“Wouldn’t it be better for me to worry about you rather than Edwin?”
“Me?”
“Yes. I’ve arranged for you to stay comfortable for now, but there will be times when that won’t be possible.”
“When that won’t be possible?”
“I’m saying that the gossip within the mansion is nothing compared to what’s coming. People will do everything they can to tear you apart—cruelly and mercilessly.”
“That sounds terrifying.”
At my words, Raynan gave a faint smile and added,
“They’ll wrap it up in elegant words, making it sound refined.”
“That’s even scarier.”
“Regardless, just focus on taking care of yourself. Otherwise, you might not endure it.”
“Alright.”
So the rumors inside the mansion were nothing in comparison…
I didn’t even want to imagine what that meant. But just the thought of it already exhausted me.
Feeling drained, I leaned back into the sofa and settled into a comfortable position.
Raynan chuckled as if he knew exactly why I was reacting this way.
“If we keep talking about this, you might end up staying here for the night.”
Meaning—there was still more to discuss, and it would only tire me out further.
I considered postponing the conversation until tomorrow, but in the end, I decided to hear it now.
At least after this, I could just go back to my room and sleep.
“Go ahead.”
“You know the Founding Festival is coming up, right?”
“Yes.”
Well, I actually didn’t, but I answered smoothly.
“The Imperial Palace will hold a grand celebration for three days. On the first day, I have no choice but to attend.”
“Oh… Please be careful and have a safe trip.”
I instinctively gave a polite farewell, only for him to let out a short, incredulous laugh.
“You’re coming with me. As my partner.”
“What? Do I have to?”
“Under normal circumstances, I’d go alone and ignore everything, but not this time.”
“Why not?”
“You need to greet His Majesty. Normally, we’d get formal approval before announcing an engagement, but since we’re skipping that step, we’ll at least need to make introductions.”
“Is it really okay to announce it without his permission first?”
“That’s exactly why we have to introduce you—so he’ll let it slide.”
“So then… asking for permission first just wasn’t an option?”
I already knew the answer before I finished my question.
“If that were possible, I would’ve done it. But even if we had asked first, he would have summoned you anyway. The result would have been the same.”
“I see.”
“Still, there’s no need to be nervous. He’s usually quite kind.”
“Usually?”
“We’ll get into that later. For now, you should start preparing tomorrow. There’s not much time, and it’s better to space things out rather than rushing later.”
“But you said I should take it easy…”
“Yes, you should. Others will handle the preparations.”
In the past, I might have nodded and accepted that answer.
But now, I could only look at him with deep suspicion.
Because every time Raynan spoke so casually, as if something were no big deal, it always ended up being overwhelming for me.
A perfect example—when he had told me to “rest” during our trip, only to make me practice horseback riding.
Recalling that, my wariness toward his words only deepened.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s… the look of someone reflecting on past experiences.”
As I spoke, Raynan suddenly closed the distance between us.
He moved so quickly that our legs were nearly touching.
Resting an arm on the back of the sofa, he leaned in.
“Past experiences, hmm…”
He reached out and brushed his fingers near my eyes.
It was a light touch, gentle even—but the unexpected contact made me blink.
“To me, it looks like you’re gazing at me with bold desire, wanting to spend the night together.”
“S-S-Spend the night—?”
“Well, we are going to be married, so it wouldn’t be an issue. If you want to, then—”
“Goodnight!”
The moment Raynan lifted his hand again—this time, reaching to stroke my hair—I jumped to my feet.
I quickly bowed and dashed out of the room without looking back.
Just before the door shut behind me, I thought I heard him chuckling softly, but I couldn’t be sure.
Thankfully, my room was right next door.
I barely managed to hide my flushed face before anyone could see it.
“Lady Renee?”
“Lady Renee…?”
The moment I entered my room, I spaced out.
I had forgotten something.
This was no longer a space where I could be alone whenever I wanted.
Startled by my sudden entrance, Erin and Cecile were looking at me in confusion.
“Ah… You’re still here? It’s late.”
“Your face is red. Did something happen?”
“No. You two should go rest. See you tomorrow.”
“But we still need to prepare your bed—”
“It’s fine. Just go rest.”
I felt bad for startling them, but my need to be alone was stronger.
I hurriedly spoke, practically pushing them toward the door.
Still bewildered, they had no choice but to leave.
As soon as the door shut, silence finally settled around me.
“Haa…”
I sighed deeply.
From now on, I would send them away right after dinner.
Things were only going to get more chaotic, and I desperately needed time to be by myself.
Especially if I ever had to run into my room like this again.
“Today felt so long.”
It really did.
Everything had passed in a blur, yet so much had happened that the day felt endlessly stretched.
At least now, it was finally time to bring it to an end.
****
I had expected the engagement announcement to cause a stir, but I had underestimated just how much.
The next morning, from the moment I woke up, the day had already become noisy.
I had a bad feeling that today might be even longer than yesterday.
It seemed that news of last night’s dinner had spread among the servants, and the reactions were far more intense than I had anticipated.
Normally, rumors would have to circulate several times before they reached me.
But this time was different.
“Did the Grand Duke propose to you?”
Of course, with Erin always being the first to hear gossip, it was inevitable.
“Where did you hear that?”
“Oh, who knows? The whole mansion was buzzing with it overnight.”
It had been less than an hour since I woke up, but judging from the way Erin spoke, it was clear that the story had already spread everywhere before dawn.
Raynan had said that no matter how much we tried to keep things quiet, the news would eventually leak—but wasn’t this a little too fast?
I blinked in surprise, unable to respond. That was when Erin suddenly grabbed my hand.
“Oh my, is this the ring from the rumors? Let me take a closer look.”
“I’m going to get some breakfast first.”
I pulled my hand away and got up.
She had already seen the ring but was only now asking for permission, so I saw no need to humor her further.
“Oh… Should I bring breakfast here instead?”
“No, I’ll go eat in the dining room.”
Erin’s face stiffened slightly when I withdrew my hand. But she quickly regained her smile.
I had been about to leave for breakfast when I suddenly stopped and looked at her.
“Lady Renee? Is something wrong?”
Was it because the situation had changed? Or was I just being sensitive?
Somehow, Erin felt different from before. She was still cheerful and friendly—but…
There was something sharp about her now, like a hidden blade.
I couldn’t quite figure out why, so I dismissed it as my imagination. After all, it had only been two days.
But my suspicions were beginning to take shape.
“Erin.”
“Yes, Lady Renee?”
“If you’re uncomfortable, you don’t have to stay.”
“What do you mean?”
“I know you wanted this position, but now that you’re actually doing it, things might feel different. You seem really uneasy in this situation. Wouldn’t it be better to stop?”
“Stop…?”
There it was again.
For a brief moment, something cold flickered in Erin’s eyes.
I had worked with her once before.
Back then, no matter how frustrating things got, she never showed it.
But now, even if only for a split second, she wasn’t able to hide her emotions. It was unfamiliar to me.
“Did I do something wrong? Why are you telling me to leave? It’s only been two days.”
Her voice trembled as she clung to my hand, her eyes welling with tears.
“It’s not that you did anything wrong… You just don’t seem comfortable.”
“But still…”
“I was wondering if you felt trapped because you were the one who asked for this position first. If you’re uncomfortable, then we’ll both end up feeling uneasy.”
At that moment, there was a knock at the door, and someone entered.
The instant they stepped inside, Erin suddenly collapsed onto the floor, bursting into tears.
“I’ll do better! Please just give me a little more time!”
She sobbed so sorrowfully that I almost felt like the villain in this situation.
I hadn’t said anything particularly cruel, nor had I intended anything malicious.
But now, it certainly looked like I had.
“Quite a commotion so early in the morning.”
The ones who had entered were Raynan and Amelia.
To them, this must have seemed like complete chaos.
But neither of them showed the slightest bit of surprise.
“Ah, this is…”
I was still trying to figure out how to explain when Raynan strode toward me.
“We should replace the maid.”
His cold gaze fell on Erin, who was still sitting on the floor.
Hearing that, Erin’s head shot up. But when her eyes met Raynan’s, she immediately ducked her head again in panic.
“Amelia.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“I told you to ensure Lady Renee’s comfort.”
“I apologize.”
“No, it was me. I was the one who asked for Erin to be here.”
I quickly grabbed Raynan’s arm.
I didn’t want Amelia to be blamed for something that was my decision.
“This isn’t something for you to concern yourself with. If something makes you uncomfortable, it needs to be removed.”
At Raynan’s words, Erin’s shoulders trembled slightly.
“I was wrong. I won’t let it happen again. Please, don’t send me away.”
She lowered her head as she pleaded.
Now that she was saying this, I felt even more conflicted.
This hadn’t needed to turn into such a dramatic situation—how did it come to this?
“Amelia, find another maid immediately.”
“Your Grace!”
Erin threw herself at Raynan, clinging to his leg, looking up at him with desperate eyes.
Even from where I stood, the sight was pitiful.
But Raynan didn’t even flinch as he shook her off.
“How disgraceful.”
“No one in this household knows Lady Renee better than I do. Her tastes may be difficult to match, but I will learn quickly—”
Wait.
Since when did I have difficult tastes?
I blinked in confusion.
Raynan, however, only let out a cold chuckle.
“Disgraceful and arrogant. Do you truly believe you know her better than anyone here?”
“No, of course, Your Grace also knows her well, but I’ve been by her side as a friend for a long time—”
“You talk too much.”
Something about this whole conversation felt bizarre.
I was right here, and yet these two were arguing over me as if I wasn’t even present.
“Um… Your Grace? Erin?”
At my words, both of them turned to look at me simultaneously.
