Young Lady Albert Is Courting Disaster: Volume 7 E-Book

Saki

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Heart
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Young Lady Albert Is Courting Disaster
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 217

Beschreibung

The battle for House Albert’s heirship has settled down, and everyone enjoys a moment of bliss when the family doctor delivers the good news: Mary is pregnant! However, the happy times are quickly turned upside down when Adi brings home a little girl called Anna. The child looks just like him, with her rust-colored hair and eyes, and she even refers to him as her father! Her presence throws Albert Manor into mayhem as everyone questions her origin. Despite her misgivings, Mary decides they must return Anna to her rightful parents, and begins following a trail of clues to uncover the truth behind the little girl’s identity. Will Mary and her friends successfully solve the mystery and get Anna home safely? And can Mary, who’s never dealt with children before, handle her first taste of parenthood?

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Characters

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Epilogue

House Albert’s Little Treasure

Afterword

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Table of Contents

Prologue

Inside one of the rooms in Albert Manor, the family doctor sat across from Mary. He’d been looking after her health since she was a child, and he was like a grandfather to her. “Congratulations, Lady Mary,” he told her; Mary blinked at him.

She’d been feeling languid for the past few days, so she had asked him for a checkup. She was used to hearing things like “You have a cold,” “You’re tired,” or “You mustn’t feign illness,” at the end of her examination. Commendations were the last thing she’d expected to hear today. After all, receiving praise when one appealed to the doctor about feeling poorly was extremely bizarre.

When Mary pointed this out, the man simply repeated, “Congratulations.”

“I don’t know why you’re saying that, but thank you,” she responded. “Anyway, how’s my health?”

“As I said, congratulations.”

“And I thank you once again for your courtesy. So what is this listlessness that I’ve been feeling all about? I’ve been really sleepy recently too.”

“Indeed. That’s why I’m congratulating you,” the doctor insisted.

“Thank you. If it’s such a cause for celebration, I’ll arrange for a cake. But my symptoms are troubling me. Is it a cold?” Mary inquired.

The physician paused. “I’d like to congratulate you from the bottom of my heart, Lady Mary,” he emphasized once again, at which point even Mary felt a sense of discomfort. The man’s tone of voice sounded incredibly happy, and the wrinkles around his eyes were deeper than usual due to how broadly he smiled. He looked not like a doctor facing his patient, but rather a man sincerely congratulating his own granddaughter.

Based on the way he was looking at her, an idea formed in Mary’s mind. In the next moment, the realization started seeping in.

“You’re...congratulating me?” she asked, hesitantly placing a hand on her abdomen. The doctor nodded, as if glad that his words had finally gotten through to her. His expression was gentle, which was to be expected of someone who’d worked for the Alberts for so many years. Mary’s thickheaded tendencies were a core component of hers, which he viewed affectionately.

“Indeed, I am,” he said. “I’m honored to be present at this occasion.”

“I see... So right now, in my belly...!” Mary exclaimed, rubbing her stomach, which was flat...fornow. Then, she let out a gasp. Her dress today had a belt affixed around her abdomen. It wasn’t as tight as a corset; rather, it had been lightly tied to give her figure a more defined shape. As she didn’t feel any pressure from it, she’d forgotten all about it until now. Nonetheless, she hurriedly untied the belt, while the doctor laughed as he watched her.

“Lady Mary!” someone cried from behind her with emotion. It was one of the maids who looked after Mary on a daily basis, and who had accompanied her for the doctor’s visit. “Congratulations! I’m also honored to be here right now!”

“Thank you,” Mary responded. “Things are going to get busy from now on, so I’ll be counting on you.”

“Of course! Ah, I’m so elated! The bells of happiness are ringing for House Albert!”

“Bells?” Mary repeated. The maid sounded so happy that Mary wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d burst into song and started twirling around. After all, the woman’s longtime mistress was pregnant, and the maid had been there when she heard the news. It was a blessing for her, and she’d never been happier or prouder in all her life as a maid. Perhaps as a result of her bliss, she’d had her little outcry about the “bells of happiness.”

Indeed, bells would often ring to signify moments of joy during plays or other stage performances. And unlike Mary, in whom the feelings welled up gradually, the maid was already hearing joyful chimes as she basked in a field of flowers within her mind. Even the doctor responded in kind, as if he could hear those bells too.

“You’re exaggerating,” Mary said with a shrug, laughing at the maid’s delight. Yet her hand stayed pressed to her abdomen. Although it was still flat, she rubbed it slowly and even inquired, “You think so too, right?” She was remaining calm to keep up appearances, but she was overjoyed as well. The flowers in her mind were starting to bloom one by one, and as if influenced by the maid’s glee, she began to hear the chimes resounding too.

The doctor watched the two women with a wry smile. “There’s one person you ought to inform first,” he told Mary softly.

***

All the words of congratulations Mary had received were indeed because she was pregnant. But of course, the pregnancy of none other than Mary Albert couldn’t be officially announced right away. High society would be in turmoil to find out that a new generation was coming to the nation’s most prestigious family. Not to mention, Mary was a candidate for succession, so the public might see this as the birth of House Albert’s future heir apparent.

This was all the more so the case considering that Lang and Lucian, Mary’s brothers, hadn’t even had a single romantic interaction with anyone, let alone a marriage. Everyone had high expectations for Mary and Adi as a married couple. The announcement was sure to make waves in high society, so for now it was best to take the appropriate steps and wait until the right moment to reveal it.

“Huh, I feel like I’m always shaking high society up. I’m so sorry...” Mary said with a teasing laugh as she plopped down on the bed. Slowly, she petted her abdomen. Until yesterday, it had simply been another part of her body, but now she saw it as more precious than anything. She was filled with a warm, ticklish feeling. “I want to give you a kiss already. But I can’t yet, so for now my hand will have to do,” she told her tummy.

There was a small knock on the door. With Mary’s permission, the door opened slightly, and Adi peered inside through the gap. He’d knocked lighter than usual, and the way he discreetly looked into the room must have meant he thought Mary might’ve been sleeping.

“Sorry to disturb your rest, milady,” he said. “May I enter?”

“It’s okay, Adi. I was just lying down.”

“How are you feeling?” Adi asked worriedly, and Mary smiled at him. She patted the edge of the bed, inviting him to sit next to her. Judging by her gesture, he surmised that nothing major was wrong, and with a look of relief, he sat down on the bed. He reached out, brushing Mary’s hair from her forehead, perhaps to check her complexion. His red eyes narrowed, and he playfully twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. “I’m glad it doesn’t seem like anything serious. What did the doctor say?”

Mary’s smile grew larger. She grasped the hand that was playing with her hair, pulling it over to her face. She nuzzled against it while Adi’s thumb stroked her cheek. Looking up at him, she recalled the doctor’s diagnosis.

“He congratulated me. So congratulations, Adi,” she said with a giggle.

Adi’s eyes widened. “Thank you...?” he replied with confusion.

Mary burst out laughing. (If the doctor had been here, would he have brought up Mary’s own thickheaded behavior from earlier and teased her about it? Or perhaps he would’ve simply watched on kindly, surmising that this was precisely why she and Adi were married.)

“The doctor congratulated me. That’s why I’m congratulating you, Adi,” she emphasized.

“Right, thank you. If this is such a cause for celebration, I’ll arrange for a cake during your after-dinner tea,” he said. “So, about your languidness. Is it just that you’re tired from being busy, or is it a cold?”

Mary’s smile widened even further when Adi still didn’t catch on. “You’re so slow,” she complained with a note of affection as she shrugged. Given what had happened a few minutes ago, it was as if Mary were throwing rocks—no, possibly entire boulders—while living in a glass house.

That said, Adi was slightly quicker on the uptake than Mary, for he seemed to have realized something. “Congratu...lations...?” he muttered. Rather than asking Mary, he was voicing his own suspicions out loud.

Mary’s impish smile turned into a composed one, and she moved Adi’s hand from her cheek to her abdomen. This must’ve cleared up his doubt, and his eyes shimmered. He looked unbelievably happy, as if he wanted to pull Mary in for an embrace right away. Yet his hand gently rubbed her stomach, making Mary’s heart and tummy feel ticklish at the same time.

“M-My lady, that means...”

“Yes, it does. Congratulations, Adi,” Mary confirmed, sitting up and squeezing his hand. They gazed at each other, and his eyes glimmered with joy. Mary was sure she must’ve looked the same.

Then, Adi slowly spread his arms and drew Mary into a warm, soft hug. Surely one might hold a dainty piece of glasswork with more strength than this. His touch was so subtle that it wouldn’t even have left a dent in cotton. Normally, Mary would’ve pestered him to hold her tighter, or even jokingly said, “Don’t think you can catch me in such a weak hold!” while slipping out of his arms.

But now, it was different. Adi was hugging both her and the new life dwelling within her. His joy was out of this world, and though he wanted to hold her tighter, he didn’t know how much of his strength to put into it. Though his hold on her was weak, he didn’t want to let go. Understanding his emotions, Mary wrapped her arms around his back.

After all, they would naturally be cautious when hugging their child for the very first time.

Chapter 1

A few days had passed since Mary found out the good news. After she’d spoken with her parents, they collectively decided that they would wait a while before making an official announcement. (As a side note, her parents had been delighted, and both of them had kissed her cheek. Overcome with emotion, Keryl had even kissed Adi’s cheek, which had left him quite shaken.)

They would prioritize the child’s safety and wait for the doctor’s endorsement before announcing the news during a befitting occasion. They would, of course, have to pick an auspicious day for it, but that was a consideration for the future. For now, they’d only inform those closest to them, as well as those on whom they relied for daily care. Each individual would be asked to stay silent on the matter. Yet even though House Albert trusted their staff, their mansion was always bursting with visitors and activity, so it was possible for information to spread unintentionally.

All that said, the maid who’d been with Mary when she had found out about her pregnancy had been genuinely gladdened by the news, and after congratulating Mary, she’d smiled and said, “I look forward to the day of the announcement.” She had seemed to be excitedly anticipating the people’s reaction, and had expressed how honored she felt to be one of the first few in the know. Even if Mary hadn’t imposed a gag order on her, the maid would’ve surely cooperated.

The real problem lay with those Mary was close to. If she chose the wrong people to tell, her pregnancy would be as good as public knowledge.

“I’m honored that you shared the news with me despite having such worries,” said Roberto with a composed smile. He, Mary, and Adi were in a room together.

Mary, who’d been the one to inform him of her pregnancy, nodded in response as she stroked the soft cushions laid out on each side of her.

“So that’s why my foolish brother has been purchasing all those cushions and burying you in them, Lady Mary,” Roberto went on. “I was convinced it must have something to do with your past life memories.”

“I don’t have memories of being buried in cushions,” she replied flatly.

“My apologies,” Roberto said with amusement, acting as his usual shrewd self.

“These cushions are only here because that brother of yours is a worrywart. There are dozens more in my room, and any gaps in between them are covered up with blankets,” Mary complained, exasperated at Adi’s overprotectiveness.

“And it’s still not enough,” Adi replied with a stern expression. He’d even laid a lap blanket over Mary’s knees, which was truly excessive.

If she were to take it off her lap, Adi would pull a throw blanket out of nowhere and wrap her up in it. If she were to try and beat him to the punch on that, saying, “It’s fine. I don’t need it,” he’d pull out another lap blanket instead.

“Anyway, I’d like for you to keep this a secret from my brothers,” Mary told Roberto.

“Do you not plan to inform Lord Lang and Lord Lucian about it?”

“If they were to find out, the whole country would know in an instant.”

“You have a point. They’re sure to kick up a fuss about it. Telling them would be the same as you making an official announcement,” he agreed.

“I’m certain they’d be so overjoyed that they would throw a party lasting for three days and three nights,” Mary supposed.

“In the worst-case scenario, they might even hold a parade in the town center,” Roberto said with a nod. “I can picture them making an uproar like a bunch of fools. Ah, excuse me. I was wrong to say they’d be ‘like’a bunch of fools,” he appended, saying unbelievably rude words about his masters. He understood Mary’s point, as well as how her brothers would behave if they found out the news.

Thank goodness, Mary thought with a sigh of relief. She had a feeling she shouldn’t let Roberto’s abusive language pass by, but then again it hadn’t been about her, so she was willing to let it go in one ear and out the other.

“Yet I’m sure it’ll be difficult for you not to share the good news with them,” Roberto pointed out. “They’re getting what they deserve, but I can’t imagine how it must feel for you, Lady Mary.”

“I appreciate it, but to me, it’s good enough that I informed you, Roberto.”

“I’m not sure how to feel about you lumping me together with those two,” he appealed with a frown, discontent to hear that Mary thought of him, Lang, and Lucian as one and the same. His displeasure was evident in his good-looking features.

However, in the next moment, his typical cool countenance returned, and he smiled softly, his sharp eyes creasing. Then, he lowered his head deeply while his hair gently drooped with the movement. “Congratulations, Lady Mary,” he said in his calm, deep voice. It carried the note of a butler from a long line of servants expressing his congratulations, but it also sounded like he was addressing someone he had thought of as his sister for a long time. “I’ve never felt a greater joy than this, both as a servant of House Albert and on a personal level. I’m sure the bells will ring more mirthfully than ever.”

“Oh, so you’re making merry too. What a surprise,” Mary said. The maid who’d accompanied her on her doctor’s visit had mentioned the bells too, but Mary hadn’t expected for Roberto to say the same thing. He was usually too composed to consider such festive words necessary. Then again, back when Mary having a child was merely a fantasy, Roberto had said he wanted them to call him “uncle.” Even if his words had been influenced by alcohol and the twins’ boisterous instigation, he’d sounded quite merry indeed.

Although it was hard to imagine because of Roberto’s cool and composed appearance, he still experienced moments of joy and got into festive moods, especially upon hearing good news from a family member.

“Well, despite my surprise, I’m glad to hear you’re this happy about it. Thank you,” Mary said bashfully, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and joy.

Confused, Roberto and Adi exchanged a glance. When facing each other, their features looked somewhat similar, as expected from a pair of brothers. After they’d silently signaled each other with their eyes, Roberto exhaled deeply. Concealing his previous bafflement, he turned back to Mary with his usual calm countenance. “As you said, Lady Mary, this good news has got me in a bit of a festive mood,” he acknowledged.

“Right, and what was that blatant exchange just now?” she asked.

“Please don’t worry about it,” Roberto insisted. “Either way, when there’s a new head of the house or a new family member on the way, I am as prone to making festive remarks as anyone.”

“I’m sure you are, Uncle Roberto,” Mary said with a smirk, at which Roberto cleared his throat. Though he admitted to his own festive mood, it seemed this wasn’t a topic he wanted to broach.

After pacifying Mary, Roberto turned to Adi and lightly punched him in the chest. It was an uncharacteristic action, but this was a way for an older brother to congratulate his younger brother. Roberto seemed unruffled, yet he couldn’t hide a note of mischief from his expression. “To think I’ll get to meet your child,” he remarked.

“What exactly are you trying to say with that look of yours?” Adi demanded.

“Nothing. As your brother, I simply feel moved,” Roberto claimed. “To think that you’ve come this far, when in the past you were so convinced your love for Lady Mary was unrequited that you even told our parents to give up on any expectations for grandchildren.”

“Yeah, I did say that. I also added that since you don’t have a human heart, our family line ends here.”

“Oh? I’d love for you to explain what you meant by that,” Roberto pressed, his smile widening.

Taking on the challenge, Adi smirked back boldly. “I meant what I said,” he retorted.

What a hostile exchange they were having! To outsiders, it would’ve seemed like the brothers despised each other. Yet it was this harsh exchange itself that proved how well they got along. Roberto’s nasty remarks were his way of teasingly congratulating his brother, and Adi was well aware of that. Any sincere conversation between them would surely be carried out in private.

Mary rubbed her stomach and murmured, “Your father and uncle are both such contrarians.”

Having congratulated Mary on her pregnancy, Roberto bowed to her. “I’ll prepare you something warm to drink,” he declared, and then walked away.

Mary watched him leave and exhaled deeply. She’d known that he would be happy to hear the news, but she’d still been nervous about the idea of telling someone. Hearing her sigh, Adi placed a second lap blanket onto her knees. “I don’t need any more of these,” she told him.

“In that case, I’ll bring you some cushions.”

“Ah, so you intend to drown the estate in cushions, do you?” Mary asked, then looked at her belly. “My darling child, you won’t grow up in Albert Manor—you’ll grow up in Fluff Manor!”

“N-No, I didn’t buy that many...!” Adi protested. “And by the way, I’ll be heading out for a bit. An order I placed has arrived, so I’ll be going to pick it up.” With that, he hurriedly got to his feet. He was acting obviously disingenuous.

Mary cast him a probing look. “What did you order?” she asked suspiciously.

Adi openly avoided her gaze. His eyes danced around uncharacteristically, and he kept umming and ahhing as he tried to falteringly come up with some deception. Nearing the door, he quickly bowed and said, “Off I go!” before darting outside. He fled without ever giving a proper answer.

“Cushions. He definitely bought more cushions,” Mary said while rubbing her stomach, and lamented with a sigh how she would end up buried in them.

***

A few hours later, Adi returned with two cushions, just as expected. However, Mary couldn’t allude to it or smirk and say something like, “I knew it.” That was because Adi had come home with a small girl Mary had never seen before.

The child was clinging to Adi’s leg and tugging on his tailcoat, anxiously surveying her surroundings. She had red hair and eyes, and her features were still cherubic. She must’ve been around five years old. Her attire was very plain, and dirty in places. There was a small pochette hung over her shoulder, but that too had stains on it.

Mary blinked upon seeing this unexpected guest. With a teacup in one hand, she glanced between Adi and the child. “Welcome back, Adi. Who is this girl?”

“She’s, uh...” Adi slurred. He held the cushions under one arm while awkwardly scratching the back of his head with his free hand. The gesture ruffled his rust-colored hair; it was the same shade as the little girl’s.

Still clinging onto him, the girl looked up at Adi apprehensively and in a feeble voice asked, “Daddy, where are we...?”

Naturally, there was an immediate uproar at Albert Manor when the child Adi had brought with him had referred to him as her father. Maids and servants swarmed into the room, wondering what on earth was going on, before exchanging looks with each other upon hearing the little girl call Adi her “daddy.” Some brought up the idea of summoning the Albert twins, which Mary hurriedly put a stop to. The situation was already incomprehensible enough on its own—if those boisterous brothers of hers were added to the mix, it would spiral completely out of control.

After explaining as much to the servants, Mary told them not to inform Lang and Lucian about this, and then had them leave the room. Nevertheless...

“I sense that Lady Mary is feeling troubled in this room!”

...Mary had no way of stopping Alicia, who burst onto the scene. Mary’s face stiffened, and she glared at the carefree girl, as well as Patrick, who walked in after her.

“Alicia, I don’t recall summoning you, nor would I have wanted to do so. Why are you here?”

“I was arranging the rose arch in the gardens, when a single petal fell off! I knew it was a sign that you were troubled, so I came over!” Alicia explained.

“Gracious! This gardener’s terrifying!” Mary complained, shuddering at the way Alicia’s intuition had proved correct. She flicked the gardener’s—that is, Alicia’s—forehead.

The other girl shrieked happily in response, and this was so par for the course by now that neither Adi nor Patrick even bothered trying to stop the girls’ exchange. After all, there was a bigger problem at hand than a princess acting as if she owned the place. (Or perhaps more accurately, it was already much too late to problematize the princess acting like she owned the place.)

The little girl was still clinging to Adi with an anxious expression. Noticing the way everyone was staring at her oddly, she seemed on the verge of bursting into tears. She looked at Alicia, who’d barged into the room, then at Patrick, and finally hid behind Adi’s tailcoat.

“Daddy...”

“I’ve told you so many times already: I’m not your father!”

“But you are, daddy...”

Adi sighed in defeat before addressing the others. “And that’s all she’s been saying, so I can’t figure out what’s going on.”

The child continued calling Adi her father. She stared fixedly at his face, so it didn’t seem like she’d misperceived him as someone else. Her tiny fists held tightly on to his tailcoat, as if it were her lifeline. This stumped everyone, but it wasn’t as if they could force her off. Mary sighed, wondering what to do. For now, she concluded that standing around might tire the girl out, so she encouraged her and Adi to sit down.

“Can you tell me your name?” she asked the girl. “Where did you come from? Where’s your mother?”

“Daddy, where are we...?” the girl repeated.

“This is House Albert’s mansion,” Mary responded. “Didn’t you hear what I said, though? Ah, but it’s not like I’m angry, so don’t be scared... Right, you must be tired. We’ll get you something to drink. Can you drink tea? Or maybe juice would be better?” she went on, desperately trying to get through to the child, who was sitting on the sofa next to Adi, still holding on to him.

Adi tried to do the same, but no matter what they said, the child kept averting her eyes nervously and only clung to Adi. She must’ve been fearful, having found herself in a strange new place and surrounded by unfamiliar people. On top of that, the one person she could rely on in this situation—her “daddy”—claimed that he didn’t know who she was. It wouldn’t have been surprising if she had burst into tears at any moment, considering her circumstances.

Although Mary was aware of this, they had to try and question the girl. Yet the unintelligible situation caused Mary to frown, and the sight of that frightened the child all over again. It was a vicious cycle.

While Mary was undergoing this anguish, another person smoothly stepped in. It was Alicia. She squatted in front of the little girl, smiled brilliantly, and said, “Hello there!” in a friendly voice. “Are you hungry? We have cake! How about we chat while we have some? Our cake is super tasty!”

The child’s eyes widened, as did everyone else’s, at Alicia’s frivolous and inappropriately cheerful statement. This was a serious situation, and here was the princess, bringing up cake!