Chapter 28
“Miss Ines, Count.”
At the edge of the forest.
The endless rows of tents erected for the hunting festival created a magnificent sight.
Although the blizzard had stopped, it was still the middle of winter.
Under the pale beige tents, nobles dressed in their finest attire gathered in small groups around braziers to ward off the cold.
The gazes of those nobles all turned toward one place.
It was because Cedric, wearing a smile that spread across his face as though he had been waiting for them, approached first to greet them when Ines and the Count Greenwood appeared.
“Oh, Duke Angel. It has been quite some time.”
Enjoying the attention of the crowd, Count Greenwood greeted Cedric, who was approaching him and Ines, in an exaggerated tone.
Even while shaking hands with the Count, Cedric’s eyes remained fixed on Ines.
That reaction from Cedric stirred jealousy and envy among the noblewomen.
“Oh my. Look at that.”
“What on earth is she wearing?”
“She should consider herself lucky if someone doesn’t mistake her for a rabbit and hunt her.”
Despite the cold weather, people covered their smiles with their fans and mocked Ines’s attire.
Over her warmly padded riding trousers, she wore a rabbit-fur vest.
Having transformed into a round, bundled silhouette, Ines even looked somewhat youthful.
The winter forest was cold, and the wind was harsh.
Even so, most noblewomen were unwilling to sacrifice fashion.
They endured the cold of the hunting festival in thin dresses, relying on hand warmers and braziers.
“Hmph. It’s because she’s about to become Duke Angel’s fiancée.”
“That’s right. She definitely dressed like that to show off.”
The eyes looking at Ines sharpened into triangles.
A timid personality incapable of properly speaking for herself.
Though her family’s prestige was tremendous, Ines endured even when she heard people slandering her.
She was openly ostracized within high society.
However, unlike before, their voices were noticeably lower now.
After all, the influence of House Angel was something to be feared.
Completely unaware of what was being said around them, Cedric was simply delighted to see Ines.
“You’ve dressed warmly, Miss Ines.”
Unlike her usual figure-revealing clothing, she was bundled up in garments that looked suitable for a child.
Even that appeared adorable to him.
“Yes. I dislike the cold.”
Count Greenwood looked somewhat displeased with Ines.
Unlike Cedric’s warm attitude, Ines’s response was rather lukewarm.
“She has been showing signs of a cold, so she had no choice but to come dressed like this. I hope Your Grace does not think too poorly of her.”
Count Greenwood made excuses on behalf of his daughter.
Fortunately, Cedric Angel did not seem to agree with his insincere remarks.
After all, he could not take his eyes off her.
‘I wish she would be a bit more proactive toward the Duke.’
She was probably more nervous because he was standing beside her.
Thinking that, Count Greenwood decided to excuse himself.
At a major gathering filled with nobles, Ines and Cedric needed to display their affection for a little longer.
“Your Grace, if I continue standing here, people will surely say I have no sense. Please enjoy some time speaking with my daughter.”
With those words, Count Greenwood left to join the attendants of the Empress Consort. who had been waiting for him.
At last, the two of them were alone.
“Shall we take a short walk?”
Cedric said as he extended his hand toward Ines.
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“Achoo.”
Walking beside Cedric, Ines let out a small sneeze.
“So you really have caught a cold.”
“Yes. I still have a slight fever even now.”
She had been debating this ever since the blizzard began.
Should she attend the hunting festival or not?
However, the answer had practically already been decided.
Even if she used illness as an excuse, she would never be able to overcome her father’s stubbornness.
Moreover, Cedric might start visiting her while she was sick afterward.
And then there was the incident that would occur during this hunting festival.
Ines ultimately could not pretend not to know about it.
However, that did not mean she could obediently attend the hunting festival in a beautiful dress according to her father’s wishes.
Although it did not have much effect on Cedric, she had no better solution.
In the end, Ines decided to use the same strategy she had employed during their first date.
Therefore, she deliberately intended to catch a cold.
Last night, she opened the balcony doors wide and went to bed shivering.
Making his sick daughter wear a revealing dress would damage a father’s dignity.
Although he insisted she must attend the hunting festival even if she took medicine for her fever, Count Greenwood was ultimately forced to abandon aesthetics and tell her to wear warm clothing.
Wearing a fur hat and vest like a child, and bundled in multiple layers of clothing, she waddled as she walked.
Although she had not been able to avoid attending the hunting festival, she knew perfectly well that, dressed in such a ridiculous manner, she could not compare even to the tips of the shoes of the beautifully dressed noble ladies around her.
‘This time, it should definitely work.’
The difference from South Eltra City was that the hunting festival was crowded with nobles.
Not only was her appearance embarrassing to walk beside, but the whispers around them were already becoming noticeable.
Since he could not afford to damage his dignity, Cedric would surely leave her side soon, just as her father had.
Asking her to take a short walk together was probably just the minimum courtesy expected of a future fiancé.
Just as Ines was feeling somewhat relieved while thinking that—
Suddenly, something warm touched her forehead.
It was Cedric’s hand.
Startled, Ines stopped walking.
Despite her flinch, Cedric made no move to withdraw his hand.
“You definitely have a slight fever. Wouldn’t it be better to dress even more warmly?”
As he spoke, Cedric draped his own cloak over her shoulders.
It happened before she even had a chance to refuse.
“No! It’s alright. I’m already dressed warmly enough to break into a sweat.”
Ines quickly tried to return the cloak.
However, Cedric stopped her and spoke gently.
“It may look that way, but your neck still seems cold. So keep the cloak on.”
As he spoke, he even adjusted the cloak carefully so it would not slip off.
“A rabbit-fur vest is certainly a good choice, but its insulation is not exceptional. This works out well. I’ll catch a fox for you at today’s hunting festival. It should be processed into a scarf within ten days.”
“I-I already have plenty of scarves.”
“But you don’t have one made from a snow fox.”
Smiling slightly, Cedric continued.
“There are snow foxes living in this forest. That’s the prey I’m aiming for today.”
Hunting a white snow fox in a winter forest would be quite difficult.
Nevertheless, Cedric’s motivation flared up once more.
He now had a reason he absolutely had to succeed.
To prevent Ines from changing the subject, Cedric resumed walking.
Since many eyes were watching, she could not argue with him in a way that might damage his dignity.
In the end, Ines had no choice but to continue walking beside him.
The dark green cloak was far too long, like a child wearing an adult’s clothing.
Its hem dragged across the snow-covered ground like a carpet.
Even that sight looked adorable to Cedric, and he desperately tried to suppress his laughter.
However, Ines was not someone who would fail to notice his reaction.
“If you want to laugh, you can just laugh.”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
“You’re reacting because of my outfit.”
“My outfit?”
“Yes. I know it looks strange and awful enough to make you laugh. But I couldn’t help it. I told them I wanted to stay home and rest, but my father insisted that I absolutely had to attend.”
“It doesn’t look strange. I think it looks very nice.”
“…What?”
Ines looked up at Cedric in bewilderment.
He seemed completely sincere.
“Today’s outfit suits you well.”
The slightly clumsy appearance and absent-minded expression suited her so well that Cedric finally burst into the laughter he had been trying to suppress.
People who paid little attention to her because of her plain wheat-colored brown hair rarely noticed it.
However, upon closer inspection, there were many things about her that were exceptional.
For example, eyes like sunlight filtering through the leaves of a summer forest.
Or skin that was pale and entirely free of blemishes.
Because she always stood timidly in corners, it was not obvious.
Still, Cedric knew very well that among a few observant noblemen, discussions about Ines’s figure had occasionally circulated.
Of course, after serious talks of their engagement began, there were no longer any brave fools willing to spout such nonsense.
“I mean the dress you wore before.”
“The one before…?”
“The one you wore at the Autumn Harvest Festival.”
“Ah…”
Ines nodded blankly.
She had indeed worn an orange dress at the last Harvest Festival.
But why was he bringing that up?
“It suits you far better than that dress.”
“More than that dress?”
Ines remembered that dress.
It had been ordered from a rather famous salon at considerable expense.
However, Cedric’s response was firm.
“Yes. It suits you much better.”
Seeing the dress that plunged along the cleavage and lacked shoulder straps altogether had left Cedric extremely troubled.
She would probably never know that for as long as she lived.
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