“You want to meet again? No way! After causing all that trouble?”

Karina’s reaction rekindled Dominic’s competitive spirit that had been gradually calming down.

“That’s quite uncomfortable to hear. I’m disappointed.”

Dominic looked down at Karina and said.

“I didn’t know you were so irresponsible.”

Karina’s mouth fell open at the other person’s words about being irresponsible.

“I-irresponsible?”

“Yes.”

“What exactly am I supposed to be responsible for regarding you, Brigadier General Winchester?”

“You promised, didn’t you?”

He said, slowly closing and opening his eyes.

“That you would help with my love.”

Though that wasn’t the exact wording, he thought it didn’t matter. As long as the meaning got across.

However, Karina snapped back at him.

“When did we make such a promise? I said I’d let you practice dating.”

“Isn’t that the same thing? Anyway, please admit that you’re being very irresponsible.”

“How am I irresponsible? And how responsible are you, Brigadier General?”

“At least I take responsibility for my actions. So to Lady Crawford…”

Dominic let his words trail off. Though they were speaking quietly, there were many ears around, and it would be disastrous if someone read their lips on this topic.

He leaned toward Karina’s ear.

“Eek!”

Startled by Dominic’s large body suddenly coming close, Karina stepped back. But that wasn’t enough to completely avoid the man before her.

“Didn’t I give Lady Crawford both my ears and my heart?”

His whispering voice tickled her ear.

Dominic pulled back after saying this. Then he chided Karina who had screamed in surprise.

“Why are you so startled? I just hid my lip movements because it wasn’t something I should say openly.”

You.

I thought you were going to kiss me.

Karina’s face was flushed red to the point it couldn’t get any redder, unable to say those words. Unlike the completely composed Dominic, she felt unbearably embarrassed showing such obvious agitation throughout her body.

“So keep your promise. I clearly remember we agreed to meet somewhere private.”

“Ah! Fine! Fine!”

Karina shook her head in exasperation.

Really, if he were just a little less handsome, there would be no reason to be so swayed by this man.

“So stop talking now. Unless you want to advertise to Lady Lindid that we’re something to each other.”

Karina gestured with her head to warn Dominic. When Dominic turned his gaze where she indicated, there was Olivia watching them intently while holding a plate of finger food.

With her fist clenched and pulling down, she looked like she was enthusiastically cheering for her childhood friend. Karina pressed her forehead and shook her head.

“Now go back to Lady Lindid. Go tell her it was nothing important.”

“I refuse.”

“What?”

“It wouldn’t be proper. Olivia is here today as someone else’s partner.”

“Then what about me?”

Karina looked up at him incredulously.

“I have a partner too, you know? I’m being extremely rude to him right now.”

“No. That’s different.”

“What? What exactly is different?”

To Karina’s persistent questioning, Dominic just repeated that it was different instead of giving a proper answer.

Different.

You and Olivia are different.

If you ask him how they’re different, he couldn’t answer.

Because Olivia being partners with someone else doesn’t make his blood boil like her being at the ball with another man.

With matters concerning Olivia, he can still maintain his reason and propriety.

But with matters concerning her, he loses his usual self to the point of destroying the self-definition he’s known for 25 years.

Childish, petty… unsightly, and experiencing strange feelings he’s never felt before.

“Anyway, since you agreed, let’s end our conversation for today.”

Dominic took her hand and lightly kissed it. His etiquette was perfect, straight from a book.

Karina quickly pulled her hand away as if shaking him off. A burning sensation remained on the back of her hand where his lips had touched.

* * *

“Lady Crawford?”

Exhausted from her conversation with Dominic, Karina had retreated to a corner of the hall. Someone cautiously approached her there. It was Olivia.

“Ah.”

Karina greeted her with a weak smile.

“Lady Lindid.”

“You look very tired. I brought some fruit. Please eat.”

Her eyes sparkled with life. Karina laughed and avoided her gaze.

“Thank you. The fruit looks delicious.”

“I never knew Dominic was close to any woman besides me until today.”

Being straightforward by nature, Olivia got right to the point as soon as the pleasantries were over.

Thanks to that, Karina, who had just put a grape in her mouth, quickly spat it out with a choke.

“Oh! My goodness. Wait, let me get a handkerchief.”

“No! It’s fine. More importantly, Lady Lindid.”

“Yes, Lady Crawford.”

“It’s a misunderstanding.”

“What?”

“I said it’s a misunderstanding.”

“Wh-what is?”

Looking at Karina with round eyes like a startled rabbit, Olivia burst out laughing. As if Karina had just told the funniest joke in the world.

“I’ve felt this before, but Lady Crawford, you’re so witty.”

“No. This isn’t wit. It’s the truth.”

“Lady Crawford.”

After laughing for a while, Olivia wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and called to Karina.

“Do you know how long Dominic and I have been friends?”

I do. According to the novel, you were born in the same year, so you’ve been childhood friends for 25 years.

Assuming Karina knew well about her connection with Dominic, Olivia continued.

“We’re so close we can read each other’s expressions.”

Lies.

Coming from a woman who hadn’t noticed Dominic’s feelings for her for over ten years, it wasn’t very credible.

“Ah, yes… I see.”

“You don’t believe me? It’s true!”

“No, I believe you. Lady Lindid would know Brigadier General Winchester best. It’s just that unlike you two who’ve been friends for 25 years, I’ve lived a life completely, absolutely, unrelated to Brigadier General Winchester.”

“Dominic is a good man.”

“What?”

Karina slightly frowned at this sudden statement.

“Kind, reliable, and dedicated to his work. Isn’t he wonderful? If we weren’t friends, I might have liked him too.”

Olivia carefully watched Karina’s reaction as she broached the subject. She wanted to help build up Dominic’s image, since he finally found someone he liked.

“If you weren’t friends? No! You should like him more because you’re friends. You know best what a good person he is. Don’t you think?”

Oh? Why did the conversation turn this way? Olivia avoided Karina’s gaze at her enthusiastic response.

“No. That’s not necessarily true. Usually, sparks fly between people as they get to know each other from being strangers.”

“What?”

Karina slightly narrowed her eyes at Olivia’s somewhat subtle response. The way Olivia spoke, as if she was hiding something, seemed like…

‘It sounds like she’s speaking from personal experience.’

“Anyway! Lady Crawford. Please take good care of Dominic.”

Olivia suddenly felt nervous at Karina’s thoughtful reaction. The matter she’d been losing sleep over lately — specifically about ‘romance’ — seemed like it might be easily figured out by her.

It wouldn’t do to have someone figure it out when she wasn’t even sure of her own feelings yet. Olivia quickly grabbed both of Karina’s hands and shook them. Karina rejected her request in alarm.

“No! Why are you asking me to take care of Brigadier General Winchester? We’re not, not at all in that kind of relationship.”

“Yes, yes. I understand. You’re not anything now, but you might become something, so I’m just asking just in case. Don’t feel too pressured.”

Unlike her appearance… This person also doesn’t listen properly.

Swaying back and forth as Olivia shook her hands, Karina sighed, thinking how you can’t judge someone’s true nature by their appearance.

After Olivia left, whose attitude had become strangely closer as if their internal intimacy had suddenly increased, Karina grabbed her throbbing head and gulped down the surrounding wine glasses.

She usually hardly drinks. She’s the type whose mental fortitude weakens when she’s tired or drunk. After several accumulated near-misses of almost committing nonsensical acts, she became careful.

But today she just couldn’t stand it.

With these childhood friends as a pair tormenting her, why did she have to suffer such harassment stuck between them?

‘What is this, really.’

She shouldn’t have accepted Dominic’s ridiculous proposal from the start.

No, she shouldn’t have eavesdropped on her brother and Dominic’s conversation.

No, she shouldn’t have returned at that time.

No, she shouldn’t have attended Olivia’s charity ball.

“Haah.”

All she could do was sigh, and all she felt was regret.

With each increase in sighs and regrets, the empty wine glasses piled up on her side table.

By the time the pile reached five glasses, Lucas discovered his drunk sister and ran over in horror.

“Karina?”

“Brother, my head hurts.”

“You…! Of course your head hurts after drinking so much.”

“Sleepy…”

“Hey! Karina! Get it together. It’ll be a big deal if you fall asleep here. Did you forget this is Her Highness’s debutante ball?”

Lucas looked around in panic. He needed to send his sister back to the mansion before she caused any trouble. But he couldn’t leave his post as he had to keep Her Highness company.

In this urgent situation, someone caught Lucas’s eye.

His close friend who had come to the ball without a partner was idly leaning against a wall drinking wine in the distance.