I stayed silent, and Felix calmly spoke.
“If you have a little more time, Lady Revril, you will feel less pressured than now. And it will also buy us time to persuade Duke Jedburgh.”
“So, can the date be postponed?”
Felix smiled and nodded.
“I hurried to the court yesterday and asked. Duke Jedburgh’s side said it’s okay to delay the trial.”
“Cedric said that?”
“Yes.”
I was surprised. I thought that staying here longer would only annoy him, so I expected it to be finished quickly.
When I stayed quiet, Felix quickly said,
“Then I’ll go to the court tomorrow and ask to delay the trial.”
I nodded without thinking. After saying goodbye to Felix, I turned toward the mansion. Right then, I saw a familiar face.
Cedric was staring at me intensely. I felt nervous, as if I had done something wrong. Fortunately, Selena was not there, but I didn’t feel good.
Still, I had something to say to Cedric, so I approached him. At once, he spoke in a cold voice.
“You seem very close to the lawyer.”
Cedric smiled slightly, but it sounded sarcastic. I had to explain, so I spoke as calmly as I could.
“That’s because I’m his first client.”
“Even if you are the first client, you seem too close. You look like you’re chatting and laughing together.”
“Felix…”
“You smile so easily with him, but am I such a terrible person that you cry over me?”
Cedric sneered and looked at me. I tried to explain, but someone came out from the door. I paused.
“Cedric, you’re here.”
Selena looked at me as she said that. When she saw me, her eyes widened.
“Lady Revril!”
She was someone I really didn’t want to meet here. I gave a forced smile and greeted her briefly. But Selena stepped closer and smiled brightly.
“I never dreamed we’d meet here. It’s really nice to see you!”
I was not happy at all. My expression slowly stiffened, but I barely kept a smile. I had nothing to say. Standing there in a shabby dress, I felt even worse being compared to her.
“I’ll be going now.”
I tried to leave quickly, but Selena blocked my way.
“Lady Revril! It’s been so long. Let’s talk a little before you go!”
I didn’t want to talk to Selena. She was the reason I was slapped by my father once — not even my father had done that to me before.
Whenever I saw Selena, I thought of Cedric’s hateful mother. I wanted to avoid her as much as possible. And it was very uncomfortable. She was in the position she wanted, but now I was standing here looking shabby. I hated the comparison.
I said as calmly as I could,
“I’m tired.”
“Really? Then I understand. Cedric and I decided to look around the annex nearby.”
The annex was a place I hadn’t been to either. Suddenly, I remembered what the maids said.
“Lately, the Verdin family and them are close enough that engagement talks have been going around.”
Are they really that close, showing the annex like this? I looked at Cedric. He seemed uninterested and stared ahead. Then he looked at me. His gaze was quite cold. It seemed persistent, like he was holding back something.
Hesitating, I said,
“I’ll come with you.”
Selena smiled brightly.
“That’s great. Let’s go together. Cedric, is that okay?”
Cedric smiled faintly and said,
“Do as you please.”
That made me feel uneasy for no reason. Still, I couldn’t stand to see Cedric and Selena get along. My cheek still hurt from the slap because of Selena. Of course, Cedric’s mother didn’t like me, so that was why she acted that way. But leaving like that without a word to me was too much.
Still, Selena acted as if she had forgotten everything and just smiled brightly.
Then Cedric opened the door, and Selena smiled as she got into the carriage. At first, her smile looked very elegant, but now it seemed like a fake smile they made up.
“Revril.”
Suddenly, Cedric’s voice made me look up. He looked at me and reached out his hand. I carefully took his hand and got into the carriage. His hand was still warm. But as soon as I sat down, I let go. I didn’t want to hold hands and make the situation awkward.
Strangely, Cedric didn’t let go and kept holding my hand. When I turned to look, he finally released it.
I looked at Cedric expectantly, but he sat beside Selena. She smiled widely and looked at me. I forced my expression and looked out the carriage window.
Selena chattered a lot. She sat very close to Cedric, which made me nervous. The more I looked, the more suffocated I felt, so I turned my gaze away. Sometimes, I felt a strange glance. When I turned my head, Cedric was looking at me.
I wondered what he was thinking.
“Why is he sitting with Selena?”
Then the carriage stopped. Selena was the first to get off. When I tried to get off, Cedric held my hand and didn’t look away. I let go with a surprised face.
“Cedric, this annex is amazing. I never knew there was a place like this, even though I’ve come here before.”
It was the same for me. I imagined there would be a large mansion and many buildings, but I never thought there was an annex. The annex stood tall in a wide field of scarlet tulips. The white stone building looked especially beautiful.
I looked up at the building. Cedric stood right next to me. The familiar scent of wood filled the air. Just his presence made my stomach tighten with nervousness. Cedric looked at me and said,
“My mother liked this place. She said I must bring my wife here after we marry.”
Selena smiled brightly and looked at Cedric.
“Nancy said that? She said to bring your spouse here?”
Cedric looked at me and said,
“She did.”
That sentence pierced my heart. Why did he say it to me in past tense? Was he emphasizing that it was over? Thinking about that, I stepped back slightly from Cedric. It also bothered me that he never showed me this annex when we were married, and the thought of the past made me feel bad.
I still felt Cedric’s gaze but didn’t look his way. Instead, I kept staring at the scarlet tulips. The mix of green leaves and scarlet petals was unusual. I kept looking because the color was so beautiful, and the wind blew my hair everywhere. I tucked my hair behind my neck while looking at the flowers, but then I felt a sharp gaze.
When I turned my head, Cedric was watching me. His look was sharp, as if displeased. I wondered if I made a mistake.
At that moment, Selena approached Cedric and said,
“Cedric, thank you so much for showing me the annex. I come to this mansion almost every day but never knew this place existed.”
“The annex is a little far from the mansion, so only those who know about it come here.”
Why didn’t Cedric bring me here when we were married? I kept thinking about that. And every time I heard Selena call Cedric by his name, my heart ached.
Before we parted, Cedric didn’t like Selena calling his name.
“When did they get so close?”
Feeling uncomfortable, I watched Cedric and Selena. Selena kept smiling at Cedric, and he didn’t seem annoyed as he answered her questions.
Then a servant prepared refreshments on a table outside the annex. Selena sat on a white chair with a bright smile. I didn’t want to sit next to her, so I sat opposite her. The seat was closer to Cedric, but I had no choice.
Selena still smiled and looked at me.
“Lady Revril, please tell me how you’ve been. Since you left, I haven’t heard any news and I was very curious.”
Cedric also looked at me. He seemed curious too.
