IWPU 35

Chapter 35

“You are saying the obvious.”

“But I…….”

Anasha lowered her eyes, unable to continue speaking. Though she didn’t speak, I could sense her thoughts. She may now be called a countess, but at heart, she’s a commoner. That label will haunt her until the day she dies.

Although she was officially a noblewoman, having received a middle name as her maternal grandfather’s wife, it was only on paper and did not have any social significance.

The nobility were people whose pride in their lineage reached the skies. Therefore, they would never acknowledge a nobleman of commoner origin. There were frequent cases of commoners becoming nobles through marriage or great achievement. However, most of them failed to adapt to society and were ostracized.

This tendency was more pronounced among women than men. In most cases, commoner men became nobles through recognition of their abilities as knights. In these cases, they held titles for life, unable to be passed on to their children. From the perspective of existing nobles, they were no different from commoners.

The problem lay in the elevation of status through marriage. A woman’s position was tied to her husband’s. Even a commoner, like Anasha, could become a countess by formally marrying a count. It was by no means easy, but it wasn’t impossible.

No noble would have been pleased with a commoner holding a higher position than themselves. Existing nobles viewed those who rose through marriage with a taboo. Spreading malicious rumors or ignoring them was considered a form of coquetry. Ignoring them was commonplace, and public humiliation was commonplace at the slightest sign of a breach.

It wasn’t just nobles of commoner origin. The same was true for those who associated with nobles of commoner origin. Anasha was concerned about this.

“Anasha, I can never think of you as my family.”

Anasha’s head lowered even further. My sudden remark startled not only Rant but also the people of Louisa, staring at me.

“But I consider you a friend.”

Anasha’s head rose quickly. Her eyes, wide open in surprise, were moist with tears.

“It’s natural to come to your friend’s coming-of-age party. So be confident.”

I was the legitimate daughter of a Marquis and the fiancée of the Crown Prince. No one would dare openly disrespect me. Even if they did, it wouldn’t matter. Associating with such people wouldn’t be of any help to me.

I knew the workings of social circles. If I held my ground and stood strong, they wouldn’t be able to manipulate me. I had the position and background to do so. How I leveraged that power was entirely up to me. I was confident I wouldn’t be pushed around.

I left the room, leaving Anasha behind. I heard a commotion behind me. Rant, who had been holding my hand, tightened his grip.

“I like my older sister.”

“I like you too, Land. It would be better if you just left out the word ‘older sister.’ It’s a shame.”

Landt smiled sheepishly. Despite being a gentleman, he sometimes threw a tantrum in the most unusual situations. Being stubborn wasn’t a bad thing. As the heir to the Marquisate, being too gentle wasn’t a good thing. But every time Landt called him “sister,” he couldn’t help but think of the cabaret swindler who lured married women. He decided he had to find a way to change that tone as soon as possible.

“uh!”

As they exited the main building, a carriage from the palace was waiting. Beside it stood the Marquis, his face impassive. Rant quickly lowered his head.

The Marquis glanced at me, glanced at Land, and immediately climbed into the carriage. Supported by Land, I followed the Marquis into the carriage.

“Take care and have a safe trip.”

Rant waved at me until the carriage started moving. I waved back. In an instant, the mansion disappeared into the distance. I straightened my skirt and straightened my posture.

I always felt this way, but being alone with the Marquis made me strangely nervous. Had I known this would happen, I regretted inviting Anasha to join me. I hadn’t even considered this.

Despite the clatter of wheels and the clatter of horses’ hooves, the carriage was surprisingly quiet. The Marquis remained silent. I, too, had nothing else to say, so we spent our time in silence as usual.

The carriage finally stopped.

I checked my dress one last time before getting off the carriage. Perhaps because I was sitting upright, the dress was intact, except for a few wrinkles. I smoothed them out with my hands.

As I was adjusting my dress and standing up, a large hand reached out in front of me.

“…….”

When I raised my head, the Marquis was waiting for me, his hand outstretched. He was a man who always observed basic etiquette. Without a second thought, I took his hand.

I stepped out of the carriage, supported by the Marquis. The palace, unlike usual, was ablaze with hundreds of lights. I saw the palace attendant, who had been waiting in the distance, spot me and the Marquis and approach me. I tried to let go of the Marquis’ hand to smooth the hem of my dress one last time.

“what…….”

The Marquis was staring at me, his hand firmly gripping mine. I stared at him, bewildered by his sudden action. His lips moved slightly. He seemed to be saying something, but I couldn’t hear it.

“Do you have anything to say to me?”

The palace attendant was almost there. I tried to let go of the Marquis’ hand again, but his grip wouldn’t budge.

“Please let go of this hand…….”

“today…….”

The Marquis’s lips twitched again. The words were so small that only a single word could be heard.

“yes?”

“You look so pretty today.”

I froze. Words came out of the Marquis that I never expected to hear in my entire life. I knew his attitude toward me had changed since my grandfather passed away and I cried so much.

The Marquis showed his consideration for me and Land in his own way. By delegating full authority over the Eliant family’s internal affairs to me, he gave me the freedom to do whatever I wanted within the household.

Unless something special came up, he would come down to the restaurant every evening and eat with us. He didn’t say a word during the meal, but I knew it was his way of showing his concern for us.

He was changing, little by little. I couldn’t figure out what had caused the Marquis to change, but this change wasn’t bad. It hadn’t yet sunk in, but he was still my father. Rather than a relationship worse than that of others, this lukewarm father-daughter relationship seemed more acceptable.

I smiled at him.

“It’s a coming-of-age ceremony. You have to look your best.”

“I see.”

He nodded. He still held my hand. The palace attendant approached us and bowed.

“Your Excellency the Marquis of Element, Lady Element, I’m Thomas, your guide. I’ll escort you to Erharak Hall. Please follow me.”

The palace attendant turned and began to lead the way. The Marquis moved, holding my hand. He seemed unwilling to let go. I took his hand and followed the attendant.

Today was my coming of age day.