Please Marry My Son

Part 2

*** 

Inside the carriage, Alicia straightened out the wrinkled sleeves caught as she was being pulled.

Having to finish late today despite wanting to end early, perhaps to prepare for tomorrow’s work in the dressing room, seemed to have brought about a string of unfortunate events.

“But who was that? A security staff member?” 

While most of the salon staff might know, Alicia usually only frequented the salon during the day, so security personnel who dealt with visitors at night might not recognize her.

 “Oh, now that I think about it, I saw him in the back corridor earlier.”

Though she only saw his back, recalling his attire made it clear that it was the staff member she almost collided with at the door earlier. 

“Would it be okay to act so harshly towards nobles? What if there’s retaliation?  

Still, it was a good thing she didn’t reveal her name; it seemed she had thought of a way out. If Callen complained to the salon later, she might face consequences like dismissal. 

 With a worried mind, Alicia thought it might be best to explain the situation to Madame through a letter and express her gratitude if possible.

***

While her son roamed around nonchalantly, Lady Gloucester had been keeping a low profile at the ducal residence for a while.

 Feeling too stifled, she ventured out briefly, only to run into the woman who had recently secured her position through her son’s connections at the salon.  

“You, woman, really have some nerve. Even after causing such disgrace, you’re strutting around here thinking you’ve done something right? 

Can’t even properly supervise my son, I really can’t stand the sight of those noble faces!” 

Her eyes seemed to convey such words as she couldn’t even raise her head and hastily retreated as if fleeing. 

Of course, there wouldn’t be anyone who could openly speak like that to the hostess of the Gloucester ducal estate, being an imperial official herself. 

“It’s my fault.” 

The housekeeper, who was attending to the muttering Lady, silently prepared a warm cup of tea for her. 

 “What was I thinking, giving birth to that one?”  

How happy she had been to finally have a son, even if it was late. How dearly she had cherished and adored him. 

They say children don’t always turn out the way you want them to, but she never imagined it could turn out this badly, experiencing it firsthand in her later years. 

Seeing Lady Gloucester’s sighing, the housekeeper silently refilled her tea cup once more. 

One wrong word here could lead to another flood of tears and complaints, and then the chance of leaving work on time would be out the window.  

“How about going to the dressing room?”

 “Thanks to my son, I won’t have anything to wear anyway, so what’s the point of new clothes?”

“Still, ma’am. You might end up with depression at this rate. You should get some fresh air outside.” 

“Well, maybe.” 

Lady Gloucester, who is usually so active and enjoys meeting people, has been holed up at the ducal estate for over ten days now.

 So it was understandable that she felt stifled, prompting the housekeeper to gently suggest it.

After a moment of hesitation, Lady Gloucester reluctantly came from the sofa.

 “Oh my, it’s been a while since you’ve come out.”

The madam of the dressing room greeted Lady Gloucester warmly. 

“Yes, it has been a while since I came out.” 

“What would you like to see today?” 

“Just some casual outfits, maybe a few to try on. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to wear them.”

Though the last words were muttered and barely audible, the madame, who had already heard rumors through the ladies frequenting the dressing room, didn’t bother to ask further.

“Exactly.”

As the madam gave some instructions to the staff, Lady Gloucester leisurely settled into the sofa, feeling comfortable.

Everywhere she went, it always felt like she was on thorns because of her troublesome son, but receiving a warm welcome after a long time made her feel better.

Soon, the staff began setting up some fabrics on the table.

“Oh my, the colors are lovely. What kind of design would suit them?” 

“I’ll show you the design book. Just a moment.” 

As the madam got up, there was a knock on the door. 

“Come in.” 

“Madam, we’re done.” 

The door opened, and instead of a staff member, a lady entered. 

It was Alicia.

“Oh my, really? Thank you so much.” 

“Don’t mention it.” 

 Lady Gloucester scrutinized her with curious eyes as she kindly smiled.

 She seemed too elegant and graceful to be just a salon staff member.

“Would next week at this time be suitable for you?”

“Yes, that would be fine. I’ll come back next week.”

As Alicia turned to leave, their eyes met. 

When Lady Gloucester awkwardly smiled, Alicia also smiled kindly. 

Her smiling face was so beautiful that it could create a sense of affection even where there wasn’t any before. 

“I apologize for interrupting your conversation.” 

Her polite farewell and graceful departure were elegant and refined.

Even to Lady Gloucester, who had quite a bit of social experience, Alicia’s manners seemed perfect.

 “Oh my, get a grip. We need to get the design book.” 

“Madam, forget about the design book for now. Who is that young lady? A staff member?” 

“Oh no, not a staff member. She’s the daughter of the Duke of Lancaster. She’s so clever and helpful, we’ve been relying on her a lot.” 

“The Duke of Lancaster has such a daughter? I’ve never seen her in social circles before.” 

“Apparently, the duchess’s health isn’t great, so she doesn’t engage much in outside activities. Plus, the duke has been abroad for a long time now.”

“Oh, really?” 

The Duchess’s mouth involuntarily opened wide at the thought that she might not have heard about Eric’s reputation properly.  

“She seems like a very nice young lady. Someone like her probably already has a partner.”

“A partner? Oh, no, she’s not interested. She’s too busy working.”  

“Oh, I see.” 

“I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve asked her. But she rejects everyone so decisively, it’s like there’s no wall that can stand against her.”

 However, the Duchess was no longer listening to the madam’s words. In fact, she didn’t even hear them.

“As I thought, today I felt a strong urge to go out. Fate really works in mysterious ways, doesn’t it? Well then…” 

As plans began to form in her mind, her eyes started to gleam brightly.  

“Delaying won’t change anything, will it? Shall we take action right away?”