Chapter 1
Part 1. An Invitation
Nestled in the heart of the Kingdom of Swanton, the capital city of Swane was a spectacle of blooming roses in May. Though Chloe and Alice were staying some distance from the city center at their aunt Lady Talbot’s residence, the intoxicating aroma of the blossoms was carried to them on the gentle spring breeze.
“I feel lightheaded,” Alice complained, collapsing onto the bed. “I must have inhaled too much of that perfume at the dressmaker’s earlier.”
Had he been present, their father, Viscount Verdier, would undoubtedly have admonished her for behavior unbecoming of a young noblewoman.
“Alice, you cannot skip supper, or Auntie will start to worry,” Chloe said as she unlatched the window, a hint of concern in her voice.
“Wouldn’t she be delighted to have one less mouth to feed, the penny-pincher that she is?”
“Alice,” Chloe said sternly.
The sisters were well aware that Lady Talbot was not inclined to host unpaying guests, and that she had only reluctantly offered them a place to stay for the social season. With the kingdom finally settling into peace after the protracted war that had ended two years prior, it was imperative that Alice secure a suitable husband.
“Besides, that will mean I won’t have to tighten my corset tomorrow morning. And don’t your legs ache, Chloe? We had to wander for ages to find the dressmaker’s, thanks to that wretched coachman never showing up.”
Alice furrowed her brow at Chloe, who was carefully setting her cane aside. Though her left leg had begun to stiffen from the exertion, Chloe beamed at her sister, concealing any sign of discomfort.
“If you truly care about me, Alice, then you must behave yourself tomorrow. You absolutely cannot make a scene this time.”
Alice had also taken up residence at their aunt’s house during the previous year’s social season. Freshly of age and blessed with striking beauty, she had received invitations to over twenty soirées. However, at the third party she attended, hosted by a count, she had imbibed five glasses of sherry and was escorted out by a servant in a state of inebriation. Lady Talbot, who had been earnestly seeking a suitor for Alice, was left mortified by the scandal, deeming it a disgrace to their family. The remainder of the season passed without a single suitor calling at the house.
Alice giggled mischievously. “I couldn’t help it! That soirée was just so incredibly dull. I’m sure this time will be much more lively, what with you there. I can’t wait to dance with you!”
Chloe had been certain that after the previous year’s scandal, no one would extend an invitation to Alice again. Yet, to her astonishment, an unexpected invitation had arrived at Castle Verdier a month prior.
Upon seeing the envelope sealed with the crest of a birch tree, the Viscount had been rendered speechless.
“C-Chloe, my dear,” he had stammered. “To my knowledge, only one noble family in the kingdom uses the birch tree as their insignia. Could I be mistaken?”
“No, Father,” Chloe had replied. “It appears we have indeed received an invitation from the Duke of Thisse.”
“Good heavens!”
The invitation had been shocking enough to elicit a divine invocation from the Viscount, who had not set foot in a church since his wife’s passing.
“I am quite serious, Alice,” Chloe reiterated. “You must conduct yourself with utmost propriety tomorrow.”
This was no ordinary ball, for it was to be hosted by none other than Duke Damien Ernst von Thisse. As the sole heir to the ducal house, he had led the kingdom to a great victory in the war. With his father’s untimely passing, he had assumed the family title at a young age, establishing himself as a powerful figure.
Although the Thisse estate lay in the kingdom’s northern reaches, Duke Thisse’s residence in Swane was reputed to rival the grandeur of the royal palace. It was rumored that the roses blooming in his castle, which his mother, the sister of the current king, had received as a gift from his father when she was still a princess, outnumbered those in the entire city.
A vast chasm separated Duke Thisse, a celebrated war hero and nephew to the king, from Viscount Verdier, the lord of a modest estate in the countryside. It was a gulf as wide as the distance between the ground and the pinnacle of the church spire, the tallest structure in Swane.
“You must comport yourself appropriately, if only out of respect for the host,” Chloe stressed once again.
An invitation to a ball graced by the high nobility of Swanton was an honor in itself, but Alice’s countenance remained indifferent. “Yes, yes, I understand. I will adorn myself fittingly, dance with every gentleman present, and daintily sip lemonade instead of spirits, as a lady should.”
Chloe felt her heart grow heavy as she leaned against the second-floor window, veiled in the beech tree’s shadow. As she limped toward the bed, Alice turned to gaze at her. Chloe gently brushed aside the wavy strands of hair that had fallen onto Alice’s lovely forehead.
“I’m sorry, Alice,” she whispered.
Though she was now an adult, Alice still preferred frolicking through the meadows over attending gatherings of high society. Chloe felt a twinge of guilt for placing such a weighty burden on her younger sister, a sentiment that she suspected their father shared.
“It isn’t your fault, Chloe. If anyone is to blame, it’s our dear father for loving Mother so much that he spent his entire fortune on her medical bills and completely failed to manage his estate!”
Chloe attempted to console her petulant sister by gently stroking her shoulders. “It’s not entirely Father’s fault that we’ve suffered poor harvests for the past three years. Storms and droughts are acts of God. I’m certain Father is more concerned about you than anyone else, even if he hasn’t explicitly said so.”
“How could you defend him in this situation?”
“He’s family. That’s what families do.”
Chloe smiled gently, eliciting an exaggerated sigh from Alice. Alice was not entirely oblivious to Chloe’s sentiments. She knew that if their roles were reversed, Chloe would have attended every gathering in the capital to find a husband who could save their family from financial ruin. That is, if Chloe had been in a position to do so.
“I suppose I shall give it my best effort for your sake, Chloe.” Alice suddenly sat upright and embraced Chloe tightly before reclining back onto the bed with a dreamy gaze. “I always pictured myself marrying someone who would sweep me off my feet.”
“Who knows? Perhaps a dashing gentleman will make an appearance at tomorrow’s soirée and steal your heart away.”
Alice giggled. For a moment, as they lay laughing together, it felt as though they had returned to their childhood.
“I’ll never forget the look on Father’s face when he saw the invitation. It was as if he’d been granted an audience with His Majesty the King!”
Even for a nobleman like Viscount Verdier, who lived in the countryside far from the world of politics, the name “von Thisse” evoked deep respect and a certain measure of apprehension. It was only natural that he would feel anxious about the invitation, for all the most esteemed nobles would be in attendance. Chloe gently stroked Alice’s hair, wishing to spare her sister any added pressure.
“I was puzzled at first,” said Alice. “I mean, what possible connection could our family have with the von Thisses? But then I recalled something that Chester had mentioned.”
“What did he say?”
“He grumbled that during the war, Father allowed Duke Thisse’s soldiers to use our castle. Those unkempt, injured men poured in, and by the time we had fed and tended to them all, our family fortune had dwindled to a pittance.”
Chester, their butler, was given to idle chatter when under the influence of spirits. It seemed that Alice, who had been studying at the convent at the time and largely unaware of happenings in Verdier, had been made privy to his tales. Nevertheless, his account was not entirely devoid of truth.
“He is right,” Chloe replied. “Father is genuinely grateful to the Duke for recognizing our family’s act of kindness and extending this invitation.” She suppressed a sigh. As the night deepened, so did her apprehension about the forthcoming day.
“You don’t really want to attend either, do you?” asked Alice, her eyes probing.
Chloe blinked in surprise. She had never considered Alice to be particularly perceptive, but perhaps this was a trait the sisters shared after all. “Well, the rumors about him aren’t exactly good,” she confessed.
“No, they’re downright scandalous! Word has it that he’s fathered several illegitimate children with his mistresses, only to have them executed in secret.”
“Alice.”
It was not difficult to deduce the source of Alice’s claims. She had undoubtedly come across a certain tabloid circulating in the capital without the royal family’s approval.
“He’s also said to have a horrible temperament. If you happen to displease him, he’ll completely ruin you, regardless of any title you may hold. Many seem to think it would have been better if he’d perished in battle—”
Chloe gently covered Alice’s mouth with her hand.
“This invitation is a privilege far beyond our station.”
“Then why did you ask Father if you could stay behind?”
“Did Father mention that?” Chloe responded with feigned nonchalance, though she had been caught off guard by the question.
“No, it was Chester.”
It appeared that since a few of the servants had left, the butler had been struggling to find willing listeners for his gossip.
“I was surprised to hear you’d made such a request, but what was even more surprising was that Father refused it. He usually disapproves of your venturing beyond the estate, and he usually respects your counsel.”
The Viscount had always been apprehensive about Chloe leaving Verdier since she had lost the use of her leg following a severe fever, and this tendency had intensified since their mother’s passing.
In the wake of their mother’s death, Chloe had assumed the role of the lady of the house to support their grieving father. Her meticulous and composed nature had become even more pronounced under the weight of their circumstances.
“You must have had a good reason for asking to be excused, but to learn that Father insisted on your attendance despite your reservations…” Alice paused before her face twisted into a scowl. “He’s behaving like a shameless matchmaker!”
Chloe chuckled softly as she drew Alice into her arms. Though her younger sister had surpassed her in height, Chloe began to stroke her hair, much like their mother used to do.
“Shall we just return home early tomorrow morning?” Chloe asked
“Hmph, as if you would,” Alice muttered, fatigue evident in her voice.
Her exhaustion was hardly surprising. It had been a long day of trying on countless gowns under their aunt’s guidance.