Chapter 56: The Man for Everyone (2)

The human heart was truly fickle.

If only.

If Flora had known in advance about the party at Dmitri's, she would have come up with various excuses to avoid attending.

Her curiosity about Roman was a separate issue. She needed time to reflect on her own weakness, and so she had locked herself in her room for several days.

Moreover.

Sylvia had said this:

"...Sister, did you not know about the party? Oh, perhaps Uncle didn't mention it because of the engagement break. This party is not hosted by Dmitri but by 'Lawrence.' Since Roman Dmitri helped Lawrence overcome a major crisis, Uncle planned the party to repay his benefactor. He invited me in the process. I was excited to go to the party with you, but now I'll have to go alone."

It was a statement that scratched her heart raw.

Even though she had no interest in the party.

Even though she had no intention of attending.

She felt angry for no reason.

Especially when it came from Sylvia, who usually harbored a sense of inferiority towards her, Flora directed her anger at her father.

'Is that the only reason he didn't tell me?'

The engagement break.

She acknowledged it was an awkward situation.

But if it was a party to repay Roman Dmitri, as a representative of the Lawrence family, she should have attended.

After all, it was her decision that involved Roman.

Flora forced a smile in front of Sylvia but immediately went to find her father as soon as the conversation ended.

"Father! There's a party at Dmitri's, right? Why didn't you tell me?"

She asked directly.

Why did he do that?

She wanted to know her father's thoughts.

However.

Her father's response was unexpected.

Lord Lawrence, looking at Flora with a serious expression, said:

"Flora, through this incident, I have learned a lot. From now on, I will not force you to do anything you dislike."

That was truly.

A perplexing response.

The war with Barco.

It was an event that made Lord Lawrence think deeply.

Especially Flora's awakening was shocking.

He had thought she was still a delicate flower in a greenhouse, but she showed her true self during the family's crisis.

'I was foolish. Flora is capable of much more, and it was my lack of insight that prevented me from seeing her potential. Her decision to break the engagement was a natural one. Flora is not someone who should remain as someone's wife but someone who deserves to live for herself.'

Watching his daughter fight to the end.

Lord Lawrence reflected on his actions.

He was truly despicable.

Not knowing what his daughter was good at, he forced a strategic marriage to resolve the family's crisis.

He didn't want to do that again.

Having confirmed who his daughter was.

He resolved to live without regrets.

"Daughter, at the crossroads of life and death, I witnessed a talent that shone brighter than anyone else's. Not as your father, but you were truly impressive. In a situation where no one could make a decision, you showed the judgment to discern what was right, and thanks to your involvement of Roman Dmitri, we won the war. So from now on, live for your dreams. I will not repeat the mistake of devaluing your worth, and I am prepared to support you in whatever you desire."

It was a touching statement.

Lord Lawrence looked at Flora with a loving gaze and made a promise for her.

The problem was.

Flora didn't want that.

'...I want to attend the party.'

Sylvia was going in her place.

She didn't like that.

Sylvia was a fox.

Just imagining Sylvia trying to seduce Roman made her feel irrationally annoyed.

Honestly.

She wanted to have a proper conversation with Roman.

During their magical communication, Roman referred to Flora as 'his person' in the context of the Barco incident.

It was unexpected.

She had thought he was always cold and pragmatic.

Roman's determination to avenge the person who had wronged his 'person' made her see him in a new light.

The time for self-reproach was over.

She was ready to face Roman.

That's why.

Flora spoke differently than usual.

"By the way, why was Sylvia invited to a party I didn't know about?"

"That's due to my personal desire."

"Desire? You don't mean..."

Lord Lawrence laughed awkwardly.

He had let go of his daughter's future.

He intended to let Flora live her life independently, but his desire for Roman was still burning.

'Really, he's a man I can't resist.'

This war.

Roman's actions were nothing short of miraculous.

His bold decision to attack Barco's rear and his proof of potential as a 4-star swordsman by defeating Homer were remarkable.

Recently, people called Roman Dmitri 'the man for everyone.'

He was a man coveted by everyone in the northeast, and Lord Lawrence was no different.

However.

He had no intention of sacrificing Flora.

After much deliberation, he thought of Sylvia as an excellent substitute.

"Ahem."

Lord Lawrence cleared his throat.

In response to his refusal to answer, Flora said:

"I understand. If that's the reason, I'll go with Sylvia and take on the role of a guide. After all, it's a party to repay Roman Dmitri, and it wouldn't make sense for me to be held back by past events."

"It's fine. You don't need to get involved. Daughter, I hope you marry someone you truly love. I will not involve you with Roman Dmitri in the future, so don't worry about it."

Lord Lawrence, persistently dissuading her.

How could he be so stubborn?

For a moment, Flora wanted to grab her father's head and shake it.

Ultimately, Flora decided to attend the party.

It wasn't because of her stubbornness.

She had intended to give up attending due to her father's firm stance, but an invitation from Dmitri arrived.

[Although our relationship has been strained by an unfortunate incident, wouldn't it be good to prove to people that our relationship has been restored through this event? Dmitri is ready to forget the past and start anew. I hope the flower of Lawrence will grace the party for Roman Dmitri.]

Baron Romero.

He was a man of great character.

Despite Flora's actions that completely ignored Dmitri, he was willing to accept the message of reconciliation sent by Lawrence hosting the party.

For Lawrence, it was a fortunate turn of events.

With Barco's fall and the anticipation of Dmitri's dominance, if Dmitri had shown a hostile attitude based on past events, Lawrence's future would have been bleak.

Fortunately.

Since Flora had expressed her intention to attend the party first, Lord Lawrence could breathe a sigh of relief.

That afternoon.

Flora, Sylvia, and other noble daughters visited Dmitri together.

The party was scheduled for the evening, but they arrived early on purpose.

It was the majority's opinion.

Except for Flora, they all had a clear goal of catching Roman, so they wanted to see what kind of place Dmitri was beforehand.

"This is Dmitri."

"It's as dull as the rumors suggest."

Walking through the center.

The noble daughters showed a slightly dissatisfied reaction.

Sylvia was particularly harsh.

Seeing that Dmitri paid no attention to aesthetics, she frowned and looked around.

"I don't know about the rest, but it's clear that the owner of Dmitri has no sense of art. I can't imagine how anyone can live in such a place. Even commoners in the capital pay attention to basic aesthetics, but Dmitri is dull from start to finish. It's as if they're deliberately trying to prove that this is the land of blacksmiths."

The complaints continued.

After walking for a while.

Just as they were about to return to the party venue, they saw an unfamiliar scene.

"Oh."

"Are those the miners?"

In the distance.

A group of people was walking.

They were covered in dirt and their faces were black, making it hard to recognize them.

The noble daughters, who initially showed curiosity, quickly frowned as the miners approached, stirring up dust.

"Ugh, my pretty dress will get dirty."

"Dmitri is problematic for this reason. Miners walking around the streets."

It was a hypocritical attitude.

The nobles of the northeast.

They acknowledged Dmitri's power.

But knowing that Dmitri was a family of common origin, they inherently felt they were somewhat different.

At least.

Flora's reaction was different.

Once, she had hesitated about the marriage due to her prejudice against Dmitri, but experiencing Roman made her realize how foolish and hasty she had been.

Now, she didn't judge people lightly.

For that reason, Flora didn't distance herself from the miners like the others.

Knowing that the miners were the source of Dmitri's strength.

With a curious gaze, she observed the miners, and suddenly her eyes widened as she recognized one of them.

'Could it be?'

It was clear.

A familiar face.

One of the miners was none other than Roman Dmitri.

At first, she thought she was mistaken.

Why would Roman Dmitri appear covered in dirt with the miners?

Ragged clothes.

Dirt-stained skin.

But the face under the safety helmet was the same as the Roman Dmitri she remembered.

At that moment.

A middle-aged man ran up to Roman.

"Master!"

It was Hans.

Hans checked Roman's condition and frantically wiped his body with a handkerchief.

"I couldn't stop you from going to the mine, but couldn't you take better care of yourself? I told you before, Master, you're not just your own. Seeing you covered in dirt every day, it breaks my heart. Look at this sweat. Just a little wipe, and the handkerchief is black."

"That's enough."

"No! It's not enough!"

Perhaps because of Hans's loud voice.

Sylvia and the other noble daughters perked up their ears.

The master of Dmitri.

With the other sons having left, the only person Hans could be referring to was one person.

Roman Dmitri.

Instantly, the noble daughters' gazes turned to Roman.

'That's Roman Dmitri?'

Their eyes were like.

Those of a hyena that had spotted its prey.