I Refuse To Be A Character In A Novel - Chapter 13

The five ladies took their places around the beautifully decorated table in their pre-arranged seats.

Besides Alexie and Julia, there were two more ladies.

Countess Lydia Everdeen.

Being one of the few women in Rasmodia to have a title, she was well-known throughout the kingdom.

Her upright back and calm expression reflected a dignified presence befitting her status.

After her husband, Count Everdeen, died in the war against Cira 3 years ago, she inherited his title despite not having any children.

She fiercely stood up against her husband’s relatives who were looking to claim the title, but was pushed to a point where she had to seek help from the lord of the territory.

Eventually, Zachary, who assessed the countess to be worthy of managing the land as she had done in the past, let her keep the title, on the condition that the land will be passed down to her husband’s nephew after her death, since it originally belonged to her husband’s bloodline.

Sitting on the opposite seat from her, Lydia carefully examined Erna’s manner of speech and attitude. As if she were trying to determine if she was worthy of her gratitude.

Fortunately, the young duchess wasn’t as arrogant nor as withdrawn as rumoured.

She had a calm atmosphere yet a strong presence and she engaged in their conversations in a light mood that didn’t hold either arrogance or ignorance.

Lydia, who had nowhere to return to, was greatly indebted to the duke who helped her keep the title of Countess and chased away her husband’s relatives.

She felt grateful but at the same time didn’t want to be indebted to him.

But since she had nothing to offer the duke who was not even interested in her gratitude, she wanted to somehow repay her debt through his wife.

Feeling pressured by the pair of eyes that were fixed on her, Erna lifted up her tea-cup and sipped on the freshly brewed tea from Kinhill to moisten her throat.

‘Is this what having tea with my mother in law would feel like?’

The pair of dark black eyes under the brown bangs was still carefully watching her.

I don’t feel any hostility so it should be fine…

Let’s just think of this as a rehearsal.

The other lady must be Eleanor, whom Mielle said was Baron Harvis’ young wife.

Erna felt rather uncomfortable recalling Mielle’s words.

‘She must be at least 20 years younger than him.’

* ੈ✩‧₊˚* ੈ✩‧₊˚* ੈ✩‧₊˚

Parties, trends, fashion….

Erna found herself enjoying topics she would normally find boring.

Only then did she realize how lonely she was.

‘It was a good choice to attend today’s tea party.’

After following some gossip about the latest scandals, the conversation focused back onto the hostess.

Hearing about the proposal in person, it turned out not to be as exaggerated as Mielle claimed, but the countess seemed happy nonetheless.

An awkward silence followed the countess’ love story and declaration of love.

She was probably the only one among the five ladies to have a partner of her own choice.

“It must’ve been hard to move into an area of extreme climate. How are you adjusting in Massila, countess?”

In a clumsy attempt to lighten the mood, Erna shifted their attention to another topic.

The northern territory was the coldest region in the kingdom, so people often disliked it and fled from it at the first chance they got.

Even during late spring, the snow still covered most parts of the land.

Luckily for the ladies, today was exceptionally warm.

“… It’s definitely colder than i thought.”

Carefully putting down her tea cup, Julia answered in a voice that was closer to a whisper.

It seems she was afraid of offending the citizens of Massila, as some people held great pride in the the land where they reside.

“Oh, you’re from Kinhill right?”

Lydia exclaimed as she led the fork she held onto her mouth in an elegant manner.

The ‘Bavarois’ that was served was indeed delicious.

‘I’ll make sure to ask our chef to learn how to make it.’

“That’s right, madam. I was born and raised in Kinhill”

Julia answered in a cheerful voice that indicated her love for her hometown.

“I heard about it from my maid. Apparently, the scenery is quite beautiful and the weather is moderate all year long.”

Added Erna.

“That’s true. I’ve been there when I was younger. It’s quite a nice spot for vacation.”

Lydia followed her words after swallowing her bite.

“ … So different from the cold Massila.”

“Is that so?”

Alexie shifted her gaze from Lydia who said so to Erna, with a light smile.

“Only Duchess Argentine would be able to stand the cold weather all these years.”

“Well, having a warm company inside the house makes me forget about the weather outside.”

As Erna said while spooning her tea cup, Julia blushed and awkwardly averted her eyes.

‘She surely makes it obvious she’s a new bride.’

Everyone knew the duchess hadn’t been to the capital in years. She wasn’t the kind of person to befriend her employees nor did she accept invitations.

It was clear that she was referring to her husband.

“Oh my! it seems the duke and duchess have a friendlier relationship than we heard.”

‘What did you hear?’

Erna only passed Lydia’s comment with a smile that neither confirmed nor denied it.

‘I’ll be getting divorced soon anyway. There’s no need to create any unnecessary rumors.’