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Chapter 35
From the stage on the second floor, the crowd looked even bigger. I took a deep breath and calmly began to speak.
“I chose to work for the Frederic family. But it wasn’t volunteer work—I’m getting paid.”
“Goodness!”
“So it was true that a duke’s daughter is working for a salary!”
“How disgraceful! The world must be ending!”
People began whispering and murmuring. But the more they reacted, the calmer I felt.
“I know there have been a lot of rumors about me working for the Frederic family. But most of them aren’t true. I’ll tell you the facts now: I work for them. I get paid. That’s it.”
Carolina winked at me from the crowd.
I continued, carefully choosing my words to express gratitude to the Frederic family—without drawing too much attention to Frederic himself.
“If I hadn’t had the opportunity to work for the Frederic family, I would’ve gone through very hard times. I’m deeply thankful to them. They’ve been incredibly supportive.”
“……”
“Everyone here today, if you came to celebrate my birthday because you truly care about me, I ask you—please stop spreading false rumors.”
I added a few polite thank-you lines to wrap up the speech.
“Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate my birthday today.”
I turned around to leave the stage. Applause slowly began to fill the hall.
My mom said nothing, but her face said everything. It was flushed red with frustration. She clearly didn’t like my speech.
Leo no longer looked relaxed either.
The orchestra hesitated, looking to my mother for a cue to resume the music.
Then—
“The speech isn’t over yet!”
Mom shouted and marched back to the stage.
I got a little worried.
‘She won’t mention Frederic again… right? It’d be ridiculous to contradict me now.’
Mom smiled brightly like nothing had happened and said,
“There’s still one important announcement.”
“An… important announcement?”
I glanced at Leo. He gave me a slight shrug and a look that said, ‘Get ready.’
“Today, on Delphine’s 22nd birthday, the Marbo family has officially proposed marriage to the Flerain family.”
“Mom…?”
‘What the—? What kind of bombshell is that?!’
I looked back and forth between Mom and Leo. Now it all made sense—what they’d been whispering about earlier. What they were planning.
‘They planned this together? Leo is proposing to me?!’
A wave of anger surged through me. They tricked me. Planned a proposal behind my back—without even talking to me?
The crowd’s murmurs grew louder and louder, echoing in my ears. I felt dizzy.
For some reason, my eyes searched for Frederic and Tiago.
‘…They’re gone…?’
Frederic had already disappeared, and Tiago was just silently staring at Leo.
‘Charlie’s gone too…?’
She was nowhere to be seen.
None of this felt real. The voices of the crowd sounded distant and muffled.
“Today, on Delphine’s 22nd birthday, the Marbo family has officially proposed marriage to the Flerain family.”
People in the hall started buzzing. Leo and Mom looked down at the crowd with calm faces—like they had planned every second of it.
‘What is happening…?’
My hands started to tremble. I was the one being proposed to, yet I had no idea it was coming. Shouldn’t I have been asked first? How could they plan and finish this without me?
Mom, her cheeks slightly flushed, began explaining the next steps.
“According to tradition, the Flerain family will give an official response to the Marbo family within one week. If both families agree, the wedding will take place exactly one year from today—on Delphine’s next birthday. Isn’t that so romantic?”
Some people clapped. Others looked confused.
Most of the guests knew the history between Leo and me. It wasn’t a secret in Shairo that we’d broken up.
And now suddenly, a proposal?
Many people looked totally lost.
Then, a voice rose from the crowd.
“What happens if she refuses the proposal?”
Everyone turned toward the voice.
It was Tiago.
He stood there confidently, unfazed by the crowd staring at him. A slight smile played at his lips—like he knew I’d never accept the proposal.
Leo stepped forward from behind my mom and asked,
“Before answering, may I ask which house you represent?”
“I don’t belong to any house. My name is Tiago.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
“Tiago? That Tiago?”
“The one they call the Prince of the Sea?”
“The guy who owns the most trade ships?”
“Isn’t he the one rumored to be a playboy?”
“What’s someone like him doing at a Flerain family party?”
Leo looked intrigued. He seemed genuinely interested in Tiago, unlike how he treated Frederic.
Tiago stared back at Leo with his usual calm confidence.
Then my mother’s sharp voice cut through the whispers.
“That won’t happen. But if it does, the Flerain and Marbo families will not accept any other proposals or marriages for one year.”
Tiago shrugged like a year meant nothing to him and smiled with satisfaction.
Leo’s expression slowly hardened as he stared at Tiago.
My mom ignored him completely and continued talking—boasting about how close the Flerain and Marbo families were, and how strong their partnership was.
‘Judging by the way she’s talking… it’s like she already accepted the proposal.’
Of course, that wasn’t happening. Even if I lost my title, I swore I would never marry Leo.
Eventually, Mom finished her speech, and the murmurs picked up again.
Everyone at the party had just witnessed the drama like it was entertainment.
‘Of course they’re entertained—it’s not their lives. Just juicy gossip for them.’
The shock from the proposal faded a bit. There was still a week to deal with it. My hands stopped shaking, but now I had a pounding headache.
‘Seriously. The Marbo and Flerain families just can’t stop ruining my life.’
There was no doubt I’d have to fight—refuse the marriage, argue with Mom, and somehow deal with that smug fox Leo.
I stared at Leo. His bright blond hair and deep blue eyes. He and Charlie really had a similar vibe.
‘They’re made for each other. The two sneaky foxes. Just leave me out of it.’
I let out a small sigh and walked slowly down the central stairs.
“Frederic.”
Frederic stopped in his tracks the moment he heard Charlie’s voice.
“……”
He turned—and there was the face he’d longed to see, even in dreams. He was just about to leave the Flerain estate but now changed direction.
Her name slipped from his lips—the name he’d wanted to say every day.
“Charlie.”
Frederic slowly walked toward her, like he couldn’t believe she was really there.
Charlie also smiled gently and walked toward him.
On the steps outside the mansion, Charlie looked down at Frederic, and Frederic looked up at her. For a moment, they just stood there, staring at each other.
“……”
“……”
Charlie looked paler than before and didn’t seem in good health. But Frederic said nothing about it.
Charlie spoke first.
“The weather’s not that cold today. Want to talk for a bit?”
“Yeah, Charlie.”
“There’s a park nearby, remember? It’s near where your family used to live. Let’s go there.”
Before moving into their current mansion, the Frederic family used to live close to the Flerain estate. When Frederic first arrived today, he was surprised Delphine and he had lived so close—but had never met.
The walk to the park wasn’t far.
They walked slowly, slightly awkward. Charlie was wearing high heels, so her steps were small. Frederic matched her pace.
The park was peaceful and quiet.
Spring was starting to arrive. The snow had melted, and the warm sunlight hinted at the change in season.
They sat on a bench beneath a tree budding with flowers and new leaves.
“Have you been well, Frederic?”
Charlie smiled softly, her eyes curving like they always did. Every time Frederic saw that smile, his heart fluttered.
“I missed you, Charlie.”
He wanted to hold her hand, but he didn’t—afraid she’d pull away. So he just poured his feelings into his words. He truly had missed her.
Charlie blushed briefly but quickly composed herself. She put on her usual calm face and asked,
“Then why didn’t you come see me at the palace?”
“…Yeah. I should’ve.”
