11 旦那様と呼ばれて
「これまではお嬢様が工面してくださっていましたが、すでにこの地を発っておられますので」
セラヴァッレ公爵はますます青ざめる。使用人の賃金まで娘が払っていたなどとは露ほども知らなかったのである。
「な......なら、ひとまずどこかから借りてこい。王家だと言えば、いくらでも貸すだろう」
執事が引き下がったので、公爵はホッとした。
――そうだ、うちは腐っても傍系王家。いくらツケにしようとも、庶民は喜んでいくらでも払うはずだ。
そう思いつつ、公爵は遠い日のことをじわじわと思い出していた。
先代セラヴァッレ公爵――当代にとっては父に当たる人物が、遊び人だったこと。彼の作った莫大な借金を埋め合わせるために、息子の彼が資産家の娘であるルクレツィアの母と結婚するはめになったことなどを。
セラヴァッレ公爵がこれまで煩わしい金の計算とは無縁でやってこれたのは、父のおかげと、父が亡くなってからはルクレツィアがうまくやっているからだということは知っていた。
しかし、まさか使用人の雇用費までルクレツィアにかかりきりだとは知らなかったのである。
――どこにそんな金があったんだ?
セラヴァッレ公爵は嫌悪感が止められなかった。
――薄気味の悪い娘だ。
やはり得体の知れない庶民の血など、公爵家に入れるべきではなかったのだ。
彼は先妻の血筋を、心底嫌い抜いていた。結婚を命じられたときは、吐き気がした。
なぜ王族である彼が、たったの二代前まで銀行家をしていた娘を娶らねばならないのか。青い血は三代続いて本物となる。彼に言わせれば、妻は侯爵家の娘と言っても、庶民も同然だった。
しかし彼女の持参金でセラヴァッレ公爵家が持ち直したことも事実。その点だけには感謝したが、彼女が産褥熱で死んだときには、分相応の罰、天罰だと思ったのを覚えている。庶民の分際で、王家の血に混ざろうとするなど度し難い傲慢だ。
ルクレツィアがセラヴァッレ公爵家の娘を名乗ることすらおこがましいと考えた彼は、生まれたばかりの赤子を山に捨ててきた。
この国の慣習で、子どもは自分の手で育てず、生まれたらすぐに乳母に出す決まりだ。そして、乳母に預けた子どもの何割かは死ぬ。それだけ乳幼児が無事に成長するのは難しいのだ。
セラヴァッレ公爵はこれで厄介払いができたと思い込んでいたが、八年後、時期を見て、『子どもは死んだ』と亡き妻の侯爵家に報告しようとした矢先にそれは起こった。
ルクレツィアがひょっこり帰ってきたのである。
ニセモノだと主張しようにも、母親そっくりの美貌にセラヴァッレ公爵と同じ銀髪、金の目では、誰がどう見ても血がつながっていると思うだろう。
――なぜだ。私は確かにあのとき、山に置いてきたはず。誰にも見られていなかった。私との繋がりなど絶対に分かるはずもないのに......
こうして、セラヴァッレ公爵は薄気味の悪い娘を育てる羽目になった。
「いつまで私を煩わせるんだ。はやく消えてくれ......!」
頭を抱えてひとりごちる。彼の目には隠し切れない憎悪がにじんでいた。
***
銀行から現金を引き出したルクレツィアは、さっそく服を揃えることにした。いくら旦那様がいいと言っても、着の身着のままの一張羅はやはりみっともない。
「旦那様はどういう服がお好みでいらっしゃるのかしら」
仕立て屋に服のデザインを指示している最中にルクレツィアが尋ねると、老境の執事は素敵な笑顔を見せてくれた。
「どのような格好でも、ルクレツィア様が笑顔で過ごしていただける御召し物であればお喜びになるでしょう」
「まあ、うれしいわ。でも、わたくし、とりたてて服にこだわりがないの。わたくしの趣味で作ると地味になりすぎてしまうかもしれないわ」
ルクレツィアはそれがラミリオにどう見られるのかが気になっていた。
――旦那様は、地味な女がお嫌いだったりしないかしら? お好きな服を着たら、喜んで婚約も考えてくださるかしら?
「清貧の教えとも反するから、少し抵抗はあるけれど、旦那様のお好みに合わせてなら、おしゃれしてみてもいいかなと思っているの」
「とても可愛らしいお心がけでございますね。ぜひとも今のお言葉を、直接旦那様におかけしてさしあげてください。きっとどんな服よりもお喜びになることでしょう」
ルクレツィアは照れてしまって、そんな大胆なこと質問できるかしら、と思った。
「旦那様でしたら今は執務室でのんびりなさっていることでしょう。ぜひお訪ねになってください」
執事に勧められるまま、ルクレツィアは仕立て屋を連れて、階下に降りていった。
ラミリオは執務室の机で、ぼんやりと何かを眺めている様子だった。かたわらに紅茶のセットが置いてあるので、休憩中には違いない。
ラミリオに向かってルクレツィアが呼びかけると、彼は声を裏返した。
「だ、旦那様!? え――お、俺?」
「結婚していただくので、旦那様で間違いないと思うのですけれど......」
「お、俺のこと、旦那様って呼ぶつもりなの!?」
そんなに驚くほどのことだろうかと思っていると、ラミリオはなんだかぎくしゃくした動きで手に持っていた書類を置いた。
「い、いや、君がいいならいいけど......な、何の用?」
ルクレツィアは先ほど執事にした質問を繰り返す。
「旦那様の服のお好みを教えていただこうと思いまして。わたくしの趣味だと、少し地味すぎるかもしれないので、旦那様のお好きなイメージで仕立ててみようかな、って」
「こ、好み!? 好みなんてないよ!? あ、ああいや、べ、別に、君が――君が着てくれるなら、何だって......そう、君の好きな服を着ればいいんじゃないか!?」
やたらと慌てた様子のラミリオ。
「君が着ている服もなかなかいいと思うよ、さっぱりしていて、素材のよさが引き立つっていうか......素材って言い方もどうかと思うけど。まあ、君なら何でも似合うんじゃないか」
「まあ、嬉しい。わたくしも、こういう地味なものが好きなのでございます。好みが同じなんて、気が合いそうですわね」
「あ......そうだな。ははは......」
思いがけず温かい返事をもらって、ルクレツィアはすっかりうれしくなって部屋に戻った。
「では、ドレスはグレーとブラウンのものをお願い。できるだけ落ち着いた色合いで、フリルやレースなどは取り除いて、大きなスカートのふくらみもできるだけ省略を......」
ルクレツィアが仕立て屋に指示を始めたところに、誰かが部屋をノックした。
来客は、ラミリオのそばにいた、若い男性だった。おそらく近い用向きをしている人間なのだろう。
「失礼いたします、奥様。少し伝言をと思いまして」
奥様、と呼ばれて、ルクレツィアは頬を染めた。
――人に言われるとなんだかくすぐったいものね。
「いかがなさいました?」
「先ほどの、旦那様のお好みについてなのですが、実は私が少しばかり詳しくご助言さしあげられるかと思いまして、さしでがましく参りました」
「まあ、仲がよろしいのね?」
側近は「ええ」とうなずいた。
「子どものころからの付き合いですから、何から何までよく存じております」
ルクレツィアは少し身を乗り出した。
「......聞かせていただけるかしら?」
Calling Him Husband
"Until now, the young lady has been financing it for us, but she has already left this place."
The Duke of Serravalle grew increasingly pale. He had no idea that his daughter even paid the wages of the servants.
"......T-then, for the time being, go ahead and borrow it from somewhere else. If you tell them that we're from the royal family, they will lend you as much as they can."
The duke was relieved when the butler backed down.
'Yes, even if we've weakened on the inside, we're still associated with the royal family. No matter how much we put on the tab, the common people would be happy to pay as much as they could.'
With this thought in mind, the duke was slowly remembering the distant past.
The previous Duke of Serravalle - his father - had been a playboy. To make up for the huge debt he had incurred, his son had been forced to marry Lucrezia's mother, the daughter of a wealthy family.
The Duke of Serravalle knew that he had been able to do without bothering with complicated money calculations so far because of his father and because Lucrezia was doing well after his father's death.
However, he had no idea that Lucrezia was even responsible for the employment costs of the servants.
'Where did she get that kind of money?'
The Duke of Serravalle couldn't stop his hatred.
'What a creepy girl.'
After all, the blood of an unknown commoner should never have been allowed into the duke's family.
He hated his ex-wife's bloodline with all his heart. When he was ordered to marry her, he felt nauseous.
Why should he, a royal, marry the daughter of a banker who was a banker only two generations ago? Blue blood only became the real deal after three generations. In his opinion, his wife was as good as a commoner, even though she was the daughter of a marquis.
But it was also true that her dowry had brought the Duchy of Serravalle back on its feet. He was grateful only for that, but when she died of puerperal fever, he remembered thinking that she had deserved her share of punishment, a divine punishment. It was an outrageous arrogance for a commoner to try to mix with the royal bloodline.
He thought it was too presumptuous for Lucrezia to even call herself the daughter of the Duke of Serravalle, so he abandoned the newborn baby in the mountains.
It is customary in this country to give children to nannies as soon as they are born, rather than raising them with one's own hands. And a percentage of the children entrusted to nannies die. It is difficult for infants to grow up safely.
The Duke of Serravalle was convinced that he had gotten rid of the nuisance, but eight years later, just as he was about to report to his late wife, the Marquise, when the time was right, that the child had died, it happened.
Lucrezia had suddenly returned.
Even if he wanted to claim that she was a fake, she looked just like her mother, with the same silver hair and golden eyes as the Duke of Serravalle, anyone would have thought they were related.
'But why? I'm sure I left her on the mountain at that time. No one had seen me. There's absolutely no way that they could have known about her connection with me....'
Thus, the Duke of Serravalle was forced to raise a creepy little girl.
"How long are you going to bother me? Quickly get out of my life.....!"
He said to himself, clutching his head. His eyes were filled with a hatred that he could not hide.
***
After withdrawing cash from the bank, Lucrezia immediately decided to buy some clothes. No matter how kind her husband was, a single piece of clothing is still a disgrace.
"I wonder what kind of clothes my husband likes."
When Lucrezia asked the old butler while he was instructing the tailor on how to design the clothes, he smiled at her.
"Whatever you wear, I am sure Master will be pleased as long as Lucrezia-sama wears something that puts a smile on your face."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that. But I am not particular about my clothes. If I make them according to my taste, they might be too plain."
Lucrezia was concerned about how this would be seen by Ramilio.
'I wonder if my husband dislikes plain women? Would he still be willing to consider an engagement if I wore something I liked?'
"I am a little reluctant to do so, because it goes against the teachings of poverty, but I'm willing to dress up if it suits my husband's taste."
"That is a very lovely thought. Please speak directly to Master about what you just said. I am sure he will be more than pleased with any piece of clothing."
Lucrezia was embarrassed and wondered if she could ask such a bold question.
"I am sure that Master is probably relaxing in his office at the moment. Please visit him."
At the butler's suggestion, Lucrezia took the tailor downstairs.
Ramilio was sitting at his desk in his office, idly looking at something. He must have been taking a break, because there was a tea set on the table next to him.
When Lucrezia called out to Ramilio, he turned around in an instant.
"H-husband?! Eh--m-me?"
"'Since we're going to get married, you will be my husband....."
"Y-you're going to call me husband?!"
While she wondered if it was such a surprise, Ramilio put down the papers in his hand with a somewhat jerky motion.
"N-no, it's okay if you don't mind, but...... w-what do you want?"
Lucrezia repeated the question she asked the butler earlier.
"I was wondering if my husband could tell me what his preference in clothes is. My taste might be a little too plain, so I thought I would tailor it in the image that my husband likes."
"P-preference?! I don't have a preference! N-no--y-you--as long you wear anything, it's fine.... Yes, you should wear whatever you like!"
Ramilio looked very flustered.
"I think the clothes you're wearing are quite nice, too. They're refreshing, and the quality of the material really stands out...... though I don't think that's the right way to put it. Well, I think you look good in anything."
"I'm glad to hear that. I, too, like this kind of simple things. We seem to get along so well, having the same tastes."
"O-oh...... I guess so. Hahaha......."
The unexpectedly warm response made Lucrezia completely happy and she returned to her room.
"Well then, I would like the dress to be grey and brown, please. Please keep the colors as muted as possible, with no frills or lace, and omit the bulge of the large skirt as much as possible....."
Just as Lucrezia began to give instructions to the tailor, someone knocked on the room.
The visitor was a young man who was standing beside Ramilio. He was probably someone who has a close relationship with him.
"Excuse me, Madam. I just wanted to leave a message."
Lucrezia's cheeks flushed when she was called "Madam".
'It's kind of embarrassing when people say that.'
"How can I help you?"
"I'm here because I thought I might be able to give you some detailed advice on your husband's preferences."
"Well, I see you two are on good terms?"
The aide nodded, "Yes".
"We have known each other since we were children, so I know everything about him."
Lucrezia leaned forward a little.
"......Would you be willing to tell me about it?"
My Sister Took My Fiancé and Now I’m Forced to Marry the Ugly Duke
書籍・漫画化／妹に婚約者を取られてこのたび醜悪公と押しつけられ婚する運びとなりました～楽しそうなので張り切っていましたが噂が大げさだっただけで全然苦境になりませんし、旦那様も真実の姿を取り戻してしまい
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/my-sister-took-my-fiance-and-now-im-forced-to-marry-the-ugly-duke/
Action Adventure Romance
Aristocracy Arranged Marriage Broken Engagement Calm Protagonist European Ambience Family Conflict Female Protagonist Hard-Working Protagonist Hated Protagonist Multiple POV Nobles Sharp-tongued Characters Underestimated Protagonist Wealthy Characters
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n3436hc/
くまだ乙夜