Chapter 3.2

Adrian looked at Celine, who was sitting opposite him. If he had a type, this woman would probably fit it perfectly, like a picture. Adrian, who had been indifferent to the beauty or ugliness of others his whole life, was so struck that everything about this woman was unoffensive that it made him have such a thought.

Her hair color, her eyes, her voice… and her calm movements that made even his mind feel at ease…

But Adrian felt uncomfortable around Celine. Especially that gap. The feeling of her standing on the border between good and evil. He instinctively felt that this woman was the same as him.

“You’ve made a good decision, Your Royal Highness the Grand Duke.”

“What part is that?”

“Deciding to travel with me. It must be a nostalgic feeling for you to go to the count’s mansion after so long.”

“I don’t feel any particular nostalgia. Don’t you know I stayed in your house as a slave?”

Celine chewed the inside of her mouth. She had no doubt that if she and this man were to spend a little more time together, he would surely fall in love with her. So when Adrian said he would go to the capital with her, she thought everything was going according to plan.

It was a shame that she couldn’t become the Crown Princess, but in truth, Celine liked Adrian more than the Crown Prince. She was planning to go home and ask her father to send a marriage proposal to the Grand Duke’s castle. She hated the idea of living in the Grand Duke’s castle in the North, but she felt she could endure it for this man.

And yet, the look in this man’s eyes was still unclear, as if there was a fog in them. So even as an unpleasant conversation was taking place, Celine smiled brightly.

“Then when we get home, I’ll make a lot of memories that will make you happy.”

“I don’t know if I should ask for that.”

When Adrian smirked, Celine was mesmerized by his smile.

“It will be more comfortable for you to stay at our house until the Grand Duke’s mansion in the capital is ready.”

“I’m worried that I’ll be a bother to the Count.”

“Don’t worry. Father will be very happy if you come. The Founding Festival will be held soon, so it would be a good idea for you to stay for a long time.”

“The Founding Festival…”

“Perhaps the Crown Prince’s engagement ceremony with Claire will be held during the Founding Festival, won’t it?”

Celine smiled with all her might.

Just as she had read in the novel. She showed him the smile that he was said to have loved so much it would stop his heart. In the carriage, Celine did not move her body back, so their knees kept touching slightly. And Adrian never once took his eyes off of her.

Soon, the carriage carrying them arrived at the Ianster Count’s mansion.

“Welcome.”

The Count instinctively took a sharp breath when he met Adrian’s eyes. It was shocking how much Adrian’s appearance had changed, to the point where he wondered if this was the same scrawny slave boy who used to bleed constantly in his house. When the Count found out that the slave his second daughter had been pathologically obsessed with was the cold Grand Duke of the North, he had trembled with fear. So, for him, the moment the Grand Duke sent a letter requesting an invitation to the mansion where he used to live was a very tense one.

“Did you have a good trip, Celine?”

“Yes, His Grace was very kind to me.”

But contrary to his worries, the Grand Duke, who was shrouded in countless rumors, was perfectly elegant, and his manners were impeccable. This was only natural, as Adrian had received an Imperial education until he was twelve years old.

“Thank you for allowing this sudden visit, Count.”

“It is an honor for our family, Your Royal Highness.”

“This place hasn’t changed.”

Aurelian said the very thing the Count feared most. But contrary to the Count’s worries, Aurelian didn’t continue the conversation any further.

“Three days should be enough.”

“For what, Your Royal Highness?”

The Count responded calmly.

“For me to move into the Grand Duke’s mansion in the capital. It was a rather sudden visit, so my mansion isn’t ready yet, so I’ll be imposing on you for a bit.”

It was a lie. The Count knew. There was no way the Grand Duke’s mansion wasn’t ready.

But the Count didn’t show any signs of it. He was using all his energy worrying about whether it was safe for the Grand Duke to stay in his mansion under the current circumstances.

“Ah, you can stay for as long as you want. But…”

Adrian nodded as if to tell him to continue.

“Forgive my impertinence, but may I ask why you have come here?”

“Are you asking about my visit to the capital? Or my visit to this house?”

The Grand Duke’s attitude suddenly became overbearing.

“…I’m asking about your visit to the capital.”

“I’ve only come to receive what the Emperor promised me, so you don’t have to worry about a major event in the Empire.”

Adrian suddenly changed his expression and answered with a relaxed smile.

“…I understand.”

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Celine interrupted their conversation.

“Father, have you heard any news about Claire? She must be having a meaningful time with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince right now.”

Adrian’s fingers, which were holding the teacup, tightened at Celine’s words.

“Yes, I heard that she had an audience with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince along with the other Crown Princess candidates today.”

The Count carefully brought up the topic, watching Adrian’s eyes.

“Oh my, His Royal Highness, too. Since he issued the marriage ban for Claire, why did he meet all the other young ladies?”

“Yes, it’s as you say, as soon as His Royal Highness entered the audience chamber, he dismissed all the other young ladies and had a private audience with Claire.”

“If he was going to do that, he should have just called Claire alone. How amusing. Don’t you think so, Your Royal Highness the Grand Duke?”

Adrian just shrugged his shoulders at Celine’s cackling words and raised his cup.

“Yes, I find that quite strange as well.”

“Count, I am a bit tired…”

But Adrian’s patience ended there. No matter how much he tried to pretend to be calm, he couldn’t breathe every time he thought about Claire meeting the Crown Prince.

“Yes, I understand.”

The Count had the butler guide him to a guest room. And as soon as the Grand Duke left, he grabbed Celine.

“Celine, what happened at the Grand Duke’s castle? What on earth is going on?”

“Father, what you see is what you get. His Highness the Grand Duke, who happened to find Claire in the North, kept her there. You know that, Father. How much that child tormented him. Then, the Crown Prince issued the marriage ban. That’s all there is to it.”

“Then what about that story that Claire was engaged to the Grand Duke?”

“Father, that was just something Claire made up.”

“If that was just something Claire made up, then why did the Grand Duke suddenly appear in the capital?”

“Father!”

At the Count’s continuous questions, Celine dropped her smile and looked at her father.

In the novel, Celine’s father was a person who would give her anything. Only for her.

But now, this Count was strangely worried about Claire. Celine found that quite bothersome. So she didn’t want to play the role of the good daughter anymore.

“Stop it, Father. What on earth have you ever done for me? I experienced hell when I was lost and had lost my memories. But what was left for me when I returned home? Nothing. So, from now on, don’t ask any questions and just do what I tell you to do. Do you understand?”

“Ce…line?”

Celine used her father’s weakest point to threaten him. He just had to do as she told him.

“I’m tired. I’m going upstairs to rest.”

The Count had not been able to hide his joy when Celine returned to the mansion. He hadn’t been able to love the daughter he had by his side because he was thinking about the daughter he had lost when she was young. It was because he felt so guilty about loving that child.

But the eldest daughter who returned was strangely twisted. And that twistedness was growing bigger and bigger. As if she wasn’t the girl in his memory… just like now.

“Alright, you must be tired, so go and rest.”

“Yes, Father.”

 

***

 

As expected, I didn’t get to leave the Imperial Palace that very day, but was only able to depart for the count’s mansion the next afternoon. The Imperial Palace’s procedures were terribly complicated.

I barely managed to get out of the Imperial Palace, but the carriage was stopped by the Crown Prince’s retinue.

“Lady Ianster, I will open the carriage door for a moment.”

“Oh? Your Highness?”

The Crown Prince was standing in front of the carriage.

“Did you come to see me off?”

“No, I came to take you home.”

“You don’t have to…”

But the Crown Prince sat down in my carriage. The carriage, which had been dark, suddenly brightened as if sunlight had poured in.

“Ugh!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well… it’s blinding.”

I was truly dazzled. The Crown Prince was so radiant that I wondered if he was wearing a reflector, as befitting the male lead in a novel. At my words, his face flushed for a moment, and then he burst into laughter. He laughed loudly and then smiled slightly as he looked at me.

“Isn’t this why I want to keep you by my side?”

‘Yes, yes, I’m sure you do.’

I smacked my lips and made a displeased expression, but he didn’t care and had the carriage depart.

The wind was so gentle it made me wonder if it was really winter. It seemed I had grown quite used to the North. But regardless of being used to that place, the capital was also very beautiful.

Thinking about it, even though I had spent more time in the North than in the South since coming to this world, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being home.

It seemed the Imperial Palace had given a heads-up beforehand, as the large main gate opened as soon as the Imperial carriage arrived in front of the count’s mansion. I let out a long sigh as I looked at the count’s mansion, which I was returning to after a long time.

‘I hoped I would never have to come back here…’

Before I could even finish my thoughts, I saw the Count standing outside the carriage. For some reason, he was pacing anxiously.

“You have arrived, Your Royal Highness. You’ve come back, Claire.”

I couldn’t say anything at the Count’s words, which sounded like a sigh. The Count didn’t meet my eyes. It seemed he wasn’t very happy about my return. I was going to make it clear that I wouldn’t be staying here for long if I was left alone with him.

“Yes.”

“Let’s go inside.”

Contrary to my expectation that I would be guided to the study, I was led to the dining room used for small parties.

“Your Highness, we have a guest.”

Without even asking who it was, the door to the banquet hall opened, and I saw someone I hadn’t expected to see.

“A…drian?”

He was the man who was always at the end of my thoughts for the past few days. When he saw me, he smiled slightly and raised the glass in his hand to greet me. I had expected him to get angry when he saw me, but I was quite flustered by his calm demeanor. But the moment he saw the Crown Prince standing behind me, a slight flicker of emotion crossed Adrian’s face. However, he skillfully composed himself and stood up.

“You have arrived, Your Royal Highness. I didn’t know you would be coming as well.”

And Adrian wasn’t the only one who was surprised.

“I didn’t know you would be in the capital already, and at the Ianster count’s mansion at that?”

The Crown Prince reacted sharply, and the atmosphere froze as if an electric current were flowing between the sun and the moon.

Creak.

I intentionally dragged my chair loudly. The freezing atmosphere of the hall softened slightly with the sound. I was also very flustered when I saw Adrian, but my confusion disappeared the moment I saw Celine standing right next to him.

“Hello, Claire. We meet again so soon.”

“Yes.”

As I was about to sit down in the chair I had just pulled, Adrian, who had moved over at some point, quickly pushed the chair in for me from behind. I saw the familiar head chamberlain standing there, sweating profusely at his action.

“It’s alright, Greg.”

When I called him by his name, the head chamberlain’s eyes widened in surprise. He probably thought I wouldn’t remember his name after being away from home for two years. But remembering someone’s name was a basic of social life.

The Crown Prince flinched for a moment at Adrian’s action but soon smiled comfortably.

“My fiancée is, as expected, very thoughtful. Are you Greg? And Grand Duke, even if I am the Crown Prince, I can handle a chair for my lady, so there’s no need for you to step in like this.”

At the Crown Prince’s words, Adrian just shrugged his shoulders and returned to his seat. Soon, all five people were seated, and the Count raised his glass.

“It is a great honor to have His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness the Grand Duke join our family today.”

“I’m practically family, so there’s no need to say such things. Don’t you agree?”

“Yes… of course, Your Royal Highness.”

Adrian smiled gently at the Crown Prince’s words. His relaxed demeanor was quite unfamiliar and annoying.

‘He’s lost a lot of weight. Where could he have lost any? And why is his face so pale?’

I may have been annoyed, but I couldn’t help but look at him. And the moment I thought our eyes met, I couldn’t break free from his gaze, as if I were tied to it. Adrian acted as if no one else was in the room. But despite our uncomfortably long eye contact, I failed to read his true intentions. I had no idea what Adrian was thinking, or why he had come all the way here.

Just then, the Crown Prince’s arm passed in front of my eyes, breaking my gaze.

“Your glass is empty.”

“Ah, thank you, Your Royal Highness…”

‘Did I commit a sin? Why is my voice so timid?’

I straightened my shrunken neck and kept my gaze forward.

“Claire, what happened? Aren’t you supposed to be in the Imperial Palace?”

“Oh, that.”

The Crown Prince stepped in, preventing me from answering Celine’s question.

“I thought she would want to go home since she hasn’t been in the capital for a long time, so I brought her.”

“Oh my, really. Your Highness. You are so kind.”

I wanted to cover my ears because I hated Celine’s voice, which was chirping like a bird.

“But I didn’t know there would be another guest here. Surely, Grand Duke, you’re not planning on staying here, are you?”

“Of course not. I will return to the Grand Duke’s mansion in the capital today. I only came to escort Lady Celine Ianster.”

“Then… what brings the Grand Duke, who should be protecting the North, here?”

“It’s a personal matter.”

“A personal matter…”

“Yes, it’s because there’s someone who didn’t keep a promise.”

But as the two men’s pointed conversation continued, I thought it would be better to just listen to Celine chirp.

The Crown Prince kept firing questions as if he was determined to find out Adrian’s true intentions, and Adrian, with a poker face, only gave him meaningless answers. Then he smiled faintly and met my eyes again.

“By the way, Your Royal Highness, it seems I’m not the only one who should be in the North.”

“Greg! Give me some more of this porridge!”

I intentionally dug my spoon into the bowl with a loud clatter and looked at Adrian. My heart, which had been tightening, loosened up, and I started talking recklessly, with a ‘what’s done is done’ attitude.

Right. I have no shame before you, Adrian.

“It’s so delicious to be home after a long time. It seems Frank has really outdone himself.”

“Ah… right. I heard you were coming, so Frank must have made the shrimp porridge you like.”

“The Count also knew I liked that dish.”

No matter how much you try to make this a dark story, I won’t even flinch. That was my sentiment as I bravely ate all of my food. Thankfully, a brief silence fell upon the table after that.

Celine sat close to Adrian, fetching him water when he reached out and magically producing what he was looking for whenever he glanced around. They were so natural together that one might believe they were a long-time couple. And Adrian, next to Celine, also seemed quite at ease.

I felt a lump in my throat, so I reached for my wine glass and gulped it down noisily.

“Claire, this father has so many questions.”

At the Count’s sudden voice, I choked. I started coughing with the wine glass in my hand. Startled by my coughing, the Crown Prince took the wine glass from me. But once again, Adrian was faster. He appeared at some point, handed me a handkerchief, and gently patted my back.

“Are you alright, Claire?”

I managed to catch my breath and nodded at Adrian. At that moment, he smiled so brightly at me that I unconsciously smiled back. I quickly averted my gaze and finally answered the Count.

“I’m sorry, Count. This is not the right time, so I will come to your study as soon as dawn breaks tomorrow.”

“Alright… thank you.”

It seemed that now that Celine had returned, the Count’s resentment toward me had lessened. But to be honest, I felt nothing. It was because the concept of a father’s love had not been ingrained in my mind.

“By the way, Claire.”

Celine started chirping again.

“Yes, Sister.”

“You can at least tell us when the engagement ceremony is, can’t you?”

At Celine’s sudden question, I saw Adrian smirk at me. Adrian’s attitude, acting as if nothing was wrong, poked at something within me.

“Well. I don’t know either. The Crown Prince is here, so why don’t you ask him yourself?”

I felt the Crown Prince holding back a laugh at my disrespectful tone. Now, it was a ‘what’s done is done’ situation for me. I didn’t know if she was a possessor or a regressor, but it was no longer my problem. I just wanted to get out of this uncomfortable situation.

“Oh, Claire. Why would you say that…? I apologize, Your Royal Highness.”

“No, Lady Celine Ianster. You have nothing to apologize for. The date of the engagement ceremony has not been set yet. But it won’t be delayed for too long.”

While answering Celine, the Crown Prince only smiled at me. The dinner that felt like it would never end finally came to a close, and the Crown Prince led his entourage out the door. And Adrian was also waiting there with Owen and Cedric.

Celine and I also stood in front of the door with our hands neatly clasped, seeing off the two men. But the Crown Prince suddenly grabbed my hand, pulled me into his arms. I stiffened at the gesture, which was a little too intimate for a simple farewell.

“Claire, don’t make me wait too long. I’ll be back soon.”

He whispered so only I could hear. I wanted to push him away immediately, but I couldn’t act that way toward the Crown Prince of the Empire in a public place.

As I broke free from the Crown Prince’s embrace, I instinctively looked for Adrian, even though I had done nothing wrong. But he was already on his horse, galloping across the garden.

Celine shot me a glare and then disappeared into her room. In this whirlwind of emotions that I couldn’t understand and didn’t want to, I was just exhausted.

I followed the guidance of the head chamberlain, Greg, and went back to my room.

“My lady…”

“Sally… Hailey.”

“My lady… sob.”

As I walked down the familiar hallway and arrived in front of my room, I saw Sally and Hailey. As if they couldn’t believe they were seeing me, they were already shedding tears.

“Don’t cry, Sally. And I’m sorry.”

Thinking back, Sally had no one but me, for better or worse. Since I had disappeared without a word, Sally must have resented me.

“Hailey, you’ve been well too?”

“Yes, thanks to the lady bringing me back to the count’s mansion, I’ve been well.”

“What do you mean, ‘well’?”

Sally cut Hailey off at her words that she had been doing well. Even though Hailey was working as a maid, she was a noble maid, so Sally couldn’t speak to her informally.

“What? What happened?”

“Sally, don’t say anything. The lady will worry.”

“Alright, let’s go inside and talk.”

I took them into my room. The room was exactly as I had left it. As I looked around, Hailey added, “The Count ordered us to leave the room exactly as it was for the lady.”

“Oh… I see.”

As I was lost in my thoughts, Sally quietly hugged me from behind.

“How have you been all this time?”

“I’ve been well, Sally. I’m sorry for leaving without a word. I had to.”

Hailey soon brought out some snacks and tea for the three of us, and we sat together for the first time in a long time. I felt sorry for having completely forgotten about them.

“So, what do you mean you haven’t been doing well?”

“Lady Celine tormented me and Hailey quite a bit.”

“What? Why?”

“Because we were the lady’s personal maids.”

“Hailey, you tell me. What on earth are they talking about?”

“It’s just as she said. A few days after she arrived, she changed our workplace, made us work until dawn, and then…”

“And then what? Did she hit you?”

“Yes…”

“For what reason?”

I pressed them, but Sally and Hailey couldn’t answer.

“She did it for no reason?”

I was so angry at Hailey’s words that I jumped up from my seat. The teacups in front of us clattered. This made it clear. Celine was not the real Celine. No matter how much I thought about the novel, she was not a possessor or a regressor. If she were the real Celine, she wouldn’t torment good people for no reason. She wasn’t a school bully, so what on earth was she doing?

“Don’t you two worry from now on. I’ll take you with me wherever I go.”

“My lady…”

“And Hailey, you’re quitting your job as a maid.”

“Pardon?”

“Hailey is a noble, isn’t she? I’ll send you to the academy. Is there anything you want to learn?”

“My lady, but the tuition is too expensive…”

“Don’t worry, Hailey. I’ve made quite a bit of money. And I’m an Ianster. Of course I can afford to send you to an academy.”

Hailey looked flustered, but her face was flushed with joy.

“I… I don’t know if I can accept something like that.”

Basically, nobles in Quinze-Nouais don’t work, but poor nobles sometimes do jobs that commoners would do, like Hailey. But if she graduated from the academy, she wouldn’t have to work as a maid.

“Of course you can.”

Hailey grabbed my hand and her eyes welled up with tears. Two years ago, I was so busy just trying to survive that I couldn’t pay any attention to them. I kept feeling sorry for that.

“Sally, you just wait a little. I’ll get you a proper house someday.”

“The Count brought us back from the annex when he heard the lady was coming. I’m satisfied with just that.”

“Really?”

“He was so thoughtful, and when he said you were coming, he was so excited… All the servants were happy, you know.”

“I see…”

“Yes, you must be tired today, so you should rest now. You’re not going to run away again, are you?”

Sally said playfully and left with Hailey.

Left alone, the memories of this place came flooding back. I didn’t have many long, beautiful memories here, but I had the illusion that I had returned home.

 

***

 

The next day, a welcome guest came to visit me at the count’s mansion after a long time.

“It’s been a long time, Lady Claire.”

“My goodness, Sir Glenn Doherty. It’s been so long!”

“Indeed.”

“Don’t call me ‘my lady’ anymore.”

“Then I will call you Lady Ianster.”

Glenn had apparently left his position as the Ianster family’s aide last year and entered the Imperial Palace. So he no longer had to call me ‘my lady.’ In fact, this character was supposed to die in the process of searching for Celine, so no one could have known what he would become.

“And now I am the Crown Prince’s aide.”

“Wow, that’s a super-fast promotion.”

“You think so?”

“Of course.”

“By the way, thanks to you, Lady Ianster, we were able to get through the great drought last year safely. Did you know that?”

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you tell me about the facility for storing water?”

“Ah… a reservoir?”

“That’s a good name for it. Did you even come up with a name?”

“No, rather than me coming up with it…”

It seemed Glenn had a lot he wanted to tell me now that we had met again. I almost had the illusion that the word ‘joy’ was written on his face.

“And we also built a facility for exchanging letters. We haven’t been able to build it in all the territories yet, but the capital and two other territories can already exchange letters with commoners.”

“Ah… a post office?”

“Would you call that a post office? What a wonderful name. A post office… My lady, you are truly…”

“Swallow the rest of that sentence.”

Thinking back on it, saving this person was the best thing I had done since coming here. How could a person be so smart? I had only mentioned the idea of collecting rainwater, and he had built a reservoir in just one year.

Then, it suddenly occurred to me that Glenn Doherty might have the answer to my current problem.

“Sir Doherty.”

“Just call me Glenn.”

He was still buried in his notebook, jotting down the details of the post office I had just mentioned.

“You are knowledgeable in so many areas, so you must be an expert on the history of the Quinze-Nouais Empire.”

“Of course. But what about that hospital you mentioned last time? Do you really think it’s possible?”

“Of course. But ‘last time’ doesn’t mean two years ago, does it?”

“Why wouldn’t it? In the two years you were gone, I was almost driven mad because of the unfinished story.”

“Ah… Hahaha, I see. That story isn’t organized in my head yet, so let’s talk about it later. We have plenty of time.”

“Yes, let’s do that. Although I can’t believe we have plenty of time.”

I glared at him for a moment, as he continued to stare at his notebook and say things that were surprisingly cutting. Then, I casually asked, “By the way, what about that marriage ban?”

“Ah, the marriage ban, you say?”

For the first time, he lifted his head from his notebook and gave me a proud smile.

“That was my idea.”

“You troll…”

My body involuntarily trembled.

“What’s a troll?”

“It’s… a name for candy. Anyway, about that marriage ban. When, where, and how did it start?”

“In the history of the Quinze-Nouais Empire, this is only the third time a marriage ban has been issued. The history of the first marriage ban goes back a very long time ago.”

“Okay, let’s skip that one. Who was the next one…?”

“The late Emperor issued a marriage ban to get the mother of the current Grand Duke.”

“Hmm… I see. Then, has this marriage ban, which has such a deep history, ever failed?”

“Of course not. Who in this world could violate a command issued by the Empire’s Imperial Family? However…”

“However?”

“If someone were to start a rebellion, it might be a different story.”

“What nonsense is that?”

“That’s what I’m saying. The marriage ban cannot be avoided.”

“So the only way to not marry into the Imperial Family is to die?”

“No. There is one other way.”

“What is it?”

“That is…”

Glenn Doherty gave me the answer as if he were just tossing it out.

After hearing his answer, I felt my mind go blank for a moment. Would I be able to do that without going crazy?

But Glenn didn’t give me any more time to think. After that, he started obsessively asking about the hospital.

Anyway, in a show of gratitude to Glenn for telling me a way to avoid the marriage ban, I gave him a lot of inspiration. In this world, there was no such thing as a hospital, and the perception of doctors was not very high. Noble families had their own physicians, but commoners couldn’t even get proper treatment.

“Ah… Lady, that’s a brilliant idea.”

“Right, well, you could think of it that way.”

“So you’re saying that a professional school to train physicians should be a priority over a hospital. This is getting even bigger, isn’t it?”

“The project is getting bigger, but you seem to be enjoying it a lot.”

Glenn Doherty was truly a workaholic. By the time the work-addict had drained my soul and left the count’s mansion, it was already getting dark. I had a simple dinner in my room and waited for night to fall. And then I got ready to go out.

“Sally, I’m going to the Grand Duke’s mansion.”

“Right now?”

“Yes.”

“It’s too late. And is that a place you can just go to without even sending a message?”

“Of course, I can. Hurry up and get ready.”

I left with only Sally and one of the family’s knights. When we got outside, a carriage without the family’s crest was already waiting. When I looked at Sally, she gave me a proud smile. The capital was not as dark as the North. After about an hour’s drive, the Grand Duke’s mansion came into sight. It was not as grand as the Grand Duke’s castle in the North, but the one in the capital was also quite magnificent.

“Hello, Ken.”

Thankfully, one of the two gatekeeper knights recognized me. He was the knight who had helped me repair the greenhouse.

“Ah, isn’t it Lady Claire Ianster? What brings you here at this hour?”

“I’ve come to see His Royal Highness the Grand Duke… I didn’t make an appointment beforehand. Would it be possible?”

“Of course.”

“Sally, you wait here.”

“Yes, my lady. Please be careful.”

Thanks to Ken, I was able to easily enter the Grand Duke’s mansion. But once I was inside the main building, I felt something was off.

“The head butler isn’t here.”

“Indeed. We’ve walked for quite a while, but it’s a bit strange that we haven’t seen a single maid to deliver the news.”

Even though it was close to midnight, it was only right for someone to come out and greet a person who had entered the house. And the surroundings were too quiet. There wasn’t even the movement of a knight guarding the castle.

“It’s too quiet.”

“I was just told that His Royal Highness the Grand Duke had drinks with the captain and vice-captain this evening and went to bed early. And today isn’t the day for the knights from the North to be on duty…!”

We both realized something at the same time and looked at each other.

“Quick, take me to His Royal Highness the Grand Duke’s bedroom!”

“Yes, this way.”

I ran straight to the second floor and soon arrived in front of his bedroom.

“Ah! It’s hot!”

I grabbed the doorknob without hesitation, but it was as hot as if it had been set on fire. As I pulled my hand away and stepped back, Ken kicked the door and broke it. A small gap opened, and a smoky smell and hot air rushed out at once.

“Adrian!”

I ran into the brightly burning room. One side of the wooden bed was already burned to a crisp. And Adrian had seemingly been choked by the smoke and couldn’t open his eyes.

I went to the side of the bed that wasn’t on fire and slapped his face hard. In the meantime, the knight was tearing off the burning curtains, breaking the window, and throwing them outside.

“Adrian, open your eyes. Hurry! We have to get out of here!”

But he didn’t budge no matter how hard I shook him, so I looked around for something that could wake him up. Thankfully, there was a vase next to his bed, so I quickly pulled out the flowers and splashed the water from the vase onto Adrian’s face.

“Gasp! Cough, cough.”

“Adrian, are you conscious?”

“…Claire?”

“Yes, we have to move now!”

Adrian, who had opened his eyes, shook his head and got up to assess the situation. He then moved his body to spray the water from another vase onto the bed and covered it with a blanket, stomping on the fire with his foot.

“Owen, Cedric!”

After the fire was out, Adrian called out their names and ran downstairs. I followed Adrian, and when we turned the corner of the first-floor stairs, I saw smoke coming from the guest room where they were staying. By the time Adrian went into the room to wake Owen, the fire had already spread throughout the room.

Adrian carried Owen out, and Cedric, who was sleeping in the next room, also stumbled out into the commotion.

“Are you okay?”

Adrian asked, shaking him, but Cedric just leaned his head on Adrian’s shoulder. The fire had not reached Cedric’s room.

“It’s a drug.”

“It seems so.”

Owen also shook his head violently as if he wasn’t fully conscious yet.

But soon, the knights of the Northern Grand Duke’s castle, who had seen the fire outside, came in, and the raging fire was put out in an instant.

When the situation was somewhat under control, Adrian held my shoulders tightly and took me to a bedroom on the opposite side of the second floor. It was a bedroom with an attached drawing room, and he put a large gown on me and made me sit on the sofa in the drawing room.

“Don’t go anywhere and stay right here.”

And he went back outside.

After Adrian disappeared from the room and some time had passed, my whole body, which had been tense, started to tremble uncontrollably. Adrian had clearly said it was a drug. Then, was this the Empress’s doing again? I had many questions, but there was nothing I could do but wait.

How much time had passed? Adrian approached me without a sound as I was trembling, huddled on the sofa.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, are you okay, Your Grace?”

“I’m fine. I’m worried about you.”

“Don’t worry about me. Was this the Empress’s doing again?”

But there was no answer. When I looked up at him, I could tell that he hadn’t fully recovered from the drug yet. The look in his eyes was not right.

“This is not for you to worry about. You are not to speak of this to anyone.”

His voice was cold, telling me to stay uninvolved. I rose from the sofa. But though his tone was sharp, his hand gently pulled the robe tighter around me. I was all but trapped by him.

“You should go back now. There’s nothing to fear anymore…”

I thought I should go back quickly and tried to move away from him, but his hand on my gown didn’t let go. But I put some force into it and took a step back.

“I’ll be going now.”

“What?”

“I said I’m going now. You be careful too.”

“You’re leaving? Now?”

“Yes, you told me to go.”

But Adrian wasn’t listening to me. He just took another step toward me, who had moved a step away.

“Your hand is wet.”

Adrian reached out and grabbed my trembling hand.

“What… is this wound?”

“I think I got pricked by a thorn when I took the flowers out of the vase earlier.”

He stared at my wounded palm for a long time and then wrapped my hand tightly with a handkerchief he took out of his pants pocket.

“You saved my life.”

“It’s a good thing I came here today. It’s good that you didn’t get hurt.”

“You’re trembling.”

My conversation with the drugged Adrian was constantly going off track.

“I… I’m cold.”

At my words that I was cold, he looked up at me intently.

“Cold?”

“Yes, cold.”

He mimicked my mouth movements like a baby mimicking its mother. Adrian’s appearance seemed very precarious.

“Are you really okay?”

“Me? I’m…”

He stopped what he was about to say and took a piece of hair off my cheek. He then brought his hand to my face again, only to lightly brush it against my skin and pull it back.

“I’m fine. Go inside and rest now.”

“I have to go home.”

“What?”

“I said I’m going home.”

“You’re going? Like this? You’re leaving me?”

“Yes, it’s too late now…”

In truth, I had planned to ask Adrian all the questions I had been curious about today. What had happened that day, why he had come here, what his heart was feeling right now, and if he still wanted to get engaged to me… If so, I wanted to tell him about the thing Glenn had told me.

But I couldn’t ask anything now.

“No. You’re sleeping here tonight. Tonight, just tonight…”

“But, but, Sally is waiting outside.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

With that, Adrian took me to the bedroom next to the drawing room. He took the gown off me and, as if it was a task he did often, moved his hands to my dress. This was only natural, as this was the third time I was entrusting my wet dress to Adrian. He expertly unfastened the laces of my dress one by one. When my shoulders were exposed, he took out his clothes and put them on me, then carefully pushed me into the bed. He pulled the blanket up to my neck and left the room.