The day had dawned.
Normally, I would still be lounging in bed, but my eyes were wide open. I felt energized and refreshed.
Perhaps it was because I had broken away from my usual lazy routine and spent the previous day walking and working.
After listening to Michelle, I came to my own understanding.
Somehow, Armin’s gaze had made me feel uneasy, but I decided to let it go. Ultimately, time will resolve this.
Honestly, how could Armin possibly like me based on what he knows about me?
Objectively, my thought of ‘Does he maybe like me?’ was too self-indulgent. It was a classic romance cliché—saying that he treated me differently from anyone else—but it seemed unlikely that Armin Grey would like someone for such a reason.
Besides, these things usually happen to someone beautiful, kind, and lovable. Not to someone who sings weird songs, hides books in her bosom, and is good at lying for her own benefit.
I decided not to overthink it. As Michelle said, if I didn’t want to ask directly, then thinking about it wouldn’t resolve anything.
Plus, there is a crucial point to consider: whether I like him. Even if he does like me, whether I like him is a separate issue.
Until recently, Armin Grey was a bad person to me, someone who had caught my weakness and was a terrible human being.
After that, he was just the son of the author I admired, and then someone I felt sorry for because I had wronged him.
Next, he was someone I went out with for the first time, it was somewhat friendly?
Something was tickling in my heart, making it hard to explain exactly, but also hard to pinpoint. Having never had a close male friend, I couldn’t tell if this feeling was friendship or romantic interest.
So, I decided to take it easy and see how things unfolded. I trusted Michelle’s words that continuing to meet would eventually make things clear.
‘But when are we supposed to meet next?’
I had one more meeting left with Armin out of the two we had agreed upon. However, no matter how hard I tried to recall, I couldn’t remember any details about our next meeting. Only then did I realize that in my haste to escape the carriage yesterday, we hadn’t set a time for our next meeting.
* * *
Two weeks had passed.
During that time, there was no contact from Armin.
I didn’t know what to do in this situation, so time just slipped away.
I had never been proactive about meeting someone, so I didn’t know how to go about it.
In the past… no, in my previous life, a simple phone call would have done the trick. I thought about writing a letter, but the idea of actually writing one was daunting.
“So, I need to meet the Young Master, but how do I do it?”
I ended up going to Sasha’s room to share my worries. Lately, Sasha had been so busy that it was hard to even see his face. I thought I would be bombarded with questions after my outing with Armin, but that was just my misconception.
“Hmm.”
Previously, Sasha would casually refer to Armin Grey by name without any respect for his status as the heir to a dukedom. But now, his way of addressing Armin had changed slightly, though it flowed naturally in the conversation, so I didn’t notice anything strange.
“So, you want to meet the Young Master.”
“Well, it’s not that I want to meet him… or maybe I do?”
I was so flustered that my voice rose. Usually, Sasha would chase me to my room, but today, I was in his room. Unlike me, who was still in my pajamas, Sasha was dressed in a pair of dark green pants and a white shirt, looking sharp.
As he adjusted his clothes, he seemed uninterested in me. I grumbled, “Are you coming home late again today?”
“Today, we have guests coming over.”
“Guests? Who?”
“The usual suspects.”
Sasha had many friends, but only a few were close enough to visit our home. I could only think of two people. Sasha and his two best friends were known as the “trio.”
“Lewin and Abyss, right?”
These names were as familiar as our own, but Sasha shook his head.
“No?”
“Today, one more person is coming.”
I tilted my head at my brother’s words. These two had been Sasha’s friends for a long time. No one had ever joined their trio, so who could this new person be?
“Oh, who’s the new member?”
“You’ll see.”
Sasha smiled mysteriously as he finished buttoning his shirt.
“Is that so?”
His tone was enigmatic, but I didn’t think much of it. In the end, I didn’t get an answer to my problem. Sasha turned to leave but then looked back at me.
“You should also prepare to greet the guests.”
“What? That sounds like a hassle.”
“It’s your choice if you find it bothersome.”
Sasha’s voice was filled with mischief as he turned to leave again.
“Don’t blame me if you regret it later. I warned you.”
* * *
In the end, I took a shower and changed my clothes. I knew from experience that ignoring my brother’s warnings often led to trouble.
“Why do I have to come out and greet them? Why can’t they just come to me?” I grumbled to myself. I had forgotten that Armin Grey had visited our house before and Sasha had received him as a guest.
‘Anyway, I won’t be able to join them. It’s a gathering of men.’
If it were just Lewin and Abyss, it would be different, but with a new friend joining, it felt awkward for me, a woman, to be there. The whole idea of being a ‘modest lady’ who doesn’t interfere with men’s conversations was frustrating. The life of a noble wasn’t always enjoyable.
All I had to do was greet the guests, but even that felt like too much effort.
“Miss, do you really hate bathing that much? It’s like you’re afraid the water will run out,” Michelle teased.
“Using too much water damages nature. We have to preserve it for future generations,” I replied, half-jokingly.
“Still, you have to greet the guests. The young master has a new friend coming over,” Michelle reminded me.
“If it were just Lewin and Abyss, I wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble,” I complained.
“True. They’ve known you since you were little, so they know your true nature,” Michelle agreed.
“Why did my brother have to make a new friend? Because of him, I haven’t gotten much attention lately,” I grumbled.
“Do you dislike that?” Michelle asked.
“No, but it’s annoying to be told to come out and greet someone. Just greeting them feels like too much effort,” I said.
As we chatted, I suddenly remembered something and told Michelle, “By the way, my brother’s friends think I’m modest and quiet.”
“Is that so? But in reality, you’re a guardian of the environment, right?” Michelle joked.
“Should I act that way in front of the new friend too?” I asked, feeling uncomfortable. The thought of pretending to be someone I’m not in front of a stranger was unappealing.
“Who knows?” Michelle said with a mysterious smile.
I looked at her, feeling like I was missing something.
“Maybe you won’t have to,” she added.
“Why not?” I asked.
“Just a feeling. There! All done, Miss.”
Something felt off, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I touched the back of my head, where Michelle had carefully styled my hair, trying to shake off the strange feeling.
* * *
Knock, knock.
The formal knock was undoubtedly from the butler. It was just past lunchtime, so Sasha’s friends were likely arriving for tea time.
“Miss, the guests have arrived.”
“Okay, I’ll be down soon.”
I put down the book I was reading and stood up. The scent of freshly baked cookies wafted up from downstairs.
“Butler, why don’t I get any tea today?”
The dignified-looking butler merely smiled without answering.
Usually, after lunch, a table full of tea would be set up in my room, but today, not even a cup of water was offered. It was strange.
“I want cookies too!”
“You will have some.”
The butler’s words were odd. Instead of saying ‘I will bring them to you’ or ‘Please wait a moment,’ he said, ‘You will have some.’
“The guests have arrived, so please come down quickly, Miss.”
“Ugh, this is so bothersome.”
Who was this new friend that everyone was making such a fuss about? Michele and the butler seemed to be in on some secret plan, and it felt like I was the only one left out. It was like being the only one not in on a joke.
As I descended the stairs to greet the guests at the entrance, I saw four men standing there. I recognized the familiar silhouettes of three of them, but the face of the new friend was hard to make out against the light of the sun.
Slowly making my way down the stairs, I prepared to greet Sasha’s new friend warmly. But as I got closer, the new friend’s face seemed strangely familiar. His violet eyes sparkled with a friendly smile as he greeted me.
“Huh?”
“Long time no see, my lady. Or should I say, Vivian.”
Wait, hold on. Why are you here?
