Chapter 28

10. Obsessed (3)

Translated by alyalia

Aloken squinted at my answer and put his hands behind him.

“I can’t believe you’re even made an appointment with Carl Andras just by talking about animals. Your skill is great.”

“Are you interested in him?”

“It’s not him, but Marquis of Andras.”

Aloken frowned at first as if he didn’t like it. However, as the conversation continued, his gaze changed to a different atmosphere.

“Vanora, I don’t know about the head of that family, but I’m putting in a lot of effort to recruit his third son. That’s why I know. It’s the same with that little guy. They’re hard to please.”

“…”

“But judging from the behavior of the red colt earlier, how friendly he was with you…”

A man who looks like a painting is looking at me. This should be a pleasure, but I hated his gaze, which was as cold as a snake. Aloken whispered in my ear, persistently bent down as I dodged his gaze that made me shiver.

“I changed my mind.”

“What… What are you thinking?”

“Looking at your brilliant astrology skills, as well as your friendship with Andras, who is difficult to deal with…”

Slowly, he lowered his head to the side and began to look into my eyes.

“I’m interested in you.”

I spat out the words without thinking about them first in my head.

“Throw away your interest.”

When I refused with disgust, Aloken smiled and relaxed without saying anything.

“Lady, would you like to come to the central table? It is said that the Madam is giving a toast.”

“I’m coming. Well, thank you for coming to the banquet today. I look forward to your preparations for the rest of the engagement ceremony.”

While we were talking, it was already the highlight of the banquet. It was the most important thing to do at the birthday banquet.

“…”

“…”

Elegant wheat-colored hair curled up like a snake’s tail, thin and small eyelashes, unlike mine. However, her cold expression alone made it hard to believe that we were a family.

I, who faced my stepmother at the center table, greeted her with courtesy. Hanar looked down dryly at me and reluctantly lifted the glass. This is the first toast of the banquet. It was also the first congratulation I heard at the age of 16.

“God, please take care of her well too for this year.”

When this word came out, thunderous applause poured out from around. It was the first big sound of congratulations I had ever heard in my life.

“Thank you, mother.”

The louder the celebration, the vain I felt.

The thunderous applause was a celebration I hadn’t received when I was really 16 years old. This was all fake.

“…”

When I thought that the whole scene in the banquet hall was fake, I felt sick and eventually couldn’t get my hands on the food of my birthday banquet. Even now, I just felt angry and not happy at all.

‘Let’s make an appointment with Carl right after my birthday banquet.’

I just wanted to close my enemies’s eyes as soon as possible and end my long sleepless sleep. 

* * *

After the banquet, I felt exhausted from dealing with the two men. It took about half an hour to send back Aloken from where we were supposed to go to see the robes for our engagement ceremony. After that, a few more minutes passed by as I made an appointment with Carl Andras to meet soon.

“I’m so tired.”

But today’s work is not finished yet. As soon as the banquet was over, I heard my father calling for me and moved my steps to his office.

“Lady, you’re here.”

“Please ask my father if I can come in now.”

‘How long has it been since I had a conversation with my family?’

In my childhood, I rarely talked to Bael. Before my engagement ceremony with Naverius, I had only one conversation with my father. So, it naturally made me happy when he called for me on my 16th birthday in the past.

“Yes, Master tells Lady to come in.”

However, Bael had me sit down with his blunt character, held out a sheet of paper full of difficult words, and told me to take it.  There was not even a word to congratulate me on my birthday. I, who was hurt by it, remembered that I left his office at a quick pace without asking what the document was.

“Did you call for me?”

“Sit down there.”

I, who already know what will happen, have already given up my hope. I just put on a half-dying look on my face.

“…?”

Bael Celcius was puzzled as he looked at my expression when I entered the room. Still, he didn’t ask about his daughter’s well-being.

“Take it.”

Again, this scene flowed just like the past I remembered. Bael handed me a document bearing the family seal and told me to leave after receiving it.

“Is it my birthday present?”

However, I opened my mouth rather than follow his orders. Pointing out the document of the transfer name of the sapphire mine, I asked him about it. Then my father answered.

“What would it be if it wasn’t?”

But I was not very happy with the present.  First of all, the reason he gave this mine was to advertise to the social world that he’s such a good father. Second, this sapphire mine will be mine, but it was not at her disposal.  In the future, I was scammed by the entire mine.

Then what was Bael’s reaction?

“Do you know what kind of mine is that? Why did you let people scam you easily?”

He got angry and added more

”How dare you to still use Celcius’s name!”

I almost got kicked out of the mansion because of this mine. I cried and begged all three days, barely holding on. Of course, losing such a great fortune is reprehensible.

‘This wasn’t really a gift for me. My father got angry because he still regarded it as his own property.’

“…”

In fact, there was something I wanted more than this sapphire mine.  There was a time when I thought it was enough if Bael bought a small toy for my birthday and celebrated my birthday.

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“Thank you, Count.”

It’s all in the past now.

I got up from my seat after a brief recollection of the past.

But then.

“Did you just call me Count now?”

If it had been like usual, Bael would be buried in the papers and didn’t care whether I left or not. But he brought out a word that had never been brought before. He was bothered about the way I called him.

“…”

‘Would it be a big trouble to say that I can’t call him father anymore?’

So I came up with a small excuse.

“Yes, because I’m all grown up now.”

The 21-year-old me in my body said quietly. After that, I left the room without even looking at my father’s expression.

‘What a boring life.’

* * *

7 days later.

A cream-colored bonnet that creates shade on the face with a short brim. Wearing an expensive dress, with silk gloves the same color as it, I finally reached the gate of that family mansion.

‘The western edge of the Kingdom.’

I arrived at the Marquis’s estate, which is on the border with other kingdoms. It was the day of the appointment to visit Carl after the birthday banquet. When I talk to Carl, who had come to my birthday banquet, that I wanted to talk to him soon, he replied,

“Let’s meet in my family estate seven days later.”

“This is the home of Andras’s family…”

When I turned my eyes, I could see the vast and beautiful estate that made Celcius’s mansion look like a toy. As I opened the first gate and entered, I noticed a large lake and a plaster statue carved out of the symbol of Andras’s family.

‘Even only looking from their garden made my mouth open wide.’

As expected, the Marquis family is wealthy.

I clasped the parasol in my hand and knocked on the door of the mansion I had arrived at.

“Which family did you come from?”

“I’m Vanora from Count Celcius’s family. I’m here because I have an appointment with Carl Andras.”

“I understand. I will inform the young Master about Lady Vanora’s visit.”

However, the atmosphere here was somehow strange. The servant who had gone up to the mansion didn’t come back after a long time.

‘Maybe I’m being neglected again…’

By the time I was contemplating whether it was daring for me to step into the Marquis’s estate or not. Fortunately, my thought was in vain.

A few minutes later.

“Young Master tells Lady to join him inside.”

I was able to get in through a servant, who walked back quickly. However, the interior scenery that I encountered was surprisingly simple.

‘The mansion looks gorgeous on the outside, but there aren’t many art pieces on the inside, and it even feels frugal.’

The surroundings were full of old-fashioned traditional-style furniture from Kingdom Kasius. When trade is booming these days, at least there should be one item imported from abroad, but there wasn’t something like that.

“Welcome! Lady Vanora Celcius.”

Soon after arriving in the parlor room, I heard an unfamiliar voice.

“Since the head of the family is away, it was inevitable for me to provide hospitality. Please excuse my rudeness.”

The owner of the voice had red hair as if to indicate that he inherited the Andras family blood. It didn’t take long to find out exactly who he was because of his strong personal characteristics. Big as a mountain, and even the scars like the constellations that fill his face. He is the second son of the Andras family and the older brother of Carl.

“My name is Carlos. Please have a seat. Would you like some drinks? We also have delicious cookies too.”

“Hello.”

The parlor room was lined with sweets to entertain me. It must have been prepared when I was standing outside the mansion. I sat down at my seat, sipping the drink he recommended.

‘Is this fruit juice?’

The nobles of the Kasius Kingdom got used to the taste of tea brought in from other kingdoms. Still, it was unusual that they served fruit juice instead of tea to entertain guests.

Then we immediately entered into the conversation.

“Our territory is on the border area, so it’s rare for guests to come here. I got excited because it’s been a long time since someone visited.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! Ah, do the cookies fit your taste? You might not like it because it’s made for Western’s people taste buds.”

“I like it because it’s light.”

“That’s a relief.”

By the way… Somehow the direction of our conversation went different than expected. I imagined the second son of Andras’s family was not this kind of man.

‘If it’s the second son of Andras’s family, I heard that he fought a wild beast with his bare hands and strangled it on the day of my debutante.’

I thought his personality would be tough as he also had a lot of achievements from fighting. At this rate, maybe it was kindness, not violence, that ran through Andras’s blood. That’s how much I was being treated with great care.

‘Certainly, the second son’s look is terrifying as rumored, but…’

Carlos, who had a large body, kept pushing cookies to my side and later brought out these words.

“Oh, look at me. I forget to ask because I’m happy that you’re enjoying the sweets. Uh… So, did you say you’re Lady Vanora from the Celcius family? What happened that the daughter of Celcius to come to our residence…?”

I could feel how sloppy this man was to bring me into the mansion and asked it belatedly the reason for my visit.

‘How could he lead the knights with such a gentle personality?’

“That’s… I came here for an appointment with the third son, Sir Carl Andras. We already set the date, so I thought you already knew about it.”

“Carl? Lady has an appointment with him? Oh my, he should have told me that his friend would come!”

Just as he slapped his thigh and lamented, I asked him,

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“Then where is Carl?”

“I’m sure he has forgotten about Lady Vanora’s visit. He just went to the stable to groom the horse by himself. It’s not so far from here, so I’ll call him right away.”

‘Eh, the stable?’