“…Does that even make sense?”

The next morning, Ailie let out a hollow murmur as she remembered her brothers’ beaming, bright smiles.

The operation to capture the thieves had been a complete success. Contrary to their fears that a high-ranking mage might have been involved, it turned out that the culprits were just ordinary criminals. They had all been apprehended and imprisoned in the Count’s underground jail, bringing the incident to a close.

The items recovered from the hideout had been returned to the shopping district. The artisans were comparing them against their order records and personally delivering each piece to its rightful owner, so there was nothing left to worry about.

And yet, that was precisely why Ailie had been restlessly pacing around her room that morning — and it had had nothing to do with the thieves.

It was because of that — the thing her brothers were stubbornly keeping hidden, even after everything was over.

“Leaving someone this curious on purpose…”

The gift.

It was a gift that her brothers had ordered as soon as they heard their youngest sister was coming home. It was stolen en route, only to be returned to them two weeks later. Then there was the ruby brooch, which was most likely adorned with a white ribbon.

She had never been particularly materialistic. After all, she had grown up as the cherished youngest daughter of a count’s family and later become empress.

Even when her brothers told her that they had prepared a gift for her, she did not feel anticipation; rather, she felt regret that she had not prepared anything in return. She had never hoped for anything extravagant. Gratitude would have been more than enough.

Under ordinary circumstances, she wouldn’t have cared when they gave it to her.

Even when she learned that the gift had been stolen, she was more concerned for her brothers’ safety than the item itself. For the sake of the operation, she left it in the thieves’ hideout for two weeks without complaint.

And yet, after finally recovering something so precious, they insisted on unveiling it at her farewell party, just before she left Erdei.

‘That’s just mean.’

Mean!

It might not have felt quite so infuriating if they hadn’t been smiling so broadly when they said it.

Her brothers were clearly enjoying themselves far too much. They were reveling in the sight of their formerly mature Ailie, who had devoted herself to her studies with the ambition of becoming a great empress, now burning with curiosity over their gift.

“There are only five days left until the farewell party, you know?”

“…Breni, if you’re an accomplice, could you at least stay quiet?”

“I—I’m sorry!”

Right—this wasn’t something an accomplice of her brothers should be saying. Maid Breni hurriedly apologized.

When Paolo told her to switch off her communication device, Ailie had been planning to persuade her brothers. After all, it was her gift — couldn’t she just see it a little early?

But then this mischievous maid suddenly switched the device off. By the time she hurriedly turned it back on, they had already checked the gift amongst themselves.

“Honestly… when did they even have time to talk about something like that?”

“The young masters adore you, my lady. No matter how busy they are, they’re always thinking about the gift they gave you.”

“……”

“Oh—! I was supposed to stay quiet! I’m so sorry!”

When Ailie narrowed her eyes and glared at her, Breni hurriedly apologized again.

Looking at her now, it was hard to believe that she was the same maid who had once dared to shout in front of the Empress before the regression. She looked utterly clueless.

“That’s enough, that’s enough.”

“Then… am I allowed to talk now?”

“Yes, say whatever you want.”

“Thank you, my lady!”

Ailie, who had been sulking the whole time, let out a small, helpless laugh at how quickly she was thanked.

As Breni had said, she would see the gift in five days anyway.

Ailie sighed quietly and walked to the window. She had five days of holiday left. The breeze drifting in from outside was warmer than when she had first arrived in Erdei. She could feel the passage of time on her skin. The capital was colder than Erdei; once she returned, the chill would return.

‘Still… I don’t think I’ll have any regrets about Erdei now.’

The family she had missed so dearly, the servants of the estate, the streets of Erdei she’d walked with her brothers, the mansion still filled with childhood memories, and even her precious childhood friend Ricciardo.

It was enough. She wanted nothing more.

It was a shame that the pleasant vacation was ending, but the affection she had received here was more than she deserved, without a trace of regret.

“Did you know? Everyone’s busy preparing for your farewell party.”

“Already? You said it was in five days.”

“We’re seeing you off. Of course we have to do at least this much.”

It truly was affection to an excessive degree.

***

On her last day in Erdei, Ailie woke up earlier than usual.

The estate had been noisy all morning as preparations were underway for the farewell party that afternoon. She could hear multiple sets of footsteps passing her door repeatedly.

Then—thud.

The sound of something heavy being put down.

Curious, Ailie peeked out into the corridor and found a large box blocking her door. She paused, hesitating. Was it all right to open it?

That question was quickly answered.

“…Brothers?”

She’d noticed three pairs of eyes watching her from behind a corner.

Ailie let out a soft laugh as she looked at her brothers, who stubbornly refused to come out even after being discovered.

Fine, fine. She’d pretend she didn’t notice.

She pressed the lock, and the box opened easily.

“This is…”

The moment she saw the contents, she understood why her brothers had insisted on hiding the gift until the farewell party.

Unable to suppress the smile rising to her lips, Ailie lifted the item from the box.

It was a dress.

A brilliant red dress that would be perfect for the farewell party.

The deep, calm shade of red was not overly flashy, yet it was undoubtedly a color that would stand out at a gathering. White lace frills adorned the neckline and sleeves, and a large red ribbon drew the eye.

The luxurious fabric shimmered faintly and the jewels embedded within it were clearly of the highest quality. The dress was certainly valuable enough to tempt thieves.

It would look beautiful paired with the ruby brooch, which was adorned with a white ribbon. Having never seen it in person, she could only imagine what it would look like.

“Thank you so much, brothers. I’ll wear it gratefully to the party.”

“……”

“I’ll treasure it.”

Even though they knew they had been discovered, they didn’t respond.

Ailie showed the dress off in the corner for a moment, turning it this way and that, before slipping back into her room. Soon after, she heard her brothers clapping.

They were probably boasting to each other about how hard they had worked on the dress.

Soon afterwards, their footsteps echoed as they headed downstairs.

Ailie carefully laid the dress on the bed and left her room. There was still time before the party, and she wanted to spend it quietly in the study.

The coachman was due to arrive at sunset. They would probably leave for the imperial capital at dawn. Given the distance between Erdei and the capital, Benate would probably return at around the same time as her.

“Haah…”

Ailie let out a long sigh.

She had been feeling much better since telling Ricciardo the truth, but even so, when she recalled that cold face, a tightness still crept into her chest. There was nothing she could do about that yet.

Still, this too would pass someday. One day, she would be able to forget Benate completely.

When she opened the door to the study, a familiar head of red hair caught her eye.

“Ric? You were in the study this early?”

“Oh—Ailie.”

In addition to the book he’d been reading, five or six others were stacked on the desk. Had he planned to read until the party began? He looked nothing like the troublemaking boy he’d been as a child.

“I woke up early.”

“It’s been noisy outside, hasn’t it? Because of the party preparations.”

“A little. But I slept well.”

His voice was calmer than usual, and his complexion looked bright. Ricciardo was leaving with Erdei tonight too, but he didn’t look tired. That was a relief.

As Ailie sat down in the chair opposite him, he closed the book he had been reading. His eyes crinkled as he smiled softly; he looked warm and friendly.

“How was your vacation?”

“It was good. I got to see you again after so long, and my family too.”

“I enjoyed it as well. It’s been a long time since we last saw each other.”

“Yeah. Six years, wasn’t it?”

A full six years.

And yet, strangely enough, despite being apart for so long, Ricciardo didn’t feel awkward or unfamiliar at all.

A friend who seemed as though he would greet her with the same smile even if they met again ten, twenty years later. She loved that unchanging kindness. She was deeply grateful that he had stayed by her side until the very end of her vacation in Erdei.

“Thank you for coming to Erdei.”

“Why say that all of a sudden?”

“You even postponed going to Alvaro to come here. You were on your way back from studying abroad.”

“Well….”

Ricciardo laughed awkwardly, scratching his cheek.

Then, as if turning something over in his mind, he rolled his dark eyes and spoke carefully.

“Ailie. If it’s all right… could you spare me a little time?”

“I’ve got plenty of time. Why?”

“There’s something I want to talk about. I thought I’d do it before the party.”

“Something to talk about?”

Ailie nodded. There was still time before the farewell party and she knew that, more than anything, after today she wouldn’t have another chance to talk to Ricciardo.

Nevertheless, a sense of unease began to grow in the depths of her heart.

The fact that he was bringing it up so carefully suggested that it wasn’t something he could say just anywhere.

‘Is this because of what I told him back then?’

When she had confessed that she’d seen the emperor take a mistress.

Did he still have something more to say beyond the answer he’d given her then?

What if he was going to tell her now, belatedly, that Benate had been right and she had been wrong?

“Then… could we talk outside? It’s a bit hard to say in front of my family. I’ll explain everything to them later, but….”

“…All right. Let’s do that.”

“Ailie.”

Had hesitation crept into her brief reply without her realizing it?

At the sudden sound of her name, Ailie looked up at Ricciardo, her eyes wide.

What was he about to say?

His dark eyes were fixed steadily on her.

After a brief silence, Ricciardo spoke in a calm voice.

“I’ll be on your side.”

“……”

“I’ll keep doing so. My heart won’t change. I promise.”

Her pale, rose-colored eyes trembled with fine ripples.

To be honest, even if Ricciardo were to say that he couldn’t believe her after all, she wouldn’t entirely blame him. After all, she had already received his trust, however briefly, and even that short-lived trust had given her strength.

But Ricciardo repeated himself.

He would be on her side.

‘I worried for nothing.’

It really had been a pointless worry.

A deep sense of relief slowly seeped into her chest.

“So don’t worry. And listen to what I have to say.”