Chapter 21
It snowed continuously for several days.
“Miss, just look at the weather. When do you think this blizzard will stop?”
Unlike Marie, who was worried about the raging snowstorm, Ines felt nothing but at peace.
“Why? I actually like it.”
“What do you mean why? In weather like this, it’ll be difficult for Duke Angel to visit the estate.”
Marie had absolutely no idea that this very reason was exactly why Ines felt at ease.
At the moment, Ines desperately needed isolation from the outside world. Even on the day she realized she had returned to the past, she thought breaking off the marriage talks with Cedric would be simple. Even if persuading her father would be difficult.
At this point in time, they barely knew anything about each other beyond the name and background of their prospective fiancé. The Cedric she knew was a good person, but he was the Duke of Angel. That meant he had lived a life wanting for nothing since birth.
He was not a man who needed to maintain a marriage arrangement while enduring the humiliation of being asked for a broken engagement by the mere daughter of Count Greenwood. Even if it wasn’t her, he could easily obtain a far better marriage proposal.
That was why Cedric’s behavior of approaching her openly without hiding his personal affection only left her bewildered. Visiting her while she was sick and going on dates. Flowers and teacups.
She needed time to think about this present that had changed from the past. So for Ines, this blizzard could only be welcome.
Cedric was not the kind of person who would visit someone else’s estate in terrible weather, nor someone who would send letters while worrying about the hardships his messenger would suffer.
In other words, until the blizzard stopped, she did not need to worry about running into Cedric.
“I hope the snow stops soon. Well, I suppose it’s natural for there to be heavy snowfall since the hunting festival is near.”
“I hope it snows even more. More than now.”
“Are you serious, Miss? I thought you’d be very disappointed.”
“Me? Why?”
“Well, because you haven’t been able to meet Duke Angel since your first date. Even the letters stopped coming.”
At such an important time like this.
Marie stomped her feet in frustration as though it were her own matter.
Most noble engagements were political in nature. However, in Marie’s eyes, Cedric Angel looked a little different.
Seeing how her introverted lady had spent such a long time out on her first date, it was easy to imagine just how comfortable he had made her feel.
Marie, who knew all about Ines having secretly loved him alone for a long time, was even more excited than the person involved.
“It wasn’t a first date.”
Ines firmly protested to Marie.
“We just bought things together and had a cup of tea.”
“Miss, people in this world call that a date.”
Instead of trying to break Marie’s stubbornness, Ines changed the topic of conversation.
“Marie, could you add more firewood? The fireplace is dying out.”
“Ah? You’re right. Are you cold? Just a moment.”
Simple-minded Marie gasped in surprise and hurried off to fetch more firewood.
In the quiet silence, the sound of the blizzard swept in bleakly through the cracks of the window.
Because of the fierce snowstorm, the outside looked as though white paper had been pasted over everything, making it impossible to see even an inch ahead. Yet the expression on Ines’s face as she looked outside the window was nothing but peaceful.
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Only after raging for several days did the blizzard finally retreat.
One morning, when sunlight as warm as spring seeped through the windows, Ines—who had finished breakfast and was reading a book—looked at Marie in shock upon hearing that a guest had arrived.
“A guest? Surely not……”
At her young lady’s startled reaction, Marie mischievously smiled and shook her head. It would have been nice if it were Duke Angel, but unfortunately today’s guest was not him.
“No, Miss. It’s a painter.”
“A painter?”
“Yes. A painter named Adrian, and he says he absolutely must see you.”
“Me?”
Adrian.
It was a name she did not remember.
Moreover, the fact that Marie did not attach a surname meant he was a commoner.
A commoner painter. The sort of person Ines would never have any reason to know.
“He looks poor. His hands and clothes are filthy with paint dye all over them. His clothes were washed clean, but they still looked improperly laundered. He doesn’t seem like someone you would know, Miss.”
Marie thought similarly to Ines. Since she believed he was the sort of person her lady could never possibly know, she explained in detail.
After hearing that, Ines became even more confused.
“He came to see me instead of Father?”
Nobles often sponsored poor artists to show off their wealth, and recently Count Greenwood had become extremely enthusiastic about this.
It was to shake off the image of being a nouveau riche man who cared only about money after suddenly rising in status. Since he spent quite a lot of money every year, artists occasionally came to seek him out like this.
She thought perhaps another poor artist had come hoping for her father’s support this time as well. However, Marie nodded with a troubled expression.
“Yes. I asked several times, but he says he came to see you, Miss.”
“Me?”
“Yes! What a strange thing. Ever since Duke Angel, your number of visitors has been steadily increasing these days, hasn’t it? Ha, though I’d still rather have the Duke visit than a guest like this.”
At Marie’s honest words, Ines let out a faint laugh.
Because her own feelings were the exact opposite.
Any guest was fine as long as it was not Cedric. Thinking that way made her feel at ease.
In any case, her father was out at the moment and not in the estate.
Preparations were in full swing to place the child born by her aunt onto the throne as Crown Prince. He spent busy days every single day meeting nobles from the opposition and neutral factions to win them over.
‘Even though I warned him to be careful several times, he only pretended to listen.’
Thinking it was merely the pointless concern of his naïve daughter, her father never truly listened to what she had to say. Ines’s expression darkened.
“Miss.”
Marie carefully called out to the deeply thoughtful Ines.
“What should we do about the guest? Shall I tell him to leave?”
“No.”
Snapping back to her senses, Ines spoke to Marie.
“Bring him to the drawing room. I’ll meet him.”
There was a need to divert some of her father’s attention. If she met the painter and relayed the story to her father, perhaps he would take interest in this matter for a while instead of focusing on winning over nobles.
“Yes. Then I’ll bring him immediately, Miss.”
Marie quickly replied to the lightly nodding Ines.
☆☆☆
After waiting a little in the drawing room, a knock soon sounded at the door along with Marie’s voice.
“Miss, I will show the guest inside.”
The sound of the door opening followed, and Marie entered the drawing room with a young man.
Just as Marie had said, traces of paint dye remained messily on the tips of his fingers and his shabby clothes.
The man’s eyes met Ines’s. The young man hurriedly bowed deeply in greeting.
“H-Hello.”
Perhaps because it was his first time meeting a noble, his attitude was extremely awkward. Ines smiled gently and accepted his greeting.
“It’s nice to meet you. You said your name was Adrian?”
“Y-Yes! That’s right.”
At the sight of the hesitant Adrian, Marie quietly chuckled. She had already felt this when she first met him at the entrance, but he seemed unaccustomed to dealing with people.
The man was very tall. His black hair had grown wildly and untidily as though it had been a long time since he last cut it, and his clothing was too thin for the freezing weather left behind by the blizzard. His pale complexion, likely from not eating or sleeping properly, also contributed to his poor appearance.
However, the red eyes visible through his long bangs were somehow… artistic, perhaps……. It was difficult to describe clearly, but he was a man who gave off a strange impression.
“So, Adrian. I heard you wanted to meet me?”
Though he had gathered the courage to come here, Adrian was overwhelmed by the grandeur of the count’s estate. Already tense to the point his body had stiffened, he became completely dazed when the daughter of a count politely addressed a mere commoner like himself.
Beside him, Marie lightly jabbed his arm. It meant he should answer quickly.
Startled back to his senses, Adrian hurriedly nodded and spoke.
“Yes, yes! That’s correct.”
“Are you sure it’s me? Not my father?”
“Huh? Your father would be……”
“Oh, honestly. Naturally she means Count Greenwood.”
“Ah! No! I came to see you, Miss.”
Just as Marie had said, it seemed he truly had come to see her. Ines grew curious.
“So you didn’t come to ask my father for support?”
Only then did Adrian understand what Ines meant, and he vigorously shook his head.
Support.
He had never once entertained such an arrogant thought.
“No. How could someone like me possibly……. I’m not even at that level. I merely came to offer my thanks.”
“Thanks?”
As the incomprehensible conversation continued, Ines tilted her head slightly. Realizing his explanation had been insufficient, Adrian quickly opened his mouth.
“Thanks to you buying my teacup, I was able to survive this winter without starving.”
As he spoke, Adrian bowed deeply once more. Only then did Ines realize what the poor painter standing before her was talking about.
“Could you perhaps mean the teacup with the green pattern on the yellow background?”
“Yes. I heard Duke Angel paid a great price for it thanks to your recommendation.”
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