Raising my Fiancè with Money - Chapter 72

Reconciliation

Chapter 11

***

Early in the morning, Heinley arrived at the Imperial Palace. After getting off the carriage, he narrowed his forehead at the feeling of the forgeign item in his arm. It was because of the resignation letter he wrote himself.

Before entering the building, he stopped for a while and took a breath. Lastly, he organized his clothes to make sure there wasn’t anything out of place.

“Hello.”

As soon as Heinley went inside, he accepted the pouring greetings. Even the greeting felt special because he thought today might be his last day of work. Walking all the way through the hallway, Heinley opened the door with a sign saying ‘Second Administration Department.’

Since he arrived early, no one was there in the office. Heinley, who put down his bag, exhaled deeply. He was in a bad mood, thinking that he was going to start his morning with meeting the Marquis of Tersian.

He checked the small portrait on the desk. Lilia in her childhood was smiling brightly. His stiff face slowly loosened.

A few days ago, he remembered drinking a lot and going home and talking to Lilia. Lilia told him it was okay to blame her, but he should have soothed her more properly.

Heinley sat down in a chair. He was going to wait still until the Marquis came to work. The sound of knocking rang in the quiet office.

“Is Heinley Bloden here?”

Heinley, whose name was called, stood up from his seat. The man who opened the door and showed his face said,

“I have something to tell you.”

Because it was the first time Heinley saw him, in a puzzled state he left the office. The man walked down the hallway and headed to a deserted place. After stopping at the corner of the hallway, he turned his back and faced Heinley.

“The promotion that was paused will be processed within a month.”

“….What?”

Heinley asked back a beat late to the unexpected remark. Am I still drunk? He was puzzled, but the man continued,

“And it’s a message that you should go on vacation for three days from today.”

“What….”

Heinley couldn’t understand this situation, so he looked at the man with a hardened face. The Marquis of Tersian openly blocked the promotion, but he couldn’t have suddenly changed his mind.

Who sent this man? Perhaps because he noticed Heinely’s thoughts, the man introduced himself with his hand on his chest.

“I’m the secretary of the Duke of Evantheon.”

Heinley paused at a familiar name.

“Then, goodbye.”

The man raised his head as if he had finished his work and left immediately. Heinley, who was standing alone, reflected on the conversation he had just had. Duke Evanteon… He didn’t have any acquaintance with the Duke, so why did he step up?

“…Karhan Evanteon.”

Heinley belatedly recalled Karhan. Karhan, who is dating Lilia, was the successor of Duke Evantheon. It seemed that he had asked his father, the Duke of Evantheon.

Heinley was engulfed in a strange mood. He couldn’t believe that Karhan helped him when they’re not on good terms.…. Of course, it’s because of Lilia, but considering his behavior of being cold to Karhan so far, there was no reason for him to help.

Heinley, standing alone in the hallway, took a slow step. As he returned to the office, people who came to work in the meantime glanced at him. Heinley asked the person who was occupying the desk next to him.

“The Marquis?”

“He hasn’t come to work yet.”

Heinley packed his bag after saying thank you. Since he got a vacation from today, he was thinking of going back home right away.

“Uh…”

The person sitting next to Heinley quietly talked to him. When Heinley looked up, he whispered in a very small voice so that no one else could hear him,

“Yesterday I saw the Marquis being called into the office of the Duke.”

“…….”

“He came back with a completely red face.”

In short, the man told Heinley that the Marquis might not come to work today. Heinley, who had been quiet for a while, smiled brightly instead of answering.

Rollllll, tak. The man who saw Heinley’s bright smile for the first time, dropped the pen he was holding and froze on the spot

***

Lilia couldn’t do anything all day. It was because Heinley’s work filled her mind.

While sitting in front of the desk, she slowly looked up. Through the large window, she could see the front door. She thought the carriage by the front door was very familiar, and it turned out to be Heinley’s carriage.

“……!”

Lilia jumped up from her seat. It was too early in the afternoon for him to leave work. She wondered if he had resigned today, so Lilia went straight down to the front door. As Lilia was running down the stairs holding onto the hem of her dress, she made eye contact with Heinley as he entered the central hall.

“Brother!”

Heinley shouted in surprise at the sight of Lilia coming down there so hastily.

“Lilia!”

For a moment, Lilia’s body staggered. Heinley, who approached her at once, grabbed her. Lilia, who was half cuddled in Heinley’s arms, breathed out. She asked with her head up,

“You don’t usually come at this time. Did you resign and come?”

“I got a vacation.”

“What?”

Heinley helped Lilia straighten herself up. After looking around, he quietly suggested,

“Shall we walk in the garden for a while?”

Lilia nodded silently. The two came down the stairs and went out of the front door.

While walking in the garden which was in full bloom, the two remained silent for a moment. Lilia became anxious for no reason, so she gently pressed her fingernails against her palms. Heinley, who was walking through the garden, opened his mouth first,

“I got promoted safely.”

Lilia jerked up at his words. He was smiling faintly.

“It’s all thanks to you.”

“What do you mean, thanks to me…?”

“The Duke of Evantheon himself came forward. Didn’t you tell the Lord?”

Lilia was surprised and paused. Come to think of it, she completely forgot that Karhan was hiding behind the wall on the day she talked to Heinley. She couldn’t even see him off because she got busy.

Liia was confused. Then, did Karhan listen to the conversation and visit Duke Evantheon? But Karhan seemed to have a bad relationship with his family.… The Duke couldn’t have listened to it.

“That’s why I want to say thank you to the Lord.”

“……That’s…”

Lilia couldn’t answer and blurred her words.

‘What happened?’

She had no idea, so it would be better to ask Karhan directly.

“…….”

Heinley, who stopped after her, glanced down at Ilya. She looked paler than usual. After talking about resignation, she kept worrying about him, and she didn’t seem to have slept well.

Heinley, who was still looking at his younger sister sadly, was lost in reminiscences. Things that had happened so far flashed before his eyes. After hesitating for a while, he cautiously opened his mouth,

“I’m sorry.”

At his quiet whisper, Lilia stopped thinking and looked at him. He looked embarrassed for some reason, but on the other hand, he had a very gentle face. Heinley spoke honestly about things he had never said before,

“I think I’ve been blunt so far, and you must have been hurt a lot because of it.”

“…….”

“In fact, I didn’t know how to treat you.”

Heinley was very disappointed with Lilia after learning that Lilia was dating Richard. He couldn’t understand that his good little sister, who was obedient, after dating Richard started to have fights with him.

He resented Lilia, who couldn’t understand his intentions, but he kept worrying and paid attention to her moves. However, he thought it would be like acknowledging Richard, so he deliberately hid his true feelings and acted cold.

Time continued to pass, and the distance between them became more and more distant. He wanted to treat her like before, but he couldn’t remember how he had treated Lilia at that time, so he kept being blunt. And from the day he received a sincere apology from Lilia, the relationship which had become distant, restored a little.

Even if things got better, there was still awkwardness. A wall that had not yet been demolished seemed to block the two of them. Taking one step was difficult, so he just hovered around.

Heinley thought his sincerity would work someday, but it won’t. He realized that she won’t know unless he tells her in person.

A moment of silence lingered, and Heinley breathed in silently. It was still awkward, but now he thought he could bring up the thoughts he had been thinking about.

“It wasn’t my true intention to be cold-hearted until now.”

Heinley slowly bowed his head as if he was sincerely reflecting on himself.

“You must have been hurt a lot because of me.”

His worries were wrapped in the cold hearted, venomous words that hurted her. As her family, he thought it would be okay to intervene like this. However, it was a situation that would build a wall between him and her.

“It was all my fault.”

Had it not been for this, he would have never known that Lilia cared so deeply for him. He would have believed that he was the only one worried about Lilia. Lilia shook her head as she was listening to Heinley for a long time.

“It’s not…”

The vivid purple eyes briefly blurred like water mist.

“It was for me. I should have listened to you more.”

Now that she looked back, he only said bitter things for Lilia. Her tears welled up. Heinley immediately searched in his arms and pulled out a finely folded handkerchief. Instead of putting a handkerchief in her hand, he wiped Lilia’s eyes himself.

“I promise to change gradually.”

He whispered as he ruffled her messy hair.

“I’m going to change my way of speaking…… I’ll express myself more. I’ll try as hard as I haven’t done so far.”

“…Me too.”

Lilia muttered in a teary voice. She felt the wall that had stood firm until now, collapsing. Heinley was standing outside the crumbling wall, looking at her. He looked the same as those times when he used to take care of Lilia when they were kids.

It was okay if the relationship could not be completely improved overnight. Now that they know each other’s sincerity. Even if it is awkward in the future, they will try to have a proper conversation. It will be bumpy and fractured, but nevertheless, they will move forward as it continues.

Lilia poured out all the tears she was holding back. Heinley, who was wiping away tears with a handkerchief, quietly patted Lilia’s back. His eyes were also faintly wet.