<b>33.</b>


    “Wee back, Madam, Young Lord.”


    Clifton and the maid standing side by side greeted them. Erce ignored their greetings and rushed to the study where Harsen was.


    Vicente silently followed Erce, gesturing to the servants not to follow. Erce threw the study door open with a m. Erce got furious at the sight of the man who was still leisurely doing his work, even after the ruckus.


    “Harsen.”


    Erce stopped after some distance. Harsen nkly looked at Erce. There was no hint of surprise in Harsen’s face as if he was expecting this to happen. While still staring at Erce’s face, he informed Vicente, “Vicente, you will be engaged to Her Ladyship Garten after hering-of-age ceremony.”


    “I understand,” Vicente immediately responded without hesitation.


    Erce looked at Vicente for a moment and then turned to Harsen again. “An engagement? Vicente is still young.”


    “It’s not unusual to be engaged at Vicente’s age.”


    <i>Like Harsen said, getting engaged at Vicente’s age is not unusual. Some get engaged at an even younger age</i>. But Vicente was an exception to Erce. <i>I don’t want that kid to have a loveless marriage. </i>


    “I can’t allow this,” Erce spoke earnestly, but Harsen didn’t budge.


    He looked indifferently at Erce and said, “It’s not a matter of whether you allow it or not.”


    “No, Vicente is also my son. As his mother, I have the right to be involved in his marriage.”


    “It was already decided before Duke Garten left for Conrad.”


    <i>Marriage talks before the Duke left for Conrad? What was the Duchess’s attitude at the tea party like?</i> Erce asked just in case, “At the tea party, the Duchess didn’t seem certain about the engagement either. Duke Garten proposed marriage first, right? And you epted it after the Duke left.”


    Clearly, the Duchess was just observing Erce’s reaction that day.<i> We don’t even know if Olivia agreed or not. If my prediction is correct, nothing has been decided yet. </i>“Then we still have a chance. Before the Duke returns-”


    “Erce.” Harsen sternly called her name.


    “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but Vicente is the heir of the family. Are you telling me to let him marry anybody? Don’t you know better than I do that marriage is based on family rtionships? This is the norm.”


    His piercing voice enveloped her from head to toe.


    “That’s also how you and I got married.”


    “There are things you should and shouldn’t say in front of my child!” Erce shouted sharply. Harsen’s words were not wrong, but that was not something to be said in front of Vicente.


    Erce couldn’t figure out why Harsen brought that up. <i>Did you have to say that right now?</i> She was furious, but Harsen didn’t seem to care.


    “Very well. Vicente, go outside.”


    “Yes, Father.”


    A brief silence ensued after Vicente left. Erce red at Harsen with all her might. Harsen’s pupils were serene while her blue eyes were shaking with rage. His mouth twisted ever so slightly that it was hard to tell. “I didn’t expect you to be so skeptical about a political marriage.”


    His characteristic low voice was terrifyingly cold. “You must’ve been disappointed a lot up until now.”


    Erce cooled down with his ice-cold voice and met Harsen’s gaze, who was sitting looking up at her. Suppressing her anger even more, she said, “I’m not dissatisfied.”


    “Then what is it?” He asked for an exnation.


    Erce repeatedly opened and closed her mouth then finally gave up. “I’ve always lived for my family, and marrying you was the best for it.”


    Harsen remained silent.


    “I already told you, Harsen. You were my best choice.”


    <i>He was her best choice.</i> That’s what Erce repeated to Harsen over and over. The man’s eyes looking at Erce gradually began to contort. However, Erce couldn’t afford to notice them.


    “But that’s not the case for Vicente.”


    “Why?”


    <i>Was it just my imagination or did his voice be a bit sharper?</i>


    “Why can’t he?”


    She wasn’t imagining it. An unexpected chill froze the air between them. The subdued atmosphere weighed heavily on her mind. Feeling stuffy in her chest, Erce groaned and forced out her words, “… Vicente is…”


    “Go on.”


    “… because Vicente is my son.”


    “I didn’t expect that to be the reason,” Harsen said.


    “I don’t want that for him.”


    “I’ve had enough of your stubbornness.”


    “Do you know what Young Lady Garten is like?”


    “I don’t. Is that important?”


    Erce bit the inside of her lips at his indifferent gaze. It was the first time Harsen was not backing down; Erce was unfamiliar with this situation.


    “It’s important. How do you know if the woman he’s marrying is kind, brilliant, gentle, or clever and cunning like her father? How- How can you just agree under those conditions? No, I know these things don’t matter to people like us. But- but I don’t want that for our son…”


    “That’s enough,”Harsen frostily cut off the conversation and turned away from Erce. Obviously, he had no intention of talking to her anymore.


    In the face of his attitude, Erce forcibly grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. Harsen was turned around unexpectedly by Erce’s power even though she wouldn’t have had enough strength to make him budge had he continued to resist her.


    Even in this situation, he was considerate of Erce. Erce now had a vague idea why Harsen was behaving like this. Erce softened her temper and appealed to him.


    “I know. You’re being coldhearted on purpose because you’re disappointed in me. You didn’t expect me to treat Vicente like I do now, so you had no choice but to decide his engagement on your own. I also know that if you unterally break the engagement, you’d have to take care to not ruin our rtions with them. I understand all this, but now I- I’m really trying. I sincerely wish for Vicente to be happy. Like I said before, I’m really trying to be a good mother to him…”


    “Pretending to be a mother now-“


    “…….”


    “You’ve always treated our son so heartlessly.”


    Erce stared nkly at Harsen. His wlessly perfect mask began to crumble into pieces. With a scornful expression, his lips nted downwards and said, “A mother…”


    Erce remained silent.


    “What have you done for Vicente all these years? Did you do anything? Did you ever give him anything for his birthday? How many times do you talk to him in a month? I can count on my fingers the number of times you’ve done so. Did your maternal instincts finally awaken? Didn’t you leave your son alone and go partying? As a child, when he was running with a fever, where were you? I was told that you were at Viscountess Schte’s—for Sierra Schte’s birthday party. You didn’t know until he almost died weeping. I heard from a servant when I came home the next day, and when I went up to the room, I was shocked.”


    Erce’s eyes trembled slightly. Harsen’s words were daggers that stabbed through her heart. Erce couldn’t make any excuses because she knew what Harsen was referring to.


    “I turned a blind eye to everything.”


    She could see his exhaustion.


    “Whatever you wanted. Whatever you did. Even if…”


    “…….”


    “Even if it left our—your and my—only son neglected.”


    Erce’s hands quivered. Harsen’s eyes stayed there for a moment but immediately fell. His eyes ached when he saw the slender figure that seemed to copse by the slightest touch. He instinctively closed his eyes. “So this time, I want you to back off.”


    “… There’s another reason, right?”


    “This time, I can’t back off either.”


    “… Harsen.”


    “I’ve always done everything your way.”


    Erce’s eyes slowly began to blur. With his eyes closed, he could not see her precarious appearance. It was not long before Harsen’s cold words finally broke down Erce.


    “What else can I do in the first ce?”


    <i>Drip, drop.</i>


    An inconspicuous sound struck his ears. Harsen opened his eyes and saw Erce shedding tears without any expression. Even her blue eyes were quiet and insipid.


    Small droplets of water flowed down her cheeks and fell. <i>How can a person cry so quietly?</i> Harsen put strength in his hands at the terrifying sight. In the solemness filled with only the sound of her teardrops, the sound of her lips separating could be heard.


    In her empty voice as if she were dead, she said, “You hated me back then, didn’t you?”


    In the face of her quiet words, Harsen couldn’t answer.


    “I knew just how much you’ve done for me, so I couldn’t bring myself to hate you.”


    “…….”


    “My father, mother, brother and older sister as well— There was no one I could resent.”


    “…….”


    “The only one I could resent was that child.”


    The quiet cry turned into a sob. A woman who was still beautiful even when she cried, gradually crumbled in front of him.


    “I really…”


    The woman who had withered beside him confessed, “… wanted to die.”


    This time too, he killed her heart.


    * * *


    <b>Past – A Fairytale in the Mirror, A Romance Reflected in the Water</b>


    A girl sat still amongst the bustling servants around her. Her pale skin was like a snowfield and dazzling blonde hair that descended down her shoulders, shined like the sun and looked as if they contained all the light of the world.


    As she blinked sleepily, her golden eyshes, the same color as her hair, slowly met. Between them, the girl’s blue eyes were revealed, and a maid, who was dressing her up, watched her with bated breath.


    “What’s wrong?”


    “Oh, it’s nothing, Young Lady.” Lesha blushed and lowered her head. <i>It’s been a month since I was hired, and I still can’t make eye contact with her because my heart flutters whenever I see her beautiful face.</i>


    Irene beside her giggled, saying understandingly, “You’re still a long way off.” She spread a ne in front of the girl. “Young Lady, would you like the diamond ne?”


    “Is that good?” The girl asked.


    “It’ll go well with your eye color.”


    “Then I’ll take that.”


    Jane said as she stood ready next to Irene who put the finely crafted diamond ne around the girl’s neck, “The dress was sent by the Madam in advance.”


    “My mother?”


    “Yes, it’s a bright gold color that suits your hair.”


    “Then I’ll wear it.”


    After Jane was done, Betty said, “Shall I put your hair down? That’ll look the prettiest.”


    “Alright.”


    “When it spreads while my Lady dances, the whole world will fall for her.”


    The girl answered in a rather bored voice, “I’m sure plenty have already fallen in love with me.”


    A gentle and elegant voice came from behind. At the familiar voice, the girl smiled brightly and turned around. “Mother!”


    “Erce.” The middle-aged woman smiled affectionately and spread her arms. “You look beautiful today, my daughter.”


    The girl named Erce ran to her and hugged her. The woman wrapped her arms around the girl’s shoulders, whispering in a fluttery voice, “Are you ready?”


    “Not yet. I’ll be done soon.”


    “Isn’t it taking too long? Everyone, hurry up a little bit.”


    “Well, the banquet is in the evening anyway.”


    “Look at you. Didn’t you say you were going to meet your friends before that?”


    “Oh, right!” The girl looked surprised, covering her mouth as if she suddenly remembered. She quickly got out of her mother’s arms and sat down.


    “Irene, Lesha. Come on, hurry!”


    “Yes, we got it, Young Lady.”


    “Even so, don’t do it haphazardly.”


    “The Marquess won’t stand a chance.”


    When Irene corrected her by saying, “Madam, not <i>Marquess</i>,” Lesha’s eyes trembled as if she had made a grave mistake.


    The Marquess smiled generously and said that it was fine. They were busy again and after about an hour Erce was finished dressing up.


    The servants poured out praise at the way she was adorned. “People will wonder if you were Ludelsia herself, stepping down on cloud stairs,” Lesha spoke such embarrassing words as if it were nothing.


    Smiling softly, Erce thanked her for thepliment.


    Lesha’s ears turned red at Erce’s smile.


    * * *


    Erce was deaf to Sierra’s continuous excited praises beside her.


    “I heard that he’s really, really handsome. He’s like a perfectly carved sculpture— not simply good-looking but perfectly handsome!”


    J retorted suspiciously, “But I heard Lipmann isn’t that handsome. Sierra, you should believe me. Where did you hear that?”


    “That person is just jealous of Lipmann! Look, he must’ve said that because his looks are inferior to the Young Lord’s. Anyways, J and Erce, you must believe me. My cousin is in the same knight’s order as Young Lord Bernhardt, and said the Young Lord Bernhardt is so handsome that even men would swoon for him.”


    Sierra’s words were unbelievable because she always exaggerated things. Erce dismissed it as nonsense, but she could see why Sierra was so excited. It was not just Sierra— all the aristocrats in the capital were excited to meet him.


    Sierra opened her eyes wide while looking at J and said, “What if it’s finally our chance to meet the rumored Young Lord of Berhardt?”


    J nodded in agreement. Obviously, she was curious too.


    “After all, it’s Berhardt we’re talking about.”


    It was theing-of-age party of the Young Lord Bernhardt who was rumored to have only been to and from knight’s quarters and never stepped foot into high society.


    In addition, he served as Deputy Commander of the 1st Order Knights at an early age for his military service in the war against Lenart, so everyone was curious.


    “He’s a man of great achievements.”


    Erce nodded. She was inwardly curious too. There is no other way for a knight to rise to that position in a short period of time except by establishing his battle skills, but Bernhardt rose to the position of deputymander and a 1st Order knight at the mere age of eighteen.


    His reputation has risen to the point where the king himself recognizes Berhardt’s achievements and even sent a congrattory letter to hising-of-age party.


    “He’ll get married soon, won’t he? Oh, I wonder who he will marry?”


    J crushed Sierra’s small hope at once, “Not you.”


    “I know that.”


    “Then there’s also Princess Hermia,” J mumbled.


    “I also think he’ll marry Princess Hermia.”


    When Sierra said enviously, Erce smiled and said to Sierra, “Beg your father to propose a marriage agreement.”


    “What?”


    “Like Young Lady diam.”


    “Wow,e to think of it, Young Lady diam’s truly amazing. Aren’t they getting married this year? Since Caron’sing-of-age ceremony is over.”


    “Yes, they are.”


    The long-awaited marriage of Caron and Count of diem’s ??daughter was soon to take ce, so her mother, the Marquess, was busy with the preparations.


    Still, Erce was very curious about Bernhardt’s private banquet, so she came to attend.


    Erce wondered what the Young Lord was like. It would be strange not to be curious about him.


    As she held her chest in anticipation, Sierra said, “You’re pretending otherwise but you’re also curious, just like me.”


    Erce coyly turned her head. In the meantime, their carriage stopped.


    Man, I lost respect for Erce when Harsen mentioned Vicente nearly dying. Harsen +1 Erce -10


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