Allice, after much agonizing, went to see Miona. She had intended to consult her about the situation. However—
“Why didn’t you invite me?”
“Huh?”
“I heard there was a tea party. Why wasn’t I invited?”
Why was Miona suddenly acting so bold? Allice felt troubled.
Why hadn’t she invited Miona to the tea party? Well, they had been friends once and had enjoyed tea parties together. But back then, Miona had been the wealthy daughter of Viscount Kruz, not the breadwinner of a fallen family.
She’s my maid now, isn’t she?
They weren’t equals anymore, and inviting a maid to a tea party seemed… improper, didn’t it? But saying so outright would surely hurt Miona’s feelings. Out of consideration for Miona, Allice kindly evaded the topic.
“I thought you wouldn’t want to come. You’ve never liked those kinds of gatherings. I was sure you’d decline…”
“Which gatherings I attend is for me to decide, Allice.”
“I’m sorry, Miona. That was thoughtless of me.”
As Allice apologized with a trembling voice, Miona sighed as if surrendering.
“No, it’s fine. Don’t apologize. I was being sensitive.”
“So you forgive me?”
“Forgive you? There’s no such thing between us, Allice.”
“Yes.”
“I should be the one apologizing. You’re the one who stood by me when I was struggling… I guess I was afraid you might abandon me too.”
Hearing that, Allice clasped Miona’s hands tightly. “That could never happen, Miona. No matter what your circumstances, you’re my dearest friend.”
“…Allice.”
Moved, Miona’s eyes began to glisten with tears.
“You’re the only one who didn’t turn away from me. After my father passed and I was left buried in debt, everyone else pretended not to know me…” As Miona murmured, a resolute determination gleamed in her eyes. “Thank you for paying off my debts back then, Allice. I’ll never forget your kindness.”
In the end, the conversation concluded this way, and Allice couldn’t even bring up the issue about Moonlight Flower.
Allice fretted, wringing her hands. What should I do?
What could she do? There was no choice.
Breaking a promise is wrong.
She had already promised her friends. So, she decided she would prioritize loyalty to them. Allice decided to secretly divert a few Moonlight Flowers for her friends.
* * *
“We meet again.”
What now? As Dana was passing through the garden, she turned with irritation.
There was Raios. He was leaning against a large elm tree behind her.
“Why are you here?”
“I had a brief matter to discuss with Duke Windsor.” Then he put a cigar in his mouth.
Dana frowned. Again, with the cigars.
Come to think of it, when had Raios started smoking cigars?
I never saw him smoke even once while we were together. From the look of it, he wasn’t new to this.
He must have been hiding it and smoking in secret. That thought made her stomach churn again.
What had been a real, and what had been a lie? Such questions were meaningless now. She truly couldn’t stand the sight of him. Just as she was about to turn away—
“Danae.”
He called her name.
“You’ve always had overly firm opinions.”
Dana slowly turned her face toward him. Raios gazed at her and tilted his head.
“I liked that at first.”
Like a machine at the end of its life, he spoke in a hollow voice.
“It was refreshing. You smiled just like all the other noblewomen, but behind that smile, you always said what you meant.”
A foreboding feeling washed over her. She shouldn’t listen to this. It was a waste of time and emotions. She should just walk away now. But for some reason, she couldn’t move.
“I don’t know since when, but at some point… I became fed up with it.”
It felt as though her feet were slowly turning to stone. Dana held her breath and listened to Raios’s voice.
“Since some time ago, your voice started to sound like the cawing of a crow.”
The voice she had once loved so much, so low and calm.
“Meanwhile, Allice’s voice started to sound like the song of a canary.”
“…”
“Do you even realize how sweet everything Allice says sounds?”
Dana exhaled slowly, her breath now heated. “Do I need to know?”
At that, Raios smirked. “Why not learn from her? Maybe then your voice would become pleasant to hear again.”
“No. Let’s just break off the engagement.” Dana spoke gently, with a smiling face as Raios had described. “Since hearing Your Highness’s voice at this moment is unbearable for me, let’s sever our tie for both our happiness.”
“…”
Raios did not respond. He just looked at me annoyingly and then said, “You’re far from adapting to this world.” Tsk, clicking his tongue, he turned away and left.
Dana called out firmly to his retreating back. “Don’t be mistaken. I have no intention of adapting to this world!”
Raios walked away without a reply. For a moment, Dana was tempted to chase after him—to hit the back of his head. If it wouldn’t result in imprisonment for insulting the imperial family members, she certainly would have done it.
That b*stard.
Dana went straight back to her room. Even back in her room, she was so furious that her fingertips trembled.
Raios and Allice. She truly hated them both. Even though they had already messed up her life, it seemed not enough; they kept ruining her mood at every turn.
“Milady, Viscountess Grace Gilton has sent a message.” Just then, Lethe entered with a letter. “It seems Lady Allice has promised her friends to sell them Moonlight Flowers privately.”
Upon hearing that, Dana calmed her emotions. Selling moonlight flowers privately? How could she think of such a foolish idea…
“Of course, Lord Eric and Lord Carl Windsor have stopped her. That was only natural.”
“So, Allice must be in a very difficult situation now.”
Dana had come to fully understand Allice’s flaws, which had once been obscured by her charm. Allice loved being praised and hated being the villain. Such a girl wouldn’t dare to ‘break’ a promise or ‘refuse’ a request. Instead… She’d rather commit illegal acts where no one could see.
Dana smirked. It was pitiful but also satisfying in its own way. Go on, keep pretending to be good until you fall into ruin. Wait, that won’t do. I’ll make sure of it myself. Even if it meant bending the rules.
“First, send Viscountess Grace Gilton a thank-you note for updating me on the tea party atmosphere. Include a generous token of appreciation.”
“Understood.”
“Then put a watchdog on Allice, Lethe.”
“Watchdog?”
“Yes. Hire the best person for the job. Have them shadow her closely. I don’t care how much it costs.”
After sending Lethe off, some time passed. Knock, knock.
“Danae. It’s me. Huan.”
Dana’s expression twisted into a scowl. Why was that man here?
“Danae, are you not there?”
Dana didn’t answer. She hoped he would assume she was out and leave. But then—Creak. The door opened.
“Oh. You are here.”
“…”
Her mind froze over. What is this? Just now, that man, Huan, opened her bedroom door without permission? Her bedroom?!
Instead of being embarrassed, Huan smiled brightly. “I heard you were humiliated by the crown prince.”
Thud. He closed the door. The space became enclosed, leaving only two of them. The air instantly felt heavier.
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