Cornelia said she heard all of her and Fernando's conversations on the day of the founding banquet.
'Why don't you make it in advance for His Majesty Rain? Someone to relieve loneliness, or someone to marry after divorce.'
In front of Fernan's brother-in-law, I remembered the elegant voice that looked straight at me and spoke.
Julia's face gradually darkened.
If Fernando was close to Cornelia and was in a relationship, it wouldn't be surprising if she broke such rumors.
"Even though a year has passed and there is no news of the child, I roughly expected it… . A child like you is really, insignificant as it used to be."
The Marquis murmured with a look on her face, not knowing whether she was angry or laughing.
It was a double feeling. Even though she is angry with her Julia for slandering her post-writer, she feels her slight satisfaction when she sees her being treated worthy of her lowly birth in the end.
Julia didn't panic and just opened and closed her eyes slowly.
Even if there were rumors like that, it didn't matter now. There was no reason for him to get hurt.
After all, she was planning to somehow get out of the position of Grand Duchess before winter was over.
When Julia showed no reaction, the Marquis frowned greatly.
"How much did I lose face in front of the ladies because of you… ."
"mother."
Julia raised her still eyes and stared at the Marquis.
The Marquis narrowed her eyes for an instant at the gaze that did not contain any emotion.
Julia continued to speak in a voice without emotion.
"How about just dying?"
"What?"
"It was very late. I am a little tired too."
In a calm tone, not intimidating as usual, the Marquis opened her eyes.
"It's like a girl with no frills. Where do you dare give a congratulatory order?"
The Marquis, who had cast off her friendly mask, was sometimes unable to contain her anger.
Julia just avoided her gaze as she looked at the marquise who raised her hand the same as the marquis once did.
With an expression of boredom and weary of everything.
The difference between the marquis and the marquis was that the marquis's senses were a little more sensitive.
The Marquis slowly lowered her hand that was about to slap her cheek, and then glared at Julia.
"Maybe, there's no other intention, right?"
The Marquis had never seen Julia with a face like this.
I just watched them shrugging or trembling, just doing what they were told to do.
At the words of the Marquis, Julia clenched her delicate palms, but her expression was calm.
The Marquis glared at her for a while, then spoke in a tone that seemed to have softened.
"If you get out of the shadow of our family, a girl like you is nothing more than a commonplace on the street."
You can never escape from a life of oppression, a curse that descends like a curse.
"So, don't even think about climbing wildly, just do what you're told and do the rest of your usefulness."
Julia slowly opened her hands, which had been filled with strength. She felt the pain beating her heart hard, but she completely captured her expression again.
"It doesn't matter what you say."
"What?"
"Please stop."
Julia was prepared to do anything to avoid this misfortune.
So, such cursed words could no longer bind her to this hell.
Julia approached the door, opened it wide, and looked back at her.
As the Marquis stood still with a puzzled look on her face, Yulia immediately called the attendant passing through the hallway.
"The Marquis of Elodie is about to leave the palace, so can you show me the way?"
"Yes, my uncle. I will."
Julia looked back at the Marquis again. When the servant's gaze met, her marquis finally had no choice but to remove her feet.
However, he did not forget to glare at Julia while leaving, as his heart was very upset.
The Marquis disappeared across the hallway, and Julia closed the door without hesitation.
* * *
The first schedule of the next day was a meeting with the ladies of the imperial family.
It was a meeting about a banquet and charity event to be held after the birth of the Crown Princess.
The Empress has asked Julia to visit the capital more often in the future.
Since the Grand Duke is not deeply involved in the affairs of the capital, the opinion was that it would be good for the Grand Duke to maintain a close relationship with the Imperial Palace.
To that, Julia replied that it would be so. It's a promise I can't keep.
After that, due to a brief absence of time until the next schedule, Julia headed to the back of the private palace alone.
In the middle of the vast garden was a labyrinth garden of boxwood. Julia walked slowly along the maze, clearing her head.
There are three days left in the schedule.
"… under."
Julia sighed deeply. It had only been a day since she had passed, and she already felt her whole body exhausted.
Returning to the Grand Duchy would not change anything, but it seemed better than this unfamiliar and uncomfortable Imperial Palace.
It was about time to turn the corner with such a dark face. Yulia suddenly ran into someone walking across from her.
It was a young boy about ten years old, wearing a white priest's uniform.
The boy who found Julia smiled brightly.
I thought it was an unfamiliar face, but I remember meeting him in the Temple of Illion.
It was the young priest who guided her to Matthew that day.
"hello?"
The child has greeted with a sweet voice just like that time.
Perhaps this young priest was included among the priests who came from the Temple of Illion.
Yulia smiled faintly and bent her knees.
"See you again, Priest."
Seeing that the child was here, Matthew must have also arrived at the Imperial Palace.
Before Julia could ask anything, the child gave the desired answer first.
"Matheus went to the Central Palace. He said he had something to prepare for Mass in the afternoon."
"okay. So, are you alone, Priest?"
When I asked the question kindly at the child's eye level, the child patted a small head.
"Yes, Matteus-sama said that it is okay to visit the garden for a while."
The child responded with a softly curved eyebrow. Yulia, who smiled a little at her lovely appearance, suddenly held out her hand.
"This garden is complicated and you might get lost. Shall we walk together?"
Looking at the outstretched hand, the child widened his eyes for a moment. Then he smiled and took his hand, wondering what was so funny.
"like."
We walked together in the maze garden holding small hands like that.
The child was babbling about various things. The reason he came here is to celebrate the birth of the Crown Princess, and he said he will only be staying for a week, but Matthews will have to stay for more than a month.
And he said that he was the only disciple of Matthew, and said cutely that he was older than he looked.
"May I ask how old you are?"
When Yulia, who was curious, asked a hint, the child seemed to be troubled, then shook her head.
"It's a little difficult today, I'll tell you later."
A child who speaks like an adult somewhere is cute, and Yulia stroked the child's hair without realizing it.
Curly brown hair curled into her hands. The child, who opened her eyes wide, blushed slightly as if in embarrassment.
When we arrived at the fountain, the destination of the maze garden, the child suddenly raised his head and met his gaze.
"My name is Cedric."
Then, with his eyes filled with greenery, he asked carefully.
"Would it be against etiquette if I asked the name of His Majesty?"
Yulia said "Ummm," she said for a moment, and then slowly answered.
"I'm fine, but it might be rude to others."
Concerned that the child might ask the name of other nobles, he spoke carefully, then bent down again to make eye contact.
"I'm Julia."
"… Julia."
The child mumbled her name as if engraved in his mind. She then nodded her head as she smiled brightly.
"Yulia-sama, can we go for a walk together tomorrow?"
"sure."
Anyway, I plan to stay at the Imperial Palace for three more days, so I had a lot of time to go for a walk with my child. There was quite a bit of rain in the middle of the schedule.
"Priest, then, see you here tomorrow at this time as well."
"like."
Cedric was a fresh child reminiscent of vegetation.
The feeling of being stuffy and stuffy seemed to fade a little bit while I was with the child. Julia took the child's hand again and ran out of the maze garden.
A peaceful atmosphere lingered in the garden in the winter sunlight.