Chapter 5

A trembling voice revealed sincerity. Karina forgot the words she had prepared to say and let out a hollow laugh.  

It wasn’t a reaction with any deeper meaning. It was simply because the situation was absurd and ridiculous.  

She recalled Cornell visiting her a few days ago, thanking her for listening to her story.  

“Is that really all you have to say to me?”  

Thanking her for something unworthy of gratitude, apologizing for something unworthy of apology, and ignoring the truth she must have known deep down.  

Karina wanted to see the true feelings behind Cornell’s flawless face.  

Cornell’s round eyes widened slightly, and her lips parted faintly. Her wavering olive-colored eyes began to settle.  

A gentle breeze brushed past Karina and reached Cornell.  

“…What do you want me to say?”  

Unexpected words escaped from her slightly trembling lips. Karina narrowed her eyes and blinked rapidly.  

When she looked at Cornell again, the pure and innocent expression she had always worn was nowhere to be found.  

“Cornell, you…”  

“If there’s something you want, just tell me. I’ll say it exactly as you want.”  

Though her face still had traces of youth, there was a sharpness to it. It was an expression Karina thought she had seen once before.  

‘Phyllis will always stay with me.’  

The faint voice stirred her already chaotic mind. At the same time, the slightly more mature Cornell spoke to Karina.  

“But… is that really what you want to hear, Lady Karina?”  

Karina felt as if her heart had dropped at that single sentence.  

It was the truth. The truth Karina couldn’t express herself but had to hear from someone else’s lips.  

In reality, Karina didn’t have anything she wanted to hear from Cornell. It was quite the opposite.  

“I… I love Phyllis.”  

There was simply something she absolutely didn’t want to hear. And Cornell, being a smart woman, knew that well.  

“No matter what criticism I face, I’ll accept it. But my feelings will never change.”  

***  

Cornell walked quickly toward the party hall after leaving the hallway. People glanced at her as she passed, whispering among themselves, but she didn’t care. Karina’s voice lingered in her ears.  

‘Cornell, can you take responsibility for everything?’  

Cornell had a cunning side. She had everything she could have and knew how to give up what she couldn’t.  

In that sense, Phyllis Herwin was someone Cornell could have.  

So when Karina asked her that question, Cornell confidently nodded. But the words that followed were unexpected.  

‘Then go ahead. I won’t interfere.’  

For someone who might have feelings for Phyllis, Karina’s response was surprisingly indifferent.  

‘Phyllis is a good person.’  

‘…’  

‘And he’s like that to everyone. I hope you know that, Cornell.’  

That made it all the more puzzling. Surely, Karina must hate her. In a private setting, she could have said anything. Yet, her attitude, as if giving advice, was both curious and off-putting.  

Phyllis was kind to everyone, and Cornell knew that well.  

There was no way something so trivial could make Cornell give up on her feelings for him. She had already prepared herself for much more when she started this relationship.  

‘Thank you for the advice, but it’s fine. I believe I can change him.’  

Above all, Cornell believed that.  

And it wasn’t just a belief—it was already happening.  

On the day of the first snowfall, she and Phyllis would hold their engagement ceremony. Cornell was confident that she wasn’t wrong.  

‘…It seems you love a different Phyllis than I do, Cornell.’  

That was why she could laugh off such remarks. Even the bitter smile that lingered on Karina’s face.  

Her already brisk pace quickened. There was someone she wanted to see right now.  

When she was almost running, Cornell nearly bumped into someone and stopped abruptly.  

“Cornell. Are you okay?”  

Fortunately, it didn’t turn into an uncomfortable situation.  

Lifting her head at the familiar voice, Cornell met the gaze of the person she had been looking for.  

Phyllis looked at her with slightly widened eyes, examining her condition. Cornell bit her lip and nodded.  

“Yes. Sorry. Did I startle you?”  

“No, you must’ve been more startled.”  

Phyllis shook his head and stepped back a little, releasing her shoulder. He seemed to be conscious of the gazes around them.  

When she impulsively grabbed his sleeve, Phyllis, who had been heading toward the party hall, stopped in his tracks.  

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”  

Hearing his gentle voice made her feel like crying, even though she hadn’t before. For a moment, Cornell considered acting spoiled.  

The conclusion came easily. She wasn’t in a situation where she needed comfort so badly as to act out.  

Cornell smiled, as if to say it was nothing, and led Phyllis inside. But this time, it was Phyllis who stopped her.  

“Wait, Cornell. Did you happen to see Karina outside?”  

At the mention of Karina’s name, Cornell’s previously calm expression stiffened for the first time.  

“I haven’t seen her at all. I haven’t run into her again since entering the party hall.”  

“Ah… is that so?”  

“Yes. I haven’t seen her at all, and it’s starting to worry me.”  

It probably didn’t mean much. Since they were close friends, it was natural for him to be concerned if she wasn’t around.  

“It almost feels like she’s avoiding me on purpose… Why would that be?”

Despite knowing, the words didn’t come easily. In the end, Cornell chose the less appealing option.  

“Now that I think about it, I think I saw her entering the party hall just a moment ago.”  

“Really? Why didn’t I see her?”  

“There are so many people here. It’s natural that it’s hard to find someone.”  

“Is that so? Even so, it’s strange that she’s nowhere to be seen.”  

In any case, there wasn’t much good in looking for her right now. Cornell rationalized this and led Phyllis back inside.  

Phyllis, who kept glancing back toward the hallway, eventually followed her as if there was no other choice.  

“Don’t worry, Phyllis. It’s a party.”  

It couldn’t be enjoyable for everyone, but that was how it was. Cornell brushed off her unease and smiled as she usually did.  

***

The chilly night breeze began to blow onto the terrace. Karina stood idly in front of the railing, looking up at the sky.  

The moon, hanging in the black sky, seemed to shine brighter than usual tonight.  

‘I’m sorry, Becky.’  

Karina inwardly apologized and threw the pin she was holding over the railing.  

She wanted to throw her shoes as well, but since she couldn’t go barefoot, she decided against it.  

Still, she felt a little relieved. Resting her hands on the railing, Karina took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.  

“…I’m tired.”  

Of course, her emotional state and her physical condition were entirely separate matters. After spending the whole day in discomfort, her body ached all over.  

‘Is the dance time over? I just want to go home quickly.’  

As she thought this and blinked, a strong wind blew from outside. It was a gust so powerful it sent her hair flying backward.  

For a moment, the clouds covered the moon, darkening the brightly lit garden.  

The faint darkness didn’t last long. Another gust of wind cleared the clouds away again. The moonlight, now even brighter, poured down on Karina.  

Without closing her stinging eyes, Karina suddenly felt a surge of emotion in her chest.  

“…Huh?”  

Before she realized it, Karina was crying. Tears rolled down her cheeks and fell onto the terrace floor.  

Startled, Karina raised her hand to cover her mouth. She felt as though a strange sound might escape her lips.  

‘Why am I like this all of a sudden?’  

It was an utterly bewildering situation. There wasn’t anything particularly sad going on—she had just been thinking she was a little tired.  

All she could do was press her lips tightly together and hope no one passed by.  

But before she could calm herself, she sensed someone’s presence near the garden.  

At the same time, voices began to echo from the hallway behind her.  

Caught in a situation where she could neither stay nor leave, Karina lowered her head to wipe her tears.  

That was when she noticed the pointed toes of someone’s shoes in her line of sight.  

“Are you alright?”  

A calm voice broke the silence of the terrace. Karina slowly lifted her head to look forward.  

A man with a strangely familiar face stood there, offering her a handkerchief.  

His platinum hair, which seemed like it could have been spun from moonlight, and his radiant appearance left a deep impression.  

“…Thank you.”  

Without much thought, Karina accepted the handkerchief. Her damp sleeve had been bothering her.  

She held the navy-colored handkerchief, a color that perfectly suited the night. The unintended sound of her sniffling echoed briefly around her.  

The man, watching her, didn’t offer any typical words of comfort. Instead, he looked up at the sky and spoke.  

“The moon is so bright tonight. It makes you not want to go back inside.”  

“…”  

“Don’t you think so?”  

The moonlight, which seemed even stronger now, warmly embraced them. Karina forced herself to squeeze out a response from her unwilling voice.  

“I wasn’t crying.”  

The hoarseness in her voice made her words sound more convincing.  

It was frustrating, but it was true.  

She had cried, but she hadn’t been crying. The wind had blown, her eyes had stung, and then tears had come out.  

“It’s just… tears came out, that’s all.”  

Even with such a nonsensical excuse, the man remained silent. He stood there for a moment, then left with a single remark.  

“Return the handkerchief when you no longer need it.”  

His footsteps faded away as quietly as they had come.  

Only after some time had passed did Karina, finally calm, look at the handkerchief.  

Beneath the embroidery on the corner, a small name came into her now-clear view.  

Noah Velcarid.  

It was an unfamiliar name. It was awkward as she had never heard it before.  

Tracing the elegant embroidery with her eyes, Karina stood up. It was time to leave now.