Chapter 649 Chapter 107 Heart’s Traces
The moment Verafia grabbed her, a hint of surprise flashed across Shiel’s face. Her light golden eyes seemed flustered, and her slender, fair jade hands were placed helplessly, unsure of what to do.
Although Shiel was also a girl, since childhood, she had never been this close to any other girl besides Irene.
“But, a girl…”
Hearing the girl’s playfully annoyed voice, Shiel’s slender fingers, clad in white silk gloves, clutched slightly, momentarily lost in thought.
Seeing her young lady’s feigned annoyance, Igert couldn’t help but smile.
He knew, of course, that the maiden wasn’t jealous because he was looking at a beautiful girl like Shiel, but rather to hide her shyness.
For some reason, Verafia seemed very bothered when he mentioned her past as Lothel.
Even though it was something they both knew, the girl pretended to know nothing. Even if he only hinted at it subtly, the maiden’s cheeks would flush crimson, and she would turn her little face away, ignoring him.
In Igert’s eyes, his once admired senior was now a cute and charming young lady. Having her as his girlfriend was something interesting and worth elaborating on. He didn’t understand why she cared so much.
Perhaps after becoming a girl, a person’s emotions become more delicate, their cheeks thinner, and they become easily shy… But this kind of young lady was also very cute.
Igert thought to himself, a smile appearing on his face. Disregarding the girl’s startled wide eyes and warning gaze, he reached out and ruffled the silken, smooth, sun-gold strands of her little head.
Verafia’s eyes gradually became resentful.
She took a deep breath, forcibly swallowed the puffed-up resentment on her snow-white cheeks, and turned her head away, refusing to look at him. She decided not to bother with Igert, otherwise, this hateful guy who only knew how to bully her would surely take advantage of the situation.
“Hmph, a young lady with a magnanimous heart will not hold this against you.”
Verafia muttered to herself, letting Igert ruffle her beautiful hair. Her face suddenly turned, looking towards the pink-haired girl whose light golden eyes were rippling with light but seemed lost in thought. She surveyed the maiden’s delicate body with her big eyes.
The person before her was completely a noble lady with an exquisite face and a noble background.
“Hmm, however, I originally thought Shiel would already be wearing men’s clothing…” Verafia said with some doubt.
Earlier, when Irene led her into the room after the hall, Verafia had expected them to change the maiden into men’s clothing… After all, Shiel, as a Count, was a young man named Sirius, not such a slender and beautiful but seemingly fragile girl.
Even when the castle’s knight captain rushed to report, Shiel could not reveal her identity and had to let Irene represent her.
Shiel lowered her face, her slender fingers grasping the hem of her skirt, and did not reply. Instead, Irene answered for her tactfully.
“Regarding what Miss Verafia said, I asked the young lady before. But the young lady no longer wishes to return to her former identity… After all, since childhood, besides in my presence, she has never considered herself a girl.”
Afterward, Irene’s explanation was not much different from what Verafia and the others had thought.
The former Count and Countess of Vinash had only Shiel as their descendant. Since childhood, she had been raised as a boy because, on the Aer Continent, even though the ancient kingdom had collapsed, noblewomen had no right of inheritance.
After the Count adopted Azer, Shiel’s requirements were slightly relaxed. On occasion, she was allowed to wear formal dresses and dress up as a noble lady.
However, with the Count’s death, she had to assume the position of Lord of Vinash City under the identity of Sirius.
—Even with the threat of the Frost Calamity, within human forces, how could there not be hidden currents? Azer was merely the adopted son of the Count. How could Vinash City, lacking a legitimate heir, not be coveted by nearby lords?
Moreover, Trist at the time had strongly opposed Azer’s succession and demanded that Sirius inherit the Count’s territory… In Shiel’s opinion, this was also one of the reasons why Azer gave up his inheritance and left the castle.
“So that’s how it is…” Verafia murmured in realization.
This was not an unexpected reason. Even in her homeland, the Peka Kingdom, while the law did not oppose female inheritance of titles, there was still considerable discrimination against them in custom.
For example, even though Filir was the last Princess of the previous dynasty and, after marrying Lancaster, was nominally Queen and co-ruled the kingdom, for most of the time, she was merely his vassal.
There was also Igert. Even though his past performance was terrible, and his sister Shirin was a natural genius, he was still considered the first heir to the Marquis Mays’ territory… And Douglas’s plot to eliminate him was only to usurp Lorinc using Shirin’s identity.
Verafia raised her eyes. Opposite her, Shiel, in her exquisite formal dress, still kept her face lowered, while Irene gently stroked her cherry-pink hair.
The maiden’s fingers were tightly clenched, and her light golden eyes were slightly red, tinged with moist tears, but her lips were stubbornly pouting.
Verafia felt an incredibly resolute decision from her.
If someone were to force her to take off her dress and strip her of her current identity as a maiden, Shiel would resist with all her might.
“No wonder…” she said softly.
Half a month ago, when Shiel had paid for a beautiful dress for her on Igert’s behalf, Verafia had sensed intense envy from Shiel, who was still disguised as a young man at the time.
Now, looking back, Shiel at that time was indeed envious of her identity as a girl, envious of being able to wear a beautiful and soft formal dress as a maiden, and to have pure white silk stockings wrapped around her slender legs…
Could it be about having support, and someone to like, as a girl?
“However, not all girls’ dresses are comfortable and soft. Especially those with corsets and gorgeous gem decorations. Although they look beautiful when worn, they are not comfortable at all.”
Even though Verafia’s figure was good, she still felt a bit uncomfortable when wearing them. And also…
She tilted her golden eyes slightly and saw Igert, who was still standing beside her. Immediately, she pouted her delicate lips in dissatisfaction.
This idiot, who only knew how to bully this young lady all day, didn’t even understand a girl’s delicate shyness. What was there to envy!
Thinking with dissatisfaction, Verafia simply pinched his arm hard.
Igert didn’t expect this young lady to suddenly go crazy and drag him into it again. However, fortunately, he was thick-skinned, and the girl’s strength didn’t cause much pain. He even idly rubbed her little head.
