The odds of winning were not very high.
Odette took a deep breath and began her first task of the day with a calm knock.
"Come in." Bastian's voice was monotone as it came through the closed door.
There was still a burden that she hadn't been able to get rid of, but Odette didn't hesitate any longer and opened the door and entered Bastian's bedroom. The butler and an attendant holding a tray with a simple breakfast soon followed.
"Odette?"
Bastian turned around and called out her name unexpectedly.
Odette, who had been looking down at her clenched fingers, stopped walking involuntarily.
He was in the middle of changing his clothes, of all things. Aside from his underwear and socks, all the clothing on Bastian's body was a freshly buttoned shirt.
Odette hurriedly averted her gaze. She regretted that she had chosen a bad time, but now she couldn't retreat.
Struggling to part her lips, Odette hurriedly approached the table. The butler, who had set down a kettle with water and coffee, retreated, and the maid, who was waiting for her turn, approached.
Hard-boiled eggs, plain bread, and some grilled vegetables and fruits. The food prepared as requested was neatly laid out.
After arranging the cutlery and napkins, Odette sat down at the table as if nothing was wrong.
"What is it, madam?"
Bastian's question mixed with laughter was heard.
"As you can see, it's breakfast."
Odette, who had finished preparing her heart, turned her head. Bastian, who had a button up shirt, was now fastening the tight hem to the buckle of the garter on his thigh. It was hard for her to find where to look, but Odette had no choice but to watch the embarrassing sight.
Bastian rolled up his sleeve and put on a wristwatch and cufflinks in turn. Tie was next. The turn of the pants, which Odette had been eagerly waiting for, came only after that.
While Bastian was putting on his trousers, the butler took care of his well-polished shoes.
Odette sighed and finally looked at her husband properly. Checking the time, Bastian went to the mirror to straighten his tie and shirt collar.
Odette watched him with cautious curiosity. It was the first time he had seen a man getting dressed. It was quite different from the way women did things, especially the way they handled goodness.
Unlike Odette, who focused on creating the softest curves and wrinkles, Bastian emphasized his body frame with sharp lines. It seemed to be this that gave him the impression of being smooth and graceful, despite his much-taller stature and build.
Checking his appearance once more, Bastian put on his uniform jacket. The bright morning light lay on his shoulders as he had just turned his back. It was the look of the officer Odette had seen before.
"There is no need for this, Odette. Coffee is enough for me."
Bastian slowly approached and stopped in front of the table.
"Since the commute to work is far away, maybe it's time for a change of routine?"
Since this was an expected reaction, Odette was not greatly shaken.
She had a talent when it came to convincing and feeding adults. It was thanks to Tira, whose mouth was short and worried her.
Of course, at that time Tira was a seriously small and thin child, but the essence of the problem was not much different.
"Shall we try eggs?"
Odette smiled kindly, like an older sister comforting her troubled sister. She decided not to pay attention to Bastian's eyes staring at her as if she was a crazy woman.
"I can predict your fortune for the day by watching how the shell cracks."
Bastian didn't answer, but Odette paid no heed and continued her work. First, she placed a cup containing a warm egg in his place, and a spoon to break the shell was also added.
"Come on, Bastian. I'll look at your fortune."
The bright morning light fell on Odette, who was working hard. After examining the expectant butler and the busy breakfast table in turn, Bastian's eyes turned to Odette again.
Please help me.
Odette whispered with her lips, eyes pleading. Even at the moment when she said regretful things, her face was always resolute.
Bastian, who was still looking down at his pleading wife with a face as if she had come to collect a debt, sat across from Odette with a smile.
It wasn't difficult to figure out the situation. The butler, determined to make his master eat breakfast, must have asked the hostess for help. The woman who worked hard at anything must be doing her duty by talking nonsense from dawn.
Bastian first took a sip of the coffee, which was as bland as plain water. The sugar cubes that were always put together were nowhere to be seen. Lovis seemed determined to believe in the hostess' power.
"I understand you don't have an appetite at this time of the day, but I want you to have something better than strong coffee. It would be terrible if that hurt your body."
Hesitantly, Odette opened her mouth. Bastian sat with his chin slanted and clutched the egg spoon.
"Why? Are you afraid of becoming a widow?"
Tak, the sound of breaking eggshell followed by a playful question.
"Yes. I don't want to be left alone in a world without you."
Odette finally looked at Bastian's egg cup with a smile of relief. In fact, egg-fortune reading was just a ploy designed to interest Tira, but Odette always lied sincerely. Just like now.
"It's a lucky star."
Odette returned the egg to Bastian after examining it intently like an inquiring scholar.
"It looks like you will be a good day."
A plate containing bread, vegetables, and fruits was also gently placed beside the egg cup.
"Now, if you finish eating those eggs, your fortune will come true."
Odette's eyes became the most sincere when she told the most absurd lie.
Bastian obediently scooped up a spoonful of egg while looking at Odette absurdly.
Odette's sense of accomplishment doubled when she saw the old butler's expression of admiration.
She had successfully completed her first assignment of the day.
It was also the morning when a lucky star appeared for Odette.
***
"He still haven't heard from his daughter yet?"
Theodora opened her eyes and asked an unexpected question. Her maid, who was combing her hair, hurriedly raised her head and looked at her master's face in the mirror.
"Ah yes. It's said that these days he is waiting for his daughter as quietly as a corpse. Of course, the Duke's daughter is still not showing."
"Good grief. How pitiful."
Theodora clicked her tongue and closed her eyes again.
Susan, who had gone on vacation, returned with a surprise. Duke Dissen. After being crippled in the fall, it was a piece of the puzzle that had been completely forgotten by the world, but perhaps played a significant role.
It seemed that his son-in-law and daughter made him like that.
After hearing her sister complaining about the Duke's care, Susan rushed to the mansion.
Theodora rewarded her for her loyalty by letting her be her personal maid for a while. Of course, she did not forget to compensate her appropriately financially. Susan as well as her sister.
Twice the compensation her sister got from Bastian for taking care of the Duke.
Her husband said it was too much, but Theodora thought differently. In order to win people's hearts, you should not be stingy in opening your pockets. It was her secret to getting her where she was now.
"Tell your sister that all she has to do is report Duke Dissen's movements. There will never be anything dangerous."
After her hair finished brushing, Theodora stood up holding a pair of pearl earrings that lay at the end of her dressing table. It was the jewel that Susan's eyes often lingered on. When Theodora handed it to her, Susan's eyes widened.
"Oh, madam! You don't have to do this. Oh my god. I dare not take this precious thing…"
"I'm sad to hear you say that, Susan. We are old friends."
Theodora gently stroked Susan's hand holding the earrings.
With tears in her eyes, Susan wrapped them carefully and left.
Theodora let out a long sigh, sat back down on the sofa, and reached for her cigarette.
She didn't really believe what she heard. There was a high probability that it was bullsh*t.
But if she could get something out of it, she might be able to speed up the day when she could live with the curtains wide open like before.
There was something about Bastian's wife.There was no solid evidence yet, but Theodora's intuition certainly did.
After quelling her neurological symptoms with a succession of cigarettes, Theodora began her day with a visit to her son's room.
She had repeatedly told him to be nice to his fiancée, but nothing had changed much these days. She even received a phone call from Countess Klein yesterday. The Countess said that her daughter was very depressed because she hadn't seen her fiancé for a long time.
The Countess jokingly asked her to give the young lovers some time to socialize once in a while, though the meaning behind the request was clear.
A warning to please her daughter if they wanted to have a safe wedding.
Even if her pride was hurt, Theodora had no choice but to bend first. For a noble family like Klein to decide to be in-laws with Klauswitz was close to a miracle.
Of course, they were now a family accepted as members of the social world, but the engagement would not have gone so smoothly had it not been for the stubbornness of Ella, who had fallen in love with Franz.
"Franz."
Theodora gave an impatient knock, calling his son's name. She received no report that he had gone out, but after waiting a long time, she did not hear Franz's reply.
Theodora, accustomed to this, took a key from the pocket of her skirt and opened the locked door. The morning sunlight streaming in through the window filled the room without its master.
'Anyway, it doesn't look like he's up to speed.'
Theodora looked at the scenery through the window, and a deep wrinkle formed between her brows.
That damned mansion, which nothing sort of Bastian's challenge, was best seen from the location of this room. And yet, Franz was overly carefree. Her husband's disapproval of her son was understandable.
As Theodora was about to turn away, an easel standing on the balcony outside the window caught her attention.
Touching her throbbing head, she hurried over to it. She finally understood why Franz had been neglected his fiancée.
For he was preoccupied with that nonsense again.
Theodora's determination to discipline him harshly when he returned vanished the moment she saw a painting standing on the easel.
It was a classic portrait of a beauty. It was still unfinished, but there was no difficulty in recognizing the woman's face.
Theodora looked out across the sea, shedding a quick laugh.
The woman in the painting was Bastian's beautiful wife, Odette.