Secret Wardrobe of the Duchess

Chapter 28

Was I wrong?

Should I have given her one kiss?

-You filthy man!

Then, a woman’s voice slapped him.

-You cannot do it even if the woman wants it as long as you are not in love!

“Ha, ha, ha.”

Thinking of that moment made him burst into laughter again. The woman had appeared to be so reserved and obedient, so he had been rather surprised to see her get mad like that.

She had been the first person to not give in to his temptation and yell instead. In addition to it, she had also been the first to say that it was right to refuse when there was no love.

A fresh breeze blew in his mind.
She had slapped him, but for some reason, he felt like that strange woman had cured him.

‘Tomorrow is the wedding.’

He closed his eyes and recalled her face. Her kind brown eyes had a stubborn red hue. He had a feeling that their future together wouldn’t be bad.

He liked that feeling. He would have that feeling when he found a good math formula or finished an outstanding research project, but never on a person.

‘I miss her.’

He was surprised to find himself thinking so. Me, missing somebody? It was unfamiliar.

‘I probably want to ask her about what just happened.’

Yes, that was probably it.
Everybody else would say he was cold, but she would probably say he had done well, and he wasn’t bad.

He tried too hard to act cold, but at the same time, he felt tormented.

He just wanted to be consoled by her. That was all.
Edgar dismissed those sudden feeling like that and blamed the sudden thoughts for surprising him and making his heart beat fast.

***

Each jewel must be taken care of differently. Some must be cleaned with oil and water regularly. Others lose their luster as soon as they meet water. The right temperature and humidity were crucial for preserving the jewels’ beauty for a long time. Along with its long history, the Claymore Family owned jewels and accessories with various stories. There were so many of them that they couldn’t be kept in a locked box.

Rubica followed Ann and went past through the entrance where guards were standing watch. She was so impressed at seeing the treasury.

‘… it’s just like a museum.’

Rubica had never seen anything like that before. So, she was overwhelmed by the enormous quantity of jewels. At the same time, she recalled Edgar saying, “accessories not good enough for a duchess” and smiled bitterly.

She thought as he had grown up seeing those jewels, he could have said that without the purpose of being rude.

“Lady Berner, the tiaras are this way.”

“Okay.”

Rubica followed Ann and looked at the beautiful necklaces, bracelets, and brooches.

As the family was a ruling family, it had tiaras unlike other noble families. They were used only on very special official events. The wedding was the only private event in which those tiaras could be used.

“This tiara was acquired when the 12th Claymore, Marquis Claymore, seized the king of Berna with the cannon he invented.”

“The teardrop diamond in its center, that’s the Mermaid’s Tear, right?”