Chapter 63
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 63
"Uncle, you’re here. My apologies for keeping you waiting."
"Not at all. Thanks to you, I actually had a moment to relax—something I haven't done in ages. Haha!"
Benedict maintained a generous front toward Cedric, who had left him waiting for thirty minutes. Of course, his internal monologue told a different story.
‘His uncle arrives, and he doesn't even come out to greet me immediately? Arrogant brat.’
In truth, for a Duke to see an unannounced visitor within thirty minutes during the busy year-end season was remarkably prompt. Benedict knew this, yet he still seethed with resentment.
‘How dare he treat me with such disrespect? After all the special treatment I've given him!’
Even at the party held at his own estate, Benedict had treated Cedric like the guest of honor, yet the boy’s attitude remained as cold and unchanged as ever.
Clenching his jaw, Benedict forced himself to stay calm.
‘Hmph, I must endure. To get what I want, I must tolerate even greater humiliations than this.’
Having risen to greet Cedric, Benedict sat back down and deliberately adjusted the lapel of his jacket. It was a gesture Rowan often made.
‘Now, Cedric. Look at me and see your father.’
Given that Cedric had always been inseparable from the stoic Rowan, their father-son bond was clearly special. That was why Benedict was striving so hard to emulate his late brother.
After confirming that Cedric had cast a fleeting glance at his movements, Benedict leisurely accepted a fresh cup of tea from the butler.
Meanwhile, Cedric tilted his head slightly and asked, "Is something the matter, Uncle? You seem to have arrived in quite a hurry."
"Oh, were you worried? It simply felt like it had been too long since we last spoke, so I came by for a chat."
"If you wished to speak with me at a time like this, Uncle, it couldn't be for something trivial."
Cedric's reply made Benedict feel a flicker of unease. At first glance, it sounded as if Cedric would be displeased if he had come for a trifling matter.
But Benedict didn't believe his business was insignificant.
"It’s nothing else, but Holy Festival Week is almost upon us, isn't it?"
"Indeed. This year has flown by."
"Time truly flies. But... where do you plan to visit during Holy Festival Week this year? I heard you didn't disclose your destination last year, either."
Cedric rested an elbow on the sofa’s armrest, crossed his legs, and took a sip of his warm tea.
Last year's Holy Festival Week, which he had almost forgotten, surfaced in his mind. The shock of witnessing Harriet, dressed in a shabby nun's habit and diligently stirring a cauldron of soap, was still vivid. He also clearly remembered the look in her eyes when she had flatly refused his offer of financial support.
“I've lived without pride until now. This is the result. So now I'm trying to reclaim some of it. Why? Do you find it funny?”
How could he forget the intense gaze she had leveled at him?
He had never examined her hazel eyes in such detail before. He hadn't previously considered hazel—that mix of light green and pale brown—to be particularly beautiful, but strangely, they had been striking that day.
‘Perhaps it was because I was trying to become her business partner?’
Cedric mulled over the dry thought before replying.
"Everyone pays excessive attention to where I go, so I deliberately kept it quiet to avoid inconveniencing others. I plan to do the same this year."
"You did visit a temple within Genoa, didn't you?"
"I cannot disclose that. My apologies. However, I suspect you have a specific reason for asking, Uncle."
Cedric had a rough idea of Benedict's true purpose. Sure enough, Benedict, feigning the role of a thoughtful uncle, brought up the topic of temples.
"No high noble fails to attend a temple. Religion, after all, is an important social activity for us, isn't it?"
"That's true."
"But it seems you don't have a regular place of worship yet. That won't do. Nobles tend to ostracize those who lack piety."
Cedric wondered who would be bold enough to ostracize the Duke of Kailas, but he merely nodded. Benedict seemed to believe his nephew was being persuaded.
"You are the Family Head now, aren't you? You should settle into a temple where respectable people gather."
"Is that so? Hmm... Now that you mention it, I believe I heard that Elvinas Temple is quite good..."
"That place is too crowded and chaotic. While it’s the largest in scale, it lacks substance—true substance."
"I see. Ah! Then Saint Paolo Temple, where Mother attends..."
"The women there are far too meddlesome. I hear the Ladies' Association interferes in everything."
Cedric was tempted to list every temple in the city except Arens Temple—the one Benedict attended—just to push his buttons, but he was too busy to waste time on such games. He lightly shook his head and leaned back against the sofa.
"Well, I'll decide on a temple at my leisure. It's not urgent."
"It would be best to visit them in person before deciding. After all, seeing with your own eyes is different from just hearing about them. Which brings me to..."
Finally, the main point.
"How about visiting Arens Temple during Holy Festival Week this year? It's not just because I attend there, but because it truly is an excellent place."
Just as he expected.
Cedric almost felt a flicker of gratitude for Benedict, who never deviated an inch from his predictions. He hoped Benedict would remain such a 'predictable man' in the future.
"I'm not sure. So many places have asked me to visit that it’s hard to give a definite answer, but I will consider it."
At those words, Benedict's face brightened.
"Good! Do consider it. I'll even speak to them beforehand so you won't feel uncomfortable."
"There's no need for that. Why would I want to inconvenience those around me?"
"Humility is a virtue, but as a Duke, you sometimes need to make others a little uncomfortable. People will respect and follow you more if they find you formidable and distant."
"Is that so?"
"Of course! You're still young, so you don't understand. Trust your uncle's words."
At the end of every sentence, 'because you're young' and 'because you don't know' popped out. It was clear how Benedict was trying to manipulate him.
Cedric offered no further reply, merely nodding. After all, he wouldn't be the one to suffer humiliation and regret.
‘I've given him enough of a chance.’
He continued to savor the tea, which seemed particularly fragrant today.
"Even if I'm unable to go, I hope you won't be too upset. Though I trust you would understand, Uncle."
"I would understand, yes. But if you have no other pressing engagements..."
"Of course."
When Cedric readily nodded, Benedict inwardly considered the matter settled. After all, Cedric didn't actually have a specific temple he had to visit.
"I've taken up too much of your time. I'll take my leave now."
"Travel safely, Uncle. It's quite cold out."
"Thank you for your concern. Haha!"
As Benedict exited the drawing room with cheerful steps, Gerard, who had been standing like a statue in the corner, asked in a low voice, "How shall we prepare?"
Perhaps he, too, had anticipated Cedric's answer.
Cedric replied as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "Please prepare for our visit to Saint Clarissa Convent, as per the original plan."
"What level should we set the donation amount at?" Gerard asked without surprise.
"Let's keep it similar to last year."
"Understood."
Cedric leaned his head back against the sofa and murmured, "Where will that woman go, I wonder?"
He didn't realize he was smiling.
*
"It's snowing. I wonder if it will accumulate?"
Inside the carriage heading to Saint Clarissa Convent, Harriet gazed at the snowflakes beginning to drift down outside the window, murmuring worriedly.
Snow in late December was to be expected, but if it piled up or the snowfall grew heavier, it would be difficult to find a hired carriage for the return journey.
‘But I can't exactly take Great-aunt Trisha's carriage, can I?’
The Fellon family had three carriages: one had been undergoing repairs for several days, Roxana needed another for her errands, and the last was for Trisha, who was going to the temple today. Trisha, worried about the weather, had tried to offer her carriage to Harriet, but the Family Head of the Fellons couldn't possibly leave her elder to take a hired carriage.
‘If the snow piles up and I can't get a carriage, I'll just have to stay at the convent for a day or two.’
Harriet decided not to worry too much. Thanks to their early morning departure, they arrived at the convent before noon.
"Sister Harriet!"
Emma, who had opened the door, flung it wide the moment she saw Harriet and pulled her into an embrace.