Chapter 5 – Acknowledgement (Part 10)

It was the first time.  

Her mother had sarcastically and openly opposed her father’s words like this.  

But it seemed that only Evan and she were surprised.  

“What am I not seeing?”

Her father, as if accustomed to it, looked at her mother steadily without a change in expression.

“If the rumors spread before she gets married, do you think those rumors will disappear? If those rumors reach the family Olivie marries into, will our Lie be able to live comfortably? And where on this continent is there a country as decadent as Plen?”

“……”  

At her mother’s words, a groan escaped her father’s lips. It seemed that this kind of argument had been going on continuously until Olivie arrived. It looked like there was no solution other than for her to quickly settle this fight.  

‘I’ll talk about Robin first.’

“Ah……”  

“So, are you saying we should propose an engagement to the Tanner family as the rumors suggest?”  

“Why not? Lord Tanner says he loves Olivie.”  

Hmm.  

Olivie closed her mouth tightly again, which she had opened in response to their conversation. Evan’s expression briefly showed a hint of a smirk, but she decided to ignore it for now.  

That wasn’t the important thing.  

‘Hmm.’  

So the rumors have spread?  

Where should I start to unravel this? 

While she pondered for a moment, her father spoke with a disapproving look.  

“Know your place……”  

“Stop saying that damned phrase about knowing your place!”  

Her mother shouted irritably at the words that slipped from her father’s mouth as if by habit.  

“What’s so wrong with our Lie that you keep saying such things!”  

Of course, her tone wasn’t as frivolous as when she shouted. But not only Olivie, even Evan and her father’s gazes turned to her mother at her passionate emotion, which they saw for the first time. Ignoring the gazes of the two people sitting in front of her, her mother firmly held her hand.

“Your biological mother was a noble. She was a noble.”

This was the first time she heard this story.  

“Of course, she was a fallen noble, so she had no title at the time. But she was still a noble, so you’re not a commoner. It’s nonsense to say you’re a commoner. And more importantly, what does it matter who your biological mother was? You’re my daughter. You’re an Elphano.”

Her mother bit her lip as if she couldn’t contain her rising emotions.  

However,  

“So there’s no need to think otherwise, Lie. Know your place? He should know his own place!”

Her words were clearly an attack on her father, who cleared his throat and looked at the ceiling, while her brother Evan subtly moved to sit next to their mother.  

“I’m on Mom’s side. Everything Mom says is right.”

“……”  

At Evan’s words, their father stared at him intently, but it didn’t last long.  

“And if you did something wrong, you should seek forgiveness first. What’s all this nagging?” 

Glancing at his mother, who was only saying what was right, his father tilted his head back and looked up at the ceiling. With a sigh that seemed to express frustration, Evan clicked his tongue and opened his mouth.

“That’s right, father. You’ve never apologized to Lie, have you? About that issue, and about this Louis matter, you owe her an apology.”  

“……”  

Seeing Evan’s normal demeanor, which was usually filled with anger, Olivie widened her eyes. Her mother also looked secretly surprised. So, of course, her father must have been even more so.  

Sensing the gaze on him, Evan’s ears turned slightly red. He awkwardly rubbed his warm ears with his hand and looked at his father.

“And I also prefer Olivie to stay here rather than go to another country. If it’s with Robin, there’s nothing better.”

Evan had heard a lot about Robin since their academy days. Of course, Evan was older than Robin, so they were in different years, but there seemed to be stories he had heard during the same period at school. Honestly, Olivie knew he was on her side ever since he asked about Robin on the stairs a while ago. And she also knew he was very favorable toward Robin.

‘He didn’t seem interested before.’

In any case, with the situation becoming a bit smoother, the only one left was her father. But her father stubbornly shook his head.

“I admit I misjudged the person. I also apologize for being the cause of the family discord. But the Tanner family is not acceptable.”

“Father.”

“Dear.”

Evan and her mother called out to her father in succession. Olivie simply stared at her father instead of calling out to him. It seemed like it wasn’t just a dislike for Robin. She wondered if there could be another reason she didn’t know about. With that thought, she spoke to her father.

“Why?”

“……”

“I’m not being defiant. I’m just curious. Why are you opposed, Father?”

Olivie looked at him intently. Her father then turned his body towards her.

“It will be difficult for you.”

At her father’s brief words, Olivie furrowed her brows. But her father seemed frustrated that the three of them couldn’t understand his intentions. He lightly pounded his chest and met Olivie’s eyes.

“Have you heard about Princess Swedina?”

“Yes.”

“Have you also heard that the princess liked the Tanner family for quite a long time?”

When Olivie nodded at her father’s words, he continued speaking.  

“Do you know how many people in Plen and neighboring countries like him, besides that Princess? From what I’ve heard, it’s over twenty. Surely, his face will be a source of trouble.”  

The last words were what her father really wanted to say.  

The cost of a handsome face.

Olivie looked at her mother, hearing her father’s sentiment, which closely resembled what she had said to her mother a few days ago. Her mother, filled with things she wanted to say, stared intently at her father. Her father, seemingly reading her mother’s gaze, nodded his head.

“Handsome people have many temptations. I was like that too.”  

“Pfft.”  

Evan burst into laughter at his father’s slightly sheepish words and buried his head downward. Of course, it was of no use since his father had already heard everything. But Evan turned his head completely to avoid his father’s gaze. Watching his son’s reaction, his father reluctantly turned his gaze away.  

“Hmm, so don’t go for someone too handsome. It will be hard.”

“……”  

Olivie bit her lip at her father’s words. Somehow, she felt like she could understand her father’s feelings. Her father was not a philanderer. Of course, her father’s great mistake was not something that could be forgiven. However, she felt it wasn’t her place as a child to judge her father’s mistakes.  

That was for her parents to handle.  

But she thought she could understand the heart of a father who, reflecting on his mistakes, wished for his daughter not to suffer. The reason her father had chosen Louis was also because of this.

Therefore.  

“It’s not an issue of appearance, but a matter of character, Father.”  

Olivie couldn’t accept her father’s reasoning.  

“Look at Louis.”  

Everyone was likely envisioning his unspeakable state in their minds. Her father, recalling Louis’s face and the atrocities he committed, hardened his expression. Olivie, who had been watching her father with that expression, smiled faintly.  

“So, if that’s the reason you won’t give your permission, I hope you won’t oppose it.”  

“Anyone would be better than Louis.”

At Evan’s voice supporting Olivie’s words, her father let out a long sigh. He seemed to have nothing more to say, but his gaze, which didn’t easily nod in agreement, moved past her mother and stopped at Olivie. In her father’s eyes, unable to look at her directly, she saw a multitude of emotions. Olivie, seeing her father’s haggard face, which had been troubled since the annulment, stood up and sat beside him.  

Then, without saying much, she linked her arm with his and rested her head on his shoulder.

When she was young, she often sought out her father and acted like this, but after the age of ten, their father-daughter relationship had gradually grown distant. Of course, she felt abundantly that her father loved her. She knew it without him having to say it. She just thought that affectionate words were difficult for her taciturn father, and she had no choice but to let it go.  

Just like now.  

“Father.”  

“I’m sorry, Lie.”

His gaze, tapping the back of the hand wrapped around his arm, looked down at Olivie. In his eyes, filled with apology and uncertainty about how to continue the conversation, Olivie swallowed her breath. At that moment, the voice of the butler came from outside the door.

“Earl, the young Earl of the Tanner family has come to visit.”  

At his words, Olivie, too surprised, couldn’t close her gaping mouth and turned her head. Her father’s, mother’s, and brother’s gazes all gathered together. Unable to hide her embarrassment at those gazes, Olivie’s face quickly flushed red.  

‘Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.’  

The words he said to reassure her came to mind.