19 A person in love is terrifying...

"Ellie and I have to leave now. It was a pleasure to have met the two of you, Earl Bartholomew, Countess Bartholomew." Leon smiled amiably and bid the two aristocrats his farewell.

Likewise, Ellie, who stood next to him, bowed clumsily. "I bid you farewell, Earl Bartholomew, Countess Bartholomew."

The couple showed courtesy towards the young Prince and his company, their gestures as perfect as one would expect from nobles: "It was our pleasure to be able to meet Your Highness on today's outing. Please take care on your way."

"I hope we meet again, dear Elianna." The words of the Countess tinted Ellie's cheeks a slight shade of pink.

"Countess Bartholomew, please take these with you!" Breaking protocol, the girl stepped forward and put a little bag of pastries into the hands of the older woman, while Leon just smiled at Ellie's bold but cute behaviour, saying nothing.

"Thank you, let me repay you with some delicious tea one of these days." The Countess smiled and retreated to the side of her husband, who eyed the whole conversation with some curiosity.

Leon then took Ellie by the hand and led the young girl away. His attendant followed them at some distance. Their voices could still be heard.

"We still have time, let's go to the market, Ellie."

"Yes, let's try the new stuffed milk bread there, Leon!"

"Your Highness, please put on your hood in public..."

"Oh my...." The Countess chuckled "look at how bold youngsters these days are."

The Earl took a look at his wife, still holding the bag of pastries. He removed the bag from her hands and placed it into the care of a maid who swiftly stepped up to take it.

"A little too bold, if you ask me." He shook his head, his forehead creasing up.

The Countess, being cared for by her husband, hooked on to his elbow. It was done in a swift and natural motion as if she was very much used to it.

"But what a coincidence to meet the objects of rumours today of all days." She smiled mischievously.

The Earl had cleared his throat to hide his slight embarrassment but became serious after listening to his wife's remark. "There are not that many coincidences in our world."

"There isn't." Countess Bartholomew nodded in agreement. "Never thought the rumours might be authentic in the end. His Highness has found himself a lover, and it's a lowborn child no less." She sighed, "I heard the Duke's daughter had been shamed into fleeing the country overnight. The wives are whispering that His Highness even tried to break off his engagement to Miss Rubin, making her faint on the spot. The next day, out of anxiousness and anger, she took her bags and left for Coronia where her brother, Marquiss Rubin, currently is. His Grace, Duke Rubin, was so furious that he drove into the Royal Palace the next day, making Our Majesties the King and the Queen flustered to no end."

"Don't believe everything they say, those bored people love themselves a good story no matter how phoney the thing is." Earl Bartholomew grunted. Since his own family was subject to rumours left to right, he found his gossiping peer's hobby distasteful and ridiculous.

The Countess, who seemed much more carefree, said: "But where there's smoke, there ought to be fire. If not all of it, then at least some of it has to be true." Like her husband, she spoke out of her own experience. Sometimes life was even more unfathomable than fiction. No matter how hard you try to hide the ugly things, they can never be covered up fully.

"Well, I just couldn't imagine the Duke throwing a tantrum. I have never seen the White Lion of the battlefield show any emotions."

"Hahaha... that is truly hard to imagine."

"Miranda, what do you think of that girl? It seems His Highness is truly fond of her. At least for now."

"I heard she was orphaned since birth and is a scholarship-student at the academy. But the original isn't as much of a cunning woman as the rumours would like her to be. She looked cute and amiable. To be honest, I had always wanted a daughter like that."

"I also can't imagine how she could have wrapped His Highness around her little finger... to me, it looks more like the Prince is the cunning one." Earl Bartholomew sighed heavily and looked into the distance where Leon and Ellie had departed. There was a looming sense of oppression in his heart, and his wife's words made it almost certain that the four of them meeting today was not at all a coincidence.

"Showing her off in broad daylight, dropping the honorifics and even holding her hand in public... doing these things was obviously for us to see." The Earl lamented, "A Prince in love is truly terrifying."

——————-

Marquess Bartholomew, the head of the household Bartholomew, stood at the window with scrunched up brows. Although the Marquiss' health was already in decline, he still refused to show weakness and was still involved in all matters of his household. Especially those of his only daughter, Countess Miranda Bartholomew, the last treasure his wife left behind before going to the other side.

His son-in-law, Earl Douglas Bartholomew, was behind him, eyes unwavering but one could tell that he would rather be anywhere else than here.

"So you're saying that Miranda and that girl get along together? How many times have they met already?" The Marquiss' voice seemed calm, but anyone who knew him knows that his voice would never be this frosty when talking about his daughter.

"Today marks the fifth time since the beginning of last week. The first time was a coincidence. We met in town, and the girl was with His Highness, Crown Prince Leonhard. Since then they've met for tea and various other reasons. Two times, I believe, was by coincidence." He answered truthfully and added: "Miranda enjoys the girl's cheerfulness." - as if it was worthy of mention.

Marquiss Bartholomew was still eyeing the two people down in the garden. They have set up a table and drank tea and enjoyed pastries for quite some time already. Their chatting voices could sometimes reach even his opened window. One of them was his daughter, Countess Bartholomew, whom he hasn't seen smiling so bright and innocently in a long time. It would be a reason for cheering, but how could he be happy when the person who made her this way was someone introduced by a member of the Royal Family, Prince Leonhard?

"I thought he was still wet behind his ears, but the Prince is more cunning than we thought. He got us at our weakness."

"Father, forgive me, I couldn't prevent them from meeting each other."

"Even I couldn't foresee an event like this, how could you have seen it? It was already too late when the two of you met them for the first time. I allowed you to marry Miranda because that would make her happy. Not because I thought highly of you as a strategist."

Earl Bartholomew didn't dare to refute his father-in-law. He was born of much lower status than Miranda and under normal circumstances would never be a favourite candidate for her in marriage. That the Marquess allowed him to marry into the family and climb ranks was thanks to an unfortunate event, leaving Miranda unable to bear any children.

"They forced me to adopt Samuel into the family, and now this. I wonder if they have any respect left for my Bartholomew's reputation."

Samuel was Marquess Bartholomew's nephew, born from his low-life younger brother. Since Miranda was unable to produce an heir, the Marquess had been forced to adopt Samuel as his son, who will inherit his title one day. He hated the fact, but his hands were tied in this matter. He couldn't let the Bartholomew household die out with him. It was his duty to protect the blood of the Bartholomew Family. It wasn't enough to have a son marrying in when his daughter couldn't bear children. But that way it didn't matter whom she married. So at least he could allow her to marry the man she fell in love with, Douglas. Heaven was fair in this regard.

"No matter what happens from now on, I swear to you that my priority will always be Miranda. I won't let any harm befalls my wife."

"That's the only reason you, a Baron's third son, who barely managed to become a knight, stands here as an Earl now. But it is quite an opportunity Prince Leonhard is giving us. If Miranda and you adopt that little mistress, who is favoured by His Highness, Samuel will not find it easy to rob the two of you in broad daylight when I die, and he takes over as head of the household."

"Please don't talk about such sad things, father." A woman's voice chimes in, coming from the entrance to the study. It was, of course, Countess Bartholomew, who had just arrived. Afternoon tea was over, and the girl went home. She strode to her father's side and put her hands on his with eyes gleaming sadly. That her father was like this and their household dwindling in reputation was undeniably her fault.

"I know you have wanted to adopt a child, and the two of you have been visiting orphanages in secret. But to think that even the privilege of choosing for yourself has been taken from you makes me angry. To take in a royal's lover could not only be a blessing but also a curse in disguise. I don't want you to go through more hardships after I'm gone."

Marquess Bartholomew sighed, patting his adult child's smooth and unblemished hand. He wished for her to be free of care and live happily, but things never went right for his family. Just why is that so? How many times has he thought about sending them away with a considerable sum of money so they could start over somewhere else, far away from politics and the chains of the aristocracy? But as selfish as he was, he also wanted her to always be in sight so he could protect her.

"You don't have to worry about that. I think everything will be fine." Miranda said.

"Why do you think so?"

"The way Prince Leonhard looks at that girl, I feel very familiar with that gaze." The Countess smiled lovingly and looked at her husband, who went beet red after understanding the hidden meaning. He coughed and busied himself with straightening his perfectly arranged sleeves.

"The fact that he loves you is Douglas's only merit." Marquess Bartholomew threw another low-punch at his son-in-law.

But his daughter was right about the Prince at least. That Prince Leonhard wanted the girl to be adopted and become a noble was so she could hold up her head when standing next to him. If he doesn't care about her or her feelings, he could have kept her next to him as a maid or even a plaything. He doesn't have to go such roundabout ways for her and risk infuriating Duke Rubin and his fiancée. There was reason to believe that love was the driving force behind his actions.

"You accepted Douglas without a fuss, but now you just can't be true with your feelings. Mom always had to corner you to get you to talk about them."

"You and your mother are just helplessly romantic. Don't believe that love is easy to find or eternal. Even if he has fallen for this girl, the Prince has a fiancée. And because there is no direct Princess, Miss Rubin is the most important unmarried female in this country. By fate, it is her birthright to become Queen of this kingdom. There is no room for an orphan girl. Even if she becomes the daughter of an Earl and the granddaughter of a Marquess, our house can't hold a candle to the Duke's influence. If they want to crush us under their foot, we can't even complain. You are both still too young to understand how fearsome the House of Rubin could be."

"I've met Martha; I think she is well educated and strong-minded. And Miss Rubin is not only intelligent but already a beauty at such a young age. They don't seem like narrow-minded people."

"People like them won't even allow a grain of sand in their eyes. We're talking about the next Queen of the Kingdom. There have been stories of lovers and mistresses down the line, but not all wife's are accepting the thought of sharing their husbands. The stronger her background, the harsher is her reign and the bigger their ego. Such people, even if it's not out of love, they won't allow a side lover that would lower their self-esteem. Much less be cast aside. If it's the Rubins, even the Royal Family have to tread with care. His Highness is treading on thin ice. Whatever the rumours are, we cannot be careful enough, even with the Prince on our side, we have to be careful of malicious intent. If not the Duke personally, there will be people who want to get on his good side by using all means possible. He doesn't even have to get his hands dirty."

"Father, you are treating them like monsters, I've never heard bad things about the House of Rubin as you're imagining."

"There are monsters among us, Miranda, they might wear human skin, but they're worse than wolves. I wouldn't be surprised to see their masks crumbling when they find out what the Prince is planning to do. And we, as his accomplices, might face greater wrath. Are you still willing to adopt that girl under all these circumstances?"

"I am. And you will like Ellie too, father. She is hard-working, empathic and as cute as a kitten." Miranda laughed and began to talk enthusiastically about that little girl she has met these days, distracting her father from his worries.

"This reminds me, rumours are spreading that the girl is Douglas's bastard child!" The Marquess suddenly voiced out, obviously angered on behalf of his daughter.

"I would never...! Father, please don't believe those rumours!" Cold shivers ran down the Earl's spine. Not only was his reputation as thin as paper, but what if his wife were to believe those rumours?

"Stupid, you would be dead already if I believed those rumours!" The Marquis's berated.

"Hahahaha," Miranda was stunned at first but had to laugh at both men's bickering. Despite her father's harsh words towards her husband, she knew that the two of them got well along with each other. "If she really were Douglas's daughter, I would love the girl even more than I already do."

'A person in love is truly terrifying...' The Marquess thought to himself.