When Fernando, dressed in casual clothes, arrived at the dining room, Julia did not look at him as usual.
It was because Julia's head was now filled with the voice of Cornelia she had encountered in front of the mansion.
Until he sat down and the servants served food, Julia was staring at the table with a blank gaze.
"Are you feeling unwell again?"
The sudden sound of Fernan's voice awakened her thoughts.
Yulia raised her gaze and shook her head as she looked at him sitting opposite.
"Then eat some."
At this moment, at the voice that was softly heard, unlike usual, Yulia voluntarily bit her lip.
Even in this kind of situation, I wanted to tear off my heart that was beating like a habit.
I already knew that I was going to divorce him someday. She was also trying to accept herself.
Even so, I was deeply saddened by him, who was already planning after breaking up with him, and I was sad at the same time.
Even though I know I don't deserve it.
Yulia, who struggled to capture her expression, began to eat, pretending nothing was wrong.
Meanwhile, the wounded heart subsided endlessly.
* * *
Early winter has come. In the meantime, the garden maintenance was finished and a greenhouse was built in the vacant lot.
Julia entered the greenhouse and watched the snowflakes fluttering through the transparent glass window.
"Are you really okay with just ordering one of these?"
Bennett, who was standing next to him, looked at the order list and asked with a questionable face. Julia nodded her head without saying a word.
She intended to fill this greenhouse only with lily of the valley.
It didn't mean anything deep. I just wanted to leave at least one trace of me in this castle.
"Ah, see you, Grand Duke."
When he turned his head to Bennet's words, he saw Fernan coming into the greenhouse.
He stepped forward without stopping, and sat indifferently across from Julia.
Julia looked at him without saying a word and opened her mouth quietly.
"Did you come to see the greenhouse?"
"no."
"then… ."
Fernando looked out the window without answering. Julia carefully etched his side face into her eyes.
Recently, Fernando has started to be quite gentle with her.
In this way, he came to me unintentionally and sat there without saying a word, and sometimes he even invited me to come and have a meal with him.
Julia considered the reason for her attitude as his last kindness.
He's a man who doesn't fit the word kind, but... Still, it made him feel good when he thought so.
Julia decided to just enjoy this moment.
While crying, hurting, and hurting, I didn't want to wait for the last time with him like that.
"I plan to plant a lot of lily of the valley in this greenhouse."
"… … ."
"It's my favorite flower."
He wouldn't be interested in telling such a pointless story, but thinking it was the last time, there was nothing he couldn't do.
Julia continued to chatter in an unsuitably bright tone.
"It snows a lot here. When I lived in the capital, the temperature was high even in winter, so I had to wear a thin dress."
Fernan looked at her like that. Slowly blinking her long eyelashes, she had a small smile on her face.
"I feel like I haven't been here for a while, but time has already passed so quickly."
So many things have happened in the past. A lot has changed, but the only thing that hasn't changed is her heart.
There were times when I resented him, but I always liked him more. He still was.
Julia made eye contact with him and smiled softly. The corners of her eyes were gently curved, and her eyes filled with the sea gleamed softly.
Fernan's eyes, looking at him, trembled greatly for an instant. Averting his gaze, he licked his lips slightly.
"… You talk a lot today."
"I think it's because it's snowing and I'm excited."
At her soft voice, Fernando raised his lips slightly.
"… Not even a child."
They looked at different places. each with a different smile.
A loneliness leaked from Julia's lips. When we sat together and chatted like this, it felt like we were just an ordinary couple.
I know it was a meaningless time to him, but to her, this moment, which was only for a moment, was so precious.
* * *
"Sir, why did you do that? It could have been a good opportunity."
When Lloyd learned that Fernando had turned down Duke Blair's offer, Lloyd couldn't understand the situation at all.
Lloyd, unable to hide his suspicious expression, continued.
"Even if you don't feel like it right now, you had to make a decision slowly over time."
The Duke of Blair was also the head of the aristocratic faction. Then he came in with his pride bent, so there was no need to refuse so quickly.
"Isn't it a bad idea to buy insurance in advance in case something unexpected happens?"
"shut up."
Fernando responded as if he was annoyed. Lloyd meekly shut her mouth, but she still couldn't understand her superior.
Obviously, Fernando had said long ago that he would end his marriage with the Marquis at the right time.
It was natural. Because this marriage was compulsory, without a single will of Fernando.
But, what kind of change of mind has it made that you are suddenly not going to get a divorce?
"… Still, I don't think the Duke of Blair will give up easily."
Lloyd muttered a little. So he's about to ask if he'll give it another shot, but Fernando intercepts him as he flips through a piece of paper.
"It's okay if you refuse."
"… … ."
Lloyd looked at Fernan like that and shook his head.
Anyway, he was very strange now. You won't divorce the daughter of the Marquis, whom you despise so much.
The master wasn't the kind of person who changed his mind like that.
He was a man who always made accurate judgments, made a clear plan, and, no matter what he made up his mind to, never change his mind.
I don't think you're doing this for some nonsensical reason or something like that, is it?
"Sir, maybe… ."
Lloyd opened his mouth carefully, and then stared at Fernan with a puzzled expression on his face.
It was because Fernando was looking out the window and smiling faintly.
It's very, very faint, but it's not from ridicule or cynicism, it's from the heart... .
Lloyd looked at the window following his gaze and blinked blankly.
… Watching the snow fall, why are you smiling like that?
"… Huh."
Lloyd's face changed seriously. The master seemed to be half possessed by something right now. Also, very tight.
Fernan, who continued to stare at the window until Lloyd shook his head in shock, looked down at the document under review.
It was a report that the invasion of monsters at the border was getting worse.
It wasn't even necessary for him to go out, but it felt a little strange. It was because it looked like someone was trying to release the monsters in large quantities.
Fernando filled out a document that he would soon visit the border garrison and handed it over to Lloyd.
At the same time, Yulia was in the midst of meeting the Marquis who had suddenly visited the Grand Duke Castle.
Seeing her father who came without a word, Julia was a little embarrassed, but hurriedly led him to the drawing room.
The Marquis, acting as usual, slapped Julia on the cheek as the surroundings became quiet.
Yulia, who was staggering heavily, grabbed her flushed cheeks and looked up blankly at the marquis.
The good-natured face disappeared, and the Marquis, who frowned in arrogance, shouted in an angry voice.
"What have you been doing all this time? What the hell did the Archduke do that crazy thing!"
Julia barely licked her trembling lips.
"What, say… ."
Unable to finish her words, she quietly shut her mouth. It's been a long time since I've seen a marquise so angry. Her hand began to tremble softly.
The Marquis, who had been wheezing for a while, quickly cleared his breath and exhaled as if chewing on each word.
"The Grand Duke made contact with other families. Do you know what this means?"
"… … ."
"To break this marriage, I am looking for a new marriage."
When Julia showed no signs of surprise, the Marquis opened her eyes and shouted again.
"Did you know? Yeah, thinking about it, there's no way I didn't know. It's all because of your misbehavior!"
My ears were hurting as if they were going to break at the roaring voice. She could feel the bloody taste of her mouth bursting, but Yulia lowered her gaze and she simply remained silent.
The Marquis continued to speak, glaring at her as if they were going to eat her at any moment.
"Didn't your father tell you?"
"… … ."
"If this marriage breaks, you will no longer be my daughter!"
"… follow your heart."
Julia muttered a little. The Marquis questioned her ears, doubting her ears.
"What?"
"Whether you throw me out or kill me… Do whatever you like."
Julia's blue eyes lost their light and became dark.
Now, I really didn't want to think about anything.