52. His story I

Edward Dale Haier was a romanticist.

And he was a man who had nothing to say other than the word romantic.

He often lost his money because he had no talent in business, and his timid face was handsome, but he was too shy to make his face known. He did not come up to the capital during the social season and was always a man who only interacted with his relatives on his land. The only thing unusual about him was his late wife Catherine.

Catherine was exceptionally pretty.

If it were just pretty, it would have been buried quietly. She was famous because she was the granddaughter of the great granddaughter and the Count's daughter, and she beat out a number of suitors to marry the lord Haier.

It is no exaggeration to say that so many men are Catherine's accessories.

Jewelry is not the jewel itself, but the person who gave it as a gift. That's the royal family, and that's the duke. That's the Sultan of foreign countries.

Among her accessories, Prince Gwiz would say the best one was given. the next king of this country the sole successor Everyone knew that Catherine's lover was him.

The question was whether he proposed to her or made her a mistress.

Some people naturally suggested that she would become a princess in the future, but older people expected to break up soon or get a seat in the government.

"It must be the government."

"Hey, how could you do that? You're so into it.”

The Count's Daughter and the Crown Prince. She was the granddaughter of the Grand Duke, but her father was a count. Under the system of the country that followed her father's ranks, she was more noble than any count, but could not marry a royal family.

"I'm saying this because I don't know him. Did you see him do something he could lose money.

And as they thought, Crown Prince Gwiz married not Catherine, but royalty from other countries.

What no one expected, however, was that Catherine later chose Haier and lived with him all her life. It was a far more foolish choice than his mother. Who would understand her choice as the wife of a rural lord, not the lover of the royal palace and the nobility?

Even Lord Haier was not easily convinced of his wife's choice.

have no property of one's own have no title

"It's love."

That's all.

one's vague and uncertain feelings But I am not even sure about that.

The lord knows. Catherine certainly did not love herself.

"It's love."

I know it's not.

Catherine never gave him a look. The proposal he made one day was definitely just passing by, given by one of the many suitors.

One summer day he proposed to Catherine.

Catherine, who was always surrounded by people, sat alone on that day without anyone. Come to think of it, she might have been waiting for someone. But at that time, he was just amazed to be alone with Catherine. So I went to the side.

"The weather is nice."

"I don't usually say hello at night, Mr. Haier."

"Good night."

"Yes. Good night, Mr. Haier."

Catherine smiled and reached out to him to kiss him.

"You left the party early. Is something wrong?"

"I…."

She knows my name. It felt like a miracle to Haier. Know oneself. He must be interested in himself. It overwhelmed his heart.

The wind was cool. And there was a strong scent of flowers. Catherine blinked. When the eye tried to move away from Haier, I wanted to say anything to stop it. So I did.

"Will you marry me?"

"…what?"

And Haier was surprised by himself. What are you talking about? And he closed his eyes tightly. Even if they were teased or angry, there was nothing to say. It was amazing just to know his name.

He and she had no contact at all. She had numerous followers, and she was just one of the passers-by who could not be a follower.

But now that the passing person suddenly confessed, she must be so embarrassed. His face was burning because he was dumbfounded. When Catherine heard a small laugh, she felt like jumping into the river.

"I'm sure Mr. Haier has another good person.”

It was a soft refusal.

Catherine wasn't too surprised. It was so familiar to her. He only smiled softly and shook his head. Haier covered his hot face with one hand and bowed his head.

"I'm sorry."

"It's all right."

He went to a quiet place, and said, "What have I done?" and hit his head against the pillar. And then a friend came by him.

"Are you crazy?"

"Did you see that?"

"You see, it's the palace garden. Not in your backyard. It's a social season and it's full of people. Are you out of your mind?"

"No more talking. I know."

"Yes, I'm glad I know."

The garden seemed deserted, but there must have been people everywhere.

"She's not the woman you're going to beat."

"…I know."

Haier himself knew that.

I know I don't have anything so smart about myself. I knew I wouldn't have any advantages over Catherine's. Shortly after he proposed to Catherine, he was not discouraged by the refusal.

It was just a matter of course. I was ashamed of myself, but it was comforting that someone similar to him was common. Sometimes there were people who confessed like themselves, fascinated by Catherine's beauty.

Let's forget

A single confession will bring him back to his youth.

It was courageous to say that the first woman to propose was Catherine. I could use it as a silent story. Haier just did and forgot. No, I didn't forget, but I tried to at least forget.

***

"Mr. Haier."

So rather he was more surprised when she came back to him.

"I'll marry you.”

But Haier could not be pleased with her acceptance. There was not a grain of joy in Catherine's face saying that. Katherine said that and then went away. There was nothing but a question left for him.

Why?

"This is from Prince Gwiz."

And that night, I got a message from him and I was convinced.

Oh, so.

Prince Gwiz intended to make Catherine the government. And he wanted to use him as a proper smokescreen. As the kings of other countries did, as the kings of other countries did.

It was a little embarrassing, but that didn't mean he could do anything.

The king's name is the king is a king.

Accept Prince Gwiz's offer and his life will pass peacefully. As any royal government's external husbands do, titles will be given in return and land will thrive.

And wouldn't that be fine if you could be friends with Catherine?

You will have a good friend.

Haier was convinced by that.

***

"…I said I was going to marry you.”

"What?"

"Are you a man who shares his wife?"

Catherine's eyes were burning blue.

Haier's conviction didn't matter.

Catherine's choice was important.

"I don't need it.”

Catherine tore the paper with the prince's call to pieces and threw it into the fire. Haier reached out to the paper with a perplexed face, but it quickly turned into ashes.

"He says he loves me. Then I will love you."

Catherine chose.

It was Haier's turn.

Haier looked down at Catherine, who reached out to him again.

If you hold her hand, Prince Gwiz will surely retaliate.

Haier knows he's a boring man. He didn't like many people, was weak at money games, and it was hard to be interested in anything else. He thought he would just breathe quietly in the corner of the room and start a family with a woman from a similar family who needed a marriage like him.

I imagined that the opponent could be a woman who could be more stubborn and guide her, or a woman who would be more vulnerable and share similar camaraderie. But I never imagined a woman like Catherine.

Surely this is dangerous.

"Do you love me?”

Haier wanted to take an adventure for the first time in his life.

Like when you proposed in the garden.

***

Catherine was definitely a wise wife until she died. She loved her daughter and closed her eyes after taking care of her husband. But the last name she uttered before her death was not his name.

He definitely loves Catherine.

Even though she didn't love herself until the end.

***

Someone recommended that he remarry, saying it was for Karen. It was not good for Karen to have no brothers because of the inheritance law in which men were given priority. When the lord dies, the title is passed on to Duran, not Karen, the next closest relative.

If Duran does not marry Karen, Karen must marry with only a small fortune. If he had a brother, he would give his sister a house, but most of his relatives would just kick her out.

Dulan and Karen were engaged, but obviously their relationship was not good. So people around him kept recommending remarriage. Give birth to a second child and give his daughter a stable future.

But Young-ju did not remarry.

So people called him a romantic. It's because I couldn't forget my dead wife. Indeed it was. In other words, it meant that his love was more precious than his daughter's future. His love was forever and the only glory to him. Even if it's already dead love.

He didn't want to give up his love. So I didn't even remarry. And he didn't hesitate to drug his daughter and brainwash her.

Nevertheless, it was sincere to empty my daughter's happiness.

It was just not more important than his wife, or his own love.

"Lady Karen sent me a gift and a letter."

Helen's letter contained Karen's updates.

Then there was the story of Icela Evans with her.

She was living in the capital while helping her run away from home. Naturally, the business was postponed indefinitely, and Karen was involved in various affairs on behalf of Isela, who did not want to contact her father.

"And you sent me a gift, too. Would you like to see it?"

"Yes…. What's this?"

"It's an orgel."

It was something that only girls would like.

It was not suitable for a middle-aged lord, but he liked it. Orgel where a couple of men and women are dancing. The doll began to move with the potato melody.

A couple of lovers continued to dance.

The doll's hair colors resemble her and her wife. The lord knew it and continued to rewind the orgel and looked down.

Haier doesn't know much about her daughter. Admit it to yourself.

He tried to believe Catherine, who said she had died and lived a life of repetition, and he tried to trust his daughter, but anxiety still sat in one corner.

There's a man I love. I'll show you soon.

I touch my daughter's handwriting with my fingertips.

I felt that his work was finally over.

Now he can keep getting drunk on his love.

He opens his eyes in the morning, sighs with loss, looks after the territory, and visits the graveyard of the dead by attending the temple. It must be a peaceful and satisfying routine.

Now that he's done his job.

"Fortunately, isn't it?"

"Well, that's right. Lord."