“Michael said he was coming to this charity gathering too, right?”

Since she heard that Michael, who had been constantly by her side since childhood, was also attending the gathering, she planned to spend time with him.

But Michael was nowhere to be seen that day, so she was unintentionally wandering around the venue.

‘Have I been to this place before?’

Reaching the eastern building where sunlight didn’t shine well, Roina hesitated briefly at the eerie atmosphere.

However, she thought the curious Michael would surely have headed this way.

Swallowing dryly and entering the building, she looked around the interior made of ornate moldings and decorations, unlike its exterior appearance.

“Where on earth is he?”

Just as Roina was going upstairs and busily searching for her friend, turning the corner of the long corridor.

Among several balconies lined along the green-shaded windows, one place with curtains drawn caught her eye.

Approaching there with muffled footsteps, she soon discovered a form stirring behind the curtains.

The Oxford shoes visible under the curtains were ones she had gifted to her childhood friend for his birthday.

The designer had said only two pairs were made.

Though Michael had been getting into appearances lately since attending social clubs, her brow furrowed naturally as the thick cigar scent touched her nose.

‘This guy…… now he’s even touching cigars?’

Looking at the terrace from which the acrid smell flowed, Roina swallowed a hollow laugh.

Soon she pulled back the curtains and was about to slap the tall man’s back as if raiding the scene.

“You, what are you doing right now……!”

‘Wait, Michael’s back can’t be this broad?’

The moment she made eye contact with someone who turned around, Roina instinctively knew something was seriously wrong.

The man in front of her was a complete stranger.

“Hup— I’m sorry!”

“What’s with you?”

At his sharp attitude as if finding it absurd, Roina bowed her head.

“I’ve committed quite a discourtesy.”

Though the man was the one who had suffered the mishap, she felt somewhat wronged too.

‘Why is he smoking cigars in a public place?’

As if reading her thoughts, the man gestured toward the wall with his head.

It was a sign indicating smoking was permitted here.

Roina, slightly pouting her lips, muttered quietly.

“Why smoke cigars anyway?”

“Are you speaking to me right now?”

Now she saw he had sharp hearing too.

At the man’s incredulous voice, Roina feigned innocence and shook her head.

“Of course not. Then I’ll be going first.”

She was thinking of getting away from him, who gave off quite an unpleasant aura.

At that moment, the man who let out a chuckle organized his unfinished cigar.

“Would you accompany me to the front of the building?”

“Pardon……? Me?”

At the sudden proposal, Roina looked at the man in front of her with widened eyes.

Having been too flustered to examine the other person’s face closely, she now saw he was quite handsome.

Staring blankly at his black hair disheveled by the wind and deep golden eyes, she suddenly came to her senses and turned her gaze away.

‘I was staring too intently without realizing it.’

When Roina still wasn’t answering, he slowly added his circumstances with a graceful smile on his lips.

“It’s my first time visiting today’s charity gathering.”

‘No wonder I’d never seen him in social circles.’

She, who had been on full alert, sighed quietly. He seemed to be a provincial noble.

Normally she would have immediately refused a strange man’s request, but since there was her own action involved, she decided to help him.

‘I don’t want to be reported for *ssault for no reason.’

That was the only reason. Thinking so, Roina nodded slightly.

“……I’ll do that.”

But just from answering, she was so embarrassed that both her cheeks were red as blooming flowers.

Walking through the garden to head to the main building, Roina didn’t exchange names with the man beside her.

Since she wouldn’t see him again unless it was today.

Casting an indifferent gaze at the flowers in full bloom, she spoke as if muttering quietly.

“There seem to be many flowers here too.”

“Don’t you like flowers?”

To the man who raised an eyebrow obliquely as if surprised, Roina slowly shook her head.

“It’s not exactly that.”

“……?”

“When I receive marriage proposals, flowers come with them. Then the whole house is filled with scents of flowers.”

More precisely, rather than having an aversion to flowers, she hated the situation of marriage talks going back and forth.

Surely her father would select young men from families that could help House Würetti.

That meant Roina would someday have to marry a young master whose face she didn’t even know.

‘Look at me. I think I brought up too personal a topic.’

Just as Roina, realizing this belatedly, was chewing her lips finely.

The man seemed to stare at her intently with languid golden eyes, then soon smiled drowsily and said.

“Then I’ll give you flowers often.”

“Pardon? What do you mean……”

“So they can be filled with new memories.”

※※※

Under the endlessly high and clear autumn sky, the faded greenery was dyed red and yellow.

Looking out the window with indifferent eyes, Roina prepared to go out with the maids’ help.

Her existing dresses had become too loose, so they were sent for alterations.

Normally she wouldn’t have paid much attention, but today Roina was particularly concerned about her appearance.

Because today was the day of House Clovis’s tea party.

“My lady, how about wearing other accessories together?”

“Yes, let’s do as you say.”

When a maid opened the jewelry box as if to put something around her neck, Roina’s gaze naturally turned that way.

In the well-organized jewelry box was one particularly eye-catching necklace.

It was a necklace densely set with amethysts, not at all a design she would usually prefer.

“Which necklace shall I put on you?”

“Use that one.”

Roina was thinking of wearing the necklace that kept catching her eye for some reason.

The maid, nodding slightly, carefully put the amethyst necklace around her neck.

Since preparations were somewhat finished, Roina dismissed all the maids except Sophie.

Then she casually asked the remaining personal maid.

“Where did this come from?”

At those words, Sophie seemed to show a troubled look, then soon answered in a calm voice.

“It’s a gift His Grace gave you for your birthday the year before last, my lady.”

“……I see.”

Roina carefully touched the amethyst necklace hanging around her neck.

The gift Conrad had supposedly sent her for her first birthday after marriage.

Sophie, gauging her master’s mood, carefully asked.

“Shall I bring a different necklace even now?”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll use this one.”

Having finished all preparations, Roina headed downstairs to attend the tea party without being late.

In the main building’s reception room, Conrad was reviewing documents before going to work.

Perhaps sensing someone’s presence, his indifferent golden eyes reached her.

“You seem to be going out somewhere.”

“Yes, there’s Lady Clovis’s tea party.”

Conrad, nodding slightly, looked at her indifferently. Then he soon withdrew his gaze and said.

“If you need accessories, please let me know. I’ll increase your dignity maintenance allowance.”

Since Roina was attending a social event as a duchess, he seemed to want to show minimum courtesy.

“Does this necklace…… not suit me?”

“Well, I don’t particularly have an eye for accessories.”

At the man’s words that contained no meaning, Roina felt something like a hollow emotion.

For someone who had given the necklace as a birthday gift, he was acting as if he was seeing it for the first time.

She had somewhat expected that Conrad wouldn’t have prepared the gift himself.

Still, actually facing that situation made her heart grow cold.

Swallowing a bitter smile with effort, she tried to suppress even that feeling.

‘Because you have no feelings for me whatsoever.’

Roina muttered quietly in a calm voice.

“Is that so? I heard it was a gift from you.”

“……”

As expected, Conrad seemed completely unaware.

Judging by how bewilderment briefly appeared and disappeared on his previously dry face.

“About that—”

“I was already expecting it. Because you wouldn’t have known.”

Roina, avoiding his indecipherable gaze that met hers for an instant, bowed her head slightly.

“Then I’ll be going first.”