Chapter 167
Read ahead of public and coin chapters ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊ GoM kofi ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊
“With regard to the stock acquisitions, I believe it would be wise to consult expert opinions. There’s been a growing consensus since last week that the investment is overly aggressive. The matters concerning the charitable foundation have been organized below that. And…”
The old butler’s steady report trailed off.
“And? That sounds like the main point.”
“…May I ask how long you intend to remain at the hotel?”
Theodore picked up the glass resting at his right and slowly savored the whiskey.
For a man who never questioned his master’s decisions, the butler’s concern was unusually direct. Given his usual discretion, it was obvious whose influence lay behind the question—the Dowager Duchess of Battenberg.
“……”
Theodore let out a quiet sigh, brushing aside the mild irritation. After all, this unfortunate servant was merely caught between two masters at odds with one another.
Lowering his gaze, he picked up the next document.
“I have no intention of returning for the time being. If the Dowager asks, tell her that.”
“…The Dowager is worried, of course—but I am as well, my lord. Even if the staff here conduct themselves properly, they cannot attend to you with the same care as those at the estate.”
“Then she can resolve that by withdrawing from the family affairs and appointing a steward. After that, she may retire comfortably to her beloved villa in Liège.”
He spoke lightly, almost joking, but more than half of it was sincere.
Whether it was the castle or the town house, everything had always been managed down to the smallest detail by the Dowager. And that alone was exhausting enough.
Worse still, nearly every property the family owned was tangled with memories he would rather forget. Following the long, complicated love story of his parents, right up until their so-called ‘unfortunate accident.’
At times, he had been dragged along like a trophy from one estate to another, passed between them every other week, as if all of Battenberg’s lands were part of some grotesque display.
He hadn’t even resented it, not really. At some point, he had simply lost any desire to have a place of his own.
“Then perhaps purchasing a separate town house would be preferable? I can arrange it quietly, without the Dowager’s knowledge…”
“There’s no need.”
There was a reason he had enlisted in the navy the moment he came of age and why he stayed in hotels during his leave instead of returning to the family estates.
At some point, it had all begun to feel like nothing more than a tedious extension of a meaningless family play. Even things that once seemed vital inevitably faded with time.
“Settling down in one place… sounds tedious.”
His answer was dry as he signed the document.
Marriage. Permanence. Even the thought was faintly suffocating. Especially when their goal was so transparent—to have him quietly produce an heir and remain fixed wherever that child would be raised.
If he had no choice but to marry, then it would be best to keep it devoid of affection. A dry arrangement. Mutual benefit. A partner who wouldn’t care who he saw, and who, even in death, would never cling to him emotionally.
“I’ll do anything. As long as you grant the Battenberg name to the child I bear—Edgar’s child.”
That once-insolent voice of Morton now sounded… almost reasonable.
At the sudden wave of fatigue, Theodore loosened the collar constricting his neck.
The only sound in the room had been the scratch of his pen—until the telephone rang.
Norman quietly picked up the receiver, but his expression soon shifted to one of visible confusion. Then, somewhat hurriedly, he covered the mouthpiece with his hand.
Theodore frowned at the rare display of agitation.
“A woman has arrived at the hotel you stayed at previously. She’s asking for a man… and the staff say that, no matter how they think about it, she seems to be referring to you, Your Grace. They called to confirm.”
“…A woman?”
“She says Lady Vanessa is looking for a man named River Ross.”
