Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 265
The streets of Mannheim were slowly regaining their usual rhythm. The capitalâs characteristic bustle remained unchanged, but the extravagant parties that blurred the line between night and day had begun to dwindle.
With the parliamentary session ending, the spring social season was drawing to a close.
The only ones still hosting parties to the very last moment were typically noblewomen who led salons or social circles.
Caroline sat at her vanity, fiddling with the invitation from the Lope Viscountcy.
She had yet to make up her mind about attending the party.
âThis invitation isnât meant for me. I know that. The viscountess didnât invite meâŠâ
But as long as the invitation vaguely extended to the Lasphilla family, she would not be refused entry.
âBesides, she and I are at least somewhat acquainted.â
Caroline had been introduced to Viscountess Lope at a previous banquet as Christianâs partner.
What was wrong with attending an acquaintanceâs party under the pretense of a family invitation?
Of course, the gazes around her would be prickly because of the rumors surrounding Cecilia.
âBut is that my fault? Why should I be lumped together and made to suffer for it?â
She had rights.
The right to present herself as a noble young lady in her prime, the right to socialize with people of her status, the right to find and marry an excellent match.
âWas I the one who fooled around with Nigel Rosencrantz? No, I wasnât.â
She had done nothing shameful.
So she, who was innocent, could not afford to suffer even the slightest loss because of this.
âCeci, you have humiliated our family⊠you have humiliated me.â
The one entangled in a scandal with Cecilia was none other than Nigel Rosencrantz.
The future Marquis of Rosencrantz and the half-brother of Ulysses.
Was this a coincidence?
Ceci, could this truly be a coincidence?
If the same thing had happened to you, would you dismiss it as mere chance and move on?
âYou ruined my engagement, and now you have your eyes on my fiancĂ©âs family as well.â
Her broken engagement with Ulysses had been the result of an unfortunate accident.
However, the reason he had not actively upheld their betrothal wasâ
âBecause he didnât love meâŠâ
âAh.â
Her heart ached, and tears fell, one by one.
âNo. Thatâs not it.â
It wasnât that he hadnât loved her.
Cecilia had seduced him.
Just like that wenchâs mother had doneâstealing away another womanâs man, blinding him, and snatching away even the possibility that he could have loved her.
He had been meant to love her!
They were supposed to vow their eternal love and be wed.
âYou ruined it.â
You inserted yourself between us, making it so that he could no longer see me.
So that he could no longer love me!
âIt wasnât my fault. It wasnât because I was lacking.â
How kind had Caroline been all this time?
How much had she endured, and how much effort had she put in?
“Father, please acknowledge me. I have always led by example, embodying the virtues of patience and sacrifice. I have always been a good daughter.”
She had even yielded to Cecilia.
When Margaret mistreated Cecilia, it was Caroline who kindly called out to her and permitted her to address her as sister.
Even though Ceciliaâs very existence was her suffering, Caroline had smiled and called her by a pet name every time Cecilia addressed her as sister.
And her fatherâhe would simply smile contentedly and pat her head.
She had done well.
She had yielded enough.
So why was Cecilia reaping the rewards of her efforts?
Why was she the one suffering losses because of Cecilia?
Why?
Had she done something wrong?
How was any of this her fault?
“I tried my best!”
BAM!
Her fist struck the lacquered furniture, and the mirror atop it trembled.
At first, she had thought everything was her fault.
Even when her engagement with Ulysses was broken, she had blamed no one but herself.
But it had never been her fault.
She had only wanted to prepare a better gift for Ulysses.
That was all.
She had acted with nothing but goodwill.
Yet despite her kindness, misfortunes had piled up, one after another.
He left her.
And only then had she finally realizedâ
âThere was never a need to be kind to everyone.â
She would hate now.
She had the right to hate.
âThe Madame had said so.â
She had said Caroline had the right.
To Ulysses, who had abandoned her.
To Christian, who had treated her carelessly.
To Guinevere, who didnât know her place.
To Margaret, who was always noisy.
To Bernarda and Lilith, who had forced their way into her home.
To Nathan, who selfishly hoarded all the attention.
To her father, who only ever imposed the duties of the eldest daughter upon her.
To all of them.
