Chapter 170
āI should have thanked Catherine properlyā¦ā
Nina unfolded her writing paper. She had wanted to thank Catherine in person for helping her, but she hadnāt been able to meet her in the banquet hall, perhaps because Catherine had returned home as soon as the hunting festival ended.
The day after the hunting festival.
Nina wished to visit the Barrington residence but was unable to do so. She needed to be examined by the family physician first, and her husband insisted they leave for home at once, no longer trusting the palace.
Truthfully, after what she had gone through, she herself didnāt want to remain in the capital any longer, so she followed his wishes. Thatās why, as soon as she arrived home, she took out her writing paper.
āThey say you should repay kindness twofold, but Iāve already done it.ā
The thought of what might have happened without Catherineās help was so terrible that she didnāt even want to imagine it.
āMadam, from now on, I will serve Lady Catherine Barrington as my benefactorā¦ā
Marsha sniffled. She had been in this state ever since realizing just how narrowly they had avoided disaster.
āIām going to think of Catherine as a benefactor from now on too. But really, her observational skills are a marvel.ā
That day, as soon as Nina felt something was wrong with her body, sheād excused herself and slipped away, thinking no one would notice.
But how had Catherine realized and followed her? Nina couldnāt help but think her perceptiveness was extraordinary.
After finishing her letter, Nina headed to Ianās bedroom.
āLooks like everything is pretty much ready.ā
Nina smiled in satisfaction as she looked around the room where Ian would be staying during vacation.
The butler and Melanie had arranged everything perfectly according to her instructions.
Since Ian had left for the academy, no one had stayed in the room except when cleaning.
āThis is the room Ian used until he was about eight, right?ā
Thatās why not only the bedding but the bed itself was a bit small, so sheād replaced it with a larger one.
Since carpets and curtains tend to gather dust even with daily care, sheād replaced those with brand new ones, but otherwise, she hadnāt touched anything else.
She couldnāt just change things on a whim in a space filled with Ianās memories.
āMadam, Young Master Ian said heād be arriving tomorrow, correct?ā
āYes, heāll probably get here tomorrow evening. What about his clothes?ā
āTheyāre all sorted by size and put away in the wardrobe. Once the Young Master arrives, you just need to check his measurements and send them to the tailor.ā
āGood, we should get new clothes ready as well.ā
Everyday wear, pajamas, and even formalwear.
When Nina had seen Ian at the academy, he seemed a bit more physically developed than his peers.
āWell, he is of the Bayern bloodlineā¦ā
Her own husband was nearly 190 centimeters tall, after all.
She was curious whether Ian had grown taller during the time apart.
It was inevitable to be curious about the growth of Ian, who resembled the classic model-student type from a youth manhwaākind and well-mannered from an early age.
āBut Iām a little worriedā¦ā
The heir to House Bayern was coming home for vacation after two years. Shouldnāt there be a party or something?
She wasnāt his parent, but she was his guardian now.
The problem was, she had absolutely no connection to the āmommy communityā.
Not just that, sheād refused all social gatherings unless there was a compelling reason, so she had no particular network to rely on.
āHmmā¦ā
For now, she decided to check the invitations addressed to her.
Usually, she received invitations to ladiesā social gatherings, formal luncheons, and dinners, but this time it was different.
Had news already spread that Ian would be coming home for vacation?
Letters from parents of Ianās classmates at Saint Hennige Academy were coming in one after another.
āā¦I really am nothing like him.ā
Nina muttered as she looked through the letters.
She herself had never managed to fit in during her school days, and whether by choice or circumstance, had always been a bit of an outsider.
But according to these letters, everyone seemed to be close to Ian.
āIf I go back, youāll be left alone, Aunt. So, Iāll stay with you.ā
āā¦Would you mind staying with me?ā
Just recalling Ianās gentle, well-mannered smile and his sweet words made Nina nod unconsciously.
Even aside from his background, with such a lovely personality, it was no wonder he got along well with others.
Still, she couldnāt entirely trust everything written in those letters, and just looking at the families involved, she couldnāt figure out which connections she should pursue.
Especially since Ian wasnāt her own child, but her nephew, she worried even more.
If she failed in her role as guardianā¦
