Yeu-ju's first love was taken away - Chapter 80
Surprised, she blushed slightly and boldly lifted her head to ask.
Aster belatedly remembered that she was the only daughter of the Pioneira family.
There were few people in this grand academy who could make her bow her head.
Realizing his situation, Aster slightly bowed his head.
"It's an honor to meet you, Lady. I was just passing by and heard a sound from somewhere…."
Aster said he wasn't at fault since he came because he heard something being beaten.
Karina nodded as if she understood.
She would probably look into it herself if she heard someone cursing and fighting somewhere.
"That's right. I must have shown you an unpleasant sight."
She looked so well-behaved that it was hard to believe she had been shouting like a madwoman just a moment ago.
"No, it seems you've been through something that hurt your feelings."
Karina's face turned slightly red at Aster's words.
She seemed to realize that her recent behavior was embarrassing.
She glanced at Aster, then quietly spoke.
"I thought everyone here would know me, but you don't seem to be from the academy, do you?"
Aster was taken aback by Karina's words.
The Pioneira family was famous, but to say no one didn't know her seemed a bit much.
Was she overestimating her position?
As if reading his thoughts, Karina defended herself.
"I'm embarrassed, but everyone in this academy knows that my fiancés have been cheating with my friends. They gossip about it wherever I go. Plus, I've never seen your face before."
Karina, who had just revealed a rather embarrassing personal story, sighed deeply.
It couldn't have been a pleasant experience to talk about such things in front of a stranger.
"I'm sorry. I made a mistake by coming here on an errand for my lord."
"No, it's fine. As I said, it's something everyone knows."
She plopped down on the grass and sighed deeply.
Aster, still awkward at dealing with women, could only stand there, doing nothing.
He lacked the sense to offer a comforting word.
Fortunately, Karina was talkative.
Especially when she mentioned that her fiancé had cheated with her friend, she couldn't contain her anger and kicked the ground.
Startled, he flinched, and Karina looked apologetic.
"I'm sorry for losing my temper. I knew this would happen someday, but it's not easy."
Her shoulders drooped as she spoke, and her eyes, which had sparkled with life just moments ago, now looked lifeless.
It was as if she already knew about the arduous life of being a fiancée.
The conversation that day is not remembered clearly.
But the gloomy atmosphere is still vivid in his mind.
Her once unbreakable appearance now seemed fragile, as if it could shatter at any moment.
Over the years, he heard stories about Karina's tumultuous life.
Each time, he recalled her vulnerable state.
Her melancholic atmosphere, expression, and voice.
The image he thought would fade quickly had firmly taken root in his subconscious.
The moment he saw Karina appear to pay respects in place of his father years later, that moment came back to him.
Karina, with her proud face, no longer had the sharpness or the burning emotion that could make someone hate her.
Given their past relationship, it was a natural outcome.
He provoked Karina using the Grand Duchess's gaze, which always followed him.
He calculated the benefits he would gain from marrying Karina in his mind.
But perhaps he had already fallen in love with her at first sight.
"Your Majesty, Lady Pioneira has arrived."
His throat was dry from thirst.
He wanted to win Karina's heart.
"It's been a while, Your Majesty."
She entered the lion's den with a bright smile, seemingly unaware of anything.
The meeting, which I thought would be awkward, proceeded more smoothly than expected.
Aster treated me the same as before.
No, he was even more affectionate than usual.
"You must have been busy. I was waiting for your reply."
I had impulsively brought up the engagement, but I didn't expect to be rejected so bluntly.
Naturally, I was embarrassed and hesitated to contact him.
"Did you feel hurt by rejecting the engagement?"
Why did he think it was natural for me to be engaged to him?
We had a good reason, and I thought Aster was the one who was in a hurry.
It was undoubtedly because I had ignored him.
I vowed never to push things through on my own again.
"But I didn't reject it because I disliked you. On the contrary, I would prefer it."
Aster lifted his teacup to wet his throat and smiled charmingly.
I could feel my heart racing at his handsome appearance.
Pretending not to notice, I fiddled with the handle of my teacup.
Aster's face showed a hint of difficulty.
"Aster's point was valid. I might have been too focused on practicality."
I had taken the engagement too lightly.
I didn't really care about sincerity because of the betrayals by the male leads.
I thought we could marry for mutual benefit.
"I seem to have been lacking. I'll pay more attention from now on."
We spent time catching up.
I couldn't bring myself to mention the reason for my visit, which was the hospital.
'This is too transparent.'
He wanted to share trust as a partner, but I was only thinking about my own benefit, which didn't seem like a good idea.
So I decided to postpone this conversation.
"So, what did you come to ask for today?"
Caught off guard, I clamped my mouth shut.
I could feel my face heating up and quickly raised my teacup to hide it.
"If it wasn't urgent, a lady like you wouldn't have come to see me first. You would have waited for some time."
His attitude, as if he could see right through my mind, annoyed me.
I twirled the hair that fell over my face, wondering if my expression was still easily readable to others.
Aster tapped my hand with his fingers to draw my attention.
Since it was already exposed, I decided to come clean.
"I came because I want to establish a hospital."
He tilted his head, puzzled.
"I thought you were interested in business."
"A hospital is a business too. Of course, I'm not doing it to make money."
I handed Aster the business plan I had prepared.
It was a report outlining the plan to build a comprehensive hospital, funded equally by the empire and the Pioneira family.
Aster asked, a bit puzzled.
"Wouldn't a hospital of this scale be sufficient with just the Pioneira family's resources?"
"I want to add a special word to the hospital's name."
Aster nodded, encouraging me to continue.
"I want to establish a Royal Medical Center."
I showed him the first page of the report with a smile.
I explained to him why that word was necessary.
"I need people to work at the hospital, and the name of our family alone isn't enough."
The Pioneira family had long traded with the middle class.
Thanks to the family's tendency to treat everyone equally, they were also popular.
When the Pioneira family announced they would build a hospital for the public, and combined with the reputation of Professor Gregory's disciples, applicants flooded in like clouds.
But my situation was different.
The Pioneira family, as a founding family, was popular among the empire's citizens.
But they lacked the charisma to attract people.
Moreover, the honor of Professor Gregory's disciples had been tarnished.
"That's why I need the word 'Royal.'"
"Yes. If Aster is behind the hospital, ambitious people will gather."
In the empire, institutions with the word 'Royal' were few.
The academy, museum, and art gallery were the only ones.
All three institutions attracted only the best in their respective fields.
It might not have been perfect from the start, but at least there wouldn't be a shortage of people.
"Moreover, as a Royal Hospital, I want to make it accessible to a wider range of social classes, including commoners."
Most large hospitals were used by nobles.
Wealthy middle-class people could also use them, but their numbers were small.
However, the hospital I planned to build would share its benefits with commoners who had difficulty getting treatment.
He seemed to ponder my words for a moment.
After a slight shrug, he said:
"I can't promise it easily. To establish a Royal official institution, we need the approval of the Senate."
Honestly, I had completely forgotten about the Senate.
The Senate, which my father often disparaged as a gathering of old men in the back room of the empire, was divided into several factions.