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Sophie replied, “Everyone needs some sort of indulgence, don’t they?
He’s a royal tutor, a man of strict morals, but he’s been bound by those rutes for decades. Now that he’s older and sees things more clearly, why not live a little more freely?”
She set the potato skin aside and sighed. “What worries me more is that tomorrow’s New Year’s Eve banquet at the palace. Lord Gerald should be invited, and when I see him, it’ll feel…strange, to say the least.”
Violet nodded in agreement, especially given how Gerald always maintained his scholarly, dignified air. That posture, so practiced for e decades, could not erase the image of him being helped upstairs, nor the sickly pallor on his face or the way his eyes had shamelessly surveyed everything around him.
Violet placed a hand on her stomach. “The sweet potato’s a bit too rich for me. My stomach’s upset.”
Sophie glanced at Isaac, smiling. “Isaac, we always thought you were partial to men’s company.”
“Just because I went to the gentlemen’s retreat?” Isaac didn’t seem bothered in the least, giving her a sharp look. “So what if I am? Does it matter?”
Sophie thought for a moment. “Sage Everett wouldn’t allow it. You’d probably be punished severely.”
Having been punished the most during his youth, Isaac had a deep fear of Everett. His carefree expression faded as he became serious.
“I don’t prefer men’s company. Don’t speak of such things in front of Sage Everett, Kyle, or Rafael especially not in front of him. Sage Everett is his mentor, and you never know what they talk about.”
Violet interjected from the side, “Actually, I think you like both men and women.”
“Flattering as always, but I like neither. Thank you.” Isaac stretched lazily. “You two can keep roasting the sweet potatoes and chat.”
He stood up, his movements usually carefree. Sometimes he walked with a languid grace, other times, he took long strides. But now, feeling two eyes on his back, he straightened his posture, adopting a military stance as he walked out.
“By the way, Bun and Thia were supposed to come for the New Year. They sent a letter before, but we haven’t seen them yet, so they might not come after all,” Violet recalled, turning to Sophie.
“Will their mentor even let them leave for the New Year?” Sophie asked.
“They haven’t shown up, so it’s probably because their master won’t let them. Maybe they’ll come after the holiday,” Violet added, tending to the fire. The newly added silver-charcoal pieces began to glow, and the red embers slowly spread from the side. “When you said we were short on people, I sent them a message.”
“It would be wonderful if Thia could come,” Sophie said, resting her head on Violet’s shoulder. A weariness flashed across her face. “This year feels exhausting. I always feel like I’m running out of energy. Every day, when I wake up, there’s something new to deal with.” “Then take this New Year to rest,” Violet said, her voice filled with concern.
“But during the New Year, the Mystic Army is the busiest,” Sophie replied after a moment of thought. “Busy is good, though. At least it means when I lie down at night, I won’t have time to think about Raf.”
Violet was intrigued and asked, “What does it feel like to miss someone?”
“Missing someone is bearable. Waiting for them is the hardest,” Sophie sighed, pressing her fingers to her temples. She tilted her head slightly, the line of her jaw particularly sharp.
“Honestly, before he left, I didn’t think I would miss him so much. But at night, he just pops into my mind and takes up so much space. I can’t get rid of him. His nerve knows no bounds.”
Violet shivered involuntarily. “That’s so cheesy. I can hardly believe you just said that.”
Sophie smiled sweetly but with a touch of frustration. “Alright, enough about him. The queen’s under house arrest. It’s obvious the issue with the academy was her doing. Ruining someone’s reputation, silencing them… The king will likely leave her in the cold for a while. Appointing the crown prince probably won’t happen anytime soon.”
“The king’s mind isn’t even on that matter,” Violet replied. “He only wants to get rid of anyone with rebellious thoughts.”
“Too bad the queen’s too blinded by her narrow view to see things clearly. She keeps saying that naming a crown prince is the most important thing, but it’s only truly important if the king believes so.”
Violet stretched out her hands to warm them by the fire, her eyes flashing with anger. “Too bad we can’t get revenge for what happened at the academy. She’s locked away in the inner palace, and we can’t exactly sneak in and slap her.”
“True, I’d love to slap her,” Sophie sighed lightly. The difference between ideals and reality was stark. Even if they managed to sneak into the palace, it would be easy to get caught.
Sneaking into the palace was a grave offense. It wasn’t worth it just to slap Kylie a couple of times.
“It’s so unfair,” Violet fumed. “Just because she’s the queen, everything she does goes unpunished. Even if the king knows, all he does is confine her.”
Sophie stared at the glowing coals crackling in the fire. “Because the king doesn’t really want the women’s academy to succeed.”
“Why does it bother them so much for women to study?”
Sophie’s voice was calm, though tinged with frustration. “They fear that if women gain too much knowledge, they’ll start questioning whether some things are truly just, like the obedience and virtues they claim that women should follow.”
To Salvador, the Women’s Academy could exist; however, what they taught must stay within certain boundaries.
“But why, then, do they occasionally select talented women from the capital? Doesn’t that encourage women to study?”
“Yes, but they also say women who lack talent are virtuous. They want a wife who’s modest and gentle, someone who embodies virtue. With the pressure of marriage hanging over them, which noble family would truly invest in educating a talented woman?”
Violet seemed to understand, a dawning realization in her eyes. “So, the reason Gracewood Women’s Academy has so many students is because the queen dowager ordered for it to be established. They’re just doing it to show her some respect.”
“Exactly,” Sophie nodded. “It’s all about following the crowd. Everyone’s going, so if someone doesn’t go, it would seem disrespectful to the queen dowager. The parents don’t expect their daughters to actually learn anything. They just go for the sake of going.”
Sophie was also concerned. After the trouble with the women’s academy, many students would probably not return next year.
In the end, nothing was more important than a clean reputation.
On New Year’s Eve, Ryan wore a bright red woolen cloak, its edges lined with soft white fur, a thick hood atop his head. His lively, cheerful demeanor matched his outfit as he eagerly waited for the Klein family’s carriage to arrive.
Jacob had already prepared many gifts, many of which Ryan had personally chosen.
The night before, Frederick had come over from Northwatch Estate to deliver the account books. Ryan had stayed up all night, carefully reviewing them. Jacob told him there was no rush to go through them, and then went to ask Sophie for some leniency. Sophie told him it would be good for Ryan to learn how to manage the accounts sooner rather than later-after all, he would need to take charge of everything in Northwatch Estate eventually.
While Ryan examined the books, his study partner Evan stayed by his side. However, Evan was heading home to celebrate the New Year and wouldn’t be accompanying him to Highcrest Estate.
Sophie’s greatest joy was that Ryan, though meticulous and steady beyond his years, still possessed a childlike innocence. Perhaps some of it was a mask. After all, he had endured many hardships-but even if it was, that was fine. Sometimes in life, one had to play the fool to get ahead.
Though Ryan was eager to visit the Klein family’s household for the holiday, Rafael wasn’t around this year, and Sophie was going to spend the New Year alone. He took her hand.
“I’ll be back by the second day of the New Year. I won’t stay too long. I’ll come back to keep you company, Aunt Sophie.”
Sophie gave his nose a playful tap. “Stay a little longer. I’ll be busy, and I’ll be fine without you hanging around.”
“I’ll be here too, Ryan. So, don’t worry. Visit your uncle and his family and have fun,” Violet added with a smile, draping her arm over Sophie’s shoulder.
“Right, Aunt Violet and Mr. Isaac will be around.” Ryan looked at Violet and Isaac, then at Jacob, Lulu, and the others. “And there are so many other people around. Now I can relax.”
He stood there, hands behind his back, with a smile that made him look like a little grown-up.
Seeing him like this reminded Sophie of her second brother, and a pang of bittersweet longing tugged at her heart. If only Nathan and Yvette could see how clever and well-behaved Ryan was! They would be so proud.
Soon, the Klein family arrived, bringing with them carriages full of gifts. For the past two or three years, it had been like a gift exchange between the two families-one cartload of presents after another, with each return gift matching the value of the last. This left Sophie reluctant to pick anything too extravagant. Most of the gifts she chose were simple and practical.