Chapter 267: Hastings ball (2)
"What is the surprise? We are almost at the ball, and I am not yet surprised," said Dante.
"We are almost there. It wouldn’t hurt for you to have patience. Just a little bit more, and you will see it," Ophelia said, looking straight ahead for the portraits.
"When the ball ends, I will make it an order that you are not to carry out any duties for a few days. Even when we were out of the castle, you were busy planning the ball. If you don’t have a break, you are going to make yourself sick. You must promise me to rest," Dante said, offering his hand for Ophelia to shake.
Ophelia shook Dante’s hand without a second thought. "After the ball, I won’t be busy. I’ll be back to my gardening and attending a few gatherings. Though I will have to see that the supplies for the orphanage are arriving on time."
"I will place someone to oversee. There are plenty of capable people around us, Ophelia. You must stop trying to do it all by yourself. I know that I must hand off some of my duties to others. You will tire yourself and face grave consequences," Dante warned Ophelia.
"I know. I know that I have to stop, but it is hard to. I can’t help wanting to see that it is all going as I want. I will work with you to place someone to oversee the orphanage and give me reports. Then, I would be able to focus on the garden," Ophelia said, truly wanting a break.
"I have a feeling that despite saying this now, you will be near the orphanage when it is being built. Or, near the children that we are welcoming to the castle."
"Well, the castle is large, so it might be scary for the children. I should welcome them and offer kind words to ease their fears. That won’t take long," Ophelia promised.
"Here. You must cover your eyes," Ophelia said, tiptoeing to place her hand to cover Dante’s eyes. "When I move my hand, you must look at the walls. One, two, look!"
Dante looked at the walls as Ophelia told him to and found a sight which had become rare in the castle. "Where did you get my father’s portraits?" He asked.
"From the storage. I worked with the head maid and maids to find the ones still in good condition. Many are ruined because of how poorly they were stored, so I was thinking of letting an artist visit to recreate them. I would hate for those memories to be wasted," said Ophelia.
Ophelia slipped her hand out of Dante’s, so he could go forward to inspect the portrait.
"You look happy in this one," Ophelia commented.
"I vaguely remember it, but I believe I was happy. We all were," Dante said, looking at his mother’s smile. It was a smile he had not seen in years. "I must have been twelve. We used to have these portraits all over the castle before he passed."
"Well, now we can have them all over the castle again. These few are only the beginning. Once I have the spoiled portraits recreated, I will have them placed at every corner of the castle. I see no reason for us not to show your father or grandfather and the others before them," said Ophelia.
Ophelia stepped forward and examined the name on the portrait.
"Luther Hastings," Ophelia read out. "I enjoy getting a good look at your father. Now I know the other half of you."
Dante stared at his father’s portrait. All memory of his father was trapped inside his head since Cecilia was not fond of seeing her late husband or speaking about him.
Dante took a moment to familiarise himself with his father’s face. Not seeing a portrait for so long left his father’s face blurry at times when he imagined him.
Ophelia looked away from Dante to follow the sounds of footsteps.
"Lord Hastings," Rick cleared his throat. "Lady Hastings."
Dante turned away from the portraits to face Rick.
"I got your order that I was allowed to return to the castle," said Rick.
"You carried out your punishment well, and I heard the stories that you led the men to a victory. It was time for you to return home. You may get back to your station in the morning," Dante said, no longer angry with Rick.
"I thank you for lifting the punishment, but if you would allow it, I would like to return to the border. It has nothing to do with you or Lady Hastings. In so little time, I have become close to the men there, and I want to work to keep the border protected. If you would allow it, I will return," Rick said, hopeful Dante would let him go.
"So be it," Dante agreed. "I will send you an order that you are to be stationed there. For now, enjoy yourself. Go see your family and meet with the men. They would have missed you."
"I intend to speak with all of them before I go. While I am here, I also want to apologise to Lady Hastings for my old behaviour," Rick said, feeling nervous. "I am sorry for how I acted. I cannot ignore that your orders during the attacks and attentiveness greatly helped us. I misjudged you."
"I accept your apology. Our differences are all in the past. If you are going to be at the border, then we are to be on good terms. I was quite happy that you communicated well with me during the time the Valthorns were pushing an attack. Thank you," Ophelia said, grateful Rick had not ignored her.
"I was also sent to inform the two of you that the guests are waiting for you. They are eager to see the Hastings. Should I find your mother?" Rick asked, finding it odd that Cecilia was not front and centre.
Ophelia covered her mouth with her right hand, trying to not to let her voice be heard.
"If my mother were to arrive, she would be an uninvited guest who escaped the dungeon. A lot has changed since the last time you were here. I suggest letting someone else fill you in since I need to get to the ball. Shall we?" Dante asked, offering his hand to Ophelia.
A chuckle slipped between Ophelia’s parted lips just as she placed her hand on Dante’s. Rick’s expression was funny, but she didn’t want to laugh since Cecilia was still Dante’s mother.
"We shall," Ophelia replied, continuing the walk to the ballroom.
