Chapter 79

“There’s no need to apologize. I’m sure you had your reasons.”  

“Thank you for understanding. I thought it would be better to discuss this face-to-face rather than explaining it in a letter.”  

“I see.”  

Madame Fedelian paused briefly before opening her lips to speak.  

“But what is this about? Did you and Riana perhaps have a fight or something…”  

She cautiously asked, but Axel shook his head to indicate otherwise.  

“That’s not it. This was a mutual decision between Riana and me, and we’ve agreed to remain good friends going forward.”  

Axel spoke as if to reassure Madame Fedelian, but his words only made her more uneasy.  

If they hadn’t fought and decided to break off the engagement in anger, then could it really be…  

The image of a pink-haired girl—Judith—flashed through Madame Fedelian’s mind.  

No, it can’t be. There’s no way Axel would like someone as insignificant as that girl.  

She repeated to herself that it was an absurd thought, trying to calm herself.  

Her heart was beating irregularly with a sense of foreboding, but she tried her best not to let her unease show.  

After barely regaining her composure, she asked Axel in a calm tone.  

“So, it wasn’t because of a fight with Riana. That’s a relief. You’ve known each other for so long; it would be such a shame if your relationship soured all of a sudden.”  

After taking a moment to steady her breathing, Madame Fedelian returned to the main topic.  

“But the more I hear, the more curious I become. If it wasn’t a fight with Riana, why are you breaking off the engagement? Why would you give up on such a good match?”  

Although her son was quite intelligent, Madame Fedelian thought he might still not fully understand the ways of the world. She hurriedly added an explanation.  

“You know as well as I do that Riana is truly perfect. Her appearance, her family background, her wealth—there’s nothing lacking in her. I simply can’t understand why you would reject such an ideal bride.”  

“…”  

“If you break off the engagement with Riana, I’m worried you won’t find a better match in the future. It feels like you’re letting go of a golden opportunity, and that’s truly regrettable.”  

Axel quietly listened to Madame Fedelian as her words flowed like water.  

Could he be persuaded by what I’m saying?  

Just as she began to hope, Axel, who had been silent, finally opened his mouth.  

“Mother, do you know why I decided to get engaged to Riana in the first place?”  

“That’s…”  

Madame Fedelian couldn’t immediately answer Axel’s question.  

Now that she thought about it, when Axel had announced his engagement to Riana, it had felt quite sudden.  

He had rejected countless noble ladies she had proposed before, yet suddenly changed his mind as if flipping a coin.  

But upon reflection, she had assumed that since Axel and Riana had known each other for a long time and were both attractive, perhaps feelings had naturally developed between them.  

However, seeing the two together, she realized that had been a big misconception.  

They looked like good companions, but they didn’t seem to have romantic feelings for each other.  

Still, Madame Fedelian hadn’t paid much attention to that.  

She thought that since they were a young man and woman in their prime, spending time together would naturally lead to mutual affection over time.  

Moreover, in public, they always appeared to care for each other and got along well.  

But now Axel was saying there was another reason he had decided on the engagement.  

“Was it something I said?”  

Madame Fedelian searched her memory in confusion.  

“Was it when I told you to choose an excellent woman as a bride for the sake of our family?”  

But Axel immediately shook his head, as if to say that wasn’t it.  

This brought Madame Fedelian’s thoughts to a halt.  

Now that she thought about it, around the same time she had been encouraging Axel to marry, she had also been looking for a suitable match for Judith, intending to arrange her engagement as well.  

Surely not.  

Feeling anxious, she asked Axel.  

“Is this about Judith? Is it because I said I’d arrange her engagement?”  

Madame Fedelian had always been worried that as the children grew older, they might become entangled in inappropriate rumors.  

She had taken precautions to prevent any harm from coming to her son, even going so far as to find a modest match for Judith in advance.  

If her son had rushed into his engagement to stop Judith’s arranged marriage…  

Madame Fedelian’s worst fears were confirmed without delay.  

“Yes, Mother.”  

Hearing Axel’s firm answer, Madame Fedelian was momentarily stunned. She was so taken aback that she couldn’t speak for a while, and when she finally did, her voice trembled.  

“Why? What is that girl to you?”  

“…”  

“I know you’re close, Axel, but don’t you think the two of you live in entirely different worlds?”  

The kind and compassionate facade Madame Fedelian had maintained toward Judith in front of Axel was now gone.  

Instead, she subtly criticized and belittled Judith, whom she deemed unworthy of her son.  

At the same time, she agonized over where things had gone wrong.  

Was it a mistake to let Judith stay by Axel’s side in the first place?  

As she realized her misstep, Madame Fedelian grew increasingly distressed.  

Meanwhile, Axel spoke again.  

“…I understand that this may seem absurd to you, Mother. But I can’t help how I feel. I’ve come to like Judith—more than I can put into words. I’m truly sorry.”  

“Ha…”  

“And knowing that, continuing the engagement with Riana would only be disrespectful to her. That’s why I decided to break it off.”  

So the ominous feeling I had during the gatherings with the noblewomen was true after all.  

Madame Fedelian closed her eyes tightly, overwhelmed by dizziness. She sank into thought.  

At first, letting Judith stay by Axel’s side had been an act of simple pity.  

She had felt sorry for the girl who had lost her father at such a young age and thought taking in one poor orphan wouldn’t be too difficult.  

It had also been an opportunity to demonstrate her benevolence to the servants working at the estate.  

Allowing Judith to stay at the mansion and later supporting her education at the Prussian Academy had been acts of charity, nothing more.  

Above all, it had been her son Axel’s request.  

Of course, there had been another reason as well.  

At the time, Madame Fedelian had known that Axel, as the sole heir of the Fedelian family, was struggling under the pressure of constant scrutiny.  

Judith had been the only person he could interact with comfortably, so Madame Fedelian had allowed her to stay, hoping it would ease Axel’s burden.  

She had believed Judith was perceptive enough to understand her place and wouldn’t dare harbor any expectations toward Axel.  

But now she realized all of that had been a grave miscalculation.  

In the end, her misplaced pity had ruined everything.  

She had warned Axel repeatedly, almost to the point of nagging, to prevent something like this from happening.  

Yet all those words had been in vain.  

“Ha…”  

Madame Fedelian sighed deeply, pressing a hand to her forehead.  

But not all hope was lost. She had already taken steps to introduce Judith to another suitable match.  

Using that as an excuse, she resolved to make Axel give up on his feelings for Judith.  

In a trembling voice, she finally spoke.  

“I understand how you feel. But Judith is already engaged, isn’t she? Do you think her fiancé’s family will simply accept it if you break off your engagement with Riana?”  

Madame Fedelian had been receiving Judith’s letters and knew that her relationship with her fiancé was not bad.  

Recently, they seemed so close that Axel wouldn’t even have a chance to intervene.  

Axel’s eyes wavered slightly, as if he was aware of this.  

Madame Fedelian began to assess Axel objectively. Even setting aside the fact that he was her son, Axel was a perfect young man.  

Yet he had given his heart to a mere commoner, an orphan no less, and one who was already engaged to someone else.  

Did he realize he was walking into a thorny path of his own making?  

Madame Fedelian desperately tried to persuade her son.  

“Think carefully, Axel. If Judith had feelings for you, that would be one thing. But as you know, she’s already engaged and seems to be living happily. I’ve been receiving updates from her myself, haven’t I?”  

“…Judith is simply going along with the situation. She wouldn’t dare defy you after all you’ve done for her.”  

“Are you saying I’m lying?”  

“That’s not what I mean… But this wasn’t her choice from the start. Even if she’s grown fond of her fiancé, it can’t compare to what we’ve shared over the years.”  

“…”  

Hearing Axel’s confident declaration, Madame Fedelian was momentarily at a loss for words.