From his days living as a servant to his current position among the richest families of the New Continent, parties had always been part of Lucas’s life.

Yet, despite this, he had never once liked parties. Such gatherings were only enjoyable at the start—by the end, they always left behind a hollow emptiness, as if all the fireworks had burned out, leaving nothing but a pathetic remnant.

At least this occasion was more memorable than previous ones. He had publicly thrown the insignificant Langdon out of the university building as though he were a toy ball. No one else needed to know the exact charge. Setting an example was enough. This is what happens when someone dares to lay a hand on his woman.

Soon enough, people began to leave, bidding farewell drunkenly. Only one relatively sober figure lingered awkwardly behind. Lucas approached him with a sly smile. Joshua straightened up, trying to hide his nervousness.

“Joshua Reginald.”

“Ah…! Lucas.”

“Why are you wandering around here?”

“It’s getting quite late, so I came to pay my respects to you and your wife before leaving.”

“Oh, I see. My wife already left, so you should go home safely as well.”

Lucas raised his hand in a clear and concise gesture, preemptively blocking any interaction between Joshua and Cordelia.

“You’re an adult, you shouldn’t be afraid of the dark, right? Just head out the same way you came in.”

“…”

“Why? Didn’t you leave breadcrumbs from the entrance?”

Joshua ground his teeth at Lucas’s mocking sarcasm. Even in their student days, Lucas had been notorious for this sort of attitude. Playful yet oppressive, always looking down on others. And anyone foolish enough to take him seriously would inevitably become the laughingstock.

From Joshua’s point of view, such behavior was disgracefully frivolous for someone of their high society.

‘Besides, unpleasant rumors always followed Duquesne around.’

Not merely rumors of him being the illegitimate child of a noblewoman, but whispers of the family itself having expanded through questionable means—though people here never spoke openly about it.

Was it really right for such a kind and elegant lady to be married to someone like him? Joshua suppressed his lingering feelings as he thought of Duchess Duquesne. No matter what, openly showing his admiration would only be sinful.

“Have a good night. It would be nice to meet again sometime.”

“The same goes for you.”

Lucas smiled gently, but inwardly, he was gnashing his teeth.

Every single one of these bastards…

He couldn’t understand why none of them even bothered hiding their lustful intentions. From Langdon to this prim gentleman—everyone was the same.

‘How ridiculous.’

Lucas shook his head and looked towards the university gates, now shrouded in darkness. Earlier, he had stood by the lounge window for a long time, watching Cordelia walk away.

Ultimately, she had chosen him for his money. Given how he had pressured her back then, it wasn’t an unexpected choice. Yet it was still proof that even someone as noble and proud as her would ultimately yield to reality.

Yet knowing the truth now made him feel bitter and almost laughable.

“Haha.”

The place where the boisterous party had ended felt terribly cold.

***

That night, when it became painfully clear that her love had ended completely—or rather, that it had never existed at all—Cordelia dreamed of her hometown.

In this dream, she was eighteen, and once again speaking through a window to Luke, the seventeen-year-old servant boy.

「I would do anything for you, my lady.」

「Oh, Luke. Are you trying to show off just because you’re a man?」

‘I don’t like such things,’ thought Cordelia irritably. Her fiancé was always boasting and promising her the world, but whenever it mattered most, he ran away.

Besides, Cordelia had never asked for any of those things. Yet whenever the subject arose, her fiancé would scold her, asking, “Why is a girl so greedy?”

Cordelia therefore hoped that Luke would always remain just that: a boy. Regardless of his social standing, Luke was the brightest person she had ever known.

「I’m not showing off.」

That was why she desperately wanted to remember clearly the way his eyes sparkled when he spoke those words. Why couldn’t she even recall the eye color of this boy who had once meant so much?

「Just watch, my lady. When I grow up, I’ll definitely…」

「Definitely?」

「…….」

The boy, taller than any other footman at the Hastings estate and never intimidated by others, suddenly fell silent. Cordelia almost laughed at the absurd thought that perhaps Luke was embarrassed—

「…I’ll take you wherever you wish to go.」

His ears burning with embarrassment, Luke summoned all his courage and whispered his declaration, barely audible.

Cordelia stared at the blurred face in her dream for a long time. Unlike her usual experiences, she instinctively knew that the shy, quietly muttered vow from the boy was far more precious than all the wealth her fiancé possessed — the same wealth that her mother so admired.

‘But why can’t I remember you?’

***

Preparations for her father-in-law’s banquet were gradually entering a more serious phase.

Cordelia could easily ignore Alicia’s constant reminders about the event. However, it was more difficult to disregard the opinions of Richard, the host of the upcoming party. Although he seemed like a dignified beast that had been tamed, Richard’s tastes were so extravagantly flamboyant that Cordelia was astonished.

Wouldn’t a man of his age usually be content with an elegant evening party or perhaps hiring an opera theatre for the day to entertain his guests?

Not even close.

‘I definitely underestimated Richard’s preferences.’

Richard wanted to hold the party at an enormous lakeside park near Millionaire Row. He had decided to rent out the entirety of a place where countless residents of Empire City usually spent their leisure time. With no need to worry about budget, all he cared about was that the party should be as extravagant as possible.

‘And he doesn’t care in the slightest about security either.’

Cordelia rubbed her throbbing temples and sighed softly toward the manager of Iridescent Department Store.

“Mr. Lester, do you think my father-in-law would appreciate a masquerade ball? I’m a bit concerned.”

“Hmm, it’s normally a year-end tradition here, but Lord Richard’s birthday is quite special, after all.”

“Very well, then. Could you provide a list of recommended themes?”

“Of course!”

Although Cordelia herself was weary, at least she was certain she had just done a great favor for the department store.

After finally finishing the selection of vintage wines for the guests, Cordelia headed to the lounge—her real reason for visiting the store today.

Before long, Caroline again carefully appeared in front of Cordelia. Since it wasn’t wise for them to meet too frequently in a place like this, the illegal doctor looked visibly troubled.

“No need to be so tense, Miss Caroline. I’ve only come because I have some questions.”

“…Yes, Madam. Please speak freely.”

“Since you prescribed those contraceptive pills, I stopped taking the sedatives.”

“Yes, Madam.”

“But typically, how much would those pills affect one’s memory?”

“…? Could I perhaps ask you to elaborate on your concern?”

“Actually, I’ve recently started recalling someone I used to know. Someone from my hometown…”

Cordelia pressed her fingers against her temples. Yes, no matter how much she thought about it, something was definitely strange.

“There’s certainly a part of me that deliberately avoids thinking about my family home. But even considering that, I can’t seem to recall his face clearly… not just his face, but what happened to him as well.”

Luke Davis.

Ever since dreaming about the young servant boy, she had tried several times to bring him to mind clearly. Yet aside from scattered fragments, she couldn’t remember anything substantial.

Given that she’d personally given him expensive books, he must have been someone truly precious to her.

“I’ll take you wherever you wish to go.”

Moreover, even when a servant made such a statement, Cordelia herself had simply gazed at him quietly, offering no reprimand.

She couldn’t possibly have misunderstood those words; they clearly crossed beyond mere loyalty into something like a confession.

Yet he hadn’t been among the servants who bid her farewell when her family collapsed.

Then what had become of that boy? Where had he gone, and why had he vanished from her memories so completely?

After hearing Cordelia’s explanation, Caroline slowly shook her head, as if unable to provide a definitive answer.

“Madam, I’ve only taken over your prescriptions since you moved here. With only what you’ve told me, I’m afraid it’s difficult to give you an accurate diagnosis.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course, the medication itself is potent. But I’ve also heard that you were unconscious for quite a while after your injury.”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

She was seriously injured at the age of eighteen and was confined to bed for over a year. She had no memory of that time. To make matters worse, her family had fallen apart shortly afterwards.

“It might be helpful to look into the circumstances of that time more thoroughly. If you’re truly curious, perhaps you could consider visiting your hometown?”