Chapter 80

Was I really misunderstanding something? If Axel was that certain, did Judith also have some feelings for Axel in her own way?

As Madame Fedelian hesitated to open her mouth and carefully observed her son, she noticed that his eyes no longer wavered.

It seemed he had already solidified his thoughts.

In the end, Madame Fedelian judged that it would be difficult to persuade him immediately and could only say this:

“Fine. If you’ve thought it through that much, I won’t stop you.”

“……What?”

Axel asked back as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. It was as though he had never expected his mother to give her permission so easily.

However, Madame Fedelian wasn’t trying to tease him or had misspoken.

She simply knew that opposing him without reason would only provoke his resistance, so she decided to take a step back to gain the upper hand.

“Axel, if you are that desperate, then go ahead and try to win Judith’s heart. But don’t expect me to help you.”

She calculated coldly. From the beginning, her confidence stemmed from the belief that Judith would never defy her words.

She pretended to retreat generously in front of Axel but planned to secretly instruct Judith to sever his feelings for her.

This was the conclusion Madame Fedelian had reached.

Whether Judith felt the same way about Axel or not didn’t matter.

If she didn’t follow Madame Fedelian’s orders, the girl would eventually have to face the consequences.

“You know, don’t you, that Judith is as precious to me as you are? So, regarding this matter, I want to first hear what Judith has to say and then decide how to proceed based on her response.”

While acting as a benevolent mother in front of her son, Madame Fedelian was busy scheming in her mind.

As soon as Axel leaves, I’ll send a telegram to Judith. I’ll persuade her to put an end to Axel’s feelings no matter what.

The marriage of a common orphan and the heir of a Duke’s family? If this became known, the social world would be thrown into chaos.

Madame Fedelian would never let her son become the protagonist of such a disgraceful affair.

* * *

Judith returned to her dormitory with a light heart.

The exams were finally over, and now the only thing awaiting her was the promise she had made with Rodesha.

Now, all that’s left is to have fun.

Since entering the Academy, Judith had been living a busy life, so this kind of freedom felt unfamiliar.

At the same time, it made her feel somewhat excited.

This weekend, she was planning to visit the Roziena family’s villa. 

Should I start packing my things in advance?

Standing in front of her wardrobe, Judith pondered for a long time.

She wanted to dress up in a pretty outfit for the first time in a while, but Rodesha’s suggestion to play in the forest came to mind.

If they were going to do something active, comfortable clothes would probably be better. As she changed her mind and busied herself, the door to her dormitory suddenly burst open.

Bang—.

The door swung open, and Hannah appeared on the other side.

“Judith, how did your exams go?”

Walking into the room, she asked in a lively tone. Judging by her bright expression, it seemed that Hannah had done well on her exams.

Judith nodded without hesitation and replied.

“I think they went okay.”

“Really? I’m glad we both managed to finish our final exams on a good note.”

As Judith listened to Hannah’s cheerful and lively laughter, she suddenly noticed something in Hannah’s hand.

Before she could ask about it, Hannah spoke up first.

“Oh, right, Judith. On my way to the dormitory, I checked the mailbox and saw a letter addressed to you, so I brought it along.”

“A letter?”

“Yeah, here.”

Hannah handed over the envelope, and Judith thanked her.

“Thanks for delivering it, Hannah. You saved me the trouble.”

After finishing her sentence, Judith lowered her gaze to the envelope.

There shouldn’t be anyone contacting me. Who could it be?

But as soon as she saw the familiar seal on the wax, she immediately recognized who had sent it.

At the same time, she felt puzzled.

She had exchanged letters with Madame Fedelian before, but unless Judith sent a letter first to check in, she rarely received a reply.

Moreover, after her relationship with Chase had solidified, their correspondence had become even less frequent.

Seeing this unexpected letter made her feel uneasy. Judith was momentarily seized by a foreboding sense of dread.

……Could it be that Madame Fedelian heard the unsavory rumors circulating at the Academy?

The thought that the letter might contain scolding words made it feel as heavy as a stone in her hands.

But she couldn’t remain frozen forever.

Judith decided to muster her courage. Swallowing hard and feeling tense, she opened the letter.

However, as soon as she read the first part of the letter, Judith was startled.

[To Judith,

Since the situation is urgent, I’ll skip the pleasantries. Please understand.

The truth is, not long ago, Axel sent me a letter saying he wanted to break off his engagement with Riana.

So, to understand what was going on, I met with Axel and talked to him. He told me the reason was that he likes you.

Were you aware of this?

……(omitted)]

“…….”

Judith drew in a sharp breath.

So, Madame Fedelian has figured out the situation as well.

She had thought Axel might come up with some excuse for breaking off the engagement, but she never expected him to confess so openly to Madame Fedelian.

How shocked must Madame Fedelian have been? To suddenly be informed by Axel that he was breaking off the engagement, and that the reason was a mere commoner.

This wasn’t the outcome Madame Fedelian had hoped for when she allowed Judith to remain by Axel’s side……

If she were to meet Madame Fedelian next time, Judith didn’t know how she would face her. She felt deeply ashamed at the thought of meeting her.

Regardless, Judith continued reading the rest of the letter with trembling eyes.

[But you already have a fiancé, and I’ve heard that you get along well with him.

In such a situation, it seems impossible for Axel to be with you. It would also be disrespectful to the other family.

So, could you somehow persuade Axel to change his mind?

I’ve already tried talking to him several times, but he refuses to listen to me.

If you don’t mind, now that your exams are over, I’d appreciate it if you could visit the estate to discuss this in person. I’ll make sure Axel is there as well.

If you could use your engagement as an excuse to make him give up, I would be very grateful.]

Judith had thought she had made her feelings clear several times, but it seemed Axel still hadn’t given up on her.

As she calmly read through Madame Fedelian’s letter, Judith eventually sat down at her desk and picked up a pen.

She wrote a reply agreeing to Madame Fedelian’s request, saying she would visit next weekend as suggested.

Even though Madame Fedelian now knew the full story, she didn’t seem particularly angry.

But how long could she remain lenient about her son’s issues?

Judith, who was quick-witted, resolved to bring an end to all matters concerning Axel during this visit.

At the same time, she thought that this might mark the end of her long-standing connection with the Fedelian family.

* * *

The weekdays flew by, and the weekend arrived.

The day of the long-awaited outing.

When Judith, unsure of what to wear, consulted Hannah, she quickly came to a conclusion.

“It’s been a while since you’re going far away. Of course, you should dress up nicely!”

“Hmm, but we’ll probably be doing a lot of outdoor activities. And since it’s the forest, it might get chilly at night.”

When Judith voiced her concerns, Hannah wagged her finger.

“Tsk, tsk, leave it to me. You’re only staying overnight, right?”

Hannah rummaged through both Judith’s and her own wardrobes, pulling out colorful outfits and putting them together.

Soon, she handed Judith a blouse with a puffed design, a long wool skirt to match, and a pretty shawl to layer on top.

It was a perfect outfit for the chilly weather.

“Just pack some pants and a cloak to change into if needed. And if the sunlight is strong, bring a hat too.”

Hannah’s advice was spot on. After tying her hair with a decorative ribbon, Judith looked quite cute.

Thanks to the outfit, she wasn’t cold even on a day with such a wide temperature range. Holding her travel bag, Judith stood quietly at the front gate, waiting for her friends.

She thought she might have arrived too early, but soon enough, the others appeared.

In the distance, she spotted Rodesha with her bright orange hair. She wore a wool jacket paired with a skirt that came just above her ankles, looking lively and adorable.

Following her were Rodein and Chase, who also seemed to have put effort into their appearances.

Chase, in particular, was dressed neatly with a vest and tie, which was unusual for him.

Even his usually messy bangs were slicked back, and he looked so handsome that Judith couldn’t take her eyes off him.