Chapter – 7

Secret Out of the Box

On this busy day, Plumette was forced to wake up early by her maids and get dolled up. She was going out to meet a few young men—potential fiancés, if she happened to like any of them. Now, she sat in her room, fully dressed and prepared, waiting for her brother Zachary to come fetch her so they could leave for the hunting grounds.

Even in the stuffy dress, she felt a small sense of relief knowing that Grace would be there as well. At least she wouldn’t be alone, and that made the situation feel more bearable.

After a while, Zachary arrived and knocked on her door.

“Plumette, it’s me. I’m coming in.”

He let himself inside and immediately collapsed onto the couch, letting out a tired sigh. “Finally, some peace.”

“Looks like someone’s planning to retire soon,” Plumette joked as she poured him a cup of calming tea.

“Tell me about it,” Zachary replied, taking a sip before leaning back again. “I had to handle double my workload this morning because we’re meeting Count Crudnick’s son. The business plan is solid and all, but the workload is killing me, Plumette.”

“Well, you’re still an heir, Brother,” Plumette said teasingly. “Think about all the exciting things you’ll do once you become a Count.”

“Like doing overtime in your office, or getting bags under your eyes…” she added.

Zachary shot her a playful glare and muttered, “Shut up.”

Plumette couldn’t help but chuckle at his annoyance.

A servant soon knocked on the door. “Young Lady, Young Lord, it’s time to depart. The carriage is waiting outside.”

“We’ll be there in a minute,” Plumette replied.

Zachary slowly pushed himself upright and adjusted his attire—his servants had worked hard to make him look presentable today. He walked over to the tall mirror in Plumette’s room and ran a comb through his hair.

“Stop dilly-dallying. You look just fine,” Plumette urged.

“Let’s go then,” Zachary said, holding the door open for her.

Later, as they sat inside the carriage, Zachary still looked exhausted from the morning’s work and lack of sleep, while Plumette was bored out of her mind.

“Are you really going to be such a terrible companion and sleep instead of talking?” she complained.

“Talk?” Zachary replied without opening his eyes. “I’d rather rest my eyes than engage in nonsense with you.”

That made Plumette huff. “You’re the one who made me tag along today.”

“Only because I didn’t want you to feel left out of such a wonderful day,” Zachary replied sarcastically—though in truth, he had brought her along because he knew she had been growing restless at home. He wanted her to socialise, breathe some fresh air, and ease their mother’s worries.

A knock came at the carriage door.

“We’ve arrived, my lord and my lady,” the coachman announced.

Zachary instantly wiped away his tired expression and stepped out first, offering his hand to Plumette.

“Look at your pretend face,” Plumette muttered under her breath as she followed him.

As she stepped down, she noticed the carriage behind theirs—it bore the Narwing family crest. Her heart leapt with excitement.

Jacob was here.

As if on cue, Jacob stepped out as well. He had noticed the Fritzki carriage earlier and was already looking toward Plumette. Seeing the excitement in her eyes, he couldn’t help but smile and walk over to greet them.

“It’s a pleasant surprise to see you both, Lady Plumette and Lord Zachary,” he said with a polite bow.

They walked together toward the hunting grounds.

“Lord Jacob, I didn’t know you’d be joining us,” Zachary said, curious.

“Elias, Chester, and I often go hunting together,” Jacob replied with a small chuckle. “I’ve been skipping lately, so they urged me to come today—before I faced consequences.”

“I see,” Zachary responded simply.

Plumette remained silent, waiting for Zachary to get busy with others so she could talk to Jacob without her brother watching her too closely.

As they approached the pavilion, they spotted Elias, Chester, and Grace resting beneath it. Chester noticed them first and quickly alerted the others.

“Thought you wouldn’t show up unless Elias or I dragged you out of your office,” Chester said as he stood up.

“Can’t risk dealing with your disappointed faces later,” Jacob joked as he took a seat.

Chester moved to greet Zachary, while Plumette immediately captured Grace’s attention, enthusiastically recounting their journey.

Elias approached Jacob and tapped his shoulder, signalling him to step aside. Jacob followed, and they walked a short distance away from the pavilion until Elias was certain no one could hear them.

“Well,” Elias said, “you finally decided to step outside your estate.”

Jacob shrugged, unwilling to repeat himself.

“You couldn’t be more obvious, Jacob,” Elias added, glancing back toward the pavilion.

Jacob frowned. “What do you mean?”

Elias nodded toward the group. “Your feelings for Plumette Fritzki.”

Jacob tried to stay calm, though anxiety crept in. “Is it that obvious?”

“Not really,” Elias replied. “I’m just good at observing. You tend to direct all your attention toward her whenever she’s around.”

Jacob let out a quiet sigh of relief. “I can’t help it. Her presence demands it.”

Then he frowned again. “Still… you seem a little too good at observing.”

Elias chuckled. “I once had feelings for a woman, too. I hid them until the end. It’s easy to recognise someone like me.”

Jacob was briefly taken aback. “Care to say who she was?”

Elias thought for a moment. “The past is the past. Leave it there. Besides, you don’t need to try so hard. You’re handsome, well-regarded in high society, and you have a title. If you asked for her hand, her family would accept easily.”

Jacob shook his head and glanced toward Plumette at the table. “I’d rather she fall in love with me and choose me herself. I don’t want to force her. You know how political marriages are.”

Chester noticed the two missing from the pavilion and called out loudly, “What are you two discussing so secretly? Come back—we’re about to start the hunt!”

Elias and Jacob returned, ending their conversation.

“Keep this from Chester,” Jacob murmured. “You know how obvious he’ll make it.”

“Obviously,” Elias replied with a grin.