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

Chapter 42 Embrace Between the Withered Tree Lady and Her Father

On the stage stood the Crown Prince, dressed in a tailcoat with a white tie.

Beside him stood Everlotte, who had previously been wearing a white dress for debutantes but now donned a glamorous yet elegant dress primarily in the country’s color, green, as she had become the Crown Prince’s fiancée.

The two of them made quite the well-suited couple.

Everlotte had effortlessly transformed into a poised figure befitting a future princess, adorned in her elegant attire.

Her graceful presence elicited sighs of admiration throughout the grand hall.

Julia, of course, was also captivated by her appearance.

For Julia, who had been working on a rural farm just a few years ago, it was unimaginable that she would witness herself being present at the announcement of the engagement between the prince and the daughter of a duke.

For commoners in general, princes and princesses were distant figures beyond reach, and most people would never have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of their faces. Yet here they were, right before Julia’s eyes.

Moreover, the princess was not only more noble, refined, and adorable than a fairytale princess in an illustration but also approachable, warm-hearted, and filled with affection.

Being able to converse with someone like her was beyond belief for Julia.

She attributed this honor solely to the influence of Romand and expressed her gratitude.

Indeed, Julia was grateful, but afterwards, she felt a heavy burden for having become engaged to an extraordinary person.

No, she didn’t regret it at all, but truth be told, she had always imagined herself becoming the second wife of a less prominent nobleman, someone older and not particularly remarkable.

Therefore, she had never anticipated stepping into glamorous social settings and being the center of attention among a crowd of people throughout her life.

However, ever since her father took her in, she had contemplated the possibility of going to the royal castle only once in her lifetime, on the day she would be granted the debutante’s crown.

And now, even though the debutante ceremony had concluded successfully, why was she standing on this stage again?

Lost in her thoughts, Julia, accompanied by Romand, was introduced by the Crown Prince to the guests in the grand hall.

She was introduced as the person who had contributed the most to the engagement between the Crown Prince and Everlotte, and as the fiancée herself.

(Yes, Baron, you are certainly deserving of praise. I heard that directly from Lady Everlotte earlier, so I believe it to be true. It’s understandable that both of them are deeply grateful to you.)

But Julia couldn’t help but feel that there was no need for her to stand on the same stage as them and be recognized.

Many people, young and old, gazed at Romand on the stage, their faces blushing with admiration. I understand how they feel. It may sound rude, but compared to today’s main character, the Crown Prince, Baron is much more beautiful and glamorous.

However, that’s only when they’re compared side by side. The Crown Prince is absolutely splendid standing alone.

So why does he insist on placing Baron next to himself?

Well, if it were me, it would be the perfect complement to Lady Everlotte, but in the case the Baron…

Just as Julia was entertaining such inappropriate thoughts, Everlotte whispered in her ear.

“Now that it’s widely known that the two of you are engaged and that you are close to His Highness and me, perhaps the harassment towards you will decrease, at least to some extent. Of course, it won’t be overt, but there may still be people who hide in the shadows and engage in malicious acts without revealing their identities. So, we must never let our guard down.

Additionally, the members of the Count’s family, too, will most likely refrain from interfering with you in the future.”

With those words, Julia was taken aback.

Ah, I see. So both of them extended a helping hand because it would be difficult for Baron alone to constantly protect me. How slow of me to realize it just now.

Nevertheless, even though I feel grateful, His Highness the Crown Prince is truly deep-hearted to accept the role of the second man (how disrespectful!) and go to great lengths to protect his friend. Julia was deeply moved.

“Smile boldly! Let’s wave our hands together.”

Upon hearing Everlotte’s words, Julia desperately put on a smile and waved her hand slightly from the stage. At that moment, she caught sight of the Woodcliff family members.

For some reason, they all seemed suspicious in their behavior.

They appeared to be sneaking toward the exit, but they were surrounded by the royal guards.

“Count, it seems they’ve taken action sooner than we anticipated,” Romand remarked, noticing where Julia’s gaze had fallen, and whispered in a low voice.

* * * * *

After the engagement announcement of the Crown Prince and Everlotte went smoothly, Julia was brought to a certain room in the royal palace along with Romand, Rufie, and Robert.

There, she laid eyes on her father for the first time in ten months.

“Father!”

“Julia!”

Father and daughter embraced, the first time since their reunion at the farmhouse where she had been living. Since being taken in, her father had only returned home three times, and even then, he was mostly kept away and couldn’t have proper conversations due to interference from the family.

“Julia, let me look at your face. My goodness, your cheeks that were once so plump have become so thin. Oh, even your arms…”

As he was about to utter words like “like a withered tree,” her father managed to stop himself.

However, his blood vessels almost burst at his dear daughter’s next words.

“But, Father, I have actually gained quite a bit of weight. Thanks to Rufie-san and Baron, I’ve been enjoying various delicious foods. I’m even worried that I might become too fat if I continue like this.”

If this is considered gaining weight, then what was she like before?!

He had warned her not to harm their daughter, and now he realized that he had allowed everything except physical violence!

Count Hardis Woodcliff, instinctively glared at Rufie, his daughter’s escort.

Then, Julia noticed his reaction and spoke to him.

“Rufie-san has been incredibly kind to me. For nearly three years, Rufie-san has protected me without a single day off. Not even a drop of alcohol.

Being a guard in the Woodcliff Count’s household is the worst workplace imaginable.

If you truly cared for me, you could have at least provided me with a maid or two.

But Rufie never made such a request…

Rufie was simply ordered to protect me from external dangers, wasn’t he? There was no need to report anything else.

It’s the way Father gives instructions that’s flawed.”

“I’m Truly sorry. It’s all my fault. Even Romand-kun and Robert-kun scolded me.

When I heard about yesterday’s incident, I couldn’t stop trembling, thinking about the possibility of you getting injured.

I’m sorry for putting you in danger.”

“It’s all right. I could have left that mansion much earlier if I wanted to. It was my idea to gather evidence, after all. I apologize to Viola-san for causing trouble.”

While saying this, Julia finally expressed her long-held frustration and helplessness.

In reality, Julia had never harbored feelings of hatred or resentment towards her father. Neither she nor her mother were abandoned by him. She understood that her mother had chosen to leave on her own.

Well, she did despise and dislike her step-aunt, Cindy, who had caused the rift.

Therefore, even when her mother passed away, Julia didn’t feel the need to resent her father or go and confront him with bitterness and resentment.

Well, she just wanted to inform him about her mother’s death, if possible.

She couldn’t help but consider herself a heartless daughter, but in reality, they had very little time together before she left home.

She had fleeting memories of being cared for, more akin to the occasional visits of a kind relative.

However, it was after being taken in by the Count’s family that her resentment towards her father began to grow.

The work she once loved on the farm was now out of her reach.

Instead, she was compelled to perform unpaid menial tasks, enduring bullying, harassment, and meager meals consisting of leftovers and discarded scraps.

The portions were so meager that she constantly suffered from hunger.

She couldn’t fathom why they had gone through the trouble of taking her in only to subject her to such treatment. It was a concept beyond Julia’s comprehension.

No matter how hard she tried to escape, skilled guards were always present, effectively preventing her from running away.

It wasn’t Rufie whom Julia resented, but her own father.

Rufie was merely fulfilling his duties, and Julia understood it was unjust to dislike him.

Moreover, Julia gradually developed a sense of familial affection towards Rufie, who remained by her side.

Perhaps it stemmed from his long-standing presence in her life, second only to her mother.

However, she was aware that his unwavering presence was due to his job, so she never voiced her grievances about the meager meals.

While Rufie began to see Julia as a younger sister, he never questioned her eating situation or took any steps to address it. To him, her sparse meals seemed ordinary.

Growing up in a modest household, Rufie had experienced similar modest meals.

During his time in the Order of the Knights, he enjoyed hearty meals to sustain his physical strength, like blood-soaked steaks.

But he believed that the amount consumed by an ordinary girl would be more than sufficient.

Robert scolded Rufie a few times for his lack of observational skills.

However, when it came to observing and understanding real adversaries, Rufie’s powers of observation and insight far surpassed Robert’s.

Yet, those abilities were not fully utilized when it came to women, especially young girls.

“Is it not your responsibility as the defender of this country, Father? If you can’t even keep track of what’s happening within your own mansion, how can you effectively protect the nation?

I understand that you’re busy, truly. However, if you genuinely wanted to protect me, wouldn’t it have been better to hire a personal maid or servant under your direct supervision, or perhaps cultivate a loyal spy from among the existing staff? It seems that the shadows of the royal castle were watching over the mansion, but they couldn’t safeguard its internal affairs, could they?”

Julia couldn’t help but attribute the blame to her father rather than Rufie.