Chapter 83

Bertha walked towards the coffin and looked down on her daughter whose eyes were closed.

“You saw it too right, grandma?” About mother’s death. Ilyin didn’t say the last part.

Bertha nodded, “Yes. Something like this I always see.” She leaned her body towards her daughter. She kissed the already cold forehead and after pausing for a few seconds, slowly turned away from the coffin. “I was only seeing good things recently,” said Bertha looking at Ilyin and Aden.

For a moment, Ilyin blinked as she didn’t understand and then covered her mouth with her hand as realization dawned on her. No. Oh god, no.

Bertha laughed again.

“Don’t be so worried. Not the embarrassing parts, dear.” Bertha winked.

Ilyin took Aden’s arm and buried her face in it as Bertha chuckled.

“You don’t seem so alone anymore,” said Bertha fondly, “I know you must have heard this a few times, but you really married someone amazing.”

Bertha shook her head a little and lifted her veil as it was getting in the way. Aden’s eyes met with Bertha’s. The eyes that were even more of a dark violet than Ilyin’s eyes looked back at him clearly.

“Duke of Winter.”

The voice of certainty rang. It was quiet enough for a funeral that was rather loud to bury.

Idith and Etra shifted slightly at her blunt statement. Ilyin, who was right in front of Bertha, leaned in as she couldn’t hear her, but the two of them did. As did Aden. Their ears definitely picked out her voice.

Bertha said it whilst looking straight at Aden.

Aden realized that Bertha knew everything – the marriage, Biflten and his actual identity.

He looked at Ilyin, then put his index finger to Bertha. Of course, while having his index finger on Bertha’s lips, he made sure to still be courteous. It was a respectful, and in a way cute, way of asking her to keep it a secret.

Bertha was flustered by her grandson-in-law’s cutesy act. She laughed absurdly and turned to Ilyin.

“You married a conniving one.”

Unlike her words, her face was bright.

Bertha turned around and said in what seemed to be a worrying voice, “Does he act like that to others?”

“No way,” Ilyin shook her head, a smile playing on her lips.

She was being mischievous as Bertha would’ve seen it all already. Even though she didn’t see her grandma too much, she felt closer to her. Aden remained serious between all this.

“Never.”

His stern face made him look a bit like the Duke of Winter. Bertha laughed.

“By his cold look, I guess his nickname isn’t empty.”

Aden thought about how he should be careful around Ilyin’s side of the family. It wasn’t a hostile wariness. It was okay if he lost to Ilyin all the time. He was okay being the flower path underneath her feet and being stepped on by her.

But not in front of others. Even though it was her family, they were still others. He didn’t want to become someone who just lost all the time. He had to be someone who was reliable and strong for Ilyin all the time.

By any means, Ilyin’s side of the family, especially Bertha in front of him , wasn’t an easy opposition. How could you beat someone who could see everything about everyone with the power of foresight?

“You must be heartbroken, Viscount Arlen’s child.”

At that moment, someone approached them. After seeing her face when she walked by, Ilyin realized it was someone Ilyin recognized. It was the child of Baron Vitin. Thankfully, Ilyin’s smart head spat out the woman’s name quickly.

Bertha put her veil down and covered her face. Aden stood behind Ilyin as he didn’t know who the person was.

Idith and Etra scanned the child of Baron Vitin. She didn’t look like she had any intentions of attacking nor even the ability to and so they naturally let her through to Ilyin. Even then, the two of them positioned themselves at the child’s blind spot.

“Thank you for worrying.”

Ilyin’s expression couldn’t be seen as it was covered by the thick veil but her formal gratitude was conveyed clearly. At that moment, the child of Baron Vitin’s gaze suddenly turned to Aden, who was standing behind her.

“Who is this?”

In the customs of the nobles, it was natural to introduce the person they didn’t know to each other. The meeting was usually for the purpose of acquainting each other but the way the question was posed by the child of Baron Vitin felt daring. The child seemed to be clueless on the etiquettes of nobles.

Everyone who attended the funeral had quickly scanned the man beside Ilyin already.

Weren’t there things that could be discovered without even asking?

Firstly, Viscount Arlen recently had more communication with the northern families and the rumor of his daughter being married was going around secretly. There was no way people who communicated with the Arlen house didn’t know this.

“That man is…”

There were whisperings amongst the guests.

The man beside the child wasn’t well known, which meant his rank wasn’t that high. His clothing didn’t seem like that of a knight’s since if he was a knight somewhere escorting Ilyin out of duty, then there would be a cape or accessory that showed where he belonged.

But he didn’t have anything.

His face was handsome, but his clothing seemed so simple. Of course, they were people who came from noble houses, so they knew how to look at clothes and most of them knew that the value of what he was wearing was quite high.