At that moment, I clearly saw a deep emotion that was hard to describe flashed across Hazel’s pale face.
It was a very momentary reaction, and she quickly erased her expression and regained her unique calmness, but she couldn’t deceive Kisa’s eyes.
Above all, Kisa already had conviction.
As Kisa, who had loved Daniel for more than ten years, she could instinctively recognize a woman who had affection for him like herself.
Hazel Turdy loves Daniel Lowens.
No matter how the two define their relationship, whether they have romantic attraction to each other or not, whether Hazel intends to break up with him for Daniel’s future, that was an undeniable fact.
In the first place, she, who was known as the decisive reason for the breakup, came to the Count Vansfelt family first?
Knowing what kind of humiliation she would suffer? It was easy for any noble family to ruin the life of a commoner if they set their mind to it.
But Hazel not only came here but even made bold remarks to Kisa.
Love was the driving force that led Hazel to this reckless and irrational behavior.
“No, Miss.”
However, the person involved did not admit her feelings.
“I don’t love Daniel. I just have respect and friendship for him as a friend.”
It was a lie that was so obvious.
‘What friendship.’
Kisa recalled Daniel, who confidently called their relationship a noble friendship without any desire.
It felt like just yesterday that she was angry at being deceived, but frankly, Kisa didn’t care whether Hazel loved Daniel, whether Daniel knew it or not, or what they called their relationship.
She just wanted them to free herself, a third party, from their annoying relationship.
Just as Hazel was an outsider to the conflict between Kisa and Daniel, Kisa was just another person in their relationship.
“Oh, is that so? Well, whether it’s love or friendship.”
Kisa spread her palm and pointed to Hazel.
“That’s a story for you two to figure out, and if you’re done, can I get up now?”
“Wait a minute. Then, if I break up with him, will you meet Daniel again?”
“I refuse. As you know, I have someone else I’m engaged to.”
“Yes? But if we continue like this, Daniel might really get hurt. I’ve never seen him like this since I’ve known him.”
“So? What about it?”
“Please, I beg you.”
Hazel’s eyes sparkled with tears.
“I can’t bear to see Daniel fall apart like this. I know it’s an absurd request. But this is all I can do. Miss, please.”
Kisa rose from her seat and looked down at the woman begging her so abjectly.
The woman, who already had a pitiful impression, became twice as miserable as she was.
“Hazel.”
“Yes.”
She met Kisa’s eyes with a hopeful look.
“If you want to feel like a devoted lover who sacrifices everything for the man you love, find another place. I have no intention of playing along with your emotional game.”
That hope was dashed in an instant.
Kisa left the reception room without looking back.
“The guest is leaving now.”
****
She had a lot to do back in her room.
Hazel left the Vansfelt’s townhouse with heavy steps.
“Don’t ever come back!”
A maid, who introduced herself as Marsha, who had guided her to the reception room and brought her out, glared at Hazel as she walked out the gate.
How ridiculous, really. The maid, who muttered to herself as if to be heard by everyone, urged the gatekeepers to close the gate quickly, and the Vansfelt’s gate was firmly closed.
I knew it was impossible. Hazel sighed and trudged away.
She thought there was some hope because Daniel always talked about his fiancée who was so devoted to him, but it was a pipe dream.
She thought she should go back to the store and see what Daniel was doing, when suddenly.
“Hazel.”
Someone put a hand on her shoulder. Hazel was so surprised that she almost fainted when she recognized him.
“Daniel…”
Daniel, with a stiff face, looked at Count Vansfelt’s residence and Hazel in turn.
“Why are you coming out of that place?”
In a secluded alley where there was no one around. Daniel’s expression worsened as he listened to Hazel’s story, and eventually, his lips trembled.
“Did I ask you to do that?”
“Daniel, calm down. I just-.”
“Why did you do that? Why!”
Hazel stiffened at the raised voice.
It was the first time Daniel had raised his voice at her.
He was silent for a while, holding his forehead as if trying to suppress the anger inside him.
A few minutes later, he barely opened his mouth.
“I’m already furious enough with those ignorant guys talking nonsense, but why are you doing this? Why are you making me a fool who sends his friend to his fiancée to ask her to come back and beg?”
Hazel tried to be as calm as possible and replied.
“I did it for you. I couldn’t bear to see you ruin yourself anymore.”
“Is drinking a little ruining myself? Can’t I soothe my depressed mood with alcohol?”
“It’s not just a little. You’ve been living in the bar almost every day lately.”
“Then why do you go to Kisa?”
“Because you need her-.”
“I don’t need her! I refuse to have anything to do with a woman who betrayed me and left me!”
At that, Hazel looked a little sad.
“Then why did you come here? Didn’t you come to see Lady Vansfelt?”
Daniel, who was momentarily lost for words, avoided her gaze.
“I was drunk and just walking down the street when I ended up here.”
It was a clumsy lie.
It was quite a distance from the downtown area where the bar he frequented was located to this area full of noble townhouses. It was definitely not a place he could have come to by chance.
Knowing that, Daniel, who was proud, did not correct what he had said.
“……”
“……”
In the awkward silence, Hazel was the first to speak.
“I’m sorry.”
No matter what the reason, she had no excuse for getting involved in Daniel’s problem without saying a word.
“I thought it was for you, but I moved on my own because I thought you would never allow it. Daniel has every right to be angry.”
He pursed his lips and frowned.
He had received an apology, so it was hard to blame her any further, but he still seemed to be in a bad mood.
“It’s okay. It’s already spilled water.”
Daniel strode out to the main street, and Hazel hurriedly followed him.
“Wait a minute, Daniel! Where are you going?”
He was trying to go in the opposite direction from his original destination, the Vansfelt’s townhouse.
“You don’t have to worry about it.”
“Are you going to the bar again? Don’t drink today. You’ve been drinking too much lately.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
Daniel said that and shook off Hazel’s hand, which was holding his sleeve, with a rather rough gesture.
“Daniel…”
Hazel, who was holding the hand that had been shaken off with her other hand, looked at the man’s back as he walked away.
But he didn’t even take a few steps before he turned around to look at Hazel.
Just when she thought that her concern for his health had finally reached him, Daniel opened his mouth.
“By the way, what did Kisa say?”
“Yes?”
“What exactly did she say when she refused Hazel’s request to meet me?”
“Ah…”
Hazel, seeing the anxiety on Daniel’s face, hesitated to tell him the truth.
But Daniel was not going to let it go without an answer, so she tried to refine her expression as much as possible and told him what she had heard in the reception room a little while ago.
Daniel, who heard Kisa’s words through Hazel’s mouth, bit his lip.
“Did Kisa really say that…?”
“Yes.”
“Damn it.”
Daniel muttered a low curse and hurriedly turned away from Hazel.
“Wait a minute!”
Hazel belatedly called out to him, but he didn’t stop walking.
“At least tell me when you’ll be back!”
She simply shouted at the cold, retreating figure.
****
The next day, in the morning. As always, the nanny appeared in Kisa’s room with a pile of letters.
“You have a pile of letters again today, Miss.”
“Oh, put them on the desk.”
Kisa, sitting in a chair by the window, answered vaguely without even checking properly.
After putting the letters on the desk as requested, the nanny looked at Kisa, who was concentrating on some work.
“You’ve been working on the embroidery frame a lot lately, haven’t you?”
“Oh, I’m just trying to practice a little.”
“You’re already good at embroidery, why are you practicing so hard? Are you trying to challenge a more complex embroidery?”
“No, not that… I’m just trying to put some initials on the corner of a handkerchief.”
“You don’t even need to practice for that, do you? How fancy are you trying to make it?”
“It’s better to be pretty if possible.”
“If you want, I can bring you a maid who is good at embroidery.”
“No, it doesn’t mean anything if I don’t do it myself.”
Suddenly, the nanny gave a knowing, sly smile.
“It’s a handkerchief for Duke Hillan.”
“……”
“Are you so excited for your first date?”
Date. The embarrassing nuance of the word made her grip on the embroidery frame tighten.
That’s right. The day after tomorrow, Seyard will visit Count Vansfelt’s residence for the first time, revealing his identity.
To go on a date with Kisa.
