The world outside the window was still shrouded in the blue light of dawn. Evelyn pulled her hood down low and cradled the wreath in her arms.

She had taken the flowers out of the bucket where they had been soaking overnight, trimmed their thorns, and woven them together. The blossoms, now fully open, looked neat and tidy.

“Ah……!”

She let out a small cry when a poorly trimmed thorn pierced her finger.

Quickly drawing her sleeve over her hand, she was afraid that a drop of blood might stain the petals. She could not afford to let such a minor mishap jeopardize the trust she had spent months building up at the flower shop.

After inspecting the wreath, Evelyn hurried towards the cathedral that had ordered it.

The work, which she had originally taken on just to keep herself busy before her father’s death, had become her only means of support. By now, it paid reasonably well.

She had even come to enjoy it. Being entrusted with such delicate work surely meant that they had confidence in her.

If she could continue for a few more months, she might earn enough to support herself and start paying off her debts.

After several minutes of brisk walking, the cathedral’s side door came into view. She was about to set the wreath down beside it, as she always did, when a priest she didn’t recognize approached her.

“Excuse me. Are you from Louise’s Flower Shop?”

“……Y-yes?”

“I’m sorry, but you will no longer need to deliver wreaths to us.”

“What? What do you mean……?”

The priest let out a quiet, uncomfortable sigh.

“It seems we’ve changed suppliers. Those were the instructions of the priest in charge, so I don’t know the details myself…… But please don’t worry. We’ll make sure payment for today’s delivery is sent.”

Before Evelyn could say another word, the priest took the wreath from her arms and shut the door.

“……”

She stared at the closed door for a long while before abruptly coming to her senses and turning away.

The moment she hurried into the flower shop, Madam Louise’s troubled voice greeted her.

“You’ve heard, haven’t you? We won’t be supplying the cathedral anymore. I’m quite taken aback myself. This sort of thing doesn’t usually happen……”

Evelyn’s lips parted. She had meant to ask why the cathedral had suddenly changed suppliers, but Madam Louise seemed to have only just learned of it herself.

In the end, Evelyn merely nodded. Though none of this was her fault, an inexplicable guilt crept over her.

“As you know, the cathedral accounted for half our income. Now that we’ve lost their business……”

Madam Louise’s gaze dropped to Evelyn’s hands. Faint scratches covered her pale fingers.

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I’ll have to let you go.”

A long sigh escaped her. Perhaps feeling guilty, she continued carefully.

“You can keep the entire payment from the cathedral today. Thank you for all your hard work.”

“……Yes. Thank you for everything.”

Evelyn nodded and slipped the silver coins into her pocket.

By the time she stepped outside, the blue haze of the early morning had disappeared, replaced by harsh sunlight.

Without thinking, she rubbed her scabbed fingertips.

The flower shop had paid her four louvers a week. After paying her living expenses, she had managed to save seventeen louvers in total.

She had planned to save another three this week and give Killian a total of one hundred. Now that hope had been dashed.

She stifled a gasp at the realization that all her possessions amounted to less than a single gold coin.

“I’d need to bring him at least one grand for him to take me seriously……”

For a moment, a miserable thought crossed her mind.

‘Should I just accept his offer?’

Evelyn quickly shook her head. She was determined not to be like her father and always choose the easy way out.

Steeling herself, she lowered her head and continued walking.

Every street leading to the estate was crowded.

The eyes that had once regarded her with reverence and envy now held only open contempt and curiosity. Remembering this, she pulled her hood lower.

There was no telling when the next insult would come, or what form it might take.

Only a few days earlier, an elderly woman had lunged at her, demanding that she return her son, who had been lost in the war.

Yet Evelyn doubted that the woman’s son had ever served House Lemaire. Killian was the only knight of common birth among the family’s retainers.

The elderly woman had simply found her the easiest person to blame.

“It’s all right. I’ll be fine. Something will work out. Somehow……”

Curling her throbbing fingers into her palm, Evelyn hurried on.

She could not allow her emotions to overwhelm her. She knew that all too well.

Before long, the manor came into view, standing as still as a carcass.

It was the only thing she had left.

***

As soon as Evelyn entered the manor, she began searching the study.

The reason was simple. Her father and Damian had spent more time there than anywhere else.

Most of the room’s contents had been auctioned off by her father before he died, leaving the room stripped bare. Still, there might be something left.

‘With that wretched disposition of his, surely he hid away at least one piece of gold.’

She hurriedly searched the empty drawers and ran her hands over the carpet. She even started running her fingers along the edges of the wallpaper.

Of course, the search yielded little. She found neither an ordinary fountain pen nor a single sheet of parchment.

“You miserable bastard……”

Swearing in disgust, she abandoned the search and went straight to her room.

The moment she opened the door, she headed straight for the bed in the middle of the room. With some effort, she pulled off the bedding and mattress.

Gazing down at the exposed bed frame, Evelyn searched along its edges, following a distant memory.

Then she felt a tiny groove in the smooth wooden panel. Drawing in a breath, she pressed down hard.

With a rough scraping sound, part of the frame dropped open.

“Thank goodness……”

She let out a breath of relief.

Nestled in the hollow was an old box.

Inside were the trinkets and odds and ends she had collected as a child — a time she could barely remember now.

Evelyn slowly opened the box. Among the items inside were a hairpin adorned with crystals, an embroidered silk handkerchief and an old-fashioned brooch.

“……What good is any of this?”

A frustrated sigh escaped her lips. These flimsy, useless trinkets would barely earn her enough money to buy a meal.

She continued to rummage through the box listlessly until her fingertips brushed against a soft bundle of velvet.

As she slowly unfolded it, her expression faltered.

Inside were three items: an amethyst ring that Damian had given her because its clear violet hue reminded him of her eyes; a mother-of-pearl mirror that he had brought back from his travels; and a purple sapphire necklace that he had given her for her twelfth birthday.

With trembling hands, Evelyn lifted the necklace. A gemstone the size of her thumbnail gleamed beneath a delicately crafted silver chain. The workmanship was exquisite. It would easily fetch several thousand pounds.

“Ah……d*mn it……”

‘It would have been better if Father had sold it long ago.’

Evelyn swallowed the bitterness gathering in her throat.

Although her brother had disappeared without saying a word, leaving her behind, he had also given her this small glimmer of hope. She resented him fiercely, even though she longed to see him again.

Tearing her gaze away, she stuffed the necklace and the other valuables into her pocket. Her fingers throbbed where the thorns had scratched them, but she could not bring herself to examine the wounds.

As long as she did not look, she wanted to believe that these treasures were nothing more than lifeless stones, no matter how heavily they weighed her down.

***

The next day, Evelyn went straight to a jeweler’s shop in the town center. As she laid out the pieces with trembling hands, the jeweler’s face lit up when he recognized their value.

But only for a moment.

Much to her astonishment, he then refused.

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I can’t purchase these……”

“What do you mean? Surely you’re not saying the quality is poor?”

The proprietor set down his magnifying glass and shook his head.

“Every piece is of the finest quality. While they may be slightly out of fashion, each gemstone is in excellent condition, boasts a beautiful color and is exquisitely crafted. However…”

He glanced around the shop before leaning closer to whisper in her ear.

“Most of these pieces bear the Lemaire mark. There’s already so much public anger over the duke taking his own life. Who knows what trouble I might bring upon myself if I were to buy them?”

“But these were all gifts to me. They weren’t even recorded in the ducal household’s ledgers. I assure you, there won’t be any trouble!”

He examined the jewelry for a moment longer, then set it on the table as though giving up.

“The truth is, things have been rather unsettled lately. All over town, shops have been losing suppliers and customers over the slightest things. It isn’t your fault, of course, my lady, but what can we do?”

Evelyn’s lips parted helplessly. She wanted to persuade him, but no words came.

“……If you’re truly determined, there may be a way.”

Having finished sorting the pieces, the jeweler gestured toward the table.

“This mother-of-pearl mirror, the loose gemstones, and the pearls have no markings, so I can pay you for them immediately. As for this necklace……”

He picked up the purple sapphire necklace. Its silver chain caught the light, gleaming alongside the clear gemstone.

“What would you say to removing the marked chain and selling just the sapphire? It won’t fetch the price you had in mind, but I can offer enough to see you through your immediate difficulties.”

“……”

Taking her silence for assent, the jeweler retrieved a small pair of pliers and a cloth from a drawer.

The moment the pliers touched the sapphire, she cried out.

“W-wait.”

His hands stilled.

“I’ll sell you the rest, but not the necklace. The mirror and pearls should be enough……”

She quickly gathered the necklace against her chest and looked at him. His gaze lingered on it covetously, but at her resolute expression, he finally nodded.

***

When Evelyn pushed open the jeweler’s door, the intense glow of the setting sun temporarily blinded her. Dazed, she ran her fingers over the coins in her pocket.

Sixteen grands and eight louis d’or in total.

This was equivalent to two years’ wages for a low-ranking maid, but a mere drop in the ocean compared to the tens of thousands of francs she still owed.

‘Should I just run away? This would be enough to reach some distant city and rent a little room.’

Just then, as though to thwart that temptation, a fierce gust tore back her hood.

“Ah……!”

Her red hair spilled free, rippling like flames. She was hastily reaching to pull her hood back up when—

“You vile, murderous b*tch……! I’ve finally found you! Let’s see how you like dying, you b*tch!”

An anguished shout rang out, and a sharp pain tore through her scalp.