C75
"It's alright, it's alright. I know you want me to exercise a lot. I'll get up, so help me get dressed."
"It's true that I want my lady to exercise, but there is no lie in what I say, Madam. You know that I always tell you the truth."
"Yes, yes."
Bianca chuckled lightly. It was nice to see her smile cheerfully, but it was evident that she didn't believe Yvonne's words.
Yvonne let out a small sigh.
Both the lady and the Count were stubborn and proud, so they couldn't accept the situation as it was.
Why do they do that? Both interpreted each other's favor in their own way. There was a long way to go.
Yvonne worried about Bianca's affairs as if they were her own, partly out of loyalty, but also because Bianca's marriage resembled that of her sister. A couple who didn't open their hearts, lacking communication. Every time she looked at it sideways, her chest felt tight and congested.
It would be great if this tournament became an opportunity for them to become closer. If they do that, they might alleviate some of the worries weighing on their chests.
Yvonne truly prayed fervently.
----
Once dressed, Bianca headed to the garden with Yvonne. Gaspard, Bianca's escort, followed them silently five steps behind so as not to hinder their movement.
The garden was a place to examine the feelings of the castle's hostess. The garden was where the hostess's desires were reflected, whether it be a whisper or a caress. In some cases, the hostess decorated it herself with pruning shears, and in others, like Bianca, she gave instructions to the gardener.
Currently, there were a total of five gardens in the royal palace. One for the queen, one for the crown princess, and one for each princess.
The current queen was the king's third wife. The first queen gave birth to Prince Gautier and a princess; the second queen gave birth to Jacob, and the current queen gave birth to two daughters. Two princes, three princesses. The current royal family of Sevran had fewer offspring compared to other eras.
With the exception of the 1st Princess, who was 27 years old as she was born from the first queen, the other two princesses born from the current queen were young.
The garden of the two young princesses was nothing more than an orchard. So, there were three gardens Bianca could go to, and the place she most wanted to go was the garden of the 1st Princess, which was famous for its splendor.
However, Bianca had to travel a long way from where she was staying to reach the 1st Princess's garden, and it was also customary to visit the garden only after receiving an invitation from the owner. Bianca had not yet met the 1st Princess, so the 1st Princess's garden was not reasonable.
The gardens Bianca could go to were the queen's garden and the crown princess's garden. But her health was not very good either. So she chose to go to the nearest one. Bianca and her group decided to move slowly.
The 1st Queen's garden was arranged according to division to the extent that it was informal. It was surprising that the gardens were strictly separated according to the species and colors of the flowers.
Bianca and the others were the only ones who came to visit the garden. Satisfied with the peaceful atmosphere, Bianca looked around the garden slowly. The fragrance of the flowers was refreshing. It will look even better when more flowers are in full bloom in mid-May.
"It's nice to see flowers after a long time."
"The flowers are beautiful, but so is the lady. It's almost impossible to notice the difference between the garden flowers and the lady."
"Yvonne is also good at flattering."
"No, the lady is so beautiful. It would be nice if she dressed like this normally. She made a great effort to come to the capital and got new clothes, but..."
Yvonne sighed regretfully. Upon arriving in the capital, the bright red satin dress with a dark red pattern adorned with new golden embroidery was as radiant as a fully bloomed rose.
A pearl necklace with a peridot pendant adorned her white nape and collarbone. The large, light green transparent peridot that matched Bianca's eye color was a gift from Zachary when Bianca was fifteen.
The skill of neatly braiding her hair on both sides and tying it back was not in vain. It was Yvonne's handiwork. She tried her best for her lady's outing, and the result exceeded her imagination.
Bianca seemed to like it, so she asked her to do it again next time.
When she dressed her up for the first time in a long time, Yvonne felt the need to show off, but it was disappointing that she was satisfied with just the result. Yvonne let out a regretful groan.
"I have to show other people how beautiful my lady is."
"I am satisfied with myself."
Bianca replied, gazing at a flower with melancholy. Bianca got new clothes every season, but what would Bianca do with those clothes in the tranquil Arno estate?
Bianca was content enough to enjoy wearing new clothes alone. She liked to dress well, but she didn't like the gaze of others.
Unlike Bianca, who enjoys the current situation without anyone paying attention to her, Yvonne couldn't hide her sadness.
Yvonne had a reason to want to show Bianca to others today.
Although Yvonne was by Bianca's side for approximately 24 hours a day, it was not uncommon for her to have some time to walk by herself. And while doing so, she would often hear small rumors, one of which was related to Bianca.
According to the rumor, Bianca, the wife of Count Zachary of Arno, the kingdom's hero, was the supreme villain of the century.
Yvonne opened her mouth when she heard the rumors that she seemed anxious with a face as ugly as a fox, that she had a thin and poor body, and that it was common for her to act jealous and commit violent acts.
Of course, similar rumors circulated in the Arno estate. Bianca had refuted them quite a bit while observing around the Arno estate this winter, but initially, she suffered quite a bit because of them.
The rumor must have spread to the capital.
Apart from that, it was foolish to say that she had an ugly face and a poor body.
Although the slender Bianca appeared thinner when she pressed her corset against her chest, it was different from the rumors that she was emaciated. Anyone could see that a maliciously distorted choice of words was being used.
Yvonne was angry and tried to explain, but the maids who had been whispering the rumor had disappeared somewhere in the meantime. Yvonne finally had no choice but to calm her anger and return to her quarters.
Of course, even when she proposed to Bianca to take a walk, she had no intention of explaining such rumors. However, as she prepared for the walk, the idea came to her, "I wish I could show other people how beautiful my lady is."
It would be great if she could show this to anyone passing by at least. But today, she couldn't see anyone except a few servants until they reached the garden.
Did Yvonne's plea reach the heavens? It didn't take long for the entrance to the garden to become noisy. When the voices of several women were heard, Bianca's brow furrowed slightly. It was not unreasonable for Bianca to become more sensitive as she had recently grown tired of meeting strangers.
"I hope people pass by the garden."
But the voice was getting closer to them.
"It's all thanks to the Countess of Davoville."
"Why thanks to me?"
"Because the Countess of Davoville is the princess's cousin, it is possible to obtain permission to enter the garden this way. So it's all thanks to the countess."
Around the corner, four noblewomen and the servants following them appeared. Three of the aristocratic women were mixed blondes, and the so-called Countess of Davoville was a fiery redhead.
The Countess of Davoville was the tallest and wealthiest among her companions, and her attire was noticeably different from the other noblewomen.
However, trivial things like hunched shoulders and freckles on the bridge of her nose told her that her position in the group was not very high.
"Oh..."
The women murmured when they spotted Bianca a second later.
And since they found themselves in a quiet garden, they couldn't pass by without greeting. A light brown-haired aristocratic woman with a slender chin and a sharp nose spoke to Bianca.
"I didn't know there were other guests and caused a commotion. I apologize, but which family do you belong to..."
Tags:
TWB (Novel)