The Villain is Being Suspiciously Kind - Chapter 118

Chapter 118

Citrina accepted Desian’s feelings and decided to get engaged to him.
Her heart was pounding with excitement at the prospect of something she had never imagined. But she felt more and more at ease. She felt like she was walking into a future that was already set in stone.
After her engagement to Desian was finalized, the first thing Citrina did was to put the past behind her.
She immediately wrote a letter to the Baron Foluin household. It was addressed to Baroness Foluin, requesting a meeting. The baroness cautiously agreed to the meeting.
The day of the meeting finally arrived.
Citrina decided to practice the saying, ‘You have to end things to make new beginnings’.
As she had told Desian, she decided to meet with her family first.
Technically, she was only meeting with Baroness Foluin, as she didn’t want to face Baron Foluin again.
Entering the café near Baron Foluin’s home alone, Citrina found the baroness sitting stiffly.

“Citrina?”
Citrina could read the expression on Baroness Foluin’s face instantly. It was a mixture of welcome and concern.
“Yes.”
“…It’s been a long time.”
“Yes. It’s been a while.”
“I’m working these days, too. It’s menial work, but it’s quite good.”
Baroness Foluin was in charge of all the work of the barony, just as Citrina had once been. Citrina looked at Baroness Foluin and thought of the past.

“You don’t have to worry about the barony’s duties anymore There’s a pension for aristocrats.”
“That’s good to hear.”
There was a brief silence.
“The baron doesn’t gamble anymore. He must have been shocked.”
The baroness trailed off.
“He hasn’t done anything since Elaina left, but that’s no reason for you to worry about it.”
Citrina nodded, her face showing her concern.

“…Yes.”
At the end of Citrina’s short answer, Baroness Foluin spoke quietly, her callused hands gripping her teacup tightly.
“I don’t think it was your fault…that Elaina became what she did, she brought it on herself, and I tried to prevent it, but it was difficult to even reach her.”
The Baroness’s face turned white as she spoke apologetically.
“What’s done is done, and that’s her problem.”
Baroness Foluin has done enough about this.
Citrina lowered her eyes to the white strands of hair on her head.
The time had finally come to say that was engaged to be married to Duke Desian Pietro.
She wasn’t nervous or excited, but it still took a great deal of resolve to deliver the words to her family, to whom she was connected by blood.

“I… am engaged.”
The baroness’s eyes widened at Citrina’s words. It was as if she hadn’t expected to hear this.
The baroness pursed her lips, then took a sip of tea.
After swallowing the tea, the baroness looked at Citrina and asked cautiously.

“By any chance…with His Excellency Duke Pietro?”
Her slightly trembling eyes indicated that the baroness was surprised.
“Yes.”
Baroness Foluin’s eyes narrowed and opened as she listened to Citrina’s clear answer.

“If that is your choice, I will respect it.”
“…Yes. It is entirely my choice.”
“Alright. He seems…good for you.”
Once, Baroness Foluin, worried about rumors of Duke Pietro, had urged Citrina to be cautious of him; despite the fact that speaking out could be a danger to her own safety.
Citrina recalled her behavior and carefully explained.

“His Excellency Duke Pietro is a good man, and he has protected me.”
“Well, then…live well. You deserve to be happy.”
“Yes, I’ll be happy.”
At Citrina’s words, the Baroness scrubbed her face dry. She looked gaunt, even as she rubbed her hands across her dry cheeks.
“Don’t do anything dangerous, and don’t stay out too late…at night.”
“…Mother too. Don’t work too hard.”
Citrina lowered her eyes.
With that, a natural silence fell between them once more.
But it wasn’t uncomfortable because there was a little bit of a thaw in the relationship.
Yes, it wasn’t going to be a complete resolution of all the feelings that had been building up.
But…
Perhaps, in time, a letter could be sent once in a while.
The baroness smiled as if she understood Citrina’s worries.

“I don’t work too hard. It’s just, now if you’re happy, that’s enough.”
Hearing the baroness’s voice telling her to live happily, Citrina thought.
“And…if you become a part of the ducal household, your life might change a bit. You’ll be ready for anything, but…”
The baroness’s words trailed off into a blur, and it was hard to know how to respond. Her mother’s concern was the sort of thing Citrina had rarely received before.
“I’ve decided to deal with it.”
She just calmly said that, as she had already dealt with a mess.
Citrina could see the regret in Baroness Foluin’s eyes.

“…I’m sorry for all this.”
“…”
Citrina remained still, not knowing how to respond to her apology.
Neither forgiveness nor resentment came easily to her lips.
As if she understood, Baroness Foluin spoke up.
“I didn’t realize that the burden I put on your shoulders ruined everything.”
With those words, the Baroness’s sigh sank slowly to the floor of the café.

“Will you…see me again, someday?”
Her question was cautious, and Citrina answered just as cautiously.
“Yes, someday I’ll contact you by letter.”
It left a bitter taste in her mouth, but that was something to be dealt with.
Citrina sipped down the last of her tea. Right now, her heartbeat was very steady. The heart that had been pounding every time she faced Baroness Foluin was finally finding its way back to normal.
The knot that had held for so long was slowly unraveling.
Everything was cut cleanly for a fresh new start.