章 31: The Handkerchief
Mattheus arrived at his office, Baron Baldroy Harloch having followed along when they met in the hallways, lips pressed thinly at the sight of the small box Minnie presented him as the woman explained it apparently was another congratulations for his new title and station.
"Thank you, Minnie." He smiled at his secretary, nonetheless, and took the eyesore with him as he headed into his private office. "Can you make a pot of tea for us?"
Once the short exchange was finished, the other baron commented. "Been receiving a lot of gifts, Lord Mattheus?"
"They are to congratulate me for the new post," Mattheus only replied. He silently implied it was 'as expected' considering social etiquette.
But Mattheus was sure Baldroy Harloch would know. He was one of the nobles trying to take his measure personally. Possibly use Mattheus for his own advancement, no doubt.
Baron Baldroy Harloch was a member of the Treasurer's Office. The man was somewhat known as a mathematical wunderkind in his youth—it was also why Harloch became a baron. One of the barons that came from a "humble" background to become a life peer.
As if middle-class was considered "humble."
It's not the first time Mattheus had received something to curry favor with him or his mother and father through him, considering how unnecessarily luxurious the box and ribbon were. It might even be his older brother or maternal grandfather these nobles and gentry were aiming to get to through himself.
In fact, ever single time he went to the palace, it was always social visits rather than the work of a physician. The hazards from having blood more blue than the Morgaine line, the man supposed.
Baron Baldroy Harloch was far from the first person he had to minimally entertain or risk the disappointment of his social queen mother.
It was all the same, no matter the different gifts and people, so Mattheus thought nothing of hiding the present. Best to just deal with both at once.
Of course, he made sure to tilt the cover away from Harloch's gaze across the table so the other man wouldn't see the contents. Just in case it was something potentially problematic for the reputation and, in this instance, it was.
He paused when he saw it was a hand-embroidered handkerchief in a distinct purple. A faint scent of perfume reached him, wafted up from his opening of the box.
It was from a woman then. He figured this was probably for Edgar (he would look at the note once alone).
"So what did Her Majesty present to you, Sir Court Healer?" Harloch inquired curiously.
The Queen?
The box itself must have given away who it originated from to someone more familiar with the palace and its nobles.
"A congratulatory gift much like the others," he was able to just reply as he surreptitiously closed the box again and put it away in a drawer.
Normally, he would set it to the side since it would convey he could care less, but the fact the gift was from the Queen would have made it a powerplay instead. As it was, Mattheus knew the smile he gave turned out slightly strained despite his best efforts.
Minnie came in at that moment and the younger baron internally blessed her timing. As soon Harloch glanced away, Mattheus reset his expression to something more natural and outwardly unbothered.
Internally, he was practically screaming in confusion and already knew he would have to ask Mother about this. Now that he realized it was from the Queen, he couldn't get the particular detail that the purple of the handkerchief was the Morgaine purple out of his mind.
What did it mean? What was the Queen trying to do or say?
"You have been getting a lot of gifts, I take it," one of the men that dealt with the coin purse of the entire Royal Palace said with a slightly humorous tone. Harloch had casually taken the cup of tea and took a sip before dropping that obvious observation.
"Unfortunately," Mattheus replied while giving a bland smile.
Unfortunately, Mattheus still had this noble to deal with before he thought of the ticking bomb in his desk drawer.
…
As soon as Mattheus arrived back to the townhome, he rushed through the halls to seek out Honoria Crown so he can ask about the gift. The note that came with the handkerchief didn't help at all—in fact, it had just confused the young man even more.
Thankfully, the woman was actually home rather than maintaining social superiority at a tea party, while simultaneously getting leverage and information through Ladies' gossip.
"My darling boy, did you come straight to me after coming back from the palace?"
Honoria Crown looked perfect as always, even with her hair "down." Her lips were curled into a smile that wouldn't look out of place in Hollywood while her body language was elegant yet relaxed.
One wouldn't be able to criticize any single thing from Honoria Crown. Except maybe that she might be a bit too flawless to the point she felt unreal.
Mattheus caught the slight concern in her eyes over his appearance, right after arriving home and immediately seeking her out.
He honestly would think the woman was unreal too, if he hadn't witnessed her nagging Edgar about his single status or the barely hidden glee when she talked "men's" politics.
"Hello, Mother. Yes, I'm afraid this isn't a social visit." Mattheus defaulted to the standard expression. He meant it to be a joke but the weight of the box in his pocket resulted it in it falling a bit flat when he couldn't quite manage the right tone to express humor.
"I will always have time for you, my darling boy." Honoria fluttered her hand. "Come, sit. What happened?"
Sitting down, he took out the gift and offered it to his mother. "I received this today and I'm not quite sure what it meant?"
The woman's expression gave nothing away as she opened the box and saw the contents. There was a flicker when she read the note but Mattheus was unable to read the emotion before it disappeared into a reassuring, motherly look as she met his gaze.
"Oh, dear me. Let me handle Genevieve, my son."
"Mother?"
"Don't worry. Just forget about getting this. I will deal with the response appropriately."
Mattheus noticed that Honoria made it a point to not call it a "gift" but, when he tried to ask for clarification, she just sent him off and claimed she must get to writing the response right away.
Still confused, Mattheus was forced to wander back to his rooms before slumping into a chair.
Why were women so… mysterious? He swore there was another language involved with them that he wasn't sworn in to understand just because he wasn't part of the "sisterhood."
"Sir? Where is Miss Brue?"
Vincent's question jogged Mattheus out of his funk.
Looking at the valet, he joked, "Brue ran away from home."
The brunet sputtered.
Mattheus laughed at Vincent's response.
In actuality, he knew Brunilda was doing something. She was still accompanying him every time he left the Crown residence but left once he was back home, apparently considering the Crown security safe enough.
The cat had mentioned having an idea for an assistant-slash-apprentice when he went to his father weeks ago about a communication setup so he would only need to head to the palace once a week, leaving him to research and study the rest of the time. The earl had told him to just use the family staff for now but that it was also about time for Mattheus to accept an assistant/apprentice. Even if all he could do now was the theoretical.
(Apparently, Mattheus Crown could have had one ever since he became a Researcher and should have had one once he reached Assistant Professor. There had just been an issue with his age. Technically, there still is an issue with his youth but it was less of one now that he was an adult and had a King-appointed title to his name.)
She somehow also found out the assistant cook who ran away had died under mysterious circumstances rather than the mugging the police concluded it was.
The System also seemed to approve of Brunilda's actions. In one of the constant updates it was undergoing, the System had manifested a small pouch that Brunilda could carry around her neck. She still didn't have access to her Inventory but the little pouch was able to hold a lot more than its size. He was able to fit in dozens of homemade survival bars in there and was only limited by the circumference of the mouth of the pouch so far.
As for why she might need portable and long-lasting food or the local currency, Mattheus had vague ideas but didn't really ask. He was fairly sure it would be easy to make more of the survival bars and there was plenty of food in the Inventories. He also wasn't exactly using his allowance and new salary, so Brunilda might as well have it so she could do whatever she was doing.
Much like he didn't ask why Brunilda had an armory of sniper rifles and guns that were definitely not for hunting in her Inventory, he did not ask where she went when she goes for a stroll around the Capital.
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