The crimson sky should have been casting its warm glow over a party in full swing by now. But the sight of several carriages leaving the estate at once could only mean one thing.

“It seems the host has decided to end the party.”

Calix watched them silently from behind. He understood why Ciela deliberately changed the subject, but every time he saw her slender arms, the worry in his throat became harder to suppress.

Instead of voicing it a second time, he took a step forward and stood beside her. Now that he could stay by her side in his human form, he knew he could protect her – just as he had done today.

Looking at the same scene she was looking at, he broke the silence.

“The atmosphere was not conducive to continuing the party.”

Calix’s brow furrowed in displeasure as he recalled the events of the banquet hall. His voice, cold as ice, resonated deeply.

“It was certainly lively, wasn’t it?”

Though he regretted not being able to see their faces twist at the end.

Ciela propped her elbow on the windowsill and rested her chin in her hand.

“It won’t be long now before we reveal the nature of our relationship.”

“I will expedite the preparations.”

“I’m counting on you.”

As he assured her to leave it to him, Calix studied her profile. Her gaze, which had followed the line of carriages, was now fixed on an empty space. Her eyes, unfocused, suggested she was lost in thought.

“I look forward to this moment.”

Ciela murmured softly with a beaming smile, her upturned eyes wrinkling with delight. It was the first time she had shown such a bright, toothy smile in her human form, and the sight made Calix unconsciously smile along with her.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Just thinking about it makes my heart flutter.”

“Hearing such words from Miss Ciela really makes me feel like we’re in a relationship.”

“We are in a relationship.”

For a moment Calix forgot to breathe.

Even though I know she didn’t mean it…

Blaming the warm breeze that blew past, he opened his big hand and covered his face. But he couldn’t hide the tips of his ears, which were as red as the sunset reflected in the window. Barely able to exhale the breath he had been holding in, he began to slowly lower his hand from his face.

“Three years.”

The wind, which had seemed warm only moments before, suddenly whipped through with a biting chill. Calix ran a hand roughly through his dishevelled hair and echoed her words in agreement.

“Well, in three years our relationship will be over.”

“That’s right.”

“Because we’ll be married by then.”

“Yes. …What?”

What had Calix just said? Lost in her own thoughts, Ciela processed his words a beat too late. Her eyes widened in shock as she turned to look at him. His crimson eyes, half-curved in a gentle smile, seemed to assert that it was an inescapable truth.

“I should go now; others may come.”

As Calix left the room, Ciela was left alone. The mischievous wind returned, playfully lifting her hair before disappearing again. She rubbed her itchy nose with her forefinger and rolled her eyes in the direction of where Calix had stood moments before.

Not just anyone can be the male lead,’ she thought to herself for no apparent reason. She pressed her hand to her nose, trying to dismiss the unnecessary thoughts swirling around in her head. To distract herself, she turned her eyes back to the window.

“I should pretend to pass out again.”

Looking up at the sunset-coloured sky, Ciela curled her lips into a wry smile. The party that was supposed to put an end to the gossip had instead turned into a chaos that only strengthened the rumours. In the end, the party was cancelled.

“A happy ending, huh?”

It really had been the best party.

—

At a tea party, often a place for young ladies to cultivate friendships, a variety of conversations flowed freely, mixed with all sorts of rumours.

“It was really shocking at the time.”

“Then?”

“At Lady Lilia’s birthday party. It was so dramatic that I dreamed about it afterwards.”

“Oh my, that’s right. I still think about it from time to time.”

The young lady who broached the subject fanned herself lightly. As time passed, gossip tended to lose its momentum, but the rumours about Lilia showed no signs of fading quickly. And that was no surprise.

“In society, it’s hard to avoid even a single rumour, but Lady Lilia has remained spotless so far.”

“She was so pure for her age, even by common standards.”

Because Lilia’s image had always been one of innocence, the dark stain on her reputation stood out all the more. And it wasn’t just gossip.

“To think she was really… with her sister’s fiancé… Hoho.”

Mid-sentence, the young lady paused, glanced towards the head of the table and carefully raised her teacup. The other young ladies glanced in the same direction, trying to turn the conversation to another topic. But the young girl who had mentioned her dream earlier, oblivious to the changing atmosphere, brought up Lilia’s gossip again.

“Who do you think is telling the truth – Youngsik Turtlik or Lady Lilia?”

“My goodness, young lady! He’s no longer Youngsik of the Turlic family. After that day he was completely cast out of the family and lost his family name.

The young man who had been dragged away by the Earl was eventually removed from the family register. Known for his benevolence, the Earl had been reluctant to abandon his son despite his unruly ways, but for him to officially disown him spoke volumes. It was as if he had declared to the world that he would never forgive his son, even in death.

Lady Lilia’s supporters used the fact of his banishment to proclaim her innocence. But –

‘Is she really innocent?’

Some of those gathered had their doubts. They recalled whispers and anecdotes they had heard at other meetings that painted a darker picture.

‘I’ve heard that Lady Lilia’s eyes lit up when Youngsik Turltik arrived. On the other hand, they say that Lady Ciela didn’t look happy at all when she arrived.’

‘And apparently, when Lady Ciela tried to say something, Lady Lilia abruptly cut her off. Could it be…?’

‘This journalist isn’t the type to write false articles either.’

They were just rumours, so they might not be true. But one thing was certain: no one could look at Lilia the same way they had before.

‘I’ve got to be careful.’

The young ladies, especially those who were engaged, became even more engrossed in the incident and began to see Lilia as someone to be careful around.

“Hoho, judging by the fact that he has been removed from the family register, it seems that Lady Lilia’s claim is true – that she rejected his confession and he retaliated out of spite.”

Despite their private doubts, the young ladies decided to end the discussion without voicing them aloud. Much as they enjoyed the gossip, they couldn’t ignore the presence of the person at the head of the table. Speaking rashly could very well burn their tongues.

“I’m not sure who was in the wrong, but I felt sorry for Lady Ciela.”

The young lady said, once again bringing up a subject that should have been avoided.

The room fell silent, as if everyone had accidentally swallowed scalding tea, but her chatter showed no signs of stopping.

“Contrary to her usual reputation as a villainess, the way she looked that day… Why is everyone so quiet?”

Just as the others hesitated to answer, a sharp sound broke the silence.

clink.

The distinct sound of a teacup hitting the table rang out, deliberate and pointed. It was a clear warning. Even the oblivious young lady finally turned to look at the head of the table, realising the gravity of the situation, and closed her mouth like a clam.

“…You’ve only recently made your debut in society, haven’t you?”

Lady Hayley, sitting at the head of the table, spoke for the first time. She tucked her hair behind her ear and gave the young girl a calm, steady look. With all eyes on her, the young lady moved her stiff lips nervously.

“Y-yes. I have much to learn.”

“It’s understandable that you don’t know, you’ve only recently made your debut in society.”

Hayley said in what sounded like a sympathetic tone. But all but one could hear the thorns in her words.”

“You’re understanding?”

“Of course. But since there are victims of Lady Ciela’s alleged misdeeds, I’d advise you not to broach such subjects so lightly in the future.”

It was a clear warning to think before you speak. With that, Hayley rose from her seat.

“As I said, I have another engagement, so I’ll be leaving now.”

The young ladies promptly got to their feet and bid her goodbye as she left. As Hayley left, sighs of relief could be heard throughout the room as the tension eased.

“Phew. I thought it was about to get serious.”

“Still, it seems she let it slide because the young lady is so new to society.”

“Did I make a big mistake?”

The young ladies looked at her sympathetically and patted her back to comfort her.

“Everyone thinks Lady Ciela is pathetic, just like you.”

“But Lady Hayley is very fond of Lady Lilia.”

“They are extraordinarily close, having visited each other’s families since childhood. It’s not an ordinary bond.”

“That’s probably why she doesn’t think much of Lady Ciela, who has been accused of harassing Lady Lilia.”

They reassured her and told her to be more careful in the future.

Meanwhile…

Hayley boarded her carriage to leave for her next engagement.

“…….”

She closed her eyes and pressed her hand to her forehead. Was it because of the conversation she had just overheard? Ciela’s image flashed through her mind. Hayley stopped pressing her forehead.

‘That must be you again.’

The pitiful sight of Ciela, looking utterly devastated, had been enough to make everyone forget her notorious reputation. But even if the whole world was fooled, Hayley would not fall for her lies.

Never.

The deep-seated hostility in her eyes, like the sun, shone sharply like thorns.

—

Although some time had passed since Lilia’s birthday party, the Marquis Arcel’s estate remained shrouded in darkness.

The scandal surrounding the beloved second daughter and the eldest daughter’s supposed shock at the betrayal of her fiancé and sister had cast a long shadow. Ciela rarely left her room, except for occasional visits to the garden. Given the circumstances, the mood in the household was bound to be sour. Even the servants, wary of further upsetting their masters, moved quietly and cautiously.

Of course, contrary to their assumptions, Ciela herself was perfectly well.

The weather has been really nice lately.

After regaining her health with the help of the Fairy Apple, Ciela continued her daily walks to maintain her recovery. Her body felt much lighter than before, which made her walks all the more enjoyable.

Just as she was about to return to her room, she stepped onto the stairs and an unwelcome face blocked her way.

“Good morning, sister.”

Lilia greeted awkwardly, waving hesitantly. Her complexion, noticeably paler than before, reflected the recent emotional strain she had been under.

“Did you sleep well?”

When there was no reply, Lilia began to fidget with her hands, her voice trembling as if on the verge of tears.

“Are you still not speaking to me? I explained everything, didn’t I? That it was all Turtlik’s lies, because he had a grudge against me. Do you still not trust me, sister?”

“I am sorry. I want to trust you, but every time I think about what happened, it hurts too much and I don’t have the strength. Looking at you feels the same.”

Since that day, Lilia had insisted that it was a misunderstanding, but Ciela had always refused to accept her explanations, using the shock as a shield.

‘It is too soon to accept her now.’

“Sister…”

Desperately, Lilia reached out a hand, but Ciela stepped back, avoiding her touch. Just then, the Marquise’s footsteps echoed as she approached them.

‘She’ll probably scold me for making Lilia cry again.’

The familiar scenario played out in Ciela’s mind as if it were second nature.

“Lilia, are you bothering your sister again?”

Contrary to Ciela’s expectations, the Marquise’s scolding was directed at Lilia. Startled, Ciela doubted her ears and blinked one eye in disbelief.