episode_0127

In reality, Eleanor was not as exhausted as a foreigner, but she was still in a weary state in many ways.

Eleanor, who spent the whole day in a swaying carriage, was feeling the burden of being in a strange place and a new environment mentally.

The sweet and tender time she shared with Dmitri was undoubtedly enchanting, but for Eleanor, who still had a natural aversion to men’s bodies, it was a somewhat emotionally taxing time.

The dinner prepared for Eleanor. Dmitri, escorting her into the restaurant with a delicate hand, whispered softly in her ear.

“I prepared it lightly considering the hardships of your journey.”

Ignoring the curious gazes of the servants of Verbritz who were watching the affectionate scene between the two, Eleanor sat down at her designated seat.

And so began the dinner.

Was Dmitri’s whisper a lie?

The dinner that Eleanor faced was prepared mainly with light dishes, despite the grand name of the dinner.

The overall presentation of the dishes was not very elaborate, and the colors of the food were not very vibrant. The main course was a light white fish dish that was easy to digest, rather than a heavy meat dish.

Although described as light, each dish was not lacking in taste or effort put into it.

Even Eleanor, who had only eaten top-notch food in the capital and the west, found the food to be to her liking.

In fact, Lady Eleanor, who was ignorant of the world, did not know how difficult it was to obtain fresh fish in the rugged northern lands.

But she did know that this place had been specially prepared for her.

“Thank you for taking such good care of me in many ways.”

The shy smile of the woman known as the jewel of the west and the most beautiful lady in the empire warmly embraced the people of the ducal palace who had been through a lot in preparation for the upcoming grand ball.

And then came the tea time after dinner.

“Oh my goodness, this is amazing!”

Eleanor exclaimed with a pink lip, her words flowing with feminine admiration and excitement. She herself was unaware of what she was saying.

She then clapped her hands together and placed them on her cheeks.

Eleanor, who had taken a bite of the crispy and fluffy browned dacquoise, was lost in the sweet taste of the dessert.

“The north is especially famous for its desserts.”

Hildegarde, sitting across from Eleanor with her lips turned up and holding up a teacup, said.

The smile she sent to the cute creature in front of her through the red lips and the teacup approaching him thankfully went unnoticed by anyone in the reception room.

Unlike others, Eleanor, who was overwhelmed by Hildegarde’s elegance, quickly regained her composure. She wiped away her surprised expression and straightened her slightly disheveled posture.

“Are you surprised?”

At Dmitri’s words, Eleanor simply nodded. She then finished the remaining dacquoise in her mouth and rinsed the sweetness with a bitter black tea.

Desserts being famous in a poor land, what a strange concept. I’ve heard that sweet foods are popular in cold regions like Russia…

Did she notice that thought?

Before she could come up with an answer to the question in her mind, Hildegarde, sitting across from her, gracefully set down her teacup and looked at her.

“In order to generate enough energy with limited resources in the cold land, we naturally developed. While we may lack grains, we have plenty of milk from cows and sheep.”

“Is that so?”

At the piercing question, her fair face flushed red. It was a question that could be perceived as impolite, but the people of the North were looking at the clueless platinum-haired lady with affection.

“Tomorrow, Elly.”

As the amplitude of the tremor in his sky-blue eyes increased, Dimitri called out to Eleanor softly.

“Oh, yes! Dimitri.”

“If the weather is good, I would like to show Elly around the various parts of the palace.”

Meeting Eleanor’s gaze with his black eyes, Dimitri exuded an aura of a maiden deeply in love.

“Yes, please. I’m curious too.”

Eleanor agreed with a shy smile.

#.

Guided by the housekeeper Margarita, they entered the restaurant.

When Eleanor walked in with an excited heart for her first breakfast in Verbritz, a dignified voice filled her ears, not Dimitri’s but a woman’s.

Seated at the elegant dining table, Hildegarde handed over the documents she had been studying to the servant standing behind her.

“Thanks to your attention.”

Eleanor, without being flustered, lightly raised the corners of her mouth in greeting.

Eleanor was determined not to show yesterday’s pitiful appearance in front of the people of the North. Her resolve was evident in her composed voice.

“Here you go, miss.”

“Thank you, Margarita.”

Guided by Margarita, Eleanor took her seat opposite Hildegarde.

As Eleanor sat at the table, a wide plate of soup was placed in front of her. The creamy soup, with a faint scent of butter, eased the slight regret of the previous evening.

Hildegarde lifted her spoon. Could this be a lifestyle similar to the townhouses in the capital, where they ate without waiting for Dimitri to arrive?

But she couldn’t start without Dimitri. And she wanted to have breakfast with him. Eleanor’s small, white hand rested on her thigh under her long skirt.

“Brother will be a little late. Please go ahead and eat.”

At Hildegarde’s slow delivery, Eleanor’s sky-blue eyes widened.

Could it be that all the talk about being busy in the West wasn’t just empty words? Seeing the seat empty from the morning, it seemed to be true.

“Is something happening in the North?”

Eleanor delicately raised her lips to her spoon instead of using it. Despite being the Grand Duke’s lover, the land of the North was still unfamiliar to her, so she was cautious in asking.

Hildegarde’s graceful hand paused. Placing the spoon on the napkin, she looked across at Eleanor. Her clear blue eyes were filled with worry.

Meeting her gaze, Hildegarde felt a twinge of guilt for oversleeping, even though it was her brother’s fault.

Of all people, why did that woman have to fall for our brother?

“The morning is weak. That’s our brother.”

With a hint of emotion in Hildegarde’s words, her platinum blonde hair swayed gently from side to side as she neatly brushed it down. Eleanor looked across at Hildegarde with a playful smile.

“Dmitri? I don’t remember him being like that when he was at the mansion.”

Upon hearing that, Hildegarde clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

“Ha, really. That guy is something else!”

Feeling a bit uneasy about her slightly sharp response, Eleanor’s sky-blue eyes trembled. However, her gaze and voice that followed were noticeably warmer than before.

“It seems like my brother is losing sleep these days waiting for Yeong-ae. It must be taking a toll on him, so let’s eat together.”

Eleanor cautiously shifted her gaze to the side. Standing next to her, Lady Margarita nodded slightly. It seemed like the saying about being weak in the morning was true.

Was he performing for me at the mansion? Did he wake up early every morning, despite being weak in the mornings, just to spend time with me?

Finally, Eleanor picked up her spoon and scooped up the soup that was served as an appetizer. The buttery aroma-filled soup, despite looking light, tasted surprisingly sweet to Eleanor.

#

“Darn it. What time is it! What time is it right now!”

Suddenly, a deep male voice filled the grand duke’s bedroom. The man with black hair, who had built a crow’s nest, jumped out of bed and yanked the curtains open. The summer sunlight that had barely peeked under the thick curtains shone fiercely, causing the man, accustomed to darkness, to squint his eyes.

Dmitri Verbritz, despite his reputation, was far from diligent. He enjoyed sleeping in and lazing around.

The rumors of him being a playboy were said to be fabricated, but those who knew him simply shook their heads in amusement.

However, he was still a man. Wanting to impress the woman he was interested in was one of the instincts imprinted in his DNA.

So, during his stay at the Beaurne Townhouse and Beaurne Mansion in the west, Dmitri would reluctantly join the morning meals he usually skipped, not just to impress Ellie but also to make a good impression on her family.

After all, the long stay in the countryside was over, and he had returned to his usual routine after coming back up north.

Since receiving Eleanor’s letter, he had been losing sleep all along.

Meeting Eleanor and spending sweet moments with her had finally relieved Dmitri of the tension he had been feeling. So when Dmitri, who had finally slept soundly, woke up, it was already well past morning.

It was during the peak of morning tea time that the man with black hair revealed himself.

In reality, he had woken up a bit earlier than that. But as he tidied his hair, chose his clothes, time slipped away.

As Dmitri descended the stairs in a hurry, he was greeted by the laughter of two women coming from the drawing-room.

Had Ellie and Hilda become quite close in the meantime?

Leaving a message that he would have a light breakfast with morning tea, as always, to the approaching butler, he headed towards the drawing-room where his two most beloved women were.

“So, did my brother really say that?”

“Yes. I was so upset back then that I didn’t say a word on the train. So, like a dog caught in the rain… Oh, can I even use this expression?”

“Ha, a dog caught in the rain! What a funny expression! It seems like they use such funny expressions in the capital. Or is it a phrase used in the west?”

Eleanor and Hildegarde were sitting side by side on a sofa. The bright platinum hair and the slightly mixed purple hue in the dark black hair complemented each other as well as their thoughts.

“Good morning, Elli. And Hilda.”

The two women stopped their conversation and turned their gaze towards the uninvited guest who had interrupted.

But there was no response.

The two women were silently staring, or rather glaring, at the uninvited black man without saying a word.

Hildegarde’s gray eyes were fiercely fixed on Dmitri. There was nothing more to express.

In contrast, Eleanor’s sky-blue eyes occasionally flickered with laughter, but she would tense up again at Hildegarde’s elbow poking her side.

A tense atmosphere flowed through the reception room.

The first to break the silence was the youngest, Hildegarde.

“You’re a little late, big brother.”

“Oh, uh. I guess I’m a little less nervous now. Ahaha.”

He let out a forced laugh to lighten the mood, but his efforts were in vain.

“Do you know how long our little sister has been waiting for you, big brother?”

Hildegarde grabbed Eleanor’s arm and pulled her into his embrace as he spoke.

The word “little sister” flowed more easily from his lips than he had expected. Hildegarde, who had been halfway swayed by Eleanor’s beauty, was somewhat surprised.

And as they talked, it became clear that Eleanor truly loved her big brother.

Not only the Verbreux siblings were surprised by the term “little sister.”

Eleanor, who had lived as a man for 21 years, naturally had no aversion to being called “sister.” After all, no one had ever called her that before, so she had not developed any aversion to it.

But it seemed that Hildegarde found his brother’s reaction and the term “little sister” quite amusing.

“Instead of anyone else, the little sister decided to turn to me for support.”

“Oh, um, yes. That’s right. That’s what she decided!”

Eleanor found herself inadvertently playing along with Hildegarde’s secret wink.