IWAP - Chapter 35

"You're stating the obvious."

"But I..."

Anasha lowered her eyes, unable to continue speaking. Although she remained silent until the end, her thoughts were clear. She is now called the Countess, but her roots are those of a commoner. That label will follow her until the day she dies.

She was a noblewoman who was officially given a middle name as my maternal grandfather's legitimate wife, but that was only on paper and did not work in high society.

Nobles are people whose pride in their lineage reaches the heavens. There was no way they would accept a noble of commoner origin. There were often cases where commoners became nobles through marriage or by achieving great feats. However, most of them failed to adapt to high society and were weeded out.

This tendency was more pronounced among women than men. In most cases, a commoner man became a noble by being recognized for his abilities as a knight. In such instances, these were lifetime titles that could not be inherited by his children. From the perspective of the existing nobility, there was little difference between them and commoners.

The issue lay in the elevation of status resulting from marriage. A woman's rank depended on her husband's. As in Anasha's case, even a commoner could become a Countess if she formally married a Count. It was by no means an easy task, but it was not impossible.

No noble would welcome a commoner holding a higher position than themselves. The established nobility regarded those who had risen in rank through marriage as taboo. Spreading bad rumors or ignoring them was considered mild compared to this. Being ostracized was commonplace, and it was frequent for them to be publicly humiliated if they showed even the slightest weakness.

It was not just the nobles of commoner origin. It was the same for those who associated with nobles of commoner origin. Anasha was worried about that aspect.

"Anasha, I can never consider you family."

Anasha's head hung even lower. At my sudden remark, not only Landt but also Louisha's people looked at me in surprise.

"But I consider you a friend."

Anasha's head came up quickly. Her eyes, wide with surprise, were moist with tears.

"It is only natural to come to a friend's coming-of-age party. So be confident."

I am the legitimate daughter of the Marquis and the fiancée of the Crown Prince. No one would dare openly disregard me. Even if they did ignore me, it would not be a problem. Getting close to such people would be of absolutely no help to me.

I knew the nature of high society. If I stayed grounded and acted strongly, they would not dare to treat me disrespectfully. I possessed the status and background to do so. How I utilized them was entirely up to me. I was confident that I would never be pushed around by them.

I left the room, leaving Anasha behind. I heard a commotion behind me. Landt, who was holding my hand, tightened his grip.

“I like you.”

"Landt, I like you too. It would be better if you just left out the word 'older sister.' It's a shame."

Landt smiled awkwardly. Although Landt was the epitome of a gentle soul, there were times when he would act stubbornly in strange places. Being stubborn wasn't a bad thing. After all, being too meek wasn't good for the heir to the Marquisate. However, whenever Landt called me 'older sister,' I couldn't help but be reminded of a cabaret gigolo seducing married women. I thought I needed to find a way to get him to change that way of speaking as soon as possible.

"Uh!"

As I stepped out of the main building, a carriage sent from the Imperial Palace was waiting. The Marquis stood beside it with an indifferent expression. Landt quickly bowed his head.

The Marquis glanced at me and Landt and immediately got into the carriage. I also followed the Marquis into the carriage, supported by Landt.

"Take care and have a safe trip."

Landt waved his hand at me until the carriage moved. I waved back at him. In an instant, the mansion receded into the distance. I straightened my skirt and composed myself.

As I always feel, being alone with the Marquis was strangely nerve-wracking. I regretted not suggesting that Anasha ride along if I had known it would be like this. I hadn't even considered this aspect.

The carriage was quiet, contrary to the rattling of wheels and the sound of horses' hooves. The Marquis remained silent. I also had nothing particular to say, so we spent the time in silence as usual.

The carriage finally stopped.

I checked the dress one last time before getting off the carriage. Perhaps because I had been sitting upright, the dress was fine except for a few wrinkles. I smoothed out the creases with my hands.

As I was adjusting my dress and about to stand up, a large hand was reached out in front of my eyes.

"..."

When I looked up, the Marquis was waiting for me with his hand outstretched. He was a man who always observed basic etiquette. I took his hand without much thought.

I stepped out of the carriage, supported by the Marquis. Unlike usual, the Imperial Palace was twinkling brilliantly with hundreds of lights. I saw an imperial attendant, who had been waiting in the distance, spot us and the Marquis and approach. I was about to let go of the Marquis's hand to adjust the hem of my dress one last time.

"What..."

The Marquis was staring at me while gripping my hand tightly. I looked bewildered by his sudden action. His lips parted slightly. He seemed to be saying something, but I could not hear the sound.

"Do you have something to say to me?"

The imperial attendant had almost arrived. I tried to let go of the Marquis's hand again, but his hand did not budge.

"Please let go of my hand..."

"Today..."

The Marquis's lips parted again. They were so quiet that only a single word could be heard.

"Yes?"

“You look so pretty today.”

I stiffened. Words came out of the Marquis that I never expected to hear in my life. I knew that his attitude toward me had changed since I cried my eyes out after my maternal grandfather passed away.

The Marquis showed consideration for me and Landt in his own way. By delegating full authority over the internal affairs of the Elliot family to me, he granted me the freedom to do everything as I pleased, at least within the household.

Unless something special happened, he would unfailingly come down to the dining room at dinner time to eat with us. He didn't say a word during the meal, but I knew it was his way of showing his care for us.

He was changing little by little. I couldn't tell what had caused the Marquis to change, but this change wasn't bad. It didn't quite sink in yet, but regardless, he was my father. Rather than a relationship worse than that of strangers, I thought a lukewarm father-daughter bond like this would be fine.

I smiled at him.

"It's a coming-of-age ceremony. I have to look my prettiest."

“I see.”

He nodded. He was still holding my hand. An imperial attendant approached us and bowed.

"Your Excellency, Marquis Elliot, Lady Elliot, I am Thomas, your guide. I will escort you to Erharc Hall. Please follow me."

The imperial attendant turned and began to lead the way. The Marquis moved while holding my hand. He did not seem to have any intention of letting go. I followed behind the attendant, holding his hand.

Today was my coming-of-age ceremony.

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