~Chapter 13~
At that moment, another carriage was heading toward the Duke’s mansion.
The two carriages passed each other at the straight, wide entrance.
Looking out the window, Elin’s eyes met the owner of the passing carriage.
“Oh…!”
The person wore a beautiful hat decorated with flowers and jewels. It was Sylvia.
Unlike Elin’s surprised expression, Sylvia’s face was very dark. Her eyes were red and puffy, as if she had been crying.
Seeing Elin, Sylvia’s expression turned cold.
‘She must have just left the Duke’s house. Well, she is close to the Grand Duchess.’
Anyone who had attended a party with Sylvia knew how close she was to the Duke’s mother.
Because of that, no one ever doubted that she would become the Duchess.
Elin felt her heart grow heavy again and let out a deep sigh.
The dark expression of the Countess she had just seen stayed on her mind.
She felt a wave of guilt, as if she were the cause of all this trouble.
“Could you wait here for a moment?”
Elin had hoped to meet the impressive butler she had seen before, but he was nowhere in sight.
Instead, a maid appeared and guided her into the drawing room.
“Thank you,” Elin said.
Once the maid left, Elin was alone and took in the interior slowly.
The drawing room was bright, with large arched windows adorned with heavily pleated white lace curtains.
A purple velvet sofa with golden legs was so beautiful it made her smile.
Being in a room that reflected the lady’s refined taste made her feel warm, though her heart raced.
“Huh?”
Her gaze fixed on one section of the wall.
Large and small framed paintings hung in an irregular pattern, and one immediately captured her attention.
“Wow…”
Ever since she was a child, she had loved drawing.
She didn’t know whose work it was or what the subject depicted, but she was instantly captivated.
Forgetting the tension that had stiffened her body moments ago, she immersed herself in the painting as if pulled into it.
“Do you like that painting?”
Startled, Elin let out an involuntary “Ah!”—so engrossed had she been that she hadn’t noticed anyone enter.
Placing a hand over her racing heart, she turned to see a beautiful middle-aged woman standing in the doorway.
Not only was the painting striking, but the woman in front of the white door was like a living portrait.
Her elegantly coiled blonde hair and the silhouette of her deep navy dress were both classic and alluring.
Ruby earrings, like pomegranate seeds, made her skin look flawless.
Even from her posture and aura, one could tell she was the Duke’s mother.
Elin scolded herself for being so absorbed and quickly composed herself politely.
“Madam, I’m Elin Nelson.”
Melisa approached with a subtle smile.
“Pleased to meet you, Miss Elin. I am Melisa Linderto.”
Her red lips curved in a captivating smile as she examined the young lady before her.
Though smiling gently, Melisa’s eyes were sharp, as if assessing the hidden value of an ancient artifact covered in dust.
‘Not as bad as I expected… actually, surprisingly good.’
Elin, seeing Melisa for the first time, couldn’t hide her nervousness.
Her body was slightly stiff with tension, but her transparent, radiant face and her effort not to make mistakes caught Melisa’s eye.
Even her composed gaze, meant not to appear servile, was noticed.
In that brief moment, Melisa observed all these details.
This young lady was different from others who approached her only out of courtesy because she was the Duke’s mother.
Having heard many negative things about the Nelson family, Melisa hadn’t expected much.
A young lady from such a family would normally disappoint.
‘Perhaps I set my expectations too low.’
Melisa smiled and stepped closer to Elin.
“I’ve heard a lot about you. I’ve been away from the capital, so this is the first time I’m seeing the woman who will become my daughter-in-law.”
“Please, speak freely, Grand Duchess.”
“Very well.”
After Melisa sat on the sofa, Elin calmly took a seat on the adjacent sofa.
Her eyes immediately caught sight of the dark stone on the table, just as Sylvia had.
Unlike Sylvia, however, Elin studied it closely.
“Such a strange piece, isn’t it? I could ask the staff to remove it.”
Elin looked up in surprise.
“Oh, no. I just find the shape of the stone fascinating.”
Melisa’s eyes sparkled as if questioning her meaning.
“It… it looks to me like a mother holding a newborn tightly in her arms.”
A shiver ran down Melisa’s spine.
Though countless people had seen the stone, no one had ever perceived it the way she did—until this young lady.
“Really… it looks that way to you?”
Elin blushed at the attention.
“I’m sorry. I just couldn’t help thinking that as soon as I saw it.”
Melisa smiled gently, tugging slightly at her lips.
“Each person sees something different. Depending on their situation, the same object can evoke different feelings. That is the charm of art, isn’t it?”
Elin nodded, agreeing.
Although Melisa’s gaze was soft, it was intense enough to make Elin’s heart race faster than when she was with the Duke, and her hands grew cold.
Melisa examined Elin closely again.
Her attire wasn’t flashy, yet she had a unique aura.
Among girls her age, she might not stand out immediately, but there was something that drew the eye repeatedly.
“If I had seen her at a party, I would have taken notice… why don’t I remember her?”
Elin’s cheeks warmed at Melisa’s remark, whether a question or a mutter.
Elin hadn’t attended many parties, and at the ones she had, she had carefully avoided drawing attention—especially from her stepmother and family.
“I had to care for a sick relative, so I spent many days away from the capital.”
Elin answered truthfully while keeping it safe. She knew that exposing her family would be like spitting on her own face.
“I see… how is that relative now?”
Elin recalled her great-aunt’s repeated warnings not to reveal her story.
“Much better. They even came from Castia to see my wedding.”
A soft smile appeared on Elin’s lips as she spoke.
“That’s a relief… but… did you say Castia?”
Melisa’s expression shifted subtly as she emphasized the place, leaving it unclear whether it invoked a good or bad feeling.
Elin’s voice lowered in case she had misspoken.
“Yes.”
“We have a villa in Castia. Something… unfortunate happened there once, but it’s a beautiful place.”
Elin relaxed slightly, realizing it wasn’t related to her great-aunt.
“The Duke loves that place. I can’t understand how he enjoys it despite… such events.”
Melisa pressed her temples as if the memory gave her a headache.
Elin’s heart raced; she realized the “unfortunate event” Melisa referred to might be the same one she had kept secret in Castia.
“Perhaps you and Dominic passed each other once or twice there. It’s not a very large place.”
Elin smiled awkwardly, nodding slightly.
“Maybe…”
“I wonder how you two first met? If he decided to marry you, there must be some incredible romance between you.”
Melisa’s eyes were gentle yet probing, as if reading Elin’s thoughts.
‘Incredible romance… there’s no such thing.’
Elin’s mind went blank at the unexpected question.
Yet the familiar, long-imagined romance slipped out naturally as she spoke.
Her years of quiet, unrequited love for Dominic were not a lie.
Melisa’s eyes softened as she listened.
“…That’s how the Duke proposed to me.”
At the final sentence, Melisa’s eyes glimmered with a hint of tears—Elin had apparently answered well.
“I didn’t know Dominic had such a romantic side.”
Melisa shrugged lightly, smiling.
Elin, sweating nervously, barely remembered how the rest of the conversation flowed.
She feared that Melisa might ask Dominic the same question, and the thought of telling him herself terrified her.
Better to die than to speak!
Confessing love seems less shameful.
The first meeting with her future mother-in-law had ended relatively successfully.
Yet the encounter had been so exhausting that Elin left completely drained.
As the carriage departed the mansion, she felt as if she had just completed a huge assignment.
“Let me off here, Charlie.”
She asked the carriage to stop mid-route home.
“But the lady said to return immediately when your business is done, Miss Elin.”
“I heard Mother has somewhere to go tonight too. Let me off here, and you can go back.”
“But…”
“Don’t worry. I can return on my own. Please tell Father I went to visit a sick friend.”
Charlie finally nodded and resumed driving.
She stepped off in the central shopping district, just two blocks from Campbell Street.
Walking briskly, Elin recalled the letter Charlotte had sent yesterday:
‘I haven’t been able to step outside due to illness.’
For someone as outgoing as Charlotte, such a message meant her condition must be serious.
Elin intended to check on her, provide company, and see if she was alright.
As she enjoyed the afternoon sun, Melisa’s words resurfaced in her mind:
‘The Duke loves that place. I can’t understand how he enjoys it despite… such events.’
Elin carefully unearthed the secret she had kept buried—her memories from Castia that she had never shared with anyone.
