Ariel let out a sigh of relief when she realized Lucas hesitated not because he disliked her. She cut him off mid-sentence and continued.

“If that’s all, I won’t accept your refusal. Father said he’d allow our engagement if you’re fine with it. So, let’s get engaged.”

“No, even so…”

“I don’t care. I’m not listening anymore. I’ll just tell Father we’re getting engaged, so you should know that.”

Ariel covered her ears, refusing to hear another word from Lucas, ignoring his troubled expression.

That was how their engagement happened—Ariel pushed it through entirely on her own. Not long after the engagement ceremony, Lucas returned to the Count’s estate to rebuild House Leonard.

[Ariel, realizing how weak I am, I’ve decided to learn swordsmanship. I want to become stronger so I can stand by your side.]

To ease her longing, Ariel exchanged letters with Lucas two or three times a week. They only shared everyday stories, but every letter from him brought her happiness.

However, their correspondence lasted only two years after Lucas returned to his estate. Then, Lucas stopped replying altogether, and Ariel’s letters became one-sided.

He must be busy, right?

Ariel sometimes heard news about Lucas from Marquis Jiles. He was taking lessons to fulfill his duties as the head of House Leonard.

She also heard he was training to repay the Marquis’s kindness by serving as a loyal retainer.

For these reasons, Ariel couldn’t see Lucas even once in the seven years since he left House Jiles. Only she continued to send letters during that time.

Ariel didn’t feel disappointed or discouraged. She didn’t even urge him for a reply. She simply waited, looking forward to seeing Lucas grow into a fine man.

Their engagement wasn’t just an official relationship. They shared an emotional bond, so she wanted to watch over Lucas as he matured.

During that time, Lucas began to make his presence known in the Kingdom of Eretel. As the Marquis’s right hand, he performed his duties admirably.

When Ariel heard this, she realized she couldn’t just sit still. She sent him a handkerchief embroidered with the Leonard family crest, letting him know she supported him from afar.

[Thank you.]

At last, a reply arrived after a long silence. But it wasn’t what she expected.

“Is this letter really from Lucas?”

“Yes, it has your name on the envelope, miss.”

“I know, but…”

His writing felt unfamiliar, different from before.

Maybe he wrote so formally because he was used to official documents?

Although it left her uneasy, Ariel still felt happy just to get a response.

“Miss, Count Leonard is here to see you.”

“What? Lucas is here?”

So when Lucas suddenly visited, Ariel was stunned. It felt like she’d received a surprise gift.

She still had many lessons left that day, but she dropped everything and hurried to the parlor.

“Lucas!”

She wanted to run to him out of joy, but she couldn’t.

“Ariel, it’s been a while.”

Lucas greeted her with a restrained gesture, looking very different from before. The frail boy had vanished, replaced by a tall, sturdy young man.

She’d heard he was learning swordsmanship, and now his frame looked solid and strong. The air around him felt sharper, too.

No one could have guessed the boy who once couldn’t eat a proper meal would change so much.

If she had seen him on the street, she might have walked right past without recognizing him. He had become a completely different man.

Everything felt unfamiliar and awkward, but his polite, formal tone hurt her most. It felt like he wanted to put distance between them.

Was that why he stopped writing? Was he trying to keep his distance?

“Why are you acting like this? You’re making it awkward.”

“A lot has changed since we were children. I’m just acting accordingly.”

“What does that mean? If you look at our positions, you’re the head of House Leonard, and I’m just a noble’s daughter. Without the House of Jiles, I’m nothing.”

“Being a member of the House of Jiles defines our positions. You’re the Marquis’s daughter, and I’m only his retainer.”

“Don’t talk like that. We’re engaged. If you marry me, you’ll inherit the Marquisate.”

“I would never dare think such a thing. I only do as the Marquis commands.”

His words sounded like their engagement wasn’t his choice but the Marquis’s order.

Ariel wanted to ask if that was how he really felt, but she couldn’t say it aloud. If he said yes, she might burst into tears.

She didn’t want to look sad after meeting Lucas for the first time in so long. She wanted only happiness when they were together, not frowns.

Still, Lucas’s change in attitude left a spark of anxiety in Ariel’s heart.

He wouldn’t try to break off the engagement, would he?

The engagement happened because Ariel insisted, so she felt afraid.

At least, she found comfort in knowing Lucas would almost never be the one to break it off first.

As a retainer of the Marquisate, he wouldn’t defy his lord’s command by calling off the engagement.

So, unless Ariel herself asked to break it off, there was no chance of the engagement ending. The Marquis always listened to her.

It might have been selfish, but Ariel wanted to keep Lucas close, even this way.

So she decided not to challenge his stubbornness. As a result, Ariel called him the same way as before, and Lucas addressed her formally, each speaking as they wished.

* * *

Ariel stared blankly at the spot where Lucas had just been.

Now he was a strong young man, but sometimes she missed the days when Lucas only followed her.

Her feelings had changed since then.

When she was younger, her love was almost platonic, but as she grew, it wasn’t like that anymore. Her heart darkened with longing she hadn’t known she possessed.

Normally, she gave way to others, but when it came to Lucas, she changed. Even seeing him speak to another woman made her expression shift instantly.

She especially noticed the way other young ladies looked at him. Sometimes, she felt proud of her childish insistence on getting engaged.

Now she could declare Lucas as her man.

But Ariel knew this was just her selfish desire.

Lucas was no longer a man she could keep to herself. The days she cared for him now felt like a distant memory.

With things as they were, Ariel’s anxiety only grew over time. Because Lucas never fully opened up, she was always the one left restless.

Letting out a deep sigh, Ariel left the parlor and met the eyes of the maids who had been whispering and glancing her way. They bowed in embarrassment and quickly scattered.

There they go again.

Ariel quietly watched the maids scurry away. This wasn’t the first time they acted suspiciously.

It started when disturbing rumors began to spread through the mansion. The peaceful days at House Jiles began to unravel.

The daughter of Marquis Jiles, Ariel, isn’t really their child.

This absurd rumor hadn’t been around long. The maids’ whispers grew louder about two months ago.

Rumors always got distorted, but she couldn’t just ignore them.

The real problem was that the Marquis and Marchioness didn’t seem interested in stopping the rumors. They should have found the source and put an end to it, but instead, they let it spread unchecked.

No, their attitude toward Ariel had changed.

‘Is this a curse, or something even worse? I can’t bear to find out. What if Ariel really isn’t our daughter?’

‘You’re letting your old suspicions take over again.’

‘No, I definitely met Sally that day! If only I had tracked Sally’s movements and found her accomplice back then…’

‘Most of the staff have changed since then. It would be hard to find anyone now.’

‘You never know. What if… No, surely not? Sally wouldn’t have done something so terrible, would she?’

They even seemed to doubt Ariel was really their daughter. Ariel once overheard the Marquis and Marchioness talking, and their words hinted at the possibility that she wasn’t their real child.

She remembered how the Marquis couldn’t answer. It seemed he, too, considered the possibility that Ariel wasn’t his biological daughter.