Chapter 17: A Moment's Choice (2)

Childhood.

Flora attended a prestigious academy.

The wealth derived from Lawrence's name and fertile land was powerful enough that she received the upbringing of a noble, being attended to by servants every morning. The memories of that time were not particularly special.

But now.

Amid a series of events, a memory suddenly surfaced.

‘He was from the Joel family.’

The Joel family.

A family so obscure that its very existence in the northeastern region was doubted, existing only in name.

In reality, given the family's status, it should have been impossible for someone from the Joel family to attend a prestigious academy. Yet, by a stroke of luck, a member of the Joel family attended the academy at the same time as Flora.

Flora did not look at ‘him’ with a prejudiced eye.

As a fellow student, she often mingled with him, but not everyone thought the same way.

The elite's world.

Joel was an outsider, and in a world where people considered themselves noble, no one treated him with respect.

One day.

Joel made a minor mistake.

While the children of high-ranking nobles could cause major incidents without consequence, Joel faced a disciplinary committee for a trivial matter.

The threat of expulsion. The teachers, who were shouting at Joel, were met with a man, presumably Joel's father, who appeared in faded clothes and bowed deeply.

Just once, please.

He promised to keep a better eye on his son.

Watching the middle-aged man plead desperately, Flora indirectly experienced the harsh reality.

‘How pitiful.’

If the Joel family had been more prestigious.

If they had had more power.

Would Joel's patriarch have bowed his head?

No.

It wouldn't have been an issue in the first place.

People would have treated Joel's child with respect.

But because they lacked power, Joel's patriarch had no choice but to apologize.

And.

It was no different now.

In front of the furious Baron Romero, Flora's father was just like Joel's patriarch.

“...As the head of the Lawrence family, even if I had ten mouths, I have nothing to say. What Baron Dmitri said is a hundred times right. It was our Lawrence family who first proposed the marriage, and my daughter, who is still immature, made a grave mistake. I should have apologized for this from the beginning, but I acted arrogantly and I sincerely apologize for that.”

Baron Lawrence bowed his head.

Dmitri's anger.

Lawrence lacked the strength to bear it.

The fact that Dmitri could resolve the conflict with Barco meant that they had that much power.

Baron Lawrence faced reality.

Now was the time to apologize.

Without adding any excuses, he bowed his head, and Flora felt a surge of hot emotion welling up inside her.

‘...It’s all my fault.’

Joel.

A pitiful child.

She felt sorry for him and wanted to treat him well.

A person she once pitied was now reflected in her own situation.

She was foolish.

Pathetic.

Once, she thought the world outside the greenhouse was warm to her, but she failed to realize that it wasn't so after the Lawrence family's decline.

Childhood memories.

Just as she had observed the Joel family's situation from a distance, she had yet to realize the consequences of her own choices.

‘There’s no reason for my father to be treated like this because of me. It’s my fault. If I had taken full responsibility instead of passing it off to Roman Dmitri, there would have been no need to bear Dmitri's anger. How pathetic. Not only did I judge Roman Dmitri rashly, but I also turned a blind eye to the reality I had to face.’

Tight.

She clenched her fist.

The root of the problem was herself.

She realized that to resolve this situation, she had to apologize directly, not Baron Lawrence.

“Baron Dmitri...”

Thud!

“My lord.”

At that moment.

Just as she was about to speak, a soldier entered and said,

“Master Roman has arrived.”

Instantly.

It felt like the world had turned upside down.

As Roman Dmitri entered the office, Flora involuntarily took a deep breath.

‘...This is Roman Dmitri?’

Before her.

There was a man different from what she remembered.

The first meeting with Roman.

It was the worst.

While the rumors of Dmitri's foolishness made it worse, his unkempt appearance and the strong scent of perfume made Flora frown.

Of course, she later learned that the perfume was a considerate choice, but at the time, she was biased and didn't like Roman.

However.

Now, there was a completely different person.

A natural, pleasant scent followed Roman's steps, and from his toes to his head, he was entirely different.

Tall stature.

His face, once marred by blemishes, was now as white as jade, and his black hair and red lips stood out even more due to his skin.

While his appearance was once ordinary, now he could be called a handsome man.

But what truly surprised Flora was the unique aura Roman Dmitri exuded.

‘It feels like facing a giant.’

He was confident.

An aura that seemed to say he looked down on the world and had no reason to shrink back.

Like a sharp sword.

The first meeting was unexpected, the second was shocking, and the third left her speechless.

Now.

She knew her thoughts were pathetic.

But.

Roman's appearance resembled the silhouette she once thought was her ideal.

Thud.

He stopped.

Despite the attention on him, Roman remained unshaken, looking up at Baron Romero and speaking calmly.

“Roman Dmitri, I greet my father.”

A week.

The results of the seclusion training were enough to shock everyone present.

Baron Romero was equally surprised.

His son's transformation.

He had many questions, but with the watching eyes, he maintained a calm face.

“Did your training go well?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll hear the details later. The reason I called you here is that the Lawrence family wishes to revoke the annulment and proceed with the strategic marriage. As a father, I have no desire to continue a relationship with the Lawrence family, who took the bond of marriage lightly, but this issue originated from your decision. If you make a decision, I will follow it, whatever it may be.”

If it were a month ago.

Baron Romero might have proposed a marriage with the Barco family, openly intending to retaliate for the annulment.

However.

Now, he trusted his son.

Starting with the Blood Pact, his son had taken the lead in his life, and he believed he would make the right choice for himself.

“...I understand.”

The atmosphere.

The situation was clear.

Although she hadn't been there from the beginning, the tense expressions of the Lawrence family suggested that Baron Romero had already had a confrontation.

The Dmitri family, as Roman had learned, had that much power.

They didn't boast about it, but the Dmitri family was far from weak.

A powerhouse in the northeastern region.

Whatever decision was made, the Dmitri family could handle it.

Roman said,

“I am well aware of what the union between Dmitri and Lawrence means. The Lawrence family considered me as a marriage prospect not because they wanted Roman Dmitri but because they needed the Dmitri family's wealth. In the situation where the Barco family threatens the Lawrence family's safety, the Dmitri family's wealth would ensure the Lawrence family's security.”

“...Knowing this, did you still desire the marriage?”

“Yes. At the time, I thought it had value.”

Roman's words.

Baron Romero showed a surprised expression.

He thought his immature son had wished for the marriage with Flora without much thought.

Although he had never explained the political situation, he didn't expect Roman to understand the complex relationship with the Barco family.

Just before.

What Baron Romero had said to Baron Lawrence was the same.

Roman had already grasped the situation through a brief investigation and knew what he needed to do.

“The union with Lawrence will come at a cost to the Dmitri family. Given that the Barco family has the central government's approval, even if the Dmitri family participates in the conflict, it won't change the outcome. Therefore, the woman I will take as my wife, Flora, must have that much value. Beyond the gains and losses between families, she must be someone worth dedicating my life to. Initially, I found that value in Flora's appearance, known as the flower of the Lawrence family. However, when I first met her and she mentioned the annulment, my thoughts changed.”

Men and women do not know each other.

They had formed images based on rumors, but those were mere illusions.

Yet.

Flora made a hasty judgment.

She saw the perfume as a sign of indulgence and the blemishes on his face as fitting for a fool.

Flora was hasty.

She believed unverified information and, even if it were true, handled the relationship unwisely.

“What did Flora think before deciding on the annulment? She must have heard the rumors about Dmitri being a fool and concluded that she couldn't marry such a person. The issue is the process. In handling a matter of great importance to the family, Flora was not wise and made a judgment based solely on rumors without personal experience. Marriage is about finding a lifelong partner. One cannot live a happy life with a partner based solely on beauty or family prestige. What matters is wisdom. How one deals with various problems that arise in life ultimately determines the trust to commit to a lifelong partnership.”

Roman's words were seamless.

With each word.

Flora's face turned red, and she couldn't bring herself to look at Roman directly.

She was still young.

Lacking experience, she made a mistake, but given the gravity of the issue, she couldn't escape responsibility.

“I am proud of the Dmitri family. Starting as blacksmiths, they built the foundation of the family and overcame the barriers of status that others dared not challenge. I want a woman who, like my mother, always admired my father. Regardless of how the world judges Roman Dmitri, I want a partner who believes and follows what they see and judge for themselves.”

The answer was clear.

Roman looked at Flora.

Just as Flora had unilaterally announced the annulment during their first meeting, Roman gave no room for compromise.

“I wish to proceed with the annulment as promised.”

The water was spilled.

That's all.

The water spilled on the ground left a trace but could not be collected.