Timid and Shy - Chapter 5

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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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5.

Isabel was beautiful. It was the kind of beauty that could serve as a muse for artists, but what struck Sophia most was that Isabel resembled her mother.
As Sophia stared at Isabel, transfixed, Philip spoke.
“Cousin! You must remember that inner beauty matters far more than outward appearance. My sister has excellent looks, but I’d never say she possesses a good heart. It’s a blessing that what lies beneath cannot be seen. I’m afraid you’ve witnessed an unpleasant side of my sister.”
Isabel regarded Sophia with a cold gaze and spoke icily.
“Weren’t you taught that staring at someone is rude? Mother, perhaps you should comment on your cousin’s manners as well.”
The moment Sophia heard Isabel’s frigid tone, she regretted thinking of her own mother.
‘The only resemblance is in appearance. I’m sorry, Mother.’
Sophia spoke with utmost formality.
“I beg your pardon. I meant no discourtesy.”
Isabel gave a curt nod without saying a word. Sophia also greeted the Duke, who responded with a similar nod and nothing more.
‘They’re alike. Mother and daughter.’
As the food began to arrive, conversation ceased and they dined in silence.
Sophia ate carefully, taking pains to make as little sound as possible. The thought that she would have to endure such silence at every evening meal filled her with longing to be excused from it.
Everyone finished eating at roughly the same moment. To match one’s dining pace to others was a matter of nobility. The House of Wiscom’s meals ended with an almost frightening synchronization—each person laying down their spoon at precisely the same instant. The moment the Wiscom family members set down their utensils, Sophia hastily did the same.
As the Duke rose, everyone stood and filed out of the dining room. Sophia felt a surge of relief at finally being released.
Even hours of climbing up and down the streets shopping had exhausted her far less than this single hour of dining.
The Duke excused himself to some unknown person, claiming business awaited him, and climbed the stairs to his study. Isabel also departed to her chamber, citing fatigue.
‘Father and daughter are remarkably similar.’
The Duchess addressed Sophia.
“This evening may have been somewhat uncomfortable for you. Beginning tomorrow, we shall have your supper brought to your room. There’s no need to dine in such an awkward manner, is there? After all, you’re not yet accustomed to our ways.”
Though the Duchess of Wiscom spoke in the warmest tones, it was ultimately a dismissal. Sophia replied with a genuine smile.
“I am deeply grateful for your consideration. I’m sure I shall be much more comfortable.”
Witnessing Sophia’s unguarded joy, Philip had to suppress a smile. He found himself marveling at how Sophia could be so pleased even while clearly understanding that the Duchess’s gesture was anything but kindly intended.
Sophia excused herself and returned to her room. The Duchess and Philip remained in the sitting room used after dinner. The space glowed warmly and cozily in the light of the fireplace.
Yet the expressions of the two were quite the opposite.
Philip gazed at the fireplace and spoke.
“Our cousin is resilient. She’s clearly not lacking in perception—I’m sure she’s already sensed that you’ve kept us separate from the Wiscom relatives. One cannot fail to notice the steady stream of visitors. She must be quite perceptive.”
The Duchess sipped her tea before responding.
“At least she shows no signs of clinging to us. Wasn’t that true of everyone from Ariel as well?”
“I remember. Alex from Ariel was stiff as a board. He rejected every invitation we extended and ended up marrying into some merchant family with money. Had he only used his wits, he could have secured a match with someone of real consequence in the Capital. As I see it, Ariel’s poverty stems entirely from their own temperament.”
“That may be true. But setting that aside—just how long do you intend to provoke Isabel? Even if she’s in the wrong, you could address it later when you’re alone. It’s not as though you’re naturally at odds with each other.”
“She pays no attention to my counsel. At best, she pretends to listen when Father is present. You know how often you yourself grow exasperated with her attitude. I cannot fathom how you came to raise such a daughter.”
The Duchess sighed before answering.
“Leaving her with your grandmother was a mistake on my part. But what could I do when your grandmother insisted? She claimed that someone like me—someone who doesn’t even understand what it means to grow up as the Duke’s Daughter—would absolutely ruin her. What choice did I have?”
“And in the end, you’ve raised a daughter just like your mother. Even when Grandmother is away at the Estate, Isabel is there to remind us of her presence. That haughty carriage, the way she pretends not to hear anything that doesn’t interest her….”
The Duchess smiled bitterly. Isabel was perfectly suited to her role as the Duke’s Daughter. She disliked anyone speaking to her without permission and equally despised listening to others. The excuse she hid behind for this behavior was shyness—a convenient fiction.
‘At least I wasn’t taught that old woman’s contempt for others.’
Given Isabel’s temperament, what lay ahead had become far more significant.
‘If she becomes Empress, her arrogance will hardly be a flaw.’
The Duchess set aside her thoughts of Isabel and spoke.
“What do you intend to do about Prince Robert?”
Philip replied.
“What can we do? It’s Prince Robert’s affair to manage. We must simply do our duty as House of Wiscom.”
“Yes. That’s the right approach. What of Isabel?”
“Isabel? She’ll be content so long as he’s the Crown Prince. What matters to her is becoming Crown Princess—not who her consort is.”
“Philip!”
“I only mean that Isabel will pose no difficulties. She doesn’t seem to harbor any particular feelings toward Robert.”
“Then that is a relief. The real problem, I suspect, is Cressida?”
“They’re the problem in every matter. One would think a mere count wouldn’t dare scheme so openly.”
“It’s natural enough when they hold both the Crown Prince and the Empress in their hands.”
“Yes. Yes, you’re right.”
“In any case, we cannot know what Prince Robert might attempt, so watch him always. He’s not a man prone to rash emotion, yet the Duke remains concerned about him.”
“Yes, Mother. You need not worry.”
The Duchess was pleased with Philip’s reply. At least Philip had been raised by her own hand—for that, she was grateful.

***

After that evening dinner, Sophia rarely saw the Wiscom family. There was little reason to, and no occasion for it.
She spent most of her time wandering the city with Helen or sightseeing with Helen’s friends.
Sophia enjoyed spending time among her peers. And reading the romance novels Helen recommended was another pleasure entirely. She had resolved to indulge fully in the amusements of girlhood she had never known before.
For the girls of the Capital, no topic mattered more than the princes. The Imperial Palace stood in the city, and there were unmarried princes, unmarried dukes’ daughters, noble maidens, and themselves.
Crown Prince Frederick was unquestionably the most popular. The other prince barely registered in anyone’s attention or affection.
Sophia asked Helen about it.
“They’re both princes—why is only one popular? Shouldn’t they both be?”
Helen leaned close and whispered in her ear.
“Crown Prince Frederick is handsome, and everyone believes he’ll be the future Emperor. That’s why he’s so popular.”
“Is that so?”
For Sophia, talk of the princes was mere entertainment, no different from romance novels or gossip. She found it odd, but didn’t press further.
Fine had said nothing to Sophia or Helen since enlisting Fine’s help with House of Wiscom’s affairs.
She even gave Helen additional spending money to ensure Sophia could enjoy herself in the Capital as much as possible.
Helen benefited from the extra allowance, but she enjoyed guiding Sophia through the city and shopping together just as much. It was a blissful time for both young ladies.
While Sophia was happily exploring the Capital, Isabel never set foot outside the Wiscom mansion. The Duchess and Isabel summoned craftspeople and merchants to the house whenever they needed anything for the debutante preparations.

***

Isabel laughed when Philip told her that Sophia went out without fail every single day. She set down her teacup with practiced elegance and spoke.
“A backwater, then? Ariel.”
“Most of the territory is mountainous. No significant exports. The gifts she brought were just herbs and medicinal plants, I heard. If the capital hadn’t been sending subsidies, Ariel would have gone bankrupt long ago and the lord would’ve had to surrender his title. I’m told the neighboring territory’s lord already fled in the dead of night—that was years ago now.”
Isabel shook her head.
“No wonder she’s thrilled to be in the Capital. Why does the Imperial Household even bother sending subsidies? Wouldn’t it be better to depose the Baron of Ariel and bring the territory under direct Imperial rule?”
“It’s on the border. If it fell under Imperial control, the costs would be far higher than what we’re paying now. I hear the capital already squeezes the budget to the absolute minimum. The Ariel administrator waits in the administration building arguing for funds every day. The Imperial Household isn’t foolish. It’s far cheaper and safer to squeeze the lord this way.”
“So Ariel just clings to the empire for survival.”
“Watch your tongue. Both Ariel and Umbriel are border territories with crucial responsibilities. They’re not clinging—they’re serving a function. You may not understand it in the Capital, but they’re surely doing their part. They have their circumstances, their struggles. Speaking of other territories that way isn’t favored by the Imperial Household or the nobility either.”
Isabel picked up her teacup with a displeased expression.
“I don’t speak that way outside. Fine. I’ll heed your advice—after all, you’re my brother. Better to listen than have you run to Father complaining I won’t obey. Are you sure you’re comfortable trapping Prince Robert this way? You’re hurting someone you called a friend. Surely you owe him some explanation of your circumstances?”
Philip looked down at his own hands rather than meet her eyes.
“He won’t see me as a friend anymore. Perhaps he’ll swallow his bitterness for your sake and maintain the connection—or perhaps not. How can I know what goes on in Prince Robert’s heart?”
Isabel let out a scoffing laugh.
“Prince Robert doesn’t lack dignity to that degree. Even if he doesn’t compete with Crown Prince Frederick, he won’t simply swallow such public humiliation. He’ll certainly distance himself from you, if nothing else, and avoid coming to Wiscom. In the end, the Empress gets what she wants—our bond with Prince Robert becomes irreparable.”
“And you? Will you be all right? Mother was asking. You spent time with Prince Robert.”
Isabel spoke coldly.
“In Mother’s eyes, if a man and woman meet, they must be in love. The Empress gave away even Crown Prince Frederick, cooperated with us, and threatened us. Why would she ask about my relationship with Prince Robert in this situation? There’s nothing to deliberate between the future Emperor and an illegitimate child. Is there?”
Philip looked at Isabel and suddenly found the excuse of shyness delaying her debutante quite amusing.
‘Such a personality, and she claims shyness…….’
Isabel, unaware of Philip’s thoughts, asked casually.
“What of Crown Prince Frederick? I hear Cressida keeps him so close it’s nearly impossible to see him. He doesn’t even attend the Academy, so they say he has no friends—is that true?”
Philip disliked Isabel’s probing tone. It brought to mind the face of his father, the Duke of Wiscom. He swallowed a sigh before answering.
“Cressida recently took Crown Prince Frederick to the disputed territories in Neptunia again. Fortunately, there was no actual combat, or so I’m told.”
“Cressida must be disappointed. A small skirmish could have made Crown Prince Frederick a god of war.”
Philip himself let out a bitter laugh.
“Even Cressida wouldn’t dare such an outright lie.”
“Why not? He spread tales of Crown Prince Frederick as the embodiment of chivalry, yet the prince has never actually participated in a proper duel or battle. Cressida is desperate to elevate Crown Prince Frederick, so why couldn’t he exaggerate a small skirmish? He might even stupidly provoke a real battle later, just to crown Crown Prince Frederick with greater glory. Even now—did he really need to humiliate Prince Robert like this?”
Isabel spoke with a bitter smile.
“As you well know, Prince Robert isn’t the type to distinguish himself with bold exploits or take the initiative. Yet Cressida is making a grand affair of it anyway. He means to crush any notion in the bud—to ensure Prince Robert never dreams of competing for the throne. For that, he needs Crown Prince Frederick’s magnificence and Prince Robert’s disgrace. Just like with the debutante.”
“I don’t doubt that Cressida will stop at nothing to make Crown Prince Frederick Emperor, but he can’t manufacture a real battle. Duke Gareis won’t lend his hand to Cressida’s folly. We won’t help him either.”
“Yet you agreed to the scheme against Prince Robert.”
“Because of you. Faced with the Empress’s ambitions and only two ducal houses to choose from, we had no choice. And naturally, we’d prefer it be us rather than the alternative.”
“I’d love to see the look on Duke Gareis’s face at the debutante.”
Philip found Isabel’s excuse of shyness amusing once again.
‘Competitive as she is, and she claims to be shy?’

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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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