April ran straight to her bedroom and placed the fluttering bird from the handkerchief onto the nightstand beside her bed. She could have tried to help it in the garden, but with Calsion watching her so intently, she hadn’t dared to act freely.

Just as April took a deep breath and reached out toward the nightstand—

“You’re getting pretty full of yourself these days, aren’t you?”

The bedroom door slammed open and Wendy walked in. Startled by her sudden appearance, April shot to her feet.

“…What are you doing here?”

“What do you think? I couldn’t see you at all because you were constantly stuck to that so-called knight captain, so I came looking for you.”

Following Wendy, the servants she always brought along entered and closed the bedroom door behind them.

“I saw you having tea in the garden. What’s going on between you two?”

“What does that have to do with you? Once I go to the palace, you’ll have no reason to see me again.”

Wendy’s eyes flashed at April’s words.

“Grab her.”

At Wendy’s command, the servants seized April’s arms, holding her in place.

“Let go of me!”

“Have you been enjoying yourself these past few days? Was it fun running away from me and my brother?”

“Who says I’ve been running away?”

Wendy herself had avoided April’s room ever since she heard that the newcomer was the knight captain. The day she’d run into Calsion, she’d been so shaken by the murderous aura he gave off that she’d trembled all over. Since then, she’d avoided him at all costs. But when she happened to see him alone in the garden through the window, she thought it was a good opportunity and rushed into April’s room.

Flutter—

While looking around April’s bedroom, Wendy heard the faint flapping of the bird’s wings.

“What’s this? You brought something like this into the mansion again?”

“Leave it alone!”

“I told you not to bring filthy things like this in here.”

“It hurt its wing! It can’t even fly properly, so just let it be!”

“I’ve never liked this about you. You keep bringing in things like this because you’re always let off the hook.”

Wendy, feeling no fear, grabbed the frightened, flapping bird in one hand. April struggled fiercely against the servants holding her, but she couldn’t overcome their combined strength. A cruel glint flashed in Wendy’s eyes, and April squeezed her eyes shut.

With her eyes closed, the sound of fluttering wings gradually faded, and when there was finally no sound at all, Wendy smiled in satisfaction. Wendy’s cackling laughter rang in April’s ears as she slowly opened her eyes. There was no emotion left in April’s gaze.

“Are you satisfied now?”

“Satisfied? Hardly.”

Wendy shook her hand as if brushing off something dirty and tossed the dead bird onto April’s nightstand.

“You clean up that filthy thing. It’s your fault.”

“Wendy.”

“Who do you think you are, calling my name so carelessly?”

“I’ve overlooked everything you’ve done until now.”

“What are you talking about?”

“But that doesn’t mean you can treat a life so carelessly.”

“Hah!”

Wendy laughed in disbelief and stepped up to April. As Wendy approached, the servants released April’s arms and stepped back.

“Is it because of that bird? It died because of you. If you hadn’t brought it here, I wouldn’t have killed it. So it’s your fault—”

Smack!

“Ah!”

At that moment, a sharp sound rang out as Wendy’s face snapped to the side. As Wendy glared furiously and raised her hand to strike April back, April slapped her other cheek.

Smack!

“Aaah!! You… you?! How dare you hit me?”

“So what?”

April straightened her back at Wendy’s furious scream. Her posture, radiating the dignity of a noblewoman, made Wendy flinch. Wendy straightened up as well and gestured to the servants.

“Grab her right now!”

“If you touch me, I won’t stand for it.”

Everyone in the room knew April was set to become the princess consort. This was the first time they’d seen her with such a cold expression, so the servants hesitated and didn’t move.

When no one grabbed April, Wendy screamed.

“Are you all going to ignore me?!”

“I wonder if you realize what I’m seeing right now.”

No one had noticed when the bedroom door opened. Just like the first day he arrived at the mansion, Calsion was leaning against the door, a mocking smile on his lips.

“So this is how the duke’s family treats the future princess consort, Yulifa.”

“Yes, Captain!”

“Go tell the duke I’d like to see him.”

“Understood.”

At Calsion’s order, Yulifa immediately turned to leave. April’s eyes flickered briefly at Calsion’s words before returning to normal.

‘The duke? Did he just say the duke?’

No matter how high his rank as knight captain, there were only two dukes in the empire. To address one so casually—

April’s mind spun in confusion. Then her gaze landed on the nightstand, and all other thoughts vanished. Calsion noticed where she was looking and frowned.

Seeing Calsion’s face twist with anger, Wendy realized she shouldn’t stay any longer. She tried to escape quickly, but April caught her foot and tripped her.

With a loud crash, Wendy fell, but escaping Calsion’s murderous glare was more important than the pain. She scrambled desperately toward the door.

“You.”

Calsion’s cold voice called out to Wendy.

“If you enter this room again, I’ll cut you down.”

“You! Who do you think you are—!”

“What’s going on in here!!”

Just as Wendy raised her hand toward Calsion, the Duke of Bright burst in, having heard the commotion. April, having never seen the duke run so frantically before, looked at him in surprise.

The duke glanced briefly at April, but she paid him no mind. He hid Wendy behind him and gestured for her to leave quickly.

‘Sigh.’

Seeing the duke so openly protect Wendy, a bitter feeling welled up inside April. She knew the duke only cared about the dowry he’d gain from her marriage, but she’d still hoped things might change if she tried harder. Yet nothing changed. She was still just the illegitimate child, while Wendy was the beloved daughter.

He had come running not out of concern for her, but because he was worried something might happen to Wendy. April bit her lip as a sudden headache washed over her.

“…Everyone, get out.”

“I asked what the hell is going on here.”

“I said get out!”

April shouted fiercely, but it was Calsion who took control of the situation. He nodded at Yulifa and left the room first, prompting Yulifa to step in.

“All right, everyone, please leave. It seems Her Ladyship, the future princess consort, is not in the best of moods…”

As soon as everyone left the bedroom, April shut the door. Alone at last, a wave of sorrow crashed over her. Staring at the cold, lifeless bird that no one cared about, a single tear fell from April’s eye.

‘Go to a better place.’

As she wished this desperately, a bright light shone from her hand. But lost in her grief, April didn’t even notice.

After carefully wrapping the bird in the handkerchief, April stepped outside to find Calsion waiting in front of her door.

“Where are you going?”

“I have to bury it.”

“I see.”

April made her way to a quiet corner of the garden and gently dug a hole to bury the bird wrapped in the handkerchief. Calsion stood by her side, waiting until she finished. When April dusted off her soiled hands and stood up, Calsion handed her a handkerchief.

“Wipe your hands.”

“Thank you.”

“When you return it, make sure it’s yours.”

“Pardon?”

April asked blankly. In her hand was a handkerchief embroidered with the imperial crest. Calsion glanced at it, then met April’s blue eyes.

“Do you dislike it?”

“No, why would I…”

“Then do I have to save your life to get one?”

“No, that’s not it…”

“Then what is it?”

‘Isn’t the problem that he’s asking for my handkerchief in the first place?’

A noble lady’s handkerchief—especially one she embroidered herself—carried significant meaning. April didn’t know how to react to Calsion, who was asking for her handkerchief despite being only a knight captain.

“All right then.”

Before she could say anything else, Calsion turned and disappeared. For someone who had so stubbornly demanded her handkerchief, he left surprisingly easily, and April couldn’t take her eyes off his retreating figure.

April stood there for a while, only realizing the sun was setting when she finally hurried back inside the mansion.