There was not a single place in the Raphilen Palace that was not beautiful, from the entrance to the gardens on both sides of the path leading into the palace.
The arched entrance was decorated with fully bloomed lisianthus, the representative flower of Raphilen Palace.
Along the neatly trimmed path, the gardens on both sides, beautifully adorned up to the palace entrance, caught the eye with green grass and colorfully arranged flowers.
The lisianthus, which mainly decorated the garden, came in various colors but were very harmonious.
The gardens, starting from the entrance, were filled with people waiting for their partners or acquaintances.
As it was the Founding Festival where everyone from high nobles to the most remote provincial nobles gathered, many people occupied the flower garden near the entrance.
In short, there were many eyes watching from the entrance.
Despite being a couple married for just a year, not only did they enter separately, but Peiron also called out to Erina loudly enough for everyone in the garden to hear.
Countless eyes turned to one place in an instant.
Erina was standing not far from the entrance with Heila.
Erina, who had been receiving subtle glances since the entrance of the Iolls family, looked indifferently at them even at Peiron’s shout.
Peiron approached Erina in one breath, and Mirea followed, standing behind Peiron.
Nobles chatting quietly in various parts of the garden, nobles waiting for someone, and nobles about to enter the palace all looked at them.
Peiron wore a displeased expression, looking at Erina, who, in contrast, had an extremely calm face.
Peiron called out to Erina, trying hard to suppress his rising irritation at the increasing gazes.
“Erina.”
“Yes, Count Iolls.”
Her calm response made the whispering of some people unbearable for Peiron.
Erina had never spoken like this in official settings, drawing a line between them as a married couple.
It was clear that some acquaintances would be surprised and whisper about the sudden change in address.
“What is this now? Why did you come alone?”
Erina calmly looked at Peiron with a peaceful face, as if the current situation had nothing to do with her.
He was a man who looked great in the snow-white uniform he always wore at banquets to remember his position as the Emperor’s knight.
With silky silver hair shimmering under the warm sunlight and scarlet eyes shining like the sun, he was beautiful enough to capture attention at once.
Erina had once truly loved this man.
Now, she despised him who had not looked at her, who had made her wither away in the prison that was the Iolls mansion, who tried to justify his dirty love as something noble.
As Peiron approached, she unconsciously tightened her grip on Heila, trying to suppress the hatred that seemed about to overflow.
“Do you know what kind of place this is, to behave like this?”
Erina tilted her head slightly as if she couldn’t understand his words, and Peiron’s expression became even fiercer.
“Why did you move alone?”
“Ah.”
Erina couldn’t understand Peiron’s anger at her moving alone.
It was truly ridiculous that he was getting irritated at her when he was the one who had done wrong.
“Count Iolls.”
“Erina!”
“Did you request me as your partner?”
Peiron’s eyes widened.
Although it was common for married couples to enter as partners, there was one custom that nobles learned from childhood.
It was to request a partner just before the banquet.
Requesting a partner just before the banquet wasn’t very grand.
One would send a small gift with a letter or meet in person to give a gift and talk to make the partner request.
It was basic etiquette and manners to ask for each other’s time before the banquet.
But after fainting and regaining consciousness, Peiron forgot the most basic thing while nursing Rose, who looked so pained.
Peiron couldn’t answer, struck by the realization.
The silent affirmation caused an uproar among those lingering nearby.
Even those who had just come of age had not failed to make partner requests.
The surroundings began to stir again.
Erina once thought that Peiron, who could only look at her without being able to do anything, was a very upright and honest person.
But that wasn’t it.
He was just a person who could only see one step ahead.
“And… I was scared.”
“What?”
“The coachman is still the same.”
Peiron took a sharp breath at Erina’s following words.
“The Iolls family only has that coachman, so what if I can’t return after riding in a carriage driven by that coachman again?”
Erina mocked him with a roundabout statement, smiling brightly enough to make onlookers feel refreshed.
She mocked the stupidity of the head of the family who didn’t even know the internal affairs of the family properly, and the complacency of not being able to properly punish even one butler, one head maid, and even one coachman.
Whether he understood the hidden meaning, Peiron gritted his teeth without answering.
Mirea, who had been standing quietly behind, wanted to get angry at the arrogant Erina.
But she couldn’t do anything due to the gaze of Heila, whose eyes were shining brightly, and the attention of the people around.
Erina’s golden eyes flashed coldly for a moment at the sight of Mirea stamping her feet.
Peiron began to get angry at Erina’s attitude of not trying to understand, even though he was the one who had done wrong.
Surely Rose had collapsed because of Erina.
It was clear that the fragile Rose had fallen ill, beginning to suffer from severe stress due to her conversation with Erina.
Stupidly, Peiron concluded this and justified his anger.
Peiron tried to approach Erina a little more out of guilt.
He had tried to apologize first but was rejected, and he had acted to treat her as his wife, but Erina cruelly drew a line.
As a result, Rose had been hurt.
Peiron had tried to understand Erina, but she rejected everything without leaving a single gap.
If only she would understand their unfortunate love, if only she would accept it and live comfortably as the Countess.
“Erina, come here right now.”
The cold, commanding tone surprised those watching them.
Incomprehensible things were happening before their eyes.
Count Iolls should be begging for forgiveness for not requesting his wife as a partner, resulting in her coming separately, but instead, he was getting angry and ordering her around!
It was the onlookers who were shocked.
Erina didn’t budge at Peiron’s cruel attitude.
“Erina!”
“Excuse me, Count.”
Erina spoke coldly, instantly erasing her expression at Peiron’s loud voice calling her name.
“I am your wife, not your subordinate.”
Erina knew that the sentence she uttered would become past tense after today, but she didn’t bother to say it out loud.
Peiron’s expression twisted at her icy tone.
“So I’ll refuse that ridiculous order.”
“Order?!”
“Oh, and because there was no partner request from the Count for this important Founding Festival, I hurriedly found a separate partner.”
As if she had never worn a cold expression, Erina smiled brightly again.
“I’m waiting for my partner, so please go in, Count.”
She spoke while gesturing kindly towards the inside of the palace, but Peiron’s expression twisted even more.
“Partner?”
Erina found it truly amusing.
“Erina, tell me. What do you mean by partner?”
“It’s not a banquet low enough to come without a partner just because there was no partner request, is it? For such a young and healthy person.”
Unlike Erina’s refreshing tone, she was openly mocking Peiron for coming here alone so confidently.
The Founding Festival, being a national event presided over by the Emperor, was considered the most important banquet of the year.
There were hardly any nobles who attended such banquets without a partner.
If not married, they would enter with a lover, family member, relative, or acquaintance.
Of course, if there was a health problem significant enough for everyone to know, no one would mind.
But Peiron was clearly a married man and a healthy person.
“Ah, could it be that I’m mistaken and the Grand Madam of Iolls is your partner?”
Erina had said this knowingly.
She had seen Mirea begging her distant cousin to be her partner three days ago and causing a fuss with the maids to match the dress code.
Erina even noticed that the cousin was now unable to approach due to the surprising situation, not far from here.
Erina deliberately brought up Mirea to embarrass Peiron.
If Peiron affirmed Erina’s words, both Mirea and her cousin partner would be publicly embarrassed.
It was unlikely that Mirea, who loved to boast, hadn’t bragged to those around her about the accessories she had purchased to match the dress code with her cousin.
Peiron couldn’t respond either way and had to endure the whispers of people while stupidly unable to react.
Just as he was about to open his mouth, someone approached, calling out to Erina.
“Countess Iolls.”
At the sweet voice coming from behind at this unbelievable timing, countless gazes moved once again.
The person who gently called Erina had approached here in one breath from the entrance.
It was someone everyone knew.
Sandes Devulle Kerenik.
He was the Emperor’s right-hand man, mentioned as the next Prime Minister, and the person in charge of the Empire’s finances.
Sandes, with his dark blue suit with a subtle silver sheen and neatly combed light brown hair, instantly captured everyone’s attention.
Many people blushed at his decadently curved eye corners, unlike his clear sky-blue eyes.
“Marquis Kerenik.”
“Have you been waiting long?”
Sandes slowly took Erina’s hand, briefly kissed the back of it, and then gazed at Erina intently.
At this series of actions, the noble ladies and young ladies watching exclaimed “Oh my, oh my” and stamped their feet.
Although it was clearly a common greeting to a partner, the sweetly curved sky-blue eyes stirred the hearts of the onlookers.
Erina couldn’t help but smile at Sandes’s exaggerated actions, deliberately shown for others to see.
“No, I haven’t been waiting long.”
Peiron’s face contorted at Erina’s voice, which had softened unlike when she was talking to him.
He became angry at the sight of the two acting as if he wasn’t there.
“Erina, now…!”
Just as Peiron was about to grab Erina’s arm, Sandes forcefully knocked away Peiron’s approaching hand.
‘Thud-‘
Perhaps because it was hit with such force, a dull sound rang out even though it was hand meeting hand.
As Peiron’s moving arm was pushed away in mid-air, a deep silence fell over the garden that had been full of whispering voices.
Why She Is Still Unmoved (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: He uses various methods to seek her affection, but she remains unmoved.
Synopsis:
Si Qingyu is a doctor who has saved countless lives and enjoys tranquility.
Luo Shaoxuan is ruthless, deeply scheming, and the top young master in the capital. He admires Si Qingyu.
Luo Shaoxuan: I want to be the only one in your eyes and heart.
Features a cold and calm female lead vs A noble and scheming male lead.
There will be both sweetness and torture towards the male after their marriage.
