Grace in Wonderland - Chapter 106

106. Starting Anew

“Get to know your friends, and if you judge them to be worth keeping, hold on to them tightly.”

Lady Montague’s oft-repeated admonition and,

“Instead of showing your fangs and claws, why not try revealing your belly, like a cat?”

Sebastian’s advice, delivered as if it were profound wisdom, echoed in Richard’s ears like a reverberating bell.

If he combined their words, the conclusion was clear. To keep Grace Gurton by his side, he had to reflect the truth in the mirror, not on the surface of the water.

Richard Spencer sat awkwardly in the modest drawing room of Professor Charles Dodgson’s house, which had only six windows. He was here to explain the embarrassing incident from yesterday, express his regret to Professor Dodgson, and, more importantly, apologize.

Additionally, if Grace Gurton permitted, he intended to thank her in person. Truthfully, this was his main reason for coming.

When Professor Dodgson opened the door to let Richard in, his greeting was perfunctory. Claiming he had urgent business, Dodgson left immediately. He even dragged Sebastian, who was standing behind Richard, along to help with an assistant’s task.

“Grace is upstairs. She said she’d come down shortly, so wait here,” Dodgson announced with a tone that seemed to convey he was doing Richard a great favor.

As he stepped out, he added one more remark, “I hope nothing like what happened in the cave occurs here.”

At those words, Richard’s throat bobbed slightly. The events in the cave had already invaded his dreams, playing on repeat and leaving his night in utter disarray.

Moreover, when he woke up in the morning, lifted the blanket, and looked down below, that stiff and damp…

Even though he had been injured and bleeding, necessitating urgent aid, Grace Gurton’s actions, as a lady, were undoubtedly inappropriate. What if strangers had seen their situation?

People tend to criticize those weaker than themselves. If someone had witnessed the scene, they would have ignored Richard Spencer and only judged Grace Gurton’s behavior.

And yet, how fortunate that it had been Grace Gurton who saved him. Had it been any other woman, he might have immediately pushed her away upon regaining consciousness. He would, of course, ensure she was properly compensated, but the matter would have been handled by Sebastian, not him.

In other words, Richard Spencer, the Young Earl, wouldn’t have personally made the effort to explain the incident, express regret, or offer thanks if it weren’t for Grace Gurton. She was the only person who could prompt him to act in such an uncharacteristic way.

“Ah, hello.”

Grace Gurton entered the drawing room and greeted him. Her face was pale as if all the blood had drained from it.

The moment she heard the Young Earl would be visiting, Grace seriously considered fleeing. She couldn’t bear the thought of facing him.

Even though she had longed to return to Wonderland with Richard Spencer, the embarrassment was overwhelming. If only this were a play, and she could skip ahead in time to a scene where everything was resolved.

Richard stood up and watched Grace as she walked to the seat opposite him and sat down.

“……”

For ten minutes, neither of them said a word, staring off into the distance. Grace wanted to leap out of her skin from the awkwardness. Richard Spencer felt the same.

Professor Charles Dodgson and Sebastian, who were absent from the house, shared several common traits.

Both were well-educated and esteemed in their respective fields. They were exemplary citizens of Ingrint, known for paying their taxes diligently and living law-abiding lives.

And both were unmarried men, well into their years. To be precise, they hadn’t managed to marry yet.

What did this suggest? That they were utterly useless when it came to matters of romance. If they had even a modicum of skill in such matters, they would have married long ago.

If they had any sense, they wouldn’t have left the house so hastily. Instead, the four of them could have shared a lighthearted tea time. At the appropriate moment, they could have tactfully left Richard and Grace alone. That would have been far more ideal.

Grace gazed out the window endlessly, hoping that perhaps Professor Dodgson and Sebastian might return early. She held the empty teacup, pretending to drink from it to hide her flushed face.

“I’m sorry for putting you through such a difficult situation yesterday. And thank you for saving me.”

Still, Richard Spencer was a man. At least, he was a man who could muster a fragment of courage to break the silence.

“I-it was only natural to do so.”

Please don’t bring that up!

Grace screamed inwardly. She bit down on the rim of the teacup, her words slurred and almost melting away.

After that brief exchange, silence rolled through the room like a gust of wind. Grace almost wished they could communicate through written notes instead.

“About the proposal I made last time…”

Richard spoke again. Grace finally placed the teacup she had been holding onto her palm. She then traced its rim with her fingers and listened attentively.

“I was thoughtless.”

Richard exhaled deeply as he spoke. His tone was vastly different from the confident manner in which he had listed his assets during the previous proposal.

“Since childhood, I’ve been accustomed to acting that way. As a result, I’ve often been misunderstood.”

“……”

“In truth, most of the time, it’s not even a misunderstanding.”

“I-I see.”

“Being indifferent to others’ misunderstandings is a Spencer trait. I’ve never cared about how others judged me.”

“……”

“But this time, I want to clear up Miss Gurton’s misunderstanding.”

“W-why?”

Grace brought the teacup close to her lips, trying to hide the faint smile forming at the corners of her mouth.

If Richard Spencer could muster a fragment of courage, Grace Gurton was cunning enough to gather that fragment and make it her own. So, she feigned ignorance and asked, even though she already knew the answer.

“Because I like you.”

Why are teacups so small? They can’t even hide her curling eyes.

Grace bit her lips tightly, struggling to maintain her composure. But Richard didn’t see the mischievous expression on the face of the woman he adored. He had lowered his gaze to hide his burning face.

Richard’s initial thoughts about Grace Gurton weren’t entirely wrong. She was indeed cunning and mischievous, but only when it came to him. Unaware of this, Richard continued.

“When we first met at the Montague mansion, I wasn’t entirely innocent either. In fact, I considered you a woman who was trying to use your connection with my aunt to climb the social ladder.”

“……”

His manners had been perfect back then! She had even quantified and statistically analyzed it! Grace blinked rapidly, startled by his confession.

“I also thought you weren’t suitable to be Lady Montague’s adopted daughter, deeming you full of flaws.”

“……”

It wasn’t a new sentiment. Most people she encountered thought the same. Still, hearing it from Richard Spencer was a revelation. How clouded had your eyes been back then, Grace Gurton?

“But that was only for a moment. Before I knew it, those things no longer mattered. I just… wanted to see you.”

Ahhh!

An internal scream erupted. How could he share such heart-wrenching words so casually? Grace’s face flushed red along with his.

“…That’s why I suggested we become friends.”

Grace hadn’t been thrilled with his proposal. She had been in love, and she feared losing control if she agreed.

“But even that suggestion wasn’t entirely pure.”

“……”

“While I admired your insight in calling me Janus, I had no intention of showing my true self. It felt like finding a comfortable companion—someone who would overlook things they noticed or not pry into matters they didn’t understand. That’s what I thought.”

Everyone has hidden stories behind their closed doors. Grace pondered that thought once again.

“So now…”

Richard Spencer declared resolutely, as if making a firm decision.

“I want to propose properly this time.”

Grace’s gaze wavered between anticipation and fear as she looked at him.