# 16
Upon her arrival in Beitstein, Countess Keen delivered the Red of Aachen to Glizi.
“Does he want to marry Helene before winter comes to Belzeit?”
Glizzie asked Countess Kane as she read the reply.
“Yes, he said that if they wait until after this winter, it will cause major delays.”
“Even if it's a simple party, having it in Beitstein first isn't a bad idea...”
Glizzy tapped her fingers on the desk repeatedly, lost in thought. As Glizy continued to think, Countess Kane added:
“Honestly, Your Highness, there is nothing to lose. He immediately agreed to change partners in the first place.”
Glizzy opened her mouth slightly.
“Nanny, my worries are elsewhere.”
"Sorry?"
“During her marriage to Marquis Ratta, the marriage was not conducted properly.”
When Helen married Revan, she walked down the aisle alone.
“The Emperor lost consciousness, so there was no other choice.”
“However, I wanted to do it well this time. Even if I had to ask my grandfather for advice.”
It still bothered Glizzy that Helen walked down the aisle alone.
“Anyway, Nanny, make sure that the news of Helen’s marriage reaches Marquis Ratta the day before the ceremony.”
"What?"
Countess Kane tilted her head, not understanding Glizzie's matter.
“Nothing upsets an ex-husband more than hearing that his ex-wife is suddenly getting married.”
“Your Highness, certainly not!”
“Yes, I will annoy that impudent Marquis Ratta.”
Glizzy smiled slyly, like she always did when she was up to a prank.
“Your Highness really… how much you hate Marquis Ratta!”
Glizi disliked Revan intensely, perhaps because he had recently inherited the Marchioness, and she never agreed to Helen marrying him.
“Do you understand? The day before the party.”
Countess Kane added nothing to Glizzey's repeated instructions.
“I must head to Largon Palace and propose to Her Highness.”
In front of Largon Palace.
“Countess Qin, the princess is sleeping, so you should wait in the reception room.”
Countess Kane, who wished to meet Helen, received this reply from the maid.
“Does Her Highness Princess Shivaline sleep by herself? Doesn’t she have a nanny?”
“There is a nanny, but Her Highness takes care of the princess herself most of the time.”
‘As Her Highness said, she is always loyal to the princess.’
She had no choice, so she entered the drawing room where the maids were removing the empty teacups.
“Has anyone visited?”
The maid answered Countess Kane's question with an anxious look:
“Ah… Marquis Ratta was here. He left a little while ago after waiting for some time.”
“Marquis Rata?”
Countess Kane clung to the question as she thought.
'The news of Helen's second marriage wasn't supposed to reach the Marquis yet... What's going on?'
In fact, no one knew the real reason behind Helen and Revan's divorce. All that was known was that their relationship was strained, as Revan did not attend Shevelin's christening.
“Her Highness refused to see him, so he waited a long time before leaving.”
Countess Qin shook her head slightly upon hearing this answer.
“The Marquis visited Rata, and this must have upset Her Highness.”
While she was thinking about this, she noticed a paper on the ground. She bent down to examine it, and she gasped.
“Request a paternity test...?”
Since the divorce proceedings had already been concluded, Marquis Rata could not have requested a paternity test on his own.
He needed Helen's approval as the biological mother.
'Is something wrong?'
The maid noticed Countess Qin's frowning expression, and became worried.
“No, it's just... I'm a little tired.”
Countess Qin quickly hid the document behind her back, avoiding the maid's gaze.
“Ma’am, would you like lemon tea or herbal tea?”
The maid, who had almost seen the document, asked Countess Kane.
“Herbal tea, please. Thank you.”
'I will bring him immediately.'
Countess Qin quietly placed the document in the corner of the sofa and covered it with a pillow.
As she sipped the herbal tea, she couldn't shake an uncomfortable feeling.
‘Why do I feel like I forgot something…?’ She tried to remember but couldn’t.
“What did you forget?”
“Her Highness!”
Countess Kane, surprised by Helen's entrance, replied: “Your Highness!”
“Is something bothering you? Why are you so surprised?”
asked Helen as she sat down, having heard Countess Kane muttering to herself.
“I'm sorry to keep you waiting. Shevlin's been a lot of nagging today.”
“It's okay, Your Highness.”
Countess Qin smiled embarrassedly.
“What's wrong?”
“His Highness, the Grand Duke of Belizet, has sent an offer.”
Countess Kane handed her the envelope.
“Marriage proposal?”
As Helen read the Grand Duke's proposal, she thought to herself:
‘Beautiful handwriting’.
She could even smell a faint scent of his perfume on the envelope.
A refreshing combination of lemon and tart basil, giving a cool, citrusy impression.
A scent that matched his ocean blue eyes.
Helen stroked the Aachen line.
The truth about her second marriage began to become clear to her.
'Why did he come?'
Maybe because… After he had refused to visit him earlier, Revan's thoughts had returned to her mind for some reason.
“Your Highness, a simple wedding ceremony will be held in Beitstein in two months, and then you will head to Belzeit immediately.”
“So fast?”
This national marriage had political significance.
However, things were moving very quickly, which aroused Helen's curiosity.
“The north experiences early winter, and the roads can suddenly freeze, so...”
“That's why there's a simple ceremony first.”
Nothing could be done about the weather.
“And… I heard from the imperial physician that Shivilin’s treatment will be readily available.”
Maybe this was an opportunity.
“Yes, the official ceremony will be held later at Requier.”
“I see...”
When she saw the Belzeit family crest, Helen began to feel anxious.
‘The blue rose symbolizes impossible love, unattainable love.’
Although she could not avoid this second marriage, she wanted to provide Shevlin with a complete family this time.
Have you already started a series of errors?
She was worried that Shevlin would be hurt again.
“Your Highness, it is just a token flower given to people.”
“…….”
The more Countess Kane tried to comfort her, the less Helen spoke.
‘She seems very emotionally stressed. Normally, Her Highness wouldn't worry about such matters.'
Countess Qin hesitated, then spoke.
“Your Highness, I heard that Marquis Ratta has visited us.”
“And what?”
Helen reacted sensitively without realizing it.
“It seems the Marquis has left this behind.”
Countess Kane handed over the document she had carefully hidden behind the pillow.
“Application form for…paternity test?”
“……”
“Ha.”
Helen looked at the document with a serious expression.
[Revan Rata requests an official examination to prove the existence of a paternity link between him and Shivalin Betstein.
For this purpose, we request the consent of Helen Pitstein, Shevlyn Pitstein's biological mother...]
Helen wasn't going to agree to the paternity test now, so she crumpled up the application form.
“Let's pretend we didn't see this.”
Then Countess asked Kane.
“Yes. No one saw it but me.”
"…Thank you."
Helen's expression softened slightly as she calmed down.
“You seem to have a lot of questions.”
“I'm sorry if I offended you.”
“What is the benefit of hiding the matter when the marriage connection has been severed?”
Helen began to speak with a complicated expression. The wounds of that day had not yet healed.
“Revan doubted the child’s lineage. Because of her different hair color...it hurt us.”
“Because the princess’s hair is pink... Marquis Ratta doubted her lineage?”
Countess Qin thought carefully about Helen's words.
“Hmm, I feel like I remember something...ah!”
Countess Kane remembered that she had once glimpsed the late Marquis Ratta with his mistress in a clothing shop.
With his pink-haired lover.
“The late Marquis Rata’s mistress had pink hair...”
Hearing Countess Qin's muttering as she reminisced, Helen's expression turned into shock.