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

Chapter 50 Julia’s Papa and Mama

Julia and Liana locked eyes and shared a knowing chuckle.

“You know, dear husband, you’re quite terrible,” Liana said with a hint of teasing in her voice. “You only told me about Julia yesterday. Yes-ter-day! Even though Julia was found nearly three years ago, you kept that from me. It’s just too cruel.”

“I was the one who made a cake and celebrated Julia’s birthday alone while crying, even though you knew,” Liana continued, her frustration evident. “And to top it off, you kept Margaret a secret too, so I couldn’t even visit her grave.”

“Well, you see…” began her husband, but Liana interrupted.

“I understand the circumstances,” she said, her tone softening. “But it’s still so frustrating to think you didn’t trust me that much.”

“That’s why it was part of the ‘Green Ring Oath’ terms,” he explained.

“I know, I know,” Liana sighed. “I understand all that.”

As the mother of four boys, Liana had retained her graceful appearance but had grown stronger, assertively managing Jade.

“Lord Romand, as you may have already gathered, these two here are my other set of parents, Lord and Lady Rudolf, Marquis of the House Rudolf,” Julia said with a bright smile as she turned her gaze towards Romand.

Romand, approaching the couple with genuine warmth, accepted the hand extended by Jade without hesitation.

“Minister Rudolf and Madam, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for acting as our guarantors in this engagement. I sincerely thank you,” Romand spoke sincerely.

“No, we’re the ones who are truly delighted to have such a capable and dependable young man like you as Julia’s partner. Thank you, and please take good care of her,” Lord Rudolf replied warmly.

Seeing the evident closeness between the two, Julia and Liana exchanged surprised glances.

“Was Lord Romand close to Marquis Rudolf, then?” Liana inquired.

“Yes, indeed,” Julia answered. “He has been acquainted with him since he inherited the baron title and became the Royal family’s preferred merchant. Since Lord Rudolf serves as the Minister of Commerce, he’s always been there with advice and support. So, when it was decided that Julia and I would get engaged, I was surprised when Lord Rudolf offered to be our guarantor. I had no idea that Lord Rudolf was already familiar with Count Hardis and Julia’s family. But it turns out they were more than just acquaintances; Lord Rudolf called him ‘Papa.'”

“The first man who ever held me as a baby was Jade Papa. In my early years, he celebrated my birthdays along with my mother and Liana Mama,” Julia added, touching a sentimental note.

Julia’s revelations about her past tugged at the heartstrings of Romand and the Marquis and his wife. By this point, even hardis couldn’t help but feel sympathy.

Julia smiled mischievously and approached Hardis, who was slouched on the sofa. She gently took her father’s hands and spoke softly.

“Please don’t look like that. It may be embarrassing now, and I can’t call you ‘Dad’ anymore, but my father is truly one of a kind in this world.

It’s because of my father that I came into this world and had the chance to meet Lord Romand. And because of my father, I was protected by Jade papa and Liana mama, as well as Ruffie and Robert.

You see, everyone loves my father so much, and because of that, they care about me too…

Of course, I love my father dearly as well. In these past six months, through the letters I received from my father, I’ve come to understand his feelings very well. Despite the short time, our regular correspondence made it feel like we shared just as much closeness as if we were living together as a parent and child.

Each letter from my father felt like reading a captivating short story. Writing a reply was a real task. I felt like I had become a writer myself.

Hehe…

I think my mother felt the same way. My mother would read my father’s letters with such happiness, treasuring them and reading them over and over. She never uttered a single word of complaint or frustration about my father.

So, I believe my mother truly loved my father.”

With a gentler tone than before, Julia spoke kindly to her father, taking him by surprise with her unexpected words.

“But my mother made one mistake. She never expressed any dissatisfaction to my father. You see, humans are not perfect; no one is. So, I think it’s okay to voice some complaints or whims from time to time.

However, my mother seemed to have convinced herself that my father was a great man, and she mustn’t trouble him with complaints. But one day, she became afraid all of a sudden. That fear drove her to leave that house, wanting to escape from it with me.”

“Fear… perhaps.

Margaret became frightened when it suddenly fell upon me to inherit the Woodcliff Earldom. No matter how highly everyone praised her as a talented and worthy lady of the house, she must have been scared.

I could hardly return home, and my father was strongly against my marriage. Moreover, that woman insisted that my brother’s children were mine and demanded we part ways.

What I should have done first was to rid myself of that woman. And no matter how busy I was, I should have conveyed my feelings to Margaret promptly, listened to her feelings as well.”

Hardis spoke with regret, biting his lip firmly.

“Father!”

Julia looked at her father’s face in shock and hurriedly took out a handkerchief from her purse, pressing it to her father’s mouth.

Hardesty had bitten so hard that he was bleeding from his lower lip.

“Julia, I’m sorry. I’ve stained your handkerchief.”

“It’s alright. I was actually planning to give it to you, Father.”

“Is this by any chance your embroidered handkerchief?”

“Yes, it is. I carried it with me so I could give it to you whenever we met.”

Hearing this, Hardis became even more disheartened. He couldn’t believe he was about to ruin his daughter’s cherished gift, one she had dreamt of giving him.

Julia smiled faintly and tried to console him.

“Father, you don’t have to be so disappointed. There are plenty of handkerchiefs I couldn’t give you. I’ve embroidered many for your birthday, Father’s Day, Labor Day, and the Goddess’s Birth Festival.

Oh, and besides handkerchiefs, I’ve also embroidered cravats.”

Julia’s attempt to comfort her father unintentionally pushed him further into remorse.

“Julia, I’m truly sorry, Julia…

We’ve only celebrated your birthday together three times. And even after we reunited, I left you to mark important days all on your own.

I’ve done terrible things to you, Julia. Yet, you’ve prepared a gift for someone like me.”

“It’s okay. Father, you’ve sent me gifts on various occasions, haven’t you? It couldn’t be helped after I left home, and we didn’t receive any gifts for the past two years because those people at the mansion probably confiscated them, right?

Father, please don’t make that face. I’m just happy that you remembered me. I still cherish the sewing set you gave me a long time ago. I use it when I embroider handkerchiefs for you.

Even when living together, there are many who don’t even remember their family members’ birthdays. So, the fact that the gifts didn’t arrive doesn’t make me dislike you.

Well, I did get a little angry when I was taken to the mansion in the capital and left there, but…”

“I’m sorry. I knew that woman was a terrible person, but without concrete evidence of her wrongdoing, I couldn’t expel her.

Moreover, I thought that the mansion, where spirits gathered, was the best place to protect you. I never imagined that that woman would…”

Hardis started to say something cryptic and then suddenly fell silent.

“?”

When Julia tilted her head in confusion, Hardis resumed speaking.

“That woman was ordered not to harm you, Julia. If anything were to happen to you, she was warned that both she and her son would vanish into darkness.

I never imagined she would resort to mistreating Julia using our own staff. I only knew the household staff from the time when your mother was alive, so I never thought our own servants could be so malicious.”

Discovering that her gentle father had used threats came as a surprise to Julia. It was somewhat improper, but it made her happy to know that she had been on her father’s mind.

Despite being subjected to such intimidation, Julia couldn’t help but admire the audacity of her step-aunt, who had mistreated her for so long.

[Additional Information]

The “Messengers of the Green Spirits” was highly confidential information, and revealing it to others would result in severe punishment. However, this was mostly a concern within the upper echelons of society, such as dukes and marquises. Hardis, being a mere earl, was not bound by the “Green Ring Oath.” Therefore, he easily disclosed his identity to Romand.

This was mainly because Romand was also a “Messenger of the Green Spirits,” and he had explicitly stated that he would do anything for Julia’s sake, including joining the special forces, which prompted Hardesty to reveal his true identity.

In essence, the “Messenger of the Green Spirits” was considered taboo among high-ranking nobles, but in reality, it was a relatively loose secret. Most “Messengers of the Green Spirits” were not high-ranking nobility.

Of course, they understood their roles and responsibilities, and for the sake of their own safety and that of their families, none of them casually disclosed their identity. This is why Romand and Julia faced no repercussions when they revealed their true identities to Kent.

Thank you for reading!