Chapter 1.2 - Book I: Chapter I Part 2
Book I: Chapter I Part 2
As soon as he stopped, everyone held their breath. For a short moment, he looked at Harrieta with a strange gaze, making it difficult to know what he was thinking.
Then he turned around and approached her. Standing right in front of her, he leaned down and reached out his hand towards her. Harrieta looked at his long fingers covered in white gloves. ‘Maybe I’m dreaming with my eyes open. Or maybe I have fallen into the world of my imagination.’
The distance between them was so close that she could feel the other person’s breath. Edwin had a subtle musky scent. Harrieta held his hand as if she was possessed by something. His comforting warmth passed through the thin gloves to her hands.
At that moment, she was terrified. It was because she was afraid that he would mock or despise her. However, the moment she looked into his eyes, she realised all her fears were for naught. His eyes neither held any contempt or despise in them. They also didn’t contain any pity or scorn. In fact, there were no emotions at all. He was looking at her, but also at the same time was not.
Indifference. His perfect face held only indifference, even towards others.
Thud!
Harrieta felt like she was hit hard in the head with a big hammer. At the same time, it felt like something that was trying to sprout deep in her heart was brutally trampled.
Edwin helped Harrieta to get up. Like a puppet hanging from a thread, she moved as his hand led her. She was standing on her two feet but she still felt as if she was floating.
“Are you all right?”
Edwin looked into Harrieta’s eyes and asked in a low tone. However, it did not seem as if he was asking for an answer. As soon as he confirmed that she could stand on her own, he retrieved the hand he had reached out to her. After giving her a perfunctory nod, he walked towards the Count, who was waiting for him.
She didn’t even have time to say thank you.
Dum! Dum!
His heavy footsteps moving away from her sounded unrealistically loud in Harrieta’s ears. She looked at his back, standing still like a stone. The warmth of his hand still lingered in hers.
‘Are you all right?’
It was a soft but stable voice. His voice was excellent enough to match his beautiful appearance.
‘Are you all right?’
The words kept echoing in her head. Her heart became impatient. She wanted to see Edwin again at all costs. She wanted to see her image in his eyes and engrave her existence in his head. As long as she could make him acknowledge her existence, nothing else mattered to her.
“Wait a minute…”
“Harrieta!”
As soon as she was about to chase Edwin, Lilian came running towards her and grabbed her shoulder.
“!”
The moment she felt Lilian’s hand gripping her shoulders, she realised what she was going to do. It felt as if the magic spell, which had ensnared her, had finally broken. One by one, her black and white world filled with colours and sounds gradually began to rise in the quiet hall. Her eyes widened.
“This.. Aunt?”
Lilian looked worried at the confused state of Harrieta.
“Harrieta! What happened? Why were you sitting on the floor? Do you have anemia or something?”
“No, it’s not like that, but…….”
“Rose told me that I wouldn’t have to worry about your health, but what the hell is going on? I think we should get a checkup from a doctor once we get home.”
“…….”
“By the way, do you know how surprised I was when you suddenly ran away like that? Both the Baroness and Sir Welch were embarrassed by your sudden behavior. You have to apologize politely when we meet them later…. Harrieta, Harrieta! Are you even listening to me?”
At the sight of her niece, who was all over the place, Lilian frowned and rebuked her. But Harrieta did not listen to even a word. With desperate eyes, she looked straight ahead, only at one place.
“Aunt. Who is that person?”
“That person?”
Lilian glanced at the place where Harrieta’s gaze was fixed.
“You mean Count Champs?”
“No. The young man next to the Count….The one who helped me up.”
Harrieta blushed and added a little. Then Lilian made a face that she understood the situation.
“You are referring to Sir Edwin. The tall and blonde man?”
Harrieta nodded fervently at the familiar name. Edwin. Even his name was attractive. Her eyes sparkled the most vividly since she came to Labant. Lilian, who noticed this appearance, became quiet. As if thinking about something, Lilian asked vaguely.
“Do you know the Duke of Redford?”
“Redford?”
“Yes. The Duke Redford. The Redford family has a long history as they have existed since the founding of Brimdell. They are one of the most influential and wealthiest families among all the existing aristocratic families. Aside from the royal family, they are said to have the most noble lineage in Brimdell. And many Redford men have actually married women from the royal family.”
In the back alleys, people even joked that the successors of the Redford family had a more pure royal lineage than the current royal family. But no one had ever dared to examine whether this rumour was true or not.
“Sir Edwin is the successor of the current Duke Redford. In short, he would be the next duke.”
“The next Duke…”
Harrieta dumbly repeated Lilian’s words. It turned out that he was a Duke. For the daughter of a small Viscount from the countryside, who was at the bottom of the noble class, he was a man whose status was very far and high from hers. Only now she could understand why Count Champs was so happy to see Edwin.
“Aunt, how can I see Edwin again?”
“Sir Edwin?”
Lilian’s voice rose a little higher. She stared at Harrieta as if she was trying to understand her. After some time, she shook her head.
“Forget it, Harrieta.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your heart. Don’t take useless things to your heart.”
It was said with a soft tone, but the meaning behind the words was sharp. Harrieta’s face hardened.
She bit her lower lip. Suddenly she felt stuffy as if someone had covered her face with a pillow.
“What are you talking about?”
“Harrieta, do you think he hasn’t seen women with a face like yours once or twice in his life? Especially ones like you who are as easy to read as an open book.”
It meant that it was useless to even think about it. In response, Harrieta looked grim. She once again looked at the place where Edwin had disappeared. It had been long since he had disappeared from the ballroom. Lilian turned Harrieta’s head and made her face her again.
“Harrieta Mackenzie! My dear niece, do you think the Redford family is famous because they’re Dukes? It is true that they are famous for their enormous wealth and fame from birth, but they are also famous for their outstanding abilities. Not only are they good at learning and martial arts, but they are also good-looking and attractive in appearance. You don’t know how many talents the Redford family has produced. People even call the Redfords the Brimdell’s most valuable treasure. The Redfords are the kind of people who make you think life is unfair just by looking at them, and Sir Edwin is the most unique of them all.”
“…….”
“How can you compare yourself with him?”
Lilian asked straightforwardly, Harrieta unable to answer.
Pilrioche was a small rural village that was not even well marked on the map. The eldest daughter of the Viscount Mackenzie lived there far from wealth and fame. In that small place, it was much easier to find someone you didn’t know than someone you knew in your family.
Lilian sighed when she saw her hesitate.
“Even if we are both nobles, we are not the same. Lesser nobles like you and me are so insignificant that we can’t even exchange words with people like him. For him we are probably not much different from the common people.”
“…….”
“There’s a saying that you shouldn’t look at a tree that can’t be climbed.”
The advice for her niece was a bit harsh. Harrieta’s face turned red. She felt as if the insides of her stomach were boiling. Slowly, she raised her gaze.
“Aunt, then who am I supposed to have in my heart? Sir Welch, who is so short and ordinary? Or Baron Marlon who is thirty years older than me?”
Harrieta asked in a loud voice.
“If you decide to put your mind to forcefully cherish someone in your heart, is that person really being cherished? If so, can you really say that it’s a sincerity that comes from the heart?”
“Harrieta!”
“Don’t look at a tree that can’t be climbed? However, there are also sayings that you can achieve your goals if you have big aspirations and aim for more than what you want. No one needs anyone’s permission to dream, and to follow that dream.”
“…….”
Lilian looked up at her pitiful niece who was venting her anger and resentment. At first she thought she didn’t look anything like her mother, but now she could see the resemblance between her and her younger sister, Rose, when she was a child.
When Rose was young, she insisted that she would marry a prince of a country no matter what. However, as she grew older, she understood the laws of this world and eventually married a poor Viscount in the countryside.
Lilian, who had been thinking of the old days, softened her momentum.
“Harrieta, I apologize if you’re hurt by my words. I also want you to have great aspirations, and I really want you to achieve more. This is really my sincere wish no matter what anyone says.”
Lilian gently stroked Harrieta’s head.
“As you said, no one can stop you if you want to dream and chase that dream. But unfortunately, there are some things in this world which are impossible to achieve no matter how hard you try and struggle. There are some things that you can never have.”
“… Are you talking about Sir Edwin?”
Harrieta asked with a gloomy face. Lilian nodded.
“Even if the sky falls, it wouldn’t happen.”
The bitter and terrible words shattered her last hope. Harrieta lowered her head. She felt as if she had been sentenced to death.
She looked down at her hand with a yearning look. It was the hand that was held by Edwin a while ago. She could still vividly feel the lingering warmth of his hand.
“But….. I don’t think I can easily forget him.”
Fifteen years. It was more or less short but a long time. In her whole life, she had never been this attracted to someone, never had wanted something this much. And she was sure she wouldn’t feel like this again in the future.
Lilian gently lifted Harrieta’s head to see her.
“You will forget. The world is big, and there are countless wonderful men in it.”
“Even better than Sir Edwin?”
Harrieta asked, with her head slightly raised. Looking down at her clear eyes, Lilian hesitated to answer for a moment. Her eyes were full of trust and expectations. But after a moment, Lilian reluctantly nodded.
“Of course.”
Fifteen. It was a young age. She hadn’t even made a debut yet. Lilian firmly believed that Harrieta would soon forget Edwin, just like a midsummer night’s dream.
As soon as he stopped, everyone held their breath. For a short moment, he looked at Harrieta with a strange gaze, making it difficult to know what he was thinking.
Then he turned around and approached her. Standing right in front of her, he leaned down and reached out his hand towards her. Harrieta looked at his long fingers covered in white gloves. ‘Maybe I’m dreaming with my eyes open. Or maybe I have fallen into the world of my imagination.’
The distance between them was so close that she could feel the other person’s breath. Edwin had a subtle musky scent. Harrieta held his hand as if she was possessed by something. His comforting warmth passed through the thin gloves to her hands.
At that moment, she was terrified. It was because she was afraid that he would mock or despise her. However, the moment she looked into his eyes, she realised all her fears were for naught. His eyes neither held any contempt or despise in them. They also didn’t contain any pity or scorn. In fact, there were no emotions at all. He was looking at her, but also at the same time was not.
Indifference. His perfect face held only indifference, even towards others.
Thud!
Harrieta felt like she was hit hard in the head with a big hammer. At the same time, it felt like something that was trying to sprout deep in her heart was brutally trampled.
Edwin helped Harrieta to get up. Like a puppet hanging from a thread, she moved as his hand led her. She was standing on her two feet but she still felt as if she was floating.
“Are you all right?”
Edwin looked into Harrieta’s eyes and asked in a low tone. However, it did not seem as if he was asking for an answer. As soon as he confirmed that she could stand on her own, he retrieved the hand he had reached out to her. After giving her a perfunctory nod, he walked towards the Count, who was waiting for him.
She didn’t even have time to say thank you.
Dum! Dum!
His heavy footsteps moving away from her sounded unrealistically loud in Harrieta’s ears. She looked at his back, standing still like a stone. The warmth of his hand still lingered in hers.
‘Are you all right?’
It was a soft but stable voice. His voice was excellent enough to match his beautiful appearance.
‘Are you all right?’
The words kept echoing in her head. Her heart became impatient. She wanted to see Edwin again at all costs. She wanted to see her image in his eyes and engrave her existence in his head. As long as she could make him acknowledge her existence, nothing else mattered to her.
“Wait a minute…”
“Harrieta!”
As soon as she was about to chase Edwin, Lilian came running towards her and grabbed her shoulder.
“!”
The moment she felt Lilian’s hand gripping her shoulders, she realised what she was going to do. It felt as if the magic spell, which had ensnared her, had finally broken. One by one, her black and white world filled with colours and sounds gradually began to rise in the quiet hall. Her eyes widened.
“This.. Aunt?”
Lilian looked worried at the confused state of Harrieta.
“Harrieta! What happened? Why were you sitting on the floor? Do you have anemia or something?”
“No, it’s not like that, but…….”
“Rose told me that I wouldn’t have to worry about your health, but what the hell is going on? I think we should get a checkup from a doctor once we get home.”
“…….”
“By the way, do you know how surprised I was when you suddenly ran away like that? Both the Baroness and Sir Welch were embarrassed by your sudden behavior. You have to apologize politely when we meet them later…. Harrieta, Harrieta! Are you even listening to me?”
At the sight of her niece, who was all over the place, Lilian frowned and rebuked her. But Harrieta did not listen to even a word. With desperate eyes, she looked straight ahead, only at one place.
“Aunt. Who is that person?”
“That person?”
Lilian glanced at the place where Harrieta’s gaze was fixed.
“You mean Count Champs?”
“No. The young man next to the Count….The one who helped me up.”
Harrieta blushed and added a little. Then Lilian made a face that she understood the situation.
“You are referring to Sir Edwin. The tall and blonde man?”
Harrieta nodded fervently at the familiar name. Edwin. Even his name was attractive. Her eyes sparkled the most vividly since she came to Labant. Lilian, who noticed this appearance, became quiet. As if thinking about something, Lilian asked vaguely.
“Do you know the Duke of Redford?”
“Redford?”
“Yes. The Duke Redford. The Redford family has a long history as they have existed since the founding of Brimdell. They are one of the most influential and wealthiest families among all the existing aristocratic families. Aside from the royal family, they are said to have the most noble lineage in Brimdell. And many Redford men have actually married women from the royal family.”
In the back alleys, people even joked that the successors of the Redford family had a more pure royal lineage than the current royal family. But no one had ever dared to examine whether this rumour was true or not.
“Sir Edwin is the successor of the current Duke Redford. In short, he would be the next duke.”
“The next Duke…”
Harrieta dumbly repeated Lilian’s words. It turned out that he was a Duke. For the daughter of a small Viscount from the countryside, who was at the bottom of the noble class, he was a man whose status was very far and high from hers. Only now she could understand why Count Champs was so happy to see Edwin.
“Aunt, how can I see Edwin again?”
“Sir Edwin?”
Lilian’s voice rose a little higher. She stared at Harrieta as if she was trying to understand her. After some time, she shook her head.
“Forget it, Harrieta.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your heart. Don’t take useless things to your heart.”
It was said with a soft tone, but the meaning behind the words was sharp. Harrieta’s face hardened.
She bit her lower lip. Suddenly she felt stuffy as if someone had covered her face with a pillow.
“What are you talking about?”
“Harrieta, do you think he hasn’t seen women with a face like yours once or twice in his life? Especially ones like you who are as easy to read as an open book.”
It meant that it was useless to even think about it. In response, Harrieta looked grim. She once again looked at the place where Edwin had disappeared. It had been long since he had disappeared from the ballroom. Lilian turned Harrieta’s head and made her face her again.
“Harrieta Mackenzie! My dear niece, do you think the Redford family is famous because they’re Dukes? It is true that they are famous for their enormous wealth and fame from birth, but they are also famous for their outstanding abilities. Not only are they good at learning and martial arts, but they are also good-looking and attractive in appearance. You don’t know how many talents the Redford family has produced. People even call the Redfords the Brimdell’s most valuable treasure. The Redfords are the kind of people who make you think life is unfair just by looking at them, and Sir Edwin is the most unique of them all.”
“…….”
“How can you compare yourself with him?”
Lilian asked straightforwardly, Harrieta unable to answer.
Pilrioche was a small rural village that was not even well marked on the map. The eldest daughter of the Viscount Mackenzie lived there far from wealth and fame. In that small place, it was much easier to find someone you didn’t know than someone you knew in your family.
Lilian sighed when she saw her hesitate.
“Even if we are both nobles, we are not the same. Lesser nobles like you and me are so insignificant that we can’t even exchange words with people like him. For him we are probably not much different from the common people.”
“…….”
“There’s a saying that you shouldn’t look at a tree that can’t be climbed.”
The advice for her niece was a bit harsh. Harrieta’s face turned red. She felt as if the insides of her stomach were boiling. Slowly, she raised her gaze.
“Aunt, then who am I supposed to have in my heart? Sir Welch, who is so short and ordinary? Or Baron Marlon who is thirty years older than me?”
Harrieta asked in a loud voice.
“If you decide to put your mind to forcefully cherish someone in your heart, is that person really being cherished? If so, can you really say that it’s a sincerity that comes from the heart?”
“Harrieta!”
“Don’t look at a tree that can’t be climbed? However, there are also sayings that you can achieve your goals if you have big aspirations and aim for more than what you want. No one needs anyone’s permission to dream, and to follow that dream.”
“…….”
Lilian looked up at her pitiful niece who was venting her anger and resentment. At first she thought she didn’t look anything like her mother, but now she could see the resemblance between her and her younger sister, Rose, when she was a child.
When Rose was young, she insisted that she would marry a prince of a country no matter what. However, as she grew older, she understood the laws of this world and eventually married a poor Viscount in the countryside.
Lilian, who had been thinking of the old days, softened her momentum.
“Harrieta, I apologize if you’re hurt by my words. I also want you to have great aspirations, and I really want you to achieve more. This is really my sincere wish no matter what anyone says.”
Lilian gently stroked Harrieta’s head.
“As you said, no one can stop you if you want to dream and chase that dream. But unfortunately, there are some things in this world which are impossible to achieve no matter how hard you try and struggle. There are some things that you can never have.”
“… Are you talking about Sir Edwin?”
Harrieta asked with a gloomy face. Lilian nodded.
“Even if the sky falls, it wouldn’t happen.”
The bitter and terrible words shattered her last hope. Harrieta lowered her head. She felt as if she had been sentenced to death.
She looked down at her hand with a yearning look. It was the hand that was held by Edwin a while ago. She could still vividly feel the lingering warmth of his hand.
“But….. I don’t think I can easily forget him.”
Fifteen years. It was more or less short but a long time. In her whole life, she had never been this attracted to someone, never had wanted something this much. And she was sure she wouldn’t feel like this again in the future.
Lilian gently lifted Harrieta’s head to see her.
“You will forget. The world is big, and there are countless wonderful men in it.”
“Even better than Sir Edwin?”
Harrieta asked, with her head slightly raised. Looking down at her clear eyes, Lilian hesitated to answer for a moment. Her eyes were full of trust and expectations. But after a moment, Lilian reluctantly nodded.
“Of course.”
Fifteen. It was a young age. She hadn’t even made a debut yet. Lilian firmly believed that Harrieta would soon forget Edwin, just like a midsummer night’s dream.
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