Chapter 77
“You look great!”
“As if.”
Delina sighed in a voice lacking confidence. The frilly light-purple dress was a color she had never even worn in her teens.
Because of the treatment Eliana had mentioned, her skin had broken out in red blotches with white scabs forming. Thank goodness it was winter—otherwise, it would have been easy for people to misunderstand her condition.
Eliana had wanted her to wear a sleeveless gown with long gloves, but Delina barely managed to argue her into compromising on a long-sleeved dress with wide cuffs. The only thing she couldn’t win on was the color—Eliana had chosen it.
“No, my lady. You’re truly beautiful,”
Sylvia, the maid attending her, offered constant praise to ease Delina’s worries. But her heart was far from settled.
The deep-purple gown she had picked for Eliana matched her eye color perfectly. The cascade of blonde hair falling over the rich fabric was dazzling to the point of being breathtaking.
“Seeing with your own eyes is better than hearing it a hundred times, Sylvia.”
At Eliana’s words, Sylvia quickly moved.
“Please, take a look for yourself, my lady.”
“Ah…”
When Delina saw her reflection in the mirror, she was at a loss for words for a long while. The dark-toned lilac gown suited her unbelievably well.
“Pretty, isn’t it?”
Without realizing it, Delina nodded to Eliana’s question. Beneath her pinned-up black hair, her crimson eyes sparkled.
Knock, knock.
A light knock turned both Eliana and Delina’s heads.
“If we stall any longer, we’ll be the last to arrive, Eliana.”
It was Greddy.
“Ah! We’re coming.”
Eliana tugged Delina, who was still staring blankly at the mirror.
“Please, have a safe trip.”
With farewells from Sylvia and the butler, the three of them headed to the imperial palace.
“I didn’t expect you’d be invited as well.”
“Neither did I.”
Leaning against the window with his chin in his hand, Greddy stared intently at Eliana, a smile lingering on his loosened expression.
Lately, so many things had been happening that Greddy left early and returned late at night. He couldn’t remember the last time they had shared a quiet moment like this during the day.
“Greddy.”
“Mm.”
“We’re not the only ones here.”
At last, his gaze shifted to Delina, who sat stiffly.
“Seems like Lady Orante doesn’t even notice me.”
“She’s just nervous—it’s her first time at the palace.”
Eliana glanced at Delina’s trembling hands with pity. Greddy, amused, brushed back Eliana’s hair.
Her beauty had only grown more radiant recently—no doubt from eating and sleeping well.
“Will you be all right?”
“Me?”
Eliana pointed at herself with a shrug.
Since that incident, Eliana had been plagued by nightmares for a while. She would plead so desperately in her sleep that anyone watching felt their heart twist.
“It hurts. Please don’t hit me.”
Even with his busy schedule, Greddy never left her side at night, staying close whenever she had nightmares.
The flowers and gifts were also because the physician had advised that her emotional stability was the most important thing.
Greddy wanted Eliana to feel she was truly loved.
“I’ll be right beside you, so don’t worry too much.”
Eliana lowered her eyes. The closer they got to the palace, the more her body trembled.
Greddy grasped her hand tightly. Their carriage quickly crossed the palace gardens toward Altiora Hall.
“They’ve invited more people than I expected.”
Peering outside before they stepped down, Greddy spoke, making Delina stiffen nervously. Eliana steadied her by taking her arm, and they exchanged a smile.
“We’ll open the door now.”
At the attendant’s words, Greddy looked at Eliana and Delina sitting calmly. Both nodded, signaling they were ready.
Once the door opened, Greddy stepped out first and escorted them down.
Delina, following behind the duke and duchess, trailed them respectfully. Since she was staying under the duchess’s patronage, her presence here caused no issue.
“Is this a party?”
“For a party, there’s no food smell.”
It was just past noon. Eliana, holding Greddy’s arm, walked on.
“What trick is this?”
Greddy murmured low enough for only Eliana to hear when they entered the hall. But she, too, fell silent once inside.
Instead of a banquet, an exhibition was underway in Altiora Hall. Paintings hung along the walls, with others propped on easels.
Among them, the piece drawing the most attention was displayed at the center. So many people had gathered that it was impossible to see what it was.
“Welcome, Duke, Duchess.”
“We greet the Empire’s little sun.”
With a bright smile, Rozella approached. Greddy and Eliana quickly bowed their knees.
“You two still seem happily married, as always.”
Rozella looked between them. Eliana kept her head lowered, unable to meet her eyes.
“An exhibition, suddenly—quite unexpected.”
Greddy subtly shifted to block Rozella’s gaze from Eliana. Rozella gave a derisive laugh at the obvious ploy.
“His Majesty gifted me these precious paintings.”
“…His Majesty?”
“Yes. Did you know that Red Winter, which you gifted me, was actually part of a series?”
It was not Greddy but Eliana who reacted. Her face drained of all color.
“Red Winter… was part of a series?”
“So I was told. After seeing the painting you sent, His Majesty discovered the other works in the set—and gifted them to me.”
Rozella’s face beamed with pride.
Greddy fought to keep his expression neutral against her gloating.
Red Winter had been found in the warehouse of Baron Hoffman. Which meant Baron Hoffman must have offered the rest of the series to Emperor Mateo.
In other words, Eliana’s rightful property had been fed straight into the emperor’s maw. The same emperor who had tried to violate his wife.
Greddy’s fists clenched tight.
Could it be… did Baron Hoffman know what the emperor did to Eliana?
The taste of blood filled his mouth.
While Greddy sparred verbally with Rozella, Eliana had slipped away, crossing the hall toward the displayed series of Red Winter.
“Eliana?”
“Now that I think of it, the duchess was quite taken with Red Winter.”
“What did you say?”
“The day after the duke sent me the painting, she came to see me herself—and begged me to sell it to her. She must have wanted it dearly.”
Rozella’s expression brimmed with smug triumph.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty.”
Greddy hurried after Eliana. As she appeared, the crowd around the paintings parted to give way.
Standing before the four Red Winter works displayed side by side, Eliana stared blankly.
Only red and white filled the canvases.
Blood-red fading into pale pink where it met white, then darkening into deeper pink, before returning to crimson again.
“Eliana.”
Feeling the untouchable air about her, Greddy carefully held her shoulder, speaking her name. She never once took her eyes off the paintings.
Without even blinking, tears suddenly streamed down her face.
“The duke and duchess are here as well.”
Emperor Mateo entered the hall, with Baron Hoffman following behind.
“We greet the sun of the Empire.”
The nobles all fell to their knees in unison. But Eliana remained still as stone.
Her gaze fixed not on the emperor, but on Baron Hoffman beyond him. Though her vision blurred with tears, she did not waver.
It felt as though a thin string had snapped completely.
He was no longer her father. The guilt she once bore for defying him for the first time had vanished.
“Ah, the duchess must be glad to see the baron again after so long.”
Mateo intruded smugly between Eliana and Baron Hoffman.
“Regrettably, yes, Your Majesty.”
Baron Hoffman lowered his head, finally pulling his eyes from Eliana.
“Tsk, tsk. A father and daughter are bound by blood. Whatever misunderstanding there is, it should be resolved.”
“It is all my failure, of course. I should have raised her with strict discipline, but I spoiled her instead. Who could have foreseen it would end like this?”
At his words, Eliana closed her eyes. The tears pooled there spilled over, streaming down her cheeks.
