Resetting Lady - Chapter 37

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Isella took Raymond’s hand. He looked down at Isella’s hand, nodded his head, and said “I see” before closing his mouth.

Father would ultimately help her as he always had. She had no doubt he would buy her anything she wanted. Even a husband. And Isella didn’t want her fiancé to control her.

“Lord Raymond, if Countess Elba attends, it would be as good as a wedding, wouldn’t it?”

“…That’s right, Lady Isella.”

“You’re happy too, aren’t you, Lord Raymond?”

She narrowed her eyes and stared at the golden-haired handsome man.

He smiled like a painting and answered.

“Yes. It’s a joyous occasion.”

The affirmative answer that came without the slightest hesitation seemed false, but that didn’t matter now. What mattered was that he wasn’t in a position to show displeasure. Isella didn’t care about his true feelings. He would smile at Isella, enter the hall with her, and share the same bed.

“Hehe.”

Smile, my knight. My groom who cost a high price.

Isella had no intention of letting Raymond live as freely as her father dared to. Isella didn’t want to live like her mother. That kind of relationship where they moderately accommodated each other, had children according to contract, and fulfilled affection and lust separately.

No matter how handsome and well-bred he was, he was ultimately a stallion that had been sold. The owner was the Evans Family. Even with noble blood, he wouldn’t be able to continue his family line, and his brother wouldn’t share wealth with a younger sibling whose fame grew day by day.

In three days, when Raymond returned, it would ultimately be the Evans Family sharing laughter with him. Even if that laughter didn’t come from the heart, she had to at least prevent him from acting as he pleased.

“Lord Raymond. I heard you achieved great merit on the battlefield.”

“…Yes.”

“I’m curious how many you killed.”

If Karen held the reins with beauty, she would hold them with wealth. And that daughter of a mere local lord would live here, marry her stuttering fiancé, and end her insignificant life.

“…Fortunately, I returned safely. That’s enough.”

Isella, who had monopolized Raymond all day, looked extremely pleased. Her mouth never rested, as if she never tired of it. Seeing her sparkling eyes, how could he not be pleased as a parent? Watching his precious daughter, Verdick couldn’t hide his smile.

“Child, what is that?”

“Pardon?”

Was she so happy she couldn’t think straight? When Verdick laughed, Isella blushed and held out the bracelet on her wrist to her father.

“Did Sir Raymond give this to you?”

“Yes. Isn’t it pretty?”

It was modest compared to the jewelry she owned. But what mattered was that Raymond had given it to her. And sending a servant to Raymond in advance to recommend appropriate accessories had been a good choice. Swallowing the small secrets he wouldn’t tell his daughter, Verdick stepped back. The lord whispered to him discreetly.

“Mr. Evans. Your daughter seems to be in good spirits, which is fortunate.”

“You needn’t concern yourself with such things, my lord.”

The lord was being sarcastic about his daughter’s rude behavior over the past few days. Openly ignoring his words, Verdick sent a pleased gaze toward his daughter and her fiancé. Isella had been overly sensitive.

With Karen, that excessively beautiful girl of the same age, gone from the vicinity, Evans had become lively again in front of her fiancé. And Raymond too, like a well-raised young master of a noble house, was appropriately engaging with Isella’s conversation while smoothly leading the atmosphere. He had at least that much tact.

Verdick didn’t want him to act like Isella’s lover. He just wanted to protect his child’s fantasy a little. While it was necessary to scold her and shatter vain dreams like last time, rather than coldly calculating everything, he ultimately wanted to have a daughter who laughed and cried well, even if she seemed somewhat foolish. He had raised his daughter that way until now. Her occasional lack of awareness would improve as she got older.

Organizing various emotions about his child like any parent, Verdick turned toward the lord.

“Does your daughter resemble her mother?”

“She seems to resemble me more.”

“My daughter is the spitting image of her mother. Have you heard of her?”

“Lady Catherine’s reputation is widely known, isn’t it? We so wished to provide her with clothing.”

Though she retired to this countryside just one year after her social debut. And died buried here. Verdick had no particular feelings about Catherine, but he had many regrets about Karen, who was said to be her spitting image.

“I’d be grateful if you could help with clothing when my daughter debuts later.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

Verdick gritted his teeth. Social status! Despite Verdick having seized all the rights of the estate, the Evans Family was still beneath the Hyer Family. That was social status. It was a country with nobles and royalty. He had to bow and show respect.

“I’d like to see your daughter and mine debut together in the future.”

If that daughter of the Hyer House appeared as a maid to the Evans House, it would be quite a sight to see.

Verdick giggled and raised his glass toward the lord.

The lord’s child, completely different from his daughter, wore not only beauty but silence and smiles as accessories. Was that maturity beyond her years created by adversity? If so, he had probably created a considerable part of that adversity.

Like Isella, he had probably significantly influenced Karen’s character too. Verdick believed in the folly of youth. A teenage girl should normally be like Isella. A teenager like Karen, who was overly composed, wasn’t deep but merely subdued by hardship.

“The lord’s daughter seems to be unwell.”

Her body was quite frail too, worse than Isella’s. The lord bowed his head and mumbled his answer.

“…Well, she’s become somewhat weak. Various matters have piled up, you see.”

Never come out again. Verdick prayed inwardly. It was fine for tavern women or house maids to be pretty, but having a beautiful competitor for his daughter was truly irritating.

Wasn’t it this peaceful with Karen absent from this gathering? Verdick didn’t like that one young woman could dominate the atmosphere so much. Because of nothing more than a pretty face, his daughter became depressed and the contract wavered. Verdick wanted a trouble-free contract.

“Is Lady Hyer feeling unwell?”

Raymond had approached the lord and asked.

“Lord Raymond, rather than that…”

When Raymond asked the lord, Isella immediately clung to him. Both middle-aged men became displeased simultaneously. One at the attitude of treating his daughter’s pain lightly, the other at her clingy behavior.

Verdick glanced sideways at the lord and spoke to Isella.

“Isella, how about visiting Lady Hyer’s room later?”

“Pardon?”

At his daughter’s reaction showing she didn’t understand, he glanced at the lord and urged Isella again.

“She seems quite unwell. Missing meals and all.”

“Oh… um… yes, I suppose so.”

Isella made a reluctant face, gripping Raymond’s arm tightly with one hand while looking anxiously at her father and the lord. Her large eyes looked innocent.

“Go check if she’s alright, and demand that she absolutely attend the engagement ceremony in three days.”

Demand, not request.

Do it as if the host is caring for a guest. Lady Hyer is the one committing the greater discourtesy.

Still mistaking herself for the owner of this land.

“Is there really a need to bring a sick person?”

Raymond, unable to watch any longer, stepped forward.

“Hehe, Sir Raymond. How nice to be so popular.”

“Mr. Verdick.”

“It’s nothing.”

Verdick enjoyed watching the lord’s stern face. It didn’t matter whether Karen was truly sick or upset about Raymond’s engagement. If he said more here, the situation would solidify toward the latter.

“Missing an engagement ceremony—no, wedding—that the countess will attend would be quite disappointing, wouldn’t it? Isella will be indebted to this region for quite a long time now. It’s good to make things clear in various ways.”

“Hmm, the conversation is taking an interesting turn.”

“Yes.”

The lord seemed to want to say more but soon smiled again and stepped back, giving some instruction to Dulan. In the brief war of nerves, the musicians slowed their music, reading the mood. Verdick had the musicians play a waltz in place of the lord.

The music resumed and the awkward, smile-mixed meal continued.

Moving up the engagement ceremony had been an appropriate prescription. Seeing his daughter’s complexion improve noticeably, Verdick picked up his utensils again. Befitting the finest ingredients brought in for the festival, each dish displayed its own exquisite flavor.

‘Hmm… Still not as good as that day.’

What was the problem? Raymond’s engagement ceremony was as good as a wedding, business was going smoothly, and the parliamentary position through the countess was practically confirmed. Most things were going well. But something was slightly lacking. Just one thing. What could it be?

His tongue yearned for the ecstasy of that day. Verdick smacked his lips in regret. Verdick wanted to test the limits of culinary pleasure he could enjoy in this house. Would the countess’s visit recreate that feast of gastronomy?

Thinking of himself negotiating with the countess with the lord on one side and Raymond on the other naturally filled his stomach. Verdick narrowed his eyes and looked at his daughter’s smiling face.

Everything was going smoothly.

* * *

The lord stared down at the letter brought by the mute boy. The sender was his only daughter. No matter how long he stared at it, the words inside wouldn’t change.

He let out a sigh. He had suffered enough during this time. Since the day his wife died, Lord Hyer saw everything in the world as gray. His duties as lord were trivial, and even his daughter, who was the spitting image of his wife, brought him no comfort.

Time passed in an instant as he wept looking beyond the forest where Catherine used to run around. When he opened his eyes, Verdick had already seized various rights, but he didn’t feel much anger toward Verdick. Nothing in this world mattered to him anymore.

But the letter’s contents were somewhat shocking even for him.

He rubbed his palms and wiped his eyes. He was tired.

After sighing repeatedly, he clasped his hands together. Then he looked up once at his wife’s portrait.

“…I trust you.”

That’s why I did all those things.

He stood up and threw the letter into the fireplace. The paper instantly crumpled and burned away. But its contents were etched in the lord’s mind like a tattoo.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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