Chapter 1.
There was only one time like that. I snuck out of the house without my father knowing and climbed a mountain in the middle of the night to see the full moon.
It was a night when sweat stuck clammily to my hands, mixed with tension and excitement, and my breath was so painful that I couldn’t speak a word……
“……I think it’s much higher than I expected.”
“Are you tired?”
“Yes.”
“Then take my hand.”
The strong guiding hand raised my spirit when I was about to give up.
After climbing over several more obstacles, at the summit of the mountain was an enormous blue moon that seemed ready to devour everything.
“The moon looks huge because we’ve climbed so high.”
“I’m glad you didn’t give up halfway.”
The moonlight gently falling on my head, and that same kind smile as always, made my heart flutter.
Knowing that I would never see him again after tomorrow, I wanted to remember everything without missing a single detail—every subtle change in his expression, every landscape reflected in his eyes.
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
“I’ve never thought about it.”
“If there’s nothing you want to be, is there anything you want to do?”
“Not particularly.”
A bird with broken wings trapped in a cage had neither aspirations nor desires.
I had expected him to at least ask for his ankle shackles to be removed or to be given delicious food, but my expectations were disappointed.
“Fine. I won’t ask you anymore.”
A little annoyed, I looked away, only to find that the blue moon had already hidden itself behind clouds.
“What? When did those clouds appear?”
“You just noticed now?”
“Ah, no.”
“If you came to see the moon but didn’t notice it, Miss, what were you looking at?”
My earlobes instantly burned red when I realized he had caught me watching him.
“Don’t talk back to me, slave.”
“Yes, I overstepped. I apologize.”
“Either apologize or smile, not both. It’s irritating.”
“I’m sorry. I just thought of something I want to do and couldn’t help it……”
He covered his mouth as he smiled, then turned his gaze toward me and met my eyes.
His glass-colored eyes sparkled in the starlight, and the sound of insects could be faintly heard.
“I want to stay by your side always, Miss. That alone would be enough.”
“Idiot. Do you think staying by my side is that easy?”
“Then I’ll have to work hard to become someone more suitable for you, Miss.”
That dawn, when he made his wish among the falling stars, the little demon disappeared somewhere and never showed himself to me again.
That was my last memory of him.
***
“I must get it back today. No matter what.”
Biting my lip anxiously, I recalled the unpleasant incident from a week ago.
‘Well, these aren’t bad terms, are they?’
I shuddered as I remembered Count Pumbell’s face, smiling as he handed me a marriage contract already bearing his signature and a blank check.
There was only one reason why the old man past sixty could so calmly offer a marriage contract to someone young enough to be his granddaughter: the debt they owed to the Pumbell family had grown into an enormous sum with interest.
Once a wealthy magnate who had caused a sensation in Roynalson society, the Pernia family, who had enjoyed luxury and pleasure with money to spare and received envy from all around, now existed only in history.
Now Pernia was walking the path of downfall to the extent that it couldn’t be explained without poverty.
Additionally, if I couldn’t pay off the debt to the Pumbell family by the end of this month, the heavy shackles of forced marriage would be placed on my blooming life.
To prevent the worst-case scenario, today I was about to step into the social circles that I despised so terribly.
“Miss, the road is blocked, so it might take a little time.”
“That’s fine, just be careful not to collide with other carriages.”
The capital, which I hadn’t visited for a long time, was much more complicated than I remembered. Carriages of nobles who had come up from various regions and carriages carrying luggage passed by each other, almost colliding.
“Excuse me, could you tell me the way to Neshtabil Palace?”
“We’re moving our luggage that way too, so you can follow us.”
My carriage began to move, following the luggage cart. A grand banquet was scheduled to be held today at Neshtabil Palace, which was only used for important national events such as Foundation Day or the King’s birthday.
The Emperor of Setibanes’ younger brother, whom he had lost as a child.
He had returned a few years ago and received a ducal title, and was now traveling through various countries to commemorate this.
It was surprising enough that the Duke from Setibanes, known as the Golden Country, had chosen such a small nation as his first destination.
“If you go right, you’ll reach the main gate of the palace.”
After parting with the luggage cart and heading right, I could see carriages bearing the emblems of famous noble families everywhere.
Everyone, regardless of gender, was dressed in bright and intense colors, as if their purpose was to catch the Duke’s eye.
Pushed along by the crowd, I entered the hall, which was more luxurious than any banquet I had ever seen in the capital.
Seeing decorations that hadn’t been used even for the Prince’s birthday displayed throughout the banquet hall, it was clear how important it was to please the Duke.
“Oh my, that red hair looks familiar. Could she be Baron Pernia’s…?”
“I wonder what face she has to show up with.”
“It must have been hard coming all the way from the countryside.”
“She must still have her title, right? Looking at how she walked in here on her own feet?”
After taking just a few steps, the hall was buzzing with talk about me.
Whether I wore a plain dress or a hat without feathers or flowers, because of this red hair that looked like it was covered in blood, I was pointed at wherever I went.
Deliberately ignoring the mocking words, I walked a little further and saw a familiar back.
“So you were here, Uncle. I have something to discuss with you.”
Finding my uncle in this vast hall wasn’t difficult. He was about a head taller than others, so his figure stood out wherever he was.
When our eyes met, he frowned as if troubled. It was probably because he knew he would be pointed at by people just for being associated with our family.
When he tried to leave, pretending not to know me, I pulled at his collar, and my uncle looked down at me with an even more grim expression.
“Just state your business.”
“I’d like you to return the money you borrowed from me before.”
“Ha, when did I ever borrow money from Pernia? Unless you have documents to prove it, I have nothing more to say to you.”
Now I could only blame my father. Even though he was lending money to his brother-in-law, he had handed over the purse without even drafting a document, leading to this unfortunate situation.
Using the excuse that there was no document, my uncle had been refusing to return the enormous sum of 100,000 pounds for several years now.
“It seems you’ve forgotten that you borrowed the money 10 years ago. I clearly remember how you knelt before me, even though I was just a child.”
“Shut your mouth! Have you grown so skilled with your tongue that you’re now telling lies!”
“You know better than I do whether it’s a lie or the truth, Uncle. Didn’t you say exactly this back then?”
“……”
“If you can get the mining rights from Count Evan, we can make a fortune. He has a gentle nature, so if you persuade him well, he’ll give in quickly. So don’t worry and lend me the money.”
When I recited our conversation without missing a single word, my uncle’s face turned bright red.
In the end, although he had obtained the mining rights, the already failing business couldn’t be saved, and only Count Evan, who had withdrawn quickly, had multiplied his money through other ventures.
“Will you still deny it, Uncle?”
“T-that……”
The effect of deliberately causing a scene in a crowded place was excellent.
With my uncle’s personality so fixated on appearances, he wouldn’t run away from this situation without resolving it.
“I had to do this because I knew you wouldn’t return the money otherwise. My situation isn’t good, so I can’t back down.”
“You insolent thing!”
Unable to contain his anger, my uncle finally raised his hand.
It wasn’t something I hadn’t imagined, but when it became reality, I couldn’t help but shrink back.
It’s going to hurt. My lip will split and bleed.
I was scared, but since getting hit once would make it easier to get the money back, I just clenched my teeth tightly.
However, the large hand that was coming down quickly stopped just before reaching my cheek, and I belatedly realized that someone was holding my uncle’s arm.
White coat sleeve, diamond-studded cuff buttons, a long cape with fine white animal fur attached.
At the end of my gaze was the profile of a man with pale skin and snow-white hair.
“Thank you for helping—”
The face of the man who turned toward me in response to my voice was familiar.
Just as when I first saw him, I had to cover my mouth with both hands to prevent a sound from escaping.
Along with a chilling sensation as if my whole body was freezing, my breath stopped momentarily.
“No thanks necessary. I only did what I had to do.”
“Y-You, why are you here……”
“It’s been a long time, Miss.”
His glass-colored eyes, filled with amusement, curved into crescents.
