In her childhood, Flora attended a prestigious academy.
The wealth derived from Lawrence's reputation and fertile lands was enough to afford such an education.
Every morning, she was attended to by servants, building the demeanor of a noble.
The memories from that time were nothing particularly special.
But now.
Amidst a series of events, a sudden memory surfaced.
‘It was someone from the Joel family.’
The Joel family.
A family that existed only in name, so obscure that one might doubt if they even existed in the northeastern region.
Given the family's standing, it should have been impossible for them to enroll in a prestigious academy.
But by sheer luck, someone from the Joel family attended the academy at the same time as Flora.
Flora didn’t look at him with any particular prejudice.
As fellow students, they got along well, but not everyone thought like her.
Within the walls of the prestigious academy, Joel was an anomaly.
In a world where people considered themselves noble, there was no one who treated him with respect.
One day.
Joel made a minor mistake.
The children of renowned nobles could cause major incidents without consequence, but Joel was brought before the disciplinary committee for something trivial.
The threat of expulsion.
As Joel stood there, the teachers berated him loudly.
A man who appeared to be Joel’s father, dressed in faded clothes, arrived and bowed his head.
Please, just this once.
He promised to keep his son in line.
Watching the desperate plea of the middle-aged man, Flora indirectly experienced the harsh reality.
‘How pitiful.’
If the Joel family had been powerful.
If they had influence.
Would the head of the Joel family have bowed his head?
No.
The issue wouldn’t have even arisen in the first place.
They would have treated Joel’s child with respect.
But because they lacked power, the head of the Joel family had no choice but to apologize.
And now.
It was no different.
In front of the enraged Baron Romero, Flora’s father was just like the head of the Joel family.
“……As the head of the Lawrence family, even if I had ten mouths, I would have nothing to say. Baron Dmitri’s words are correct a hundred times over. It was our Lawrence family that first proposed the marriage, and my daughter, still immature, made a grave mistake. I should have apologized from the beginning, but instead, I acted out of turn and lost my temper. I sincerely apologize.”
The Lawrence Count bowed his head.
Dmitri’s anger.
Lawrence did not have the strength to withstand it.
The fact that Dmitri was the one who could resolve the conflict with the Barcos meant that they had the power to do so.
The Lawrence Count faced reality.
Now was the time to apologize.
Without adding any excuses, he bowed his head first.
Watching this, Flora felt a surge of hot emotion rise within her.
‘……It’s all because of me.’
Joel.
A pitiful child.
She had felt sorry for him and wanted to treat him well.
Someone she once thought of as an object of pity was now reflected in her own situation.
She had been foolish.
Pathetic.
Once, she thought the world outside the greenhouse would show her warmth, but she failed to realize that this was no longer the case after the Lawrence family’s decline.
Memories of her childhood.
Just as she had observed the Joel family’s situation from a distance, she still hadn’t realized the responsibility that came with her own choices.
‘There’s no reason for my father to be treated like this because of me.
It’s my fault.
If I had taken full responsibility instead of shifting it to Roman Dmitri, there would have been no need to endure Dmitri’s anger.
How pathetic.
Misjudging Roman Dmitri and ignoring the reality I had to face.’
Clench.
She clenched her fists.
The root of the problem was herself.
Then she knew that it wasn’t the Lawrence Count who needed to apologize, but herself.
Only by apologizing directly could this situation be resolved.
“Baron Dmitri…”
Thud!
“My lord.”
At that moment.
Just as she was about to speak, a soldier entered and said.
“Young Master Roman has arrived.”
In an instant.
It felt as if the world had turned upside down.
As Roman Dmitri entered the office, Flora unconsciously took a deep breath.
‘……Is this Roman Dmitri?’
Before her eyes.
Was a man different from what she remembered.
Her first meeting with Roman.
It had been the worst.
The rumors of Dmitri’s fool had made her view him even more negatively, but his unkempt appearance and overpowering cologne had made Flora frown.
Of course, she later learned that the cologne had been a considerate choice, but at the time, her prejudice had made it impossible to see Roman in a positive light.
But now.
A completely different person stood before her.
With each step Roman took, a natural, pleasant scent wafted through the air, and from head to toe, he was entirely different.
His tall stature.
The blemishes that once marred his face had turned as white as jade, and his black hair and red lips stood out strikingly against his skin.
If he had been ordinary before, now he could be called handsome.
But what truly shocked Flora was the unique aura that Roman Dmitri exuded.
‘It feels like facing a giant.’
He was confident.
As if he looked down upon the world, with no reason to shrink back.
Like a sharp sword.
If the first meeting had been unexpected, and the second shocking, the third meeting left her utterly speechless.
Now.
She knew how pathetic these thoughts were.
But.
Roman’s appearance closely resembled the silhouette she had once considered her ideal.
Thud.
He stopped walking.
Under the gaze of everyone, Roman, without a hint of wavering, looked up at Baron Romero and spoke calmly.
“Roman Dmitri, I have come to see my father.”
A week.
The results of his secluded training were enough to shock everyone present.
Even Baron Romero was taken aback.
His son’s changed appearance.
Though he had many questions, he maintained a calm expression, aware of the watching eyes.
“Did you complete your training well?”
“Yes.”
“We’ll discuss that later. The reason I called you here is that the Lawrence family wishes to retract the annulment and proceed with the arranged marriage. As a father, I no longer wish to continue relations with the Lawrence family, who treated the bond of marriage lightly. But since this issue originated from your decision, I will respect whatever choice you make.”
If it had been a month ago.
Baron Romero might have suggested annulling the marriage and openly seeking revenge by proposing a marriage with the Barcos.
But now.
He trusted his son.
Having taken the initiative to start the Blood Fang, he believed his son would make the right choice for himself.
“……I understand what you mean.”
The atmosphere.
The situation was clear.
Though he hadn’t been present from the beginning, the stiff expressions of the Lawrence father and daughter suggested that Baron Romero had already made his stance clear.
The Dmitri family, as Roman had come to know, had the power to back it up.
Though they didn’t flaunt their influence, the Dmitris were by no means a weak family.
The strongest in the northeastern region.
Whatever choice was made, the Dmitris could handle it.
Roman spoke.
“I understand what the union of Dmitri and Lawrence signifies. The Lawrence family considered me, a stranger, as a marriage partner not because they wanted Roman Dmitri, but because they needed Dmitri’s wealth. In a situation where the Barcos threaten Lawrence’s safety, Dmitri’s wealth would guarantee Lawrence’s security.”
“……And knowing that, you still wished to marry?”
“Yes. At the time, I thought it was worth it.”
Roman’s words.
Baron Romero looked surprised.
He had thought his foolish son had desired the marriage with Flora without any thought.
Though he had never explained the surrounding political situation, he hadn’t expected Roman to grasp the complex relationship with the Barcos.
Just moments ago.
Baron Romero had said the same to the Lawrence Count.
Roman had already understood the surrounding situation through brief investigation, and thus knew the right answer he had to give.
“The union with Lawrence comes at a cost to Dmitri. Even if Dmitri intervenes, the Barcos, having gained central government approval, won’t back down. Therefore, the woman I would take as my wife, Flora, must be worth that cost. Beyond the simple gains and losses between families, she must be someone to whom I, Roman Dmitri, can devote my entire life. Once, I found that value in Flora’s beauty, known as the flower of Lawrence. But when I first met her and she mentioned annulment, my thoughts changed.”
Men and women don’t know each other.
They construct images of each other based on rumors, but those are mere illusions.
Yet.
Flora had made a hasty judgment.
She mistook the cologne, meant as consideration, as evidence of indulgence, and the blemishes on his face as fitting for Dmitri’s fool.
Flora had been hasty.
She believed unverified information, and even if he had been that kind of person, her unwise attitude had ruined the relationship.
“What thoughts did Flora have before deciding on annulment? She must have heard the rumors of Dmitri’s fool and concluded she couldn’t marry such a person. The problem lies in the process.
In handling an issue as significant as a family matter, Flora was not wise, and she judged someone she had never met based solely on rumors, making a definitive conclusion. Marriage is about finding a lifelong partner. Simply being beautiful or coming from a great family isn’t enough to live happily with a partner for a lifetime.
What’s important is wisdom. How one handles the various problems that arise in life ultimately grants the faith to promise a lifetime together.”
Roman’s words flowed without hesitation.
With each word.
Flora’s face turned red, and she couldn’t bring herself to look directly at Roman.
Still young.
Lacking experience, she had made a mistake, but given the gravity of the issue, she couldn’t escape responsibility.
“I am proud of the Dmitri family. Starting as blacksmiths, we built the family’s foundation, and we crossed the walls of status that others dared not even look at. And I wish for a woman like my mother, who always took pride in my father throughout that process. No matter how the world evaluates Roman Dmitri, I want a partner who believes in and follows what they see and judge for themselves.”
The answer was clear.
Roman looked at Flora.
Just as Flora had unilaterally announced the annulment during their first meeting, Roman left no room for compromise.
“I wish to proceed with the annulment as promised.”
The water had been spilled.
That was all.
The water scattered on the floor left only traces, with no way to gather it back.