Chapter 3.8

Solnia left the ballroom only after rejecting dance invitations from no fewer than three gentlemen.  

‘It’s an honor to meet the Dowager’s treasure.’  

‘If you don’t have a partner for the next dance, may I have the honor?’  

Their overly polite manners, ingratiating smiles, and awkwardly suppressed deep voices were all laughable.  

The reason for the string of dance invitations was likely because this was a party hosted by Dowager Heston.  

After all, she was the granddaughter of “that Dowager Heston.”  

Praise stemming from the actions of someone who seemed intent on destroying her was a ridiculous irony.  

Before leaving the hall, Solnia glanced toward where Luette Trovill was.  

As expected, he was expertly leading his partner like the charming gentleman he was.  

The occasional glimpses of Lady Ayla’s face suggested she was deeply moved by his manners.  

‘Dear, please give Lady Ayla a memorable experience.’  

Recalling the earlier situation, Solnia shuddered.  

“Dear,” she thought. 

How absurd.  

The only surprising thing was Luette Trovill waiting for her permission.  

‘If you insist, Madame.’

As if he were truly a devoted husband taking orders from his wife.  

‘I’m confident in myself.’

With that thought, Solnia cast a brief glance at the man who had transformed into the perfect husband and exited the hall.  

***

More than a hundred people had been invited to the party that day.  

To accommodate them, the Dowager had opened not only the banquet hall and dance hall but also the garden, where a garden party was held.  

Although the night sky had turned pitch black, the garden remained beautifully lit.  

Various lamps illuminated the area, creating a cozy atmosphere distinct from the banquet hall.  

White tables were arranged in a semicircle around the mansion, and servants busily carried food and drinks.  

In one corner, a small orchestra played, and guests wandered freely between the soft music, engaging in conversation.  

“Did you all see her grand appearance?”  

The conversations were anything but restrained.  

“She came fully prepared, didn’t she? I don’t understand why someone who’s already married would do such a thing.”  

“Who knows? Maybe she’s looking to find herself a lover.”  

“Goodness. Even with such a fine husband?”  

“Fine? From what I hear, he’s nothing but a handsome philanderer.”  

Solnia sat amidst it all.  

Although the gossiping group seemed to be somewhere else, their excited voices carried over the beautiful melodies, reaching her ears.  

Solnia silently kept her place at the table, staring straight ahead as if she couldn’t hear a thing.  

This was merely a time to endure.  

After today, she had no intention of appearing in the capital again, so she had no reason to invest in socializing.  

Once the time came for her divorce, she planned to take her share of the assets and move to the outskirts of the Kingdom.  

Thus, she didn’t care what they said about her.  

“I heard she has problems too.”  

“What kind of problems?”  

“Something about being mentally unstable…”  

Of course, hearing fabricated stories about her mental health made her frown.  

Still, it was better here than under the Dowager’s watchful eye, exchanging pleasantries with her nominal husband.  

“May I have a moment?”  

A deep voice interrupted her thoughts.  

Solnia turned to look at the source of the voice, her lips forming a polite smile.  

Go away.  

“I’m sorry, but I’m not feeling well—”  

Feigning discomfort, Solnia stopped mid-sentence when she saw the man smiling brightly at her.  

“…Evan?”  

As if it were a lie, it was Evan Ikleit.  

***

Memories of the past remained vivid fragments for Solnia. Every recollection of a time when she feared nothing and worried about nothing was as vibrant as a carefully painted landscape.  

The moment she first met Evan Ikleit was one of those vivid landscapes.  

Every autumn, the mansion would bustle quietly. When the garden was adorned with colorful autumn leaves instead of lush greenery, it signaled the return of Alec’s birthday.  

“Where should I place this?”  

“Bring it inside. Hey! That doesn’t go there!”  

Amid the bustling servants, birthday gifts for Alec began to pile up neatly by the fireplace. Solnia thought they looked like a tree—a beautiful, radiant tree that arrived every autumn.  

Of course, there was nothing among them for her.  

She was known as Alec’s younger sister, a child born in summer, not autumn.  

Although she later came to understand the complicated story surrounding her birth, she didn’t at the time. So, she could only watch the growing pile of gifts for her twin brother with tearful eyes.  

“My dear Alec. I can’t believe you’re already seven years old.”  

That evening, Alec’s grand seventh birthday party began. It was attended not only by their father’s friends and their families but also by their grandmother, who delivered a blessing-like speech.  

“May you continue to grow healthy and bright. That is all this grandmother wishes for.”  

“Yes, Grandmother.”  

When Alec smiled brightly, sighs of admiration erupted from those around him.  

Her grandmother’s kind smile, the happy faces of their parents holding hands tightly, and the guests’ expressions as if they were gazing at a beloved treasure—  

Solnia smiled like an obedient child and quietly slipped away from the party. That was not a place for her.  

More than anything, she felt unbearably frustrated and resentful.  

Her own birthday party, held earlier that summer, had not been attended by nearly as many people. Her grandmother hadn’t come either. There had been no speech, not even a simple letter, nor a pile of gifts by the fireplace.  

Most importantly, today was her actual birthday.  

‘They all know!’  

As she recalled her parents’ blissful faces, tears began to flow.  

Fearing someone might see her, she hurriedly wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and headed to the rear garden. Only after standing in the now-chilly night air for a long time did her sobs finally subside.  

‘I’m sorry, Solnia. You must have felt so hurt.’  

On the night after every party, her mother would always come to her and say those words. Then, they would sleep together in her bed. Her mother would stroke her hair until she fell asleep, singing the lullaby her own mother had sung to her.  

Thinking of her mother’s face, Solnia suddenly felt embarrassed by her fleeting tantrum. If her grandmother noticed her sulking here, it might cause trouble for her mother again.  

It was at that moment.  

“Do you need a handkerchief?”  

Startled by the unfamiliar voice, she turned around to see a boy with a unique hair color standing there.  

He was a head taller than Alec. His lemon-colored blond hair, neat attire, and blue cravat stood out. But what caught Solnia’s attention even more was—  

“Shall I give it to you?”  

His kind smile.  

His spotless face was looking at her with a pure smile.  

His crescent-shaped eyes and dimples in his cheeks were so lovely that Solnia found herself at a loss for words.  

“Here.”  

The boy approached and placed the handkerchief directly into her hand. Then, he plopped down beside her and smiled warmly.  

“It’s embarrassing to be stared at, isn’t it?”  

With that, he quickly turned his head away.  

“I won’t look, so take your time.”  

He said it so gently.  

***

The eldest son of the Ikleit Count Household, Evan Ikleit, was a boy as kind as he looked.  

‘Hello, Solnia?’ 

Even when everyone else greeted Alec first, Evan always inquired about Solnia’s well-being.  

‘Solnia doesn’t like broccoli.’ 

Aside from her parents, he was the first to remember what she disliked.  

While other boys were swinging wooden swords around, he would stay quietly by her side, reading books to her. He had even helped bury Naren together with her.  

He was the kindest person she could remember.  

And now, Evan Ikleit stood before her, looking just like he had in those days.  

“How, how did you…”  

Solnia couldn’t finish her sentence. She was so delighted by the unexpected appearance of someone she hadn’t anticipated.  

His slim, well-dressed figure in a tailcoat, his lemon-colored hair swaying softly, and the dimples that appeared when he smiled—  

It really was Evan Ikleit.  

“How else? I couldn’t miss the Dowager’s seventieth birthday party.”  

Evan gently took her dazed hand and kissed the back of it lightly.  

It felt strange.  

That Evan, now a dependable man, was kissing the back of her hand.  

As he straightened his bent waist, Solnia’s gaze naturally followed upward. Evan smiled brightly, as if he found her small movement endearing.  

“Do you mind if I sit here?”  

“Of course.”  

As soon as Solnia gave her permission, Evan sat down beside her.  

Seeing him up close, his appearance made the passage of the past ten years feel all the more real.  

The face that had once been cute and gentle now exuded a mature, masculine charm.  

“Why are you staring at me like that?”  

“Just… I’m so surprised.”  

Feeling embarrassed, Solnia quickly changed the subject.  

“I didn’t hear you were coming. How did you get here?”  

“My schedule wrapped up earlier than expected, so I stopped by.”  

“…”  

“To see you.”  

At his brief statement, Solnia froze for a moment. His kind green eyes focused intently on her.  

“If someone overheard, they might think you’re saying something scandalous.”  

Solnia glanced around as she spoke. Only then did Evan notice the dozens of gazes directed toward them and burst into hearty laughter. He then spoke loudly, as if for everyone to hear.  

“Who would say something like that to a married woman and a man who had just visited his fiancée’s house?”

It seemed to work, as some of the stares receded. The absurdity of the situation made Solnia laugh involuntarily.  

“Did you visit Colbert?”  

Solnia asked. Last winter, Evan had held an engagement ceremony with the Viscountess Colbert’s daughter.  

Evan nodded, then cast a playful glance her way.  

“So you knew who I was engaged to? Even though you never sent me a single letter.”  

“I’m sorry. I’ve been too busy adjusting to my new life. But I’ve been keeping up with the news.”  

“I was joking. Newlyweds should be enjoying themselves.”  

“…”  

“And besides, your husband wouldn’t take kindly to you writing letters to another man, would he?”  

Evan playfully raised an eyebrow and gestured toward the mansion where the ballroom was located.