The Eldest Daughter Walks Down The Flower Path - Chapter 99

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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 99

“What are you all talking about so enjoyably?”

When things turned out this way, the chatter truly continued endlessly.

Radis listened to their stories with an awkward smile, occasionally laughing and nodding her head to show she was paying attention.

While thinking this in her head.

‘Ah, this is killing me… When will it end?’

Then the banquet hall stirred.

However, Radis, whose mind was half-dazed, didn’t even notice that.

“Radis.”

After blinking her eyes two or three times, Radis realized it was Olivier who had called her.

“Your Highness, the 3rd Prince.”

“Could we have a moment to talk?”

“Of, of course!”

So distracted was she that Radis didn’t even realize Olivier was wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

Olivier pulled Radis close as if treating a loving partner and bowed silently toward the noble ladies.

It was only natural that the topic of conversation among the noble ladies who saw this shifted to the Empire’s 3rd Prince and the young lady of the Tilrod family.

Mrs. Enz, whose eyes had grown as large as plates, let out an exclamation.

“My goodness, is what I just saw really true?”

“The rumors that His Highness the 3rd Prince has fallen head over heels for the young lady from the South must be true…!”

Mrs. Port, who was fanning herself to calm her excitement, suddenly caught sight of Mrs. Hamel standing in a corner of the banquet hall.

Mrs. Port approached Mrs. Hamel with a glass of champagne.

“Oh my, Mrs. Hamel. Why are you being so quiet? Before the banquet started, you seemed to have quite a lot to say.”

At Mrs. Port’s words, Mrs. Hamel’s face looked as if she had bitten her tongue.

Mrs. Hamel was someone who had sat with Margaret at Prince Olivier’s birthday celebration held at the marquis’ estate last winter.

Having listened intently to Margaret’s gossip about Radis, she had gone around among the noble ladies before the banquet started, chattering like this.

‘There’s no need to try to make a good impression on that young lady from the Tilrod family. I heard something about her. She seems to be a very ill-tempered young lady who was cast out from her family after jealously interfering with her younger brother in various ways.’

Mrs. Hamel made excuses with a displeased face.

“I seem to have misspoken in my excitement. But I didn’t say anything untrue.”

Mrs. Abot, the mistress of the Abot family which was a knight family, spoke up.

“I’ve heard something too. Miss Tilrod recently had her talents recognized and received knighthood from His Lordship the Marquis.”

“Oh my, is that really true? To think such a delicate and beautiful young lady was a knight…!”

“The future is bright for the women of the South!”

Mrs. Abot continued speaking with narrowed eyes.

“Come to think of it, there were once rumors about the fraudulent admission of the Tilrod family’s son. Something about the young lady orchestrating such an incident out of jealousy toward her younger brother.”

“Come to think of it, there was such an incident last year.”

Then Lady of Baron Anton, who had been standing next to Mrs. Hamel, spoke up.

“I thought those rumors were a bit strange even at the time.”

“Oh my, Lady of Baron Anton. Strange, you say…?”

“If the Tilrod family’s son had been honorable in the first place, wouldn’t he have confidently taken the retest? They said it was because he was worried about his sister being driven from the house, but in the end, Miss Tilrod is now residing at the marquis’ estate, not at the Tilrod estate.”

“Oh my, then did that son of the Tilrod family go somewhere, to another academy?”

Mrs. Abot answered that question.

“If you mean David Tilrod, I understand he became a soldier in the Rosild family’s extermination corps and then ran away.”

At her words, bursts of laughter erupted among the noble ladies.

“Ohohohoho! Ran away, you say?”

“My goodness! This is a rare time when even monster activity has decreased, and he couldn’t endure that and fled?”

They didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding their contemptuous expressions.

Just as the nobles of the North revered chivalry, the nobles of the South valued the military strength of extermination corps.

Most of the high-ranking noble families of the South present here operated extermination corps, and even the noble ladies were well-versed in how extermination corps operated.

To them, desertion was something deserving of condemnation.

After a long laugh, Mrs. Port said.

“This is how it’s revealed who was lying. You might be able to deceive people’s eyes briefly with lies, but the truth is bound to be revealed eventually. I’m curious to see how Mrs. Tilrod will handle the aftermath of this matter.”

Mrs. Enz picked up on her words.

“That cheerful lady may not have had luck with her son, but she seems to have had luck with her daughter. Of course, it seems she kicked away that luck with her own feet.”

Walking through the garden where darkness had fallen with Olivier, Radis asked.

“Your business seems to have finished early today.”

The men’s meetings that followed dinner often continued throughout the night. That’s what she was referring to.

“We’ve had sufficient conversation.”

Though shadows were cast deeply on Olivier’s face, the gentle smile that appeared on his lips was recognizable.

“Tomorrow I must return to the capital. I wanted to spend even a little more time with you before then.”

Radis sighed.

“You’ve been so busy, haven’t you? Everyone wanted to meet Your Highness, which led to this. You must have wanted to rest in the South…”

Radis examined his face this way and that.

His complexion was pale and he seemed more gaunt than before coming to Luare.

It was understandable.

During his stay in Luare, Olivier’s schedule had been almost murderous.

His schedule originally wouldn’t have been this intense, but Radis couldn’t understand why it had turned out this way.

Olivier chuckled and said.

“Lord Russel turned out to be more ambitious than I expected. I’m already worried whether I can give him everything he wants.”

Radis frowned and let out a deep sigh.

“I’m sorry. The marquis was probably just overly enthusiastic because he was happy that Your Highness came to the South… He probably didn’t mean any harm.”

“Well…”

Olivier said thoughtfully.

“He’s quite the ambitious man. There must have been meticulous intentions behind this matter too.”

Radis was so embarrassed because of Eve that her cheeks turned completely red.

‘Lord Marquis, you’re really too much. Even if you covet the ducal seat, still, to work such a delicate person so harshly?’

Radis felt so sorry for the pale-faced Olivier that her heart ached.

She wanted to hold Olivier in her arms and comfort him.

Perhaps sensing her feelings, Olivier smiled and said.

“I’m fine.”

At those words, Radis felt tears welling up.

She resolved inwardly.

‘Eve Russel, I won’t let this slide.’

Then Olivier quietly took her hand and said.

“Radis, do you know where we are?”

At his words, she awakened from her thoughts and looked around.

The clouds parted and silver-white moonlight poured down over their heads.

In the scenery revealed by that moonlight, Radis realized she had been to this place before.

“This is…”

Among the marble columns of the arcade crossing the inner garden between the main house and annex of the marquis’ estate, Olivier said.

“Where we first met.”

As memories of that day came flooding back, Radis’s cheeks turned bright red.

“Th, that was here?”

She turned away from Olivier and pretended to look around here and there to hide her reddened face.

“It seems like it might be, but also might not be…”

On the day they first met, Olivier had been dazzlingly beautiful, just as he was now.

But what about her?

Radis had to use all her strength not to recall the image of herself sprawled like a frog in this beautiful garden.

Then Olivier approached from behind her.

“Radis.”

His sweet voice resonated in her ear.

“Don’t turn your back on me like that.”

Olivier’s arm slowly wrapped around her shoulders, embracing her.

Radis was so startled that she froze like one of the stone pillars in the Arcade.

She could feel Olivier gently nuzzling his face against the nape of her neck.

His straight forehead and sharp nose touched her sensitive skin, their shape vividly conveying their form.

Even the yearning when his full lips moved as they sought her.

“Radis….”

His deeply subdued voice resonated in her ear.

“If I said I’ve wanted… wanted to keep doing this, would you be angry?”

His voice, always low and cool, was trembling like someone with a fever.

He seemed rarely swept up in intense emotion.

Yet even in such a moment, his touch as he held her remained gentle.

He was holding her as if embracing a single delicate flower that would be injured by even a slightly stronger grip.

But strangely, she felt uncomfortable.

Suddenly, this thought occurred to her.

‘These aren’t the right hands….’

She didn’t know why she thought that, or which hands would be the right ones if not these.

Feeling an inexplicable suffocation, Radis hurriedly freed herself from Olivier’s arms and escaped from him.

“Lord Olivier…!”

Perhaps from tension, her voice cracked like a duck’s.

Flustered, Radis tried to clear her throat.

Then Olivier’s hand touched her face.

“Radis.”

Like someone admiring the form of a work of art, he gently traced her face with his fingertips.

Then he grasped her chin and made her lift her head.

“Shh. Just listen to me now.”

The moment their eyes met, Radis felt her breath catch.

How could a man past his coming of age make such an expression?

Beneath his lowered long silver lashes, his violet eyes sparkled passionately.

The corners of his eyes were tinged reddish, and an innocent smile floated at the corners of his mouth.

He tilted his head slightly.

Radis could feel his warm breath brushing against her forehead.

“Radis.”

Olivier’s lips touched her forehead in a fleeting caress.

With his lips pressed against her forehead, he spoke.

“I… love you.”

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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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