As Raflia spoke, she became immersed in memories of Henwood School, which was now closed.

Sunlight streaming into the school building and cypress trees swaying in the gentle breeze. Chirping birds and friends.

Rain smiled along with her.

“Tell me more, Miss Rozantin. For example, about your best friend.”

Best friend…

Raflia, lost in thought, seemed to recall someone and began speaking.

“I had a friend we nicknamed Bunny. Her face was cute like a rabbit, and she was smarter and wiser than me.”

Bunny was beloved by not only the teachers but also the principal. This friend had gotten into trouble just once.

It was summer. Summers in Henwood were hot and dry. Children loved to go to the stream to fish or splash around.

Among them, mischievous boys would sometimes throw a few frogs into the girls’ school classroom and run away.

There was an elderly school caretaker who would quietly clean up the frogs each time. The old man lived and ate in the boiler room, which gave him a musty smell. Combined with his rough appearance, some children avoided him.

One day, the old man caught a summer cold. The principal said that someone who couldn’t work was unnecessary and tried to fire him without waiting for his recovery.

Since the old man was gruff and unfriendly, no one actively objected to the principal’s decision.

Except for one person—Bunny.

Bunny refused to attend classes or meals. At first, the teachers thought it was just a tantrum from a girl in her early teens. But after two days, they realized the seriousness of the situation. By then, Raflia had joined in too.

The principal’s reaction was “How dare they.” He ordered the teachers to punish the children with corporal punishment and make them stand all day holding water buckets. He instructed the other students to completely ignore the two girls.

During the day, everyone seemed to follow the principal’s orders. But after staying up all night, the two girls’ palms, which had been struck with canes, were treated with medicine and bandages, and their appearance, which should have been a mess, was well-maintained.

Fortunately, before the two girls collapsed from exhaustion, the old man recovered his health and returned to school. After hearing their story, he said he would forfeit a month’s salary.

Only then did the principal permit his reinstatement. Instead, the principal suspended the two girls for half a month.

The two girls, who had been known as the most exemplary students in the school, thus became delinquents.

During their half-month suspension, they followed the caretaker around the school, helping with his work.

While helping him, Raflia understood why Bunny had protested so actively. The old man was quietly managing the school for the students more than anyone else.

Planting flowers with each season, chasing away neighborhood boys who approached the school, fixing broken furniture, collecting garbage…

Once, Raflia asked Bunny if she had been afraid of the principal. She replied:

“I was afraid. But if I had remained silent, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life. The price of my silence would have fallen on my beloved family and friends. And thanks to it, I realized the love of friends like you and our teachers.”

After hearing Raflia’s story, Rain covered her mouth with both hands, as if moved.

“That friend Bunny sounds like a wonderful person. Do you still keep in touch? I’d like to meet her sometime.”

At those words, Raflia just smiled faintly.

“Oh right. Mother, Miss Rozantin. There’s something I haven’t told you. I met Miss Gaskell today, and she said the Queen has invited me to a banquet she’s hosting.”

She said an invitation from the royal palace would arrive at the house soon.

It was surprising news. The Queen—someone who was said to associate only with prestigious nobles even among the upper class.

‘I’ve heard the Petre Royal Palace is so magnificent…’

While Rain chattered excitedly, Raflia took a sip of water, thought for a moment, and smiled slightly.

There was no point in imagining it; it had nothing to do with her anyway.

Rain emphasized that her mother must accompany her this time.

“I don’t know… I’m too embarrassed to face people.”

She pressed her head with one hand.

“Mother, actually, Her Majesty the Queen gave some advice about that.”

“What?”

Rain’s voice grew quieter. Mrs. Raihenders glanced uncomfortably at Raflia.

Raflia took another sip of water, then stood up and said:

“Please speak freely. I’ll excuse myself now.”

Rublia nodded and said politely:

“Yes. You’ve had a long journey, so go early and rest.”

* * *

Bang-!

A gunshot echoed like thunder through the coniferous forest.

From a distance, a servant made an X sign with his hands.

Lord Resford pulled his horse next to Duke Bronski.

“Your mood seems to be getting complicated.”

He said with a grin.

Duke Bronski raised his gaze to the sky. The birds he had aimed at flew away peacefully as if nothing had happened.

In the early morning, the sunlight sparkled irritatingly.

“Your heart must be fluttering at the thought of getting married again.”

Torio snickered along with Lord Resford.

The victory commemoration banquet hosted by the Queen was just two months away. That meant the Duke had exactly two months left to enjoy his freedom as a single man.

The Duke frowned.

“I know who the new Duchess Bronski will be.”

Torio said.

“How?”

When Lord Resford asked, Torio wiped his rifle with a cloth and replied:

“My wife is the gossip of gossips. She was making such a fuss at home, saying it’s a story known only to a select few in society.”

Torio recalled his wife who had sat beside him all last evening, chirping like a sparrow.

“Who is it?”

“The youngest daughter of Mr. Raihenders, I think…”

He tried to recall the dinner conversation from his hazy memory. In truth, he hadn’t focused on his wife’s stories, just mechanically chewed and swallowed his food like feeding fodder to livestock.

“Raihenders?”

Lord Resford repeated.

“I don’t know much either. I heard he’s wealthy, but these days there are too many bastards who go around bragging about their wealth.”

The three men left their horses and rifles with the servants and began walking slowly. The cool early morning air cooled the heat of the hunt.

“Lesion, aren’t you curious? I heard this woman is a bit strange too.”

‘Whether she’s strange or not, what do I care?’

Lesion removed his leather gloves and crumpled them into his coat pocket. In any case, the woman who would become the new Duchess had already been decided elsewhere.

When they returned to the mansion after the hunt, a simple lunch was prepared.

After a meal of toasted bread topped with ham, cheese, and olives, they went straight to the library in the mansion.

Barbara, who managed the Bronski mansion in Petre, said she had cleaned the library while they were out hunting.

“I opened the windows for ventilation, so please close them after about 10 minutes.”

She instructed the idle gentlemen before leaving to attend to her duties.

Bright sunlight was streaming into the library. The white chiffon curtains floated gently in the air.

A vase of fresh freesias sat on the mahogany desk and sofa table.

Torio flopped down on the sofa and said:

“Back to work tomorrow… how unlucky.”

Lesion smiled faintly at that.

“Your wife complains that you’re unemployed, doesn’t she?”

“That would be better…”

Lesion leaned back on the central sofa and lit another cigarette, while Lord Resford opened a newspaper that was on the table.

He was looking to see what new rumors were circulating about their Duke Bronski.

Oh, he stared at a small obituary in a corner of the newspaper.

“Bottom Herriot has died.”

Torio sat up abruptly.

“Natural causes?”

“It says he passed away peacefully in his sleep.”

“Wow. That disastrous engagement was his last supper then.”

He laughed as if amused.

“Yes, at least the old man obsessed with women didn’t die a shameful death. He saved his sons some face before departing.”

Lord Resford commented with indifference as he turned to the next page.

“That household will be noisy for a while because of the inheritance. I heard rumors that the will was changed because of that incident.”

“Then thanks to being thrown out, that illegitimate girl was spared from seeing something ugly.”

“The world is topsy-turvy,” Torio muttered as he lay back down on the sofa.

The library grew quiet again. In the warm sunlight, Torio gradually closed his eyes. The sound of turning pages could be heard occasionally, along with the smell of Lesion’s cigarette smoke.

He exhaled, blowing out smoke. Through the smoke, he recalled that small girl who had been sobbing.

While inside she had spoken her position so clearly, outside she had cried pitifully as if she had experienced all the world’s misfortunes.

He remembered that strange, sweet fragrance that had mingled with cigarette smoke when the wind blew in the garden that night.

He gave a small snort.

Still regrettable?

He found it amusing that he had momentarily pitied that small woman. That meager compassion had led to unnecessary violence.

The Herriot family had been expanding their political influence by sponsoring Burkin Party politicians for years, and Duke Bronski had wanted to get a hold on them.

Lord Resford had asked if he was trying to discover something more through violence when he already knew all of the Herriot family’s eldest son’s shameful secrets.

At that time, he had answered “Yes.” Even he thought the violence had nothing to do with that woman.

‘Does she know? That unintentionally, she’s been wandering around in my head. Like a mosquito in a dark room, making an irritating buzzing sound.’

Duke Bronski recalled the woman’s contemptuous gaze directed at him.

He had received contempt and disgust from various people, starting with his father, but it was the first time he had been hated so unjustly.

Even though she was a woman he would never see again, and he wanted to stop caring, he kept remembering that fragrance from the garden.

And during the days since parting from her, Lesion had felt severe thirst and smoked even more cigarettes.

What could be the reason?

He couldn’t give himself a definite answer.

‘Should I do drugs?’ He thought as he exhaled smoke into the air.

* * *

It had already been a month since Raflia came to the Raihenders household. Contrary to the staff’s concerns, Raflia and Future Raihenders got along quite well.

It was thanks to Raflia making several outfits for Future’s friend Penny.

She enjoyed the process of becoming friends with Future. Future was honest, and Raflia treated her with sincerity.

Snip, snip, the sound of flower-arranging scissors echoed through the living room. Future was trimming flowers with a dark expression.

Though it was called trimming, she was so absent-minded that she completely cut off the pink flower head of a lisianthus.

“Miss Future.”

Raflia put down the book she was reading and placed her hand on Future’s shoulder.

“Tomorrow… my sister told me not to come out even if I die.”

Future held Raflia’s hand.

“Would you like to go upstairs and rest a bit?”

She shook her head.

“I want to make a bouquet.”

After saying that, she straightened her posture and held another flower. The smooth stem drooped in Future’s hand as leaves fell away with each snip, snip of the scissors.

Raflia thought it looked as if the flower’s limbs were being cut off.

Now the flower had to survive solely on its beauty, without roots or leaves to receive nutrients.

She picked up her book again, but couldn’t focus on it.

She had been worried all along as well.

Early that morning, Rain Raihenders, stressed from somewhere, had burst into her sister’s room and lashed out wildly.

“Because of an idiot like you… why should I suffer like this…!”

While saying this, Rain had tried to grab and tear Penny. Fortunately, Penny wasn’t damaged thanks to Raflia, who had rushed in after hearing the commotion.

Rain Raihenders often took out the stress she received from outside on her sister. Mrs. Raihenders merely looked the other way.

Snip, snip, the sound of scissors quietly echoed through the living room.

Raflia raised her gaze to look at Future’s face. The face she had thought resembled the morning sun was now frowning and on the verge of tears.