Chapter 27
It was ridiculous, but Cayente was more flustered than ever by Yulia’s tears.
He had expected her to try to hide her tears as usual or to get angry and lash out. Or perhaps to argue about the party incident or the rumors that had circulated. But Yulia just cried so painfully, so pitifully, that anyone watching would be heartbroken.
Thinking back, Yulia had always cried like this since she was a child—not loudly, but in a way that made everyone around her feel sorry. When she cried like this, Cayente felt as if his insides were rotting away. He had never been able to make that small girl smile.
However, after they had reunited, no matter how harshly he treated her, she never cried in front of him. He thought perhaps she cried secretly somewhere, or maybe she had simply grown out of it. But that wasn’t true. She had only been holding back and crying alone somewhere else.
“What do you gain by tormenting me?”
“What?”
Feeling a sudden tightness in his chest, Cayente paused mid-sentence. Yulia’s voice was muffled and low, her cheeks soaked with tears.
“At first… I thought it was because you were busy. That you were too busy even to look at the ring with me. But now I think differently. I think you just want to hurt me.”
She asked why he treated her this way, what he gained by such behavior.
“So, what do you gain, brother? What good is it if I cry? I don’t know.”
Her tears poured out with her words, no longer hiding her feelings, as she met Cayente’s eyes fully.
“I was just trying to take a break and sit down. I was just as busy as you, running around inspecting every single dishware. Marriage isn’t free. Even if this is a marriage purely because a child is needed, and even if they think they bought me, that doesn’t justify this cruelty. Why are you so harsh to me?”
Gain… what kind of gain is that?
“So you might think I’m tired, but do you really have to say every cruel word just to feel better?”
In truth, Cayente already knew the answer to what he wanted from Yulia. He wanted her to cry like this. To wither away slowly. But despite seeing her cry, Cayente didn’t feel any relief.
At first, he thought his discomfort was just from being caught off guard by her tears.
“I never told you to check everything personally.”
But soon he realized the true reason. Seeing Yulia cry like this, and meeting those golden eyes full of rebellion as if her emotions were crashing into him, made him feel suffocated.
“What did you say?”
“It’s the check I gave you to use. You could have hired someone to handle your tasks with that money. Couldn’t you?”
The image of who she was then had long disappeared from his mind. But whenever he faced Yulia, those old memories followed, and he despised himself for not having suppressed those rebellious eyes earlier.
His cold words shocked Yulia’s face.
She could have just quietly sat and cried about how her life had spiraled unexpectedly. Why was she blaming him? None of this had started with him.
But Cayente couldn’t allow that either.
“The sponsor is so generous that I don’t even know which garden the ceremony should be held in. It’s quite beautiful though. I knew the Count had good taste when he chose Yulia.”
“If you see the greenhouse, you’ll be even more surprised. There are rare flowers and trees that are hard to find in the Empire.”
“Oh, really? Then the reception could be held there.”
The tense standoff between the two, locked in eye contact for a long time without a word, was finally broken by the boisterous voice of Yulia’s mother outside the window.
If this weren’t for the marriage, the woman who would soon lose her mansion, lands, and be thrown into the street was laughing so brightly. Cayente couldn’t understand. He gauged the immense weight Yulia bore because of this marriage.
The despair and tears within her surely weren’t just because of him. Was she condemned to suffer alone without anyone’s comfort?
“You should be thanking me instead of saying such things.”
Even so, you should be grateful to me.
“Even if I am a twisted person who enjoys seeing you suffer and cry, you should be thankful to me. Because of me, not only you, but your immature family can wear new clothes instead of rags, laugh and make merry. Isn’t that right?”
It wasn’t him who started this, nor who dragged her into it.
“If you’re grateful even for the few dresses or the carriage, then you should first be grateful to me for allowing you to sit comfortably and cry.”
Your resentment isn’t mine. No matter how many cruel words I pour on you.
Trying to express even a little of how she felt, hoping he might understand, Yulia only found herself sickened by his demands for gratitude. She no longer had the strength to face Cayente, and chasing after the departing voice of Baroness Mullen, she stepped outside.
“Miss, look at this. The flowers blooming from one root are all such different colors.”
Seeing Yulia’s face darker than before, Lucy tried desperately to make her smile with a bright voice all the while standing by her side.
Even without that, Yulia’s mood had slightly improved since entering the greenhouse where Baroness Mullen had brought her.
Her first impression of Cayente’s mansion had been: Is there really such a big house? The long and tall brick walls that lined the carriage road were all surrounding Cayente’s estate.
Passing through the towering iron gates reaching to the sky, her second thought was how well maintained the vast grounds were, and then that the atmosphere of the mansion felt surprisingly warm. The low trees and wildflowers gave a peaceful and modest charm without demanding attention.
It was a place utterly unlike Cayente himself.
In contrast, the greenhouse was filled with a dazzling array of flowers of all colors, with mysterious fragrances brushing her nose. That alone lifted Yulia’s spirits. Here, at least, were things she liked—a refuge from her married life with Cayente.
“Beautiful, isn’t it? This is called a Xenia flower. Not only is it pretty, but when dried it can be used as medicine. It’s excellent for healing scraped wounds.”
Lost in thought, staring blankly at the flower’s name, Henry approached her gently. His tone was warmer than usual, perhaps sensing what had happened to Yulia before arriving here. After all, her pale face had become almost translucent.
“Henry, can I take some flowers from here? They’re so pretty.”
“You may take some as long as it doesn’t ruin the overall aesthetic.”
“Lucy! Come here and pick some yellow roses for me!”
“Yes, Lady Lorina!”
The Baroness and Ian were still oblivious to what was obvious to others. Watching her mother excitedly pick flowers, Yulia sighed and walked to a corner of the greenhouse. Henry replaced Lucy to accompany her.
“Looks like the Count spoke harshly again?”
Yulia stopped in front of a purple flower with small berry-like blooms hanging from a long stem. Henry cautiously broke the silence.
“…Yes.”
Yulia was grateful that someone cared about her feelings. Her eyes reddened as she answered honestly. Henry picked a flower of the same kind and handed it to her.
“This is lavender. It’s said to help calm the mind and body. Would you like to smell it?”
“There’s a flower like that?”
“In other continents, they even extract oil from this flower. It’s known to heal the heart. It’s a flower whose scent lasts even when dried, so I’ll prepare some for you. I’m worried if you’re getting enough rest.”
Since the talk of marriage began, Yulia had trouble sleeping. It was only natural—when the chance to live the life she wanted was right in front of her but was taken away without even a try, how could she rest peacefully?
“Thank you, Uncle Henry.”
She had noticed the comforting scent earlier, and now realized it was from the lavender. While savoring the fragrance, Henry bent toward the flowerbed, seemingly to pick a few more.
“The Count has changed a lot, hasn’t he?”
“A great deal… yes.”
Watching Henry carefully select the best flowers, Yulia smiled weakly. Since Henry remembered Cayente’s old self, he spoke comfortably about it. Henry continued focusing on picking flowers as he spoke.
“This might sound like I’m taking the Count’s side too much, but there is a reason for it.”
“A reason?”
