert unless he had completely lost Frederick.
Even if Prince Frederick chose Gareis over Wiscom, neither the Empress nor Cressida would consent to Prince Robert’s union with Wiscom or any other powerful house. The Empress’s obstruction would not end until Robert’s death.
‘The Empress wanted my death. So her interference will not cease until I am gone.’
Robert reflected upon his own complacency and the carelessness of his approach.
‘I should have seen this coming.’
Even without Prince Frederick’s interference, the Duke of Wiscom’s house would have kept Robert in hand while weighing other suitors for Isabelle, searching for better matches.
The House of Wiscom was precisely the sort of family to do such a thing, and Isabelle was truly beautiful.
In truth, what had mattered most to Prince Robert was not Isabelle’s beauty, but the fact that she was Philip’s sister.
Robert’s swift break with Philip came chiefly because he had genuinely cared for him—an arrogant yet capable friend. Because he had regarded him as a true companion, the Debutante’s scheme struck Prince Robert all the more deeply.
‘I thought him a truly good friend, save for his cunning. To be caught by that very cunning… it galls.’
Philip had been one of the few people with whom Prince Robert could be at ease as a friend. The Wiscom background meant the Empress could not easily pressure him; he was a friend Robert could draw near without bringing harm.
Robert had wondered if marriage to Isabelle Wiscom, if becoming part of the Wiscom family, might allow him to live with somewhat less dread.
But Prince Robert’s thoughts had been his alone. The House of Wiscom had other designs.
Robert did not invite Philip inside when he came to apologize, but left him standing beyond the threshold as he spoke.
“Philip Wiscom. Before being my friend, you surely have duties as a member of Wiscom. As a prince, I would not shirk what I must do for Uranos. But I find this matter cannot be so easily swallowed. Until now, I have regarded you as a friend, and I believe I gave you my sincerity. From this moment forward, I cannot regard you as a friend. Should we meet again, it will be as Uranos and Wiscom—nothing more. Farewell, Lord Wiscom.”
Robert’s manner proved firmer than Philip had anticipated. Philip went to report the severance of their friendship to the Duke of Wiscom.

***

The Duke of Wiscom received Philip in his study. Philip stood before the Duke’s desk. The Duke seemed less a father than a superior officer receiving a report from his subordinate. It was indeed a report.
The Duke of Wiscom spoke lightly.
“It seems Prince Robert was hasty after all. Since nothing was fixed, he could have continued as before and created new opportunities. From what the Duchess told me, it seemed he would seize another chance.”
“All we did was parade our cousin about and gather scraps of fallen reputation. What shall we do? Should I approach Prince Robert once more?”
“There’s no need. Regardless of his rank as a prince, you have no reason to lower yourself. Leave it be. If he wants you, he’ll come seeking. It would have been easier if Prince Frederick attended the Academy rather than Prince Robert. So where does Prince Frederick stand now?”
“Frederick has naturally returned to Cressida’s side. He still spends most of his time at Cressida Manor rather than the Imperial Palace. From the fact that Isabelle has received no private correspondence or invitations from him, it appears he came to the Debutante solely to remove Prince Robert. It seems Lord Cressida is keeping a firm hand on Prince Frederick himself.”
“What a shame. I thought matters were nearly settled when Prince Frederick fell so easily for Isabelle. But he’ll appear again soon enough—it’s the young Lady of Gareis’s birthday coming up. Once Isabelle meets Prince Frederick again, she’ll know whether her brother’s beauty is truly sufficient for the task.”
Philip nodded. On the day of the Debutante, Prince Frederick had appeared utterly captivated by Isabelle, unable to tear his eyes from her face.
“Is it possible that Prince Frederick truly cannot escape Cressida’s grasp?”
“At his tender age, a few more provocations might stir him to act rashly. Youth begets tantrums as easily as tears.”
The moment Philip left the Duke’s study, Isabelle summoned him. In Isabelle’s rooms, Philip sat at ease with his tea and recounted his separation from Robert in leisurely detail.
Isabelle fell silent for some time, as if she had not foreseen it. Philip studied her carefully. He wondered whether she harbored any tender feelings toward Prince Robert.
No matter how much Isabelle insisted she had no such feelings, at her young age, he could not be entirely assured.
‘Prince Robert had been kind to her, after all.’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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