The Eldest Daughter Walks Down The Flower Path - Chapter 53

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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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The Eldest Daughter Walks the Path of Flowers Episode 53

“Lord Marquis, you said you hate repeating yourself twice, but that was a lie, wasn’t it? You always say the same things, so we all know.”

At her smile, Eve only blinked as if dazzled by bright light.

Radis’s eyes curved into round crescents.

With just that, she looked like a completely different person.

Only then did Eve realize how beautifully long and thick her eyelashes were.

It seemed like they would make fluttering sounds every time she blinked.

He had never known that when warm light filled her black eyes, which had always been as calm as a frost-covered lake, his chest would grow hot as if that warmth was transmitted through her gaze alone.

He had never realized that her cheeks, which shone like pearls and looked as soft as velvet, would make him feel the urge to touch them.

He had never known that the line of her slender nape and the curve of her collarbone could be so enchanting…

Eve gasped as if burned and stepped back.

“Water.”

He turned around, chewing on his lower lip.

“I’ll bring water.”

“Lord Marquis, food too. I only smelled the food but couldn’t eat anything.”

“…Alright.”

Eve shook his head like a dog caught in the rain and quickly walked down the stairs.

‘What’s this? I need cold water, cold water.’

Returning to the banquet hall, he first downed three glasses of ice water in succession.

His head throbbed, but thanks to that, he seemed to regain his senses somewhat.

While he was at it, he surveyed the banquet hall situation while holding the glass that only had ice left.

The boisterous atmosphere was brief, and the nobles, accustomed to such grand banquets, were gathered in groups having conversations as they always did.

Those leading the atmosphere of the banquet hall were, as expected, the nobles of the Iszad Party centered around the Empire’s Emperor, Claude Arpend.

Especially Joseph Relbelloa, Empress Adrianne’s brother, was literally like a fish in water, excitedly running wild.

Whether the Emperor had made some trivial joke, he was holding his belly and laughing, saying ‘Hahaha! His Imperial Majesty is good at jokes too!’ – quite a sight to behold.

On the other hand, Empress Adrianne was sitting around a large table chatting with noble ladies of high status regardless of party affiliation.

Like this, the Empress often showed herself mingling with people regardless of party or status in official settings.

It seemed she wanted to portray the image of an inclusive Empress.

‘She’s still a Relbelloa after all.’

Eve Russel snorted inwardly.

Most of the nobles from the northwestern border regions, led by House Relbelloa, were Iszad Party to the bone.

They did not fear war and were obsessed with achieving merit and expanding territory through warfare.

Cardia’s Emperor, Claude Arpend, was also by no means a pacifist.

Having been called a war hero in his youth for conquering small kingdoms, he was always nostalgic for his prime.

In Eve’s eyes, the gathering of Iszad Party nobles looked like a powder keg.

Emperor Claude’s desires and the Iszad Party nobles’ ambitions seemed intertwined, ready to explode at any moment if ignited.

“Lord Russel.”

At the sound of someone calling him, Eve turned around.

The person who called him was Lady Bayard, holding a cocktail with kirsch.

“Shall we talk for a moment?”

“Of course, Lady Duchess.”

The Lady Duchess nodded to the noble ladies she had been drinking cocktails with and left the group.

She linked arms with Eve and spoke in an elegant voice.

“This isn’t really something to discuss at such an occasion, but Meriel misses you terribly. I’m tired of Meriel’s tearful tantrums, so please bend and give in now, Lord Marquis.”

Meriel Russel, the wife of the previous Lord Russel and Eve’s grandmother, was Lady Bayard’s close friend.

At the Lady Duchess’s words, Eve felt a pang of realization.

Meriel had previously made a serious verbal mistake with Radis.

Eve, who was angry at the time, had threatened Meriel, saying ‘Don’t come to the estate unless you properly apologize to Radis.’

But to apologize, she would need to meet her, wouldn’t she?

Unable to come to the estate, Meriel couldn’t meet Radis or apologize, and was probably suffering in silence due to her pride, unable to contact Eve first.

Eve spoke respectfully.

“I will do so. I failed to consider my grandmother’s feelings.”

The Lady Duchess smiled with narrowed eyes.

“That’s fortunate. The red-haired young lady that Meriel misunderstood is Miss Radis, correct?”

“Your insight is remarkable as always.”

“Ohoho! I was mistaken too, so how much more so was Meriel.”

“Mistaken… you say?”

The Lady Duchess stroked Eve Russel’s arm with the gentle touch one might use on a beloved young grandchild.

“When Lord Russel appeared with Miss Radis, you looked like a lovely couple who suited each other perfectly.”

Though the Lady Duchess’s words were very affectionate, Eve felt as if cold water had been poured over his head.

Eve forced a smile and said.

“That’s… not the case, Lady Duchess.”

“I know. Meriel already told me. This old woman was just mistaken in her impatience.”

The Lady Duchess laughed softly.

“In any case, Lord Russel, may I expect good news about Meriel? I’m planning to travel to Isul’s Hot Springs with Meriel this summer, and for a pleasant trip, we must resolve our worries first, mustn’t we?”

“You speak truly.”

Lady Bayard winked at Eve before rejoining the group of Bellius Party ladies.

Eve saw the Bellius Party ladies looking back at him with meaningful smiles, and while responding with a smile, he broke out in a slight cold sweat.

Most of the Bellius Party ladies had deep ties with House Russel, and Meriel in particular was a central figure in their gatherings.

The ladies probably knew about the small discord between Meriel and the young Lord Marquis.

‘Phew.’

Eve headed toward the table where food was prepared, avoiding the ladies’ gazes.

If the Iszad Party, led by House Relbelloa, were radicals, then the Bellius Party was closer to moderates.

Nobles from the northeast and south mainly belonged to the Bellius Party.

Especially the southern nobles, who had long devoted themselves to protecting the Empire from monsters, were mostly skeptical of war.

Eve’s thoughts were the same.

He detested monsters terribly.

However, ironically, the mana crystals that monsters generate are precious resources.

Especially Rafal and Grays, which possessed the ancient weapons of mage towers and leviathans, could be said to be obsessed with mana crystals.

So much so that there was a saying that if the Monster Forest had been in Rafal or Grays, they would have been the ones to conquer the entire continent.

Therefore, Rafal and Grays were constantly watching for opportunities for war to get their hands on the Monster Forest.

The Bellius Party’s opposition to war stemmed from such reasons.

‘Well, unless the Emperor is a complete fool, he won’t actually start a war.’

With such thoughts, Eve gathered cool beverages and put them on a tray.

At the tables along the edges of the banquet hall, several simple foods were prepared.

Champagne jelly topped with rose petals, fresh oysters with caviar, cheese and olives, and such things.

Eve asked a servant.

“Will this be filling enough? Isn’t there anything with meat?”

The servant soon brought over generously cut beef pie.

Eve lightly ran up the stairs to the third floor, imagining Radis’s delight.

But Radis was not alone.

Radis, who had been looking down at the banquet hall from the third floor railing, lifted her head at the sound of footsteps.

A few steps away stood Olivier.

His figure standing in the dark corridor, wearing white dress uniform embroidered with brilliant blue peacocks, was like a painting in itself.

From a distance, his face held a stern light, but that coolness gradually disappeared from the moment his eyes met Radis’s, and by the time he approached her, it had completely vanished as if washed away.

“We meet again.”

Olivier had his long hair hanging down just like the day they first met.

Watching the chandelier light sliding over his hair reminded her of the moment she first saw him.

Back then, looking at his eyes, she had thought they were the most beautiful amethysts in the world.

‘They really are beautiful. How can a person’s eyes be so beautiful?’

Radis carefully gazed into Olivier’s eyes.

Those transparent violet eyes were so beautiful that they couldn’t even be compared to most jewels.

Even the way he slightly averted his gaze as if embarrassed.

‘Huh.’

Radis came to her senses.

“Your Highness, 3rd Prince!”

“Am I interrupting again?”

“N-not at all.”

Radis stepped away from the railing, took off Eve’s coat that was draped over her shoulders, and straightened her clothes.

“I was just looking down below.”

Olivier took another step closer to her.

Radis almost stepped back but barely managed to restrain herself.

Olivier stood where Radis had been standing and looked down below.

His gaze turned cold.

He looked at the Iszad Party nobles noisily chattering around the Emperor, the Empress pretending to be neutral, and the Bellius Party nobles scattered here and there, then opened his mouth.

“How does this scene look to you?”

Radis slightly furrowed her brows and looked at him.

She had no way of knowing what kind of answer he wanted.

She could only speak about what she saw.

“…A music box.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s like looking inside a large music box.”

At Radis’s words, Olivier raised his gaze to look at her.

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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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