Chapter 8

Karina, who had returned to the mansion, collapsed onto her bed as soon as she entered her room. Becky’s voice could be heard from outside, but she didn’t want to respond. The only thing echoing in her mind was Phyllis’s voice.

‘Who was that man? Do you know him?’

She couldn’t forget the look in Phyllis’s eyes when he asked that. Karina buried her face in her pillow and let out a silent scream.

As she was wallowing in despair, a knock sounded from outside. Karina, deflated, told whoever it was to come in, and moments later, her eyes widened.

“Mother?”

Laura walked in with a smile and sat down beside her.

“You received a letter. I overheard them talking downstairs and brought it up.”

Karina tilted her head in confusion. Although it wasn’t unusual, she rarely received letters. She examined the front of the envelope before flipping it over, and then froze when she saw the sender.

[To Lady Karina Edelin, from Velcarid.]

The handwriting was scrawled and difficult to read, but she recognized it instantly. It was the same surname that had been embroidered on the handkerchief.

“Who’s the letter from? It’s an unfamiliar name.”

Laura asked curiously. Karina covered the sender’s name with her fingers.

“…It’s someone I don’t know. I’ll ask Becky to look into it.”

“Really? That’s strange. A letter from someone you don’t know.”

“Indeed.”

Karina forced an awkward smile and hid the letter behind her back. Laura immediately spoke again.

“More importantly, Karina.”

“Yes?”

“There’s something I’d like to ask you.”

“What is it? Please go ahead.”

Relieved that Laura’s attention had shifted away from the letter, Karina nodded eagerly.

“I was wondering if something happened between you and Phyllis.”

Had she known what Laura was going to say, she wouldn’t have responded so readily. Karina froze for a moment before regaining her composure and blinking.

“Nothing… really happened.”

Even though her tone was awkward, Laura didn’t press her and waited patiently for her to continue.

The hesitation didn’t last long. Karina let out a small sigh and changed her response, speaking in a timid voice.

“It’s nothing serious. It’s just that it’s been a while since we last met, so things felt a bit awkward.”

It wasn’t a complete lie, but it wasn’t entirely truthful either. Karina shut her mouth tightly and lowered her gaze. It was entirely her selfishness. She knew she would have to face the situation eventually, but she hoped that day wouldn’t be today.

Laura, who had been silent for a moment, nodded as if deciding to let it go for now.

“I see. No matter how close friends are, it’s natural to feel awkward sometimes.”

“Yes. That’s exactly it.”

Her agreement sounded painfully awkward, as she still couldn’t meet Laura’s gaze. A warm hand gently stroked the back of Karina’s hand. The delicate gesture, as if handling something precious, made her heart feel heavy.

“If you ever have something on your mind, please tell me. Even if it’s something small, I’d like to know.”

Laura’s voice was as comforting as being wrapped in a blanket stuffed with cotton. Karina barely managed to swallow the concerns that had risen to her throat.

“Yes. I’ll do that.”

In the end, Laura left the room without hearing her daughter’s true worries.

The sound of the door closing echoed for the second time since she entered the room. Karina fell backward onto her bed once more.

Her hand, moving without purpose, slid under her pillow. What emerged was a crumpled letter, so wrinkled that it had lost its original form.

***

A single carriage traveled along an unpaved dirt road. Through the slightly parted curtains, a decorated side profile was visible.

‘Should I return the handkerchief first, or should I apologize first?’

Outside the window, the grass, now yellowed, glistened under the midday sun.

‘It’s probably better to apologize first.’

The scenery was beautiful, but that was all. At the moment, Karina’s only concern was to properly apologize to the person she had been rude to.

The letter she had received after the outing contained only the simplest of contents. Just a brief greeting and the address of the handkerchief’s owner.

The concise letter slightly lifted Karina’s spirits. At least she wouldn’t have to wander around searching for Velcarid’s residence.

The carriage continued deep into the forest before finally coming to a stop, and the coachman announced their arrival.

“We’ve arrived at the address, Miss.”

Karina, accompanied by two knights who had followed her, approached the massive mansion in front of her. Its size was closer to that of a lord’s castle, and she had to make an effort to keep her mouth from dropping open as she got closer.

“Please stop. I need to confirm your identity.”

The guard stationed at the front gate approached and spoke in a stiff tone. Karina handed over the seal of her family.

“You’re the young lady of the Edelin household. I’ll escort you inside.”

“Thank you.”

At the guard’s gesture, the tightly closed gate swung open. Karina gave a brief nod of thanks and stepped inside.

The mansion’s grandeur was evident even from the outside, but its interior was truly magnificent. The towering, pointed architecture and the ivy-covered walls seemed to carry the weight of time itself.

Karina, who had been marveling at the sight, entered the mansion. However, as soon as she stepped into the entrance hall, the guard who had been leading the way came to an abrupt stop.

“Is there a problem?”

“I apologize. Normally, the butler should be waiting here at the entrance…”

It was only then that Karina realized the entrance hall was completely empty and glanced around.

The problem wasn’t just the absence of the butler. Upon closer inspection, the interior of the mansion was so sparse that it bordered on barren.

“I deeply apologize. Please wait here for a moment while I fetch the butler.”

“All right. I’ll wait.”

“It won’t take long. Excuse me.”

The guard quickly walked further inside without even finishing his sentence. Karina and the two knights stood idly in the entrance hall, waiting for him to return.

Fortunately, his claim that it wouldn’t take long didn’t seem to be a lie, as footsteps soon echoed from deeper within the mansion. Finally, the long-awaited butler appeared before them.

“What’s this? Who are you?”

Karina, looking slightly upward from the front, was momentarily speechless at the butler’s unusual appearance. Her long red hair, which reached an awkward length, was tangled messily, and her outfit consisted only of a shirt and a worn leather vest.

What’s more, the young beauty standing before her was unmistakably a woman. Even though her husky voice was quite low, it wasn’t enough to obscure her gender.

Looking around again, Karina confirmed that this woman was the only person present.

Karina spoke calmly, trying to rid herself of the prejudice that had taken over her mind.

“I am Karina Edelin. I’ve come to return something I borrowed.”

“Something you borrowed?”

The short question revealed an undeniable distrust. At the very least, it wasn’t the attitude of someone who had sent an invitation.

The woman rubbed her chin as if suspicious and muttered to herself in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear.

“What did she borrow? Is this about the captain?”

Karina tilted her head at the unfamiliar title, and the woman waved her hand dismissively, as if annoyed.

“Ah, whatever. You didn’t borrow it from me.”

“Pardon? … No, I didn’t.”

“Then that’s fine.”

As if their business was over, the woman turned around and began walking away. The knights’ expressions twisted in displeasure at her behavior.

Karina, stopping the knights who were about to step forward, called out to the retreating figure just as she was about to disappear.

“Excuse me.”

The woman stopped in her tracks but only turned her head to glance back.

“Then could you pass this on to Noah for me? It’s been quite some time since I borrowed it.”

When Karina pulled the handkerchief from her pocket and held it out, the woman narrowed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh, clearly irritated, before walking back toward her. Taking the handkerchief, she inspected it closely, her gaze filled with suspicion as it flickered toward Karina.

Returning something borrowed in such a manner wasn’t exactly polite, but by this point, Karina was starting to feel annoyed as well.

“Please tell him I’m sorry for using it without permission. I’ll take my leave now.”

Speaking in a firm tone, Karina immediately turned around. The knights stepped aside to let her pass, and she walked toward the exit with a slightly stiff posture.

But just as she was about to step outside the mansion—

“You’re really a hassle. Stop right there.”

The husky voice called her back. Karina turned around. The still-unfriendly butler nodded her head.

“Follow me. I’ll take you to the captain.”

***

“This is the place.”

The woman, who had led the group upstairs, stopped in front of a door and abruptly opened it. Leaving the knights stationed outside, Karina followed her inside and couldn’t believe her eyes at the sight before her.

The room was shockingly empty. All it contained were some antique windows and scattered building materials on the floor. But what truly shocked Karina wasn’t just the lack of furniture.

In the middle of the room, sitting on a sofa, was a blue-eyed dog—or rather, a wolf.

“I wouldn’t touch that if I were you.”

The woman, who had picked up a cloth to cover the windows, spoke in a nonchalant tone. Karina, who had been reaching her hand toward the sofa, quickly withdrew it.

Even though the room grew noticeably darker, the wolf’s blue eyes continued to glow vividly.

Leaving Karina alone, the woman walked over to one side of the sofa and nudged something with her foot.

“Captain, wake up.”

“Mm…”

A groggy sound, almost like sleep-talking, came from below. Karina tilted her head toward the armrest of the sofa.

A man was curled up underneath the sofa. The moment she saw his platinum blond hair brushing against the floor, Karina realized that this was the person she had been looking for.

“We have a guest. She says she’s here to return some handkerchief or whatever.”

“…”

“I said, get up.”

The woman raised her foot and firmly stepped on the man. Startled, Karina instinctively grabbed her sleeve.

“H-Hey, how can you step on someone like that?”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

“That’s the point.”

The woman replied indifferently, as if she didn’t understand why this was an issue, and then kicked his shoulder. Watching the homeowner being treated so carelessly, Karina quietly covered her mouth.

Moments later, the man, now lying on his back and staring at the ceiling, faintly twitched his eyelids.