Chapter 2

That was already ten years ago.

Hazel Bennett busily looked around her surroundings. In her high-ceilinged room, instead of a child’s rag doll, there was the freshness of a twenty-year-old everywhere.

On the wall that had once been decorated with hanging dried flowers, there were black-and-white film posters, and in the window where broken glass had once been patched together crudely, there was a new pane Colin had generously paid to replace. The baby bottle and rattle rolling around in one corner were traces of the little guest who occasionally came to her room.

The lipstick and half-used perfume bottle that had once rolled around on the dressing table stained from spilled coffee went into her bag. Just as she was shoving the good-luck charm from the southern continent Colin had bought her as a gift into the inner pocket of her bag, a loud voice called for her from downstairs.

“Hazel, you’ll be late. Hurry down!”

“Yes, Sally!”

Grunting with effort, Hazel picked up the badly crumpled bag and opened the door.

“Eek!”

“I knew this would happen.”

Hazel’s arm, just as she was about to pitch forward, was caught firmly. In this old house, there was only one person capable of showing this much quick reflex.

Hazel beamed brightly at her only sibling.

“Thanks, Brother.”

The luggage bag that had been hard for her to lift even with both hands passed into Colin’s grasp. Coming down the creaking wooden stairs behind Hazel, Colin asked teasingly,

“So, are you all ready to become a young lady of Bukata?”

“Don’t say weird things, Brother. I’m only staying for ten days at most.”

Walking down carefully while holding the railing, Hazel wiped the sweat from her hand with the back of it as she replied. It had already been quite a while since the bell announcing eight o’clock had rung. If she wasn’t careful, she might miss the ten o’clock train.

Her father was waiting on the first floor. Watching her wrap her father in an affectionate embrace, Colin scratched his head roughly in disappointment. Beneath his short-sleeved shirt made of coarse linen, his bronze-tanned arms were visible.

“I finally took leave and came up, and my little sister says she’s leaving to see her friend. How am I supposed to live with this sorrow?”

“Sorry.”

Outside, warm sunlight poured down. Sally, who had been standing in front of the carriage, transferred Jen, whom she had been holding, into her husband’s arms the moment Colin set down the luggage. The baby, suddenly handed over into her father’s arms, burst into loud tears, but Sally paid no attention and grabbed Hazel’s hand tightly.

“If you end up fighting with Alice, come right back, all right? No, forget that, absolutely do not stay out late at night. And if you don’t have enough money for expenses, send a letter right away, or make a call.”

“I said I understand, Sister. Don’t worry so much.”

“Listen to Sally, Hazel.”

Their father, who had been talking with the coachman, came over to them. Looking at her beloved father, whose hair had turned gray but whose kindly smile was still the same, Hazel nodded firmly.

“Yes. Don’t worry.”

“Make sure to write once you arrive.”

Today of all days, her family’s concern was deep. Even though Hazel was no longer the youngest after Jen was born.

And she knew what the reason was.

Hazel tried hard to ignore the face staring straight at her from the newspaper that looked like it had been left behind by a passenger who had boarded the carriage before her. But it was hard to pretend not to see the large headline printed above it.

[The Exiled Son of Strauss, Chosen as the Royal Family’s Son-in-Law?]

Hazel closed her eyes.

It was still a long way to the train station.

* * *

“Sir, Miss Nett has sent a letter.”

“Give it to me.”

As the secretary placed the letter on the man’s desk, he stole a sidelong glance at the handsome face.

No matter when one looked, it really was a very handsome face. His platinum blond hair, neatly swept back above his deep double eyelids, shone with gloss. His sharp features, which could even seem somewhat frightening when expressionless, would turn gentle and charming as if nothing had been the matter once he shifted into social mode, captivating people easily.

‘Strauss’ was the owner of ‘Strauss Hotel.’ ‘Strauss Hotel’ was a massive hotel enterprise spread all across the Holdland Empire. Although his parents had divorced, Kyle was still ‘Strauss,’ and not even the biggest busybodies had raised any objection to the fact that he would inherit his father’s hotel.

At least, until five years ago.

Five years ago, Kyle Strauss lost everything, including his pride and his fortune.

The death of his father, Peter Strauss, was the beginning of Kyle’s downfall. The death of the wealthy magnate, which had many suspicious aspects, was forgotten by people because of his second wife.

Since there was not the slightest trace of love for his eldest son to be found anywhere in his will, the boy who had been destined to become one of the wealthiest men in the country was turned into a penniless pauper and cast out in an instant.

Kyle Strauss appeared in Bukata again three years after that day. A reporter curious about the tanned face visible beneath the sharply creased military cap revealed that the man whose whereabouts had long been unknown had served in the colonies as a soldier.

While scanning the letter, Kyle motioned to the secretary with his eyes. The secretary took the letter Kyle handed over for him to read.

“Marriage? Who, me? Me, with you? Is there seriously something wrong with your head? Aren’t you going to correct that article right now? You’d better take responsibility for ruining my marriage prospects, you bastard!”

“……”

The secretary gauged Kyle’s mood. Even just reading the words was loud. Perhaps the president felt the same way, because he was furrowing his brow without mercy.

A dissatisfied voice came from his deeply frowning face.

“It’s a relief this wasn’t a phone call. My eardrums almost would’ve burst.”

“She did call. Miss Nett seemed very angry, so I told her you weren’t here.”

Kyle gestured for the letter back, looking thoroughly fed up.

“You should have told her to stop getting carried away. If I were in my right mind, do you think I’d ever consider marrying Nett?”

Speaking indifferently as he read down the letter, his eyes stopped on the last line.

[I invited Hazel to Bukata, so what is this humiliation? If things go wrong between me and my girl, I’ll know it’s all because of you!]

‘Hazel……’

Kyle’s gaze stopped at an old wooden frame. One black-and-white photograph of the golden fields of Sainsbury was all he had left of his memories.

‘There was a time like that too.’

That time, when the world had glittered gold like a wheat field awaiting the autumn harvest, had been a brief illusion. A passing, dreamlike memory from a time so far gone it was hard to remember such a thing had even happened.

No sooner had Kyle taken his eyes off the frame than the telephone rang. It was a call from an investor put through from the secretary’s office. Kyle picked up the receiver, signaling with his eyes for the secretary to leave.

“This is Kyle Strauss. Ha ha, marriage……. We only had a meal together once, so I believe there has been some misunderstanding.”

He had still accomplished nothing, yet he was being asked whether he was marrying the friend of his first love.

The receiver returned to its place after the call ended.

* * *

“We’re here, Miss Bennett.”

“Wow……”

Hazel’s exclamation carried both admiration for the great city and relief that she had finally arrived.

The maid, stepping down while holding Hazel’s luggage bag in both hands, smiled brightly. Born and raised in the capital, she found this country miss, who was the friend of the young lady she served, utterly adorable.

“The population of Bukata is over eight million. It’s an enormous metropolis.”

“Wow.”

It was truly a scale befitting the capital. Hazel let the maid’s words, proudly describing how historic Bukata was, go in one ear and out the other as she crossed the Nett family’s garden. Her back, after sleeping the night before at a cheap inn, was practically screaming in pain.

“Where’s Alice?”

“She stepped out for a moment. She’ll be back soon.”

“Is the Earl here? I think I should at least greet him first.”

“He is speaking with a guest. If you rest, I will let him know that you have arrived.”

Hazel nodded readily. She liked Earl Nett. Like Alice, he was short and hot-tempered, and he had always been kind to his daughter’s friend. Something about how she was at least a good influence on Alice, who was like a wild colt.

Behind Hazel, the fountain of early spring sprayed water refreshingly. Hearing the sound of the cascading water, her heart began to pound.

With a face brightened by anticipation, she reached for the front door.

“I’ll open it. It must be hard with the luggage ba……”

It was entirely Hazel’s mistake that she failed to notice the presence on the other side of the door because she had turned around to speak to the maid. Her body, holding the doorknob, was pulled awkwardly inward all at once.

From Hazel’s perspective, this was plainly an accident. An unforeseen incident that happened without warning.

Like the expression she failed to control in front of the boy who had fallen from the tree, like the short scream she had let out at the suggestion of going out on Eve Day, the accident happened again in an instant.