Tell Me To Regret, Don’t Tempt Me - Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Following the busy Daisy, Vivian became busy as well and could not visit the palace often. Even when she went to the Emperor’s forest, she could only meet Zero and Aitor; she couldn’t see even the tip of Louis’s shoe.
“Has His Highness the Crown Prince been coming often these days?”
Vivian, watching Zero grazing in a trance, asked Aitor, who was diligently reading a book.
“……”
Aitor was so absorbed in his book that he didn’t even know Vivian was talking to him. She stretched her neck and peeked at the book he was reading.
It was a book densely filled with ancient language, strange symbols, and formulas. Although she could read a bit of the ancient language, reading and understanding were different things. As her eyes began to spin from the incomprehensible characters, Aitor, startled, jumped up from his seat.
“Why, why are you so close…?”
“Huh?”
Aitor, his face flushed, stammered and stepped back from Vivian.
“I’ve been talking to you all this time, Aitor. You didn’t hear a single word?”
“When…?”
Aitor still kept his distance and looked at Vivian suspiciously. Zero, who was grazing, trotted over to the two at the sudden commotion.
“Zero, have you finished eating the grass?”
Vivian wiped the green stains from Zero’s mouth with her hand.
“Zero, aren’t you cold?”
She smiled bashfully as Zero wagged his tail and licked her hand enthusiastically.
“I came because I have a gift for you today, Zero.”
Vivian rummaged through her bag. She pulled out a small knitted cloth of green and red.
“What’s that?”
“Now you pay attention to me, Aitor.”
Pouting her lips, Vivian grumbled as Aitor scratched the back of his head and walked over to her.
“Sorry, Vivian. When I read, I become completely unaware of what’s happening around me.”
“I know. I often do that too. But still, it makes me a bit sad.”
Vivian leaned forward and wrapped a small piece of crocheted fabric around Zero’s neck, vowing never again to hide behind a book.
“It’s a scarf, Zero. I knitted it myself.”
“Woof woof!”
Zero started spinning around, seemingly pleased with the scarf Vivian had given him.
“What book are you reading now?”
“Oh, it’s a book given to me by His Highness the Crown Prince. It’s about magic, but there are still many difficult parts…”
Frowning, Aitor kicked a stone on the floor in frustration, causing a startled Zero to grunt and hide behind Vivian.
“Have you been studying magic lately?”
“Rather than studying…”
Trailing off, Aitor placed the book on the tree stump.
“But really, what did you say earlier?”
Vivian sighed softly at Aitor’s question, then lifted Zero up and sat down on the stump. Zero, seeming comfortable on Vivian’s lap, lay on his back with his belly exposed to the sky. Vivian rubbed Zero’s belly while glancing at Aitor.
“I asked if His Highness the Crown Prince has been coming often.”
“Oh… His Highness can’t come often. Instead, Commander Raiden and Aide Allen come frequently to take care of various things.”
So, it wasn’t just me who couldn’t see him.
When Vivian stopped rubbing Zero’s belly in response to Aitor’s words, Zero waved his paws as if urging her to continue. Smiling, she resumed rubbing Zero’s belly.
“They say he’s busy with some banquet.”
“I see.”
Seeing Vivian smile bashfully, Aitor shrugged his shoulders and looked up at the gathering dark clouds.
“It might snow.”
At his words, Vivian also looked up at the sky. Just as he said, the dreary weather looked like it might soon start to pour. But since it was winter, it would snow rather than rain.
A white puff of breath escaped Vivian’s mouth.
“You’re right. The first snow is coming.”
At that moment, a single white speck started fluttering down from above. Soon, more snowflakes began to join it.
“It’s snowing! Aitor! Zero!”
As soon as Vivian finished speaking, the falling snow began to settle on the cold ground. Zero, excited by the snow, jumped off Vivian’s lap. He landed nimbly on the ground and started snapping at the snowflakes.
Aitor sighed at Zero’s silly movements and picked up his book.
“If it snows heavily, it’ll be hard to leave the forest. We should head back soon, Vivian.”
Nodding at Aitor’s suggestion, Vivian stood up from the tree stump. She then pulled something out of her bag and handed it to Aitor.
“Here! A gift!”
“What?”
“This is for you.”
It was a scarf in the same colors as Zero’s. Aitor, staring dumbly at the scarf in front of his nose, slowly raised his hand.
“Did you make this too?”
“No!”
Vivian, who spoke confidently, lifted her heels and then awkwardly smiled.
“I’m not that skilled with my hands. My limit is the scarf Zero is wearing. That one was made by Tia. But! I did pick the yarn myself and asked Tia to make it.”
Aitor ran a hand through his hair, embarrassed by Vivian’s words.
Snow fell on his golden hair, on Vivian’s lush brown hair, and on Zero’s fluffy fur.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You spend a lot of time outside training Zero. I hope you use it well.”
Vivian said goodbye to Aitor, who was staring intently at the scarf, and also bid farewell to Zero, who was still fiercely fighting with the snow.
“I’m going now.”
Vivian, who had climbed into the carriage, waved as she said she would visit again after the winter banquet. Watching the carriage leave the forest, Aitor smiled broadly and slowly wrapped the scarf around his neck.
* * *
The day of the winter banquet.
It was the weather perfect for a winter banquet. The snow that had fallen until last night stopped only at dawn. The shining snow piled up against made the whole world white.
It was a sight that couldn’t be seen in the southern duchy. Tia, barely restraining Vivian, who wanted to run out and make a snowman as soon as she opened her eyes, pushed her into the bathroom.
Today, Vivian had to take an unusually long and thorough bath. Tia and the other maids were especially enthusiastic.
“My Lady! Today is your first banquet!”
Tia responded firmly to Vivian’s grumbling about whether she could stop washing. Even though it was a banquet, children usually just followed the adults around, greeted people, played with peers in the playroom, or ran around the garden. Then, when the time came, they had to leave the banquet hall.
It took Vivian twice as long as usual to get out of the bathroom. The next test of patience for Vivian was the time it took to comb her hair.
“Ow! It hurts, Tia.”
“Please bear with it a little longer, Miss. Beauty is not easily obtained.”
Vivian almost voiced her resignation to beauty, thinking she wasn’t pretty anyway, but seeing Tia diligently combing her hair, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
They applied scented oil and combed and combed again. To tame Vivian’s curly hair, they had to keep brushing.
“Miss, it’s done.”
Vivian, who had begun to doze off from the wait, opened her eyes at Tia’s words.
“Wow.”
Vivian’s heavy eyelids snapped open at the sight of herself in the mirror. Normally, her curly hair would get frizzy if not meticulously managed, so she usually braided or tied it up.
But now, her glossy, wavy hair cascaded like a waterfall. When she touched it, it was so soft it slipped right through her fingers.
“Tia! Tia, you’re a genius!”
“Of course. When it comes to handling Miss’s hair, I’m a genius.”
Tia’s shoulders rose proudly as she clapped her hands together loudly.
“Now! Next is the dress.”
Vivian, who had been marveling at her soft hair, turned pale at Tia’s words.
* * *
“Vivian! You look really beautiful today.”
Vivian came down to the first floor just in time to depart for the banquet. Duke Tereon, who had been waiting, gaped at her.
“Tereon, your jaw will drop.”
Daisy, standing next to him, gently pushed his chin up with her index finger.
“Father, Mother, you both look so dashing and beautiful.”
At Vivian’s words, Tia, standing behind, nodded vigorously in agreement. Each of their outfits suited them perfectly. A golden rose of the Dinever lineage was embroidered on Tereon’s breastplate, the same rose that was also on the hem of Daisy and Vivian’s dresses.
“Shall we depart, my ladies?”
The carriage carrying the three of them moved smoothly forward. As it neared the Dovellia Palace, the carriage gradually slowed down due to the influx of noble carriages heading to the banquet.
Vivian, who had her head pressed against the window, kept exclaiming in awe.
“What’s so amazing?”
“I’ve never seen so many carriages before.”
Understandably so, since Vivian had spent most of her time inside the ducal mansion while at the Raspol estate, it was no surprise she was amazed by the line of carriages waiting to enter the palace.
Today, the Dovellia Palace looked more beautiful than ever. The white snow and the white palace made it look like heaven in an old masterpiece.
Fortunately, Vivian, Daisy, and Tereon didn’t have to spend too long in the carriage. High-ranking nobles had a separate entrance, allowing the Duke’s carriage to bypass the line and enter more quickly.
The carriage stopped at the main entrance of the banquet hall.
As the white carriage with the golden rose emblem appeared in front of the banquet hall, the eyes of the nobles who had arrived earlier turned towards it.
“The Duchess is attending today as well.”
“Yes, I heard she helped prepare the winter banquet with Her Majesty the Empress.”
“I’m glad to hear that, for they have been close friends since childhood.”
“Is Lady Vivian attending today as well?”
“Yes, I heard she is. Is she really going to be engaged to His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“I heard she was plain-looking, but I guess being from such a family allows her to secure the position of Crown Princess.”
Even before they got out, the gathered noblewomen began gossiping behind their fans.
“Oh, they’re getting out.”
They craned their necks to catch a glimpse of Vivian, who was only known by rumors. Tereon was the first to step out of the carriage. He then helped Daisy down.
“The Duchess’s beauty is still unrivaled.”
This was the general consensus among the nobles who saw Daisy. Following her, a small young lady stepped out.
“Oh my, that must be Lady Vivian.”
“She’s not unattractive but…”
Vivian, taking Tereon’s arm and slowly stepping out of the carriage, smiled brightly at her father.
“She’s quite plain, isn’t she?”
“Yes, as expected, the rumors in the social circle aren’t reliable.”
“Still, she doesn’t seem to resemble her parents.”
“That’s because the Duke and Duchess are so handsome and beautiful…..”
Tereon held Vivian’s hand, which seemed uneasy under the focused gazes.
“Vivian, there’s no need to be so nervous.”
Nodding at her father’s words, Vivian took a deep breath and exhaled.
“I’m fine.”
As Vivian nodded, Tereon, with Daisy on his arm and holding Vivian’s hand, stood at the entrance of the banquet hall.
“Announcing the entrance of Duke Tereon Dinever, Duchess Daisy Dinever, and Lady Vivian Dinever.”
Vivian’s first banquet had begun.