Maylily - Chapter 35

If only she could return to the past and sing again, that would be enough. What did it matter how things ended with him…

It was a foolish heart she couldn’t understand herself. Lately, such moments had grown more frequent. Even matters simple and clear became hazy and obscure, like a fog, when related to the Count of Everscourt.

Sighing once more with her heart still heavy, Maylily stepped forward. Unlike the day, the night wind brushing past was still chilly.

“I should’ve brought a muffler.”

Rubbing her arms briskly against the seeping chill, Maylily quickened her pace. As she passed the flower shop on the way to the omnibus stop, it happened.

“Good evening, Miss Aile.”

Meeting someone so unexpected at such an unexpected moment, Maylily’s eyes widened with gladness.

“Mr. Curren! What brings you here at this hour?”

“I thought you might still find it difficult to walk, so I came to escort you. But seeing your brisk steps, it seems my worry was needless.”

“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine now.”

Proving her words by marching in place, Maylily made David laugh softly.

“Still, for the sake of my effort in coming, allow me to accompany you.”

The Count of Everscourt is waiting. Conscious of the passerby moving under the lamplight beside them, David added quietly. At the name, encountered without preparation, her heart reacted helplessly.

“Yes, I’ll go with you.”

Maylily nodded, striving for composure. Yet she couldn’t hide the faint blush that bloomed across her cheeks in that instant.

After walking a short while down a side street off the main road, they arrived at the entrance of a secluded alley where a carriage stood waiting.

“These days, reporters are hounding the Count persistently.”

Explaining why the carriage had been left in such a quiet spot, David then respectfully reported Maylily’s arrival to the Count of Everscourt seated inside.

With his help, she stepped into the carriage, which was filled with the Count’s fragrance. The scent, rushing deep into her chest, made her breath slightly stifled, but Maylily sat calmly beside him.

“Good evening, Count Everscourt.”

The Count nodded faintly with a face touched by a slight smile. Perhaps he was returning from a social gathering. With his hair neatly brushed back to reveal his broad forehead and dark brows, and dressed impeccably in an evening coat, he was—anew—perfectly elegant. Even the casual gesture of tapping the carriage wall to signal its departure was refined.

As if spellbound, Maylily’s gaze swept over him. Then, at the sharp clip-clop of hooves, she came to her senses and lowered her eyes to her lap. The dress she had worn all day without thought suddenly seemed shabby.

Had all my makeup been wiped clean? The wind had blown hard earlier, so my hair must be in disarray… She suddenly found herself fussing over every detail.

“Is your ankle better now?”

As Maylily quietly smoothed the loose strands of hair that had fallen to the side, the Count asked abruptly. She dared not meet his eyes directly, turning her head only halfway.

“Thanks to your concern, it has healed a great deal. Enough that standing on stage is no strain at all.”

Watching her awkwardly avert her gaze, Hugh studied her silently, then turned his head toward the window and answered briefly.

“That’s good.”

And then silence fell. His face, lit by the passing streetlamps reflected in the window, looked serene, as if he cared nothing for the silence. Maylily, however, grew a little restless.

She wanted to thank him for his attention to the opera company…

But today, for some reason, his indifferent demeanor made it hard to begin. While she stole glances at him and fidgeted with her fingers, the carriage sped across the Fez River, pale under the moonlight. At this rate, they would soon arrive at her home, and who knew when she might meet him again.

So before it was too late, she must give her thanks.

Resolving herself, Maylily spoke in a gentle voice as the carriage entered Cryer.

“Count.”

The Count turned his head, tilting it slightly. The gesture seemed so kind that it gave her courage to continue.

“Would you like to step down and walk for a while? This morning, I saw the riverside in full bloom, and the scenery was so very lovely.”

“It may be better not to overexert yourself.”

“I truly am fine. After resting a whole week, I’m overflowing with energy. If you’re willing, I’d like to walk!”

Hugh gazed quietly into the clear blue eyes that shone so transparently. It made him want to follow along willingly, or to refuse just to tease her.

He’d already noticed from earlier that Maylily was restless, wanting to say something. Finding her fidgeting and stealing glances at him quite endearing, Hugh had deliberately waited with leisure for her to speak first.

He decided to grant her request gladly. The night view of the riverside, with its lamplights sparsely lit, was beautiful enough to walk together with this woman.

Hugh instructed the carriage to follow at a distance in case of emergency, then stood beside Maylily. Seeing her slender shoulders tremble beneath the thin fabric of her dress, he removed his coat and draped it over her.

“You really don’t need to do this, Count. I’m truly fine.”

To the wide-eyed Maylily, the Count spoke chilling words with an expressionless face, “Keep it on. Unless you want to catch a cold and take leave again right after your return.”

Ah, that would never do…

“…Thank you.”

Biting her lips for a moment, Maylily shyly grasped the lapels of the coat. The warmth and scent of the Count, lingering in the fabric, gently wrapped her chilled body, bringing a faint flush to her cheeks.

Soon, the two of them began walking. As the night deepened, the fresh fragrance of acacia, scattered by the river breeze, drifted down onto the empty road.

“On my way to the theater, as the carriage passed by here, I saw how much the scenery had changed in just a week. I wanted to walk this path, but during the day I’m always at the theater…”

Opening with a casual story about the scenery, Maylily walked past three or four streetlamps, then let out a deep breath and broached the real subject.

“In our opera company, there’s a singer named Vanessa Fritz. When I went to the theater today, I saw she had been removed from all the roles she held while I was away. From what I hear, it seems it has something to do with me… I wanted to ask if you might know anything about it, Count.”

Feeling the gaze on her cheek, Maylily turned her head to the side, and there on the Count’s lips spread a meaningful smile.

“A gift for your return. Did you like it?”

“Ah…”

So it was true, then.

Letting out a small sigh, Maylily lowered her gaze to her feet. Thinking that the Count must know everything that had happened in the opera company made it difficult to face him directly. She kept her eyes down, watching the white petals scattered on the ground pass beneath her steps, then spoke again.

“How did you know?”

“I told you before. I’ll handle everything. All you need to do is care about my mood.”

It was strange. How could such arrogant words sound so tender?

Drawn by an indescribable feeling, Maylily slowly lifted her head. When their eyes met, Hugh, with a faint smile in his long, narrow eyes, reached out and brushed back the bangs blown loose across her forehead. His touch was gentle, as always.

The Count had gone to lengths to resolve the difficulties she couldn’t confide in anyone else, and he hadn’t judged her for them.

Suddenly, Maylily thought that she no longer found the Count frightening. Rather, standing at his side now, she felt a kind of stability she had never known before blooming faintly in her heart.

Yet at the same time, the thought that she must not grow any closer to him circled endlessly in her mind. She felt lost as to what she could show of her heart, and what she must keep hidden.

So the only words she could manage were…

“Thank you for your concern, Count. Truly.”

If only I were a little better with words…

While Maylily felt frustrated at her own clumsiness, the Count simply nodded, as though that much was enough.

“Now then…”

Withdrawing his hand from her hair, he slowly pulled off his gloves, tugging the corner of his lips into a languid smile. The lamplight falling on his jet-black hair cast a deep shadow over his elegant mouth.

“Is it your turn now to think of my mood?”

“Ah…”

Maylily blinked slowly, her eyes filled with both confusion and tension, as Hugh gently cupped her cheek. Her full lips parted slightly with a small sigh, then closed again, as if promising to repay, in some form, the things Hugh had done for her.