“…I.”

“I just don’t want to live like before.”

Recalling Rayenne’s fiercely sharp violet eyes, Dante stopped walking.

As Dante stood motionless in front of the crown prince’s room, which he’d habitually come to, the royal guard standing watch at the door called out to him.

“Will you be entering?”

“Of course.”

When Dante, who’d snapped back to his senses, answered with a smile, the royal guard shouted toward the room in a voice not too loud.

“Your Highness, Lord Dante Droit has arrived.”

There was no response to the announcement. Nevertheless, the guard opened the door, seemingly accustomed to this.

Dante entered the crown prince’s room without showing even a hint of nervousness, and as soon as the door closed, he flopped down on the sofa.

Throughout this entire process, though he’d neither watched anyone’s reaction nor received anyone’s permission, the crown prince, Shuga Cuffs, who had been sitting at his desk, approached the sofa with a smile.

“You haven’t come in a while—what brings you here today?”

“The wind always blows. What matters is who started that wind.”

“That’s true.”

Shuga sat on the opposite sofa, poured tea into a cup, and handed it to Dante.

Even while receiving tea personally poured by the crown prince, Dante never bothered to straighten his posture.

“What’s the problem?”

Only after pouring his own share of tea and taking a sip did Shuga ask the question.

“That’s what I’m wondering. What is the problem?”

After giving a lukewarm answer and drinking his tea, Dante’s gaze finally turned to Shuga.

“Maybe I just like that hair color?”

“Is this a riddle now?”

“No, just talking to myself.”

With the teacup still at his lips, Shuga chuckled. A faint ripple spread across the surface of the tea.

“There can’t be many with that hair color.”

This time there was no answer from Dante.

Nevertheless, Shuga found a clue in his old friend’s words.

“So the wind started with the Duchess of Daihan?”

Shuga’s head tilted as he easily found the answer.

“Were those two originally acquainted? Other than being academy classmates…”

Dante suddenly looked at Shuga, who was lost in thought.

“The fact that Rayenne and I are classmates is something even the crown prince knows.”

That was also puzzling.

Dante was certain that Rayenne knew they were academy classmates.

But the Rayenne he’d just spoken with seemed completely unaware.

“How is that possible?”

The more he spoke, the more he thought about it, the more he felt trapped in questions.

There was no way the two didn’t know each other.

From the day they entered the academy until graduation, their rankings had always been written side by side.

Dante had always been first at the academy, and Rayenne had always been second. For five years, no one else had entered those positions, and their places had never switched.

But Rayenne had acted like she didn’t know Dante at all. Like she’d forgotten that time.

“Can a person manipulate their memories just by resolving to live differently?”

“I haven’t understood a single thing you’ve been saying.”

Shuga’s grumbling about not knowing why Dante had even come here didn’t reach Dante this time either.

***

Knock knock.

“My lady. May I come in?”

At the youthful voice that came with the knocking, Rayenne’s eyes flew open.

“When did I fall asleep?”

Since she’d heard it in her sleep, Rayenne listened carefully.

Fortunately, the knocking sounded again.

“My lady, the master is calling for you.”

“Ah, yes. Come in.”

Recalling Jin’s words about sending someone later, Rayenne quickly sat up.

In the meantime, the door opened and a maid with a youthful face entered, stood before Rayenne, and bowed her head.

“It’s my first time meeting you, my lady. I’m the maid Velma.”

Velma was a girl with attractive reddish-brown hair and fair skin slightly tanned by the sun.

Seeing Velma blush shyly as she greeted her, a smile naturally bloomed on Rayenne’s lips.

“Nice to meet you, Velma.”

“Yes, I’m also plea—pleased to meet you, my lady!”

Velma beamed and brightened, seemingly very happy to be greeted in return.

“The master asked me to escort you to the dining room.”

She’d clearly learned a maid’s bearing and manner of speech, but it obviously wasn’t yet ingrained in her.

However, the fact that she was consciously trying to act demurely was so obvious it made her look even cuter.

When Rayenne let out a chuckle and got up from the bed, Velma’s tension was plainly visible as she didn’t know what to do.

“Is there anything I can help you with while you prepare?”

“It’s fine, so will you sit and wait for me, Miss Velma?”

When Rayenne smiled kindly, Velma’s face turned bright red and she sat on the sofa in the middle of the room.

After washing her face and just changing clothes—truly nothing for Velma to help with—Rayenne stood before Velma again.

“Shall we go now?”

Following Rayenne’s bright smile, Velma also bloomed into a grin.

***

When Jin was almost finished with his meal, Rayenne put down her fork and asked.

“Are you going to the imperial palace today too?”

“Yes.”

A beat after his answer, Jin lifted his head to look at Rayenne.

Rayenne fidgeted as she gripped the teacup handle.

“May I go with you again today?”

An immediate answer came back, making her furtive glance feel pointless.

“Please do.”

“When are you leaving?”

Rayenne wouldn’t mind even if he said right now.

“If you prepare, I’ll come to your room.”

‘Is there something to bring from the room?’

It was just a small question that flitted through her mind.

But it was literally just a stray thought, so Rayenne quickly brushed it aside and nodded.

Today Jin stood up first, and Rayenne followed, the two parting ways in front of the dining room.

“If you’re going to the imperial palace, time will be tight.”

Had she been waiting all along? Velma suddenly appeared before climbing the stairs and took the lead as she spoke.

But to Rayenne, these were incomprehensible words.

“Did His Grace say we’re leaving now?”

That was the only reason Rayenne could think of for time being tight.

Velma, who had boldly climbed the stairs, pressed herself against the wall when they reached the corridor and answered.

“He hasn’t said anything specific yet.”

“Hmm… Then why is time tight?”

Rayenne was planning to brush her hair once and pack a notebook and writing implements for taking notes.

When Rayenne reached the corridor, Velma clenched both fists and took the lead again.

From beyond the back of her head with hair neatly braided up, a voice unable to hide its excitement came.

“Because you’re entering the imperial palace! The noblewomen and nobles who frequent the palace, and even the palace courtiers—they’re all so nitpicky and full of gossip!”

The solemn tone she’d been maintaining until just moments ago was completely gone.

Not knowing that Rayenne was barely holding back laughter, Velma burned with determination.

“I can’t let our lady be looked down upon at the imperial palace! So please let me help you as much as I can by your side, my lady!”

When they arrived in front of the room where Jin and Rayenne stayed, Velma spun around, clasped both hands together, and pleaded.

How many people could refuse such earnest, desperate, kind eyes?

Rayenne answered like she was entranced.

“Alright. I’m counting on you, Velma.”

It was the moment Velma’s brown eyes sparkled brightly.

***

‘Sparkling, shining, lustrous hair! A smooth neckline subtly revealed between softly waving hair! The harmony of abundant hair like the night sky and skin like the milky way! The silk fabric of the cream-colored dress that seems modest but maximizes your pure charm accentuates your figure, completing a graceful beauty!’

She’d been so startled by the lengthy explanation pouring out like it had been prepared in advance.

Rayenne, sitting in the swaying carriage, recalled Velma clapping with a pleased face after finishing the preparations for going out.

Rayenne, who had inwardly thought she just needed to dress neatly, had to admit her thinking had been naive when she actually saw herself in the mirror.

Her reflection in the mirror was, just as Velma said, the perfect duchess—neither too modest nor too flashy.

While marveling at how different the feeling could be from just one outfit, she wondered why in the original story no one had loved someone this pretty.

That thought deepened when she looked at Jin sitting across from her.

“What’s wrong?”

Rayenne hadn’t realized she’d been staring at him until Jin asked, and only then did she startle and look away.

“Ah! No. I was just thinking about something for a moment.”

Unlike Rayenne, who had looked away, Jin rather kept his eyes on Rayenne.

“…Did the maid I saw earlier help you prepare to go out?”

It must have looked quite different from yesterday to him as well.

Since Jin had encountered Velma when he came to the room to get Rayenne, he would have easily guessed she’d helped.

“Yes. She said she wanted to help me prepare, so I let her. Don’t I look quite like a duchess now?”

“Yesterday too.”

“Pardon?”

The words had come out so quietly that Rayenne didn’t catch them the first time and asked again.

“You looked like a duchess yesterday too.”

These were words she hadn’t expected to hear from Jin.

When she stared at him blankly, he slowly turned his head to look out the window.

While she stared blankly, unable to figure out what to say in response, the carriage stopped.

“Take my hand.”

Jin, who had stepped down from the carriage with a large stride, extended his hand.

When Rayenne took his hand and got out of the carriage, the coachman drove off again with the carriage.

At the same time, Jin also started walking, but the problem was that the two were still holding hands.

Even when she tried to subtly pull away, Jin’s grip was quite strong—she’d have to deliberately twist her hand to pull it free.

“Wouldn’t it look more natural if I linked arms instead?”

When she put strength into her hand along with her words, this time it slipped out smoothly and naturally. Jin had given silent permission.

But actually linking arms felt awkward too, so she just watched for his reaction when Jin stopped abruptly.

“Didn’t you say it would look more natural to link arms?”

‘This sounds like he’s telling me to hurry up and link arms.’

No matter how much she rolled her eyes to examine Jin’s face, there was still nothing she could discern.