A long time of enduring alone after losing a child and a husband.
I quietly looked at the Viscountess's shadowy face, exhausted from caring for her injured heart.
“Ma’am.”
"Hmm?"
"I'll keep that in mind."
The Viscountess just laughed at the words she barely managed to swallow after suppressing what she wanted to say.
The gentle smile she gave me somehow touched my heart and I smiled back.
'Although I use your favor, I don't want it to stop there.'
I will put as much heart as I can into becoming your sanctuary.
***
Is it because the level of the doctor summoned by Marquis was exceptional?
After half a day, I managed to get myself together.
Even though we were staying in the same Mansion, it was never easy to see the Princess's face.
With the help of his attendants, I put on formal clothes and walked down the gorgeous hallway with the Viscountess.
I could barely suppress the sight of the Viscountess's mansion but the marquess's level was such that the elegant mansion looked shabby.
"Please wait a moment."
Only after our guide knocked on the door and spoke to the maid inside did the tightly closed door open.
"The Marchioness has given permission to come in."
As we slowly walked at the pace of the Viscountess, we saw a middle-aged woman sitting in front of us in an elegant posture, like a painting. looking at us.
On either side of her, wearing a green muslin dress, were two noble women who seemed to be the maids.
Eventually, as the Viscountess walked to the center seat of the drawing room, the Princess raised her hand.
"It's been so long since we last spoke. Time is fleeting. I hope you refrain from using uncomfortable examples. Please come sit here, Ma'am."
The Viscountess hesitated for a moment at her words but then sat down in the seat offered to her..
Left alone in the middle of the room, I bent my knees and lifted the hem of my dress to say hello.
"I see you. Marchioness Xavier. My name is Isabella."
A faint look passed through the Princess's eyes as she looked at me with bored eyes.
A long silence followed.
Instead of accepting my greeting, the Princess slowly looked at me for a long time. From head to toe, her sharp gaze dismantled and analyzed every single thing as if it were penetrating everything. From the neatly trimmed dress without a single wrinkle to the skillfully styled hair, to the light makeup that highlights the transparent skin.
Eventually, the Princess, who had curled up the corner of her mouth. opened her mouth.
“Isabella.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
"I heard you had a hard time due to something unexpected on the way back?"
"No. It wasn't a big deal, but I'm sorry for the inconvenience I caused the Marchioness by not being able to control my body."
Every time I called her Marchioness, the corners of her mouth rose and fell slightly.
From the beginning, she introduced herself as 'Marchioness' and refused to be treated as a Princess by telling the Viscountess to refrain from making uncomfortable gestures.
It was a clear line that meant I was not meeting her as a Princess.
If you were a Viscountess. I wouldn't know it, but since I don't even have a family name yet, I can't enjoy the honor of meeting the Princess.
'You can't be overly servile, but you can't be polite either.'
The back of my neck was stiff from tension, but I tried to act naturally.
As I blinked, the Princess spoke again.
"The Marchioness. I didn't know you would call me that. Even though you clearly know who my father is."
There was no reply to the greeting.
Slight smiles were seen on the faces of the maids on either side of her.
Even in that situation, the Viscountess sat calmly in her seat and looked down at the table.
It means she trusts me.
After catching my breath, I opened my mouth.
"I apologize, but the Viscountess showed me an invitation before coming here. On the invitation was the seal of the Marquis Xavier family. Thankfully, the escort knights sent were also knights belonging to the Marquis family."
"..."
"I know that right now I cannot dare to see the most precious and beautiful treasure of the imperial family. So I thought that the only person I could see was 'Marchioness Xavier.'
She looked down at me lazily and nodded lightly in response.
"I'm glad you know."
When she winked, the employee who was waiting next to me came over and prepared a place for me to sit.
It wasn't that close to the Princess, but it wasn't so far away that it could be considered rude.
"You guys stay out for a while. I'm thinking of having an open conversation with an old friend."
The Princess received the maids and servants who stood on either side of her as if they were one body. I thought I'd watch it for a few days, but it looks like she'll get straight to the point.
"Let's talk while listening."
Only then did I notice the delicious dish in front of me.
Perhaps out of consideration for me, who was sleeping soundly, they focused on dishes that were easy to digest.
Well, even if a grand dinner was prepared in this atmosphere, it would not be easy to eat properly.
"I heard you learned the basics under the Viscountess, so your posture is definitely quite good. You're better than our children."
"That's too much praise."
"If you have that much talent, you must have charmed the difficult Viscountess."
"..."
The hand that was carefully stirring the soup stopped.
It wasn't a particularly hostile statement, but it was clear that there was something unpleasant about it. The Viscountess opened her mouth with a sigh.
"Your Highness."
"You are all good, but you are too withdrawn. When I heard that the mansion was destroyed by fire, I already had a hunch. It was a move to ascend to the ecliptic."
"..."
"For years, I've wondered who decided to take you to the ecliptic, which even I couldn't do. What was unexpected was that she was a girl who could not even be listed on the family register. Is there any way I can feel comfortable?"
The Viscountess laughed as if embarrassed by the Princess's words. It seemed like the two of them had a conversation while I was unable to come to my senses. The sullen-faced Princess had a refreshing look that made it hard to believe that she was the mother of two ladies who were about to debut.
'It seems like you really got along well.'
It also seemed like the Princess cared for her in a more one-sided way.
"Well, since I promised you, I will accept your feelings about the brooch in question. And more..."
The Princess's gaze returned to me again.
"You better get out, too. I guess I should do that when I see the little girl who doesn't know what to do with each word as if she were that child's mother."
The Princess pushed forward the untouched plate of food and gave a congratulatory command to the Viscountess as well.
The Viscountess, who was looking at me with concern, quietly got up and headed outside.
As soon as the door closed with a thud, the Princess sighed.
"She wasn't that kind of person. It's like a mother embracing a child for the first time, and she embraces you with her eyes."
"The Viscountess is very good to me."
"You should never deceive her like that. Because I, as the Princess and not the Marchioness, will not tolerate that."
"I won't forget."
"You speak well."
Contrary to the sharp words, the Princess's demeanor was not that bad.
If you think about it, she has never bowed or bowed her head when meeting someone, so this level of arrogance may be natural.
"I pretended not to notice Blair, but I was already over my feelings for Brooch. It's authentic."
Be fast too.
She looked at me quietly lowering my head without any sign of surprise and continued talking.
"Even if the brooch is genuine and your memories are reliable enough to relate to the accident at the time, it will not be easy to get it recognized. Moreover, experiencing an assassination attempt means that there are people who know your identity but do not want you listed on the family register."
"..."
"It will be a very difficult road."
"Yes."
"Blair shouldn't have been put on that rough road."
For a moment, her voice was harsh and harshly reprimanding me.
"What would others think if they saw that someone like you dared to go and sit next to her, relying on her prestige to retrieve your family registers?"
From beginning to end, the Princess was concerned about Viscountess Manchini. Because there is no guarantee that a second or third Isabella will not appear.
I answered her calmly.
"Because the Viscountess is not a very easy person. I also have no intention of just relying on her reputation."
"What can you do?"
At the question of the Princess who raised her eyebrows, I raised my head, which had been down until now.
"When she wakes up in the morning, she always looks at the empty garden with a vain look on her face. When I first entered her mansion, her eyes were always full of sadness and pain."
"..."
She was a person living in a past that no longer existed. I can't bring back what she lost...
I glanced outside the door where the Viscountess was standing.
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