Chapter 12

It felt as if time had stopped for a moment. Only an awkward voice echoed in the air.

“Noah… that man, you know. I was really shocked seeing what happened earlier.”

“Ah…”

A voice she couldn’t stop escaped from her lips. Karina found herself staring intently at Phyllis without realizing it. Phyllis, however, continued speaking without hesitation.

“That person, Kaya, who was with him, too. Even children avoid fighting on the streets, so how can fully grown adults…”

Phyllis had a look in his eyes that showed he truly couldn’t understand. Feeling a pang of guilt, Karina bit her lip lightly.

It seemed that the sight of the two hadn’t left a good impression. In hindsight, it was only natural.

‘If it were me, I would’ve tried to stop them too.’

If her only friend had grown close to someone who picked fights on the street, it would have been stranger not to say anything.

Because Karina typically had a small social circle, it seemed like Phyllis was even more worried about her.

With a face that was half displeased and half concerned, Phyllis sighed softly and spoke in a gentle tone.

“I don’t know what kind of story they have. Honestly, it’s not something that has much to do with me.”

“…”

“But if you’re by their side, the story changes a bit.”

His calm and composed attitude made it hard for her to defend them.

Karina had no choice but to keep her mouth shut. At least until Phyllis drove the point home once again.

“I really think you shouldn’t meet that man anymore.”

It was a statement that felt especially strong, even though it was part of the same conversation they’d been having.

“I know you can’t judge a person by just one side of them. But I’ve thought about this a lot before saying it.”

Though his voice quickly returned to its usual gentle tone, Karina couldn’t accept Phyllis’s opinion as easily as she usually did.

It was a kind of stubbornness. Her lips, which had been twitching, slowly parted.

“I understand what you’re saying, Phyllis.”

At her cooperative tone, the sour look on Phyllis’s face seemed to ease slightly.

“I also understand why you’re saying it. It’s not like I’m unaware.”

“That’s a relief, but…”

It was only for a moment. After a brief pause, Karina came to a conclusion. Even to her, it felt like an immature response.

“Thank you for the advice. I’ll take it to heart.”

***

When Karina returned home, she immediately collapsed onto her bed. Becky, her maid, widened her eyes and asked,

“You’re back later than I expected. Did you stop by somewhere?”

“The bookstore.”

When Karina answered without much thought, Becky peeked into the room to see if she had brought any borrowed books.

Karina, indifferent to her curiosity, slowly burrowed under the blankets. Too much had happened in half a day, leaving her mind in chaos.

‘Have they all gone home by now?’

Even as she lay there blankly, the battered faces of Noah and Kaya popped into her mind, making her sigh.

It wasn’t that she was particularly worried about the two. It was more that it had been her first time seeing someone get hit so close up.

As she recalled Noah’s bright expression while eating honey, Karina sat up in bed.

‘If you were upset, I’m sorry. Just know that I said it because I was worried about you.’

The words Phyllis had said when they parted echoed in her ears like a ringing sound. A deeper sigh escaped her body.

“When you say it like that, it makes it sound like I’m the one who did something wrong.”

Phyllis hadn’t said anything incorrect. She knew that. She knew he had said it entirely for her sake. Even so, she didn’t feel good about it. It didn’t help that the situation had happened on the same day she’d run into Cornell.

If Karina had said the same thing to Phyllis about Cornell, how would he have reacted? It was an unreasonable thought, but it was harmless enough. After all, the frustration Phyllis had felt today wouldn’t even be half of what Karina had felt.

“Yeah. It’s not like he said anything out of line.”

Karina muttered to herself, trying to shake off her guilt. It wasn’t very effective. Her mood began to sink again. She found herself longing for the carefree morning when she had left the house without a single thought.

‘Come to think of it… what did that man say again?’

Her body, which had been about to slump back down, straightened up. She remembered the last thing Noah had said to her.

Something about meeting again before winter came. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t figure out what he’d meant.

“Miss, you’re not planning to sleep already, are you?”

“No. Why?”

“Then I’ll come in for a moment.”

Becky, who had left the room earlier, opened the door with an oddly excited expression. Karina quickly found out why.

“Guess what? An invitation to a tea party from the Imperial Princess has arrived.”

Becky, who had walked over briskly, handed her a letter. The deep red envelope reminded Karina of Duke Russell’s party from a few days ago.

“Again?”

“‘Again’? Don’t you remember that the Duke Russell’s party was the first formal event in half a year?”

When Karina made her annoyance clear, Becky crossed her arms and gave her a stern look.

She wasn’t wrong. Karina, who didn’t have much connection to high society, rarely left the Duke’s residence unless it was for a notable event.

Even so, her instinctive aversion couldn’t be helped. Karina reluctantly opened the invitation.

“Staying indoors too much isn’t good for your health. You should go out sometimes.”

“I went out today.”

“I mean you should meet people.”

“I did meet people…”

Meeting Becky’s sparkling eyes, Karina clamped her mouth shut mid-sentence.

Since the invitation had come from the Imperial Princess’s palace, it wasn’t an event she could refuse. There was no point in arguing further.

“Fine. I’ll attend.”

“Don’t worry, Miss. I’ll make you more beautiful than the Imperial Princess herself.”

For some reason, Becky was more enthusiastic about Karina’s appearance than anything else.

“No, it’s fine. It’s just a tea party, and I’ll be back quickly.”

“Still. You never know. I heard the Crown Prince returned from his expedition. What if you meet him by fate?”

“An expedition…?”

Becky’s cheeks flushed as if it were her own story. Karina, however, thought of something else.

She hadn’t paid much attention, but she vaguely recalled hearing that the Crown Prince had returned from a year-long expedition this summer. Because of that, the annual Imperial event, usually held every winter, had been postponed to the following year.

‘So that means there’ll be an event this winter.’

Unlike the excited Becky, Karina grew even gloomier.

“Anyway, I’ll prepare a new dress for the occasion.”

Becky clenched her fist with enthusiasm before fluttering out of the room. Karina stopped her before she could leave entirely. There was something she needed to resolve before things got more bothersome.

“Is Father in the residence right now?”

“Yes. He should be in the study. Why?”

Everyone would gather for dinner soon, so it was best to go now. Karina got up from the bed, still in her outdoor clothes.

“I just have something to ask him.”

Unlike his daughter, her father had a wide network of connections. If she searched his study or office, she would surely find what she was looking for.

Noah Velcarid. The now-familiar name was etched into Karina’s mind.

‘Velcarid… it still feels unfamiliar.’

The faint suspicion she had been harboring began to grow. After thinking of the strange man one last time, Karina left her room.

***

The carriage maintained a moderate speed as it headed toward the Imperial Palace.

Karina glanced out the window at the passing scenery before lowering her gaze. Her light purple dress, modest in design, caught her eye.

‘This should be enough to keep me completely unnoticed.’

If Becky heard this, she would have been shocked. Having achieved her goal, Karina smiled faintly.

Although the tea party was said to be small, the attendees were women who had been invited for a reason.

In other words, they were likely daughters of influential families or individuals with considerable influence themselves.

“Miss, we’re almost there. You should prepare to disembark.”

The attendant accompanying her quietly informed her. Karina adjusted the loose collar of her dress and turned her body.

Once the carriage came to a complete stop, the attendant helped Karina out.

There was still plenty of time left before the appointment. She walked leisurely, showing her invitation to the Imperial Palace guards, who stepped aside to let her through.

It was her first time visiting the Imperial Princess’s Palace, but the path was not difficult to follow. Karina walked through the inner courtyard, guided by the attendant.

“Are you cold?”

“I’m fine. I dressed warmly.”

The attendant’s question was understandable, as the day was quite chilly. Naturally, winter was slowly approaching.

‘Winter.’

The thought of the season brought two faces to Karina’s mind. Just like Phyllis, who hadn’t reached out since their meeting that day, Noah Velcarid had also remained silent.

‘Velcarid, Velcarid.’

Unconsciously repeating the name, Karina shook her head to clear her thoughts. It was a name that had left her shaken a few days ago. The reason was simple. Although she had heard it several times, she had discovered that the name didn’t actually exist.

As Karina walked with a troubled mind, her eyes caught sight of an indoor garden in the distance.

“That’s the place. I believe the Imperial Princess is already waiting.”

The Imperial Palace attendant spoke politely as he opened the transparent door and stepped aside. Karina entered the indoor garden.

The garden was filled with warm air, a stark contrast to the cold outside. Various flowers and fruits, impossible to find in winter, bloomed everywhere, delighting the eyes.

‘Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to come.’

She disliked inconveniences but enjoyed interesting experiences. Karina followed the attendant, distracted by the sights of the garden.

“Oh, someone has arrived.”

A clear, ringing voice echoed as they walked further in. Karina instinctively turned her head in the direction of the voice.

A woman with bright blonde hair came into view. Beside her stood a pair of a man and a woman.

“…Karina.”

Phyllis, who had turned to look at her following the Imperial Princess, spoke awkwardly.

Frozen in place, Karina couldn’t take another step forward. Opposite her, Cornell appeared to smile faintly.