Maylily - Chapter 50

At Roden Station’s platform, reporters and photographers had already gathered in droves since early morning. Even though Hugh’s business trip to Cartia had been kept private, somehow word had spread. To David, it was always a mystery how such things happened every time.

“There are rumors you’re in marriage talks with the Duke of Aemonta’s family in Cartia. Is this trip related to that?”

“Please comment on your relationship with the Marquess of Cheshire’s daughter, your partner at the imperial banquet.”

With every step Hugh took, flashes burst and questions poured in. Since official statements about company management were distributed to the press in writing, occasions like this naturally focused on his private life, especially his affairs with women.

Of course, he never gave answers to questions meant to be consumed as mere gossip.

“Who was the woman you were seen walking with in Windays Park last week?”

Keeping his posture perfectly composed under every question, Hugh’s gaze briefly met that of a young reporter with chestnut-brown hair before moving on.

Without breaking stride, Hugh boarded the train along the path secured by his attendants, followed closely by the executives of Skaard Enterprises.

The distance from Roden to Cereno, the capital of Cartia, took nearly thirty hours by train. Because of that, they planned to spend the night at an inn near the southeastern border and continue the remaining journey the next day.

Entering his private suite, Hugh sat down on a wide sofa draped in violet velvet. The space, nearly twice or three times the size of a first-class compartment, contained only Hugh, David, and Hugh’s personal valet. For wealthy nobles desiring comfort and privacy during travel, paying extravagantly for such accommodations had become commonplace.

David neatly arranged the day’s newspapers on the table before the sofa. He then reported on the schedule and business matters for this trip, while the valet prepared tea for Hugh.

“The last two days will be taken up with meetings to finalize the employment transfer details with Almera. Here’s the summary of the points discussed at the board meeting the day before yesterday.”

As David set the report on the table, Hugh glanced over it and gave a slight nod.

“Lastly, the new informant arrived in Purdshire yesterday evening.”

It had been ten days since Mark, who had gone to Daymont to track Victor Heywood, lost contact. Hugh had ordered new personnel to be dispatched to Purdshire. The agent, sent off the day before yesterday with instructions to investigate, had telegraphed news of his arrival.

“I’ve arranged for further reports to be delivered to Cartia.”

“Well done. And also, yesterday’s matter.”

Yesterday’s matter referred to David’s effort in transforming Maylily’s bedroom into a flower garden.

There was no need to ask about the outcome of that lavish courtship. The fact that Hugh had only returned to the mansion at dawn spoke for itself.

At last, he must have achieved his goal.

“It was nothing. I only did my duty.”

At David’s humility, Hugh gave a faint smile. His face looked neat and refreshed, not like someone who had lost sleep.

When David bowed and withdrew, the valet entered at just the right moment with tea. As Hugh lifted the teacup, the jewel pin at the center of his gray ascot tie caught the sunlight and shone clearly.

After moistening his lips with a light sip, Hugh set the teacup back on its saucer and opened the newspaper. In the ordered lines of type, he found his own photograph, and his thoughts drifted naturally to the night before.

On a late night when the moon had waned, he had gone out to the parlor for a cigar and found a newspaper lying beneath the sheet music on the ottoman.

Printed at the top of the front page, where his photo was displayed prominently, was a date from a week ago. It was the day he had walked with Maylily in the park.

“No! Don’t look, please.”

Was this what she had been so desperate to hide?

The lips holding his cigar twisted faintly, and a laugh laced with white smoke slipped out. By the time he had smoked half the cigar, Hugh abandoned the thought of leaving Maylily’s house and instead returned to the bedroom.

Sitting at the head of the bed, bathed in pale moonlight, he watched Maylily sleep soundly for a long while. Time passed quickly even though he did nothing but look at the quiet woman who didn’t move, didn’t make even the smallest sound.

When the hour came that he could delay his departure no longer, Hugh was led by some unknown impulse to wake her with a gentle touch. Perhaps he had simply wanted to hear her voice once more before leaving.

“I think I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll see you to the door.”

Even half-asleep, the woman revealed her heart without pause, her face flushed with embarrassment. It was so trivial and at the same time so very endearing.

That was why, when her eyes sparkled like jewels in the dawn as she looked up at him, Hugh couldn’t stop himself from taking her hand.

“I’ve always wanted to see the sea. If I could share that moment with you, Count, I think it would be an unforgettable memory.”

That jewel-like gleam had been in her eyes as she spoke of the sea. Hugh had never possessed such brilliance before.

He had wanted to kiss her right then.

As he always had, Hugh didn’t resist the impulse he felt toward Maylily and carried it out.

Even so, what was that emptiness that seeped through the chill air of dawn as he left her house? That feeling as though, despite taking the woman all night, he had left behind the most important thing….

It must be because he still hadn’t taken from her what he most desired.

After briefly retracing the memory, Hugh concluded the cause of that unfamiliar feeling simply.

And soon his bluish-gray eyes skimmed smoothly over the print of the newspaper again. But the vague unease that had trailed him since dawn remained, tangled with the memory of last night, still lingering inside him.

***

When Victor discovered that Maylily was a singer with the Roden Opera Company, instead of leaving for Purdshire at once, he telegraphed Pamela in Roden. It was to request confirmation of the truth. He could no longer waste time and money chasing false information.

The reply arrived the next day.

Confirmed

At once, Victor set off for Roden.

The long journey that had lasted nearly two months was finally approaching its end. Sitting on the train, gazing out at the outskirts of Roden spreading beyond the window, Victor suddenly realized something strange.

“We worked so hard to get May through graduation…. Even most parents wouldn’t go that far.”

“After her grandfather passed away, her family’s circumstances deteriorated rapidly, so she dropped out.”

Since it was confirmed that Maylily was an opera singer, Jace’s words couldn’t have been lies. Then why had the head of the music school told him otherwise?

What was even stranger, the documents she had shown him also listed Maylily’s record as a dropout.

Had Marcus Cobb bribed that woman beforehand? If so, then he hadn’t been following from behind but watching ahead all along….

But no matter how profitable a mine slave might be, wasn’t this an excessive effort to spend on a mere debtor?

Victor turned over the foggy sense of unease, then shook his head.

“In the end, what does it matter….”

What did any of it matter now? Soon, he would meet Maylily.

Whatever reason Marcus Cobb had, whatever means he had used, in the end, the victor was Victor himself.

By the time he stepped off the train arriving at Roden Station, Victor was steeped in triumph. And that feeling of triumph reached its peak the moment he saw Maylily in person for the first time.

Maylily had her silky blond hair braided into two plaits and wore a blue dress. Standing in a secluded spot away from the center stage, Victor recognized her instantly.

Her delicate features stood out even from afar, and her uniquely pure aura couldn’t be concealed even with stage makeup.

She was undoubtedly his daughter, the one everyone in Purdshire had said resembled him.

In that day’s performance, Maylily was just one of the many female chorus roles pining for the male lead. Yet to Victor’s eyes, she shone brighter than the prima donna herself.

At last, lowering his opera glasses after a long while, Victor waited impatiently for the performance to end, eager to see just how beautiful Maylily would be up close.

And indeed.

His precious daughter did not disappoint him.

After the performance, Victor made his way through the performers’ entrance to the backstage corridor. After some waiting, he finally saw Maylily. She emerged from the dressing room with a fellow singer and walked down the hall.

With her makeup removed, her face looked younger than it had on stage. And far more beautiful.

In that moment, Victor quickly calculated how high he could bargain with Viscount Dawson.

The rush of numbers flooding his mind brought such exhilaration he nearly choked. The long days wandering without connections in Purdshire now felt entirely compensated within seconds.

Drawing in a deep breath to steady his excitement, Victor stepped toward Maylily. His grip on the bouquet he had prepared to win her favor tightened on its own.

“Are you Miss Maylily Aile by any chance?”

“Yes, but… who are you?”

As Victor approached politely, Maylily’s eyes flashed with caution. But when he introduced himself by dropping the names of Diane and Jace, saying he had important business, her wariness soon softened, and she sent her companion ahead.

In that brief exchange, Maylily was exactly as Jace had described. Timid, gentle, and too trusting. In other words, the perfect material to be manipulated at will.

“This is an important matter. Let’s move somewhere more private.”

Hiding his scheme flawlessly behind a courteous smile, Victor spoke. Soon they slipped away from the bustling main corridor to a quiet spot.