The Male Lead’s Father Refuses to Break Off Our Engagement

Chapter 72

 

I don’t know. Evelia thought of Cassis’s recent behavior.

‘I think he’s softened a bit, or maybe not.’

While she was lost in thought, Annie continued.

“Besides, everyone is trying so hard to make madam stand out! And everyone is talking about making the perfect tea time.”

Evelia’s heart was touched for some reason. She took some gold coins out of her jewelry box and gave them to Annie.

“Use these to buy everyone a snack.”

“This…”

Annie looked touched and then nodded that she understood.

Annie, who was about to leave the room, suddenly turned around and said,

“Now that I think about it, I think you’ve changed a lot, Madam.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“How? I don’t know.”

“Hmm, what should I say?”

Annie groaned and chose her words.

“You were quiet when you’re at the Venion Mansion, but when you first came to the Duke’s residence, you seemed indifferent to everything.”

That was correct. The original Evelia lived quietly, and the current Evelia had a cynical personality.

Basically, I kept my distance from people and did not try to narrow the gap between them. So the expression ‘indifferent’ would be correct.

“But you’ve brightened up a lot now. Could it be that you have changed, just as the Duke has changed?”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! I’m so glad you two met!”

Annie smiled brightly and left the room. Evelia, who was alone, looked down blankly at the black tea Annie had poured for her.

‘Have I changed too?’

Looking back, I realized that something had definitely changed in me while I was with Cassis and Ruth.

Something may have changed since she, who didn’t trust others and didn’t open her heart, saw the father and son and thought that she truly wanted to become a family.

‘It certainly seems like there’s been a lot more laughter these days….’

Evelia touched the corners of her mouth where a smile still remained and looked blankly out the window.

Suddenly I felt empty. This family isn’t even a real family anyway. It’s a fate that will disappear when the time comes, like an illusion that will disappear when you open your eyes.

‘But….’

Originally, I would have thought not to give my heart. But strangely enough, I felt like I wanted to show my sincerity to the two of them.

Even if it was an illusion that would disappear someday, I wanted to hold it tightly in my hand for now.

 

*****

 

As if it wasn’t a lie that the employees were working hard to prepare, everything about tea time was perfect.

The flowers on the table in the corner of the garden were fresh, and the desserts served on a three-tiered tray were delicious.

Moreover, the maids stood in a line with cheerful faces to properly greet the guests.

Evelia smiled at them.

“Everyone worked hard to prepare.”

“No!”

“We had fun preparing!”

“Please enjoy it.”

“Thank you everyone.”

While Evelia was chatting lightly with the employees, guests began to arrive one by one. She and Ruth greeted the guests.

“Welcome, Marchioness Evans.”

“Welcome, Anthony!”

The children went to play under Ruth’s commands, and the women sat at the table with Evelia.

A woman exclaimed.

“I believe this is your first time offering tea time, and it’s really nice.”

Someone chimed in.

“That’s right. I think madam has a great sense of perspective.”

Evelia just smiled.

“That’s because everyone helped me a lot.”

While the stories were being told, the children’s bright laughter could be heard.

Evelia turned her head and saw that, unlike last time, Ruth was playing well with the children.

It was nice to see the child’s face smiling brightly.

“Now that I think about it, it’s already fall.”

After changing the topic a few times, a new topic popped up. Everyone opened their mouths to talk about a topic they were interested in.

“I know, right. I’m looking forward to this fall.”

“I wish we could have a harvest festival soon.”

Along with the harvest season, fall was a season with many festivals throughout the empire.

At that time, Marchioness Evans asked Evelia.

“So, the Duke, is he participating in this hunting competition?”

“A hunting contest?”

“Yes. I understand that he didn’t compete until last year.”

A woman smiled brightly like a girl.

“This time, he has a wife to donate the loot to, so wouldn’t he like to participate?”

During the Harvest Festival, there were two biggest events among the capital’s nobility: one was the hunting competition mentioned by Marchioness Evans, and the other was a ball hosted by the imperial family.

As far as Evelia knows, Cassis has never participated in a hunting competition before.

Before ascending to the dukedom, he was attending the academy, and after ascending to the dukedom…

‘He probably avoided external activities as much as possible because of Ruth.’

Naturally, he did not attend the ball hosted by the imperial family.

“I don’t know. I think I’ll have to ask the Duke separately.”

“I hope he will participate. That way, madam can come too. Oh, madam has never participated either, right?”

“Yes, so I’m excited, but I’m also a little worried.”

“You don’t need to worry. Even if it’s a hunting competition, we only hunt in designated areas, and we wait in a safe place and talk. You can think of it as an outing.”

At that time, a woman carefully placed her hand on the back of Evelia’s hand.

‘Countess Ritters… Was it?’

She was a woman with impressive red-brown hair.

“I really hope you come.”

Evelia smiled and nodded.

“Yes, I will speak to the Duke.”

After that, the topic moved on to the imperial ball. There was a lot of talk about what dress to wear this time, what to do with your hair, etc.

The children also played together without fighting.

It was truly the perfect tea time.

 

*****

 

Cassis came as usual that night. Evelia was waiting for him today. Because there was a lot I wanted to say.

“Cassis, welcome.”

As Evelia was waiting in front of the door, Cassis made a puzzled face.

Evelia held his hand and led him to the table. I had already asked Annie to bring me some refreshments so we could have a conversation.

“What’s going on?”

“No, nothing special. I just want to talk about various things.”

“Talk…”

“Yes.”

Evelia personally poured black tea into Cassis’ cup.

“Today, I had tea time with some ladies and talked about various things.”

“Yes, I heard. Did you enjoy it?”

“Yes, very much.”

Cassis smiled faintly.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

Evelia opened her eyes and looked at him blankly.

“Why do you look at me like that?”

“No, just…”

She swallowed the words back into her mouth, smiling seemed to come naturally to him now.

‘And you seem to have developed a range of emotions, too?’

Except when we first met, Cassis seemed like a robot.

Not only was he not expressing his emotions, but his attitude was also a problem. He reacted as planned, like a robot that outputs what it inputs.

He would only say fragmentary things to a crying Evelia about why she was crying, or when Alex Marc abused Ruth, he would mechanically repeat that it was a justified lesson.

Cassis, who normally would have just said the stereotypical ‘Is that so?’ to her words, or saying something different.

‘Besides, I’m glad…’

Now it seemed like it was becoming more of a conversation.

“Then the topic of the hunting competition came up.”

“Is it already that time?”

“Yes. But Duke, no, I heard that you, Cassis, have not participated in hunting competitions.”

“Yes. There is no particular reason to participate…”

Evelia hesitated for a moment and then asked.

“Are you going to be absent this time too?”

“What about you, wife?”

“I’m curious. I think it will be a good outing for Ruth too.”

Cassis was silent for a moment, as if lost in thought.

“If I participate in a hunting competition…”

After silence, Cassis hesitated a little and asked.

“Will you give me a handkerchief?”

It was something unexpected.

“A handkerchief?”

As in other romance fantasy novels, here too there was a custom of women giving handkerchiefs they had embroidered to their lovers attending a hunting competition.

‘I’m not confident in embroidery, but….’

If I do that, won’t something work out? Evelia thought so and nodded.

“Of course.”

Cassis responded with a slight smile.

“Then I will attend.”

Like a person attending to receive a handkerchief.