Forgotten Juliet

Throughout the winter, the baby foxes Juliet devotedly cared for grew healthy and strong.

As their growth was noticeable day by day, one day, the grown-up foxes stopped coming for food.

Juliet seemed somewhat saddened by this.

[Will they come back?]

No.

[No.]

Lennox, who answered casually as usual, realized Juliet’s disappointment only after seeing her expression, and quickly tried to make amends.

[…Instead, perhaps other baby foxes will come by next winter.]

[Other foxes?]

[There’s always snow foxes freezing to death in winter. The orphaned ones will be hungry.]

[…]

For a moment, Juliet’s blue eyes, which had brightened up, quivered as if hit by a shock.

He was embarrassed, not understanding what mistake he had made in his words.

[It’s okay if they don’t come. I hope they live happily with their mother.]

Juliet, who spoke earnestly, stood up from her place and began walking around the yard.

Lennox slowly matched her pace and glanced at Juliet.

Her pale cheeks were still rosy due to the cold wind, a far cry from the frightened girl he had encountered initially who seemed as if she could die of fright at any moment.

A sense of satisfaction secretly crept up on him, making him smile slightly.

Lennox had neatly wrapped up his mansion work in the capital and was contemplating other matters.

Perhaps she’d like it if he restored the long-gone count’s mansion to its original form. But it was still a distant thought.

As the long winter ended and the frozen land in the north began to thaw gradually, slight changes started to appear in the daily routine of the Ducal house.

With the arrival of spring, he found himself with more free time.

Then, he started pondering a problem he had never thought of before.

[What?]

[What do you usually do?]

[Me?]

[What do you do when I’m not around?]

He was curious about how Juliet spent her time when he wasn’t around.

From his perspective, being raised in the north, there didn’t seem to be much leisure for a young lady to indulge in at the Ducal house.

Juliet tilted her head.

[Just, either take a walk or read books in the library.]

‘Library.’ He frowned without realizing it.

He realized belatedly that on the library table Juliet freely used, a marriage proposal letter from the capital had been placed. Although Juliet hadn’t dug into anything.

‘Maybe she just needs a corner to get attached to.’

He wondered whether he should buy a kitten.

An uninvited guest arrived at the Duke’s mansion that afternoon.

[You’re really indifferent, Your Highness.]

The middle-aged noblewoman with a friendly demeanor was named Ursula Mott.

[My God, how could you not step into the capital even once throughout the winter?]

Lennox Carlyle didn’t trust even his closest blood relatives.

Instead, he had planted eyes and ears all around the Empire, and Ursula was one of those spies.

[Thanks to that, the Emperor has started to grow suspicious of your activities.]

Ursula whispered with her voice lowered.

Being a skilled doctor herself, and with her act of picking up talented war orphans during her travel across the Empire, nurturing them, and sponsoring impoverished artists, Ursula was a highly reputable and renowned person.

Thanks to that, despite being of common birth, there was no place in the Empire Ursula couldn’t step into, from the Empress’s salon to the high-nosed Duke’s house, making her an excellent source of information.

[Is that young lady the rumored Nightingale?]

[What?]

[The rumors are rampant even in the capital. They say that the Duke of the north has been enchanted by a low-born sweetheart.]

Lennox furrowed his brows.

[That’s astounding.]

[You’ve neglected managing your reputation. You should have been prepared for this.]

Ursula rolled her eyes.

It’s a human nature that if you throw them something appealing to chew on, they’ll gnash their teeth on it while looking down upon it satisfyingly.

[But this year, you neither attended the masquerade, nor gave them any scandal to chew on.]

It was Ursula’s scheme to purposely advise him to date a primadonna who stood on the grand theater stage, as she held a significant share in the theater.

Whether he took the advice or not.

[I was busy.]

Losing interest in any further reputation management, Lennox answered indifferently.

He was just starting to get annoyed at the thought of Juliet being the subject of people’s gossip.

[You must really like her, huh?]

Lifting his head at the unexpected statement, Lennox met Ursula’s meaningful gaze.

[But Your Highness, Nightingales are curious and impetuous, they die easily.]

[What do you want to say?]

[Even if they engage in lovely acts, if you cage them in mockery, they’ll suffer and die. They’re not an easy bird to tame.]

Ursula advised ominously.

[So be careful. If you don’t treat her gently, you’ll regret it.]

* * *

Initially, Lennox intended to brush Ursula off casually.

[My God, a wardrobe without even proper outdoor attire?]

But after calling a tailor, getting measured for clothing, and fussing over for days, Ursula cajoled Juliet into having a bunch of dresses made.

[This is the trend in the capital these days.]

[…]

Throughout the winter, the only attire he saw on Juliet was pajamas or plain-patterned dresses that were almost like pajamas.

But the moment he locked eyes with Juliet, who was awkwardly fiddling with her half-tied up hair in a red dress, he changed his mind.

[How is it?]

[…Do as you wish.]

And thus, Ursula became a guest at the Duke’s mansion.

Contrary to concerns, Juliet seemed to like Ursula.

[It would be nice if the lady stayed for a long time.]

Even in his absence, it seemed Juliet had a good time.

She was so joyful that he felt a bit heartbroken.

About two weeks like that.

Suddenly, he discovered that Juliet, who went out with Ursula, didn’t return even as the evening approached.

[Juliet?]

[She went to the theater in Dover with Madam Ursula.]

[Since they attended the ‘Night of Sponsorship’, they would return before nine…]

Lennox got anxious the moment he heard that.

It was fine for Juliet to enjoy her leisure time without him, as she seemed happy, but this was unexpected.

Moreover, ‘Night of Sponsorship’.

There would be individuals like Ursula who purely enjoy theater, but such occasions inevitably harbored people soaked in vanity, ignorant and boastful.

Lennox didn’t want Juliet mingling amongst the northern nobles who liked to show off without knowing much, keen on meddling in others’ affairs.

He knew how vulgar these nobles could be towards anyone they found slightly weaker. He disliked the idea of imagining her surrounded by drunken people.

[Shall I send someone to fetch her?]

[No. I’ll go myself.]

He hurried towards Dover.

Carriages crowded near the theater due to the post-play sponsorship event. Lights and tables were scattered around in the outdoor garden.

However, the scene that caught his eye as he stepped into the garden wasn’t what he had anticipated.

Clang!

[You, you vulgar…!]

The sound of something breaking followed by a small shriek was heard.

A seemingly drunk young man was rolling on the ground, clutching his head.

[How dare, do you know who I am!]

His head must not have been entirely clear as he struggled against the servants trying to help him up.

The shards of glass scattered on the floor and the young man shouting at the servants suppressed others from intervening.

The target of the man’s vulgar tirade was a woman standing a little distance away.

[You lowborn, seems like being seen by a Duke makes you something-]

Calmly standing there and quietly taking in the foul words, the woman remained expressionless.

Juliet’s hand caught Lennox’s eye and he felt a cold rush.

Drops distinctly different from wine, blood drops were falling from her lowered right hand.

He saw nothing else.

[Ahh!]

[Juliet.]

The kicked man clutched his head and shrieked, but he didn’t care.

The woman, who had been pale and looking at the floor, lifted her eyes and saw him.

Juliet didn’t seem surprised upon seeing him. He wasn’t interested in how this situation unfolded.

[Clear it.]

He took Juliet by the shoulder and led her out of the garden without paying any heed to the whispers around them.

[Your Highness!]

Madam Ursula, who had followed them out, halted at the sight of Lennox’s fierce gaze.

Only then the theater owner hurriedly rushed over.

[Y-Your Highness! Is there anything you need…?]

[Call a doctor.]

Instead of heading back to the castle, he instructed to call a doctor and found an empty waiting room inside the theater to seat Juliet.

Examining Juliet’s cut hand was the priority.

[Give me your hand.]

[It’s fine.]

Juliet rolled up her sleeve and pushed him away gently as he inspected the wound.

She spoke calmly.

[I broke the glass.]

[What?]

Juliet showed a faint smile with her pale face.

As she said, she had only cut her palm a little, the wound was shallow. Fortunately, there seemed to be no other injuries.

[Why did you break it?]

[Just, felt like breaking it.]

[…]

Lennox regretted his silly question.

Hadn’t he seen that punk pour out insulting words at her just a while ago?

Had he been a bit late, it might have been Juliet rolling on the floor.

He tried to keep his calm and asked.

[What did he say?]

[What?]

[Tell me what that bastard said. Every single word.]

He intended to make the man pay for the words he had thoughtlessly spat out.

He had been concerned about this part since Ursula mentioned reputation management.

He didn’t care much, but he didn’t want Juliet to hear about him through others.

He wondered what Juliet had heard about him.

[He didn’t say much.]

[Juliet.]

Juliet, who had been expressionless all along, stared at him and suddenly burst into laughter.

[…He said I am pretty.]

Lennox didn’t understand why she suddenly laughed, not until Juliet continued speaking.

[Having a submissive and obedient look, he called me a mindless toy that fits your taste perfectly.]

His fingers turned cold. However, Lennox couldn’t tell whether it was his fingers or Juliet’s, who was quietly looking at him.

[If I don’t want to be quickly tired of and discarded like others, it’d be good to act a bit smarter, he said.]

Juliet, who had been softly speaking all along, grinned, her cheeks lightly twitched.

[Because the Duke tires easily, doesn’t he?]

It was the first time he had wished she would cry or argue back.