It was when all the preparations for attending the banquet were finished and they were about to leave. Aiden’s face, which had seemed normal until now, looked a bit different.
“Erin, are there any important people among the attendees today?”
“Of course there are.”
“Who?”
“My husband.”
“….”
“My husband has such an amazing wife next to him, so I made an effort to show that I’m outstanding. How does it look?”
Erin struck a pose as she turned around.
“You look so beautiful. So, today, don’t leave my side and show off.”
Aiden’s stern face melted in an instant. It melted so much that the corners of his mouth wavered.
“Of course. Aiden should stick by my side today.”
Erin and Aiden took turns telling each other to stay by their side.
Realizing that they were saying the same thing, they burst into laughter.
“Shall we go then?”
Erin linked her arm with Aiden’s and smiled brightly.
***
The venue for the banquet was the Charte Blanc.
Although the Emperor proposed to hold the banquet at the palace to celebrate, Countess Charte politely declined.
She was concerned that her daughter, still unaccustomed to life in the capital, would feel uncomfortable being the center of attention at the palace banquet.
In the original work, the Count of Charte was deeply devoted to Julia Charte.
As if to make up for all the time they had missed, the Charte couple sacrificed everything solely for Julia. They respected and supported her wishes.
“It’s finally happening today,” Erin quietly observed the surroundings.
The gentle music that had been playing inside the banquet hall stopped, and everyone’s gaze turned in one direction.
The Charte couple appeared, accompanied by a woman who was unfamiliar at first sight but strangely familiar.
She had the blue hair reminiscent of the Countess and the golden eyes that resembled the Count.
But above all, with just standing there, she had a dazzling smile that seemed to radiate a halo.
At that sight, everyone recognized her at a glance.
She was the heroine of today’s banquet.
After losing Julia in the Charte estate, she wandered and eventually settled in a rural orphanage on the outskirts of the empire.
Growing up there, Julia left the orphanage at the age of 16 and started living alone not far away.
Despite a modest life, she managed to live well with her characteristic resilience and positive attitude.
She got along with her neighbors and spent time with independent individuals who had also left the orphanage, often visiting to play with the children.
When the Count and Countess Charte suddenly appeared, Julia was initially surprised and disbelieving.
However, it wasn’t in her nature to rudely turn away guests who had come from afar. Moreover, seeing the couple mistakenly believing her to be their daughter and shedding tears, she felt a sense of pity for them.
So, she offered them a spare room and planned for them to stay temporarily to regain composure before returning.
However, the Count and Countess Charte immediately recognized her as their daughter.
They decided to stay at her house and spent a lot of time with her, having numerous conversations to slowly help her come to terms with the truth.
Through their efforts, Julia slowly accepted her parents.
She did not resent the parents who had tirelessly searched for her until the end, but instead felt genuinely moved.
She willingly took their hands and came with them to the capital.
Even when she believed herself to be a rejected child, she did not resent anyone. Having grown up together in the orphanage, Julia considered the children there as her family and lived with resilience and positivity.
Thanks to Julia, even the children who had a hard time adapting to the orphanage became brighter.
Julia had the ability to make people around her feel good. Erin was aware of her growth process, which made her think even more highly of Julia.
“So, it must have been only Julia who could embrace even the small wounds left in Aiden’s heart,” she thought.
In the original work, Aiden gradually opened up to Julia as he was touched by her bright and positive demeanor.
Eventually, Aiden was able to break free from the constraints that had imprisoned his heart for a lifetime and become even stronger.
Julia was the person who made all of that possible.
Therefore, Aiden naturally felt that he should be connected to Julia. He believed that she deserved the happiness she was entitled to.
Even though he could no longer give Julia to Aiden, Erin sincerely welcomed her return.
Count Charte escorted Julia onto the stage, and everyone’s attention turned to Julia Charte.
Unable to hide his joy, Count Charte opened his mouth with a choked voice.
“This is my long-lost daughter, Julia, whom I’ve been searching for so desperately. I cannot express how much I have longed for this day.”
He struggled to steady his trembling voice as he looked at Julia.
“I tried to give up several times, but… every time I closed my eyes, I couldn’t bear to do so because her face kept appearing before me.”
Everyone present knew how desperately Count Charte had searched for his daughter for a long time.
“At some point, I didn’t even know how the child had grown up, and her face became more and more blurred to me.”
Even as he spoke, his emotions from that moment overwhelmed him, and his voice finally trembled.
Carefully taking Julia’s hand next to him, he continued to speak.
“The moment I met Julia again, I recognized her at a glance. The face of the child that had not been filled all this time was there.”
He had a look on his face as if he had encountered a miracle. Just by watching him, his joy and elation were palpable.
“Much to our gratitude, our Julia has forgiven her lost and wretched parents and has come back to us like this.”
“Father,” Julia called out to Count Charte, holding his hand tenderly.
Even though she whispered in a soft voice, her warmth was felt.
He finally started to choke up. L
“We want to do everything for Julia’s happiness from now on. Please, everyone, I hope you will all welcome my child.”
Count Charte finally choked up and shed tears at the end of his speech.
Everyone welcomed her with applause and congratulated Count Charte.
Erin also welcomed Julia Charte’s return and clapped. It was a moving sight.
After introducing her, the banquet began in earnest.
Count and Countess Charte were going around with Julia, greeting various nobles.
There was an order to the greetings. It was natural that the Lienster, who was called next to the royal family, were at the front of the line.
Naturally, the Charte couple and Julia approached Aiden and Erin first. “Thank you for attending.
Here is our daughter.
“Hello. I am Julia Charte,” introduced by Countess Charte and Julia greeted.
She seemed inexperienced in etiquette but still charming.
“I am Erin Lienster. Welcome back,” Erin greeted her warmly.
“Thank you, Duchess.” Erin smiled brightly as she greeted her. Now it was Aiden’s turn.
Aiden and Julia’s first meeting.
Try as she might to not be concerned, Erin couldn’t help but be.
She watched his face with a slight sense of tension.
“Congratulations on your return.”
“Thank you, Duke.”
The greetings between Julia and Aiden were just a formality.
Aiden didn’t say anything further. Erin felt a sense of relief at that. Instead of Aiden, Erin spoke again.
“Young Lady Charte, there are still many unfamiliar things, but with the concern of Count Charte, you will soon adapt.” Erin sincerely advised Julia.
“Yes. Everything still feels awkward, but having my father and mother here makes everything fascinating and enjoyable.”
“That’s fortunate. You seem to get along very well.” The three of them exuded a similar atmosphere, as if it were unbelievable that they had lived separately until now.
It was evident that they recognized Julia Charte at first sight. At Erin’s words, the three of them looked at each other’s faces and smiled brightly.
After exchanging a few more words, Count and Countess Charte and Julia soon stepped back to greet others. Erin silently watched Julia Charte.
She tied her shiny blue hair in a half ponytail and adorned it with a flower.
Her face was not extremely pale, but it exuded a healthy and lively glow. Her slight blush made her even more charming.
Her large eyes curved like half moons. As she smiled, her cool lips turned upward, and her eyes brightened as if they could hardly contain the radiance.
Just her presence alone seemed to shine. “She’s truly a leading lady.”
Seeing her in person, Erin couldn’t help but acknowledge her. Others were also incredibly interested in Julia Charte.
The fact that she was the long-lost daughter sought after by Count Charte was reason enough, but seeing her beauty up close today, their interest was explosive.
“While Count Charte is known for his beauty… Julia Charte is far superior.”
“Indeed. She will soon be the talk of the social circles.”
“Still, there are still many traces of having lived in the countryside.”
“That’s because she has lived in a different world all this time, so it’s inevitable.”
Conversations about Julia Charte could be heard here and there. People were not only showing curiosity towards her, but also trying to evaluate her.
Erin glanced back at those people.
It was when Erin’s gaze followed Julia Charte that Aiden, who had been sitting next to her with an indifferent face, leaned in and spoke to her.
“Erin, why are you staring at her like that?”
“Huh?”
Aiden gestured to Julia, asking why she had been staring at her for so long.
“Is that your preferred style?”
