Grace in Wonderland - Chapter 121

121. A Complete Revelation

Everything felt meaningless.

Sebastian could now fully empathize with the heart-wrenching and unjust plight of the Little Mermaid from the old fairy tale. It was like rescuing someone from drowning, only to watch them thank and propose to a neighboring country’s princess. Just as the Little Mermaid must have felt like coughing up blood, Sebastian swallowed the metallic taste in his mouth as he relentlessly pursued Grace Montague.

From the very first relay station, it was Sebastian who found the violet ornaments Grace had dropped. He also led the soldiers all the way to this place. And he was the one who had located Grace Montague first.

But Grace Montague ignored him completely. No matter how loudly he shouted her name from behind, she kept running without looking back. And yet, when Richard Spencer suddenly appeared, she acted as if she didn’t even know who deserved her gratitude. It was clear she didn’t realize who she should be thanking.

Cancel what I said about her being smart. Grace Montague is dense. Very.

The two of them clung to each other the moment they met, sobbing and making a grand spectacle of themselves. It was like watching a melodrama unfold with the harbor as the backdrop. The scene even drew a crowd, all gathering to watch the unfolding drama.

Sebastian was deeply shocked by Richard Spencer’s appearance at the harbor. He imagined dozens of flies buzzing around the Young Earl’s head. If it had been midsummer, it might have been more than just his imagination.

Richard, who normally maintained near-obsessive cleanliness, looked utterly disheveled. As soon as he dismounted his horse upon seeing Grace, he crumpled to the ground like a beggar.

If Richard Spencer in his current state were to show up at Spencer Mansion in Westminster Spencer Mansion, the beggars there would likely view him as a threat. After all, anyone passing by would toss coins only to Richard Spencer.

If not for his unmistakable red hair, no one would have recognized him. The Young Earl ought to thank the Spencer family ancestor who passed down that trait. Even caked with dried mud and stiff with dirt, his flaming red hair radiated presence from 200 yards away.

It was his hair that stopped Grace Montague in her tracks as she ran. Without it, there would have been no way to identify him. That was how wretched and pitiful Richard Spencer looked.

Richard hadn’t even taken the time to change out of his silk dress coat after leaving the Devonshire estate. If Sebastian hadn’t rushed to provide him with money and identification, Richard would have departed without either.

Expecting practicality from a dress coat was like expecting flavor from Ingrint cuisine. After passing the wretched first relay station, Richard’s horse threw him into a muddy ditch. The delicate silk fabric began to tear and fray.

Adding insult to injury, his left leg, swollen from the horse’s kick, forced him to tear the trouser leg. A makeshift splint from a rural doctor and a shabby coat borrowed from a villager completed his ensemble before he set off again.

For five days, Richard rode without proper food or sleep. Even Richard Spencer had become desensitized to his own odor. It was a rare case of curing obsessive cleanliness through shock therapy.

Despite Sebastian’s pleas to find somewhere discreet to hide, neither Richard nor Grace listened. They truly seemed like two of a kind. They were a spectacularly ridiculous sight.

Fortunately, this harbor was far from Lydon. Since no one recognized the melodramatic lead actor as Richard Spencer, disaster was narrowly avoided. Otherwise, this scene could have sparked another scandal that would echo through social circles for generations.

Still, Grace Montague was slightly—just slightly—more logical and rational than Richard Spencer. After crying for some time, she suddenly turned to Sebastian and said:

“Se-Sebastian, f-find the coachman at the a-administration office. The c-coachman who drove the carriage.”

“Pardon?”

What now?

Sebastian stared blankly at Grace, who had stopped sobbing and was now looking at him with a steely gaze. Meanwhile, Richard Spencer remained in her arms, sniffling and struggling to regain his composure.

“Ah, I-I saw him heading to the boarding office earlier. H-he was wearing a maroon coat and had a beard. H-he also spoke with a Midwestern accent. H-he must have been acting under someone’s orders.”

“……”

“I-if we find that man, w-we might uncover the backers who colluded with Viscount Lovelace.”

“……”

“P-please hurry, Sebastian!”

Sebastian nodded instinctively and gestured toward the soldiers who had formed a loose perimeter around the Young Earl to shield him from prying eyes.

“We’ll continue searching for the coachman. In the meantime, you should leave this area and find a safe place to stay.”

“W-we will.”

Between Richard Spencer and Grace Montague, Grace was the more coherent speaker. Sebastian firmly decided that in the future, any requests to the Young Earl should be channeled through Grace.

After all, Richard, who had ignored Sebastian’s words mere moments ago, wobbled to his feet the instant Grace agreed. Although he immediately collapsed, clutching his injured leg, the point remained.

“Ri-Richard!”

Grace cried out in alarm and cradled him in her arms. She gently caressed his leg, peppering his temple and forehead with kisses. It even seemed like her lips brushed against his occasionally…

Grace, who was too close to notice, remained unaware. But Sebastian, standing just a step away, saw everything clearly. Richard Spencer, the Cheshire Cat of Grace Montague’s life, had a sly grin creeping up the right corner of his mouth.

***

Though occasionally grumpy and tiresome, Sebastian was the epitome of a seasoned attendant and capable servant. Efficiently managing the ten soldiers under his command, he systematically combed the surrounding relay stations to track the carriage carrying Grace.

Starting from the first relay station, he divided the soldiers into teams to verify the markers Grace had left behind. They regrouped at predetermined locations, followed the direction indicated by the violet ornaments, then repeated the process of splitting up and searching.

Despite these efforts, Sebastian still left records at each relay station and dispatched soldiers to the rear to keep tabs on Richard Spencer. This meticulous planning was the reason Richard eventually made it to the harbor safely.

Richard Spencer was a man who believed firmly in rewarding or punishing those around him. Consequently, he had already decided to appoint Sebastian as the next butler of the Spencer household upon returning to Lydon.

As Sebastian knelt before Richard and began unwrapping the bandages around his injured leg, he muttered under his breath.

“Riding a horse in this condition… Are you out of your mind?”

“Are you worried about me?”

“Worried? I’m just anticipating how much you’ll complain about the pain in the future.”

“……”

They left the bustling harbor and moved to a nearby inn. Normally, Richard would have refused to stay in such a shabby place, but this time, he quietly allowed himself to be led there.

After all, Richard Spencer was dirtier than the inn itself.

Sebastian glanced at the darkened bandages as he scolded him. They were fortunate it was late autumn; if it had been any warmer, the bandages might have been crawling with maggots. In that case, the leg might have required amputation.

As Sebastian changed the murky water repeatedly, he continued lecturing without pause. Richard, ears burning, distracted himself by rubbing at them.

“And what if someone sees you in such a disgraceful state? Where is the dignity of the Young Earl of Spencer?”

“Sebastian.”

“If I were Lady Montague, I would’ve fled at the mere sight of you. The smell alone…!”

“……”

“Once you’re done bathing, get some rest. I’ll go out to find suitable clothes nearby. And be careful not to get the bandaged area wet.”

After delivering a lengthy monologue, Sebastian left the room. He reminded Richard to lock the door but was promptly ignored.

The next butler of the Spencer household? Maybe in twenty years, he’d reconsider.

Richard scoffed as he finished his bath. Rising from the tub, he limped toward the bed, utterly naked—the image of a wild man descending from the mountains into civilization for the first time.

“Ri-Richard! A-are you hungry…”

At that moment, Grace burst into the room with a radiant smile, carrying a tray in her hands. She froze mid-step, staring blankly for a long moment before dropping the tray to the floor.

She hastily covered her eyes. But the “complete” form of Richard Spencer was perfectly visible between the gaps of her spread fingers.