Chapter 85

Chapter 85

“It was a funeral held for the head of the family, but I didn’t know that the Princess would come down to pay tribute. It must have been that the Emperor was quite sweet.”

Zachary’s voice saying that was somewhat cynical. Meanwhile, hearing his words, Iellie didn’t know how to react so she just nodded her head slightly.

“Anyway, I have no intention of increasing the funeral’s size, so it won’t be as grand as you think.”

His blue eyes sank deeply. Every time he mentioned his father, her chest tingled.

“My father also wanted the funeral to be minimal…”

He was the kind of father who left everything in order until the very end. Worried that it would be a burden to Zachary, who was to take over the new title, it seemed that he had told the butler in advance that the size of the funeral should be as small as possible.

‘…Father.’

The feelings he felt toward his father were a sense of utter guilt, debt, and unrequited affection.

‘I want to…’

Zachary’s mind was arbitrarily messed up, and he bit his lip. At that moment, Iellie gently pulled his hand.

As he glanced down at her in surprise, her brow furrowed slightly.

“If you bite it so hard, your lips will hurt.”

“….”

“Now, we have to welcome the distinguished guests, so you can’t go out with your lips hurt.”

Saying so, Iellie gently wiped his lips with her finger and swallowed a sigh. Fortunately, it did not bleed. Zachary, who looked down at her with a bewildered face, nodded his head slightly.

“Thank you.”

“It was nothing.”

She smiled faintly.

He was really lucky to have Iellie. Zachary seriously thought so. He wasn’t sure if he could bear this weight alone.

Soon, they went straight to the funeral home.

They thought the appearance of the funeral would shake the heads of the nobles of the capitals, who were used to luxury, saying that they were too simple. However, this scene might be the most sincere funeral.

‘…Everyone is sincerely mourning the Duke’s death.’

All those who spoke in a small voice were talking about the memories of the deceased. Iellie could see that the people gathered here were purely in remembrance of the Duke. He was a respected monarch.

“Come here, Len.”

“Yes.”

As the two of them stepped into the hall, a whisper sounded like a ripple thrown by a stone into the water.

“Is that Lady Blanchett?”

“How is the Lady here…”

In fact, people were surprised. The ex-wife of the current Duke, whom they thought had ended the relationship, suddenly appeared in the Duke’s castle. Not only that, the Duke was treating her as they used to, as she was his wife.

“Has she returned to the Duke’s castle?”

“But, the two are divorced…”

People whispered lowly. She put on her black dress and covered her pink hair with a black veil as she was going to the funeral.

At that moment, Zachary glanced around with a cold gaze.

“….”

“….”

As soon as they met his eyes, the voices of those that were whispering disappeared. Iellie let out a small sigh.

“Greetings, Duke.”

“….”

Zachary’s eyebrows twitched slightly. It was because he didn’t like that they didn’t greet Iellie. Nonetheless, those who were brave enough to speak to the Duke used that courage in the wrong direction.

“Is Lady Blanchett attending this funeral as well?”

“Not Lady Blanchett.”

He answered in a cold tone. Then, he grinned at the other party, who suddenly stiffened their shoulders.

“This is Lady Hessenweitz.”

Seeing that calm face, the other party froze. Zachary continued straight away.

“As you all know, I am now head of Duchy Hessenweitz.”

“….”

“That means I can choose my companion without anyone’s permission.”

There was no warmth in his blue eyes. Zachary was right. He, who succeeded to the title, could marry even without the permission of the previous Duke.

“The divorce is already a thing of the past.”

Having said that, he lightly held Iellie’s shoulder. She quietly leaned her body against him.

“She is my only companion, Duchess Hessenweitz, and the Mistress of the North.”

As the words fell, there was silence mixed with shock in the funeral hall. Even though people stared at Zachary, apparently taken aback, his face was still calm.

“It has been, and will always be.”

Iellie swallowed a gulp. The overwhelming silence made even the sound of a needle falling could be heard. No one was able to open their mouth properly. Zachary declared, giving her strength to his arms as he embraced her.

“Also, the only Mistress of Hessenweitz should be treated with due respect. Isn’t it?”

At those words, through the crowd, the butler stepped forward. Soon, he bowed his head deeply toward Iellie.

“Lady Hessenweitz, Mistress of the North, and the legitimate and only companion of His Grace the Duke.”

When the butler, a representative of the people of the Duke’s castle, greeted her like that, the atmosphere changed in an instant. People glanced into each other’s eyes. At that time, the Princess, who was observing the current situation, took a step forward.

“It’s been a while, Lady Hessenweitz.”

People took a breath. Many distinguished guests gathered here, but nonetheless, the most important distinguished guest was the Princess. Not only that but the fact that she used the title ‘Lady Hessenweitz to Iellie…

‘…This means that the Princess recognizes the Lady as Mistress of the Duchy.’

‘This is how things will turn out.’

People peered around intently to understand the atmosphere. On the other hand, the Princess looked happy.

“Greetings, Princess.”

Iellie politely offered a greeting to her. The Princess greeted Iellie with a pleasant voice.

“Seeing the Duke and Lady back together, you decided to reunite.”

“It is so, Your Highness.”

Saying so, she smiled faintly at the awkward mood. The next moment, the Princess opened her mouth again, holding Iellie’s hand tightly.

“Congratulations. I’m really happy, too.”

“Thank you.”

“Actually, I don’t feel like calling anyone other than Lady ‘Lady Hessenweitz’.”

The Princess wrinkled the tip of her nose playfully and laughed. Then, she took a step back and cleared the situation.

“It seems that both the Duke and Duchess have finally found a place that suits them.”

It was then that Iellie regained enough time to look at her surroundings. Perhaps, it was because Zachary and the Princess had openly recognized her, and the atmosphere in her room was now quite smooth.

“Nice to meet you, Lady. I didn’t know that Lady would come back like this.”

“I wouldn’t have been surprised if there was a word beforehand.”

“I couldn’t do that because I was in a hurry.”

Iellie greeted the numerous distinguished guests staying in the castle with a smiling face. Meanwhile…

‘Zachary should have said hello to other people, too.’

Iellie glanced back at him. Zachary stayed by her side the whole time. It seemed that he was still wary of Iellie being ignored by other people.

After a while, Iellie whispered softly.

“Zachary.”

“Yes?”

“I think we should also go see the Duke now.”

“…Yes.”

Zachary nodded his head slightly.

Iellie clenched her lips. Although Zachary had now succeeded the title, she was still reluctant to call her father-in-law ‘previous Duke.’

‘…This is the last goodbye.’

The Duke’s death had yet to feel real. Her heart sank heavily as if he had swallowed a rock. Iellie and Zachary entered the spacious hall where the Duke’s coffin was enshrined for the final farewell.

‘It’s quite…’

Conceivably, it was in order not to disturb the rest of the dead. Unlike the parlor where the distinguished guests were gathered, the hall was quiet.

‘The Duke wanted a funeral like this.’

When the head of the family chose it himself, it seemed that all the pretentiousness was gone. There were no great luxury items other than the red liquor pot, high-quality candles that lit up here and there, and the white chrysanthemum decoration, which was especially expensive in the north.

“Come here, Len.”

“Ah, yes.”

Iellie came closer to him. Zachary was sitting on his knees beside the coffin, staring down at his father’s face.

Blue eyes, unknown what he was thinking, scanned his father’s figure.

“…Father.”

Zachary whispered lowly. As she gently caressed his shoulder, he swallowed his breath.

“You should offer the flowers first, Zachary.”

“Yes.”

But while he answered that with his mouth, Zachary only looked at his father with a bewitched look.

“Zachary?”

“….”

At his silence, Iellie sighed briefly. She said, patting Zachary on the shoulder.

“If your heart isn’t ready yet, I’ll offer him flowers first.”

“…Father will probably be more than happy with it.”

He smiled bitterly. It suddenly dawned on him that the Duke thought of her as his daughter. It was only when she was by his side that his father truly laughed.

Iellie narrowed her eyes and answered.

“Well, I think the Duke would want more of your flowers, though.”

“That is overestimating us too much.”

“You really underestimate your relationship with the Duke.”

Iellie looked sullen. Perhaps, neither Zachary nor the Duke would admit it though the two cherished each other quite a bit. Even though the relationship was a mixture of love and hate, the underlying emotion was affection.

‘The Duke did not consider anyone other than Zachary to be his successor.’

As a Duke, he would have been free to remarry, and if he wanted to raise another successor, he might have. Still, the Duke didn’t. Zachary also hated the Duke but remained faithful as his son.

‘Well, the two of them will deny it…’

Approaching the coffin, she drew a white chrysanthemum from the vase lying beside it. Theron’s appearance, wrapped in fur and pure white chrysanthemums, looked comfortable, as if in a deep sleep.

“Duke.”

Iellie whispered, carefully placing the flower in her hand on his body and kissing his cold forehead.

“Sorry for coming so late.”

“….”

“But, Duke, you should have given me some time to prepare my heart.”

She whispered to the Duke like a child whining. Zachary looked at her silently. The smile the Duke had put on while looking at Iellie while he was still alive flashed in front of her eyes… A father who looked friendly as if he was treating his young daughter.

Iellie gently wiped the Duke’s forehead.

“I told you to be healthy, but why do you go so suddenly?”

“….”

“If I had known that it would be the last time I saw you…”

The end of her voice slowly got wet. As she left the North, what did she say to the Duke?

“…I wouldn’t have said goodbye with such a cold face.”

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Wiping her tears away, Iellie whispered in a submerged voice, “The day I left the Duke’s Castle, the Duke asked if I had any resentment against him.”

“….”

“Even though I knew what the Duke was thinking, I said I was resentful… I’m really sorry…”

Her voice was cut off. Iellie knew well why the Duke and Zachary acted that way… It was only for her. They were afraid she would get hurt. She was grateful for their unrelenting affection for her.

“…And I apologize for coming back.”

“….”

“Still, I already told you that I won’t give up on Zachary.”

Iellie smiled brightly with tear-filled eyes. She gazed down at the sleeping Duke’s face and asked.

“Now, the Duke will also bless us, right?”

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