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

Chapter 40 Rumors of the Withered Tree Lady’s Family

When Everlotte heard the series of stories about the Count Woodcliff family, she recalled the information she had gathered.

According to her father, the widow of the former head of the household was the one taking care of the estate in the absence of the current lord.

After her husband passed away, she desired to marry her brother-in-law, who had become the new head. However, he rejected her proposal because he already had a common-law wife and a daughter of his own from that relationship.

Nevertheless, since her stepfather did not acknowledge the common-law wife, Everlotte believed she still had a chance. She went so far as to take in three of her deceased husband’s illegitimate children in an attempt to gain sympathy.

However, while the count allowed the widow and her children to live in the estate, he ultimately did not marry her.

The new head of the household, aside from being the Minister of Defense, was also involved in personal trading, which kept him extremely busy and away from the estate most of the time.

As for whether he later officially married the common-law woman, it appears that he did not. The count reportedly remains single to this day.

Furthermore, no one seemed to know what happened to the count’s own daughter or where she was.

The heads of other high-ranking noble families understood the history and role of the Woodcliff Count family. That’s precisely why they avoided any ties or alliances with the Woodcliff Count family to prevent being misunderstood as vying for dominance.

Yet, everyone seemed exasperated by the constant presence of the Woodcliff Count family’s freeloaders, including their sons and daughters, who shamelessly approached them.

“There seems to have been talk about a marriage arrangement between the eldest daughter of the Earl’s family and the son of my friend, the Viscount’s family. However, I heard she rejected him without even meeting him face to face.

His personality and abilities were remarkable, and his new business venture was going well. I wonder what was unsatisfactory about him.

Although, he seems happy being engaged to the other Viscount’s daughter, who is kind-hearted and intelligent. In the end, it turned out for the best, I suppose.”

“It seems they are only after titles. They always target the sons of high-ranking nobles. It’s pitiful that they can’t see themselves objectively. They don’t even know if they can fit in among the high-ranking nobility. No matter how good-looking they are, without education or refinement, those young ladies can’t manage a household.”

“Well, it seems they have few options: problem-ridden families, being a companion for a retired noble, or perhaps becoming mistresses.”

“What about the son of the former head of the household? Ignoring his own preferences, it seems his mother, being from a marquess family, aims for a higher-ranked noble’s daughter. But that seems impossible, doesn’t it?”

“Why is that? He seems fine compared to his sisters.”

“It’s an issue of lineage. Apparently, it’s an unspoken rule among high-ranking nobles that he is not the biological child of the former head. He was born five years after their marriage, and their relationship had long since cooled. The former head rarely returned to the estate. Moreover…”

“Moreover?”

“He bears a resemblance to the Earl’s butler, it seems. That young son of theirs.”

“I can’t confirm if it’s true, but if such rumors are circulating, as you say, it’s likely impossible for them to marry into a high-ranking noble family.”

“Most likely. Besides, the marquess family of the former lady has long abandoned them.”

“Oh, that’s despairing. But if that’s the case, it’s a shame about the Viscount’s daughter. They were reportedly in love. The friend you mentioned earlier got engaged to her, right? She’s reputed to be a kind-hearted and talented woman.”

“It’s such a wasted opportunity indeed. This situation perfectly illustrates the saying ‘you lose a big fish once it slips away.’ However, it was ultimately the individual’s decision to break it off, so I don’t sympathize.”

Everlotte thought about the extraordinary nature of the Woodcliff family as she overheard her brother and cousin discussing these matters. Soon after, news of the Woodcliff Earl’s daughter suddenly getting engaged circulated only among the heads of high-ranking noble families, and they were reportedly greatly surprised.

And it seems that everyone started discussing which of the two daughters of the Earl’s family it could be.

However, it was eventually revealed that it was neither of them. It turned out that the Earl’s own daughter was the one in question. Furthermore, when they learned that her suitor was none other than the popular socialite known as Baron Plant, they were both surprised and convinced, according to reports.

Baron Plant, originally a rapidly expanding estate owner, had been whispered about among the high-ranking nobles as possibly being the “Green Thumb” or even the “Green Spirit Master.” So, when they heard the news, everyone seemed to think, “Ah, that makes sense.”

However, one might naturally question why they didn’t choose him as a son-in-law. But it was said that everyone had a good understanding of the current Earl’s character, so they somehow found it acceptable.

* * * * *

The current Earl of Woodcliff and his late father, the former head of the family, possessed significant abilities as “Green Spirit Masters.”

However, their father, the previous Earl of Woodcliff, did not possess such high abilities as a “Green Spirit Master” compared to his sons.

Moreover, he was a power-hungry individual. That’s why he went against the traditions of the Earl’s family and married the daughter of a Marquis.

However, this is the result of that decision.

The former head of the family, who is the current Earl’s brother, was known to be an inflexible and opinionated person, as well as highly sensitive.

Although he excelled as a “Green Spirit Master,” he struggled with interpersonal communication. Furthermore, due to the demanding nature of his duties, he wore himself out and passed away at a young age.

On the other hand, the current Earl was renowned for his wisdom and charm since his student days. He was popular and had many friends.

Although he was also an excellent “Green Spirit Master,” being the second son, he never thought he would become the successor of the Earl’s family.

As a result, while being assigned to a special forces unit as a “Green Spirit Master,” he also engaged in trade to contribute to peace through international exchanges.

However, with his brother’s sudden death, he was unexpectedly thrust into the position of successor. Not only did he have to take care of his brother’s wife and son, but he also had to look after the three children believed to be his brother’s illegitimate offspring.

It was already difficult for him to find time for his own wife and children.

No matter how exceptional and honorable the Earl of Woodcliff was, he had no room to rebuild the family. The current situation was unavoidable.

The cause of the Earl’s family’s current state lies with the previous Earl’s father, who disrupted his sons’ lives. At the same time, the former lady of the house bears significant responsibility.

While living as a lodger and overseeing household affairs, she neglected her duties as a mother and neglected proper child-rearing, socializing, and managing the estate.

And the greatest fault lies with the country that continued to burden the family with heavy responsibilities.

The current Earl, Hardis, was extremely busy. Nevertheless, he made efforts to care for his children, writing frequent letters and seeking suitable marriage partners for them.

However, it is said that he judged solely based on the family background of the prospective partners and didn’t even arrange a meeting, which was quite unfair to the children.

* * * * *

I was surprised when I heard that the young lady of the Earl of Woodcliff had become engaged, and even more so when I learned that her fiancé was Baron Plant.

I couldn’t believe that my most respected senior would be engaged to one of those problematic young ladies.

While attending the academy, Lord Romand, seemed distressed as he told me that he didn’t know where the person he liked was. Could it be that he got engaged to the young lady of the Woodcliff Earl’s family?

Did he give up on his love interest? That senior?

Moreover, both young ladies of the Earl of Woodcliff have a rather bad reputation in high society.

They look down on lower-ranking nobles and flatter only the sons of high-ranking nobles. They are quite improper young ladies.

The combination was just too mismatched, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of discord.

However, it turns out that it was the Earl’s biological daughter who became engaged to the Baron.

She had been living in a warm climate due to her weak constitution since birth, and it happened that she was staying near the Baron’s territory, where the two of them coincidentally met.

When Everlotte heard this from the Crown Prince and understood the situation, she felt relieved. However, at the same time, she became worried about the young lady who was engaged to the Baron, considering her reputation.

If she returned from her recovery place to the capital city, she would be living with the former head of the family, who was known to have a bad reputation.

If that were the case, Everlotte became anxious about whether the delicate and frail girl would be able to live safely in such an environment.

Therefore, Everlotte wanted to help the fiancée and tried to contact Baron Plant, sending him multiple letters. However, the only response she received from the Baron was a letter of gratitude:

“Thank you for your concern. I appreciate your support during that time.”

Knowing his character, Everlotte was convinced that he must have some plan in place. However, she couldn’t shake her worries about whether he truly understood the harshness of social interactions among women, considering that he was newly elevated to the nobility.

As expected, she was immediately subjected to malicious glances as soon as the party began.

And just when I noticed she was surrounded by peculiar men, there she was, sitting on the sofa against the wall, seemingly on the verge of tears.

Even the Baron seemed unusually flustered.

See, just as I thought. She’s being frightened. It’s so pitiful to see her so scared… Everlotte seethed with indignation as she approached Julia and Romand.

She intended to extend a helping hand, but it was misinterpreted by Julia, causing inconvenience to their mentor, who was also her benefactor.

Everlotte, despite being a beautiful, intelligent, and kind-hearted young lady, had a peculiar talent for being misunderstood by others.