Chapter 56.1

Chapter 56.1

Grace used to say that the most aristocratic person in this house was Higgins, the butler.

Higgins, whose ancestors had served as butlers to noble families for generations, was hired by Grace herself when she married the Marquis de Lafayette, the most eligible bachelor in France at the time, and settled in Paris. She had even gone to the UK to personally recruit him. It was also well-known that the Marquis and his wife had engaged in a fierce competition to win Higgins over when Grace decided to permanently return to New York.

Higgins operated the Lafayette Residence more strictly than anyone else.

Even in 1995, when the world had changed and the profession of butler had become as rare as an endangered species, Higgins lived as if he were still in 1945. However, among the staff of the Lafayette Residence, no one dared to defy him.

Behind Higgins, his nanny, Ludovica, waited for her turn to greet Andre, her eyes welling up with tears. Ludovica, who was from Sicily, was nicknamed “Nonna”, which meant “grandmother”, and had taken care of Andre since he was 15 days old. She was also the person who spent the most time with him during his childhood.

Andre saw the three maids, Chef Noel, and Sammy, who was in charge of household errands, standing beside Ludovica. He couldn’t help but let out a silent sigh. The discipline of this household was not established by the Lafayettes or the Lowells, but by Higgins, who had enforced it with an iron will. And today was no exception.

[Andre, my young master!]

[Nonna, how have you been?]

Andre lightly hugged Ludovica, who had stretched out her arms to him. She was the only staff member allowed to embrace him. The old woman seemed to have shrunk even further since he had last seen her six months ago.

After briefly responding to the greetings of the remaining staff members, Andre headed towards the corridor that led to the West Wing. His room was located at the far end of the corridor.

Higgins followed closely behind him.

[Will you be taking your meal in the East Wing with the Marquis, sir?]

[…Please have it brought to my room. Where is my father?]

[He is waiting for you in the East Wing study with Mr. Laurent.]

It seemed that the matter was urgent, as they had assembled the entire staff, including the secretary, to wait for his return. Andre had received a report just before boarding the plane that his father had arrived in New York a few days ago, coinciding with Andre’s return.

[The flight was long. Please let him know that I’ll see him after I shower and change.]

Higgins bowed his head respectfully and turned around with elegant posture. It was impressive that a man in his late seventies could maintain such a straight and dignified bearing. Watching Higgins, Andre felt as though time was reversing itself.

The bedroom, with its small living room and study, was also unchanged since Andre’s time at the military academy.

Andre walked around the room, turning on all the lamps in the living room and bedroom. He realized that even with all the lamps on, the room still felt dim. When he first went to Korea, he found it strange that people used fluorescent lights, typically used in offices, to illuminate their homes. But he must have grown used to it over time…

He suddenly thought of the rooftop room and the woman who looked perfectly beautiful even under the harsh fluorescent lighting.

Andre stopped in his tracks and shook his head. Whenever Miran popped into his mind like this, he felt a pang in his chest as if he was going to be sick.

—

After finishing his shower and changing his clothes, Andre headed to the study in the East Wing. The walls of the long corridor were packed with artworks collected by the Lafayette and Lowell families over the centuries. The house felt more like a museum exhibiting relics than a place where people lived.

The East Wing was a space for entertaining guests, consisting of a study, a formal dining hall, and a guest room. The room of the Marquis de Lafayette, who was treated as a guest in this house, was also located in the East Wing.

When Andre knocked on the door of the study, his father called out in French.

[Entrez. (Enter.)]

The two walls facing each other in the study were packed tightly with old books, classics, and rare collections from floor to ceiling. In the center of the room, a round table was surrounded by comfortable club chairs, and by the window with a view of Central Park, there was an antique desk in the style of Louis XIII. Charles, who had been sitting behind the desk, stood up and walked towards Andre.