Chapter 4 Part 1

The news that the Imperial Family had sent an invitation to Irina spread quickly within the family. The Lehman family, who had been depressed for a while, was elated by the unexpected invitation from the Imperial Family.

The servants were overjoyed, each believing that the Emperor had granted an opportunity to get rid of the humiliation that had been directed at the Lehman family. Among them, the most excited was definitely Olga.

“Miss, miss. Wouldn’t you need a new dress? Should I inform Madam Resa that you’ll be visiting her salon?”

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Olga asked in a lively voice, genuinely happy that Irina had been invited to the Imperial Palace.

This was understandable. Ever since Irina’s father, Thomas Lehman, had been arrested, dark rumors about the downfall of the family had been circulating. As soon as he got out of that situation, the imperial family’s invitation felt like the greatest blessing after such a difficult time.

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Irina was even more frustrated because she knew how Olga felt. However, she had no choice but to go along with Olga’s enthusiasm, as she couldn’t reveal the truth. 

Otherwise, Olga would be suspicious and worried about Irina’s reaction to the invitation from the Imperial Family.

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“Yes, please do that.”

“Yes! I’ll make arrangements with Madam Resa and let you know the details.”

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Even with Irina’s weak response, Olga remained cheerful. She probably thought Irina was just tired, so she didn’t seem to notice anything unusual.

In fact, Irina didn’t bother to correct her because it was better for Olga to think that way. 

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It wasn’t long after Olga left the room. Someone knocked on the door. Irina looked toward the door thinking that since Olga had just left, she couldn’t have knocked on the door.

“Who is it?”

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“…It’s me, Irina. Can I come in?”

“Of course!”

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The weak voice belonged to her father, Thomas Lehman. Irina jumped up from the sofa in worry.

Just then, the door opened, and Thomas Lehman appeared. He looked even more worn out and exhausted than when Irina had seen him in the punishment hall.

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“Father! Are you alright? What’s going on?”

“Olga said that the Imperial Family sent you an invitation.” 

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“…….”

Instead of responding to Irina’s question about whether he was okay, Thomas Lehman spoke about the invitation from the imperial family. 

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It was only then that Irina realized that her father looked so haggard after hearing the news of the imperial invitation.

As expected, her father must have known something about the imperial family’s, or rather, Emperor Knezh’s, schemes. Irina spoke with certainty.

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“Father, what did Emperor Knezh say to you? What on earth did the Imperial Family tell you?”

“…I’m sorry.”

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“You have nothing to apologize for. That wicked emperor must have…!”

“Shhh, lower your voice.”

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He cautioned her as he scanned the room. Despite coming alone, without any servants following him, and confirming that no one else was nearby, he remained uneasy.

Irina understood that, with her father’s warning, she could no longer criticize the Emperor. But it was clear now that her father knew the truth about the Emperor.

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“Please, tell me, Father. What did he say to you?”

“…. … Actually, the imperial family has made several proposals for your marriage.”

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“What?”

Irina opened her eyes at the unexpected words. At that, Thomas Lehman let out a long sigh.

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The sight of her father looking so weak and on the verge of collapse filled Irina with pain. Therefore, she was not surprised by the unexpected news about marriage proposals from the imperial family.

“But each time, I rejected them.”

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As he calmly continued, Irina stared at her father, seeing regret and sorrow in his face. Surprisingly, Irina felt relieved.

If her father had accepted the proposal and she had ended up marrying someone as greedy and cruel as Emperor Knezh, it would have been a truly hopeless situation.

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“Your mother doesn’t know about this. It was my decision alone, so don’t blame her.”

Thomas quickly added, whether or not he knew Irina’s feelings. At his words, Irina shook her head.

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“You know I wouldn’t blame my mother. And I won’t blame you either, Father. I don’t want to marry him. I’m actually grateful to you for rejecting that proposal and saving me from marrying such a man.”

“…Is that really how you feel?”

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“Yes. I really do… I don’t want to marry such a person.”

Irina responded firmly. Only then did Thomas Lehman let out a sigh of  relief. Watching this, Irina had a question.

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“But Father, why did you refuse the marriage proposal?”

It was natural for any noble family to want to have a relationship with the imperial family. But why had her father refused the proposal that would have forged the strongest bond with the imperial family?

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“Well, obviously…” 

Thomas Lehman trailed off. Then, after looking around to confirm there was no one nearby, he continued.

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“Which father would want his daughter to marry a man of such a cruel temperament?”

“But… if I marry him, our family would be connected to the imperial family.”

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Irina said these words, though she didn’t truly mean them, feeling both grateful and conflicted by her father’s concern. Thomas Lehman’s eyes widened, and he raised his voice.

“Because of such a reason, I couldn’t send you, whom I’ve raised with so much love, to such a bastard! What do you think of me when you say such things!”

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“……”

“……”

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There was silence between the two. Irina looked at her father with wide eyes, surprised. Thomas Lehman, realizing what he had just said, awkwardly opened his mouth again.

“Ah, no, I… I take back calling him a bastard…. Pretend you didn’t hear that.”

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“…Haha.”

“Don’t laugh.”

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“Hahahaha.”

Irina couldn’t help but laugh at her father’s flustered reaction. 

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It was a rare sight to see her father, usually dignified and calm, acting this way. And yet, she didn’t mind. It felt familiar and affectionate, making her feel good.

“Oh no, don’t laugh.”

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“Thank you, Father. I’m really happy that you care for me and think about me so much.”

“……”

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“If you had accepted that marriage proposal, I would have been despairing.”

“But by refusing it, I put the family and you in danger.”

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Thomas Lehman responded grimly. He too couldn’t have imagined such an outcome. 

Who would have thought that because of rejecting a marriage proposal, he would use such an absurd rumor as an excuse to destroy the family?

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“What did he say to you? Didn’t he ask you to marry him? Didn’t he threaten to harm you if you didn’t marry him?”

“……He didn’t say anything to me.”

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“Really?”

“Yes. Really.”

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Despite her father’s repeated questioning, Irina lied again. She didn’t want to worry her father. Even though it was a lie that would be exposed soon, she just wanted to reassure him for now.

“I’m worried about why he invited you to the banquet. There’s definitely something behind it.”

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“……”

Irina felt the same way. 

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There was no way that snake-like man had held the banquet to restore the Lehman family’s honor. He must have some hidden agenda, and that plan would likely cause trouble for her. 

Honestly, she was afraid that, in the presence of all the other nobles , he might publicly propose  marriage to her. 

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While she had firmly rejected the idea of becoming the Empress in front of Emperor Knezh and his escorts, things would be different at a banquet with all the nobles present. 

If she refused the Emperor’s marriage proposal in such a place, she would end up publicly humiliating the Emperor. In that case, knowing his personality, there was no way he would leave her alone.

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“I hope nothing bad happens.”

Thomas Lehman muttered with a sigh. Irina wholeheartedly agreed with his words and sighed heavily.

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It was the afternoon of the next day when they arrived at Madam Resa’s salon. Madam Resa was the most famous dressmaker in the capital, with many noblewomen as her regular customers. Irina was one of them.

Irina, who didn’t want to attend the imperial banquet, didn’t care if she wore a dress from Madam Resa or one of the many dresses she had at home.

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But Olga thought otherwise. She insisted that Irina must wear a dress from Madam Resa for the imperial banquet.

Because Madam Resa’s dresses were so popular, it wasn’t easy to get an appointment at her shop. However, the fact that Olga had managed to make a reservation the very next day meant she must have paid extra for it.

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While Irina understood Olga’s desire to dress her in Madam Resa’s dress, she also felt uncomfortable about it.

“Lady Irina, it seems like you’ve lost some weight.”

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Madam Resa, who was skillfully measuring Irina’s waist with a tape measure, spoke in a shrill voice. Irina thought it made sense. She had been troubled by those d*mn rumors recently.

“I’ll make the dress size a little smaller than the last time.”

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“Okay, Madam Resa.”

“Madam Resa, has my young lady lost a lot of weight? I’m sure it’s because I haven’t been taking good care of her. She had no excess fat to begin with, so where could she lose weight…”

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Irina responded lightly, but Olga was on the verge of tears. Irina shook her head lightly as she saw Olga, who was not only sad about the fact that Irina had lost weight, but also blaming herself.

“No, Olga. It’s not your fault. It’s just… There have been a lot of things going on lately. I’ll gain the weight back soon, so don’t worry too much.”

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“Still…”

Olga’s pouting lips were so cute that Irina couldn’t help but smile.

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