The Engagement of the Baron of Flowers and the Withered Tree Lady.

Chapter 34 – The Fear of the Withered Tree Lady

“By the way, while the members of the special forces are hard at work, is my father doing fine?” Julia asked with concern, and Romand let out a wry smile.

“Even though the Earl is the supreme commander of this country’s defense, he truly prioritizes his only daughter. Despite having an engaged partner for his daughter’s grand moment, he wouldn’t allow her to attend alone. Well, he probably wanted to escort you himself, but I declined that request. Taking only the good parts now is not permissible. Besides, the Earl has already earned quite a few points with the dress,” Romand explained.

“Oh, I see!” Julia’s eyes widened in surprise. She never imagined that Romand and her father were competing for the role of her partner. But she felt extremely happy about it.

“Is my father at the royal castle today?” she asked.

“Oh, yes, he is. There’s an ambassador from a neighboring country visiting today, so he’s engaged in reception duties with the Minister of Foreign Affairs. However, he mentioned that no matter what happens, he wants to personally convey his congratulations to you and will make time for it. I think you’ll receive a message later,” Romand replied.

“Really? That’s wonderful,” Julia exclaimed, her heart filled with unexpected joy. Although they exchanged letters, she hadn’t seen her father in over ten months. Moreover, even when she was taken in by the Earl’s residence, she hardly had the chance to talk with her father due to the interference of her step-aunt and cousins.

As Julia expressed her happiness, the Duke of Sandbeck approached her and said,

“Baron Hana, have you taken care of the necessary notifications? Is it safe to deactivate the shield now?”

“Yes, Captain. Thank you very much for your consideration.”

“Your fiancée is the esteemed daughter of the supreme commander. Make sure to protect her diligently from the persistent young ladies who have taken a liking to you. It would be a disaster if something were to stain that splendid dress, so be careful,” advised the Duke in a whisper to Romand. However, both Julia and Romand heard it, and they startled, instantly losing their excitement.

Especially Julia…

In popular novels, there are often stories where the heroine finally prepares a dress only for it to be stained by the entourage of the hero’s love interest.

It’s no joke. I absolutely don’t want this precious dress that my parents and Madame worked so hard to make to be ruined. And I haven’t even shown it to my father yet.

I want to escape from this situation. I want to hide somewhere until I can see my father. Julia thought that for a moment.

However, that would mean running away. Even though I haven’t done anything wrong.

Moreover, if I run away once, I’ll have to keep running forever. As the future Baroness Plant, I have social responsibilities to fulfill, and I must not show any weakness now.

As Julia clenched her back teeth tightly, the thin moss green defensive shield was deactivated.

Suddenly, her body was enveloped in a chaotic noise, and Romand supported the swaying Julia.

“Julia, you look pale. Would you like to take a rest?”

Julia nodded in response to Romand’s voice. She was guided to the sofa against the wall and sat down.

“Would you like something to drink?”

Julia vigorously shook her head at the offer, causing Romand to widen his eyes. He then sat down beside her and gently touched her trembling hands.

“Are you scared?”

Julia nodded.

“I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I promised to protect you, but I was careless,” Romand said, his face filled with anguish.

Seeing Romand looking distressed, Julia hurriedly spoke up.

“It’s not your fault, Baron. It’s because I wasn’t prepared enough. Despite everyone’s concern for me, I took it lightly. And besides…”

Julia paused for a moment, wearing a self-deprecating expression, and continued.

“I’m used to people speaking ill of me or even some violence. I’ve grown accustomed to it, and I can just ignore it. However…”

Used to people’s malice…

Those words stirred an uncontrollable surge of anger in Romand’s heart, trembling even to the hand that held Julia’s.

It was because he couldn’t protect her nine years ago, and it was because he couldn’t approach her when he finally found her two years ago. He had subjected her to so much pain.

And now, it might be his fault that Julia would experience unpleasant things again.

He should have trained not just in offense but in defense as well.

No matter how skilled he was in martial arts, he couldn’t lay a hand on a woman with violence. It wasn’t until Captain Mac pointed it out that he realized this.

Frustrated with himself, when Romand bit his lip, Julia continued her words.

“However… I don’t want to soil this dress.

Because in the past, I couldn’t protect any of the dresses my father made for me. And now, the dress that my parents and Madame put so much thought into… If something were to happen to it, if I couldn’t show this appearance to my father anymore, I suddenly became scared.

I want my father to see me wearing this dress, which holds my mother’s sentiments.

But at the same time, I don’t want to run away.

After all, I will eventually become your wife and have to engage in social events, right? So if I escape now, I feel like I’ll be ridiculed later.

That’s why I’m a little troubled about how to handle the situation. I’m truly not accustomed to socializing.

I’m sorry for causing you worry.”

Scared. But Julia’s words about not wanting to run away for her own sake touched Romand’s heart.

At that moment…

“Baron Plant…”

A voice called out, and as Romand raised his head with a hint of wariness, there stood an incredibly beautiful woman.

Julia and Romand quickly stood up. Both of them knew this young lady.

For Julia, she was the person she had taken as a role model during the debutante ceremony, and for Romand, she was a junior from their school days.

“I apologize for interrupting your conversation. May I have the honor of being introduced?”

“Of course. Lady Everlotte.”

“Please refrain from using honorifics. Please call me by my name, just like usual.”

Romand’s face twitched in an unusual manner. Wait, does he know this person?

As Julia was contemplating, Romand introduced her to the young lady.

“Lady Everlotte, this is my fiancée, Miss Julia, the daughter of Count Woodcliff.”

“Nice to meet you, Lady Everlotte, the esteemed daughter of the Duke of Zaccard. I am Julia of the Woodcliff family. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Julia curtseyed towards the duchess. She did her best to imitate the duchess’s splendid curtsey, even though she thought she couldn’t perform it as skillfully.

The future of the relationship with someone you meet for the first time is uncertain. That’s why, hoping for it to become a fortunate encounter, she greeted them wholeheartedly, keeping her mother’s words engraved in her heart.

“Nice to meet you too, Lady Woodcliff. Please call me Everlotte if you could. Since I believe we’ll have a long-lasting relationship.”

She spoke with a gentle smile, evoking the image of a vibrant purple orchid, exuding elegance and sophistication.

She had lightly waved, vivid red, and soft hair adorned with a small crown of white roses. Her eyes were a crystalline, slightly upturned, amethyst-like color. From her appearance, it seemed like she belonged to a different world than Julia, and when she mentioned a long-lasting relationship, Julia found herself momentarily stuck in a state of perplexity.

“Oh, how awful, Lord. Haven’t you discussed our relationship yet? That’s quite rude. I thought we had already talked about it.”

As Everlotte suddenly adopted a casual tone, Julia was once again taken aback, her eyes widening.

(‘Lord’? Why are you calling him by his real name? Are you that close? Could it be that you’re Lord’s past lover? No, perhaps you’re his true love? Since a duke’s daughter and a baron cannot officially marry due to their different social statuses, did he camouflage our engagement? Is he planning a white…marriage (a superficial, fake marriage) with me?)

A word she had come across in novels popped into Julia’s mind. And strangely, it settled comfortably in her chest without any resistance.

(When we first met, I couldn’t help but feel something was off. Why would such a wonderful person suddenly propose to someone like me, who feels as lifeless as a withered tree? There are countless beautiful women to choose from, after all.

Moreover, the Woodcliff family has two daughters who are reasonably attractive, so why me?

Surely, it’s because it would be unfair to make a beautiful and amazing woman a mere decorative wife. They must have thought that it wouldn’t be burdened with guilt if they chose a daughter born to commoners, someone as lifeless as a withered tree.

And when they found out I was being abused by my family, they must have thought I would gladly accept any kind of marriage, be it a superficial one or not, if it meant escaping from there.

Besides, since we happened to be childhood friends, I was easy to manipulate.)

Indeed, that was the truth, and Julia remembered six months ago.

She had wanted to be engaged to anyone, no matter what kind of man they were. As long as they weren’t violently abusive. Anyone who could help her escape from that house would do.

Even if they had proposed a superficial marriage back then, she would have likely accepted it without hesitation. She might have even been happy about it.

However, it was impossible for her in her current state. She couldn’t accept it. It couldn’t be just anyone. It had to be the current Lord, no, Romand, or she didn’t want to marry at all.

But if asked whether she had the strength to remain in the role of a decorative wife in the future, she knew it was impossible.

Just imagining Romand with a beautifully matched woman, gazing into each other’s eyes, Julia couldn’t bear it any longer.

Tears streamed down Julia’s cheeks, falling softly.