/
When she didn’t reply, Charlie More spoke again. “Have you heard the news about me? That Mr. Sid, whom I was engaged to, failed his business and went into exile.”
Of course she knew. It had already happened at least half a year ago that it could hardly be identified as ‘news’ anymore. During that time, Deatrice had to go to the count’s mansion to comfort Charlie More even though they weren’t even that close.
It was because her aunt, Victoria, was so ill back then so she couldn’t properly console and manage her daughter who wasn’t in her right frame of mind. Deatrice would be inside her room and see her jumping on her bed like a crazed woman, saying how she desperately needed to see Mr. Sid.
As if reminiscing those bitter times, Charlie took a handkerchief and wiped her nonexistent tears in her eyes.
“At that time, my heart felt like it was going to break, but hearing your story gave me a lot of strength. You’re also getting married to the lover you broke up with six years ago. Therefore, I think that my Mr. Sid might come back to me again someday.”
Don’t tell me…
The fact that Deatrice did not say her thoughts out loud was more of the fact that she was surprised rather than her being considerate. She didn’t expect for Charlie to still be thinking of him even after months had passed.
Doesn’t she realize how ridiculous she would appear because of that?
“I and Lucius—”
“Yes, yes. I am aware, you and Sir Elliot are a special case. I’m just hoping that something special like that will happen to me too.”
“So, you are planning to wait for him?” she asked.
“Well, didn’t you wait for Sir Elliot?”
A contemptuous expression pasted itself on Deatrice’s face. “Do you think I’ve been waiting for him all these years with lingering regrets? I was already engaged! Don’t tell me you thought I was with Fredhi while yearning for another man?”
A stupid expression revealed itself on Charlie More’s face that indicated she really didn’t understand what the problem was.
“What’s wrong with that? Why even try to hide the truth even though it’s just the two of us? Either way, no one would blame you. You’ve ended up marrying him soon, anyways.”
“Charlene More.” Deatrice interrupted sternly. “You—!”
Her face went pale.
She knew that Charlie More wasn’t the only one at fault, but she couldn’t bear to think that everyone else was thinking the same way—that when Fredhi sacrificed his life for her father’s sake, the public had questioned her loyalty behind closed doors.
Charlie More couldn’t keep up with Deatrice’s sudden anger and her eyes widened in surprise. Hearing the commotion, Victoria hastily drove the designer out of the room and approached where Deatrice was.
“What’s with all this racket? You’re not kids, and we’re in public!”
“Mother, I—!”
“No.” She cut off her daughter’s words, “Deatrice, you answer me.”
But Deatrice kept her mouth shut and didn’t say anything.
In her mind, she surmised that Charlie would soon become impatient, and Victoria would listen to her side and then judge the situation from her perspective. Then, they would tell her to leave this place.
I must say, it’s not exactly a bad outcome…
But Victoria, who watched Deatrice pursing her lips into a thin line, kicked her daughter out.
“Wait outside, Charlie.”
“But—”
“No buts! Leave us be for a few moments.”
Victoria led Charlie out the door herself and closed it on her way back. Then she turned around. Deatrice rolled her body helplessly on her sofa, wearing only her thin underwear.
Victoria didn’t know what’s going on, but she knew that the only time Deatrice had been curled up like this was during the death of her sister, Amelia.
She soon sat down next to her to comfort her own niece.
Even if she was just an aunt in status, Victoria was the only person who could fill the void in Deatrice’s heart from time to time after her mother died.
“What is the problem, child? Did something happen?” Asking affectionately as if she never nagged, Victoria pulled Deatrice and leaned her against her shoulder.
“No, there’s nothing wrong.”
But as soon as Deatrice said those words, she started leaning on Victoria’s shoulder, and her aunt could sense her dispirited behavior.
This was rare, and Victoria instinctively realized that perhaps there was something wrong with this marriage from Deatrice’s strange demeanor. “Is this marriage an order from the emperor?”
Deatrice lifted her head and looked at her aunt in astonishment.
Victoria smiled bitterly and pulled Deatrice into a hug. “It’s quite obvious just by seeing the look on your face, which was rare for a bride to have right before marriage.”
She broke off their embrace and looked into her eyes. “Besides, your father is seldom quiet, and I found it peculiar given how he previously opposed your relationship. Others might say your father finally gave up on everything, but we both know that that man is not the type to yield so easily…”
“…”
“Poor Deatrice… It would have been better had it been a person without any prior ties to you.”
Deatrice had always hated her aunt’s somewhat irksome voice. But today, she felt oddly comforted by it.
Right.
It would have been better if it was a person who had zero ties to her.
Lucius had pretended to be okay the whole time since they started this charade, pretending that there was no past between them. But the fact that he proposed to her in a temple and not anywhere else, was a sign that he didn’t dismiss the past as simply nothing.
Perhaps he even chose that place out of spite.
Yes, that was it.
Besides, what about the conversation they had on the carriage afterwards? Wasn’t that another indication of his resentment? Perhaps he had only wanted to remind her about all the faults she had done and the hurt they had caused him.
This marriage could easily be his ploy to get his revenge on her.
As she became more depressed, Victoria hugged her even tighter.
She further rested her weight against Victoria’s bosom, entrusting herself completely to her aunt’s care.
It had been a long time since she had another hand stroking her hair so tenderly…
“Do not worry too much, child. Even if Lucius did hurt you, it will only last for a short while. Anger will not persist for too long, and marriage is the one that lasts for a lifetime.”
She continued, “Sooner or later, the two would have to set aside your differences and learn to live together in harmony. The things that you regard today as major obstacles would only tend to become more trivial as time passes by. So, just for the meantime… endure, alright?”
Right…
Just for the meantime.
Deatrice memorized her aunt Victoria’s spell, even though she truly couldn’t imagine the two of them fully reconciling in the future. She could only hope that one day, their subtle war of unnerving each other would soon come to an end.
Mmm.
Just for the meantime—
—I will endure.
She promised herself.