Chapter 54

Without thinking, I parted my lips—and a glass straw, curved at the perfect angle for drinking, was promptly slipped between them.

“Good. Just keep sipping like that.”

Lycian said it while patting my back.

This felt incredibly strange….

‘What is this situation…? What are we even doing…?’

Still, I did as I was told and drew in a long sip. A pleasantly cool drink flowed into my mouth.

Lemon, herbs, and honey.

‘It’s good…!’

My eyes widened. I swallowed, then eagerly sucked on the straw again with a soft slurp.

After three or four pulls, fully absorbed in drinking, I heard an amused voice above my head.

“Is it good?”

“…!”

Only then did embarrassment crash over me. I hurriedly pulled the straw from my lips and put on a dignified front.

“Ahem. It’s decent.”

“Have some more.”

“…I’ll drink it slowly.”

Come to think of it, I was still sitting on Lycian’s lap. …Isn’t this position way too mortifying?

Shifting awkwardly, I tried to slide off his lap.

But Lycian wrapped an arm firmly around my waist and wouldn’t let go.

Worse, he said something completely unhinged.

“Why? You said I’m like your mom. Just think of it as being in your mother’s arms.”

“Have you lost your mind…?”

I stared at him in shock, mouth falling open—and the straw slipped back in between my lips. In a daze, I slurped down more of the drink.

The cup was empty in no time. Only after I drained it completely was I finally released from Lycian’s embrace.

“Go away. I’m going to sleep.”

“You shouldn’t sleep right after eating.”

“It’s my choice…!”

I shoved the infuriatingly smug Lycian away without mercy, then flopped onto the bed and pulled the blanket over my head.

My face felt as hot as a freshly baked potato.

---

I must have dozed off.

When I opened my eyes, a dim ceiling greeted me. All the lights were off, and the windows were hidden behind drawn curtains.

Rubbing my eyes, I sat up and looked around the room. For once, Lycian wasn’t there.

‘He probably stepped out for a bit.’

Well, he was entitled to some free time too.

He had been glued to me nonstop….

‘…Water first.’

Letting out a long sigh, I walked to the table and poured myself a glass from the kettle.

As I set the cup down, I glanced at the clock on the wall. 4:34 p.m.

‘Wasn’t there a guild meeting this afternoon…?’

It was for the dungeon raid team, so it didn’t really concern me.

‘Maybe Lycian’s attending that meeting?’

He was strong, and he knew a lot. He could probably be a real help in dungeon strategies.

I sank weakly onto the sofa and stared blankly at the wall.

‘What should I do…?’

Should I make more potions?

What about my farm… Is Ninabel doing okay?

I need to go back sometime this week….

That was when.

“…….”

Again…?

‘Well, I guess it was about time.’

It’s obviously going to be another painful memory….

There’s no option to refuse synchronization, is there?

‘Ah, fine. I get it.’

Grumbling inwardly, I leaned back comfortably against the sofa.

‘Okay. Stable position.’

After taking several deep breaths to steady myself, I accepted the quest.

“Hoo….”

‘…Core memory?’

That’s new.

But I wasn’t given time to think.

A familiar shock slammed into my head, and I blacked out.

---

“That woman—she’s famous, isn’t she? You don’t know?”

At the sound of people whispering, my shoulders instinctively hunched.

“They say she’s the Duke of Tierney’s precious daughter. Supposedly she’s so frail he never even let her attend her debutante ball—kept her hidden away.”

That’s wrong. Only the part about being frail is true.

“She only started showing up at social parties recently. Wonder what got into the Duke of Tierney.”

“Maybe he’s looking for a good match for her? She’s of marriageable age now.”

“That could be it.”

“But that woman… the rumors….”

I didn’t need to hear the rest.

Not wanting to listen to more malicious gossip about myself, I fled the party hall.

The air outside was brisk. Mid-September, with autumn deepening—once evening fell, the temperature dropped sharply.

‘It’s cold….’

I’d rushed out without even grabbing a shawl. My body trembled in the chill, but I had no desire to return to the ballroom.

There was no one who would bring me a shawl, anyway. The Tierney family’s ladies’ maids, Anne and Marie, were glued to Juliet’s side.

In front of others, they would pretend to attend to me. When there was no audience, they ignored me completely.

Juliet was the Duke of Tierney’s second daughter.

She was a year younger than me, and she had disliked me since childhood.

Her specialty was pinning everything she did on me.

Everyone in the ducal household knew it—and pretended not to. I was always the one punished in Juliet’s place.

The recent ugly rumors spreading through high society about me? All Juliet’s doing.

She paraded around, twisting her own misdeeds to make it seem as though I had committed them.

In the rumors, I was a villainess without equal. Juliet was the pitiful saint who tried to stop her wicked older sister, only to be slapped across the face for it.

Even though I was the one actually getting slapped.

The reason Juliet tormented me like this was painfully simple.

She hated me.

Hated me so much she couldn’t stand it without tearing me down.

That was all.

Human malice was often that simple—and that petty.

‘I’m so sick of this….’

They say there are good people in the world, but maybe I was cursed. Only bad ones seemed drawn to me.

Even those who showed interest in me would drift away once they heard the rumors.

Was there anyone in this world who would look at me without prejudice?

Feeling despondent, I crouched down on a bench in the garden.

I gathered the hem of my dress around me and curled up like a caterpillar.

It helped a little with the cold.

‘What if I just froze to death here?’

A childish thought, from someone who didn’t even have the courage to take her own life.

Living a life that might be better ended—yet still clinging to it.

I almost laughed at myself.

“…….”

I buried my face in my knees and closed my eyes.

The only sound in the stillness was the occasional chirp of insects.

Then, suddenly, footsteps broke into the quiet.

“…!”

Startled, I jerked my head up.

And immediately, I met a pair of blue eyes glowing faintly even in the darkness.

A tall man with black hair.

His vivid blue gaze, fixed steadily on me, resembled a deep lake in a winter snowfield.

I’d seen plenty of people boast about their blue eyes, but never such a striking shade as this.

Without realizing it, I stared at him.

He gave a faint smile and spoke.

“You look cold.”

“…I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.”

His voice was incredibly pleasant to the ear. I had no idea who he was, but I was certain he must be popular with women.

The man seemed to consider something for a moment, then suddenly removed his coat and draped it over my shoulders.

The gesture was so careful, so courteous, that I couldn’t suspect any ulterior motive.

He stepped back slowly, stopping about two paces away, and quietly looked at me.

Warmth seeped from the coat wrapped around my shoulders.

For some reason, my heart wavered. At the same time, a crooked thought surfaced.

He’s only being kind because he doesn’t know who I am….

But outwardly, I offered proper thanks.

“Thank you….”

“It’s nothing. It’s simply what one ought to do.”

There was no hint of judgment in his calm manner—only untainted kindness.

I found myself even more curious about who he was.

Perhaps the feeling was mutual, because the man’s eyes gleamed with interest as he asked,

“May I ask why you’re alone in a place like this?”