At this moment, the "strong" Elina was busy packing her things.
At the enthusiastic invitation of Mr. Campbell—the Earl and Elina's grandfather—Lady Campbell had finally decided to accept and head to the countryside estate. They would stay there for at least half a year, not returning until just before Christmas.
Thus, there was a great deal to prepare. Fortunately, Lady Campbell and the servants were overseeing most of it. The only thing truly troubling Elina was the trunk in her room—stuffed with books she couldn't let others see.
These books—along with the samples Mr. Herman had sent—were absolutely not something she could bring along to the estate. And yet, she was hesitant to leave them behind. She wouldn't be returning to the city for six months, and even if Vera and the others came back from the club, they wouldn't be able to forward the books. Elina hadn't even decided if she wanted to send them.
Moreover, in order to preserve her human identity, she couldn't have them mailed to the castle where the club was currently located. That left the trunk of books a veritable hot potato.
If only the Duke of Berkeley could handle it for her—but that would be way too socially mortifying!
Wait, why did she have to send them to her fellow club members herself? The Duke of Berkeley had more than enough means to acquire the reference materials—although Mr. Herman had mentioned that 'Dream Travels' was out of stock on the market. Still… Berkeley probably hadn't… he wouldn't have… been to Holywell Street, would he?
How could she possibly ask the Duke if he'd ever been to Holywell Street? That was… too awkward. Maybe she could phrase it more tactfully?
After pondering for a while, she began writing a letter to the Duke, inquiring about how things were progressing at the club's countryside castle, and informing him of her upcoming address at the estate.
Just in case, Elina decided to take the key with her to the countryside and leave the trunk in Luenton. She summoned her trusted maid Mary and asked her to keep an eye on the trunk.
There were plenty of servants at the estate, while those employed by the Campbell household would stay in Luenton to continue their work. The house wouldn't clean itself just because its mistress was away. It needed daily upkeep, reception of visitors, safety monitoring, and defense against potential thieves.
"I have a friend who's traveling," Elina fibbed harmlessly, "She asked me to temporarily look after this trunk of books. If she comes back, could you help me send it to her?"
"Of course, Miss Elina!" Mary seemed incredibly excited, as if she'd been entrusted with a glorious and important mission. "May I ask where to send it?"
"She hasn't settled on a location yet. I'll write back with the address later," Elina said.
Mary nodded eagerly. Elina was confident her loyal maid wouldn't pry into the contents of the trunk.
Before leaving Luenton, she also had to write to 'The Ladies' Monthly' and the plump shopkeeper, informing them she'd be on holiday in the countryside and asking them to send future correspondence to the estate.
Just as she was making all the arrangements, Lady Campbell received a new letter from Mr. Campbell.
Due to a recent lull in the conflict in Francie, Elina's father had decided to seize the rare opportunity and set off immediately for home. Based on their calculations, the family was likely to reunite at the estate.
"That's wonderful," Janet breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest. "It's always nerve-racking having them away."
Elina hadn't seen her father and brother for nearly six months. It felt like an entire lifetime had passed.
"Huh," Lady Campbell glanced at the letter. "They'll be bringing two guests with them."
Elina and Janet exchanged puzzled glances. "Guests?"
"Because of the unrest in Francie," Lady Campbell explained, "some composers and playwrights are concerned for their safety and have decided to take refuge in Luenton. Your father is good friends with two of them, so he invited them to stay."
At the time, it was quite normal for guests to stay in someone's home—especially in upper-class society, where ordinary families often lacked extra rooms. Hosting guests from afar was seen as a gesture of respect and hospitality. Long-distance travel took time and energy, and forcing someone to hunt for accommodation on arrival would be inconsiderate.
Besides, it wasn't uncommon for a household to also host servants, tutors, or even distant relatives. If there was enough space, a few more guests weren't a big deal.
Naturally, the Campbell estate had guest rooms reserved for such occasions. However, those rooms had sat unused for quite a while and weren't yet cleaned. Elina guessed her father would bring the guests directly to the estate to reunite with the family. Who would bring guests into the stinking, suffocating heat of Luenton in summer? That wouldn't be hospitable—it'd be like sending them into a furnace.
"They'll be coming to the estate directly," Lady Campbell confirmed, matching Elina's prediction. "We need to inform your grandfather so he can be prepared."
The Earl of Campbell's estate was spacious and comfortable—more than enough to host the two guests.
"We'd best get the guest rooms in order," said Lady Campbell, now overwhelmed by the sudden news. "We don't know how long they'll be staying in Luenton."
"Right, and we don't even know if they're men or women," Janet whispered to Elina in private, slightly worried. "If they're men, Susan will definitely make us take extra etiquette lessons."
Indeed, if the guests were male, Elina and Janet would have to be extra careful. They'd need to avoid private or overly familiar conversations, always have a female servant or tutor present, and maintain a proper distance—for their own safety and the family's reputation.
However, out of courtesy, a household wouldn't turn guests away just because they had young women at home. Thus, the burden of propriety inevitably fell on Elina and Janet.
"At most, it's one man and one woman—or a married couple," Elina said, not sounding optimistic. "Two women seems unlikely. Father is very particular about etiquette."
Janet sighed, looking gloomy.
Seeing this, Elina comforted her, "It's fine. Maybe they'll only stay for a while. If they're very accomplished composers or playwrights, they probably have plenty of friends. Once they reach Luenton, they might move out. After all, living in someone else's home isn't ideal—it limits social opportunities."
"You've got a point," Janet replied, somewhat reassured.
Before Elina could finish packing, a letter arrived from the Duke of Berkeley. Since beginning his correspondence with the Campbells under the alias "Lady Claire," he had always written under that name to avoid suspicion.
"The progress is painfully slow…" he complained. "Due to recent rumors of vampire creatures, the Inquisition has halted all operations to eliminate foreign species. I wrote to the club, suggesting they return, but they all said they'd rather spend the summer in the countryside. They'd rather endure the discomfort of the castle than return to Luenton. I have to admit—I'm almost impressed."
Elina remembered how reluctant Vera had been when first dragged off to the castle. Now, just over a month later, they were so content they didn't even want to come back. That said a lot about how miserable Luenton must be in the summer.
"So," Berkeley wrote, clearly exasperated, "I can't exactly force them to return. Besides, I'll be heading to my summer villa myself. Still, wasting an entire summer like this feels like a real shame."
"I've already shared the secrets of pleasing the goddess with them," he added, "and they've been trying to follow them. I haven't had the nerve to ask how it's going, but I haven't heard anything promising, so… things probably aren't going great. I'm planning to send them some reference materials. If you have any book recommendations, do let me know."
…Instantly, Elina imagined two little versions of herself arguing in her head. One told her that if these books could help her fellow club members regain their human appearances, then social suicide was a small price to pay. The other insisted that there was no way the Duke of Berkeley didn't already know which books to look for.
After a long inner debate, Elina decided to put it aside for now. Avoidance might be cowardly—but it worked. She'd find an opportunity later to anonymously send the books to Vera and the others.
And speaking of anonymous… maybe she could borrow someone's identity? Her male alter ego Allen, perhaps? Or even her brother? If she claimed her brother generously donated his personal collection… well, his reputation might take a hit, but better him than her. A worthy trade.
But all of this would have to wait until Vera and the others returned. She trusted the Duke of Berkeley would take good care of them over the summer.
Meanwhile, the Duke himself was carefully sorting through the reference materials he planned to send.
After receiving Elina's goddess-pleasing guidebook, he had started collecting recommended books from the "Gentlemen Intellectual Brotherhood." Most of the listed works had been acquired through various means—except for a few limited editions. The top recommendation, 'Dream Travels', had been out of stock for a long time. He couldn't just stand around hoping to catch a restock.
Thus, it was unfortunate that he hadn't managed to buy either of the two 'Dream Travels' volumes.
They were said to be the best of the best by the Brotherhood—books so excellent, they alone were worth the entire list. The Duke couldn't help but suspect… perhaps they were 'so' good that the goddess had rewarded Elina with beauty just for reading them?
If given the chance, he certainly wouldn't mind reading them himself. In fact, part of him wickedly wondered what would happen if he read them aloud… right in front of Elina.