Chapter 7
I tried hard to stay calm, and he added a convincing reason.
“If we do it while wearing gloves, it proves there’s no problem, and we can consider this a kind of practice.”
Etienne smiled gently and urged me, saying that practice was necessary for everything.
Well… if that’s what it means.
I awkwardly held out my hand.
And then—
“……!”
He reached out softly and took my hand.
I could clearly feel the leather of his gloves between our fingers.
“How is it? Are you okay?”
I quietly nodded.
“Good. Then let’s stay like this a little longer—to make sure the practice works.”
He lifted our clasped hands slightly as he suggested it.
And so, we held hands for quite a long time.
***
One week after we first held hands.
Sweetness washed over my life like a wave.
Perfect. This is perfect.
And the sweetness?
Everything was connected to money.
First, when we agreed to the engagement, I received an advance payment.
With that much money, I could live comfortably for the rest of my life.
Of course, I had already deposited the money safely before returning to the mansion.
The second good thing was happening right now.
A normal evening meal.
Normally, I would have eaten quietly with my sister. Father was still angry, after all.
But today was different.
“You’re on your way to the dining room?”
Before I even left my room, my sister had suddenly visited me, asked to walk together, and then said something unexpected.
“Actually, Father has something he wants to say to you.”
At that moment, I knew.
Today was definitely the day Father’s anger had melted away like snow in spring!
And to top it off, my sister, who was walking lightly ahead, stopped and turned halfway toward me with a gentle smile.
“I think I know what Father wants to tell you.”
Ah. Of course.
My quick-witted sister must be thinking the same thing as me.
“Let’s go together, Sister!”
Trying hard to hide my excitement, I hurried happily to her side.
Thump-thump.
I knew getting ahead of myself wasn’t good, but my heart couldn’t stop pounding with excitement.
He’s really here.
As soon as we entered the dining room together, I saw Father already seated, and my eyes widened.
When was the last time all of us gathered like this? It feels like it’s been forever.
Just as I was thinking that, Father noticed us and spoke calmly.
“Sit.”
My sister and I exchanged glances and took our seats.
Let’s wait until Father speaks first.
If I rushed and made a mistake, and Father changed his mind about lifting my punishment, that would be terrible!
Luckily, while I stayed silent, delicious dishes began to be placed in front of us one by one.
Clatter. Clatter.
Since things had been going well lately, my appetite was strong, and I was moving my utensils a lot when—
“Niveia.”
Father called my name.
“Yes, Father.”
I answered, but seeing his still-cold face made me change my expectations again.
Maybe he didn’t call me to lift the punishment but to scold me more.
Maybe Father needs more time to calm down.
But then—
His icy expression gradually softened, and he spoke in a gentle voice.
“I gave you a punishment that must have felt very hard for you, and I’ve been watching you for a long time. But you lived quietly without causing any trouble. Isn’t that so?”
His mood felt warm, like snow melting in spring.
At some point, I could even see a kind smile on his face.
So he’s NOT adding more punishment?
Just from Father’s expression change, my heart soared like it was floating on clouds.
“I also heard you did things you normally would never do. It must have shocked you a lot.”
Apparently, Father heard that I sold my jewels and wore the same clothes again—just like my sister had.
“So, I’ll lift your punishment. No matter how long the punishment lasted, realizing your mistake is enough.”
It was something I had been longing to hear.
The moment he said it, I looked him in the eyes and asked,
“Really, Father?”
“Of course. I mean it. I’ll also give you your allowance like before. I can’t take away your joy in life anymore.”
My eyes sparkled at the word allowance.
My monthly allowance—6,000 gold.
Just thinking about it filled my heart with comfort. I almost felt like there was a halo behind Father’s head.
“That’s wonderful, Nini.”
My sister, sitting across from me, congratulated me, doubling my happiness.
Family is the best!
Their warm love.
As I enjoyed receiving it today as well, I felt deeply satisfied.
“By the way, Niveia. You’ve lost so much weight since I last saw you.”
After lifting the punishment, Father seemed eager to say everything he hadn’t said before.
“She must have suffered a lot emotionally,” my sister agreed, then made a suggestion.
“Oh, yes. After the meal, how about having some dessert? The ones you like.”
Dessert.
A good idea.
I nodded immediately and continued eating while listening to their conversation.
“…?”
Then at some point…
Something felt strange.
Why aren’t they communicating well?
My father’s and sister’s conversation wasn’t flowing.
They kept missing each other’s points.
It was something I had never paid attention to before, blinded by all the family affection I received.
Now that I think about it… I’ve hardly ever seen them talking properly.
They would speak about work—or about me—but real personal conversation?
Almost none.
No matter how much I tried to recall, the only topic they shared was Niveia (me).
If it wasn’t about their daughter or sister, they chose silence.
Just like now.
Talk to each other, please!
Problems always arise when people don’t communicate.
If they talked even a little, misunderstandings could be resolved.
But they didn’t—so situations became frustrating.
Even if I’m planning to leave someday, I should at least fix this.
Maybe because we lived as a family for so long,
even if one day I disappear from their lives,
I want the two of them to get along well.
Sure, maybe in the original story Lilliana will fix their relationship when she becomes Marchioness… but that’s not guaranteed.
If I improved their relationship myself, I could leave the family (or flee, really) with peace of mind.
Not like this. This is hopeless.
As I made up my mind and looked at the two alternatingly, I silently screamed.
***
Holding my throbbing head wasn’t going to fix anything.
No.
Knowing that, I decided to refresh my mood before solving the real issue.
The name of the plan: Operation Shopping!
I saved plenty of money, so a little indulgence won’t hurt.
Instead of going out into the busy capital streets, I called people into my room.
Living frugally to show my worth is fine, but sometimes I should enjoy myself too.
You can’t change all your habits overnight—you need flexibility.
The first person I invited was a jeweler.
“It’s been a while since your last visit. It’s an honor to serve you again.”
As he greeted me warmly, I quickly told him,
“You must have gathered many good pieces lately. Bring mostly rings.”
I had sold nearly all my jewels, so there was no real reason to buy more,
but I kept thinking about the rings that once covered all ten of my fingers.
Yes.
This was for mental and emotional stability. That was the official excuse.
“These are the most popular and valuable gems recently.”
As soon as I spoke, he moved instantly and opened a luxurious selection in front of me.
I examined each sparkling ring.
You know that feeling, right?
The urge to color your fingers like a rainbow—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.
I tried large gemstone rings on all ten fingers and smiled with satisfaction.
What else should I buy?
Everything I’d seen so far was nice, but something felt missing.
Right. Something more eye-catching must exist.
Everyone had been talking nonstop about the most valuable gem these days.
Not just diamonds—but extremely rare diamonds.
“And this, here, is one of the few gems like it in the entire empire.”
As if he read my exact thoughts, an unfamiliar, dazzling jewel was presented before me.
