Chapter 1

“I wanted to tell you first.”

With an elegant gesture, Hussian lifted the teacup and spoke softly. Audrenette struggled to swallow the damp breath rising inside her lips, fearing it might burst out. As a result, she couldn’t respond to his words immediately.

She had spent the previous night agonizing over what dress to wear and which accessories would suit her. She had paced in front of the mirror all day, finally choosing a dress and accessories after much deliberation. Yet, none of it seemed satisfactory—she had wiped off her lipstick multiple times, reapplying it again and again. It was all meaningless now.

From the moment she opened her eyes early in the morning to the moment she arrived here, she blushed constantly, thinking of him. But now, she felt utterly pitiful.

“……”

She thought he had invited her here to clarify the ambiguous yet affectionate relationship that had lingered between them for quite some time. Well, it had been clarified—but not in the way she had hoped.

Hussian, who greeted her warmly, engaged in conversation as usual and casually announced his engagement as if it were trivial news. Not with her, but with another woman.

Audrenette couldn’t comprehend what she had just heard. She lowered her gaze, unable to do anything but take deep breaths in a daze. Now that she understood every word he had said, Audrenette tried her best to maintain a calm expression so as not to appear foolish.

She shouldn’t let her guard down. Tears would inevitably come flooding in no time. Audrenette pretended everything was fine, fiddling with her necklace and exhaling deeply.

Suppressing her emotions made her nose sting and the inside of her cheeks ache. Fearing she might scream involuntarily, she bit down hard on the soft flesh inside her lips with her front teeth. She didn’t want to look back on this day and blame herself for her pathetic behavior.

Audrenette pushed back the overwhelming emotions and tried to reflect on her situation as rationally as possible. It was never easy to face reality while suppressing her turbulent heart. If she dared to lift her head and look at the man in front of her, she felt she might collapse helplessly at the sight of his deep, dark eyes, akin to the night sky reflected on the ocean.

Nevertheless, she wanted to look him in the eye and speak. At the very least, she didn’t want to appear hurt by the news he had delivered.

Her heart trembled as if she were standing against a cliff. Yet, the only thing that should tremble was her inner feelings and emotions—nothing visible on the surface.

If she were to offer a clumsy congratulatory remark with a voice revealing her true emotions, she would only receive his pitying gaze in return.

“……Congratulations, Marquis.”

Remarkably, her voice came out fairly composed.

Audrenette uttered that brief sentence and immediately lifted her teacup. The lukewarm tea soothed her parched lips, though they would dry out again soon.

She wanted to grab him by the collar and shout at him right then and there. Her resentment would spill endlessly. Perhaps her heart would feel lighter afterward.

Of course, she knew she couldn’t do that. So, she had to salvage her pride.

She thought they shared the same feelings. No, she was certain they did. She could confidently say it wasn’t a delusion born of her own hopes.

That’s why she couldn’t understand the current situation even more.

Why? Why on earth?

“Yes. She will become the lady of the house suited to this place.”

That single sentence halted all her thoughts.

Even searching for a reason to understand felt pathetic now. It was already too late—what could she possibly do at this point?

His tenderness toward his future wife was tearfully evident. Watching his gracefully curved eyes, Audrenette thought for the first time since meeting Hussian that his smile was unbearable.

***

Audrenette returned to her mansion immediately, citing a flimsy excuse about something urgent she had to do. She shook her head frantically at the approaching servants.

“Don’t come.”

She didn’t want to show her tear-streaked, messy face. But seeing the servants hesitate and retreat at her command, she found herself stopping in her tracks.

Using her mood as an excuse to lash out at others and then going upstairs without saying anything would only leave her feeling worse.

Suppressing her urge to leave this place immediately, Audrenette forced herself to open her reluctant mouth.

“……I’m not feeling well. I want to rest without thinking about anything for a while, so please don’t look for me unless it’s important.”

The excuse she had hastily fabricated felt clumsy even to herself, but she didn’t have the mental capacity to care. She ignored the servant who had approached to take her coat and climbed the stairs.

Today, the corridor leading to her bedroom felt exceptionally long and arduous.

Barely managing to conceal her distorted expression, Audrenette finally reached her bedroom door. She grabbed the doorknob, twisted it, and entered her room as if being chased by something.

The large bed before her seemed like the only sanctuary she had. Desperately, she ran to it and threw herself onto it.

Thud—the heavy sound of the door closing belatedly struck her ears.

Lying face down, she tugged at the shawl precariously hanging from her shoulders and tossed it aside. Then, she exhaled the hot breaths she had been holding back, one after another. Her nose stung, her eyes burned, and finally, the tears she had been suppressing burst forth.

If only there had been some indication, she could have prepared herself mentally.

The last time she had been with him in this mansion, he hadn’t shown any such mood. On the contrary, he had treated her with more warmth than usual—as if they were a loving couple.

She could still vividly recall the warm gaze in his eyes as he looked at her, as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

And yet…

And yet, he was engaged to another woman.

Unable to describe her feelings, she clenched her fists and struck the bed, but her frustration didn’t subside. The tangled emotions stabbed at her relentlessly, making not only her heart but her head ache.

After sobbing for a long time, she buried her lips into the white blanket. Pink stains spread like petals on the clean fabric, but she didn’t care. Or rather, she didn’t have the energy to care.

Muffled curses spilled quietly from her tightly pressed lips. Cursing someone was something she found extremely difficult due to her nature, but not now.

He had done something worthy of being cursed.

***

“Audrenette, may I have a moment of your time?”

Having finished his conversation with Earl Heden, Hussian approached her as she sat calmly at a white table, reading a book. He extended his hand toward her.

She couldn’t remember when it started, but after concluding his business with Earl Heden, Hussian would always come to her. Then, as if it were the natural course of action, he would sit beside her, drink tea, or suggest a walk in the garden on pleasant days.

Audrenette, who had been glancing down the corridor, waiting for him, nodded slightly and took his hand. She closed her book without even placing a bookmark, but it didn’t matter. She hadn’t taken it out to read—it was merely a means to wait for him.

“How have you been?”

“I’ve been well. How about you, Marquis?”

Lightly holding her small hand without exerting any pressure, he began walking along the path, now tinged with the colors of spring, recounting the trivial events of his past few days.

Hussian apologized for not having anything interesting to share, as his days consisted of completing planned tasks within set times. But for Audrenette, that was enough.

“I spent four days at the royal palace.”

Matching her pace, his stride shortened by a handspan.

Though his words weren’t significant, they were the stories she wanted to hear—the stories of his daily life.

Walking alongside him, listening to his low, gentle voice recounting those stories—this moment was precious to her.

The chilly breeze brushed against her cheeks and exposed skin, but Audrenette couldn’t bring herself to mention it to Hussian. Nor did she rub her slightly numb cheeks.

If she told him, Hussian would undoubtedly lead her back to the mansion immediately. Having met him after so long, she wanted to savor this moment a little longer.

However, she couldn’t hide the trembling from him, who had focused all his attention on her. Suddenly stopping, Hussian spoke to Audrenette, whose eyes widened in surprise.

“Your fingertips are cold. If you’re feeling chilly…”

“No! I just rushed out and forgot my gloves. I’m fine. I’m not cold.”

Her hastily spoken words spilled out as quickly as her anxious heart. Hussian didn’t add anything further. Instead, he quietly looked at her, chuckled softly, and extended his hand.

“It’s not as good as gloves, but…”

His warm, large hand enveloped her small hands. Now facing him, Audrenette lowered her gaze slightly, her cheeks burning.

Where her gaze landed, tender sprouts emerged from the soft soil, waving their delicate hands at her. In this moment, everything around her felt beautiful and gentle.

She worried that her racing heartbeat might reach his ears. Yet, she didn’t want to pull her hands away.

Warmth turned into heat, thawing her chilled skin. Her flushed eyes trembled slightly.

She wondered what expression he was wearing now. What kind of gaze he had as he looked at her. Embarrassment gave way to curiosity, which grew stronger.

Audrenette slowly lifted her head.

“Ah…”

A soft exclamation escaped her lips unconsciously.