Even after returning home, it wasn’t until the excitement subsided that the thought occurred to her that it might have been a rejection.
But if that was the case, it would have been fine to just ignore it as if not seeing it. There was no reason to pick up the glove, let alone make an excuse for Theodora not to be embarrassed. The moment Frederick made eye contact with Theodora, he knew that she had dropped the glove by mistake. He even understood Theodora’s heart, who had run away in shame.
From that day on, Theodora fell in love with Frederick. It was a heart that she had never revealed to anyone before, but it was undoubtedly love.
It was a pure and beautiful emotion because she was young. Although it faded a bit over time, there was no change in the poignant feeling when she recalled it.
Therefore, Theodora did not believe in the rumors surrounding Frederick and the Townsend family. She never doubted it even once. She sternly scolds anyone who spoke ill of him in front of her.
“There’s no way he would do such a dishonest thing. He just helped a poor woman out of kindness. It doesn’t make sense that he’s being criticized for that.”
Despite this, she couldn’t help but harbor mixed feelings towards Sylvia Townsend. While she sympathized with her situation, she couldn’t completely erase the strange discomfort.
She even asked the emperor to send a gift to the Townsend family. But Frederick did not stop helping Sylvia Townsend and her daughter.
In the end, without revealing why he was so obsessed with the Townsend family, both Sylvia Townsend and Frederick left the world.
And then she heard that Frederick’s son was going to marry Sylvia’s daughter.
Daryl Lloyd declared at the emperor’s coronation that it was Frederick’s will. It was a testament that even offered a dukedom. Upon hearing this, she felt more than frustrated, she felt awkward.
“Why did he have to go that far? What did Sylvia Townsend mean to him?”
The thought eventually led her to the possibility that Sylvia might have been to Frederick what he was to her.
Just as she secretly adored Frederick, he might have harbored tender feelings for Sylvia. He was a person of integrity and strength, so he couldn’t betray his wife, but he couldn’t bear to see the woman he loved being unhappy.
If that was true, then it was easy to understand why Frederick left such a will. There were rumors that Sylvia’s daughter, left alone after her mother’s death, did not appear in social circles and lived in seclusion to avoid the scandal. Theodora would have wanted to help if Frederick’s daughter was in such a situation.
Understanding Frederick’s feelings, her own feelings became more disturbed. She didn’t have the heart to look at Sylvia’s daughter with pleasure.
Daryl, although his temperament was the opposite of his birth, was a spitting image of Frederick in his youth. When she thought that Frederick might be trying to fulfill the love she couldn’t achieve through them, she felt she couldn’t bless the marriage.
In the end, she faced the day of the coronation without being able to settle her mind. Even now, she wanted to avoid the situation by making an excuse that her body was not well. But she couldn’t do that.
“If that’s his wish, I have to support it.”
Otherwise, it would be like throwing away the jewel-like sparkle that Theodora had cherished for decades.
Theodora sighed deeply. And she ordered the maids to go back inside.
****
Eleanor Townsend was quite a beauty. She wasn’t a glamorous beauty that caught your eye at once, but she had a pure and elegant beauty like a white lotus. She may not have received the most dance requests at the ball, but in the end, it’s women like her who attract suitors. It was a face like Eleanor’s that Theodora had admired when she was young and wished she could have.
She was a delicate child. She looked as if she would dissolve into foam at any moment if you touched her wrong, like in an old story. Perhaps Sylvia Townsend was the same. Maybe Frederick left such a will because he saw her mother in this girl’s face.
“Come closer.”
At the words of Emperor Hector III, Eleanor straightened her bent knee and approached him. The emperor looked down at Eleanor with his thin eyes.
“You’re very pretty. You must have look like your mother.”
“Your Majesty.”
The emperor took off his glove and held out his hand. Eleanor took the emperor’s hand with both hands and kissed the back of his hand. Seeing the emperor’s gaze groping over Eleanor’s exposed skin, Theodora swallowed the rising disgust.
It was widely known both inside and outside the palace that Emperor Hector III had an abnormal lust for women. He had five acknowledged illegitimate children, more than he had with Theodora.
‘No matter what, he wouldn’t touch a woman who is to become the Duchess of Griffith.’
Even for an emperor, there was a line that was allowed. Fortunately, Hector III had the self-control to stretch his legs according to where he lay. He was not seriously considering what to do with Eleanor right now. It’s just a reflex reaction when seeing a beautiful woman. Like a dog drooling at the sight of food.
“What did you say your name was?”
At Theodora’s question, Eleanor turned slightly towards her and bowed her head.
“My name is Eleanor.”
“How old are you?”
“I am twenty-two.”
“You’re the same age as our Beatrice.”
Beatrice was the youngest daughter of the emperor and his wife. The reason she mentioned this was to remind the emperor that Eleanor was the same age as his daughter. Hector III coughed uncomfortably as if he understood Theodora’s intention. Theodora didn’t care and continued her conversation.
“You must be busy with the wedding preparations, are you having any difficulties?”
“Thanks to the Duke of Griffith’s consideration in many ways, I am preparing comfortably.”
Theodora glanced at Daryl, who was standing a little behind. Daryl, Frederick’s eldest son, was a spitting image of his father’s beauty, but he was cold and arrogant, the opposite of his father.
If Frederick was sometimes misunderstood because of his silence, Daryl was the opposite, it was fortunate that he was not talkative. There were rumors of many young ladies who approached Daryl with naive admiration, only to be wounded by the blade of his tongue. It was clear that he had inherited this from his mother.
Edith Lloyd. Her maiden name was Cameron, and she was famous in society as an ice beauty. Like Daryl, she didn’t have a habit of saying cruel and harsh words, but instead, she put it in her eyes. Men with weak hearts would lose courage and retreat just by touching her cold, indifferent eyes.
So Theodora still couldn’t accept the fact that Frederick had chosen Edith. Of course, excluding her cold personality, Edith was a perfect bride in every way.
Still, Theodora wished that Frederick had chosen a more affectionate and kind woman. Knowing the warmth hidden behind his seemingly indifferent face, she wished he had deeply connected with a woman who would recognize that. Was it because she herself couldn’t have such a marriage? It was a wish she had on her own, but she wanted Frederick to be happy.
Of course, Theodora couldn’t know what their married life was actually like. But it was also true that she had never detected any signals of affection from them, both before and after their marriage.
Even now, the way Daryl looked at Eleanor was exactly the same as Edith. At least Edith had the will to act as an ideal wife in front of others, but that was because she was a woman. She couldn’t imagine this arrogant and self-centered man ‘considering’ his bride in ‘various ways’.
“…I’m glad to hear that.”
She didn’t mean to be sarcastic, but if it sounded that way, she thought she couldn’t help it.
“Your Majesty’s high regard for such a humble person as me is like a summer under the sea.”
Theodora couldn’t help but be surprised at Eleanor’s use of formal language, which seemed like something a royal etiquette teacher would use. Thinking about it, her overall etiquette was perfect. It was hard to believe that this was her debut in society.
Moreover, this was a place to pay respects to the emperor and empress. It was common to stutter and tremble, and she had seen countless young ladies faint and fall. Despite this, Eleanor maintained her composure as gracefully as possible. It was truly an extraordinary feat.
