Chapter 135
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136.
In truth, Belona harbored far greater resentment toward Danae than the latter could have imagined.
Her sense of betrayal ran so deep that she hadn't even attended Danae's wedding.
Theo was a man whose vessel was far too small to contain the vast ocean that was Danae.
Belona had recognized his fickle nature long ago.
Such a man would inevitably drag his family into ruin.
No matter how she examined it, Danae seemed such a waste.
She resented and begrudged her for leaping into that obvious inferno despite her warnings.
There were times when she wouldn't even turn her gaze toward Irencia, where the Obelia Mansion stood.
But as a year or two passed and word reached her that Danae had borne a beautiful daughter, gentle rains began to fall upon the parched earth of her anger.
When Rebecca, who bore such a striking resemblance to Danae, greeted her at her debutante ball, Belona found herself unable to suppress a smile.
Rebecca was as clever and beautiful as if I were witnessing Danae in her maiden days.
If things continued this way, perhaps I too could set aside my anger toward Danae and return to our former closeness—such hope began to bloom within me.
Yet as if to mock that very hope, calamity soon descended upon House of Obelia.
The terrible catastrophe that befell Danae was so dreadful that Belona wondered if she herself had cursed her.
Watching Rebecca wither day by day and Danae withdraw from society, Belona swallowed her tears in secret.
The desire to reproach her and the guilt of wondering if the outcome might have been different had I helped her tormented Belona relentlessly.
Belona was forever sifting through old memories, yearning for Danae. No one knew me as well or cherished me as genuinely as she did.
Yet the emotional chasm between us only deepened with time.
Caught between anger and regret, Belona wavered.
Then came word that Rebecca had escaped the shadow of Devonshire.
With her own eyes, Belona witnessed Rebecca blooming with vitality beside the Duke of Johannes.
At the same time, she learned that Danae had begun a business venture.
A noblewoman earning money was hardly a becoming sight.
Yet Belona perceived that the inner nature of the women gossiping about her was beginning to stir and shift.
Ladies began undertaking small ventures of their own in secret.
From Danae's modest flutter of wings, winds of change began to sweep across the entire Empire.
Moreover, Danae had not lost her elegance even as she pursued her business.
She had grown far beyond what I remembered, blooming into something more radiant.
Perhaps from that very point, Belona's hatred had already vanished.
Belona now understood that Danae was a person who needed no one to contain her.
"Danae."
"Yes, Your Majesty the Empress."
"I hear you've taken up business. Is it that your household finances are strained, and you're forced to earn money in Theo's stead?"
"While it is true that I wish to contribute to our household, I am not doing this under duress. I have always wished to manage my own enterprise. I understand it may not appear entirely proper, but... I am happy now."
Danae spoke with a trembling yet unwavering voice.
There was not a shred of falsehood in her words of happiness.
Belona's vision blurred for a moment, and she blinked rapidly.
She thought her tears had long since dried, but she had been foolish.
"If you are happy, then..."
At Belona's trailing words, Danae and Rebecca swallowed hard.
Belona smiled benevolently and spoke.
"I forgive you now. After all, the reason for my anger has vanished."
"Your Majesty!"
"Spare me such stiff formalities. Call me as you did before."
Danae swallowed the sob that had risen to her throat.
Then, hesitantly, she spoke the name she had called Belona whenever they were alone.
"B-Belona... sister..."
"Sister... How long it has been since I heard that word. You are the only one who can call me that, Danae."
Rebecca, along with the attendants standing nearby, gasped in astonishment.
They had known Danae and the Empress shared a special bond, but sisters? That was unexpected.
Belona could not be called kind, even in the most generous interpretation.
She was strict in matters of reward and punishment, and rarely displayed her emotions openly.
She seemed to live surrounded by invisible walls.
Yet now, Belona smiled with genuine warmth.
The attendants had to lower their heads to conceal the shock written across their faces.
Belona took Danae's hand and reminisced for a long while.
Then she noticed Rebecca, who had been unable to join their conversation and could only fidget with her teacup.
Belona spoke to her gently.
"Oh my, I became lost in old memories and momentarily forgot about you."
"Not at all. I am simply delighted to see the two of you reconciled."
"Yes. You asked to see Princess Catherine, did you not? The best I can arrange is to bring you to the door of her room. Drawing that child out into the world is entirely your responsibility."
"That alone is more than sufficient."
Rebecca offered her gratitude with proper courtesy.
Belona regarded Rebecca with satisfaction.
"I first saw you at your debutante ball. I heard Danae had borne a daughter, but my heart was too narrow to even look upon you. How I regret that now. It pains me that I did not witness your growth."
"Your consideration alone is gratitude enough."
Belona gazed into the distance for a moment.
At the end of her gaze, a butterfly hanging from the wisteria flowers was just folding its wings.
"You have truly... grown splendidly. You are a child who tears through her own chrysalis and emerges. I hope you will teach Princess Catherine that same path. Watching you, I realize I may have raised my daughter poorly. I wish for her to become someone who does not settle for the present, but rather leads change."
The butterfly began to flutter its wings again. Belona's gaze turned toward Rebecca.
Her eyes held the same infinite tenderness as when she looked at Danae, yet Rebecca found that tenderness weighty.
It seemed Belona already knew what Rebecca would say to Princess Catherine.
Like a knight entrusted with a grave mission, Rebecca spoke with resolve in her expression.
"I shall... accept this command."
* * *
While Danae and Belona continued their long conversation, Rebecca left the Greenhouse Garden.
A maid dispatched by Belona guided Rebecca to Princess Catherine's Reception Room.
But even as the tea grew cold, Princess Catherine did not emerge into the Reception Room.
After staring at the unmoving door for dozens of minutes, it finally opened.
But in that instant, the warmth that had begun to bloom across Rebecca's face drained away, leaving it cold and composed once more.
A maid entered with an air of haughty dignity.
It was Callista, the young countess known to be Princess Catherine's closest confidante.
Rebecca craned her neck to peer past her, but Princess Catherine remained nowhere in sight.
"The Princess is indisposed today. I'm afraid you must take your leave."
"Please submit one more request on my behalf."
"Did I not say it was impossible? Out of consideration for the Empress, we extended our courtesy to the Reception Room. How close were you two, truly...?"
It was a curt dismissal.
Rebecca understood Callista's frigid demeanor.
From a third party's perspective, she was little more than a woman who had stolen a man whose betrothal had been under discussion.
Moreover, it was precisely because of this that she had fallen out of Zahidra's favor.
She had heard that Princess Catherine had been confined to her room since the autumn ball, refusing to budge an inch.
Rumors had even circulated that Zahidra was negotiating Catherine's marriage with some foreign old noble family.
So it was only natural that she would be despised.
But Rebecca was not one to retreat.
Rebecca's gaze fixed upon the bedroom door connected to the Reception Room.
"Is the Princess in there?"
"I would appreciate it if you would pay no mind to such matters and take your leave, Duchess of Johannes."
Ignoring Callista's firm refusal, Rebecca strode purposefully toward the bedroom door.
"I must speak with her directly."
"How dare you show such disrespect! Guards! Please escort this uncouth lady out with proper courtesy!"
Rebecca's hand moved faster than the guards could react.
Without hesitation, Rebecca thrust the door open.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Princess Catherine regarded her uninvited guest with a glacial stare.
Rebecca stood her ground, meeting Catherine's aggressive gaze unflinchingly.
"Do you hate me, Your Highness?"
"You arrive unannounced and ask such a thing?"
"But Your Highness does not hate me."
A faint crease formed on Catherine's furrowed brow.
"My apologies, Your Highness! I shall escort the lady out at once. What are you doing? Leave immediately!"
Callista seized Rebecca's arm and attempted to drag her away. Rebecca wrenched her arm free and continued speaking.
"Your Highness despises this situation itself, and despises yourself for it. And rather than admit that truth, you are venting your anger upon me, are you not?"
At Rebecca's words, Catherine's eyes narrowed.
Callista stared at Rebecca as though she might faint at any moment.
Rebecca held her head high with composure.
"I can show you a way out of this predicament."
Catherine regarded Rebecca thoughtfully for a moment before speaking.
"Callista."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Callista steeled herself, wondering what punishment Catherine would impose on Rebecca.
No matter how high her station as Duchess of Johannes, such rudeness could not be overlooked.
Yet the words that emerged from Catherine's lips were entirely unexpected.
"Bring refreshments."
"I beg your pardon...?"
"I must have a lengthy conversation with the lady present here."
A smile of relief blossomed at the corners of Rebecca's mouth.
* * *
"How arrogant must one be to judge another's suffering so carelessly?"
The moment the attendants withdrew from the Reception Room, Catherine unleashed her caustic remarks.
She seemed to have no intention of extending courtesy to Rebecca.
"You're right that I despise you. What woman wouldn't hate the vixen who stole her betrothed? Especially one who made such a spectacle of herself at the ball."
"There is something amiss in your reasoning, Your Highness. You were never formally betrothed to the Duke."
"The Emperor himself requested the marriage negotiations. That is as good as a betrothal."
Rebecca held her gaze steady, meeting Catherine's stubborn, narrowed eyes.
The Runaway Countess Returns
E-book Publication
January 12, 2022
Author
Long night sky
Publisher
Desert fox
Published by
Woongjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd.
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Blog
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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