Chapter 1.3

When she returned to the Duke’s mansion by carriage, the nanny Margaret and Elisabeth were waiting for her.  

“Hildeltrud, where have you been? Do you know how worried Mother and I were?”  

Looking at their insincere expressions, Hildeltrud responded with an equally fake smile.  

“I went to buy jewelry.”  

“Jewelry?”  

“Yes, His Highness’s birthday is coming up soon. I thought of making cufflinks as a gift.”  

“Then you should’ve waited and gone with me. Why go alone?”  

“I heard you and the nanny went to the temple to pray for me, so I hurried to buy it. I worried you might wait for me.”  

Elisabeth, pleased by the compliment, puffed herself up.  

“You should be grateful to me. Do you know how hard Mother and I prayed for you at the temple?”  

“Of course, I’m deeply thankful.”  

“Pfft, just words?”  

Elisabeth grabbed Hildeltrud’s arm and shook it playfully, looking at her expectantly.  

“Of course not. For His Highness’s birthday banquet, let’s also commission a dress for you. The designer is visiting tomorrow.”  

Elisabeth’s face lit up.  

“Really?”  

“Really.”  

Elisabeth hugged Hildeltrud tightly.  

“You’re the best. No one compares to you.”  

Hildeltrud hadn’t forgotten what had happened at Edgar’s birthday banquet.  

Reflecting on it, she was certain Elisabeth had orchestrated the incident intentionally.  

This year’s birthday banquet seemed like a unique opportunity for Hildeltrud.  

***

At Silver Moon’s base.  

Cain removed his mask and snapped his fingers.  

“Release.”  

Instantly, Cain’s extravagant appearance vanished, revealing a completely different person.  

His flowing red hair, pale white skin, and piercing golden eyes gleamed sharply.  

Moreover, his well-trained physique appeared robust and structured.  

“Why are you looking at me like that, Roel?”  

“I don’t understand what you just did, Your Highness.”  

Your Highness? What was going on here?  

“Prince Kiserian, Your Highness, I need an explanation.”  

“Is that curiosity as the guild’s deputy master or as Kiserian Lute Azerta’s aide?”  

“Both. What you did was unbecoming of royalty, Your Highness.”  

Kiserian reclined on the sofa, his expression arrogant as he crossed his legs.  

His golden eyes curved into crescent shapes.  

“I’ve finally met her.”  

“Met her?”  

Roel looked at Kiserian with a baffled expression.  

“I’m in love with the Duke’s daughter, Hildeltrud.”  

Roel’s eyes widened in disbelief.  

“Your Highness, have you gone mad?”  

“No, I’m perfectly sane.”  

“But Lady Hildeltrud is the fiancée of the Crown Prince.”  

“I know.”  

“And yet you claim to love her?”  

“Yes, I truly love her.”  

Roel waved his hands dismissively, refusing to accept this.  

“This must be a dream. Please tell me this is a dream.”  

“It’s not a dream. Snap out of it, Roel.”  

Roel’s face turned incredulous.  

“Did you demand such absurd terms because of your love for her?”  

“Yes. I wanted to see her up close.”  

“So it wasn’t mage curiosity?”  

“Do I look foolish enough to confuse curiosity with love?”  

“Well, no. But I’m worried about you, Your Highness. A forbidden love…”  

“Forbidden love suits me perfectly.”  

“Ha… When did this even start?”  

“A very long time ago. Long enough to turn back time.”  

“Then why…”  

“Why didn’t I confess?”  

At Roel’s question, Kiserian chuckled lightly and replied indifferently.  

“Because she didn’t love me. She loved Edgar. I didn’t want to confess my one-sided love to her.”  

So he had always watched from afar, wishing for her happiness.  

Roel stared intently at Kiserian’s face.  

His smile carried genuine sincerity.  

Because of that, Roel felt uneasy.  

“So this time, I plan to change things.”  

“Change things?”  

“Yes. I’ll do anything for her.”  

“You’re serious, aren’t you?”  

“I am.”  

Roel sighed deeply once more, envisioning the hardships that lay ahead for him.  

***

The next day, Hildeltrud finished breakfast early and moved to the parlor to meet the designer.  

Margaret and Elisabeth were already waiting there.  

“Hildeltrud, come here.” 

“You’re early.”  

“I couldn’t sleep, thinking about choosing a dress for the birthday banquet.”  

Indeed, Elisabeth seemed very excited.  

Soon, the designer Kirsten entered the parlor.  

Kirsten was a designer who had risen to fame thanks to the Duke of Astros’ sponsorship.  

Out of gratitude, Kirsten had expressed her desire to prioritize creating clothes for the Ducal household, becoming their exclusive designer.  

Of course, she was also permitted to design for other nobles.  

“Good morning, Lady Hildeltrud.”  

“Welcome, Kirsten.”  

“I heard you were unwell. Are you feeling better?”  

“Yes, I’ve recovered thanks to your concern.”  

“That’s good to hear.”  

“By the way, are we also commissioning a dress for Miss Elisabeth?”  

“Yes, I suggested it.”  

Kirsten briefly looked at Hildeltrud with a pitying expression before nodding.  

“Understood. Would you like to look at the sketches first?”  

Kirsten showed Hildeltrud the sketchbook she had brought.  

Each of Kirsten’s designs was truly remarkable.  

“As expected, Kirsten, your designs are amazing.”  

“You flatter me.”  

“Let me see!”  

As Elisabeth reached out for the sketchbook, Kirsten stopped her and handed her a different one.  

“Miss, please choose from this sketchbook.”  

“Why? Can’t I see that one?”  

Kirsten spoke firmly.  

“The sketchbook Lady Hildeltrud is viewing contains designs exclusive to the Ducal household. They are created solely for the Duke’s family.”  

Elisabeth’s hand trembled as she held the sketchbook.  

Margaret approached and consoled Elisabeth.  

“Elisabeth, calm down. You can’t expect to be equal to Lady Hildeltrud.”  

Meanwhile, Margaret subtly glanced at Hildeltrud.  

Watching their behavior, Hildeltrud chuckled lightly and turned to Kirsten.  

“Kirsten, let Elisabeth choose from this sketchbook too.”  

“But…”  

“It’s fine. I’ve given permission. Father won’t mind either.”  

At Hildeltrud’s words, Kirsten sighed.  

“If that’s the case, I can’t refuse.”  

Hildeltrud gestured to Elisabeth.  

“Elisabeth, let’s choose together.”  

Elisabeth smiled brightly and tossed aside the sketchbook Kirsten had handed her before clinging to Hildeltrud.  

As Elisabeth looked at the sketches and selected a design, she seemed genuinely happy.  

“I’ll choose this one.”

Hildeltrud chose the most modest design among the sketches.  

On the other hand, Elisabeth selected a flashy design.  

“I want this one! And I think it would be nice to decorate it with emeralds here.”  

“Yes, it would really suit your glamorous blonde hair.”  

Hildeltrud handed the sketch to Kirsten and had her measurements taken again.  

It seemed she had lost a bit of weight due to her illness, so her measurements needed to be updated.  

“Your measurements are complete. I’ll see you on the fitting day.”  

“Yes, I’ll leave it to you.”  

Kirsten bowed politely and left the parlor.  

Hildeltrud leaned back on the sofa, her face showing signs of exhaustion.  

Then Elisabeth began criticizing Kirsten.  

“Kirsten is so arrogant, isn’t she?”  

“Well, I’m not sure.”  

“The way Kirsten looked at me was really unpleasant.”  

“Was it?”  

“Yes. It made me feel terrible.”  

“Kirsten isn’t usually like that. You must have misunderstood.”  

“No, you wouldn’t understand.”  

“I also found her attitude disrespectful, Lady Hildeltrud.”  

Margaret chimed in from the side.  

“If that’s the case, I’ll talk to her about it. Cheer up, Elisabeth.”  

“All right.”  

Unable to bear staying in the same space with them any longer, Hildeltrud stood up.  

“I’ll go rest now.”  

“Are you going to do that?”  

“Yes. You should rest too.”  

“That would be best. You’ve had a tiring day.”  

“Take this and go out with the nanny to eat something nice. You must be tired from choosing your dress too.”  

When Hildeltrud handed Margaret a pouch of gold coins, Margaret looked apologetic.  

“You didn’t have to do this, Lady Hildeltrud.”  

Although Margaret said it was fine with an apologetic face, she didn’t refuse the money.  

“Thank you, Hildeltrud! You’re really the best!”  

Elisabeth clasped Hildeltrud’s hands tightly with both of hers.  

“Rest well, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”  

“Yes.”  

Hildeltrud forced herself to smile brightly, maintaining her expression.  

She had to ensure they were completely deceived.  

***

A week later, Friday.  

Hildeltrud visited Silver Moon as promised.  

It seemed they already knew she would come, as a store clerk guided her to an inner room.  

When the door opened and she stepped inside, Hildeltrud was startled.  

Sitting on the sofa was someone she hadn’t expected at all.  

His fiery red hair and golden eyes symbolized the Imperial Family’s lineage.  

Kiserian Lute Azerta.  

He was the Empire’s 2nd Prince.  

Before her regression, after the Crown Prince Edgar ascended as Emperor, Kiserian had disappeared.  

No one knew where he had gone, leading to rampant speculation.  

Hildeltrud had only met him a handful of times, so she had little information about him.  

What she knew was that he was capable but considered a tragic prince.  

“How is it that you are here, Your Highness…?”  

“I came for business. I didn’t expect to see you in a place like this, Lady Hildeltrud.”  

Hildeltrud hid her flustered expression and greeted him respectfully.  

“No need for formalities. It seems the Master is absent. Would you care to join me for tea in the meantime?”  

Hildeltrud had no choice but to have tea with him.  

“The Master said he’d be slightly late. He mentioned a guest arriving at 3 and asked me to keep them company for a bit.”  

“I see.”  

“Please, have some. The aroma is delightful.”  

Kiserian poured tea and placed the cup in front of Hildeltrud.  

A fragrant floral scent wafted from the teacup.  

“Flower tea, I see.”  

Hildeltrud lifted the teacup and took a sip.  

The pleasant aroma filled her mouth, lifting her mood.  

Just as Kiserian had said, the tea’s fragrance was exquisite.