The human heart is truly fickle.
If Flora had known in advance that a party was to be held in Dmitri, she would have made various excuses to avoid attending.
Her curiosity about Roman was a separate matter.
Right now, she needed time to reflect on her own weakness, and so she had locked herself in her room for days.
Moreover, Silvia had said something like this: “... Sister, did you not know that a party was being held? Oh dear, perhaps Uncle didn’t tell you because of the engagement issue. This party is hosted not by Dmitri, but by ‘Lawrence.’ Thanks to Roman Dmitri, Lawrence has overcome a great crisis, so Uncle planned this party to repay the benefactor. In the process, he invited me. I was happy to think of going to the party with you, but it seems I’ll have to go alone now.”
Her words scratched at Flora’s insides.
Even though she had no interest in the party, and had never intended to attend, she felt inexplicably angry.
Especially at Silvia’s remark, which had always made Flora feel inferior, she turned her frustration towards her father. ‘Is that the only reason he didn’t tell me?’
The engagement issue.
She acknowledged it was a delicate matter.
However, if the party was to repay Roman Dmitri’s kindness, then as a representative of the Lawrence family, she should attend.
After all, it was her own judgment that had involved Roman in the first place.
Flora forced a smile in front of Silvia, but as soon as their conversation ended, she went straight to find her father.
“Father! I heard a party is being held in Dmitri. Why didn’t you tell me?” She asked directly.
She wanted to know his thoughts on the matter.
But her father’s response was unexpected.
The Duke of Lawrence looked at Flora with a serious expression and said, “Flora, this incident has taught me a great deal. Therefore, I have decided that I will never force you to do anything you dislike.”
That was truly a bewildering answer.
The war with Barco had made the Duke reflect deeply.
Especially Flora’s awakening had been shocking.
He had thought of her as a sheltered flower, but she had shown her true self in the face of the family’s crisis. ‘I was foolish.
Flora is capable of much more, yet I failed to recognize my daughter’s potential due to my lack of insight.
It was only natural for Flora to choose to break off the engagement.
She deserves to live a life for herself, not just as someone’s woman.’
Watching his daughter fight to the end, the Duke of Lawrence reflected on his own actions.
How pathetic he was.
Forcing a political marriage to solve the family’s crisis without knowing what his daughter was truly capable of.
He never wanted to do that again.
Now that he understood what kind of person his daughter was, he resolved to live a life without regrets.
“My daughter, at the crossroads of life and death, I witnessed a talent shining brighter than anyone else’s. Not as a father, but at that moment, you were truly magnificent. In a situation where no one could make a decision, you showed the ability to discern what was right, and thanks to you pulling Roman Dmitri into the battlefield, we were able to win the war. So from now on, live for your dreams. I will not repeat the mistake of undervaluing you, and I am ready to support you in anything you desire.”
It was a touching declaration.
The Duke of Lawrence looked at Flora with eyes full of love and made a promise for her.
The problem was that Flora did not want that. ‘...
I want to attend the party.’ Silvia would go in her place.
She disliked that.
Silvia was a vixen.
Imagining her trying to charm Roman made Flora feel inexplicably annoyed.
To be honest, she also wanted to have a proper conversation with Roman.
During their magical communication, Roman had referred to Flora as “his person” in relation to the incident with Antony Barco.
It was surprising.
She had always thought of him as someone cold and pragmatic.
His desire for revenge against Antony Barco for touching his person became an opportunity for Flora to see Roman in a new light.
The time for self-reproach was over.
She was ready to face Roman now.
Perhaps that was why Flora spoke differently than usual. “By the way, why was Silvia invited to a party I didn’t know about?”
“That’s due to my personal desire,” the Duke replied.
“Desire...? Could it be...” The Duke of Lawrence chuckled awkwardly.
He had withdrawn his hands from his daughter’s future.
He intended to let Flora live independently, but separately, he felt a strong desire for Roman. ‘He is truly a captivating man.’
In this war, Roman’s actions were nothing short of miraculous.
His bold decision to attack Barco’s rear changed the tide of the war, and by defeating Homeros, he proved his potential as a four-star knight.
Recently, people had begun to call Roman Dmitri the man of all.
He was a man coveted by everyone in the northeastern region, and the Duke of Lawrence was no different.
However, he had no intention of sacrificing Flora.
After much thought, he came up with a very suitable substitute: Silvia. “Ahem.” The Duke cleared his throat.
Flora, seeing his refusal to answer, said, “I understand. If that’s the case, I will take on the role of guiding Silvia. After all, it’s a party to repay Roman Dmitri’s kindness, and it wouldn’t make sense for me to miss it because of past matters.”
“It’s alright. You don’t have to take part,” the Duke insisted. “My daughter, I hope you will marry someone you truly love in the future. I will never involve you with Roman Dmitri again, so don’t worry about that.”
The Duke continued to dissuade her.
How could he be so stubborn? For a brief moment, Flora felt like she wanted to hit her father on the head.
Ultimately, Flora decided to attend the party.
It wasn’t because of her stubbornness.
She had thought of giving up attending due to her father’s firm attitude, but an invitation arrived from Dmitri.
[Though our relationship has soured due to unfortunate events, how about proving to everyone that it has been restored through this incident? Dmitri is ready to forget the past and start anew.
Therefore, I hope the flower of Lawrence will grace the party for Roman Dmitri.]
Baron Romero.
He was a magnanimous man.
Even though Flora Lawrence’s actions completely disregarded Dmitri, he willingly accepted the message of reconciliation by hosting the party.
It was truly a relief for Lawrence.
With Barco’s downfall, Dmitri’s dominance was anticipated, and if Dmitri had shown a hostile attitude using past events as an excuse, Lawrence’s future would have been bleak.
Fortunately, since Flora had expressed her intention to attend the party first, the Duke of Lawrence was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
That afternoon, Flora, Silvia, and the daughters of other noble families visited Dmitri together.
The party was scheduled for the evening, but they had deliberately arrived early.
This was the consensus among them.
Except for Flora, everyone had a clear purpose of wanting to capture Roman, so they wanted to see what kind of place Dmitri was beforehand.
“So this is Dmitri.”
“It’s as dreary as the rumors say.”
As they walked through the center, the daughters of noble families showed slightly displeased reactions.
Especially Silvia was particularly severe.
Not caring at all about aesthetics, Dmitri’s appearance made her frown as she surveyed the surroundings.
“I don’t know about anything else, but it’s clear that the owner of Dmitri is someone far removed from art. I really don’t understand how people live in a place like this. Even commoners in the capital pay attention to basic aesthetics, but Dmitri is dull from start to finish. It’s as if they’re deliberately staging a protest against the blacksmith’s land.”
Complaints continued.
How long had they walked? Just as they were about to return to the party venue, an unfamiliar sight caught their eyes.
“Oh my.”
“Is that the miners?”
In the distance, a group was walking towards them.
They looked as if they had just finished working, covered in dirt, and their faces were so black that they were barely recognizable.
The daughters’ expressions, which had initially shown curiosity, quickly turned sour.
As the miners approached, kicking up dust, some of the daughters pinched their noses with their fingers, showing their reluctance.
“Oh no, my pretty dress will get dirty.”
“This is why Dmitri is a problem. Miners strolling around the streets.”
It was a double standard.
The nobles of the northeastern region recognized Dmitri’s power.
However, knowing that Dmitri was a family of commoners, they thought of them as somewhat different from themselves by birth.
In contrast, Flora’s reaction was different.
Once, she had hesitated to marry into Dmitri due to her prejudices, but through her experiences with Roman, she realized how foolish and hasty she had been.
Now, she no longer judged people carelessly.
For that reason, Flora did not distance herself from the miners like the others.
Knowing that the miners were the source of Dmitri, she observed them with curious eyes.
Suddenly, her eyes widened as she recognized one of the miners. ‘No way.’ It was unmistakable.
A familiar face.
One of the miners was none other than Roman Dmitri.
At first, she thought she had seen wrong.
Why on earth was Roman Dmitri appearing covered in dirt alongside the miners? In shabby clothes and with dirt-stained skin, but the face visible beneath the safety helmet was the same Roman Dmitri she remembered.
At that moment, a middle-aged man rushed towards Roman.
“Young master!”
It was Hans.
He checked Roman’s condition and fussed about, wiping Roman’s body here and there with a handkerchief.
“I can’t stop you from going to the mine, but you should at least take care of yourself while working, or you might get hurt! I told you before, young master, your body isn’t just yours. But you keep showing up covered in dirt, and it tears my heart apart. Look at this filth. I wiped it with a handkerchief, and it’s already black!”
“That’s enough.”
“No! It’s not enough!”
Perhaps it was Hans’s loud voice that caught the attention of Silvia and the other noble daughters.
The young master of Dmitri.
With the other sons having left Dmitri, there was only one person Hans could be referring to.
Roman Dmitri.
In an instant, the gazes of the noble daughters turned towards Roman. ‘So that’s Roman Dmitri?’ Their eyes were like hyenas spotting their prey.