When I left the mansion and got into the carriage, the maid’s expression finally relaxed a little.
“Madam, please have a good trip.”
It seemed all the servants who were in the mansion had come out, and they bowed to me. I felt stunned by the unfamiliar hospitality. I let out a soft sigh and looked out the carriage window. The sunset dyed the sky a beautiful orange. The sky was pretty, but I couldn’t fully enjoy it. I was still worried about Vincent in my mind.
Because the carriage rode quite fast, we soon arrived at the capital. There were many carriages, probably because of the banquet today. But the carriage I was in seemed to take a different road and arrived at the palace in no time.
It felt bitter, seeing all this power coming from Cedric. It made me realize how great his position really was. The carriage slowly slowed down and suddenly stopped.
“Madam, we have arrived.”
I didn’t want to get off the carriage, but I had no choice. Around me, laughter mixed with soft light stood out. It was my first time in a palace banquet in a while, and it felt quite overwhelming.
Why are they so late?
At times like this, I wished Cedric was by my side. He told me to come today, so what was going on? I walked up the stairs to the palace, feeling weak.
Soon, an announcement said I had arrived, but I tried not to notice it and walked to a corner. People glanced at me, but I didn’t show any reaction and stood next to a pillar where I thought I wouldn’t stand out much.
“Lady Revril!”
It was a voice I had heard before. I turned my head and saw the Countess Montain, who I had met before at Mrs. Jenkins’s social gathering, smiling brightly as she approached me. Next to her were her husband and a noblewoman I had also seen often at those gatherings. They smiled at me and greeted me.
It was uncomfortable to have them come all at once, but I forced a small smile.
When did they see me?
Tiredness rose inside me, but I could not show it. I didn’t want to reveal my true feelings, especially in a place like this.
Unlike me, Countess Montain smiled softly and said,
“Lady Revril, it’s been a long time. I sent you a letter before. Did you receive it well?”
I didn’t clearly remember who sent me what letter, so I just nodded. Then the countess smiled brightly at me.
“That’s a relief! I was very worried you might not have gotten it!”
At this point, I felt I should mix in some truth.
“Lately, I’ve been tired, so I don’t check letters often. But I did read all the letters sent to me, so you don’t have to worry.”
Countess Montain nodded with a smile.
“I’m just grateful you read my letter. Anyway, I’m really glad you are back. You must have had a hard time with those bad rumors before, but it seems you’re much more stable now. That makes me feel at ease.”
I had no words to say. Countess Montain was not very close to me. The only unusual thing was that, although she attended Mrs. Jenkins’s gatherings, she never talked badly about me behind my back.
When I just nodded silently, the countess quietly asked,
“By the way, I heard the news. You came with a child, right?”
I was scared to know how much the social world already knew about me. I forced myself to nod as if it was nothing. They smiled and praised the child’s health and my safety endlessly.
Before, I had felt like a painting hanging on the wall, but now I felt like the main character. I even wished Cedric was next to me, cutting their words off and taking me somewhere else because this atmosphere was so unfamiliar.
Among all the chatter, everyone looked at me with curiosity. Just my arrival was interesting to them. Feeling tired, I forced a smile.
“They said it’s better for Lady Revril to live in a village nearby rather than on the capital outskirts, and it must have been really good for the child.”
I was surprised by the unexpected comment. But they nodded as if it was really true and looked at me. I barely kept my expression. Then, an older noblewoman smiled kindly and said,
“Sometimes, it’s not bad to leave the capital and live somewhere like Yurhen. It could be a new experience for the child.”
“That’s true. The capital is very busy and competitive. And I heard you stayed at the temple, which is really admirable.”
“Yes. I also want to live simply like Lady Revril in a place like that. In such a busy time, living peacefully in a place like that is a good way.”
“That’s right. I heard that some people now stay at the temple for a while, just like Lady Revril.”
It was as if I started a trend, and people around me kept talking about it. What surprised me was that Cedric had somewhat polished my image. Or I could guess how much more people would gossip about me.
But no matter what, I didn’t completely like their treatment. Standing and smiling all the time was tiring, and smiling without knowing what I truly felt was exhausting. My legs started hurting, and I was getting tired.
“Did you hear about that?”
“What?”
“They say Duke Jedburgh got hurt.”
I was so surprised I asked without thinking,
“Is it serious?”
“I don’t know exactly, but it seems pretty bad.”
They said he was late to the banquet, but I didn’t know this would happen. Even if I tried not to care about him, being alone made me worry for no reason.
“What happened to him?”
“He went to the northern prison because of prisoner issues. Apparently, they shot unexpectedly there. My husband works there, so we got the news quickly.”
I didn’t know about this until now. I just heard he was late because of work. It seemed more serious than I thought, and I felt uneasy. A voice near me spoke gently, as if understanding me.
“Maybe the duke didn’t want you to worry, so he didn’t tell you.”
“That’s right. Also, I heard it’s not life-threatening, so maybe he didn’t want to explain in detail.”
Even if Cedric didn’t tell me directly, I wished he had told me about this. Hearing it from others was not good.
People around said Cedric probably wasn’t badly hurt, but deep inside, I worried what if he was seriously hurt.
While I was listening to the others with a tense face, a murmur rose, and Cedric’s name echoed everywhere. I immediately raised my head to see where he was.
At the entrance, he came in with several people. His black uniform, tall height, and striking face caught attention. I quickly looked him over with tension. Luckily, he seemed to walk without problem. The only noticeable thing was a bandage loosely wrapped on his hand.
I looked away, feeling I had worried for no reason. After all, Cedric didn’t say he was hurt, so it seemed useless for me to worry. I tried to hide the emptiness and pretended to listen to the people around me.
Suddenly, the people bowed their heads, and a strong arm touched my waist. The deep scent of wood surrounded me.
I didn’t have to look to feel his presence. Also, my dress was thin, so I could feel his warmth. I jumped a little and looked up. Cedric was calmly nodding arrogantly as people greeted him.
“Duke, are you alright?”
Many people looked at Cedric with serious faces. They all said worried words, but he answered as if it was nothing.
“I hurt my hand, but it’s not serious.”
He looked at me while saying that. I didn’t want to meet his eyes and lowered my head a little.
“That’s a relief. They said one of the prisoners went mad. Probably someone from the Uplin Kingdom? People there are known to be mean.”
Some nodded as if they agreed.
