Kisa lowered her posture and held her breath, listening intently.
However, the conversation seemed to be over, and no more voices were heard. Instead, only the faint sound of rustling as someone stepped on dry leaves could be heard.
Had both of them left?
Just in case, Kisa remained crouched for a long time before finally raising herself when her legs began to feel numb.
There was no one where Gabriel had been standing.
Kisa, a little unsteady on her feet, left the terrace and entered the hallway.
“Kisa, you were here.”
She ran into Seyard, who was just coming up the stairs.
With wide strides, he bounded up the stairs several steps at a time, approaching Kisa.
“I was looking for you because you weren’t there.”
“Seyard… were you outside?”
“Yes, I was briefly in the garden. I thought you might be there, but you weren’t. Where were you?”
Of all places, the garden. Kisa’s face darkened.
“I was resting for a bit on the terrace over there in the corner. By any chance, did you meet anyone in the garden?”
“I did encounter a few guests. Perhaps because the weather is nice, quite a few people were taking a walk. Is there someone you’re looking for?”
“No, it’s nothing like that.”
The person Gabriel intended to convey his feelings to, and the person who had been in the garden until just a moment ago.
She hadn’t been able to confirm with her own eyes, but it seemed certain that the person behind the tree then was Seyard.
‘Besides….’
The words he had said a few hours ago resurfaced in Kisa’s mind.
[I will tell Kisa what she is curious about, and Kisa will tell me what I am curious about.]
[For example, the personal matter that Gabriel Williams told you about?]
She had been distracted by the fact that she didn’t want to be disliked by Seyard and had forgotten, but he had definitely wanted to know what Gabriel’s concern was.
Even to the point of offering an exchange.
Moreover, the words she had heard on the terrace a little while ago.
“I understand. If you put it that way…”
Judging only from those words of Gabriel, it seemed he had decided to reveal his feelings because the other person had asked first.
In other words, to summarize:
Seyard, unable to hear Gabriel’s concern from Kisa, had asked him directly. Gabriel, who was about to give up and leave, had perhaps resigned himself when the person he yearned for pressed him. So it seemed he was trying to express the feelings he hadn’t been able to convey until now.
Thinking that, Kisa’s heart grew heavy. She didn’t know why Seyard was so curious about Gabriel’s problem, but she was the one who had first mentioned it to him.
“Earlier, I happened to learn about his personal concerns. I wanted to ask if he was alright, but this is truly a private matter, so I thought it would be better for them to talk alone.”
She should have just made up something, but like a fool, she had vaguely revealed the truth, unnecessarily planting a strange suspicion in Seyard’s mind.
Perhaps Seyard, after hearing Kisa’s words, had carefully observed Gabriel and sensed his feelings for him in his eyes.
The truth was only known to him, but it seemed that Kisa’s influence couldn’t be denied.
“Why do you look like that?”
Seyard, noticing Kisa’s troubled expression, looked at his fiancée with a worried gaze.
“Are you still very tired? It’s true the guests have been quite a nuisance to you. Leave the engagement reception to me and go in to rest.”
“No, I can’t do that.”
Kisa shook her head.
“I am your fiancée now. I must fulfill my responsibilities.”
“You don’t need to overdo it.”
Even as he said that, he seemed a little pleased.
Kisa felt complicated as she headed to the banquet hall with Seyard. How would he react if he found out Gabriel’s true feelings?
‘The possibility of him accepting… there wouldn’t be any even if the sky fell.’
Social constraints were constraints, and Seyard had already once stated that he had no particular liking for Gabriel.
So he would definitely refuse, but the problem was how he would refuse.
She hoped it would be in a way that would hurt the sensitive Gabriel as little as possible.
His performance a few hours ago, as he had vowed, was certainly more restrained than before, but if one listened closely, one could feel a faint trace of unrequited love.
No, rather, because it was a restrained sadness, it created an even more pitiful and sorrowful atmosphere.
It wasn’t just Kisa’s impression; after the violin solo, several people with moist eyes were noticeable.
‘He’s already so heartbroken, if his confession fails miserably…’
A very ominous imagination filled her mind, and Kisa’s face turned pale.
Seyard was a good person. But it was hard to guarantee whether he, who had grown up in a highly conservative monastery, would look favorably upon Gabriel.
For a moment, Kisa even thought about asking him for something, but she soon gave up.
She was clearly a third party in their relationship, and the situation had come about because Kisa had said unnecessary things to Seyard.
It might be best not to meddle.
While half-listening to the words of the guests who flocked to her side, Kisa resolved not to interfere. She hoped that the poor musician would have some luck.
Time passed quickly, and after dealing with only a few guests, the time Gabriel had mentioned was approaching.
‘He said to meet behind the annex.’
Kisa roughly knew what kind of place the Hillan Duchy’s annex was.
It was said to be a building used for residence during the time when the Hillan family was crowded with members.
The previous Duke of Hillan, Seyard’s father, had uniquely had only two twin sons, but basically, the Hillan family was a family that traditionally had many children. Anyway, Seyard had seen off all his parents and siblings and didn’t have a good relationship with his relatives, so currently, no one in Hillan was using the annex.
Staff regularly managed the building and there were security personnel so that the building wouldn’t fall into disrepair, but if one were to pick the least frequented place in the mansion, it was undoubtedly the annex.
The perfect place for a secret meeting, and she had to leave soon to arrive there on time.
Kisa, who had been trying not to look at Seyard, widened her eyes. He, who had been talking with guests near the platform until a moment ago, was nowhere to be seen.
‘He’s gone!’
The thought that the two would meet soon made Kisa’s heart impatient.
‘No, I can’t.’
Thinking she needed to calm down somehow, even if she had to borrow the power of alcohol, she was about to go to where the servant carrying drinks was.
“Oh, Lady Vansfelt.”
Coincidentally, she bumped into a guest who was coming to talk to Kisa.
“Oh my!”
Along with the woman’s scream, the sound of glass shattering echoed through the hall. The drink glass the guest had dropped had hit the floor and shattered into pieces.
If that were all, she could just clean up the debris and wipe the floor, but there was another problem.
“I, I’m sorry!”
The young woman apologized with a pale face. “This is a Madame Estes creation, isn’t it? I’ve ruined this precious thing…”
Dresses from Madame Estes’ boutique were so sought after that even most nobles had to wait in line, and most of them never even got to see one. They were worth far more than ordinary items.
Moreover, perhaps because she thought she had offended Kisa, who would soon become the Duchess of Hillan, the woman looked terrified.
Kisa reassured her.
“It’s alright. It was an accidental mistake.”
“But…”
“Anyone can make a mistake.”
Of course, it was a precious dress, she liked it, and it was a valuable gift from Seyard, but it wasn’t something worth making a woman who looked younger than Kisa tremble so much.
She felt sorry to Seyard, who had given her such a nice gift, but if she explained the situation well, he would understand.
“Well then, I’ll go change my clothes.”
She couldn’t possibly face the guests in this state.
As Kisa was about to head for the door, Gilliam, who had noticed the commotion, approached.
“Is there something wrong, My Lady?”
“Ah, you’ve come at a good time. Something happened, so I’m going to change my clothes. Could you take care of the banquet hall for me?”
“Yes, leave it to me.”
With that, Kisa left the banquet hall alone. While wondering if she should call Lily to help her change, a sudden thought crossed her mind.
‘Should I go to the annex?’
It was just before the appointed time. If she left now, she might be able to arrive before Seyard and Gabriel left the place.
But did she really have the right to peek at their private moments?
Kisa pondered fiercely for a moment but soon came to a decision. Gabriel had ended up confessing to Seyard, contrary to his original plan, largely due to Kisa’s responsibility. Nevertheless, doing nothing was something she couldn’t do.
‘I’ll do what I can within reason.’
It would be alright to comfort Gabriel, who had been rejected.
Deciding so, Kisa changed her steps from heading to her room and started running towards the annex. Miraculously, she didn’t encounter anyone while going to the annex.
Originally, the annex was a place where people rarely went, and most of the staff were gathered in the banquet hall and kitchen because of the engagement reception.
Arriving at the annex, Kisa, catching her breath, tried to make as little noise as possible and headed to the back.
Reaching the corner, she heard the sound of an intense conversation, as if someone was arguing. One voice was Gabriel’s, and the other was…
‘Huh?’
At the voice that shouldn’t be heard here, Kisa inadvertently peeked her face around the corner.
“Please, can you let me go? I can’t breathe by your side.”
“Shut up! Do you think you can dare leave me?”
The one who grabbed Gabriel by the collar and forcefully pressed her lips against his was Princess Arta.
