Chapter 4: Quiet Accumulation

From that day on, Dorothy and Noah continued to deepen their connection little by little.
From Dorothy’s perspective, she thought of it as no more than exchanging a few words whenever they happened to meet.
However, Dorothy did not realize just how low the probability was for an Empress’s attendant like herself and an assistant to the Chancellor like Noah to “coincidentally” run into each other within the vast imperial palace.
And whenever they did meet, Noah would always give Dorothy some sweets.
He always had a reason ready.
They were snacks he carried for when he felt tired.
They were gifts from a friend.
They were something his sister had given him.
Using one excuse or another, he would hand the sweets to Dorothy.

“Ha ha ha, to think even you would act so earnestly.”

Noah, who had fallen in love with Dorothy, an Empress’s lady-in-waiting, a countess, and a married woman currently being neglected by her husband, reported this matter to Emperor Eugene.
If he intended to court a woman serving the Emperor’s beloved Empress, failing to obtain the Emperor’s permission would be dangerous later.
He was told to stop while she was still married.
However, Noah reported that Dorothy herself had said she would likely divorce eventually.
He was then granted permission to maintain only modest contact while she was still married and to seriously court her once her divorce from Silas was formally decided.

“I will say this first, but if Dorothy dislikes it and Aurelia sides with her, I will not be on your side.”
“I will be careful not to let that happen.”
“At any rate, do not make a mistake. That said, even information about the Miller Count House has reached me. Honestly, what is he thinking? He believes his sister and his friends, yet does not believe his wife. I cannot understand why. Does he not even speak with his own wife? And yet he blindly believes only what others say. From my perspective, it is the height of foolishness.”

A man who does not even verify things with his own wife, who should be the closest and most supportive presence at his side, and instead believes only what those around him say, is questionable as a noble.
From Eugene’s point of view, Dorothy possessed the knowledge and education befitting an Empress’s lady-in-waiting.
Her personality was modest, and she viewed matters calmly.
When asked for her opinion, she answered accurately.
When faced with things she did not know, she studied them eagerly.
She sometimes seemed a little absent-minded, but that was just right.
There was no such thing as a perfect human being.
If there were, living would likely be exhausting instead.

“I have spoken with Dorothy myself, and she is certainly a lady-in-waiting worthy of Aurelia’s trust. She supports Aurelia competently. The more I speak with her, the more I fail to understand why the Miller Count does not trust her, since she is a woman entirely fit to be the lady of a count’s household.”
“It seems Count Silas Miller did not think so. From what little I have heard from Lady Dorothy, it appears she has hardly had any conversations with him at all.”

As Noah gradually learned more about her relationship with her husband, he realized that it was even more broken than he had imagined.

“It is worse than rumors suggest. This may be somewhat improper to say, but I once heard one of Count Miller’s friends boast that on the night of their wedding, he made the Count drink until he was completely drunk. He bragged about ruining the wedding night. If that is the case, it is possible that the two of them have never had a relationship in that sense at all.”
“…Is Count Miller an idiot? And to think people like that exist in this country makes me want to crush their house.”
“They are all second sons or lower. Their work attitudes are also reportedly poor, so they are scheduled for demotion in the next personnel changes.”
“Hmph. Ugly jealousy toward Silas Miller, the only one among them to inherit a count’s house, I suppose. They enjoyed dragging a count’s house down. Well, a house that collapses so easily is unnecessary. It would be better for the country to crush it quickly and let capable people establish a new house instead.”

The Miller Count House was not deeply involved in the political core.
It had some history, but among count houses, it ranked low.
If anything, Dorothy was the one most connected to power at present.

“The Miller domain is not very large. It seems it used to be fairly sizable, but it has shrunk with each generation. There have been no notable achievements in recent generations, and it appears they squandered their assets on dubious ventures.”
“I see. Make sure to thoroughly investigate those you intend to crush.”
“There is no harm in holding their weaknesses.”

Noah smiled pleasantly.
Within the palace, he was reputed to be a civil official with allure and charm, but in temperament, he leaned more toward a warrior.
Eugene could not tell whether he intended to handle things discreetly or not.

“If it truly is a white marriage, divorce should be easy. After a year and a half has passed, it should be possible immediately.”
“Yes. Now that she has entered palace service, it will be even harder for him to lay a hand on her. And she truly does not seem to harbor any special feelings toward Count Miller, so the greatest obstacle between Lady Dorothy and myself will resolve itself with time.”

Once the title of Countess Miller was gone, Dorothy would be a lady-in-waiting trusted by the Emperor and Empress, and a dear friend of Noah’s sister.
Since she was born into a count family, there would be no obstacle for her to marry a marquis like Noah.

“So the greatest obstacle is that she has a husband. There is no obstacle of Dorothy herself refusing?”

From what he had heard from Aurelia, Dorothy herself had no intention of remarrying.
She apparently said that one marriage was more than enough.

“Noah, if you had met the Empress when she was in Dorothy’s position, what would you have done?”
“…I would not make Aurelia feel distressed. Before the divorce, I would earn her trust and spoil her thoroughly. I would not want Aurelia to leave my side, for my own happiness. In return, I would pour my love into her and make sure she could feel happy.”
“I feel the same. I also investigated Dorothy’s birth family, and it seems she was not cherished. That is why I will give her affection. I will make her feel that being by my side is happiness. Therefore, there is no possibility that Dorothy would dislike it.”

Noah knew that when Dorothy occasionally saw couples secretly meeting, she looked at them with cold eyes.
He wished that one day, those eyes would look at him with warmth and passion instead.