Chapter 35
“Father.”
“Yes, Ines.”
“If you are thinking of spreading rumors that I was invited to the Duke’s estate, please don’t.”
This was another unexpected statement.
He could not understand Ines, who, with a stiff expression, once again asked him not to spread the news.
Count Greenwood, who had intended to flaunt to the people of high society how close Cedric Angel and Ines were, looked at his daughter with displeasure.
Then suddenly, a suspicion rose like mist.
Perhaps Ines’s actions did not stem from the same intentions as Lea Greenwood’s.
“You.”
Narrowing his eyes, Count Greenwood tried to gauge Ines’s true intentions.
“You’re not still thinking about asking for the engagement to be canceled, are you?”
Come to think of it, he vaguely remembered receiving a report that a similar topic had come up during the conversation between Ines and Cedric Angel.
Just as the irritated Count Greenwood was about to press Ines for an answer—
“I know he isn’t the kind of person who would agree even if I asked. I’m not a fool, am I?”
“What?”
“But the more you do things like this, the more ridiculous my position becomes. People will say I must be so insecure that I’m desperately trying to make the engagement a settled fact before the ceremony even takes place.”
“Ha! Who would dare say such a thing? How insolent.”
“They may not say it in front of you, Father, but they all whisper about it behind your back. They did today as well.”
At Ines’s words, Count Greenwood fell silent.
Ines continued quietly.
“If you really want to preserve my dignity, then just pretend not to know and leave it alone.”
“And didn’t you say so yourself, Father?”
“People who enjoy hunting become excited by things that run away.”
“Just as His Majesty the Emperor did.”
“Then Duke Angel must be the same.”
Ines deliberately mentioned the Emperor.
As she expected, Count Greenwood burst into laughter.
“Yes. There is some truth in what you say.”
For once, Count Greenwood nodded with a genuinely pleased expression.
“If that is the reason, then I can wait as long as necessary.”
“After all, once the wedding is held, no one will be able to say anything.”
After hearing Ines’s explanation, the idea that he did not need to step forward and risk his own dignity sounded quite convincing.
Why should he be so desperate to make it a settled fact?
The sight of the Duke being utterly captivated by his daughter was already spreading everywhere without the need for rumors.
The Duke of Angel treated everyone with appropriate courtesy.
However, the way he treated Ines was clearly different.
It was impossible not to realize that he regarded her as someone special.
“Honestly, I feel like I keep seeing sides of you I never knew existed these days.”
“Very well.”
“I’ll do as you wish.”
Seeing her father laugh heartily while looking at her with surprise in his eyes, Ines quietly let out a sigh of relief.
Whatever misunderstanding her father might have, it was still far better than having her relationship with Cedric announced to the entire world.
☆☆☆
The day she was to meet Cedric arrived sooner than expected.
Only a few days had passed since the hunting festival.
Yet invitations from the Angel Ducal House arrived every single day.
At first, Count Greenwood watched the situation with satisfaction.
However, after seeing Ines repeatedly reject the invitations under the excuse of having a cold, he gradually began pressuring her.
Ignoring her father’s words and refusing even to respond, Ines dragged things out as much as possible.
She hoped that Cedric’s pride would eventually be hurt and that he would cancel the invitation himself.
However, before the month ended, Ines ultimately had no choice but to visit the Angel Ducal Estate.
[I have received word that the item I previously promised has finally been completed.]
It was about the snow fox, as expected.
At the end of the letter, he wrote that if she still could not visit the ducal estate because of her cold, he would personally visit Count Greenwood’s estate to deliver the gift.
Her cough had already disappeared long ago.
To begin with, it had never been a serious cold.
Now that Cedric had openly declared his intention to visit Count Greenwood’s estate, the cold could no longer serve as an excuse.
Moreover, Cedric visiting Count Greenwood’s estate was dangerous.
If her future marriage with him were to collapse, people might later suspect an unnecessary connection between the Greenwood family and him.
‘I must make sure it has absolutely nothing to do with Father’s rebellion.’
Ines did not want even the slightest harm to come to the Angel Ducal House.
To achieve that, it was far better for people to see a lovestruck young count’s daughter visiting her future fiancé’s estate than for him to visit the count’s estate.
“Miss?”
“Are you going to send another rejection letter this time as well?”
At Marie’s cautious question, Ines gestured to her.
“Bring me some stationery, Marie.”
“I need to send a reply.”
“Yes, Miss! Just a moment!”
Watching Marie hurry over to the desk, Ines thought to herself.
In the end, this was something that would require time.
Considering the reaction he had shown at the hunting festival, there seemed to be no sign of an easy solution.
There was no way for her to distance herself from Cedric in the short term.
‘Still, I have to try every method available to me.’
‘I can’t just sit back and do nothing.’
Ines was desperate enough that she was prepared to use even the childish method that had just occurred to her.
After blinking once at the stationery Marie handed her, Ines began writing rapidly.
It was hard to believe she was the same person who had been agonizing over the matter just moments ago.
After writing for a long time, she finally placed a period at the end of the letter.
Looking up at Marie, who stood beside her, Ines spoke.
“Marie.”
“Yes, Miss.”
“Before sending it, could you read it and see if there’s anything strange?”
At her words, Marie’s eyes widened with delight.
“M-Me?”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Marie accepted it with a bewildered expression.
Of course she was incredibly curious.
Even though Miss always drew a line and called it a political arrangement, wasn’t Duke Angel the man she had loved from afar for many years?
And Marie had personally witnessed just how unbelievably handsome he was when he came to visit her during her illness.
‘He really suited Miss.’
After the engagement had been decided, his attitude toward Miss was certainly meaningful.
It was difficult to explain it as anything other than love.
‘At last, Miss’s love is about to bear fruit.’
Marie hesitated.
She was not sure whether it was appropriate for her to read her lady’s letter.
Especially a “love letter” intended for the Duke.
However, her curiosity was a far stronger force.
In the end, Marie quickly began reading.
The further she read, the wider her eyes became in disbelief.
“M-Miss?”
Her voice trembled just as much as her gaze.
“Are you really going to send a letter like this?”
“Yes.”
Ines asked back with an expectant look.
“Why?”
“Is there some problem?”
“Ah…”
“There’s no problem, but…”
“Well…”
“Wouldn’t it be better if you thought it over one more time?”
Marie’s reaction was exactly what Ines had expected.
Afraid of hurting Ines’s feelings, Marie carefully chose her words and stammered.
“I mean…”
“Well…”
“It certainly shows very clearly how much you look forward to the Angel Ducal House and how much you like Duke Angel, but…”
“Is it too obvious?”
“Yes!”
“That’s exactly it!”
As soon as Ines voiced the words she herself had been unable to say, Marie immediately cried out.
The contents of the letter were truly blatant.
From beginning to end, it was entirely about the Angel Ducal House.
Even from a maid’s perspective, it felt not only worldly but almost vulgar.
The parts praising the Angel family’s enormous collection of artwork and expensive possessions, as well as saying that the ancient Angel estate itself was practically a work of art, sounded so flattering that Marie’s face grew hot.
And that wasn’t all.
Questions about how many horses he owned.
What breeds they were.
How many rooms the mansion had.
How magnificent the gardens were.
From beginning to end, it was nothing but materialistic and worldly topics.
Using a sincere tone, Marie tried to persuade Ines.
“Miss, I really think you should rewrite this letter.”
“Perhaps you could restrain your affection and expectations toward the Angel Ducal House—no, toward Duke Angel—a little?”
Marie accidentally let the wrong words slip out and hurriedly corrected herself.
Seeing her do that only deepened Ines’s smile.
Marie’s description was perfectly accurate.
It was a letter that openly displayed affection not toward Duke Angel himself, but toward the ducal house.
A letter designed so that Cedric would begin to doubt her long-standing love for him.
So that, in the end, he would misunderstand her feelings as not love but a desire for the position of Duchess.
Judging by Marie’s reaction, this childish plan seemed likely to be more effective than she had expected.
Ines gave her order in a firm tone.
“Send the letter immediately.”
“What?”
Startled, Marie squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head vigorously.
It was a display of heartfelt loyalty.
“Miss, this really isn’t a good idea.”
“Duke Angel is going to misunderstand your true feelings.”
“No.”
“He’ll understand my true feelings perfectly.”
Ines answered with complete ease.
☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆
