Chapter 62
Realizing that all the maids’ eyes were focused on her, she intentionally asked a mischievous question. As expected, Walter hesitated.
“…….”
“You don’t have to answer. As long as I’m satisfied, that’s enough.”
Since she hadn’t expected anything from the start, she spoke up just as he was about to respond. After all, she had to maintain the dignity of a colonel.
Chuckling, she passed him and stepped into the hallway, where startled maids rushed over. Reminding her to be careful with her dress, which was easily soiled.
Walter watched as Hermia descended the stairs with the maids and turned his head at the sound of approaching footsteps.
Emily had come closer, shaking her head disapprovingly.
“Why did you hesitate?”
He was about to respond when Emily raised her palm and pointed toward the shabby room inside.
“Should we call someone to completely renovate it?”
“…Leave it.”
Leaving behind a bedroom that clearly looked unwelcoming, he turned around and went down the stairs.
He decided against inspecting every corner of the room. He didn’t want to show unpleasant feelings in front of Hermia, who had lived there for six years.
Transforming just one bedroom would be easy with a single word, but considering the bitterness Hermia would feel from it, it was better to leave it as is.
If he said her room was too old to change, she would realize, “Oh. My room was old.”
Walter composed his expression and returned with his usual calm demeanor as he exited the Count’s residence.
Inside the Duke’s carriage, Hermia was already seated. Seeing her comfortably in her space made him feel much better.
He hopped up and took his seat across from her.
“I left the window open.”
At Hermia’s words, Walter shifted his gaze to the fully opened window.
“If it’s closed… symptoms might appear.”
When he saw her shy smile after saying that, any lingering discomfort vanished in an instant.
“Well done.”
He praised his fiancée’s wisdom with those words and couldn’t help but smile a little himself.
The coachman closed the door and took his place at the front. With a shout of “Giddy up!” the carriage began to move slowly.
As they picked up speed, Hermia’s cute little wisps of hair danced in the night breeze at the edge of her forehead.
“In winter, it’ll be too cold to open the windows. Then we might not be able to ride in the carriage together.”
Her softly spoken voice blended gently into the night air.
Everything visible and audible felt dreamlike. Perhaps this wasn’t a dream after all.
Ironically, he recalled his most intense memories during this peaceful moment.
There had been a time when supplies hadn’t arrived on time and ammunition ran low; while retreating and recapturing positions, he had been shot by a sniper. In a situation where even bandages and gauze were running out, he had felt death for the first time.
They say that when faced with death, one recalls their happiest memories in life; perhaps this was one of those moments, he thought humorously as it passed through his mind.
“Your Grace?”
“…Ah.”
“What are you thinking so deeply about?”
Hermia’s face filled his vision and finally broke him out of his reverie. Walter turned his gaze to the peaceful summer night scenery passing outside the carriage window and chuckled softly.
“I thought I should catch that writer soon. To prevent the curse from lasting until winter.”
Then she puffed up as if offering him grace.
“Well, even if you can’t catch him, I’ll let you ride in my carriage. If I tie you up tightly, it should be fine.”
After saying that, Hermia rolled her eyes and burst into laughter. It seemed she imagined him tied up with ropes inside a carriage on some cold day.
Walter wasn’t particularly imaginative, so he simply gazed at her quietly.
Winter. The fact that he would be part of her future family made him smile again.
The world beyond this woman became clearer.
He didn’t know how life would end, but if recalling happy memories before impending death meant something… then surely this moment would be it.
* * *
Hermia took a deep breath to calm her nerves before stepping down onto solid ground by holding onto Walter’s arm. Despite being outside, the courtyard was filled with sparkling marble tiles. Perhaps because of the palace’s white exterior walls, everything was dazzlingly bright.
She wanted to look around eagerly while tilting her head back but had to exercise considerable restraint not to do so. To execute what she had planned with Walter inside the carriage today, she needed to appear unwell.
She began walking alongside Walter down a path flanked by royal guards in red uniforms. They saluted Walter at sharp angles since he was an army commander.
A steward whose name was written on the invitation greeted them at the entrance of the banquet hall. As soon as Hermia saw the middle-aged gentleman, she hurriedly pulled out her invitation from her pouch.
At the rustling sound, Walter turned his head toward her crumpled paper and naturally stopped her.
“It’s fine.”
It meant they didn’t need an invitation after all. She had worked hard to attach it! Damn it!
The invitation that resembled puzzle pieces returned back into her handbag. Hermia feigned nonchalance as she fastened her buckle and smiled.
“Welcome, Your Grace and Miss Vansen. You two are our last guests.”
As the steward spoke in an official yet polite manner and stepped aside, two enormous doors swung open like those of a church entrance.
As they entered further inside, the lights of the banquet hall reflected brighter in Hermia’s eyes.
Underneath a brilliantly colored crystal chandelier adorned with various hues, a massive curtain displaying the Müller royal crest filled her sight entirely.
“The Duke of Rockford and his fiancée are entering!”
The doorman holding a card listing guests puffed out his chest like a bird as he boomed loudly. Startled by this unexpected auditory assault, she flinched slightly and furrowed her brow.
‘Since when did my name become ‘fiancée’?’
If that’s how it is, they could have just written ‘the Duke’s fiancée’ on the invitation. While sneering internally at this thought, she even heard trumpet sounds accompanying this raucous welcome greeting.
Unconsciously tightening her grip on Walter’s arm made her feel more like a soldier preparing for battle than feeling intimidated by it.
With each step they took across the red carpet running through the center of the hall, countless gazes pierced into her back like needles making it tingle uncomfortably.
As soon as they entered indoors, she caught sight of everyone invited in just an instant.
Women hiding their faces behind fans and men holding champagne glasses or cigars—all familiar faces she had seen repeatedly at social gatherings dragged along by countesses searching for marriage partners during past events were present here too.
Among them were members of Ban.Sa.Yo including Irene scattered throughout. Hermia lifted her chin defiantly but quickly hunched over again—she had decided to pretend to be unwell after all!
Yes. Go ahead and gawk all you want. I’ll show you something more interesting later on!
Walking while consciously looking down at the floor, she noticed Walter slowing down his steps and stopped walking in response. Cautiously lifting her head revealed a man wearing a golden crown sitting high on three steps like a platform—the King himself!
Beside him sat a beautiful blonde lady.
‘Oh my gosh! That’s really the Queen.’
It didn’t feel real that royalty she had only seen in newspaper portraits were just steps away from her. Hastily bowing her head made way for a deep voice ringing above her head.
“Welcome, Duke.”
“It has been quite some time.”
“Have you been enjoying your vacation?”
“Yes.”
“…….”
After that monotonous and stiff reply came a brief silence. Even if they didn’t ask about each other’s health or express gratitude for consideration shown—wasn’t skipping even superficial pleasantries rather typical?
The current King of Müller Kingdom, Shawn Christopher Müller looked down at Walter with an unimpressed gaze before suddenly bursting into laughter loudly like “Ha!”
Hermia glanced up slightly but immediately lowered her head again upon meeting eyes with the Queen.
“You’re becoming more like Prince Leo day by day! How can you resemble him so much even in your boring personality?”
“Shawn.”
Even though it was meant as a reminder for him to maintain decorum from the Queen’s callout; Shawn leaned forward casually instead.
“But seeing you come here makes me think you’re willing to introduce your fiancée? Honestly speaking though—I’m not very curious about you; what I’m curious about is this side here.”
After playful teasing came curious gazes landing atop Hermia’s head.
“Well then! Let me hear greetings from this lady who has taken hold of a man who even rejected being called my son-in-law!”
“…….”
Despite being thoroughly prepared for this moment with firm determination; cold sweat started forming on her brow. If only she had brought along a pouch with strings attached! The bag kept slipping from her damp palms.
But now Walter remained silent when he should have responded. Hermia stood closely beside him while tapping lightly on his tailcoat.
‘What are you doing? Have you forgotten already?’
Like someone who had just dropped a coin on the ground, she bent forward slightly, urgently signaling him. Only then did Walter snap back to reality.
“Ah! This is my fiancée Miss Hermia Vansen—she is Count Arnold Vansen’s only daughter…”
No one here needed an introduction like that!
Feeling frustrated again; she poked him once more which made him speak again like a wound-up toy.
“…She caught quite a bad cold so since this morning she hasn’t been able to speak properly due to losing her voice—my apologies.”
“A cold? In weather like this?”
The King frowned as he asked the question. Instinctively, Hermia knew Walter wouldn’t be able to gloss over this smoothly.
She hadn’t intended to intervene, but… she had no choice.
