Chapter 38

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Chapter 38

The next morning was bright. It was a day to go to the Marquisate of Heines. Since we had been invited to dinner, we had plenty of time to spare. However, it was going to get dark again soon after doing this and that, so we started preparations in the morning.

To meet my family today, I prepared a special pale pink dress. It suited my red hair very well, and the melancholy that I had with them ten years ago was still so stark and vivid that I couldn’t ignore it at all even after I washed my eyes. While I was just finishing my hair and looking in the mirror, I came into the bedroom to see if Bleon was ready, and as soon as I saw Bleon, my mouth spontaneously exclaimed.

‘Wow.’

Wearing a black robe and even cravat, it was an unfamiliar sight as it was the first time I had seen him like that, but he seemed like a really grown-up man. Somehow my heart trembled slightly.

“You’re handsome, Bleon.”

“My wife is also very beautiful…”

His eyes, like mine, seemed to be admiring something marvelous, so I realized that his words were not empty words. In fact, even when Astell was dressed as she usually was, he would say that she was beautiful, so it was only natural that his eyes were shining now.

“Let’s go.”

Slowly, the sun disappeared and the moon appeared. We held hands and went down to the first floor.

After travelling for about half an hour, the carriage stopped and I opened the window and looked out to see the front gate in Astell’s memory. And suddenly panic and fear came over.

‘Calm down.’

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my worries and anxiety.

“Are you uncomfortable, Wife?”

“No. I’m okay.”

I smiled broadly, saying to him not to worry. Meanwhile, the carriage passed through the front gate and stopped in front of a large mansion.

“Even now, if you don’t want to go, we can turn back, Wife.”

Bleon looked at me with a worried gaze, seeing that I was visibly nervous.

“It’s okay.”

I nodded slightly as Bleon remained motionless, still staring at me worriedly. Then the door of the carriage opened and he got off first and then supported me so I could get off. I put my feet on the ground and lifted my head stiffly. And I looked at the person in front of me.

‘That person…’

Searching through my memories, I recalled that he was the butler of the Heines Marquisate. Still, one of the household’s daughters returned after a decade, and I was fed up with the attitude of the people who didn’t even think of meeting me in person.

I didn’t even expect it.

“Welcome, Duke Bleon Einer and Miss Astell.”

The butler greeted me.

“Long time no see.”

“Yes. Long time no see. The Marquis, the Marchioness, and the Young Masters and Young Ladies are waiting for you in the dining room. Come this way, I will guide you.”

Bleon and I followed the butler into the mansion. As soon as I entered, I could feel the eyes of the employees looking at me with narrowed eyes. There was also an interesting look at what kind of humiliation I faced after coming back in ten years. As the family members openly disregarded Astell, the employees here also ignored Astell, subtly if not openly.

“Not much has changed in this place.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s still a place I don’t like.”

“…Is that so?”

The butler stuttered slightly, as if he was flustered by my words.

“We’re here.”

When I opened the door to the place the butler was gesturing towards, the first thing I saw was a large table. And at the head seat was Astell’s father, the Marquis. To the right was Astell’s mother, the Marchioness, then in the other seats were Astell’s brothers and their wives, and then Julia and Helena.

Instead of me, they looked at Bleon and didn’t even think about getting up to welcome us. They just sat there and stared. The fear and humiliation that Astell felt when confronted with her family was creeping up again. So I was about to step back a little, but Bleon gently stroked my back.

‘Yes, I have Bleon.’

Astell isn’t— no, I’m not alone anymore. Bleon gave me a lot of courage, just the same as the courage I gave him when he was young, and so I blinked my eyes slightly and looked at my family one by one without averting my gaze. As I stood at the entrance of the dining room for a while, the Marquis opened his mouth first.

“It’s been a long time. Astell. Welcome, Einer. Duke.”

What? ‘Duke’, as an afterthought¹? I couldn’t stand it any longer because of the disgusting behavior of him looking down at Bleon.

“Father. It’s been a while. But, please be polite to my husband, the Duke of Einer. No matter how young he is, his peerage is high, so it is against etiquette.”

At that, the Marquis’ face became terribly distorted.

“What are you talking about now?”

“Did I say something wrong? Mother?”

I turned to my mother and asked for her consent.

“Mm…!”

“Astell.”

Calmly, unlike my father, my mother called my name.

“Like Julia mentioned, a lot has changed since we didn’t see you.”

“Ten years is a lot of time.”

I also did not lose my composure and responded to her. Due to my unexpected behavior, the dining hall quickly became chilly. And then Julia got up and came to us, and she spoke to Bleon with a gentle voice.

“Duke Einer, Welcome! I was waiting. Please sit here.”

Then, Julia tried to grab Bleon’s arm. Bleon hurriedly backed away from her so that Julia couldn’t even approach.

“I will go.”

At the fact that Julia was about to touch him, Bleon’s expression hardened, and his voice was as cold as ice.

“My wife, Let’s go.”

Bleon’s face, looking right at me, was full of warmth and led me to the other side of the seat where my family sat. As I followed Bleon, I turned around for a moment and smiled at Julia. As soon as the two of us were seated, the employees started serving food, and we ate soup and appetizers. I was eating like nothing was wrong, but the food couldn’t pass properly due to the stinging gaze on the other side. I lifted my head, looked straight ahead, and opened my mouth.

“Helena, how are you? Are you not married yet?”

I spoke to Helena, one of the siblings, who bothered me the least. Then I noticed Helena glanced around and raised her voice at me with a frown on her face.

“Why does it matter? Never mind that.”

“Yes, it doesn’t matter. But what’s the way you talk to your sister? You’re like someone who didn’t learn. I used to be your sister, but now I am Duchess of Einer. Be careful.”

I warned Helena with a fierce look.

“What, what do you mean…! Sister…!”

Helena turned to Julia for help.

“Oh, Astell. Don’t be too hard on your sisters. Who knows? Will you come back to this place like me?”

Bleon flinched and tried to open his mouth as Julia began to target me. I shook my head slightly, telling Bleon to stay still.

“Is that so? It’s because I’m not the type of person to go and meet all these guys like my sister. And… The Duke wouldn’t sell me to another. Is that right, Your Grace?”

I took Bleon’s hand and put it to my cheek, giving a slight smirk. His face hardened a little when I said that he was selling me to another, but his expression softened at the words that immediately reassured him.

“I will do better, Wife. So never let go of my hand. You know I can’t live without my wife.”

And Bleon always joined me in my acting, literally.

“Hmm…”

In our unfamiliar conversation and confrontation with Julia, my father cleared his throat and was about to sit out words uncomfortably, however it was my mother who spoke.

“Astell, now I hate your personality as much as your ugly face. Why must you speak like that to your sister? Your words have gotten very nasty. And now, it’s not just the two of you here. How did the kid become so vulgar…?”

My mother, who was still, began to attack me.

“Am I that ugly?”

Everyone was looking at me with a puzzled expression on their face, saying, ‘are you kidding me?’

“I wouldn’t believe that you’re my daughter if I didn’t give birth to you.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. You were so ugly that I didn’t even want to look at you for a long time.”

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