Chapter 75

Chapter 75

He wanted to hug her right now and begged her not to leave… But, that was the last thing he should ever do. He had been relying on Iellie for his life.

Perhaps, without her warmth, he would slowly wither.

“So, like this… I’ll start to stand alone?”

Zachary muttered a little.

As a bitter smile mixed with tears, he squeezed his eyes shut again.

Iellie came out of the castle at a slow pace. As she stood still, she glanced back at the Duke’s castle.

“….”

The Duke’s castle was as quiet as a dead mouse. She couldn’t believe that the castle was once filled with lively laughter.

Zachary’s coming-of-age ceremony was held at the Duke’s castle… Pickled lemon honey given to the Duke, a warm afternoon tea time when the Duke, Zachary, and the people of the Duke’s castle gathered and laughed shyly… It all seemed like a distant past.

“My lady, how can you leave like this?”

“I will really miss you.”

Before leaving the castle, she was greeted by countless people from the Duke’s castle. Iellie had to struggle for a long time to hold back the tears that were about to burst out. She had a real sense that everyone cared for her very much.

“Iellie.”

“…Duke.”

She turned to the side where the voice was heard. It was the Duke who called to her. He was staring at her with a complicated face.

The Duke, who had been hesitant for a while, asked her a sudden question.

“Are you going to resent me?”

“….”

Iellie was silent for a moment.

Resent him…? Of course, she couldn’t help but feel resentment.

“…Yes, I would be lying if I said I didn’t resent you.”

“….”

“Still…”

He gazed at her without a word. Swallowing her breath, Iellie looked straight into the Duke’s eyes before continuing.

“I know this is the best you can think of.”

“…Really.”

“However, there is something the Duke should also know.”

Iellie looked calm now. Seeing her like that, the Duke nodded his head to urge her to speak.

“I will never give up on Zachary.”

Hearing this, he went silent.

Still, Iellie just smiled faintly. She continued her words in a polite tone, “So, to Zachary… Please, tell him that I will be waiting for him.”

“….”

“Please be in good health.”

It was a short goodbye.

As Iellie bowed her head deeply, the Duke, who looked at her, uttered softly.

“I don’t know what you think, but I wish you all the best in the future.”

“….”

“Then, goodbye.”

He then turned his back to her.

Iellie got into the carriage. Perhaps, it was his consideration for her, and the carriage prepared by her was a luxury travel carriage. At the same time, Zachary watched the carriage in which she rode go far and become a small dot through the window.

Iellie glanced blankly out of the window of the carriage. Before she knew it, it was her hometown, the Blanchett estate. In the south, where the days were much warmer than in the north, the spirit of spring was now filling it.

It was the border between late spring and early summer.

“….”

Moving her stuttering steps, it seemed that the stepping stones scattered here and there gleamed white through the green grass. A small garden, a small mansion made of red bricks, that cannot be compared to the Duke’s castle.

“Mom.”

“Len?”

The Viscountess, who had been cutting the red vine roses, lifted her head. Under the straw hat, looking at her sad gaze, Iellie tried to smile. The news of her divorce had long since arrived.

“Mom, I’m back.”

“…Yes.”

The Viscountess pushed the garden shears into the basket of flowers before spreading her arms wide.

“Come here.”

“Mo, Mom.”

For a moment, tears welled up in her eyes. Iellie, who was crying, started running. She threw her body into the Viscountess’ arms.

In her mother’s warm embrace, there was a faint scent of roses.

“It must have been difficult for Len.”

The Viscountess just said so. At her words, Iellie shook her head violently and rubbed her cheek in her arms in response.

“It’s okay, I’ve paid off all my debts.”

“Len.”

“Mom, don’t worry. Because I’m fine…”

It was as if she was speaking to herself, Iellie muttered. The Viscountess wiped her daughter’s skinny back and replied.

“It can’t be fine.”

“….Mom.”

“You separated from the person you love. It’s no wonder if you’re sad.”

Tears began to well up in the pale green eyes. Seeing that, the Viscountess wiped away her daughter’s tears.

“So, you can cry as much as you want.”

That whisper was the starting point.

She couldn’t control the emotions that burst out like a flood of water. While she burst out crying like a child, the Viscountess hugged her daughter with all her might.

That summer, Iellie held her breath and went into seclusion at the Blanchett estate. Meanwhile, various news came from outside.

Rumors circulated that the Emperor had formally reintroduced marriage to Duchy Hessenweitz. It seemed that he tried to promote the marriage between Princess Annerose and the Young Duke, but the Duchy’s side silently refused.

‘…It has nothing to do with me.’

Iellie thought so with a cynical face.

As she got divorced, she expected the Emperor to bother her, but beyond her thoughts, he didn’t bother her in the slightest—perhaps because of the eyes that were watching, and the pressure may have come from Duchy Hessenweitz—she honestly didn’t want to think too deeply.

Time passed slowly yet steadily. During those time, Iellie spent a lot of time blankly.

‘…With time, the pain would go away.’

All that was a lie.

If those words were true, there was no reason why her heart would still hurt like this. Iellie let out a long sigh. Even though she cried non-stop, she was amazed that she continued to cry.

10. Reunion

Even though she thought time was slow, it wasn’t at all. Iellie, wearing a shawl, peered out of the window quietly.

“It’s already winter…”

When she returned to her hometown, the sunny summer garden had vanished. Through autumn, time rushed into early winter. The weather was getting colder, and dry leaves were fluttering on the bare branches.

‘At this time of the year, the Duchy would have a lot of snow.’

Iellie pulled up her shawl and thought so before smiling faintly. Now, she had nothing to do with the Duchy. She rested her forehead against the window. Her breath caused white fog on the window.

‘…Zachary.’

How was he doing? Does he still remember her words that she would be waiting…?

‘…You said you liked me.’

Iellie pulled her lips and questioned.

Her thoughts run wild. She wanted to see Zachary. His smile, his sweet voice, his sweet gaze at her… She wanted to see everything. Did he even think about her?

“Len.”

The next moment, she could suddenly hear a voice calling out to her. Surprised, Iellie looked back.

It was the Viscountess.

“Why are you here?”

Looking at her daughter with sad eyes, she approached her gently. She gently grabbed Iellie’s hand. It seemed that her fingertips became cold. As she asked, the Viscountess’ eyes were filled with concern.

“Isn’t it cold?”

“No, it’s okay.”

Her daughter smiled and shook her head. The gaze she looked at Iellie filled with pity. Since returning from the Duchy, her daughter had developed a habit. She kept looking out of the window endlessly.

‘…As if waiting for something.’

Empty pale green eyes examined blankly out the window. The Viscountess opened her mouth with excitement and vigor.

“Oh, there was an invitation for you.”

“….”

‘Oh, again…?’

Iellie narrowed her brow. Without realizing it, she asked with a sullen face, “Is it from the Imperial Family again this time?”

“Yes. They asked you to attend the New Year’s banquet.”

“….”

Iellie swallowed a sigh. The Emperor, who was quiet at the time of her divorce, was bothering her again. She had been living in Blanchett’s estate for almost half a year already, though he still kept sending invitations.

The Emperor was secretly demanding her.

‘Be my mistress.’

There was no way she didn’t know what he was thinking inside. This time, she was going to have to say no.

Iellie looked tired.

‘At first, it seemed that the opposition of the other nobles and the pressure from the Duchy were taking care of it.’

Viscounty Blanchett was just a small family that barely made it to the list of nobility. It was helpful to Iellie that she had no power. With her debts being forgiven, rumors could have circulated that the Imperial Family was persecuting the noble. Besides, it seemed that he did this openly to a woman who had a relationship with the Duchy before.

‘Perhaps even in the Duchy… I think they put pressure on the imperial family.’

Zachary was someone who kept his promises. Even after her divorce, his statement that he guaranteed her safety was valid. Rather than confronting the Duke, he must have chosen to leave Iellie for the time being.

“Ha…”

“Why are you sighing, Len?”

“Nothing.”

Iellie smiled awkwardly. She did not explain the situation to her parents. They were only going to worry if she explained it anyway, and there was no specific answer to it. Still, the Emperor had constantly been sending invitations.

‘While I’m grateful for the invitation, it’s difficult to attend the banquet as I just got divorced.’

It was the excuse she usually offered. However, the Emperor was lightly ignoring that pretentious excuse.

‘Well, I can’t always refuse the invitation from the Imperial Family…’

At the thought, Iellie chewed her lips and fell into anguish. She had already turned down their invitations more than five times.

“Are you going to attend this time?”

“…Yes?”

“Ah, this New Year’s banquet.”

Iellie knew it, too. How many rumors had followed her since she divorced Zachary.

“Lady Blanchett hasn’t been outside since her divorce.”

“How could the feud that was so severe have caused the Young Duke to divorce her?”

Her reputation was also slowly hitting rock bottom. In addition, since she didn’t go out in social circles, she couldn’t refute the rumors either.

‘As expected… Holding my breath is not going to help in this situation.’

The Princess’s worrisome letter flew several times, mentioning that the Young Duke refused the wedding proposal the Emperor had put in, so Iellie was careful not to worry too much about it. After all, it had been away for more than half a year, so it was time to go out.

‘Yes, to expect that Zachary would come now… It might be better to throw that expectation away.’

It had been a long time since they divorced. Their separation was a reality, and there was no going back to normal. It was just that she had lingering feelings about the relationship that had passed. She thought with a bitter smile.

“I want to write a reply to the invitation.”

“Wr-write? Yes?”

“Thank you for the invitation, and I’m going to the New Year’s banquet.”

The Viscountess’ expression brightened. She was worried about her daughter, who was still locked up in the house. Looking at her mother, Iellie was heartbroken. Her parents got troubled because of their daughter.

“Well, it’s been a while.”

“Yes, my daughter. Shall we get a new dress? Huh, what do you think…?”

“No, it’s okay. What good is a new dress for our house?”

Iellie shook her head. It was nice to see a smile on her mother’s face after a long time.

“I’m not even a girl making her first debut.”

“But…”

“You can change the dress and try it on.”

The cost of fitting a banquet dress was substantial. It was natural to use expensive fabrics, high-quality threads, and sometimes even jewelry to match. Although the debt was repaid through the marriage, Blanchett’s estate was just an ordinary country estate.

‘It’s a little bit too much to make a new dress as a modest living of a rural lord.’

She knew the people’s standard of living. Still, it was a bit inconvenient to fit an expensive dress.

However, Viscountess urged again.

“But, wouldn’t it be better to take a look at the dress before the New Year’s banquet?”

“Should I?”

“Even if you don’t want to mend it, you need to know what kind of dress you have.”

That was correct. It also took quite a while to mend the dress.

And so, the two mother and daughter chattered and headed to Iellie’s room. When she opened the closet where she had kept her dresses for a long time, gorgeous outfits tickled her eyes.

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