Chapter 28

28

Recently, a strange atmosphere had enveloped the Valentino castle. It was because Theodore's attitude towards me had changed.

The rumor that Mrs. Seymour had assaulted me and that Theodore had been furious about it had already spread throughout the castle.

There must have been people who secretly watched and spread the rumor.

Ayla was expelled from the castle, and Serena was put under house arrest. It seemed that Theodore felt sorry for Serena and would not impose a severe punishment on her. After all, she had fallen for Ayla's trick.

“Madam, will you reply to Lady Albinis's letter?”

When Charlotte hesitantly asked, I thought for a moment and shook my head.

This morning, a letter from Adeline Albinis arrived, but it contained nothing important. There was no need to reply. We would meet soon anyway.

I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my clothes, and said,

“Bring me one more feather decoration. Pink, please.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Charlotte quickly brought a pink feather decoration. I used it to decorate the ivory hat. Although a few white feather decorations were already attached to the hat, the all-white look made it seem too frail.

My complexion was pale, as if I were about to die, so I needed to lighten the atmosphere.

“Do you need anything else?”

“...I think this is enough. Let's go now.”

As Charlotte and I descended to the first floor, the servants at the entrance bowed to me. Their demeanor was completely different from before, when they had acted as if they were only reluctantly showing respect.

This change was more amusing than pleasing. People are always like this. They are more easily influenced by public opinion than by their own beliefs. If Theodore were to return to his old self, they would change their attitude as if nothing had happened.

Of course, I don't believe Theodore's kindness towards me will last.

A cold smile formed on my lips. As I stepped out of the entrance, I met Mrs. Seymour's gaze, but neither of us greeted each other. It was obvious that the servants would gossip about this scene.

‘How tiresome.’

Feeling a familiar sense of disillusionment, I stepped out into the garden and saw a carriage parked in front of the stairs. The Valentino family's mage, who was standing beside it, bowed to me.

He was a very eccentric person, completely uninterested in the constant complaints about me from the people of Valentino Castle, and always wandered around muttering incomprehensible words to himself.

Now, after bowing, he turned his gaze away from me and stared blankly into space. The ability to live in one's own world is a skill in itself.

“Madam.”

Theodore's voice came from behind. The word 'Madam' still felt strange no matter how many times I heard it. I almost frowned reflexively but forced myself to maintain a blank expression as I turned around. Theodore smiled at me and extended his hand.

“I'm late. I'm sorry for keeping you waiting.”

“...”

Not wanting to engage in conversation, I shook my head and placed my hand on his. Rejecting his hand in front of so many people would be foolish.

Theodore firmly held my hand and slightly bent his upper body to look at me intently. ...His gaze was so meticulous that it was almost burdensome. Even on a slightly overcast day, his eyes were a vivid blue. I once liked his eyes. But if I thought about it again, I would bang my head against the carriage wall.

“The swelling on your cheek has gone down. It's fortunate that there's no scar.”

“...”

In fact, it wasn't a serious injury. Yet, Theodore had examined my cheek several times since that day. It was ridiculous how he treated me as if I were a fragile doll made of flour.

It was absurd that someone who could be so affectionate wouldn't listen to my story and had been so cold. I felt a surge of frustration.

“Shall we get into the carriage now? I've made it more comfortable than the previous one, so you should be able to travel without discomfort.”

Inside the carriage, I could let go of his hand. I nodded quickly. Theodore's laughter brushed past like the wind, and he gently led me towards the carriage.

As soon as I got in, I pulled my hand away and sat in the corner. I thought he would naturally choose the seat opposite me, whether he was riding a horse or sitting in the carriage.

However, to my surprise, Theodore sat next to me. He even sat very close and took my hand again. I stared at him with wide eyes. My expression must have been completely unguarded. He smiled warmly at me.

“I'll sit next to Lily. I need to be close to protect you properly.”

“...”

Charlotte, who had just entered, hesitated and sat opposite us. The eccentric mage, who had already boarded, said indifferently,

“Let's go if everyone is ready.”

Soon, the air was filled with a golden light that enveloped the carriage. Although I couldn't see clearly due to the golden glow outside the window, I knew the knights and attendants were also wrapped in the magic.

A slightly oppressive and dizzying sensation soon enveloped us. In the blink of an eye, the scenery outside the window had changed.

We had arrived near Ashridge Forest, owned by the Crown Prince, where the hunting party was to take place.

* * *

The group traveled for about 15 minutes along the road and arrived at the Crown Prince's villa.

It was more like a large mansion. This place could easily accommodate over 50 guests and their attendants and knights.

“Lily, the floor is slippery. Be careful.”

Theodore, who had been glued to my side throughout the journey, didn't let go even after we arrived. I found his behavior very burdensome, making it hard to maintain my composure.

Forcing a smile, I stepped out of the carriage, and people's gazes immediately fixed on me. They were curious. It was probably because of the rumor that the relationship between the Valentino Duke and Duchess had improved.

“The rooms for the Valentino Duke and Duchess are this way.”

Ignoring the gazes, I followed the attendant's lead.

After confirming the room, I stepped outside again and saw the Crown Prince loudly talking in the center of the garden.

“I'm really looking forward to who will win this hunting party! Definitely not me, though. That's for sure. Hahaha!”

...I sometimes wondered if he genuinely liked people and could joke about himself, or if he was just pretending to be nice.

Regardless, his hunting skills were poor. He loved hunting but lacked talent with a bow or spear. He seemed to handle a sword well, though.

“Who is this?!”

The Crown Prince, who had just turned to look our way, exclaimed happily. He liked Theodore. Whether it was personal or political, I wasn't sure, but...

From his recent actions, it seemed he was trying to bring Theodore to his side.

“Duke Valentino! And the Duchess. Seeing you two together makes me proud.”

As we approached, the Crown Prince began to speak at length. I smiled blankly. Like Rosanne Delacroix, I didn't get along well with him. Conversations with him always left me drained.

“Duchess, you look even paler than the last time I saw you. You need to take care of your health.”

The last time I saw him was... last winter, no, it was the end of March this year.

The Kingdom of Francis, while not extremely hot in summer, is very cold in winter. This year, it was particularly cold well into mid-April.

The Crown Prince visited Valentino Castle in late March, when it was especially cold, because he wanted to catch a white silk-furred fox that lived in the northern forest. He said he would give the fox's fur to the Crown Princess... but he didn't catch a single one. In the end, Theodore, who had caught six, gave him three as a gift.

“Duchess, can you ride today? If you feel tired, you can rest inside. There's no need to overexert yourself.”

As I responded with a vague 'thank you for your concern,' the Crown Princess spoke up. She was quiet and composed, unlike the Crown Prince, and different from her sister, Rosanne Delacroix.

It was amazing how the Crown Prince and Princess, who had such opposite personalities, got along so well. I smiled politely and said,

“I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness.”

“Yes. If you feel tired at any point, please let us know.”

I nodded with a smile. The Crown Princess always took good care of me, but I wasn't sure if it was out of genuine affection or sympathy. I suspected it was the latter.

“Lily, I have something for you.”

At that moment, Theodore, as if remembering something, took out a brooch with a light pink gemstone from his pocket and attached it to my riding jacket's collar.

People's surprised gazes were fixed on me. The Crown Prince's openly curious look was particularly annoying.

“I've imbued the gemstone with my elemental power. It will protect you in case of an emergency, though I hope it won't be necessary.”

“...Thank you.”

The gemstone seemed to be rose quartz. When I gently touched it, it felt warm.

Those who had a contract with an elemental spirit could imbue their elemental power into gemstones or metals, but only into unprocessed gemstones and pure metals. The elemental power in the gemstone or metal could be used by others, though it was temporary and much weaker than the original power of the contract holder. It worked similarly to a magical tool. Of course, it had limitations and was much weaker than the contract holder's inherent power.

Still, it was very helpful when facing monsters, so the stronger a lord's elemental power, the better for protecting their region.

“...It seems the rumors are true. The Duke seems to care for the Duchess a lot.”

“I know, I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes...”

Whispers spread around. I glanced around indifferently, and everyone quickly shut their mouths.

Being the subject of gossip always felt disgusting. Some of them were even betting on when I would get divorced.

What could be a more despicable hobby than betting on someone's misfortune? I swallowed a sigh and looked at the Crown Prince, intending to ask when the hunt would start, but the crowd became noisy again.

‘What is it this time...’

Frowning slightly, I looked in the direction of the commotion. The first thing I saw was the silver heads, glowing bluish in the sunlight.

Ah, a sound escaped my lips. I wondered why they hadn't shown up. They seemed to have arrived late, as if they didn't care about the Crown Prince's schedule.

The two brothers of the Everett family.

Owen and Hessen were walking side by side, both staring directly at me.