Chapter 4

Baron and Baroness Nilson could hardly contain their joy as they held the invitation sent by the duke in both hands.

“My dear, I think the day has finally come when our family will be recognized.”

“I never expected His Grace to take our family into consideration as well. We should be grateful.”

“Once your business starts doing well, we’ll be able to live in the capital without feeling inferior to anyone. Our Jenis has already married into such an excellent family, so now all that’s left is Elin…”

Rosanna, who had been speaking excitedly without pause, suddenly pulled a sour face.

If only that sly little Elin would marry the viscount, everything would fall into place.

Who could have imagined that such a meek child would cause them so much trouble?

“I think we should invite Viscount McKinsey over to the house one more time.”

This time, she was firmly determined to lock Elin up if necessary and force her to accept his proposal.

“I don’t think that’s necessary.”

At the baron’s words, Rosanna shot him an irritated look.

“What do you mean? Why wouldn’t it be necessary?”

Instead of answering, the baron handed her the invitation he was holding.

Rosanna carefully read through it.

“‘Both daughters of the baronial family must attend as well.’ Do invitations usually contain instructions like this?”

It was the first invitation she had ever seen with such a stipulation, but the baron didn’t seem particularly concerned.

“Let’s not overthink it. The viscount will be there too, so another opportunity for Elin to meet him will arise naturally. It’s actually for the best.”

“That may be true, but…”

“Jenis will be pleased too. Since we’ve been invited by the duke, it would look good if Jenis and her husband attended together.”

From Rosanna’s perspective, her husband’s words made perfect sense.

If the viscount officially proposed to Elin in front of a crowd, she wouldn’t be able to refuse.

Besides, if their daughter Jenis—whom they could proudly show off anywhere—and their handsome son-in-law, Royce, appeared together and looked happy, it would be an excellent opportunity to elevate the status of the Nilson family.

Just imagining that day was enough to fill Rosanna with satisfaction.

“I should go upstairs and talk to Elin. She’s rebellious right now, but it won’t last long. We’ll just have to coax her along until she gets married.”

A gentle smile spread across the baron’s lips at her words.

“I don’t know what I would do without you. That child will eventually realize how much she has to thank you for.”

Elin sat by the window and carefully opened a small metal box.

Inside were the things she treasured most.

A finger puppet made by a childhood friend, a photo necklace her mother had left behind before she passed away, a hairpin she was attached to, and a man’s scarf that resembled a long strip of fabric.

She quietly ran her fingers over the soft silk, which curled gently around her fingers at the slightest touch.

He seemed as though he didn’t remember me at all.

She didn’t know whether she should feel relieved or hurt. Her emotions were a tangled mess.

If the duke hadn’t been drunk that night, would he have recognized me in the greenhouse?

A secret memory from Castia several years ago came to mind, leaving her with nothing but a bitter smile.

Even if he had recognized her, what difference would it have made?

Then she heard a presence in the hallway.

She could tell who it was just from the footsteps.

Ever since her stepmother had entered her life, Elin had lived with every one of her senses on high alert, constantly watching Rosanna’s mood.

Elin quickly closed the metal box and pushed it deep beneath the bed.

A knock soon followed.

“Come in.”

Before she had even finished speaking, Rosanna entered confidently, wearing a broad smile.

“What is it?”

Trying not to make eye contact, Elin pretended to tidy the table.

“Are you still upset? There’s no need to be so prickly.”

“I went to the hospital during the day, so I’m tired. If you have something to say, please say it quickly.”

Watching Elin refuse to look at her until the very end, Rosanna grew increasingly irritated.

The thought she’d had while climbing the stairs—that she should gently persuade Elin—vanished in an instant.

Fine. Let’s see what you’re going to do.

Rosanna folded her arms and spoke to Elin.

“I wasn’t going to say this, but do you even know who you have to thank for Edward being able to stay at the convent hospital at all?”

Only then did Elin turn toward her stepmother with a look of disgust.

How could she even use sick Edward as part of a marriage bargain?

No matter how awful a stepmother she was, how could she possibly behave like this?

“Do you know that patients wait for years just to get a bed there?”

Elin knew very well that it was her stepmother who had somehow managed to secure that incredibly difficult-to-obtain hospital bed.

Of course, it hadn’t been for Edward’s sake, but for herself and the children she had given birth to.

Rosanna had been extremely eager to have Edward hospitalized, as though she were simply moving someone she disliked far away where she wouldn’t have to look at him.

“Thank you very much.”

Elin gave her a sarcastic smile.

“We’re doing as much as we can for Edward too. But if we can no longer afford it, he’ll probably have to leave the hospital.”

At Rosanna’s words, Elin stared at her stepmother in disbelief.

“What did you say?”

She had arbitrarily arranged for Edward to be hospitalized, and now she was saying she would arbitrarily discharge him?

Elin was now even more worried about Eddie returning to this cursed household.

If these people were supposed to be his family, it would be far better for Edward if they simply left him at the hospital and treated him like a stranger.

At least then he would be safe.

She didn’t know what they might do to her sick brother while she was away.

“Have you finally come to your senses?”

Rosanna smiled slyly, like a snake.

“So obey your parents from now on. Everything we’re doing is for the sake of you and your brother.”

Putting on the act of a loving mother, she continued.

“You’ll be attending the party in a few days. It’s being hosted by the Lindertho ducal family. So be careful how you conduct yourself and don’t bring shame upon our family.”

The moment Elin heard her stepmother’s words, her eyes darkened with shock.

“Lindertho… Duke?”

A white horse running through the forest came to a stop on a hill overlooking a lake.

“What exactly are you thinking? You holding a party?”

Jonathan asked Dominic.

Dominic sat comfortably with his back against the trunk of a large tree.

His long, well-built legs were loosely crossed at the ankles, and he had his hands clasped behind his head. His relaxed posture made it seem as though he had not a care in the world.

“You should prepare to keep your promise, Your Highness.”

Jonathan approached and sat on the tree trunk nearby. He stared at Dominic as though he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“…Are you serious? You mean what I proposed to you back then?”

Dominic merely gave him a crooked smile.

Realizing what that smile meant, Jonathan laughed out loud in disbelief.

“I knew it! You’re a true friend. My benefactor. My cousin. My friend Dominic.”

When Jonathan tried to embrace him, Dominic frowned and shifted his body away.

Even so, Jonathan couldn’t hide his happiness.

Then, as though suddenly curious, he asked,

“But who is the woman? Are you planning to choose one of the young ladies invited to the party and make your move? Is that why you’re throwing this party?”

Jonathan had been wondering why Dominic, who had initially jumped up and flatly refused his proposal, had suddenly decided to accept it.

“Don’t tell me there’s someone you’ve had your eye on for a long time? Is that it?”

“That’s for me to handle. Just don’t forget that you promised to hand over the operating rights to the mine.”

“Of course. I swear on my honor.”

Jonathan answered heartily, but Dominic wanted one more confirmation.

“Whether Sylvia accepts or rejects Your Highness’s proposal is irrelevant. Our agreement was made on the condition that I get married.”

Jonathan gave a small laugh and placed a hand on Dominic’s shoulder.

“I know.”

Only then did Dominic seem satisfied that their deal was settled. He stretched out and looked up at the sky.

“But can you really make a decision this quickly? It’s still the duke’s marriage, after all.”

Even though Jonathan had been the one to make the proposal in the first place, he looked somewhat uneasy and doubtful.

“Your mother isn’t even in the capital right now. Are you really planning to get married without your mother’s permission? What exactly are you thinking?”

Anyone would have found it strange.

Dominic wasn’t some ordinary commoner. He was the Duke of Lindertho, a prestigious nobleman from a family practically connected to the royal household.

A nobleman’s marriage of that stature should have been important enough to set the entire kingdom buzzing.

“That’s why I’m throwing the party. To lessen the shock for my mother, even if only a little.”

Even after hearing Dominic’s explanation, Jonathan still didn’t quite understand.

But would his mother really be the only person who would be shocked?

Sylvia naturally came to Jonathan’s mind as well.

How will she react when she hears the news?

All he could imagine was her being so shocked that she would collapse.

In a fit of anger after Sylvia rejected the crown prince’s proposal, Jonathan had impulsively suggested this to his friend. But he had never imagined that Dominic would actually accept.

Jonathan, who had been excited only moments earlier, now looked down at Dominic with a heavy gaze.

The man at the center of it all, Dominic, looked astonishingly calm.

Elin wandered anxiously around the garden, biting her nails.

What if I run into him at the party?

The closer the date came, the more restless she became, to the point that she could barely sleep.

Until now, since nothing had happened, she had assumed that he didn’t remember what had happened that night.

The Duke of Lindertho had definitely been completely drunk that night.

Almost every noble in the capital is attending, so perhaps I won’t even run into him. Someone as important as the duke wouldn’t have any reason to pay attention to a minor noble family like ours. He might not even notice that we’re there.

She had no idea why he had sent an invitation to the insignificant Baron Nilson family.

Nor did she understand why her stepmother was so determined to drag her to the party.

If she thinks I’m an embarrassment, why does she insist on taking me? She always took Jenis with her before.

Of course, the last party where Elin had met the duke had been an exception.

Because Rosanna needed to show Elin to Viscount McKinsey so she could sell her off.

The viscount will obviously be there too. That’s why she’s forcing me to go.

When Elin said she would rather return to Castia, where her great-aunt lived, than attend the party, her stepmother’s eyes had practically bulged out of her head.

“Just try it. Your brother Eddie will be thrown out of the hospital that very day! If Edward’s health gets worse, it’ll all be your fault!”

She had threatened Elin using her younger brother as a hostage, leaving her no choice but to attend.

What am I going to do? This is terrible.

If she hadn’t attended that party back then, that unpleasant incident with the duke would never have happened.

A desperate sigh escaped her lips again and again.

“Ugh…”

Elin clutched her head with both hands, feeling a pounding headache.

At last, the day of the party arrived.

Water streamed magnificently upward from the central fountain in the courtyard of the Lindertho ducal residence.

Carriages belonging to the capital’s nobility began arriving one after another at the entrance.

Romantic music filled the air, while lights glittered fantastically both inside and outside the duke’s residence.

“My goodness. What a beautiful party.”

Rosanna was already practically bouncing with excitement inside the waiting carriage.

Watching her stepmother, who couldn’t keep either her eyes or her restless body still, Elin almost snorted with laughter.

“Be careful how you conduct yourself and don’t bring shame upon our family.”

So much for acting all proper and dignified.

Even Elin, who had maintained a blank expression the entire time, quietly turned her gaze toward the window.

Contrary to all her worries, carriages were already lined up along the streets long before they even reached the ducal residence.

They really did invite all the nobles of the capital.

Seeing the enormous number of carriages, Elin became convinced that even if she went to the party, there was almost no chance she would run into the duke.

Only then did she finally feel a little relieved.

Please, let tonight pass quickly.

She could only hope that there would be some quiet place inside the residence where she could breathe alone, away from the crowded gathering.