Chapter 48

"You've been here all weekend, so go home today and take a proper rest." (Thomas)

Thomas Müller greeted the young master with a deep sigh.

Bastian smiled and walked briskly into his office. He had just gotten off work from the Admiralty and was still in his uniform. He seemed to be uncharacteristically energetic for a person who had been suffering from heavy work since Monday.

"Perhaps the director is the one who needs a bit of a break." (Bastian)

Bastian put the hat he was holding on the desk and turned to face him.

"Now you're being facetious?" (Thomas)

"I know you didn't tell my grandfather that." (Bastian)

"Because he wasn't as awful as his grandson." (Thomas)

Thomas Müller, who had been complaining, eventually laughed helplessly.

Carl Illis, who had a hot temperament and stubbornness like a bull, was by no means an easy boss, but at least he was more humane than his grandson. That was the common opinion of not only him but everyone who worked in this family.

"That is the greatest compliment."

Bastian slowly opened his closed eyes and rang the call bell. Not long after, a secretary came in with a cup of hot, strong coffee.

"Now it is coming to an end. There is no need to rush."

Thomas Müller's eyes deepened as he watched Bastian drinking coffee.

False mines. Stocks and bonds become scraps of paper. Ghost companies wearing masks of geese that lay golden eggs.

The trap to catch Jeff Klauswitz was near completion. All that was left was to find a suitable place and place the bait.

"Let's try to finish it as quickly as possible."

Bastian gave a firm answer as if he had no intention of backing down.

His face looked like a strict priest at first glance, perhaps because of the color of the uniform that resembled that of a priest.

"It's not like it's going to end at this stage anyway. It will take a while to draw them in deeply. It's more about patience…"

"I know."

Bastian cut him off with a polite smile.

"It doesn't matter how many years it takes. It's not hard to wait for a set ending. But I don't think we need to hold on to this chore for long. Don't you agree?"

"Do you have any reason to believe so?"

"I'm planning to completely move to Ardennes this week. So, I must finish all my urgent business before then."

Bastian put down the half-empty cup and gave a calm reply. The sunset, which had reached its climax before long, had turned the office red.

If possible, he tried to delay the joining until the day of his departure for the frontier, but it was difficult to stick to that plan any longer. It was because of the unexpected variable of Crown Prince Belov.

On the day he was summoned on short notice to visit the imperial palace, the emperor personally delivered the news. He said that Crown Prince Belov, who was to lead a delegation on a state visit to Berg, expressed his wish to attend the naval festival held at the same time.

The Prince put forward a plausible justification of inspecting allies, but it was clear what the real purpose was. After all, they probably want to directly confirm the truth of the scandal that had spread beyond borders. That also meant that Bastian and Odette had to play the most perfect couple. Of course, the emperor also wanted it.

"Of course, newly married couples shouldn't be separated like this, but this choice is somehow unmarried."

Thomas Müller, who was deep in thought, raised a question.

"Wouldn't it be better to bring Mrs. Klauswitz to Lutz to live for the time being?"

"If the listing issue is resolved, I won't have much trouble staying in Ardennes and handling the business. I am not reluctant to entrust my wife with a task that can be resolved in my line."

Bastian shrugged his shoulders indifferently.

Of course, Thomas Müller's point was valid.

There was still plenty of time before Crown Prince Belov's visit, so he didn't need to be in such a hurry. Bastian was well aware that it would be enough to proceed with the merger after stabilizing the company without overdoing it.

It was something that had to be done in the end anyway.

Bastian looked down at the phone on the desk.

He had stayed in front of the phone for a long time the day he made an impulsive decision.

The evening he returned from the imperial palace. It was around sunset, like now.

Just watching, Bastian didn't pick up the phone.

Because he had no reason to explain or ask for understanding from Odette. That Odette was thinking the same thing was proved by the ringing of the phone that did not ring late into the night.

The moment he realized that it was nothing more than that, Bastian hardened his heart. If it was just a business relationship anyway, there was no reason they couldn't stay under one roof. If the Emperor's confidence was strengthened thanks to this, the transaction would be much more successful.

It was a choice that would benefit Odette as well.

"I thought you were reluctant to proceed with this marriage. You turn out to be a much better husband than I thought."

Thomas Müller threw a bony joke. Even at the moment when he laughed lightly, his eyes were rather sharp as he looked at Bastian.

"Since you have a noble bride, so why shouldn't you?"

Bastian unbuttoned his uniform nonchalantly. The dark shadows created by the lights made the lines of his face look sharper.

"But. She is a very beautiful woman."

Thomas retreated after his last words.

Left alone, Bastian took off his jacket and shirt in turn and stepped over to the sink. After washing his face with cold water, his consciousness became much clearer. It was not enough for him to erase the accumulated fatigue, but it was enough to handle the rest of the work.

Bastian changed his clothes and straightened his disheveled hair. He did not forget to tidy up the uniform he had taken off. It was a habit that was ingrained in his body due to his long military service.

Finally with his tie in place, he grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and left the office.

It was just as he entered the long hallway leading to the conference room that the memory of the woman who had been waiting for him endlessly came to his mind.

Bastian could clearly picture the Odette of that day as she remained in the waning summer sunlight.

The blank look in her eyes the moment she saw him in the running car and the expression on her face like an abandoned child. Everything from the casual passing of the cityscape to the skirt of her yellow dress fluttering in the wind.

It was probably because of the exceptionality of the moment that made it so vividly imprinted. It was unexpected that a woman who always had a calm and elegant demeanor showed such emotion. Perhaps it was an illusion that started from a distorted memory.

Clearing his thoughts, Bastian walked across the sunny corridor with wide strides. His assumptions were pointless anyway. It would be more practical to finish this work as soon as possible and see the woman with his own two eyes.

Three days at the earliest.

Bastian counted his remaining time and touched the tie knot once more. It was just when he reached the door of the conference room where the board members were waiting that his plan was adjusted.

Perhaps two days.

That seemed to be enough.

***

Bastian was here.

Odette heard the news in front of the piano in the solarium. It was early afternoon, and she was tired from struggling with her practice piece that was not going well.

"What day is it today?"

Odette asked, hiding her confusion.

"It's Wednesday, ma'am."

The maid answered with a very puzzled expression.

That's right. It was indeed Wednesday.

Confirming that her memories were not wrong, Odette fell into a deeper confusion.

She had no idea how a man who didn't even come on the promised weekend showed up here on Wednesday afternoon. Was it because of the unrealistically clear and bright sunlight? She felt like she was having a strange dream.

"I'm presumptuous, but wouldn't it be better to go to see the master as soon as possible?"

Clearing her throat, Dora gave cautious advice.

Only then did Odette come to her senses and hurriedly stood up from the piano. It was only after entering the mansion's lobby that she realized that she hadn't dressed up properly.

"Hello, madam."

Just as she was about to straighten her hair, which had been braided like a little girl's, she heard an unfamiliar voice. It took some time before she recognized the old gentleman bowing deeply to her.

"… Hello Lovis. Long time no see."

Fortunately, Odette remembered the family's butler. Lovis, who had visited this place for a short time the week of the wedding, had since returned to Lutz to help Bastian. The servants lined up behind him did the same.

All personnel remaining in the townhouse in Lutz had moved into the new residence.

Odette tried to understand what that fact meant. No. In fact, she already knew the answer. She just wasn't ready to accept it.

"Master has already gone up to the bedroom."

The old butler announced as he watched Odette looking around the hall.

Odette looked up at the center staircase in the hall with her eyes wide open. Bastian, who had been acting like a polite guest, had changed. As if he were declaring that he was the owner of this very mansion.

Odette climbed the stairs, struggling to remain calm. As she reached the third floor where the couple's bedroom was located, her heart started beating unsteadily.

"Not that room, ma'am."

As she opened the door to Bastian's bedroom, she heard another unfamiliar voice. It was a young attendant, probably from Lutz.

"The master is over there."

The attendant pointed to Odette's bedroom with a polite gesture.

Why in the world?

Seized by a distant feeling, Odette reached out with a trembling hand and opened the door to her room.

Bastian was standing in front of the window facing the sea. Waves of white light shimmered around him.

Odette took a deep breath and stepped over the bedroom threshold. As the door closed, Bastian slowly turned around. With his hands behind his back and his head bowed, the gesture of his bowing showed a composure and arrogance uncharacteristic of the person who had done this.

Like a gust of wind, Odette, who suppressed numerous emotions, first responded with a corresponding courtesy. When she raised her head again and faced Bastian, a sense of reality finally set in.

The Wednesday her husband came.

The sea was dazzling.

It was a very clear and mild day, between summer and fall.