Our family was only interested in the money I had, not in me. This meant they wouldn’t search for me even if I left home without a word.

‘But they came looking for me after hearing I succeeded in the capital? And they knew the exact address of my shop?’

Could this really be possible without someone deliberately informing them?

Then Yujin slowly nodded, confirming my suspicions.

“That’s probably the case. I stopped them from rushing over to confront you two that day.”

“If someone wants to cause trouble just because they saw Yuri and me together…”

Unfortunately, only one person came to mind.

Yujin, who seemed tired, closed his eyes and slowly opened his mouth to answer. But I raised my hand to stop him before he could speak.

“Wait a minute! Don’t say it. I think I know who it is without you telling me.”

Who could hold such a deep grudge against someone like me, who lived quietly in the countryside and only sold flowers diligently in the capital?

Competitors wouldn’t even know my name or hometown, so only one person came to mind.

‘Sabina, the Princess.’

Considering Yujin had even stopped her from rushing out, it must be her.

‘What a terrible fate!’

Not only had she had an affair with my husband in my past life, but now she seemed intent on tormenting me in this one, too.

As my face hardened with anger, Yujin sighed.

“…….I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s not your fault. It’s all because of that strange person.”

“I tried to stop her, but I couldn’t.”

“Who could stop her? She does whatever she wants.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

After I reassured him a few more times that it was really okay, Yujin finally managed a faint smile. Meanwhile, Yuri, who had been listening to our conversation with his arms crossed, looked increasingly sharp.

“You two have gotten quite close without me knowing?”

“Not really.”

I decided not to blame him unnecessarily and tried to understand his position, but I didn’t think that meant we had developed a personal friendship.

At my response, Yuri narrowed his eyes like a mischievous cat.

“You’ve definitely gotten closer. You used to mock every single word he said.”

I had indeed been quite sarcastic. I didn’t deny it and shrugged my shoulders.

“Back then, I didn’t know much about the Count. There were misunderstandings.”

“Even so, I don’t like that you’ve gotten closer.”

It was the first time Yuri had bluntly told me he didn’t like something, so my eyes widened in surprise. But Yuri didn’t elaborate further and lightly tapped the back of his hand with his fingers, changing the subject.

“After causing such a mess…”

Ah, what should I do about Sabina?

His voice was small and cold. It was definitely Yuri’s voice.

However, when I turned to him in surprise, he acted as if he knew nothing, softly curling his eyes and shrugging his shoulders.

It felt like I was bewitched. I awkwardly laughed and agreed.

“Yeah, it’s really a mess.”

‘This is really not good for my heart.’

It felt like I had glimpsed a secret side of Yuri. I thought he was someone who never got angry.

‘It’s a frustrating situation, though.’

And the same went for me. No, my situation was even worse.

Suddenly, my rogue brother had shown up from our hometown demanding money. The merchants had abruptly decided not to sell the dyes needed for making blue roses and rainbow roses.

Both problems were difficult to solve in a short time, which made my head ache even more.

I rested my chin in my hand, lost in thought.

‘How am I going to solve this?’

As I racked my brain over these unsolvable issues, Yujin made an intriguing offer.

“If you tell me what the problem is, I’ll help you solve it.”

“What? You will, Count?”

I hadn’t expected him to offer help, so my voice came out a pitch higher than usual.

Yujin frowned and asked in return.

“The Esrenche Trading Company is one of the most prominent in this country. Surely you haven’t forgotten?”

“Of course not, how could I forget that!”

Indeed, with the Esrenche Trading Company, they could source the dyes for me. They might even withstand pressure from Princess Sabina.

‘But would that be a complete solution?’

Even if I managed to get the dyes and sell the blue roses and rainbow roses, it wouldn’t be the same explosive success as before since it was no longer a monopoly.

Besides, although Yujin didn’t know, there was also the issue with my brother.

After analyzing the current situation calmly, I decided to decline and bowed my head.

“I appreciate the offer, but I’ll have to decline.”

Yujin’s jaw tensed, perhaps not expecting my refusal.

“Why?”

He wasn’t the type to skillfully weave lies or pretend that things weren’t a big deal. So, I felt comfortable being honest with him.

“It would be quite a burden if I caused you that much trouble. Besides, there will be many incidents in the future, and I can’t rely on others’ help every time.”

I added a remark to ensure he didn’t feel offended.

“Thank you for informing me about what’s going on. Thanks to you, I can mentally prepare myself.”

“…….I see.”

Knowing who my opponent was made a significant difference compared to fighting blindly and suspecting everyone. Yujin seemed to understand that my gratitude was genuine, as he slowly nodded.

I smiled and extended my hand.

“You should head back now. You’re busy, after all.”

After sending Yujin off, I needed to discuss with Yuri how we would handle this situation.

Yujin quietly left the shop, while Yuri, seemingly uninterested in seeing him off, busied himself inside.

‘Is it okay for brothers to be so distant?’

Then again, considering how poorly I got along with Robi, it wasn’t my place to worry.

Leaving Yuri inside, I stepped out to see Yujin off at the shop’s entrance. I was somewhat surprised by my own actions.

‘Maybe Yuri was right; we have become quite familiar.’

He was still a difficult person for me, but ever since that day when he sat drenched in rain, looking so forlorn, I had realized he had his own struggles. Naturally, I felt a bit more at ease with him.

Thunk!

“Oh.”

Lost in thought, I had been following Yujin’s broad back when he suddenly stopped, causing me to bump my forehead lightly against it. Rubbing my forehead with my palm, I looked up to meet Yujin’s gaze as he turned to face me.

‘Those eyes…….’

With the sun casting its light from behind him, his unique somber aura became even more pronounced. His deep blue eyes, looking down at me, reminded me of the ocean’s depths.

‘Where have I seen that look before?’

Feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, I bit my lower lip lightly.

Yujin’s large hand fumbled inside the pocket of his thin jacket. After a moment, he pulled out his business card and offered it to me.

“Even if it’s not about this matter, contact me here if you ever need help.”

I slowly rubbed the surface of the card with my fingers. It wasn’t the card of Yuri Esrenche, the count, but of the Esrenche Trading Company.

I tilted my head.

“This isn’t a card you give to just anyone, is it?”

“…….”

His silence confirmed my suspicion. The lightweight card suddenly felt heavy in my hand. As I hesitated, wondering if I should accept it, Yujin gave a slight nod.

“You never know what might happen.”

With him saying that, refusing felt unnecessary. I nodded and looked at the card again.

‘If I take this to the Esrenche Trading Company, will they give me whatever I need?’

Thinking of it as almost like a blank check made my fingers feel oddly heavy.

Despite its immense value, the card’s design was light and fresh. It had a soft beige background with a cute four-leaf clover engraved in the corner.

I fiddled with the card between my fingers and said, “It’s an encouraging card. Just having it makes me feel like things will work out.”

“What do you mean?”

“Here. There’s a four-leaf clover engraved here. It symbolizes good luck.”

“I didn’t notice that pattern before.”

Yujin blinked as he looked down at his card, as if he too was realizing it for the first time.

Watching him, I couldn’t help but feel a bit moved.