âI heard you were alone so thought it would be nice to have some tea together,â said count Glacia.
How did she know I was alone? Amethyst thought. âBut donât you have a meeting to attend to?â asked her.
âWell⦠thatâs true,â said count Glacia, âbut itâs regarding a topic irrelevant to me so itâs alright even if I am not there for a while.â
âAh, I see,â said Amethyst. She instructed Roman to bring in some tea and snacks. Amethyst still was an aristocrat and knew how to accommodate her guests.
âIâm sorry about before,â said count Glacia, âI wanted to apologize again.â
âItâs quite alright,â said Amethyst.
âI know how it sounds,â said count Glacia, âbut I just wanted to help you. There wasnât any other meaning behind it.â
âHelp me?â asked Amethyst.
âYes,â said count Glacia, âIt was the first tea party you were holding, was it not? So, I felt like I should check things to make sure everything was perfect. I used to be in charge when your seat was vacant, so it is an old habit. I went to the glass house and the decorations seemed excessive, so I did what I did. Sometime less is more.â
âIs that so?â asked Amethyst, appearing nonchalant, sipping the tea Roman had poured for her.
âYes,â continued count Glacia, âSo I told the florist that it was too much, but it is her business as well, so she didnât listen to me. I offered to buy the babyâs breath so that the decoration would be saved, and the florist got paid, as well. If my actions upset you, I sincerely apologize.â
Amethyst was tired. Perhaps count Glacia expected her to naively accept it and be grateful to her. But she knew that count Glacia wasnât all that she seemed. And making Alexcent appear at the tea party with a bouquet of babyâs breath had been the last straw. It seemed like count Glacia had been mocking her, pushing her to the edge to see if she would break.
âEvery person has their own standards and definition for beauty. Perhaps you did what you thought was right thing to do. But I would appreciate it you didnât concern yourself with my affairs,â said Amethyst, âYou are a count and I am sure you have enough things to worry about, enough responsibilities to fulfill. I would not think about infringing on your responsibilities, so please do not do so in mine either. Besides, I donât want to put unnecessary burden on you and your work.â
Amethyst made it very clear. A distinct boundary. No more games. Count Glacia sipped her tea and smiled. She really is not a naïve young girl like I thought she was. Perhaps I have to step things up.
Count Glacia smiled and took Amethystâs handâs in her own. âOh, donât say such things,â she said, âAfter all we serve the same Lord, donât we?â
Amethyst looked into count Glaciaâs eyes unwaveringly. âI think you are mistaken,â said Amethyst, âI donât âserveâ anyone, count.â
âOh my,â said count Glacia, âI just⦠forgive me, itâs just that I heard you donât have that kid of relationship. I heard you donât even share the same room.â
Amethyst felt her embarrassment and anger flare. âWhat is the meaning behind all this?â she asked coldly, restraining herself.
âNothing!â said count Glacia, âI was simply concerned.â
âWhat are you so concerned about, might I ask?â asked Amethyst, âI failed to understand why other people are so concerned about someone else bedroom habits.â
âAbout the heir, of course,â said count Glacia, âAs someone who serves him, it is only natural to be concerned.â
Count Glaciaâs words made Amethyst plunge into a memory she would rather have forgotten. Her mother-in-law used to call her.
âItâs me,â she would say when she picked up the call.
âMother,â she had said, âDid you sleep well last night? The weather is pretty cold please take care of yourself.â
âGo and see a doctor,â her mother-in-lawâs brisk response.
âWhy?â she would ask, surprised. âWhy so suddenly. I am fine, really.â
âI had a dream yesterday and it feels like a premonition for a baby. I saw a large dragon flying in the sky and I got an unusual feelingâ¦â her mother-in-law would say.
âMotherâ¦.â She knew about her dreams and premonitions without any basis in the truth. âIt canât be.â
Her mother-in-law always would call her now and then. She would spare no greetings or any warmth of any kind. It used to be the same thing. A baby. Her premonitions and dreams.
âThis time itâs real. Donât question me and just go and see a doctor tomorrow. Do you understand? Iâm hanging up now.ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
She had always been pressured this way, for a baby. Made to feel like a failure. She had dreaded those calls and those questions and the insistence to visit the doctor. Count Glaciaâs mention of the heir did the same thing for her. It reminded her of all the times she had dreaded the calls and the questions.
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