Chapter 76

Chapter 76

“Certainly, it shouldn’t be necessary to make a dress.”

“…What, really?”

When the Viscountess exclaimed, Iellie forced a smile. It was because her mother seemed very excited.

“That’s a relief. If you change these dresses a little, you won’t be ashamed in the capital.”

“….”

Iellie’s eyes were slightly distorted as she glanced at the dress. Since the age of thirteen, she had been living in the north. Naturally, all of her dresses were from the North.

She muttered a little.

“…I said I didn’t need it.”

Although she said she was okay, she thought of Mary, who was always packing her essentials, and the people who carried her luggage one by one in the carriage. Mary didn’t have any right to control the Duke’s stuff, so maybe that was why.

‘Zachary and the Duke must have taken care of it from behind the scenes. I know this will happen…’

Zachary firmly said that they should divorce. Even so, he said that he would protect her until the end. The fleeting longing was about to grow bigger, so she tried to engulf it.

Iellie swallowed a sigh.

“…No, let’s not think about anything useless.”

Muttering to herself, she shook her head. She was divorced anyway. Finally making up her mind to accept that Zachary wouldn’t return so that she wouldn’t have to succumb to these sentiments needlessly, Iellie glanced at the closet.

“Oh my gosh, Len.”

“Yes?”

At her mother’s exclamation, she widened her eyes. The Viscountess pulled something out of her closet.

“This silver fox scarf is gorgeous.”

“….”

Iellie felt her throat suffocate for a moment as the bright white fox fur caught her eye.

“Oh my God, I never thought I would see fur like this. Where did you get it—Ah…”

The Viscountess, who had been chatting happily, stopped for a moment. It was because she realized where she had seen this white fox fur before.

“…Hey, Len?”

“….”

Even though Iellie bit her lips hard, tears were already welling up in the pale green eyes.

“This, no way…”

“Yes… That’s right.”

Answering her mother, she raised her hand and pressed it tightly against her eyes.

…No, she didn’t want to cry. Still, regardless of her will, tears streamed down her face again. It seemed that her tears still hadn’t dried up.

‘Silver fox fur…’

At Zachary’s coming-of-age ceremony, she was given this fur at the hunting party. She can hear his friendly voice.

“But, I wanted to give this to you directly.”

Reddish cheeks from running for a long time, silver hair scattered on his forehead. With his shy attitude, Zachary held out the fox he had caught.

Each moment was vividly etched in her mind.

“A silver fox?”

“Yes. You get cold easily. Silver fox fur is much warmer than other furs…”

A pure white silver fox that he shot the arrow into the eyes so as not to damage the skin. It shone as white as fresh snow in the sunlight. The feel in her hand was so soft as if she was stroking silk.

“…Thank you so much, Zachary.”

“Only in words?”

“Then…?”

Zachary, who had a playful face, spread his arms wide. A voice whispered softly to Iellie.

“Come here.”

In the end, she pretended she couldn’t win and hugged him. His body temperature, mixed with the cool smell of snow, made her heart race as if it were about to explode. She groaned slightly as she felt Zachary’s hand stroking her hair.

“I can’t live, really.”

“Still, it’s not possible to get a divorce.”

…Yes, Zachary. She was more than happy to have him think of her than the precious fox skin he gave her.

“Mom.”

“Yes?”

“Zachary… told me.”

“Yes?”

No matter how hard she tried to hide her tears, it was no use. Iellie lowered her head and sobbed a little as the tears dripped down her knees. Laying down the fur scarf, the Viscountess wrapped her arms around her daughter’s shoulders.

“Len.”

“…We won’t get a divorce, we won’t.”

Iellie held her breath and shut her eyes tightly. The sadness she had been holding down for a long time rose again.

“We can’t get a divorce…”

“Our daughter…”

“How could Zachary do this to me? I, I—”

Unable to even speak properly, Iellie was in tears. The Viscountess pulled Iellie into her arms. Clinging tight to her mother, she spat out her long-buried feelings.

“I… how much, how much…I liked him.”

“Yes, I know.”

“And, Zachary… I thought he liked me…”

…How could he? How could he cut her clean like this? Someone who never showed his face, didn’t send a letter, and like someone who didn’t even exist at all.

Iellie sobbed and cried.

After a few days. Iellie made her way to the capital so she could attend the New Year’s banquet. As she climbed into the carriage, her expression indicated that she had cried so sadly.

“….”

The Viscountess, who saw Iellie off, went back to her daughter’s room and opened her closet. Deep inside the closet was a small box.

She carefully opened the box.

“Len.”

The Viscountess’ face contorted. Her heart was troubled with her daughter since she returned in the summer. Her poor daughter used to glance out the window incessantly, even though she smiled and muttered that she was fine.

She muttered

“…My poor daughter.”

Inside the box was a pure white silver fox scarf. It was the longing that Iellie had barely shaken off.

Viscounty Blanchett was objectively an ordinary country lord. That meant the Viscounty couldn’t afford to own a townhouse in the Capital.

Accordingly, Iellie decided to stay in a small hotel.

‘She just has to attend the New Year’s banquet anyway.’

She only needed a short stay. It was a bit difficult for her to continue to decline the Emperor’s invitation, so she was planning to return to Blanchett’s estate immediately after the New Year’s banquet.

Iellie watched the scenery of the capital quietly from the capital.

‘…Pretty.’

To welcome the New Year, the Capital was decorated with splendor. It was decorated with gold and silver stars, and various ribbons were hung. The figure, reminiscent of the Christmas decorations she had seen in her previous life, was very cheerful.

‘It would be nice to see it with Zachary.’

Reflexively, as she thought so, Iellie bit her lip. What the hell was she thinking?

“Lady, we have arrived at the hotel.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Just then, the carriage stopped at the hotel. It was not an expensive hotel. Rather, it was a cheap hotel.

‘Perhaps, staying at this hotel itself is a reason to get caught up in gossip.’

Most nobles bring at least two servants each time they attend a social event in the capital.

‘Though I have only one maid…’

Livelihood in a rural estate was plain. In fact, it was a bit difficult to bring in a maid. In addition, if she was considering staying at a luxury hotel on Rebrandt Street…

‘It might seem a little shabby. But hey, what about it?’

She was tired of worrying about other people’s eyes.

And so, Iellie entered the hotel with one maid.

“Miss, since you came to the capital, you may want to rest a little longer.”

“No, it’s better to just attend the banquet and go home.”

As Iellie smiled, the maid looked sad. There was no way that even the maid did not know what she was going through. She didn’t pay for a long stay, and she didn’t want to talk to people in the capital.

‘So, I guess I’ve made sure I have a tight schedule so that I can attend the banquet straight away…’

Still, the average of attendees of her age was in the middle of attending a party or dressing up nicely. Even though she was still young, it was a pity she was living on the Blanchett estate. The maid smiled brightly.

“Yes. Then, let’s go to bed early.”

“Do we really need to? Anyway, the banquet is tomorrow evening…”

“No. There are a lot of preparations to attend the New Year’s banquet.”

“Still, I just want to rest a little.”

Iellie, who was rolling around in her bed, poked her head out dissatisfied. The maid shook her head strictly.

“You have to get up early tomorrow. I will start with skincare.”

“Skincare? No, it’s an event that doesn’t require that much effort, right?”

“Even if you say that, I have already brought everything.”

At her words, the maid shook her head in opposition. Because of that, Iellie could only bury her head in the blanket and rolled her eyes.

“Tomorrow morning, I will start with a pack by mixing honey and barley flour.”

“Has everything been decided already? Can’t you change it?”

“Yes.”

Iellie closed her mouth.

The middle-aged maid smiled. She was the Viscountess’ direct maid, who took care of Iellie as a child on behalf of the weak Viscountess. In other words…

‘…No matter how much I say no, I can’t beat her.’

No matter how much she was just a maid, she was almost her mother’s friend and a nanny to her. So, Iellie just quietly decided to follow her words. She frankly rode the carriage for a long time and was probably tired as well.

‘I wish the New Year’s banquet would be over soon.’

Iellie, who had dug into the duvet, thought so. She thought, until then, that she would be fine if she only attended the New Year’s banquet.

However, on the day of the banquet, she learned a shocking fact.

Iellie entered the Imperial Palace Ballroom with a complicated mind. The ballroom was filled with the spirit of the New Year.

People smirked, clinked glasses, and chatted.

‘Still, this kind of gaze is also a little uncomfortable.’

Iellie thought she was trying so hard, pretending she was okay, controlling her expression. She attended a New Year’s banquet hosted by the Imperial Family, where she didn’t even have a partner. This alone was more than enough to get her talked about. Besides, a new title was added to her name.

“Isn’t that Lady Blanchett…?”

“I know. She has been living in the estate for a long time though she attended the New Year’s banquet this year.”

Whispering voices.

The eyes of people staring at Iellie with a squint. Her whole body was tingling.

“Did you hear that? Before the New Year’s banquet, the lady was staying at the Ollen Hotel.”

“What? Where is it…?”

The noble women looked at each other with eyes wide open. In addition, they spoke loudly so that they could be heard on purpose.

“They say it’s a hotel outside Rebrandt street.”

“Oh my God, staying in a hotel like that… It must have been difficult for her after the divorce.”

A roar of laughter erupted. People gazing at her without the halo of the Duchy were not very favorable. Well, this kind of gossip was to be expected from the beginning.

Iellie straightened her back.

“It must be because the halo of Hessenweitz has disappeared, isn’t it?”

“But, her dress is quite shiny.”

“I know. It’s pretty luxurious… Did Viscounty Blanchett have such wealth?”

Those who narrowed their eyes observed Iellie. Today she wore a light blue dress with her pink hair lightly braided. In addition, feather decorations on her head were also gorgeous.

“Though how… The shape of the dress is the northern style, isn’t it?”

“…Oh my God, did she come here wearing the same dress she had made in Hessenweitz?”

“Isn’t that a bit shameless?”

They babbled wildly.

Iellie didn’t get a new dress, and she came in wearing an old dress. The northern and southern dress styles were slightly different, so it is easy to recognize.

“Isn’t it possible that she didn’t bring the Duchy’s wealth at the time of divorce?”

“If it wasn’t for that, would there be a dress like that? If not, how can she be so brazen…”

As she listened to people’s gossip with an expressionless face, it didn’t matter to her that they cursed her.

“To be honest, Duke Hessenweitz has chosen the wrong wife for the Young Duke.”

For a moment, Iellie stopped. Although she didn’t mind if they were insulting her, insulting the Duke and Zachary were different.

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