CH 120

The inside of the carriage was quiet. As soon as they got on the carriage, Cartal opened the newspaper and was busy reading the article; meanwhile, the Lord of the Wizard Tower was checking his outfit as if he was concerned about his clothes. 

Serdel looked out through the window. Her gaze was immediately drawn to Blenn, who was riding on a horse. 

‘He definitely looked cool after being dressed up.’

She rested her arm on the window frame and put her chin on it. Then Blenn, who had died in a luxury sedan in the modern past, came to mind. What if the car he was driving hadn’t hit her mother, who was in the form of her brother? If that were the case, he would have died there and wouldn’t have had anything to do with this place. 

However, this is just her assumption that he was swept away and started living here. Naturally, like flowing water. As if it was fate. 

As if he could feel Serdel’s eyes on him, Blenn smiled as he looked at her. It was as beautiful as sunlight. Serdel was about to smile back when a gorgeous six-horse carriage passed by. 

‘The Duke of Heurion…’

Serdel’s eyes hardened when she saw the family mark.

It was the family of the woman Hershe Maient loved passionately. 

The carriage, which had just entered the Imperial Palace, stopped shortly after. Click, the carriage door opened, and Cartal got off first. She grabbed his outstretched hand and moved, and the Lord of the Wizard Tower reached out his hand this time. 

She blinked like she could see what he was doing. 

“I need to get off the carriage too.” 

“….” 

She was able to hold back her laughter because it was so ridiculous. Then Blenn reached out to him. 

“Please take my hand and get down.” 

“I’m allergic to rough hands. So it must be Lord Serdel.” 

However, Blenn didn’t step down despite the firm refusal of the Lord of the Wizard Tower. It seems that there was a strange battle of nerves between the two. 

Cartal clicked his tongue, and Serdel quickly reached out to the Lord of the Wizard Tower because she thought he would stay like this all day if she didn’t do it. 

He stepped down lightly and looked around. At that moment, the nobles were getting off the carriages one by one. Their gaze was focused on this side. To be precise, their attention was drawn to the Lord of the Wizard Tower, who is full of purple. 

“Pft.”

“…Is it a new fashion?”

“It’s hard to understand.” 

Those who had seen the Lord of the wizard Tower in the palace the other day were bewildered, and those who didn’t know him burst into laughter. 

“What’s with that purple guy?”

“Does he love purple so much that it’s driving him crazy?” 

Even though it was only a whisper, Serdel heard it because her five senses were quite sensitive. 

“….”

It was then that Serdel sensed that something was wrong and looked at the Lord of the Wizard Tower. 

He must have heard the mockery directed at him, but his expression remained unchanged. 

“…Uh, I’m… I’m sorry….”

“What do you mean?”

Even with Serdel’s apology, he remains calm. 

“I chose it because I thought it would look good on you—’

“Then why are you sorry? You chose it for me, right? That’s all I need.”

Saying that makes her even more sorry.

“I’ll escort you.”

She was going to stretch her arm when the Lord of the Wizard Tower extended his arm first.

“As expected, I think it would be better for me to be the one who gives an escort.”

This was different from before. 

“There are more eyes than I thought. There is also your position as Lord, so I can’t just show how greedy I am.”

“Thank you.”

Serdel put her hand on his arm.

“It’s been a while.”

At just the right time, the Chamberlain, Viscount Chapelta, approached.

“I’ll guide you to the banquet hall.”

Chamberlain was usually in charge of the person with the most power in a place like this, where many nobles gathered. However, today, he chose to stand before Count Robbesta instead of the Dukes or Marquis.

This could be seen as a clear sign that the Emperor’s interest is currently directed to this side. Then Serdel saw the carriages whose doors hadn’t yet been opened.

One of them was the Duke of Heurion. He was probably one of the people who waited because he thought Chamberlain would come to them.

“Today’s Lord Robbesta is very beautiful. Lord of the Wizard Tower’s outfit also suits you very well.”

Through his greetings, the faces of the nobles who recognized that the man in purple was the Lord of the Wizard Tower changed. 

People who bought things from the Russell Merchant heard that Serdel would go with the Lord of the Wizard Tower, but they thought it was unlikely because of his outfit.

Meanwhile, Chamberlain took the lead, and the nobles who had gathered paved the way on both sides.

As they followed the Chamberlain, the carriage door opened, and a woman with beautiful green hair and a middle-aged man got out. 

With a beautiful appearance that took her breath away, she looked straight at Serdel. 

The middle-aged man, Duke Heurion, was the first to approach. 

“I greet the Duke Heurion.”

Receiving greetings from Chamberlain, he stood in front of Cartal.

“It seems like it’s been a long time since we’ve lived under the same capital’s sky, Count Cartal.” 

“It’s been a while.”

With a smile, the two shook hands.

Then the woman, Alexa, walked up to Serdel and acted as if she knew her. 

“Nice to meet you, Lord Serdel.”

The nobles whispered.

“I heard that the Duke has a hidden daughter.” 

The ladies quickly spread out their fans and covered their mouths. However, the whisper just grew louder and louder.

It’s Alexa, who hasn’t been able to attend official events for a while.

This is unavoidable because she is Duke Heurion’s illegitimate daughter, and it has been less than four years since he recognized her as his daughter. Therefore, the coming-of-age ceremony was completed by eating a small meal in the family without even having a debutante. 

Naturally, the Duke didn’t want her to join the aristocracy alone in his absence. It’s because of the fear of not knowing what kind of mistake she might make. But, looking at it now, the Duke was squinting at Alexa.

‘In the meantime, she met Hershe.’

Hershe must have loved her, but he must have seen the background behind her. Besides, Duke Heurion probably didn’t know about the relationship between the two. 

Most likely, Hershe was able to come out in such a bold way because he thought of her as his support behind him.

“Nice to meet you. Young Lady Alexa.”

Serdel raised her nose.

Even the Duke’s daughter didn’t have any power. 

On the other hand, Serdel was the Count’s successor. She was mostly polite, but she didn’t even have to bow down.

“It’s been a while. Duke Heurion.”

Instead, Serdel approached the Duke and showed a straight face. Elegance flowed from her, who had manners without any disturbance. 

Oops, as if she wanted to, Alexa also approached Kartal and lifted the hem of her dress. However, many nobles who had already seen Serdel’s elegance didn’t even pay attention to Alexa’s greeting.

“Well, then—”

Before the conversation lasted longer, Chamberlain stepped forward. Cartal moved forward with him, and Serdel, who was about to follow, whispered very quietly near Alexa.

“Did you enjoy the secret love affair, Young Lady?”

For a moment, Alexa’s eyes became cold. 

Serdel smiled softly.

Her relationship with Hershe was now a weakness for Alexa. The aristocratic society seemed to be open, but it was also subtly conservative.

Who knows if Hershe is alive and surviving? Of course, since he was already dead, he couldn’t have had power.

As soon as there is a rumor that she seduced a man with a fiancee and broke the engagement, even the illegitimate child will be caught and cursed. 

Whenever Hershe took advantage of her and abandoned her in the past, she always gave her a mocking look.

Serdel’s eyes were cold.

“Hershe Maient is.”

Startled, Alexa’s shoulders trembled. She paid close attention in case someone had heard Serdel’s words. Then she made eye contact with the Duke Heurion, and her complexion turned pale instantly. 

“I don’t know if you received that love well. Of course.”

Serdel smirked at her as she passed her whose lips were turning blue.

“Lady, are you all right?” Blenn asked carefully from behind.

“Lord Serdel. You’re like a villain with a rose in your mouth.” Beside her, the Lord of the Wizard Tower raised his thumb. “It was very attractive.”

Serdel shrugged and told Blenn that she was fine.

The place where Chamberlain led them was an outdoor banquet hall. It was nice because the weather was clear and it wasn’t stuffy because it was daylight. The large table, which was divided into several rows, was piled up with various treats. 

The reaction of the nobles, who followed one after another, was not bad. They were seated where they were assigned. A familiar voice came from behind when Serdel was about to sit next to Cartal. 

“Lord Serdel.”

It was Damon. 

She didn’t expect to see him here.

The head of the family is poisoned, and he has to take care of his two half-brothers. She thought he couldn’t go because he was too busy trying to get his family back in order. 

“I almost couldn’t come, right?”

He shook first so that Serdel wouldn’t feel awkward talking. 

“Are you okay?”

“I’m okay. You’ve become the successor. Congratulations.” 

With greetings, he gave her a small gift box. There was a fountain pen inside.

“Thank you.”

With a bright smile, he was also polite to Cartal. 

“It’s been a while. Count.”

“Has your family been stable?”

“Yes, thank you for your concern, my family has been very stable.”

“How about the Marquis, is he okay?”

“He’s still struggling a little bit, so he decided this morning to put down his duties and rest in the annex.” 

It was said that he had stepped down as head of the family and was taking rest in the annex. 

Serdel’s eyes widened.