3. The Beginning of Change
From the next day onward, Saena became dramatically brighter.
The cloud that had been hanging over her face since waking from her long slumber mysteriously lifted.
The Count, Sage, her nanny, and others were delighted by this change, but they soon found themselves faced with another concern.
It was as if her dream had suddenly shifted to becoming a gardener—every day, she would go out to the garden and obsessively care for a single tiny sprout. She was visibly anxious, worried it might wither or die.
She constantly asked the family gardener various questions and, on windy days, even set up a protective canopy around the young plant, standing guard beside it.
Everyone worried about Saena’s peculiar fixation, but since it was also true that she had brightened considerably, they decided to monitor her cautiously.
Time passed, and as autumn ripened, the Founding Festival was suddenly only a month away.
A letter arrived from Elizabeth.
[Saena,
The dress is almost finished!
If you’re feeling well, shall we go see it together? Otherwise, I can have it delivered to the Debov estate.
– Beth.]
If it had been up to her, she would have chosen to have it delivered without hesitation.
However, as fate would have it, her nanny had been with her when she read the letter, and Saena’s forced outing was promptly decided.
“This is a perfect opportunity to get some fresh air! You know you’ve been staying home far too much lately, don’t you, Miss?”
“…Alright.”
She had just recently been scolded by the gardener as well.
‘Miss, overly pampered plants actually grow weaker. The way they learn to withstand the challenges of nature—like wind and rain—is by experiencing them firsthand. Your overprotection might end up killing this plant faster.’
Saena had been nurturing the sprout out of affection, but hearing that her care might actually harm it had been a shocking revelation.
‘As much as you’re concerned about it, I’ll take good care of it. Isn’t that my job?’
The gardener had laughed heartily, kindly suggesting she stop dirtying her delicate hands with soil. It was then that Saena realized she might have been a bit too obsessive.
* * *
The promised day arrived.
Saena prepared herself appropriately and set out.
Her outing brought both worry and joy to Sage and her nanny, who repeatedly reminded her to return quickly if she felt tired.
‘Do they want me to go or not…?’
Rohaton Street.
The busiest and most luxurious street in the capital, lined with shops catering to nobles, offering everything from extravagant indulgences to everyday necessities.
Madame Charlize’s Boutique was a high-end store located at the very heart of this street. More precisely, it was one of the top three most prestigious ateliers in the city. Its entrance alone was dazzling beyond words.
‘This place…’
As Saena stepped down from the carriage and began to walk, she stopped in her tracks upon seeing the extravagant entrance.
‘I couldn’t even come near this place after I got married.’
Before her marriage, she had frequented this atelier without much thought. It was only after getting married that she realized the truth.
Everything at Madame Charlize’s Boutique was incredibly, incredibly expensive. A single dress here cost ten times more than one from another atelier.
It wasn’t just about the money. The boutique’s clientele primarily consisted of members of the imperial family or daughters of dukes and marquises. Even with money, not just anyone could enter.
Strictly speaking, as the daughter of a count, Saena could easily be turned away with the excuse, “We’re fully booked.” Of course, ‘fully booked’ was a polite way of saying, “You’re not prestigious enough.”
However, Saena had managed to have her dresses tailored by Madame Charlize.
Looking back, it was only possible because her father, Count Debov, had close business ties with Madame Charlize. The Count had exclusive trade rights for rare fabrics from the southern kingdoms, which were supplied to Madame Charlize’s Boutique.
If not for this connection, it was unlikely Madame Charlize would have accepted her as a client.
“Shall we go in, Miss?”
Saena was escorted to the entrance.
“Thank you, Sir Rupert.”
“I told you, I’m not a knight yet.”
“I’m just calling you that in advance.”
“Ugh, fine. Call me whatever you like.”
His reluctance to be knighted was plain to see.
Seeing Rupert, with his flamboyant orange curls and sullen expression, Saena chuckled softly.
“Welcome, Lady Debov. Lady Valdez has already arrived and is waiting inside.”
She’s already here? Feeling slightly surprised, Saena followed the attendant down a hallway lined with multiple reception rooms.
Even the reception rooms had their own hierarchy. The room Saena was being led to was likely one of the ‘standard’ ones.
Since the boutique catered to the highest-ranking nobles, even the standard reception rooms were extravagantly decorated. However, the VIP reception rooms were undoubtedly even more opulent.
The ones located further down the hall, with their strikingly ornate doors, were probably the VIP rooms. As Saena absentmindedly admired the intricate patterns carved into one of the doors—
Click. The door suddenly opened.
Startled, Saena flinched, feeling as though she had been caught snooping.
“Oh, who do we have here?”
To her surprise, the person emerging from the VIP room recognized her and approached with a bright expression.
“Are you feeling better now?”
A strikingly handsome young man with vivid red hair and jet-black eyes.
He stood at the boundary between boyhood and adulthood, his youthful freshness still faintly lingering despite his mature appearance.
Kayan Ackroyd.
Saena was momentarily speechless as she watched him approach.
“Saena?”
Flinching, Saena’s violet eyes widened.
Her expression, as if she were seeing something unbelievable, made Kayan’s face take on a curious look as well.
“Why are you so surprised? Did I scare you that much?”
“Miss?”
Rupert, who had been silently observing, smoothly stepped between them, creating a barrier.
Kayan raised an eyebrow at Rupert, his displeasure evident.
“Oh, Sir Rupert. It’s alright. I just… didn’t expect to see someone I know here.”
“Understood.”
Rupert, who had been standing stiffly, returned to his position beside her with a disciplined posture, his usual casual demeanor nowhere to be seen.
“I tried visiting you a few times, but I couldn’t because you weren’t accepting visitors. It’s good to see you up and about.”
His words seemed sincere, his eyes reflecting both concern and relief.
But Saena continued to stare at him with wide eyes, as if she were witnessing something extraordinary.
“…Saena?”
“Oh, sorry. It’s just…”
Saena was startled for a reason.
Yuri and Saena, being twins, had always been together. Whenever they had a friend, the three of them would usually play together.
But Kayan had primarily been Yuri’s friend.
He had first befriended Yuri and grown close to him before Saena became part of their circle. That’s why, with Yuri gone, she had assumed Kayan might not even remember her.
But her assumption was wrong. Kayan approached her without hesitation and greeted her warmly.
It left her feeling slightly flustered. Did Kayan possibly retain even a small memory of Yuri?
“Kayan, by any chance…”
“Hmm?”
“Do you, um… I mean…”
“……”
“…Do you—”
Just as she was about to ask, “Do you remember Yuri?” the door in front of her suddenly swung open.
“Oh, Saena?”
The person who had opened the door and called her name was none other than Elizabeth.
“If you’re here, why not come in?”
Elizabeth’s cheerful voice broke Saena’s train of thought.
“And who is this gentleman?”
Saena closed her mouth, her question cut off.
Kayan, who had been listening, frowned slightly when he saw her stop mid-sentence.
“Saena? Who is this?”
Elizabeth’s bright smile remained as she addressed Saena by her nickname, prompting her to introduce the man.
Realizing she had momentarily forgotten, Saena quickly composed herself.
“Inside, someone was waiting for me, and I forgot. This is Lady Elizabeth of the Valdez family.”
Without realizing it, she referred to Elizabeth as her ‘companion’ instead of her friend, but Elizabeth didn’t seem to mind.
“Hello.”
“And this is…”
Saena hesitated for a moment.
A friend? Just an acquaintance?
She wasn’t sure how to introduce Kayan. He had originally been Yuri’s friend, but what was he to her now?
Fortunately, she didn’t have to decide, as Kayan took the initiative to introduce himself.
“Hello…”
Kayan’s introduction made Elizabeth’s smile grow even brighter.
“Please, call me Beth.”
She said this with a warm smile, her eyes wrinkling.
Elizabeth was particularly skilled at this—crossing the rigid boundaries of noble etiquette ever so slightly to express friendliness.
People often found this trait of hers endearing.
“Lord Kayan, your name suits you wonderfully.”
“And you have a beautiful name as well, Lady Elizabeth.”
“Oh my, thank you.”
Saena found herself excluded from the conversation, simply watching the two interact. Yet, the thought running through her mind at that moment was oddly out of place.
Though she hadn’t lived an exceptionally long life, having returned after more than ten years, the sight of these two nineteen-year-olds exchanging polite, formal words felt more… adorable than dignified.
She felt as though she might burst out laughing. Covering her mouth with her hand, she turned her head slightly, only to meet Rupert’s gaze.
Perhaps he felt the same way, as he immediately grinned when their eyes met.
