“Episode 19”
“If I don’t go there, Mother will come looking for me. Diana put on a lonely smile. It was something she had already experienced in the past. There was a time when she deliberately ignored Hestia’s demands and never searched for her. Everything had become tiresome back then.
But even so, she gained nothing from it. Hestia ignored her more than usual and relentlessly harassed her with harsh words. Knowing this, Diana slowly got up from her seat.
Only then did the steward step forward as if he had achieved a satisfactory result.
“Then I will escort you. To Lady Hestia’s teatime.”
“Teatime, you say.”
Teatime in this situation. A chuckle escaped her, but Diana forced herself to maintain a straight face and followed the steward.
Perhaps it was because Ryksio and Hadeia had come and gone. The atmosphere outside Diana’s room was not very pleasant. While no one openly ignored Diana due to the previous incident, nobody truly regarded her as the real duchess either.
Especially after Ryksio left Diana’s room with Hadeia, it was reasonable to anticipate such a reaction.
“I’ve experienced this before.”
That’s why Diana wasn’t hurt by anyone’s gaze. She simply walked and walked to meet Hestia.
How much time passed as she followed the steward’s guidance? Unlike before, the steward led her down a path she had never seen before. The servants who usually filled the ducal residence began to decrease little by little.
“This place…”
It was a place she had never been to before.
“Why has it changed?”
Although the fact that Hestia came to find her was the same as before, it was her first time walking this path. As Diana was surprised by the unexpected change, she arrived at the garden entrance guarded by knights.
“Lady Hestia has come to find the duchess dowager.”
Despite being the steward who managed all the servants of the ducal residence, he cautiously observed the knights standing in front of the garden. The knights, who had been looking at the steward with uncomfortable expressions, scrutinized Diana and nodded their heads after a long while as if they had made a decision.
“Please come in.”
It felt like a world different from the ducal residence.
“Let’s go in.”
Only after receiving permission did the steward start walking again.
“This garden is only accessible to Lady Hestia.”
“Is that so?”
“Thus, security is strict here. I didn’t expect it to be inspected even by the duchess dowager.”
Because of the recent incident, the steward made various excuses. Diana simply nodded her head, not being idle enough to listen to other people’s stories. Her eyes were filled with wonder as she scanned her surroundings.
Even a cursory glance revealed a rare display of flowers. Even the roses lining the path to the garden were emitting rare colors. The roses with gray and blue hues seemed to bring the desolation of winter, while the large flowers shining with iridescent colors were astonishing to behold.
Distracted by taking in each flower, Diana didn’t even notice when she reached the table where Hestia was.
“It’s the first time seeing such things, Diana.”
Finally, Diana sighed and met Hestia’s eyes.
“It’s been a while. Have you been well during this time?”
“Yeah. I’ve been so well lately that it’s suspicious.”
Although Hestia tried to appear composed with her words, she was glancing at Diana.
“So, do you have anything to say to me, Diana?”
”
“Diana, instead of standing, please sit down.”
Despite greeting her, Hestia hadn’t uttered a word about sitting until now, but she gestured towards the seat in front of her.
“I seem to have forgotten to ask you to sit.”
Diana knew it wasn’t just a simple forgetfulness. Hestia always had to crush Diana like this and start a conversation to get her temper to loosen. Hestia’s belief was that humans, or even dogs, had to be beaten to make them listen.
“There, what are you doing standing? Are you trying to ignore your mother’s words?”
“I wouldn’t do that.”
Before she could say anything else, Diana sat down. As if waiting, the maids brought tea cups in front of her, and Diana’s cup was filled with red tea.
“It seems like a good tea has been served.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course, you wouldn’t know, but still.”
Diana didn’t feel the least bit embarrassed by Hestia’s subtly disrespectful words. She just raised the cup to her lips and sipped the tea.
“How is it? Do you like it?”
“It’s such good tea that even someone like me who doesn’t know much about tea can feel it’s good.”
As Hestia spoke, Diana subtly mocked her words. Hestia’s complexion stiffened to the point where she looked cold.
“It’s fortunate that you like it.”
Seeing Hestia’s emotionless response, Diana looked down at her cup. Like clouds trapped in the tea, Diana’s heart was tightly closed. No matter what Hestia said, it didn’t affect her as it used to.
“I used to obediently follow whatever Mother said.”
Even Diana herself couldn’t deny that her life seemed foolish. Diana did her best to appear well, even preparing handkerchiefs with her own hands, hoping that Hestia would like them. There were many occasions when family members exchanged handkerchiefs as gifts. It was a gift with her own feelings.
But Hestia not only didn’t like the handkerchief but also ridiculed it and threw it on the ground. This was your position. Get a grip.
Her pride, which everyone had as a human, shattered and crumbled under Hestia’s harsh treatment, fueled by her desire to see Diana fall.
“So, are you inviting me to have tea today?”
“No way. It’s to talk about various things as a family. So, are you physically well? It seems like I haven’t properly confronted you since the child died.”
“Yes, I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.”
“You should be worried. You’re not just anyone, you’re the duchess dowager.”
Diana took another sip of tea. The tea that was initially fragrant now tasted bitter.
“Yes, I’ll be careful in the future.”
“Yeah. But speaking of which, I have more than one thing I want to ask. But what I’m most curious about… Diana. Have you changed since before? My dear.”
“Changed from before?”
What is she talking about? When exactly was this ‘before’ she was referring to?
“What does she know?”
Diana furrowed her brows slightly at Hestia’s strangely mocking appearance.
This is truly a beautiful place.”
