Chapter 2

“I don’t know anymore. Don’t regret it.”

At that moment, the man seemed to have said so. What could there be to regret now?

Elina blinked her eyes, buried under the white sheets. When she turned her head slightly, the man she met for the first time last night was sleeping soundly in the warm sunlight. 

He had been quite kind the previous night. 

His actions couldn’t be described that way, but only the words from those pretty lips.

“It must have been very upsetting. That I couldn’t help you, I mean.”

It was amazing how he reached deep into her heart to comfort her, even though they had just met.

“Are you a lady of a noble house? What should I do? I’m just a low-ranking noble with nothing to show.”

He rambled on, perhaps because he had drunk strong liquor. When she curiously asked why he had been drinking such strong liquor last night, he suddenly clammed up.

“I can’t say.”

But she was happy enough that he listened to her story about wanting to receive any kind of love after always being mistreated at the mansion, without scoffing.

While Elina was lost in thoughts about the previous night, the man suddenly sat up in bed.

“Why am I here….”

She squinted at him, and he seemed quite flustered. He ruffled his hair roughly and frowned.

Surely, he didn’t forget everything from last night?

“…Was your name Ella?”

Fortunately, he seemed to remember something as he touched Elina’s cheek and muttered to himself. 

Now that he was sober, what should I do? 

Because he kept his hand on her cheek for quite a while, she had to pretend she had just woken up.

“Hello.”

“Did you sleep well, Ella?”

The nickname from the still unfamiliar man felt awkward. But at the same time, it wasn’t bad. His voice was full of warmth.

Was it okay to indulge in such a deviation after drinking? 

For a moment, she wondered if he might regret it too.

“Floi, about last night—”

But what else could she say in this situation, sharing the same bed and blanket? It was a mystery. Other than the name and long family history she barely mentioned last night, they knew nothing about each other.

How should I escape from the blanket? 

Seeing the clothes scattered all over the floor made her realize what they had done. 

How did I take them off in that state? 

They were thrown so far away that she couldn’t reach them from the bed.

If she left with the blanket covering her, it would put him in a difficult position….

Elina curled up more under the blanket and held her head with one hand.

“If you’re tired, sleep more.”

But the man seemed to misunderstand her actions.

“Should I hold you?”

Then he hugged her tightly. As they stayed like that, memories from last night came back one by one. She had chosen the wrong guardian after her parents died, making life too hard. She thought everyone hated her. She thought she had adapted to it, but maybe not.

When she said she wanted any kind of love, he whispered that he loved her. It was the first time she met someone so kind, so she clung to him. Both were immersed in different sorrows and intoxicated by the atmosphere, enough to say she loved him.

“Why are you so kind… it’s making people misunderstand.”

Elina murmured, burying her face in his chest. The night spent with him was good. She could accept that love expressed through such acts was still love. She received overwhelming kindness, enough to justify sneaking out of the mansion….

The love she received after so long was so delightful.

But once again, he exceeded her expectations.

“No matter how drunk I was, I wouldn’t meet just anyone. So it’s not a misunderstanding.”

She genuinely liked him. She tried not to think that way, but those words made everything unclear.

Elina felt love from him, but she thought it was just a one-night thing for him. Both were drunk, but he was more intoxicated than she was. He wasn’t in his right mind.

“…Do you really think so?”

“If not love, what else could it be?”

He answered her question with another question. How could there be anything more romantic? Spending just one night and feeling love.

It didn’t make sense logically. Just like the absurd idea that Lady Rasiche, who used to mistreat her, would start treating her well for no reason.

But she wanted to believe it. Because he said so. The man loved her, and she came to love him too, so wasn’t it love?

Even if it wasn’t, she wanted to think so. After all, once she returned, it would only be a memory of one night.

She lay still in his arms for quite a while, not moving a finger. Her body didn’t move, but her mind was racing.

Now that it was morning, she had to return to the Valois mansion. She had sneaked out while Lady Rasiche was away, so she couldn’t delay any longer.

So now I have to leave his embrace….

“Thank you for loving me. …I think I like you.”

“I like you too.”

There can be times when hearts align after a night together. Elina looked up at the man and suddenly felt strange.

Was I doing this while sober?

“Can I kiss you?”

Unexpectedly, she nodded at his words. With a clear mind in the warm morning sun, she went back under the blanket and kissed him. And that was all they did. Until the sunlight streaming through the window was no longer morning light.

Too embarrassed to talk about last night, they picked up other topics during their sporadic conversation. Like why she came here yesterday, why she was crying, and why she sought love from him.

She spoke of her terrible family history, carefully ensuring nothing revealed her identity. There was no benefit in knowing each other’s identity.

He seemed quite curious, listening quietly. She was sure she had mentioned it last night too, but neither was in their right mind then.

In the warm blanket, just moving their lips, she felt like she could stay like that all day, or even for days. The man next to her was comforting, and he said he liked her….

“…I should go back now. I’ll wash up first.”

“Okay.”

Realizing she had hesitated too long, she went to the bathroom to wash. While they were gathering their clothes, the man suddenly looked flustered. The small pocket watch in his hand was pointing toward 3 o’clock.

Had he remembered reality, making him so flustered?

3 o’clock was quite late. She also thought she should hurry since Lady Rasiche would return to the mansion by evening. Just then, a loud, urgent knock interrupted them.

The owner had clearly said to only have a meeting and conversation here. But they had spent the night, so it was understandable.

“You need to come out quickly! Your—!”

With the loud knocking came a voice. It wasn’t a voice she recognized, so it wasn’t someone looking for her.

Then it must be someone looking for Floi.

“Come out quickly—!”

Despite the urgent voice, Floi showed no sign of hurrying. And suddenly, all the sounds in the world disappeared.

Ah. Floi was covering her ears….

Huh? Why cover my ears?

“…Oh dear.”

“I’ll go out, so stay quiet.”

Floi seemed to know the person knocking. The brief encounter seemed to be ending, and she felt regretful. 

Was there no way to hold onto him?

No. We were just people who spent a night together.

“I have to go back….”

“Ella….”

The hesitation still lingered. Even with the incessant knocking outside the firmly closed door, he didn’t step forward to open it.

“I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave….”

She added pointless words in vain. She had taken a brief deviation because enduring at the mansion was too hard, but the roles had reversed.

Once someone knows love, they can’t forget its sweetness.

While she lingered in the bedroom, just touching the hem of her dress, he suddenly seemed to remember something. He hurriedly searched a corner of the room, then brought paper and a pen. 

He scribbled down some numbers and handed them to her. They were numbers with some dashes repeated between them. Despite the hurried scrawl, his handwriting was elegant.

“This is where I live.”

Usually, people who spend a night together don’t exchange addresses. Sometimes, they don’t even know each other’s names.

Did he really mean he had feelings for me?

Elina received the paper in bewilderment. She knew it was time to part. The address she received didn’t have the name of a mansion, just a long string of numbers. She thought it might be a recently changed address but knew for sure she had received a connection from him.

“If something happens, come find me. Ah… and I’m a low-ranking noble. Got it?”

Glancing at the still loudly banging door, he added an unimportant detail.

She was just upset that it was time to part.

“Floi….”

“Still… it’s better not to come if you can.”

Dragging out his words, he kissed Elina’s cheek and opened the door that was still being pounded on. The moment the door opened, he disappeared. The clock in the hallway pointed to 2:55.

Elina looked around the empty room and the empty hallway before walking away forlornly. She still had lingering feelings. She wanted to stay with him a little longer.

She wanted to receive more of the love and kindness he gave.

Elina lowered her head slightly so no one could see her face under the robe, then left the building where she had stayed last night.

It was time to return to reality.

Elina Valois.

The cinder girl of the Valois mansion. The sole heir of the Valois family.

Not knowing what consequences today’s escapade would bring, Elina put on an innocent face.