My Engagement Got Broken, But I Don’t Remember Getting Engaged in the First Place

Chapter 65: The Experience of Having Lived in Poverty

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After finishing their meal, Allan returned to their residence while Elias accompanied Nora home. That was their routine.

As they trudged along the road at night, Nora suddenly looked up next to her and saw his grayish brown hair shining under the moonlight.

“What’s the matter, Nora?” Elias noticed her gaze and his sky blue eyes narrowed in concern.

Seeing his picturesque resplendence, Nora couldn’t help but sigh.

“Nothing. I was just thinking you look good.”

“So that means you’re admiring me?”

“That expression…” He was right but she felt so embarrassed she couldn’t say it out loud.

She turned her face away, but she could hear his hearty laughter.

She also thought his voice was good, but if she were to tell him that, he’d surely tease her and say, “So you’re fascinated by my voice?” so she kept it to herself.

There were things in the world that were difficult to say out loud simply because they were true.

“So, remember when Thor was asking what he can do to make up for what happened before? I was thinking of asking him to let you be the singer for the next ball hosted by the royal family.”

“What?” She looked at him in surprise, but his sky blue eyes gently narrowed.

“To make it up to… you, right?”

His Majesty had already made it up to her by letting their estate be the purveyor of grape juice for banquets and allowing her to work at the royal castle. It seemed quite strange if it was for Elias.

“It’s not like there’s anything I want. I just want your singing prowess to be more appreciated.”

It’s not like there’s anything I want.

She knew that already, but hearing it directly from his mouth still stunned her. The son of a prestigious marquis surely wouldn’t be lacking in anything. He didn’t even have anything to ask the king for, so he certainly wouldn’t need the gift Nora would give him.

Should I still give it to him even though he doesn’t need it?

Or should I not?

No, I’ve already decided, so let’s do it. If he says he doesn’t need a gift from his lover, then I won’t consider it again in the future. At the very least, he should be able to accept this one gift.

She cheered herself on and managed to calm her anxiously beating heart.

All right, now let’s focus on earning money and learning while working.

“You don’t want to?” Elias pulled her out of her reverie and she noticed that he looked perturbed.

“Oh, not at all. I just felt like it’s too much of an honor, but I do love to sing.”

“I see. Thank goodness.” Elias smiled with relief. His smile was so dazzling it would give beautiful ladies a run for their money.

It was hard to tell if it was the moonlight shining or Elias himself. Nevertheless, he was overwhelmingly dashing and that alone made Nora’s heart beat faster.

The ball was to be held a month later. It was supposed to be Elias’ and Allan’s birthday, but they didn’t particularly mention it. Which was probably intentional because they couldn’t possibly have forgotten their own birthday.

It appeared that Nora, who was financially decrepit, didn’t care much about it, but on the contrary, it was an opportunity for her. She would pretend she didn’t know about it and give him her surprise present.

When she thought of it that way, it suddenly became fun.

What a self-serving person, Nora thought to herself as she walked home in a happy mood.

—

“Nora… What are you doing?” Paula approached Nora from behind, who had been planting flowers all morning.

“I’m planting flowers.” She then transferred some soil using a shovel.

“I could see that. But haven’t I instructed you to transport sacks of flour?”

“Yes, I’ve already carried them to the kitchen. You told me to wait at the kitchen entrance, so I’ve been plucking weeds nearby. The gardener just passed by and gave me excess flower seeds. With his permission, I’m planting them here.”

Although there were only about ten pansies, they looked much more gorgeous than when they were obstructed by weeds.

“You don’t have to do that… Well, I suppose planting flowers is fine in itself. But wasn’t that area full of weeds and rocks? Where did that fence come from?” Paula pointed to a small flowerbed surrounded by a white wooden fence. That flowerbed where the pansies were now planted was what Nora had been working on.

“I built it from wood scraps and painted it. I simply pulled out the weeds, picked up the rocks, tilled the soil, added fertilizer, and then planted the flowers.”

“You make it sound so easy. Why would you even bother building a fence?” For some reason, Paula was looking down on Nora with her hands on her hips.

“It’s just some skills I learned, having had the experience of living in poverty.”

“You must enjoy it so much that you’ve forgotten how to behave like a nobility—”

“Well, it’s a rather sad story I’m certain you wouldn’t want to listen to.” Nora didn’t think such words were something a merchant’s daughter should say to a baron’s daughter, but it was the truth so she said nothing more.

After she finished planting all the flowers, Nora stood up and straightened the hem of her dress.

Paula seemed fidgety but then she opened her mouth with a determined expression.

“…Would you like to go to Lady Melnes?”