When Fernan, who had changed into casual clothes, arrived in the dining room, Julia did not look at him as usual.
This was because right now, Julia’s mind was filled with the voice of Cornelia, whom she had encountered in front of his mansion.
Even after he sat down and the servants brought out the food, Julia was just staring at the table with blank eyes.
“Are you feeling unwell again?”
Fernan’s voice suddenly sounded, waking her from her thoughts.
Julia raised her gaze and shook her head as she looked at him sitting across from her.
“Then why don’t you eat some?”
At this moment, hearing his voice sound softer than usual, Julia self-mockingly bit her lip.
In this situation, she even wanted to rip out her pounding heart, which she had a habit of doing.
She already knew that she and he would divorce one day. She was trying to accept it in her own way.
Even though she was like that, she was already making plans for her life after breaking up with him, and she felt disappointed and sad at the same time.
Even though she knew she didn’t deserve it.
Julia, who tried to keep her expression in check, pretended like nothing had happened and began her meal.
Meanwhile, her broken heart sank endlessly.
* * *
Early winter has already arrived. Meanwhile, garden repairs were completed and a greenhouse was built in the vacant lot.
Entering her greenhouse, Julia quietly looked at the snowflakes fluttering beyond transparent glass window.
“Are you sure you don’t mind ordering just this one?”
Bennett, who was standing next to her, checked her spell list and asked with a questioning look on his face. Julia nodded her head wordlessly.
She planned to fill this greenhouse only with lilies of the valley.
She didn’t mean anything deeper. She just wanted to leave at least one trace of herself in this castle.
“Ah, to see His Highness the Archduke.”
When she turned her head at Bennett’s words, she saw Fernan entering her greenhouse.
He walked without stopping her and casually sat down across from Julia.
Julia looked at him in silence and then quietly opened her mouth.
“Did you come to see the greenhouse?”
“no.”
“then… .”
Fernan looked through the glass window without answering. Julia took in the profile of his face carefully in her eyes.
Recently, Fernan started to treat her quite kindly.
In this way, he would come to her casually and sit in silence, and sometimes he would come to her place and invite her to eat with him.
Julia considered the reason for his attitude to be his last kindness.
He is a man who does not fit the word kindness… Still, thinking about it that way made her feel good.
Julia decided to just enjoy this moment.
As much as she was crying and hurting and hurting, she didn’t want to wait for her last time with him.
“I plan to plant this greenhouse full of lilies of the valley.”
“… … .”
“It’s my favorite flower.”
If I told him this nonsense, he wouldn’t be interested, but since I thought it was the last time, there was nothing I couldn’t do.
Julia began chattering in an uncharacteristically cheerful tone.
“It’s nice because it snows a lot here. “When I lived in the capital, the temperature was so high even in winter that I had to wear a thin dress.”
Fernan looked at her innocently. She slowly blinked her long eyelashes and had a small smile on her face.
“It feels like I’ve only been here for a short time, but time has already passed so quickly.”
So much has happened in the meantime. Many things had changed, but the only thing that had not changed was her heart.
There were times when Julia resented him, but she always liked him more. He still was like that now.
Julia made eye contact with him and smiled quietly. The corners of her eyes gently curved, and her eyes filled with the ocean glowed softly.
Fernan’s eyes, looking at that scene, shook greatly for an instant. He averted his gaze and softly pursed his lips.
“… “There’s a lot to talk about today.”
“I guess it’s because it’s snowing and I’m excited.”
Hearing her soft voice, Fernan slightly lifted the corner of her mouth.
“… “I’m not even a child.”
They looked in different directions. Each person smiles with a different meaning.
A look of loneliness appeared from the corner of Julia’s mouth. As they sat and talked together like this, they felt like they were just an ordinary couple.
She knew that it meant nothing to him, but to her, their brief moment of time was so precious.
* * *
“Your Majesty, why did you do that? “It might have been a good opportunity.”
Lloyd, who learned that Fernan had rejected Duke Blair’s offer, could not understand the situation at all.
Lloyd, unable to hide his questioning expression, continued.
“Even if you don’t feel like it now, you had to take your time and decide slowly.”
The Duke of Blair was also the head of the aristocratic faction. He came in with all his pride, so was there any need to refuse him so sharply?
“Isn’t it a bad idea to take out insurance in advance to prepare for unexpected situations?”
“shut up.”
Fernan responded as if he was annoyed. Lloyd obediently silenced himself, but he still couldn’t understand what he was talking about.
Apparently, Fernan had said a long time ago that when the time was right, he would end his marriage with the marquis.
It was natural. This marriage was a forced one without a single trace of Fernan’s will.
But then, what kind of change of heart did he have that made him suddenly decide not to get a divorce?
“… Still, I don’t think the Duke of Blair will give up easily.”
Lloyd chuckled slightly. So he was about to ask if he should consider it one more time, but Fernan interrupted him, flipping over a page of documents.
“If you refuse, that’s it.”
“… … .”
Lloyd looked at Fernan and shook his head distantly.
No matter how much he thought about it, he felt very strange right now. He said he would not divorce the daughter of the marquis whom he despised so much.
The lord was not the kind of person who changed his mind so quickly.
He was a man who always made accurate decisions, made clear plans, and never changed his mind no matter what.
Surely, you’re not doing that because you have feelings for His Highness or something like that?
“Your Highness, could it be…” .”
Lloyd cautiously opened his mouth and then stared at Fernan with a bewildered expression.
This was because Fernan was suddenly smiling faintly while looking out the window.
It’s very, very faint, but it’s not ridicule or cynicism, it’s coming from the heart… .
Lloyd followed his gaze to the window and blinked his eyes blankly.
… Why are you smiling like that while watching the snow fall?
“… “Huh.”
Lloyd’s expression changed seriously. The lord seemed to be half possessed right now. Also, very firmly.
Fernan continued to stare at the window until Lloyd shook his head in shock, and then he lowered his gaze to the document he was examining.
It was a report that the monster invasion that broke out at the border was intensifying.
There was no need for him to come forward, but the feeling was a little strange. Because it looked like someone was releasing a large number of monsters.
After Fernan wrote a document stating that he would soon visit the border garrison, he handed it over to Lloyd.
At the same time, Julia was greeting the Marquis who suddenly visited the Grand Duchy.
Julia was a little taken aback when her father came to visit without saying anything, but she hurriedly guided him to the living room.
The Marquis, who was behaving as usual, suddenly struck Julia in the face when the surroundings became quiet.
Julia, who stumbled greatly, held her flushed cheek and looked up blankly at the Marquis.
The good-natured face disappeared everywhere, and the marquis, with an arrogant frown on his face, shouted in an angry voice.
“What on earth have you been doing all this time? “What on earth did the Archduke do such a crazy thing?”
Julia barely managed to comfort her trembling lips.
“What are you saying…” .”
Unable to finish her sentence, she closed her mouth. It has been a long time since she saw the Marquis so angry. His hands began to tremble slightly.
The Marquis, who had been wheezing for a while, soon caught his breath and spit out each word as if chewing them.
“The Grand Duke made contact with another family. “Do you know what this means?”
“… … .”
“In order to break up this marriage, He is looking for a new partner.”
When Julia didn’t look that surprised, the Marquis opened his mouth and shouted again.
“Did you know? Okay, now that I think about it, there’s no way I didn’t know. “This is all because you behaved wrongly!”
Julia ears felt like they were going to break from the loud voice. The inside of her mouth seemed to have burst and she could taste the fishy taste of blood, but Julia just lowered her gaze and remained silent.
Her marquis continued his words, glaring at her as if he would eat her at any moment.
“Didn’t your father told you this many times?”
“… … .”
“If this marriage breaks up, you will no longer be my daughter!”
“… follow your heart.”
Julia muttered softly. The Marquis asked back, doubting his ears.
“what?”
“Either throw me out or kill me… “Do whatever you want.”
Julia’s blue eyes lost their shine and became dark.
Now she really didn’t want to think about anything.
