Ines was reading the Bible in the backyard.
It was still hot during the day, but a cool breeze blew in the morning and evening. Thanks to the large awning, she could be out during the day, but Ines liked to sit here in the morning and read the Bible. She barely slept last night. Closing her eyes and spending a moment contemplating Carson's face was the only way Ines could maintain her peace.
"Miss, I prepared something to eat."
It was a simple meal of Ines' favorite soft bread with sweet cream that could only be found at Landhill. Her mother tended to sleep in early. So Ines' family all prepared their own breakfasts.
"Thank you."
Susan blushed slightly every time Ines said thank you.
She took a bite of the bread and it felt fluffy and sweet. It melted softly in her mouth, soothing her mind that had been sharp from the nightmare. Looking far away, the sky, higher than yesterday, was filled with clouds here and there.
“Susan, it’s so peaceful.”
“Yes.”
“It’s all thanks to him.”
“Who?”
“His Highness.”
“Ah...”
Susan sighed, her face even more pale than before. The lady who had asked her to get the portrait had been talking about the lord since morning, so it was clear that she was thinking about something else.
As Susan cleaned up Ines’s surroundings, she occasionally hummed a tune, which somehow made her look happier.
The face of Susan that she had met before she came back did not look comfortable even in empty words. However, if time passed like this, Susan would age with a gentle expression like Emma.
Oh, come to think of it, she was already 20 years old.
“Susan, do you have a man in mind?”
“Yes? Why would you say something like that...”
When she realized that it would be much better to find a good match while she was still confident, Ines became anxious. But Susan’s face suddenly turned pale.
“Could it be...?”
“Why?”
“Young lady, are you thinking of leaving me behind when you get married?”
“What?”
Ines laughed without realizing it. It felt like she had gone back in time again and was laughing out loud for the first time.
Ines looked up at the mountain of her family, where the gold mine was, with a still smiling face. The reeds that swayed green on the mountainside would probably have turned a little light brown by now.
“That won’t happen. I won’t leave you behind when I get married.”
Susan felt a great sense of relief at her words.
“I want to follow you, young lady. If the mistress allows me.”
“Thank you, Susan.”
“Yes?”
Ines’ mother, Elena Swenden, was an unusual woman, just like Ines.
“Or is it normal to call a noble lady by her name?”
“How could that be?”
“Then...?”
“You are right. Our lord will soon propose to the Swenden family. He will do so after he goes to the palace and receives permission from His Majesty the Emperor.”
“No...”
“My dear!”
Andrew shouted in surprise at his wife’s sudden remark.
Noah closed his eyes for a moment, not knowing how to react.
In fact, Noah was skeptical about Ines’s reaction to the proposal. She was a woman whose heart was completely unfathomable. The beautiful woman he was meeting in the back garden had never shown the same feelings as his master. However, the atmosphere in the drawing room was the same.
Carson’s heart was not based on soft emotions like love, so he would not experience the great shock of heartbreak.
However, he was not a person who could imagine rejection. Perhaps his master would experience the bitter name of rejection for the first time in his life.
It was still hot during the day, but a cool breeze blew in the morning and evening. Thanks to the large awning, she could be out during the day, but Ines liked to sit here in the morning and read the Bible. She barely slept last night. Closing her eyes and spending a moment contemplating Carson's face was the only way Ines could maintain her peace.
"Miss, I prepared something to eat."
It was a simple meal of Ines' favorite soft bread with sweet cream that could only be found at Landhill. Her mother tended to sleep in early. So Ines' family all prepared their own breakfasts.
"Thank you."
Susan blushed slightly every time Ines said thank you.
She took a bite of the bread and it felt fluffy and sweet. It melted softly in her mouth, soothing her mind that had been sharp from the nightmare. Looking far away, the sky, higher than yesterday, was filled with clouds here and there.
“Susan, it’s so peaceful.”
“Yes.”
“It’s all thanks to him.”
“Who?”
“His Highness.”
“Ah...”
Susan sighed, her face even more pale than before. The lady who had asked her to get the portrait had been talking about the lord since morning, so it was clear that she was thinking about something else.
As Susan cleaned up Ines’s surroundings, she occasionally hummed a tune, which somehow made her look happier.
The face of Susan that she had met before she came back did not look comfortable even in empty words. However, if time passed like this, Susan would age with a gentle expression like Emma.
Oh, come to think of it, she was already 20 years old.
“Susan, do you have a man in mind?”
“Yes? Why would you say something like that...”
When she realized that it would be much better to find a good match while she was still confident, Ines became anxious. But Susan’s face suddenly turned pale.
“Could it be...?”
“Why?”
“Young lady, are you thinking of leaving me behind when you get married?”
“What?”
Ines laughed without realizing it. It felt like she had gone back in time again and was laughing out loud for the first time.
Ines looked up at the mountain of her family, where the gold mine was, with a still smiling face. The reeds that swayed green on the mountainside would probably have turned a little light brown by now.
“That won’t happen. I won’t leave you behind when I get married.”
Susan felt a great sense of relief at her words.
“I want to follow you, young lady. If the mistress allows me.”
“Thank you, Susan.”
Ines expressed the gratitude she could never express in her heart.
“By the way, the new coachman that came this time. What was his name?”
“Yes? Why that coachman?”
After spending time, Ines, who had returned, had developed a sense of humor that she had not had when she was young. The name of the coachman who accompanied Ines whenever she went out was Bernie Scott, and whenever she saw him, Susan couldn’t even raise her head properly. Even Ines thought Bernie was quite cute.
“But isn’t he younger than Susan?”
“Really?”
Susan, who had been acting surprised until just now, raised her head in surprise and Ines laughed again. At the age of eighteen, it wasn’t too early for a man to get married. The autumn wind that blew quickly carried Ines’s laughter and disappeared into the distance.
At that moment, she had no idea that a visitor had come into Ines’ mansion to disturb her mother’s morning sleep.
“I’m sorry for barging in without telling you the news.”
Andrew fidgeted at the royal family’s apology again.
“I had to leave the estate in a hurry, so I stopped by for a moment.”
“Yes, yes yes. My wife will be here soon. Please sit down and wait a moment.”
Soon, the maids prepared morning tea and light refreshments.
Andrew carefully observed the royal family in front of him, thinking that the rumors that he had been too cautious to ask Ines about were probably true.
The man who lifted the teacup elegantly and sat cross-legged naturally had an overly handsome appearance.
His elegant and imposing movements gave off an overwhelming atmosphere that instantly turned the Swenden family’s drawing room into an imperial palace.
Andrew let out a sigh that was not apparent. He knew that his daughter had an exceptional appearance, but he had never thought that she would catch the eye of the royal family. And who was Carson von Raymond? He was known as the most beautiful man in the empire.
Andrew wanted Ines to live an ordinary life. He thought that a family of a Viscount who was loved by her husband like Ines's mother and lived peacefully would be enough.
But, since he was a royal, Andrew was very worried that her daughter’s life would not be smooth.
As a son-in-law who was not a royal, he glanced up and saw a cold man with a sharp jawline smiling at him.
‘It’s true that women suffer when they meet handsome men...’
Andrew shook his head and lifted his teacup.
“How do you plan to manage the mine?”
“Yes? If it’s a mine, what kind of mine...”
“If you have any difficulty managing it, I can send the right people.”
Andrew tilted his head at the incomprehensible words. The family had a small mine that produced iron ore, but it wasn’t much.
They used it to produce a small amount of iron for use in the family, outsourcing it to a smelter operated by another family. There was no reason to feel difficulty managing it.
“Have you heard anything about the mine from Ines?”
Carson realized from Andrew’s attitude that he didn’t know anything. It seemed that Ines had some intention for him, so he decided to keep quiet for the time being.
“What mine are you talking about? My family has an iron ore mine that produces a very small amount of iron, and it’s not that hard to manage.”
“No. Perhaps Ines will tell you.”
But at this moment, Andrew was more surprised by the fact that Carson called his daughter ‘Ines’ than by the existence of the unidentified mine.
At that moment, the mistress of the Swenden family appeared in the drawing room with hurried steps.
“I, Your Highness, I apologize. I said I would prepare quickly...”
“It’s okay. And just call me Count or Lord.”
“Yes, Lord. Please... have breakfast.”
“I already ate.”
He gently declined and smiled. Since he had already impressed the mistress, there was no reason to stay in the drawing room any longer.
Viscountess Swenden’s face blanked for a moment at the gentle smile that would melt anyone’s heart. She had blond hair just like Ines. It was her own color that no paint could create. Seeing her made his expression soften.
“I want to see Ines now...”
“Yes?”
The Viscountess also widened her eyes because of the lord who called her daughter Ines.
“I will tell her to come here right away.”
“No, I will go to where she is. If she is not in her room.”
The Viscountess looked around frantically. Then, a maid who had worked for the family for a long time approached and told her that Ines was currently in the back garden.
“Then let’s go to the back garden. I don’t need guidance. I saw the way to the back garden the last time I walked with Ines.”
When he left, Noah followed him.
“You stay here too. At least have a chat with the Viscountess.”
Noah listened to him obediently.
They were about to rush to the palace after hearing the sudden news that there would be a meeting at the imperial palace regarding the railroad construction rights today. They were still unprepared, but it was inevitable. The plan they had prepared was further away than the railroad route proposed by Dropinua, and they had not even properly researched it.
But he had a lot of money and he had secured much more iron for the railroad. It was something he absolutely had to get. The railroad construction rights.
That’s what the lord had said. Whoever could connect the railroad that would run through the empire from the northwestern tip to the southeastern tip would become the most powerful person in the empire.
And it started with a long journey from the imperial palace to Landhill and then to Lesonia.
The reason he had come here today was clear. To get permission from the Viscountess before going to the imperial palace to get the Emperor’s permission for marriage.
Carson never moved until everything was certain, but this time was an exception.
He couldn’t sleep at all last night because everything was moving more quickly than he had thought.
Noah looked at the Viscount and his wife with a big smile on his face as his lord’s back disappeared from view as he stepped outside. While his lord was looking for a beautiful woman in the backyard and solving romantic problems, he had to find out the size of the Viscount’s dowry without being vulgar at all.
On top of that, he had to carry out his lord’s overly romantic order to refuse to accept any of the dowry.
In the empire, a woman’s dowry meant pride.
He also could prevent her from bringing a dowry without hurting her pride. He exhaled and ordered a cup of warm tea. But before he could even take a sip, an unexpected question cut Noah off.
“Is it customary in the capital for a man to come to a woman’s house and ask to see her daughter?”
“By the way, the new coachman that came this time. What was his name?”
“Yes? Why that coachman?”
After spending time, Ines, who had returned, had developed a sense of humor that she had not had when she was young. The name of the coachman who accompanied Ines whenever she went out was Bernie Scott, and whenever she saw him, Susan couldn’t even raise her head properly. Even Ines thought Bernie was quite cute.
“But isn’t he younger than Susan?”
“Really?”
Susan, who had been acting surprised until just now, raised her head in surprise and Ines laughed again. At the age of eighteen, it wasn’t too early for a man to get married. The autumn wind that blew quickly carried Ines’s laughter and disappeared into the distance.
At that moment, she had no idea that a visitor had come into Ines’ mansion to disturb her mother’s morning sleep.
***
“I’m sorry for barging in without telling you the news.”
Andrew fidgeted at the royal family’s apology again.
“I had to leave the estate in a hurry, so I stopped by for a moment.”
“Yes, yes yes. My wife will be here soon. Please sit down and wait a moment.”
Soon, the maids prepared morning tea and light refreshments.
Andrew carefully observed the royal family in front of him, thinking that the rumors that he had been too cautious to ask Ines about were probably true.
The man who lifted the teacup elegantly and sat cross-legged naturally had an overly handsome appearance.
His elegant and imposing movements gave off an overwhelming atmosphere that instantly turned the Swenden family’s drawing room into an imperial palace.
Andrew let out a sigh that was not apparent. He knew that his daughter had an exceptional appearance, but he had never thought that she would catch the eye of the royal family. And who was Carson von Raymond? He was known as the most beautiful man in the empire.
Andrew wanted Ines to live an ordinary life. He thought that a family of a Viscount who was loved by her husband like Ines's mother and lived peacefully would be enough.
But, since he was a royal, Andrew was very worried that her daughter’s life would not be smooth.
As a son-in-law who was not a royal, he glanced up and saw a cold man with a sharp jawline smiling at him.
‘It’s true that women suffer when they meet handsome men...’
Andrew shook his head and lifted his teacup.
“How do you plan to manage the mine?”
“Yes? If it’s a mine, what kind of mine...”
“If you have any difficulty managing it, I can send the right people.”
Andrew tilted his head at the incomprehensible words. The family had a small mine that produced iron ore, but it wasn’t much.
They used it to produce a small amount of iron for use in the family, outsourcing it to a smelter operated by another family. There was no reason to feel difficulty managing it.
“Have you heard anything about the mine from Ines?”
Carson realized from Andrew’s attitude that he didn’t know anything. It seemed that Ines had some intention for him, so he decided to keep quiet for the time being.
“What mine are you talking about? My family has an iron ore mine that produces a very small amount of iron, and it’s not that hard to manage.”
“No. Perhaps Ines will tell you.”
But at this moment, Andrew was more surprised by the fact that Carson called his daughter ‘Ines’ than by the existence of the unidentified mine.
At that moment, the mistress of the Swenden family appeared in the drawing room with hurried steps.
“I, Your Highness, I apologize. I said I would prepare quickly...”
“It’s okay. And just call me Count or Lord.”
“Yes, Lord. Please... have breakfast.”
“I already ate.”
He gently declined and smiled. Since he had already impressed the mistress, there was no reason to stay in the drawing room any longer.
Viscountess Swenden’s face blanked for a moment at the gentle smile that would melt anyone’s heart. She had blond hair just like Ines. It was her own color that no paint could create. Seeing her made his expression soften.
“I want to see Ines now...”
“Yes?”
The Viscountess also widened her eyes because of the lord who called her daughter Ines.
“I will tell her to come here right away.”
“No, I will go to where she is. If she is not in her room.”
The Viscountess looked around frantically. Then, a maid who had worked for the family for a long time approached and told her that Ines was currently in the back garden.
“Then let’s go to the back garden. I don’t need guidance. I saw the way to the back garden the last time I walked with Ines.”
When he left, Noah followed him.
“You stay here too. At least have a chat with the Viscountess.”
Noah listened to him obediently.
They were about to rush to the palace after hearing the sudden news that there would be a meeting at the imperial palace regarding the railroad construction rights today. They were still unprepared, but it was inevitable. The plan they had prepared was further away than the railroad route proposed by Dropinua, and they had not even properly researched it.
But he had a lot of money and he had secured much more iron for the railroad. It was something he absolutely had to get. The railroad construction rights.
That’s what the lord had said. Whoever could connect the railroad that would run through the empire from the northwestern tip to the southeastern tip would become the most powerful person in the empire.
And it started with a long journey from the imperial palace to Landhill and then to Lesonia.
The reason he had come here today was clear. To get permission from the Viscountess before going to the imperial palace to get the Emperor’s permission for marriage.
Carson never moved until everything was certain, but this time was an exception.
He couldn’t sleep at all last night because everything was moving more quickly than he had thought.
Noah looked at the Viscount and his wife with a big smile on his face as his lord’s back disappeared from view as he stepped outside. While his lord was looking for a beautiful woman in the backyard and solving romantic problems, he had to find out the size of the Viscount’s dowry without being vulgar at all.
On top of that, he had to carry out his lord’s overly romantic order to refuse to accept any of the dowry.
In the empire, a woman’s dowry meant pride.
He also could prevent her from bringing a dowry without hurting her pride. He exhaled and ordered a cup of warm tea. But before he could even take a sip, an unexpected question cut Noah off.
“Is it customary in the capital for a man to come to a woman’s house and ask to see her daughter?”
“Yes?”
Ines’ mother, Elena Swenden, was an unusual woman, just like Ines.
“Or is it normal to call a noble lady by her name?”
“How could that be?”
“Then...?”
“You are right. Our lord will soon propose to the Swenden family. He will do so after he goes to the palace and receives permission from His Majesty the Emperor.”
“No...”
“My dear!”
Andrew shouted in surprise at his wife’s sudden remark.
Noah closed his eyes for a moment, not knowing how to react.
In fact, Noah was skeptical about Ines’s reaction to the proposal. She was a woman whose heart was completely unfathomable. The beautiful woman he was meeting in the back garden had never shown the same feelings as his master. However, the atmosphere in the drawing room was the same.
Carson’s heart was not based on soft emotions like love, so he would not experience the great shock of heartbreak.
However, he was not a person who could imagine rejection. Perhaps his master would experience the bitter name of rejection for the first time in his life.
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