Episode 79
“Are you enjoying the banquet?”
“Yes, I am. It’s enjoyable. It’s a pity that my wife and daughter couldn’t come.”
“Even so, since Dahlia isn’t here, I came to see the Count. Why couldn’t the Countess and the young lady come?”
“Oh, does Duchess know our Dahlia?”
“Yes. Dahlia is a friend of my brother in law Ian, so we’ve met occasionally.”
“I see…”
When I mentioned that Dahlia was friends with Ian, the Count of Camos’s expression stiffened slightly before quickly returning to his usual demeanor.
Now, such reactions and attitudes were all too familiar.
Perhaps he initially greeted me because he saw me as Anaitz, not as a Blighton.
However, as far as I remembered, Dahlia’s parents were well-respected people known for their generosity.
Moreover, to treat Dahlia’s illness, they had no choice but to accept the Blighton family.
I hoped that when we met again next time, he wouldn’t display the same attitude as today, so I composed myself and responded calmly.
“Ian really likes Dahlia. I’ve seen Dahlia a few times myself, and she’s such a cute and lovely child.”
“Thank you for speaking kindly of our daughter.”
The Count of Camos quickly responded with a pleased expression.
“So, we planned to meet at today’s banquet, but she didn’t show up.”
“Well, that’s…”
The Count of Camos hesitated for a moment and glanced around.
“Is everything okay? When we returned from the festival earlier, she seemed tired but fine.”
“Oh, you also went to the festival with Dahlia?”
“Yes.”
I continued to emphasize my closeness with Dahlia.
“Well, if she looked tired, then you’re probably right to think so. As soon as Dahlia came home, she suddenly felt very tired and collapsed as if falling asleep.”
Collapsed into sleep.
With these words, I immediately realized that something had happened to Dahlia.
“Oh, I must have kept Dahlia for too long. I’m sorry.”
“No, no! The Duchess doesn’t need to apologize. It’s just that Dahlia’s body is weak, so please don’t misunderstand.”
Count Camos hurriedly waved his hands, denying my apology.
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yes. So, if you could continue to treat Dahlia kindly, I would appreciate it.”
“Of course. Please feel free to contact us anytime if you plan to invite Dahlia to our mansion.”
“Sure. I’ll contact you soon. By the way, is Dahlia okay?”
“She’s fine. So, please don’t worry.”
“Yes. Then, I’ll take my leave. I hope you enjoy the rest of the time.”
“Yes. I hope you enjoy the banquet too, Duchess.”
After bidding farewell to Count Camos, I returned to Ian, who had been staring intently in this direction.
“Ian.”
“What did the Count say?”
Ian asked me urgently with a curious look in his eyes.
I approached Ian even closer.
Then, in a voice that only Ian could hear, I whispered softly into his ear.
“Dahlia fell asleep.”
“Really?”
Ian replied loudly, overshadowing my soft voice.
“Yes. I think we should meet Dahlia as soon as possible. Got it?”
“Yes. Is Dahlia okay…?”
Ian replied with a worried and anxious expression.
“She’ll be fine. This illness only causes her to fall asleep; it’s not dangerous or harmful. So, don’t worry too much. Okay?”
“Yes. I’ll try not to worry…”
However, it seemed that my words had no effect at all, as Ian’s expression remained troubled.
As I pondered over the child’s gloomy demeanor, Lloydin approached us.
“Duke!”
When I called out to Lloydin, Ian, who had been bowing his head deeply, raised his face.
“What about brother?”
“He’s meeting with His Majesty the Emperor. But what’s wrong?”
Seeing that Ian’s expression wasn’t good either, Lloydin asked me.
“Dahlia didn’t come.”
“Dahlia didn’t come?”
“No. So, I asked Count Camos, and Dahlia…”
I immediately leaned in closer to Lloydin.
Then, just as I had done with Ian, I whispered softly into his ear with a subdued voice.
“Dahlia fell asleep.”
“Oh… I see.”
“Yes. As you know, this disease isn’t something she can control. Even I can’t predict when she’ll fall asleep again.”
Understanding my message, Lloydin nodded and looked at Ian.
“Ian.”
“…”
“Ian, you know better than anyone else how your brother feels.”
“…”
The two of them stared at each other in silence for a moment.
“So, we need to pull ourselves together even more. Let’s stay strong, alright?”
At Lloydin’s words, Ian’s expression suddenly changed.
I couldn’t understand what kind of unspoken understanding existed between the two, but somehow, even a sense of camaraderie lingered.
“Yeah, sure. I’ll do my best.”
Ian nodded vigorously in response.
“Good. Ian.”
Lloydin patted Ian’s head as if to commend him.
As I watched the two of them contentedly, I suddenly felt a familiar sensation, similar to before.
What’s this? What are these unfamiliar gazes that seem so different from usual?
When it was just Ian and me, I hadn’t noticed, but the strange looks Lloydin received when he first entered the garden seemed to follow us.
Quickly, I glanced over Lloydin’s shoulder to see who was behind us.
Then, I noticed some women who had been stealing glances in our direction suddenly turning their heads.
“Hmm.”
They seemed to be looking at Lloydin after all?
It wasn’t surprising that noble ladies would steal glances at Lloydin and Ian.
“Madam?”
“Yes?”
Lost in thought, I didn’t realize that my behavior was odd until Lloydin called me.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing, nothing.”
Even though I said that, my eyes were still following the people who had been staring at us, or rather, at Lloydin.
Then it happened.
Suddenly, a large, warm hand touched my cheek, gently turning my head.
As our eyes met directly, I looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“Don’t look elsewhere when you’re with me.”
“…Yes?”
“I want you to focus only on me.”
“Oh, okay.”
His expression as he said this was incredibly serious and sincere, so I answered almost reflexively.
My response seemed to satisfy him greatly, as he smiled gently.
After that, we mingled in the banquet hall, exchanging greetings with various nobles.
Perhaps the effect of Father accompanying Lloydin had an impact; people were no longer overtly hostile to Lloydin and Ian, even if they weren’t openly supportive.
Of course, there were some who showed a bit too much interest in Lloydin.
The fact that most of them were women didn’t exactly make me feel good, but such behavior among noble women was common due to the rampant extramarital affairs in high society.
It was inevitable because most nobles didn’t love their spouses.
Or rather, it was more accurate to say they couldn’t love them.
Marriage for nobles was typically a strategic alliance for the prosperity of their families, so they didn’t care much if their partner met someone else.
Perhaps couples like our parents, who cherished and loved each other, were exceptionally rare.
Anyway, that’s why gatherings like this, where many nobles gathered, were like hunting grounds for them.
It was about hunting for more attractive or favored partners.
Until now, I hadn’t been a target because of my illness, and Lloydin hadn’t been a target just because he was from the Blighton family.
But now, the situation had completely changed.
Come to think of it, I noticed a few lingering glances directed at me as well.
I had been oblivious to the uncomfortable stares aimed not only at Lloydin but also at me, as I was always focused solely on him.
*Sigh.*
There might have been moments when I expected this when I first proposed marriage to Lloydin and promised to do anything for him.
At that time, I didn’t have feelings for him, and I thought our relationship was purely contractual.
But now that my feelings for him had deepened, the constant, lingering gazes toward him made me feel melancholic.
No, I shouldn’t be thinking like this.
How could I?
I made a promise to Lloydin.
But the feelings that had already grown beyond control were extremely difficult to rein in.
As I struggled with these thoughts, I felt Lloydin wrapping his arm around my shoulder.
“Madam?”
He gently brushed a strand of hair that had fallen onto my forehead back and spoke.
“I told you to focus only on me.”
His voice sounded unusually sensitive, as if he could sense my unrest.
“Oh, sorry. I keep getting distracted.”
“What were you thinking about?”
“Just… feeling a bit tired…”
“Are you tired? Shall we go back now?”
“…That would be nice.”
I deliberately replied with a slightly weary voice.
“Let’s go back right away.”
“Yes, let’s.”
As if he had been waiting for this, Lloydin bid farewell to our parents after taking Ian with him and immediately left the banquet hall.
The atmosphere on the way back to the mansion was much quieter than before.
Although Ian and I were okay, Lloydin didn’t seem to be in a good mood either.
Whether Lloydin gave instructions to the coachman or not, the carriage raced back at a swift pace, arriving at the mansion earlier than usual.
Returning to our quarters from the carriage, I immediately felt at ease.
The gloomy mood from earlier quickly lifted, and I regained my energy.
“ I want you to focus only on me”!❤️🔥🔥