As the word “marriage” escaped Julia’s lips, Erin instinctively tensed. While she knew that there was no connection between Julia and Aiden at the moment, she was still surprised by the power the word itself held.
“So, how did you respond?” Erin asked.
“I was honest. I told them how I had been living and how things are now.”
“What about marriage?”
“In truth, my parents asked me about that as soon as they saw me for the first time. So, I told them that I wanted to marry someone I love.”
“Did they approve?”
“Yes, they gladly agreed,” Julia said as if it was an expected outcome.
Erin was momentarily surprised but then nodded. After all, it was unlikely that the Count and Countess Charte had any intention of using their precious daughter in a strategic marriage.
They were the kind of people who would be satisfied with Julia marrying someone she could be happy with. Moreover, now that Julia had returned to their embrace, the Count and Countess Charte would probably want to spend more time with her.
As Erin collected her thoughts, Julia tilted her head slightly and began to speak.
“Other than that, we mostly talked about social circle affairs, but I just wasn’t able to understand it well.”
“That was probably intentional. Julia chose topics that she knew I wouldn’t understand.”
It was when Erin narrowed her eyes and put on a slightly disapproving expression that Julia suddenly burst into a bashful smile, dispelling the discomfort in Erin’s mind.
She said naturally, “However, I am happy just as I am now.”
“…?”
“I mean, I already have someone who I get along with.”
She was talking about Erin.
“Of course, getting along well with many people is also nice, but…”
Julia said sincerely.
Deep inside Julia, there was a strong, unwavering spirit, which allowed her to remain resilient and unshaken. That was why she didn’t get hurt easily and could be resolute.
Consequently, Erin had been curious, but had not asked before. Perhaps she felt there might be a reason different from what she was worried about.
“Can I ask you something?”
“If you’re curious, you can ask me anything,” Julia replied readily, without hesitation.
Therefore, without beating around the bush, Erin asked, “Is there a reason you intentionally didn’t tell Count Charte and his wife? They might have been able to help find a solution if you had shared it with both of them instead of handling it alone.”
Julia’s lips slowly formed a bitter smile in response to Erin’s question. “That’s right.”
“So…?”
“That’s why I can’t say more to them,” Julia expressed with a wistful smile.
“I feel too sorry for me and try to do everything for me. In reality, I haven’t been that difficult or unhappy. I’ve been living happily in my own way.”
“…”
“But somehow, I feel like my parents would be upset if I said this.”
Erin understood Julia’s worrying feelings.
The Count and Countess Charte had been genuinely devoted to Julia. It was a combination of guilt for losing her and the passionate desire to make up for everything she hadn’t done for her until now.
Julia grew up in an orphanage and made a living on her own. From the perspective of Count Charte’s couple, Julia’s life might have seemed endlessly pitiful and miserable.
As a result, their sense of guilt may have grown even larger, leading to a strong urge to atone. But personal happiness isn’t necessarily divided by wealth and poverty, nor determined by social status.
“I still cherish and have fond memories of those times. People who disregard that time don’t understand, but it does concern my parents a bit,” Julia said.
Erin couldn’t help but feel emotional for a moment. And she felt envy for the reasons that made Julia’s past, the cause of her rejection by the social elite.
Julia grew up in an orphanage, but she was never alone. She was not lonely and found her own happiness. In that moment, Erin recalled her own past.
“Yoon Haneul” may not have been an orphan, but she was even lonelier than an orphan.
Her heart struggled due to lifelong deprivation, and she was busy seeking someone to fill it, which only made her even lonelier. But Julia was different.
Her thoughts and the way she had lived her life so far looked admirable. It seemed like it could explain why Julia appeared so dazzling the moment Erin first laid eyes on her.
With a faint smile, Erin slowly parted her lips.
“Once all the issues are resolved… then, you should talk to Count and Countess Charte. Surely they will understand Julia’s heart.”
“….”
“If my meddling was excessive, you can just ignore it.”
“No! That’s not it! It’s just that… my heart is feeling unsettled.”
Julia said, placing her hand on her chest.
“The truth is, after meeting my parents and coming to the capital, I’ve been very confused. I’m not even sure if the decisions I’ve made are right.”
She had never shown it openly, but Julia had her own worries.
“But… I’ve never heard such comforting words before.”
Julia tried to explain what was on her heart, despite being overwhelmed. But she was having difficulty articulating her feelings, as she closed her mouth at first, then opened it again.
“Just one word can give me so much strength.”
“…We’ve been exchanging support with each other.”
Erin murmured with a smile as if talking to herself.
“What?”
Julia asked, worrying if she had misspoken.
“I’m glad we’ve become friends.”
Erin smiled and raised the corners of her mouth towards Julia.
Every unorganized word from Erin touched Julia’s heart, one by one.
She had tried to help Julia, but in the end, she realized that she was also receiving from her.
“Me too!”
Julia replied brightly.
They became a source of strength and comfort for each other.
She never expected to feel this way with anyone other than Aiden. It’s truly subtle and amazing.
Erin and Julia looked at each other and smiled together.
***
Lately, Erin had been going out frequently, and most of the time, the reason for her outings was to meet with Julia Charte.
Naturally, her time with Aiden had been decreasing recently, and it seemed like Erin’s interest in him had also diminished.
A look of displeasure crossed Aiden’s face.
Today, it seemed like Erin would be going out again.
“What’s your schedule for today?”
“In the morning, you have to visit Countess Charte, and in the afternoon, you have to go to the Prince’s Palace. It seems like you’ll be busy… ”
“Should I hurry?”
“Yes. You should start preparing quickly…”
“Is it really that urgent if I don’t prepare right now?”
Aiden interrupted Advisor Felix before he could finish speaking.
“It’s not that urgent, but still…”
“In that case, I have time.”
Aiden said firmly as he stood up.
After looking at Erin’s face for a moment, he realized that if he acted a little more quickly, he could finish everything in the time he had hesitated.
Aiden left the office and headed towards the room where Erin was. Coincidentally, Erin had just finished preparing and was about to leave the room.
“Erin. Going out again today?”
“Yeah. I’m going to the boutique with Julia Charte.”
“You seem busy these days.”
“Do I?”
Aiden deliberately showed a hint of resentment, trying to get Erin’s attention.
This made Erin pause and look at Aiden’s face, lost in thought. She might have realized that she had been neglecting herself due to meeting Julia Charte.
Aiden lowered his eyelids more to capture Erin’s attention and briefly looked at her to hold her in that moment.
“I won’t be going out tomorrow.”
Erin seemed momentarily swayed, but ultimately it seemed that she had made up her mind to go out today.
Still, he got an answer, so it wasn’t all bad. Aiden smiled unusually at Erin and opened his mouth.
“When will you be back today?”
“I’ll be back before dinner.”
“Come back soon.”
“Yeah.”
As Erin turned to leave after the farewell, she heard Aiden calling her.
“Erin.”
“Yeah?”
At Aiden’s call, Erin turned her head. Aiden lightly brushed his lips against Erin’s before stepping back.
“Have a good trip.”
While bidding farewell in words, Aiden held Erin’s hand, his eyes conveying a different message.
“Should we go to the room for a moment?”
With a tempting look, Erin, already halfway swayed by Aiden, held onto her last bit of reason.
“But we might be late.”
Aiden almost clicked his tongue for a moment. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and meaningfully said, “What are you thinking, worrying about being late?”
“…!”
Erin, understanding Aiden’s intention, opened her mouth in surprise and looked at him with eyes widened in disbelief.
At that moment, she also realized that she was falling into Aiden’s plan, where getting angry and not doing anything also played out as he intended.
Erin glared at Aiden with a determined look.
She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him roughly towards her.
Then she slightly parted her lips.
After a deeper kiss than before, she took a step back.
“I really have to go. Wait for me until then.”
With a mischievous smile in her eyes, Erin finally took her steps away.
