Succession of Duty (2)

As the afternoon sun began to wane, transitioning into the evening, Mikael's head was practically spinning from the never-ending task of sorting through a towering pile of letters and documents.

Thankfully, Miss Celia and Secretary Cade were right there by his side to keep him company, making the hours seem to stretch and fold as they meticulously sifted through invitations from noble families, letters from local businesses, and meticulous record documents.

The workspace, which used to be a complete mess with papers and documents scattered all over, had now looked way more organized.

They had carefully organized a collection of documents on the trolley, ready to be dealt with in the upcoming days.

The letters had been sorted into two neat piles: one for those meant to be consigned to burn on flames and the other for the ones that needed thoughtful replies.

The initial tension that was hanging over them like a heavy cloud started to shift slowly, replaced by a feeling of accomplishment.

However, Mikael's attention was caught by the stack of letters and invitations, all bearing the same sender's name – Esteemed Lady Clarissa from the House of Merriwinter.

"Merriwinter," Mikael mouthed the family name softly under his breath, triggering a rush of memories to resurface.

'Hm?'

Suddenly, it all fell into place. Mikael recalled Lady Clarissa Merriwinter, the youngest daughter of the late prince and a member of the royal family. 

She was a real social butterfly in noble circles, her influence reaching far and her connections running deep. Her name was pretty much everywhere in high society.

However, what really bugged Mikael was the sheer number of letters had sent his way.

Mikael's eyes remained glued to the open letters laid out on the desk. He carefully lined them up on the desk, his fingers gently brushing the parchments.

Some of these letters were invitations to a tea party at her salon, while the others extended permission to visit the Wolfram Estate.

He could not help but connect the dots. The letters had started pouring in precisely when Mikael had set foot in Odelle City.

The timing couldn't be brushed off as a mere coincidence. It didn't take a genius to figure it out.

It was obvious that Lady Clarissa had developed a keen interest in the new Marchioness, and this didn't sit well with Mikael. He couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy about the whole situation.

Mikael thought to himself, 'Hold on a minute.'

He knew, at some point, he'd have to play the host and invite ladies from other families to join in a tea party. It was part of the position of the lady of the house.

'Ugh, social responsibilities,' Mikael grumbled to himself, thinking about all the fuss and formalities involved.

Nonetheless, this whole socializing thing wasn't part of the deal, and it got Mikael thinking. Nicolaus hadn't mentioned anything about making friends with the other families.

"Marchioness." Miss Celia noticed the curiosity dancing in Mikael's eyes and decided to share her thoughts. Leaning in, she said, "I… personally suggest paying no mind to these letters."

Mikael's eyebrows shot up, and he couldn't help but ask, "Why's that?"

Miss Celia could not respond immediately; she took a few moments to think it over. It was only after some contemplation that Secretary Cade chimed in, sharing, "I'm on the same page with Miss Celia, my lady. It would be best to ignore her letters."

Mikael, feeling puzzled, asked, "Could you please explain why you both think that way?"

With no hesitation whatsoever, Secretary Cade spilled, "The Marquess, well, he finds her quite bothersome, my lady."

Miss Celia flicked her head to Secretary Cade, casting him a surprised glance, not expecting him to be so blunt. However, he wasn't finished.

Secretary Cade went on, "Usually, we just burn her letters to ashes. The problem is, she's quite like a stubborn weed. So, next week, we'll probably have another stack of her letters on our hands to deal with."

Mikael was left speechless, not quite sure how to respond to this information.

However, he knew better than to underestimate the influence of individuals like Lady Clarissa, who had significant connections.

To make matters more complicated, aside from Lady Clarissa's letters, there were also letters from the capital city. They contained polite messages and invitations to various tea parties, suggesting that the Marchioness might consider a visit to the capital.

The issue was that he wasn't exactly comfortable with social activities. In fact, the thought of them induced anxiety, like a whole circus of butterflies swarming in his stomach.

He would feel out of place, like that fish stuck on a tree branch, wishing it could be back in the water where it belonged.

Secretary Cade chimed in, "Marchioness, social gatherings are not entirely important."

Miss Celia, however, had a different take. She gave a little shake of her head and expressed, "I respectfully disagree with Secretary Cade on this one. He probably got that from the Marquess."

But with a feigned cough, she added, "Ahem. Though the truth is, I don't see any pressing need for social events at the moment."

She took a step closer to the desk, her hand reaching out to sort through the letters from different noble families. She made sure to place Lady Clarissa's letters on the other side of the desk, separated from the rest.

With a gentle tap of her fingers on the letters, Miss Celia addressed the matter at hand, "My lady, for now, you may consider replying to these letters as a matter of courtesy."

And as if they were a duo working as a coordinated team, Secretary Cade approached the desk. He started collecting Lady Clarissa's letters, likely for disposal.

But Mikael wasn't about to let this swift operation slip past him. He promptly placed his hand over Lady Clarissa's letters and said, "Hold on, I should probably respond to these as well."

Caught red-handed, both Mikael and Secretary Cade wore concerned looks on their faces.

Mikael quickly reassured them, saying, "Don't worry. I'll politely decline her invitations."

Only then did Miss Celia give him a nod of approval, and the tension in their faces eased.

Mikael added, "I'll get these letters all written up tonight. But these reports about the estate inspection..."

The reports they had been sifted through had highlighted several areas in need of attention on the estate. 

These weren't just random checks; they pointed out specific stuff that needed fixing or improving, like the condition of the halls, the stables, and various other concerns that needed some serious looking after.

"We can start the inspection whenever you want, my lady," Miss Celia replied.

"How about we start tomorrow?"

Their heads bobbed in agreement, perfectly in sync.

Just as they were discussing these matters, Beth entered the room, balancing a tray loaded with a teapot and a batch of cookies, trying her best not to spill the goodies all over the place.

She also brought some news with her, announcing, "My lady, Sir Daelan had just arrived, and he's got word that the Marquess is on his way home."